Sugar Scrub

The other day one of my co-workers told me to feel her skin. I couldn't believe my senses. Her arms truly felt like a babies bottom. Then she divulged her secret. Every night she has been lathering up with a mixture of sugar & olive oil. I then proceeded to show her my cracking heels from my darn flip flops and she convinced me that along with a pumice stone I'd surely be cured. After a little bit of googling (have I told you lately how much I LOVE the Internet) I gave it a try. No measuring I would approximate I use 2 parts sugar and one part oil. Guess what.....my skin is getting softer and I NO longer have cracks in my heels. I'm CURED! Woooo hoooo, no expensive products or pedicures. She's my kind of lady! I now faithfully do this a few times a week. After I am done lounging in the bath I apply and let it sit for 10 minutes or so. Maine Man even participates applying it on my back. Before long I'll have him doing it ;)

P.S. I added a few drops of lavender essential oil to my last batch and it made the experience all that and more.

Here is a link if you want to check out some recipes.

It's getting HOT in here!

With warm weather approaching and a few days of temps in the hot house reaching 100 degrees we decided to open up the other side. It was amazing how quickly the temperature dropped.

The pea pods started coming in this week and unbelievably we actually have green peppers that will be ready for harvest in a few days.

If your a Mainer or live in a similar climate you realize just how much the hoop house has increased our growing season. We typically do not have peppers until late June or July.

Maine Man has spent ENDLESS hours tending his crops and all his hard work has paid off as we gather greens on a daily basis.

P.S Since I have LOTS of pictures to share I am going to be doing a series of short posts.

Nothing like the smell of Lilacs

I have no doubt the kids will have flashbacks of their childhood when they catch wind of a lilac in their adult life. Since they were born I have filled the house with vases and jars stuffed full of these aesthetically pleasing blossoms. Just wish they lasted longer! The season of fresh flowers starts here with daffodils and ends with sunflowers. Nothing like a bouquet of fresh flowers adorning your kitchen table or better yet when you gift some to an elderly couple.

My brother says I've been a bad blogger lately but I try. It's really is not about the lack to topics but yet the lack of time. My goal is to post weekly which I seem to pull off even if they are sometimes brief. Short and sweet is ok, right? I have TONS of pictures and stories to tell....they will come with time. Well it is 7:30 now and I am getting ready to attack a sink full of dishes, make some banana bread, and can some rhubarb for the first time ever. I will let you know how that comes out. Last night I made some blueberry rhubarb jam. It was my first time making jam and the consistency was a little runnier then I expected. Instead of messing with it any further I resised to using it as compote on ice cream, crepes, or angel food cake. I would like any advice any jam makers have on that issue. This week I plan to make up some salsa so I am looking for a recipe if anyone has one posted and is willing share the link here.

Blessed Week to you all!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY FLOWER GIRL

A little post of the kids birthdays has become a yearly tradition. In a sense it is their birthday card.

What to say about this sweet little chickie that we love SO?

We LOVE that she is.....

~caring & compassionate

~smart & sensitive

~spunky & spontaneous

~a gourmet cook ;)

This is what FG's teacher wrote about her in her latest report card:

FG "is a delight. She has so much unbridled energy and enthusiasm for learning and life in general. She is doing a terrific job."

That my friends says a lot and means so much! So proud of the young lady you have become FG!

This is her birthday "Wish List" she wrote out for me after I completed her shopping.

• roller coaster kingdom ds
• my sims kingdom ds
• make up set
• sunglasses (you have new ones)
• book light
• five/ten bucks
• nail polish
• laptop ( NO way, you'll be assigned one in junior high until then we have 2 computers)
• seed/flowers
• real fish (one we can eat?...Momma doesn't need any more animals to pick up after)
• back pack (girl you have a brand new one, Christmas... remember)
• the bangor mall gift card
• books
• candy lots & lots of candy(you'll have to hide it from me...you know how I like your candy stashes)
• cheese balls
• apple peeler
• a bunch of jolly ranchers
• mountain bike/blue
• gum
• peanut butter balls (this wish was fulfilled by Amy...thanks they were SO good)
• a flower bouquet (I hope lilacs will do....)
• a bunny/real (you had one, didn't feed him and we gave him to a lovely family.....you realized 3 weeks later)

I did get some of these goodies kiddo but Momma's not rich and your not spoiled!

To end this post with a little song to dedicated to my little Sweat Pea....In My Daughter's Eyes by Martina McBride

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BABE!

WE LOVE YOU!

How do you....

How do you do it all? That is a question that I am asked frequently. The answer.....I DON'T! As I sit and type tonight I should be folding laundry but I'm NOT, MAYBE I'll do a load or two later. The to do lists are ENDLESS and I just prioritize what I think needs to be done most. Laundry obviously not at the top of my list tonight. I always like to go to bed & wake up to a clean house but there are some things I let slide.
The work of any farm can be OVERWHELMING! Especially from this time of year through fall....the lazy days of winter are always welcomed! As I've said before if it wasn't for Maine Man this farm would NOT be a farm. It definitely takes TWO!

Recent phone conversation with Country Boy

CB: Hi Mom, Dad didn't buy one. He was too cheap!

Me: That doesn't surprise me. I don't even know why you guys went. I knew he wouldn't buy one.

CB: We'll be home in a bit.

Several minutes later MM & the kids pull in tooting the horn and CB ran into the house laughing hysterically. Guess what they had in the trailer.....T-Bone (above) the newest addition.

We are raising him for some friends that have always went above and beyond for us throughout the years. They have been saving for our children's college fund since their births.
Cocoa is happy to have a companion. Have I mentioned, I LOVE having cows out grazing the fields!

Latest hoop house picture. Please click to enlarge the photo for a better view. We have been eating from it daily and giving lots of goodies to friends & family.

currently harvesting: kale, swiss chard, lettuce, bok choy, spinach, beet greens

patiently waiting for: onions, garlic, turnip, carrots, zucchini, squash, beets, peas, squash, cukes, and tomatoes.

Guess what? We have already been struck with EARLY BLIGHT....MM is treating with copper. Hoping that this fungus does not devastate our crops again this year!

Last a recipe link to share..... BOK CHOY SALAD I made it this week. Quick, easy, and tasty!

Maine Adventures

We ended school vacation week with a trip to Acadia National State Park. A place I have wanted to visit for quite some time. Most certainly a place we will continue to explore in years to come for SURE!
Maine Man looks small in comparison to that rock!
The natural beauty is just unbelievable! Before we headed out we read about the history of this park in a lovely book I got from the community treasure chest . Using that book we were also able to pick out a hiking destination. We choose the Gorham Mountain/Beach Trail. It was a 3.5 miles hike....perfect for a family!

We stopped at "Thunder Hole". A narrow area surrounded by rock that waves crash into making a tremendous sound.

I worried that Flower Girl would not be able to keep up the pace....that was unnecessary because she was the leader of the pack throughout much of the hike.

The forecast called for rain but we had sun, sun, sun. It was a beautiful day!

View from the top of Gorham Mountain

Always fun to make it to the top!

Then we made our way down and walked along the beach trail.

We still had a ways to go but the water was just too tempting!

Take note her pants are NO longer rolled up

Imagine that?They were soaked to their belly buttons, then covered in sand.

To be a kid again!

We hope to return again this summer with the Fresh Air Child we are taking in for a week in July. We plan to go on several hiking trips a year from here on out so I will share them here. I am adding a side link(label) of "Our Maine Adventures" as a way of sharing great places to go with fellow Mainers & visitors and as a memory for my children.

Fiddleheading in Maine

Years ago Maine Man used to go out scouting riverbeds and stream banks in search of ostrich ferns and return with grain bags overflowing with fiddleheads ready for resale. Back then (15 or so years ago) I really never gave it much thought. I'd cook up a meal or two and the rest he'd sell. Since becoming a foodie, a couple years ago I have BEGGED him to bring me out. Then I mentioned to a friend I wanted to go and THANFULLY he called this weekend and took us out.......I was beyond excited!

Here he points out what NOT to pick, the red ferns. To the right of that are the real deal. Couldn't he be a hand model? ;) Or if you are a sicko nurses like MM & I all you think of when you see hands like that is....nice veins....I could so slip an 18 gauge in that.

These tasty little morsels are often found around these unique looking plants. MM calls them skunk cabbage.

These furry little ferns are another example of what NOT to pick.

We picked about 3 gallons. A few meals for us and a few to give away. I'd like to go out at least one more time before the seasons ends to gather some for pickling. I will post about it if I am successful. In past years I have froze some but I was not happy with how they held up. They seemed to get frostbite easily.

On an ending note: THANKS goes out to my country neighbor for bringing us out and sharing his secret stash. GREATLY APPRECIATED!

Both the kids and adults had a good time.

FYI - In the country in Maine if you live less than 6 miles from one another your considered neighbors ;)