The Little Garden That Could

We've been wearing more hoodies than tank tops lately, and the house always smells like zuchinni bread (or zuchinni cake, or zuchinni brownies- we have a lot of zuchinni) so it must be time for my annual "I love autumn" post. We are in full-on canning and freezing mode around here. The kitchen is perpetually sticky and canning jars are balanced precariously across every available surface, but I just love this whole process. I especially love the connected-ness to women all over the world who have spent/are spending time lovingly preparing food for their families. Well, mostly lovingly... occasionally the phrase "What the *&%$ am I doing up at #%*&ing 2am?" runs through my mind, but overall it is a very peaceful process. And the results are much more satisfying than the ol' laundry, dishes, vacumn routine.

My garden has surprised and delighted me with a colorful bounty of veggies. I was pretty sure that I had neglected it right into oblivion this summer but apparently some plants are able to thrive in dry, weedy environments. Works for me!

I have been searching for recipes to mix up our zuchinni consumption and last night I made this fantastic side dish but I can't remember what site it came from. You could probably use whatever vegetables you have on hand, and if you want some zuchinni or butternut squash, COME AND GET IT.

* Random thought: If you were playing a drinking game with this post ('cause what else are blogs for) and you took a drink every time I said zuchinni, you would be freakin' wasted right now.

Garden Squash Skillet

2 medium zucchini
2 medium yellow summer squash
1 cup thinly sliced carrots
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add vegetables and cook, stirring, for about 8 minutes, or until tender but still a little crisp. Add butter and toss with the cheese. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving. * I added more cheese and quite a bit of salt. Enjoy!

Bubbly

Mom brought another gallon jug of bubbles when they were here last weekend. Or BUH BUHS, as Evan demands insistently 23875543 times per day. But check it out: such close proximity to exposed flesh and no one ended up with teeth marks. Miracle Bubbles, indeed.

Thanks

Tessa and my parents came this weekend, saving us from turning on each other like a pack of rabid wolves. In addition to making salsa, fixing fence, and lots of cowgirl-ing (rounding up the cattle, treating 20+ for pinkeye, and moving them all to a different pasture), Tess even had time to take pictures!

When did my baby start looking like a little boy? Does this mean I have to stop calling him Baby?

The Impatient Patient

Ethan and Evan are taking advantage of the extra snuggle time with Daddy. We are all surviving Matt's recuperation but can't wait til he is back on his feet.

Catch up

I got a new camera (thanks again, Grandpa!!) last week but haven't had time to, you know, take any pictures. So here is one more unillustrated post, then I am pretty sure I will be on top of my game enough to take the camera with me, snap some shots of the boys, and upload them to the computer before they go off to college. Really. Sure.

Evan knows colors! The only one he says is "ello" but if you ask him to hand you the blue or green or anything one, he can do it 100% accurately. He is also saying more animal names and can do most of the basic noises. My Dad taught him to say chicken and er-er-er-er-oo when he was at their house, and it is pretty gosh darn adorable. So is his attempt at snorting like a pig. I'll have to videotape it because it's impossible to spell.

Ethan is going through some kind of odd phase: when Matt and Evan go out in the evenings to bale hay or whatever, Ethan has been choosing to stay inside with me. We have had some very pleasant chats and I can't get over how helpful he is. His newest chore is folding washclothes and dish towels, freeing up even more time for me to lie on the sofa and eat bonbons.

In between our rousing games of 'Who's Got The Kids?,' Matt is trying to get all the hay put up before his hernia repair on Tuesday (boo). I have been even less help than usual, what with working and all, but hopefully we'll get everything caught up (ha ha ha ha ha ha). The other thing I promise to stay caught up on is this poor lil blog. Really. Sure.