CSA Today! 6-26-14

Whew.  It's been another busy week here in the Beaver household.  We only had 2 weeks to get ready for a garage sale.  Today was the big opening day!

Needless to say, I'm exhausted.  But even though I've fallen behind in posting this week due to garage sale prep... I still want to make sure I update on what I received this week. 

 

Fresh from the farm:  cucumbers, carrots, dill, cabbage, green onion, green garlic, kale, kohlrabi, sugar snap peas, zucchini, squash

Wholesale organic:  apricots, strawberries, broccoli 

I even had extra zucchini on top of my box.  I guess its a good thing I love zucchini and squash.  So many carrots..... guess its time for carrot soup :)

and I can't way to make cabbage soup!  Maybe first thing Sunday, after this garage sale is all over with.

Holding a great garage sale! Steps 1-5

So its been a rather busy summer so far. Last week and this week will be even busier.

This week I'm having a garage sale.

It's going to be huge!

Not only am I working on minimalizing my house, I've actually convinced my dad to get rid of some of things collecting dust in his house as well.   Everyone knows "man stuff" sells really well at garage sales.

So step 1: pick a date.

I decided to have mine this week due to the fact that there is a huge neighborhood across a few blocks away having their neighborhood garage sale.  (Their HOA organized it).

I'm going to try to get some of their traffic.

Step 2:  Collect your stuff!

Go through the kids rooms and declutter!  We put all my son's toys into trash bags, took them downstairs and sorted them in the living room. Everything that stayed he had to put away right away.
Whatever was left goes in the sale.  Of course he can use the toy proceeds to buy more skylanders!  Extra incentive for getting rid of stuff!

Step 3: Clean the stuff!   If its dusty, clean it off!  You'll get a better price that way.  If it looks treasured, it will be treasured.  If it looks like junk, don't be surprised if it doesn't sell.

Step 4:  Advertise!!!!!!!
I've advertised in the paper before, but this time I"m trying the digital route.
I'm going to post on craigslist, and facebook.  Not only on my page, but we have a local garage sale / personal items selling group on facebook that I'll give a shout out to.  That should help circulation.

Step 5: Coffee!  Its going to take an investment of time to get this done, so work away.  Put in the extra hours, it'll be worth it for the extra money.

So this is how far I am today, more posts and steps as I go along!

I would show a picture of my garage, but its so stocked full of stuff (aka messy) I'm too embarrassed to show that :)


So instead.... a giraffe doing yoga!

LOL

Foodie Friday: Cheese Please!

Ok, so I love goat cheese.  This has been a recent love (last 5 years or so).  But none the less I'm head over heels for that wonderful crumble.
Problem is, its so darn expensive!

So I decided to try a little experiment.  Make my own goat cheese.  :)

Now I've never made cheese of any kind before.... and didn't feel like investing in rennet or cultures.

I did lots of looking online for different recipes, and stumbled upon a couple that seemed rather quick and easy.

So here's my adaptation:

10 cups of goat milk   - Try not to get the ultra-pasteurized.  It will work but evidently regular                                                pasteurized is better. I'm trying for raw next time!
3/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice (try to get the juice and not the pulp!)

I ran out of lemons just under the mark :(

 So bring the 10 cups of goat milk to approximately 180 F (slowly, don't want to scald it!).  Little simmering bubbles will be forming but it won't be a boil.  I've seen recommendations for using a candy thermometer.  I don't have one so I used a meat thermometer to check to see if I was close to the temp. I tried to take a picture, but the steam kept fogging the lens.  I did this over medium heat, by the way.

Next, add the lemon juice and stir well.  Turn off the heat. I let it sit for about 1/2 an hour after that. I meant to get back to it quicker, but 6 year old boy called. :)

Set up some double layered cheese cloth (or in my case towels) over a colander and set the colander over a large pot.  Pour the liquid into the cloth.  The colander helps keep the shape as you pour.

I have 2 flour sack towels the 1st one is bundled then the 2nd one is wrapped around it.  I let it drain like this for a few minutes while I got a tall pot and a long handled spoon.  If you can, you want the bundle to hang, to allow the liquid to drain.  If you don't have a long handled spoon the colander will work.

I let the whole assembly sit for about 3-4 hours ( once again I was busy with other things).

The bottom of the pot was filled with clear liquid and left behind in the towels was the yummy, crumbly cheese!

I scooped out as much as I could, and put it in the fridge! I left the top off my container so it could dry out just a tiny bit more.  But I did sneak a quick taste.  I even had some store bought crumbles to compare it to.  It isn't quite as rich as chevre, but it was absolutely yummy.

I probably got about 2 cups of crumbles.  1 cup if you really compressed it.

I scooped out about 1/2 a cup of crumbles, and added about 3 tablespoons of honey and mixed well.

On a quick taste it was fantastic, but I'm waiting to put it on some toasted bread.

You can also add salt and garlic and other herbs season as you will.

CSA Today! 6-19-14

Well another fantastic CSA delivery today.

I was very pleased to see some asparagus in this delivery! I can't wait to eat it up! (It's behind the carrots in the picture.)

From the Farm:  Leeks, green garlic, kohlrabi, carrots, sugar snap peas, cabbage, broccoli and kale!

From wholesale: apples, bananas

I shouldn't really complain with how much kale I've been getting.  It will soon be gone with the summer heat moving in.  Then I will miss it.

I'm very happy to see the cabbage though.  I recently ate up the last of my frozen cabbage soup.  And I was wanting to make some more.

Out of our garden this week, we pulled the last of the radishes.  Its been so hot, that they were going to seed.  Most were stunted in growth, but we managed a few good ones.  They were added to the cabbage soup before dinner.

I'm anxious to try kohlrabi.  I've never cooked with it before, so this will be an experiment.

New Ventures in a Busy Time

Well its certainly been a busy summer so far.   I'll do my best to update daily, things are busy between my minimalizing my household, providing stimulating summer activities for my son, and starting a new business venture.

As you can see from my prior blogs, I try to add several of my photos with each one.   So this past week I've started framing some prints for sale.  If you would like to purchase any of these prints please comment and I'll get back to you.

I'll be trying to sell these through various locations, Indigo Yoga , and Christopher's Restaurant (hopefully).

Here are a few selections:

     

  

  

Sorry about the awkward watermarks. I'm still refining my logo.  Still learning this whole process. :)
But if you are interested in prints or would like to see more, please drop a comment :)

CSA Today! 6-12-14

Happy Thursday! One day closer to the weekend

It's been a busy full first week of summer break.  Another wonderful CSA delivery from Fulton Farms!

From the farm: Kale (2 bunches),  green onions, green garlic, parsley, dill, kohlrabi

From wholesale (to fill the box): blueberries, leek (one huge one cut in half so it would fit in the box), cucumbers, red cabbage, tomatoes 

Sigh.... yes, more kale!  I've only recently started to like kale (the last 2-3 years or so), so I'm still new to it, and can only imagine so many ways to cook it.

I guess more salads are in my future. :)  Then there's the kohlrabi.... no idea how to cook that. Guess there's some research to do.

Of course the wholesale is only until the growing season is in full swing, and there's more to put into the box.  I'm loving the organic produce that comes though. It lasts so much longer than the grocery store items.

I also see more jelly making in my future.... my strawberries are going to go bad otherwise. Hmmmm strawberry/blueberry jam... sounds wonderful.

Tonight was a clean out the fridge dinner night.  I've got so many bell peppers, I'm drowning in them.  So tonight I used 7 of them in a soup.  Yes, 7.  I had throw the other 3 into the compost pile (with some cucumbers that didn't get used as well).

It certainly is challenging to come up with inventive ways to use all the veggies that I get before they go bad.  Of course soup is always an easy option.

How Green are you?

The Busy Beaver Mom: Simple, green living in a busy beaver modern world.

The goal of this blog, is to document the steps I'm taking to achieve a simpler, greener household while maintaining a modern lifestyle.  This isn't as easy as it sounds.

One day I came across a fantastic description, how green are you?  Are you light green, medium green or dark forest green.

courtesy of clipart

You can vary the degree of green by what you do with your life to be more eco-friendly.  I also see it as a way to not feel guilty if you aren't almost Amish in your approach to life.  Deep down we all want the same thing.  Clean water to drink, clean air to breathe, and a clean place to call home. 

So I myself am light to medium green.

I've posted before on little steps you can do to make the day greener. And they aren't that hard. 

"I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples." - Mother Teresa

So here in my corner of the world I'm doing what I can.

Tip of the day:  Be aware.  Be aware of what you are doing.  Don't just go through the motions. 

Today while I was brushing my teeth, I noticed my habit was to leave the water on for a few seconds while I brushed. Being aware I quickly turned it off.  So many bad habits are ignored. If we are more aware we can catch them and correct them.

You can only change if you aware things need to change. 

Getting Moving on a Monday!

Happy Monday All!

Yes, I know, typical Mondays are slow, tedious and hateful.

I didn't want to get up on time today either. (and I won't say I did )  ;)

Still, once I was up, I managed to get quite a bit done today.  Finally weeded my overgrown garden and added some seeds for hot weather plants.  Did some computer work and writing.  And to kick it up a notch, went on a 5 mile bike ride that kicked my butt.  I'm so out of shape.

We should use Monday Mornings to get the week off on a good foot.  Get your energy and heart levels up.  If you don't have time for a 5 mile bike ride, just do some jumping jacks.

Any movement is better than none!

Also get moving on your dreams!  I used part of my time today to start working on an expansion of my photography.  I plan on selling prints.

So if anyone is interested in purchasing prints of any photographs you see here, or on my website, please feel free to drop me a comment.

If not, then I hope the pictures at least bring some joy to your Monday.

                       

Foodie Friday! Krispy Fruity Cupcakes!

Ahhhh the joys of motherhood.  As we transition in age from diapers and falls to the school days and requests of "I want to celebrate my birthday at school tomorrow since its the last day of school and my birthday is in the summer."

EEEEEK!  Rush to the grocery store to get supplies for Rice Krispies treats with Fruity Pebbles!

- Rice Krispies      ( 4 cups)
- Fruity Pebbles    ( 2 cups)
- Butter                ( 3 Tablespoons)
- Marshmallow Fluff  ( 7 oz, or 1 small container)

Now I like to mix it up a bit with the original Rice Krispies Treats... I add some Fruity Pebbles!

First, mix together 4 cups Rice Krispies and 2 cups Fruity Pebbles (for a total of 6 cups)

- too many Fruity Pebbles can make things a bit sweet for me....

Next Melt 3 Tablespoons of butter!  Use the real thing please, its not like we're going for healthy treats here.

You want the butter totally melted so it can mix well with the marshmallow fluff.

Mix the 1 small container of marshmallow fluff (7 oz.) and stir well until they are mixed completely. 

I did this over low - medium heat.   You don't want to burn the fluff!

Pour the marshmallow goo into the krispies and pebbles and mix well until every little piece is coated (in deliciousness). 

Now here comes some fun parts:  For most treats you need to put into a large pan with maybe some wax paper in the bottom to prevent sticking and press the treats down so they stick.  

I decided to make it a little differently... I pulled out the muffin pans with cupcake liners in it. Multiple colors for fun!  Then I filled the cups and pressed firmly.  This is important to make the treats stick together.  You don't want limp treats!

Now the recipe above is the single recipe which made about 20 krispy treat cupcakes.  

I needed 24.  

So rather than make them smaller, I made another batch.  Oh darn, I'll need to eat them myself. :)

No messy knife needed to cut them apart, just hand them out!  

Needless to say, they were a huge hit at the last day of school party!!!!!! 

CSA Today! 6-5-14

Once again, my weekly delivery of veggies is here!

Doesn't it look scrumptious?!

From the farm:
Kohlrabi, spinach, cucumbers, strawberries, cilantro

From Wholesale: blueberries, pears, apples, cucumbers, green peppers, carrots

I've never used kohlrabi before, so this will be an adventure!

More kale! I'm going to be so healthy!  Salads, salads, salads.  What's even better, throw some goat cheese and berries on top and its extra good. :)

I'm so happy the spinach came in, I was out of spinach since my last delivery.  I prefer spinach mixed into my kale salad.

Hosta flower just for some decoration :)

Using up all these veggies in inventive ways is a challenge.  For instance, there's only so many ways I can envision using bell peppers.  And I had so many of them, they are quietly going bad in my refrigerator.  I couldn't even give them away fast enough.  One such recipe was some sweet potato, cherry tomatoes, chicken and quinoa I threw together into a casserole weeks ago.  I didn't write about it ( I don't think), because I didn't think it was that good. Just another food experiment.  Well today I pulled it out of the freezer for a super fast dinner... and wow, did it hit the spot!  I guess it just needed to sit.  So you never know how it will turn out, just give it a try and save the extras for later for a cheap and fast meal!  This is why I invested in a standing freezer.  I don't know where I'd put it all if it weren't' for that.

Where's your happy place?

I want you to think for a moment.  Where are you happy.  Truly happy?  No complications, just pure enjoyment, relaxation and peace of mind.

My short trip to the Smoky Mountains last weekend reminded me of how much I enjoy getting out into the wilderness.

what a view!

Around my hometown, there are parks and places to go hikes.... but even in the deepest part of that wood you can hear the cars and airplanes go by.

In the mountains, it was total tranquility and peace.  Just sitting on the side of a path, and enjoying the gentle sounds of the forest in a light rain.

That is my happy place.  I'm at total peace.

Now I understand not everyone loves the outdoors like I do.  I have a friend who we be terrified to be out in the woods like I was.  She even faked being sick as a child to get out of camping.

So, my challenge to you dear reader is: Think.

Dig deep inside, and find where are you at peace.  Total peace.  Where nothing else matters, and all troubles disappear even for just a moment?  Is it a church?  A museum?  Maybe your backyard garden.  Still enjoying nature, but of a more domestic sort.

First harvest from the garden!

I've posted in the past about my small little garden.  With food prices being as unbelievable as they are, every little thing you can do at home to make your own food really helps.

So today we harvested some of the garden!!!

Radishes and Strawberries!

Of course these were quickly devoured.

Asparagus lightly steamed -just slightly underdone so they retain some crunchiness.  Added a touch of butter.

Then placed the raw radishes on top.  

I'd say it was a success.  Although this boy also eats asparagus raw if given the chance.  

I just thought the spaghetti method of eating it was so cute!

The asparagus was from my CSA (community supported agriculture) delivery from Thursday!

Tomorrow will be kale and strawberry salads all day.  I have so much kale to go through!!!

Foodie Friday: Smores

Yeah, I know. Not a very tricky recipe, but since I"m heading out of town camping I thought it appropriate.

My scenery for the weekend

So typical smores are over a fire.  Toast the marshmallows to your liking then set the hot marshmallow (make sure to blow out the flames first) onto graham crackers with a piece of chocolate on there.

My favorite version of smores are in the microwave.  Did you know that marshmallows grow huge when you put them in the microwave?  its really fun to watch.

So set your graham cracker and chocolate on a microwave safe plate.  Place the marshmallow on top.  Leave it open faced like this for microwaving. Then zap it!  Usually 10-15 seconds is perfect to just barely melt the chocolate so its not too runny.

super fast, super yummy, instant sweet tooth gratification :)


-Oops, sorry all! I was supposed to post this Friday, but was on the road.  When I finally remembered, I had no service! (That's what I get for being in the middle of nowhere!)