Sunday Funday: Harvesting the Garden!

Finally last Sunday I didn't have any guests or plans, and the rain came and went in fits.  I seized the chance to harvest my root vegetables and put away the trellis and tomato cages.  

The carrots turned out awesome!!  Even the smallest one is bigger than last year's biggest. 

Unfortunately, my first attempt at potatoes was not nearly so successful.

That's the whole harvest.  In one hand.  I planted more potato than that!!

I think they didn't get enough water.  Maybe I didn't sing to them enough.  Oh well...next year will be better.

Sunday Funday inspired by the blog Simply Everything Beautiful

Sunday Funday: Lake Champlain Cruise!

It's fun to be a tourist in my own city! A couple weeks ago, my parents and sister came to visit Burlington. My sister lives in Colorado, so she usually only comes east once a year. We packed all kinds of things into her time here, including a family cruise on Lake Champlain!


The cruise included a lunch buffet, and was just the right length at an hour and a half. We cruised south from the downtown ferry dock, went around Shelburne Bay and looped back up north around the breakwater before returning.

Look at our beautiful city!

It was so much fun trying to identify buildings and streets from this new angle. Turns out I'm not very good at it! The foliage was at its peak, and the views were wonderful. We were afraid it might be cold, but the sun was bright and warm on the upper deck of the cruise ship. Plus there was plenty of Green Mountain coffee to keep us warm!

Sunday Funday inspired by the blog Simply Everything Beautiful

Rustic Muffins

Over the weekend, I made pupcakes for Roger's birthday (more on that in another post). They're basically whole wheat muffins with apples, cheese, yogurt, and honey. And a cream cheese frosting. Admittedly, I probably ate just as many as the birthday dog. So that started me on a hunt for a more simple recipe intended for humans.

(original recipe)

I switched the proportions of white and whole wheat flour. I used more apples than the recipe called for, and probably should have shredded them instead of just dicing. I'm guessing that's why they came out looking a bit...irregular. Sort of...rustic. But still...delicious!

2nd Annual Hike with Shawnee!

Just a little while ago, we were reminiscing with @ShawneeShep about the great hike we took together last September. She and her mom drove all the way up from New Jersey to hike in southern Vermont with us, and it was such a great day! We decided to do it again this year.

For this year's adventure, Shawnee and her mom found a great hike in Pisgah State Park in New Hampshire. The days leading up to our trip it was pouring rain, but luckily the skies cleared in time, and we had a perfect day for hiking!

We drove down from Burlington and they drove up from New Jersey and we met at the park. Once the dogs had gotten a chance to greet each other and were properly outfitted in their don't-hunt-me orange, we were on our way!

Since there had been so much rain, I was ready for the trails to be a muddy mess, but overall it was pretty dry! We had to make our way across several streams that I'm guessing usually would have been quite small, and there were some great big puddles for the dogs to play in. (Roger made it his mission to get soaking wet in each one of them.)

Shawnee led the way for the whole 10 miles, keeping us moving at a good pace. The hike was pretty challenging for Roger and me, and as soon as we reached the summit of Pisgah Mt, Roger wasted no time hunkering down for a nap!

Once we started the hike back down, I kind of wish I had followed Roger's example...never underestimate the restorative power of a nap.

Shawnee brought her boy along this year! At first Roger wasn't quite sure about him, but by the end they were good buddies.

The views were fantastic, and it was so peaceful at the top. We only passed a few other groups of hikers all day. We had hoped to catch the foliage at a good time, but it was still mostly green leaves everywhere with only random bursts of color. It could have been more dramatic, but of course it was very pretty anyway--and that means the trails were less crowded.

Daniela got so many great pictures (like this one below and the first one in the post), and you can see more of them in Shawnee's blog post about our pawsome day together!





Thank you, Shawnee, Daniela, and the Boy, for making the trip to New Hampshire to hike with us! We can hardly wait until our 3rd annual hike next year--we should be just about rested enough by then to do it all over again!

In the Kitchen: Roasted Sweet Potatoes

As I've pointed out before, I'm no daredevil in the kitchen. Normally I stick with tried-and-true favorites, but I was rewarded for my efforts this weekend when I took a crack at roasted sweet potatoes! Not a quick dish, but SO yummy and seasonally appropriate that it was totally worth the time spent.

The taste and texture were perfect the first night! Tender and sweet inside with a slightly crispy and caramelized exterior. Reheated the next day they still tasted great, but unfortunately the texture was lost. Next time I'll probably leave them in a little longer in the 2nd and 3rd stage to get crispier edges.

Roasted Sweet Potatoes
-4-6 sweet potatoes, peeled, rinsed and cut into 3/4"-thick rounds
-2 Tbsp vegetable oil
-1 tsp salt

Toss all ingredients together in a large bowl until potatoes are evenly coated. Arrange on a rimmed baking sheet covered in tin foil. (The recipe suggests coating the tin foil with cooking spray first, but I didn't and they came off pretty okay.) Cover tightly with tin foil. Place in cold oven, turn it to 425 degrees and cook for 30 min.

Remove from oven and carefully remove top layer of foil. Return to oven and cook until bottom edges of potatoes are golden brown, 15-25 min.

Take em out again, flip em over, back in for 20 min more, until desired color is achieved. Enjoy!

Sunday Funday: Lulu's Birthday!

Today I was honored to join in the celebration of Lulu's 3rd birthday! Jessie, clever as always, booked an event room at the local park so that there was plenty of inside and outside space for Lulu's friends, their parents, and siblings to enjoy the celebration - crown-decorating, cake-eating and present-opening inside paired perfectly with pinata-whacking and jungle gym-climbing outside!

Happy birthday, Lulu!

Sunday Funday inspired by the blog Simply Everything Beautiful

Wordless Wednesday: Roger & the A/C

Heat Wave

There's no denying it, it's HOT! My normally cool-as-a-cucumber Burlington set a new record high of 95 degrees for today's date. Roger has taken to napping on ice packs, and he refused to leave the house all afternoon. Y'know what this heat wave is making me dream about?

HUTSGIVING.

Just think of whooshing over all that icy Colorado snow as we ski out to the Section House, Thanksgiving dinner and birthday treats safely tucked in our packs, all smiles and chilly, rosy cheeks.

Only four months to go :)

Sunday Funday: Playing in the garden!

A good portion of the day last Sunday was spent playing in the garden with Roger!

We planted potatoes in the Smart Pot, and pulled weeds from around the veggies.

All of the cucumber sprouts that had been there a week earlier were mysteriously gone! Luckily I had a few seeds left in the packet, so I re-planted them. Hopefully something will still come.

The other big project was planting grass. It's never been a particularly luscious or robust lawn, and it seems to have only gotten worse this summer.

I pulled up and raked out as many of the big weeds as I could, and seeded the whole area around the garden.

And look! I'm already being rewarded for my efforts! On Friday I harvested my first round of lettuce and spinach! Now I just need the tomatoes and carrots to catch up...

The tomato plants are getting HUGE, so luckily I won't have too much longer to wait.

Don't trust that grin - this kid didn't help at all. Roger chose to nap, and supervise my progress from a comfortable distance.
Sunday Funday inspired by the blog Simply Everything Beautiful

Veggie Garden 2010

Introducing the Veggie Garden, 2010 Edition! New and improved in almost every way: well-tilled soil, nutrient-rich compost, stepping stones, and 50% bigger than the 2009 edition!

Papa McKenna took the trip from NH to spend Memorial Day weekend with Roger and me, working in the garden. We raked, and tilled, and dug rocks (including the stepping stones and that massive corner post) and added wonderful compost and then raked and tilled some more.

The plants and seeds went in the following weekend, and there are already some green sprouts poking up in the lettuce section!

From left: lettuce, spinach, carrots, cucumbers (under the trellis) peppers, tomatoes. Coming soon: potato planter.

We also set up the compost bin! I've had a kitchen compost bin for years, and I always just haul it to CSWD to dump it. But finally my own garden will be able to benefit from all my lovely coffee grounds, wilted lettuce, and apple cores!

Of course, the Veggie Garden 2010 Edition has the latest in home garden security. To protect from digging critters (cats, etc) I stake down a section of chicken wire flat on the ground. The plants grow right up through it, and weeds can be plucked, but it's dig-proof!

Ready? Now I'm going to tell you my secret weapon. For general pest repellent that's chemical-free and pet friendly, use crushed red pepper. Just sprinkle it on top of and around the garden. Ground red pepper works too, but it's harder to see where you've applied it. Just be sure to reapply after heavy wind/rain!

After a full day of hard work prepping my garden on Saturday, Papa McKenna & I were thrilled to have Sunday breakfast at Handy's and then cheer on our friends in the Vermont City Marathon! My porch is the best seat in town.