It's the Most Wonderful Time...

Of the week! Today was a produce day where we buy in bulk at the Farmer's Market, and I love the goodies we get every 2 weeks! Of course, this comes with work - each shop I have to be up and dressed by 7am to open the garage, help sort food, and collect money for the next time. Saturday is the only morning that I set my alarm and typically the one morning my children sleep past 6:30. Isn't that Murphy's Law? Pick up is at 8am and then I come inside to loving wash the fruit, put away any root plants, and bag the green stuff!

It's such a treat! It's now been 2 years since we started doing the produce co-op, and my dedication has wavered at times (especially while pregnant!!!), but I love getting new things to try and have expanded my variety of cooking! We try to plan our menus around our produce - so this week we will have Tuscan Bean soup, a sweet spud casserole, roasted veggies (broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, potatoes, and onions coated with olive oil and sprinked with salt, pepper and garlic), and whatever fun side dishes I can come up with. I really wanted to get some eggplant as well, but there just wasn't enough money! Drum roll please....



2 sets of broccoli

16 snack size carrot bags

1 head cauliflower

2 heads romaine lettuce

5 red onions

8 small bell peppers

2 bunch spinach

1 butternut squash

5 small yellow squash

3 zucchini

3 sweet potatoes

10-11 fugi apples

10-11 pink lady apples

8 bananas

1 big bag red grapes

6 large oranges

8 d'anjou pears

3 pieces jicama

4 big peaches

1 head celery

6 kiwi



All this for the bargain price of $30!

These pictures are from May 2006 - the only time I've ever taken pictures! There are 12 people in the group and we rotate who shops, so you never know what you are going to get!!!

Didn't Realize It Before

Okay - call me slow. Seriously. I had an epihphany this afternoon. I think I've realized this before, but I'm seeing now how true this is. We've already decided that Ben is an intense little boy. I am just noticing how intense - we had a fun little Valentine's party this afternoon and after were playing outside with some neighbor boys that are a year older. That's when it hit me!

Whatever Ben is focused on, it is with all of his heart. It doesn't matter what - as long as it is important to him, all of him is involved. If there is a conversation he is interested in, he is louder and closer to your face than anyone else. If you are getting a hug because he wants to hug you, your guts come out because it is so hard. If you play baseball with him, be ready for the ball to come hard at your chest (unless he is distracted and then you better duck!). If there is a book he wants you to read, he catches every word. If you are running around playing guns outside, he is totally in the moment. If he is cleaning the kitchen for me, every surface is wiped. He is totally an all or nothing guy - he is the fastest toy-picker-upper, when he is focused and wants to do it! Hopefully his teachers will catch on a little bit faster than I did!

A friend is doing some vinyl lettering for me on Ben and Annie's wall. "Imagination is intelligence having fun." That is my little cowboy! He's going to be brilliant!!! :)

Mailboy

When I was little, we did sugar cookies for Christmas and the melted chocolate molds for Valentine's Day. Then we would pass them to neighbors, the mailman, etc. Last year we were able to deliver cookies to Andy's home teaching families, but that is as far as we got! So, Sunday afternoon I decided it was time to do the Valentine's tradition - knowing Ben would love this. When my mom packed up her kitchen, I received the molds (sorry Nan!!! You can send me your kids when they want to do them!) and needed to try them out! So, we melted white and pink chips and poured them into heart molds. However, Ben found the Christmas pan with the trees, bells, candy canes, and wreaths. The hearts didn't mean much to him, so he did Christmas shapes. I figured this was appropriate as a Merry Christmas/Happy Valentine's Day wish to our neighbors.

After doing those and dipping pretzels with Annie we made little baggies and took them to 8 of our neighbors. Ben was so thrilled about this part! He got his special bag, filled it with the goodies, loaded it on his bike and rode up to each house, pulled out a goodie bag, zipped up his bag, put it back on his bike and then was ready to ring the doorbell. 8 different times! Riding his bike from one house to the next - just as cheerful to do each one. Annie liked to talk to the three people that opened the door and tell them personal information. Like the university dean that lives across the street who was informed that she can now poop in the potty to get a present. Yes, I actually blushed...