Sunday Happy

Already? That week just blew on by. Probably because of the midweek holiday and that always makes time move in weird ways.

This week felt like a lot went on. Some of the same old, same old, but there was a lot of activities thrown in. We went on a bike ride picnic one day, another day we had lunch at the co-oop with my mom. Then on the third of July a lot of places do fireworks and so, after the mr saying we had to do something this year, we decided to go to the fireworks in Montpelier. Whoa did that kick my butt. Staying out and awake past dark was no way an easy feat. But well worth it. Sure the fireworks were ,well, they were what they were (I don’t really care for fireworks) but the lead up was amazing. On our way to the town we stopped on the side of the road at a giant old graveyard. We were so early that we decided it would be something cool to do while it got dark out. Well this graveyard was on a massive hill and when we got to the top, we had the most amazing view of the valley and where the fireworks were going to go off so, duh, we stayed and walked around. And then it happened. Dusk came, it started to get dark, and all of a sudden. Fireflies. Everywhere. It was magical. And then the fireworks went off and we couldn’t get home fast enough. I was dead ass tired.

The next day, I was exhausted, but oh well. The littles came over for the afternoon and we played the day away in the sprinkler and ran around with water guns. Barb and Paul came over too, ate grilled veggies dogs, mac and cheese, chopped cabbage, and popsicles. We lit the sparklers, walked the block, and then off they all went to do more fire stuff and I went to bed super early. I was still trying to recover from being out so late the night before.

The rest of the week was doing little things around the house, going to the studio, running errands. Being hot.

Then yesterday. A very productive day even with the nasty humid. Grocery shopping, the dump, rainbows, cleaning. I even did a good hour of weeding in the garden even though I was sweating through my soul. Gosh it really was gross. And then I went for a little walk and got caught in a crazy downpour of rain. And I wasn’t made about it. Not one bit.

And it is Sunday again. Today is unplanned for the most part. I’ll bike to gym and thats all I got so far. After yesterday, doing anything outside will be fantastic so I am hoping that the mr wants to go for a hike or something. I know he said there was work he needed to do but come on, mid 70’s and no humidity…. I’ll be dragging his ass somewhere.

Internet links from me to you.

-Living in Vermont, we are so lucky to not have to deal with earth quakes. The science behind California’s two big earthquakes

-It’s just about tomato season so you should know this. How to Store Tomatoes So They Stay Plump & Fresh for a Very Long Time. And know this too. How to Pick the Right Type of Lettuce for Way Better Salads

-After 6-Year Battle, Florida Couple Wins The Right To Plant Veggies In Front Yard. How crazy is it that they were not allowed to plant veggies in THEIR YARD because they were unsightly… What the F!@K is wrong with people? !

-The Science Of Smiles, Real And Fake. Don’t tell me to smile. I will bite you.

-I think I need a pool. This COWBOY POOL DIY.

-This Skinny House That’s Just 10 Feet Wide Is for Sale in New York. I kinda really want it.

-I alway love the backs of embroidery. These rugs are awesome. Raw-Edges Flips Traditional Embroidery on Its Head with Backstitch Rugs

-The Joy of Not Wearing a Bra. First thing I do when I come home (sometimes even in the car on the way home) is to take my bra OFF! But really, I avoid bra wearing at all cost.

-I want these boots. Grundéns Deck-Boss Ankle Boots

-I really wanted to be a water witch when I was growing up. Still kind of do. The Magic of Dowsing Keeps Holding On

Pictures from the week.

-C

White Bean Zucchini Salad Sandwich

Summertime is in full swing. Hot ass days, garden fresh veggies, zucchinis as big as whales, and did I mention that hot ass heat? If you have been around here before, you know how well I handle the heat. (NOT WELL AT ALL!)

I think we are all hot these days. But really, lets just focus on the good things, like fresh summa veggies!

This sandwich is all about summertime and not having to turn on a single flame or heat source and takes all of 5 minutes to make. Zucchini because it is everywhere, beans for more substance and they are delicious, all mixed up in a creamy bean and tahini sauce. Super fast, fresh and oh so delicious. I made a big batch for sandwiches but also I was just eating it with a fork. It’s a tasty one that will be on the summer rotation for sure for the next few months, or until the zucchini runs out and I dare to turn the oven on again. (Ok, I am being a whine ass. It’s not THAT bad and I did turn the oven on, early morning, to bake bread. So yeah.) But for real. This is a great, super fast, throw together, fresh, light but filling, sandwich situation for any and all of your summertime eating needs. What more do we need? The mr said all he needed with the sandwich were chips. Chips and a nice cold drink.

Done sir. Done.

Now to the sandwich!

The stuff. White beans, a zucchini, and a fresh spring onion. Also some tahini, a lemon, a few cloves of garlic, a little vinegar and water, and salt and pepper. And to serve as a sandwich you need bread. lettuce, and tomato. Well you only need the bread, but you get what I am saying.

Fist off. Half the white beans go into blender or jar with the tahini, the juice of the lemon, garlic, vinegar and a splash of water. Blended unit nice and creamy smooth. And yes, it is basically hummus but whatever.

Julienne the zucchini and chop up the onion.

Note. You don’t have a mandolin or done’t want to julienne with a knife, well just chop the zucchini into small little chunks.

Bean, onion, and zucchini in a bowl. Add in the bean tahini mixture and mix. And ta da, all done. All of 5 minutes and no heat. Good for us.

Now here is the thing. This salad is ready to eat now. You can continue onto the sandwich path or just eat it like it is with a fork. What I really liked to do is scoop spoonfuls into lettuce cups with a slice of tomato and a squirt or mustard. So yes sandwich, but also whatever else you want it to be.

But as a sandwich…. Bread. And lettuce and tomato and heck, whatever else you want to throw on there. (Again, mustard is A+)

Now stop. Sandwich time.

Stay cool!

-C

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White Bean Zucchini Salad Sandwich 

makes 3-4 sandwiches

• 1 medium sized zucchini

• 2 1/2 cups cooked and strained white beans (a can will do)

• 1 spring onion (or a small white or red onion)

• 3 tablespoons tahini

• 2-3 cloves minced garlic

• 1 lemon

• 1 tablespoon white or red wine vinegar

• 2-3 tablespoons warm water

• salt and pepper

• And to serve as a sandwich

• bread or wrap of your choice

• tomato slices

• lettuce

• anything else you want

Place half of the beans, tahini, garlic, juice of the lemon, and the vinegar into a jar and use a immersion blender or a regular blender and blend until creamy smooth. Add in a tablespoon at a time of water until the consistency is just slightly thinner then hummus.

Grab zucchini and using a mandolin or a knife and julienne it. (You can also just cut into small little cubes.) Dice the onion up into small pieces and toss with zucchini, onion, and the other half of beans into a big bowl. Dump the bean tahini mixture all over and veggies bean mixture and toss around. Add salt and pepper to taste.

To make it a sandwich… Place a scoop onto a bread situation, add some lettuce and tomato and whatever else you want, and eat it.

Sunday Happy

I’ll try to be good and not bitch too much about how hot I am. And really, it hasn’t actually been that bad. At least I am not in France. If I were in France, I would be losing my shit. I think they reached 113 degrees a day ago. So I am puting things in perspective here. I am not that hot.

Yup. Another week come and gone and now were are more then half way through the year. It’s hard to believe but time stops for no one. So what did you do with you week? For us, it was the basic. Work stuff, family stuff, trying to get out into the world as much as possible. The mr and I snuck (well the fence had yet to go up) into the new pool construction zone around the corner from us to take pictures and see what all the construction commotion has been about all week. As of now, it a giant ass hole in the ground. We found the mr a new desk for free on craigslist and It weighted a thousand pounds and almost killed me moving it up the stairs. I picked up farm share and picked me some fresh flowers. We went to a river for fishing/reading time. And there were a few bike rides, lots of walks, amazing sunsets, rainy days, hot nights. Trying our darnest to live up the summer as much as possible. Now we just need to get our shit together and get our camping and kayaking game going. It might be a slow start to the season but we will get there. Maybe next week and every weekend after that.

Dad Jeff came to town for a couple days and so Friday, right after I came home from work, I had the family over for family dinner. I made 8 pizzas (all the dough the night before) and ice cream cones with sprinkles. A hit for sure. We got lucky because it wasn't raining so we all got to play around outside. The littles in the sprinkler or playing soccer with the mr. Dad sitting on the stairs talking about rare coins and trying to give away the most creepy porcelain dolls that were my grandmothers and should really be buried as to not come alive and murder people. And there was no arguing or fighting, just shinny happy people holding hands. HA. But really, it was good. It’s always so nice to get everyone together. We are all a bunch of lunatics so we really understand each other.

And then yesterday I spend half the day cleaning up all those happy feeling. The sprinkles from the ice cream made there way into every crack and crevice in the house which makes no sense because everyone ate ice cream outside. Those littles. They are good at tracking the shit into the house.

Today is up I the air. I am going to bike into town to the gym and library and the maybe stop at the coop for some spices, but after that I am probably going to be hanging around the house. The mr has a big delivery coming sometime today and needs to be available at a moments notice so we can’t really take off. Just as well. I have a bunch of projects that I should be wrapping up. Today might just be that day. Or I might just sit around a read all day. I am good with either.

Interent from the internet that might be of some interest to you.

-Why We Remember Stonewall. Because it was important and significant in helping launch a civil rights movement.

-I prefer to carry a spork, but you get the picture. Why carrying your own fork and spoon helps solve the plastic crisis

-8 Types of Indoor Fruit Trees You Can Grow in Your Living Room. I have a lemon tree. I want the rest of them.

-Well done San Francisco, well done. San Francisco Bans Sales Of E-Cigarettes

-Now if I just had 2k just kicking around…..Garden Dome Igloo.

-These Prefab Treehouses Were Inspired By Cartoons. And they are so cool.

-Because you have been wondering all along too. How to solve the water puzzle from Die Hard 3

-The Infrastructure of Joy. Will building delight into cities make them more cloying or more fun? Definitely for sure. I know I am more joyful being anywhere that is more bright and happy. Isn’t everyone?

-Imagine living without time, or without the confines of knowing the time. Whoa. Meet The Residents Of A Norwegian Island Who Want To Kill Time — Literally

-The Best Potatoes Are Boiled in Exxxtremely Salty Water. Not going to disagree.

And pictures from the week.

-C

Cucumber Mint Lime Spritzer

It’s hot out and we are thirsty. Water is good, water is great, but sometimes a little somethin’ somethin’ is called for, for you know, being that we need to deal with it being so freaking hot out. and sticky and gross. (BLAH. This past week we have had some temperatures it had make me crankers.)

Anyway, what is more refreshing then cucumber? Not much. And so we blend up cucumber, add some mint and lime juice and stick it into a glass with ice and bubbles. What can be more refreshing then that? Plus look at how pretty it is. Bright ass green. A true summertime drink.

To the Spritzer!

The stuff. A thin skinned cucumber, a lime, a spring of mint, club soda, and if you want, a little simple syrup.

Chunk up the cucumber and into the blender it goes with the juice of the lime and a couple mint leaves.

Blend until smooth.

Grab a couple glasses, add in some ice, and fill each glass half way with the cucumber juice. (mix in liquid sweetener in now if you want it.)

Top off with club soda, a mint leaf and a few slices of cucumber and you are golden cool and fancy free.

Stay cool…..as a cucumber.. HAHA!

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Cucumber Mint Lime Spritzer

Makes 2 or 3 drinks

• 1 cucumber (thin skinned and 6-8 inches long)

• a lime

• a few mint leaves

• club soda or plain seltzer

• 1-2 teaspoons liquid sweetener (optional)

Take cucumber and place into blender along with the juice of the lime and a couple mint leaves. Blend until smooth. Grab a couple glass, fill each with ice, then fill each glasses half way with cucumber mixture. Add in any liquid sweetener if using and stir. (I recommend trying without sweetness, that is that way I like it, and then add sweetener if you need it.) Top glasses off with club soda. Garnish with sliced cucumber, lime wedges, and or mint leaves if you want.

Drink away.

Sunday Happy

It’s official. Summertime is here. Take it all in and enjoy it because that’s what we need to do. Before it is gone again.

The week has been good. Besides the usual work and stuff, we have spent a lot of time with our people and trying to do things outside everyday. There was an afternoon of Barb and Coco where we went to the beach to find drift wood and throw rocks. Megan and So came over for lunch and teeth wiggling (her two from teeth a loose!! (Sophias, not Megans)) another afternoon. We stopped over to Erins to see the painting mess and Coco drawings all over the walls. The mr and I went for a little hike that took us out under bridges to a graffiti wonderland. That was unexpected and very cool.

Then there is thing that has been on my mind for the past few days. One night in the middle of the week, the mr and I both woke up to a terrifying screaming noice. Like something was dying, killing something, or some creature was about to suck out my soul. It definitely was not anything human. It freaked me out so much that I didn't want to get out of bed to look out the window because I thought whatever was making the noice would see me awake and come kill me or some shit. So I laid in bed until it stopped then was worried it stopped because I didn’t know where it went…. CREEPY AS FUCK! And it happened again Friday night. So I am officially scared that the hell moth in opening up in my back yard. Or it could be a fox. Not sure. I’ll let you know either way. But until I figure it out, I am going to freshen up my Buffy the Vampire Slayer knowledge. Just in case.

Other then that, the rest of the week was a success. The mr finished off the beautiful cedar outdoor table, I picked up farm share and cleaned out my home studio. At the BCA Studio, the kids summer camps started so working there was a bit different. Instead of loading kilns, I was doing clay things with kids. Just got to say, after working all Friday with others peoples kids, hanging out with just Judah that night was pretty much the best. Being around other peoples (not in my family) kids really makes me realize just how cool my littles are. I mean, how cool is it that while I was at work, Judah helped the mr fix a roof? All for a slushy and my home made pizza and just wanted to hang out and draw? That’s a cool kid.

Yesteraday was just a gem. I woke up, did a few things before the sun even came up then sat on the front porch, drank my coffee and read. I even was able to go to the grocery store and cleaned out the pantry before Judah even woke up. (He ended up sleeping over Friday.). I then made pancakes for the boys, harvested greens, and played with the sprinkler. We then picked up Coco to go walk by the waterfront, throw rocks, and of course go down the slide a million times. All this before lunch. After we dropped the little back off, we came home and just hung out. Went for a bike ride, the mr secured the tree from the blowing winds and worked on the treehouse. I cleaned and puttered. The only crappy part was while I was putting away dishes I stabbed a fork under my finger nail. The prong went in deep and it bled like crazy. AGH. I would have rather cut my finger off. And now I have a swollen, still bleeding sometimes, very painful finger that has my heartbeat throbbing in it. But the rest of the day, and evening, besides the pain, was relaxing and lovely.

Today is suppose to be another wonderful day and we are hoping to enjoy it as much as the day will let us. I am going bike to the gym then come home and hop into car with the mr and drive away for the day. Where we are going, not exactly sure. Just out of town, into some of the world. Windows down, wind in my hair, tunes on the radio, coffee in my cup, and a lovely love by my side. Things are good.

Interesting internet. Take a look.

-How to lucid dream, and why you'd want to. I think I really started to think about controlling my dreams I might freak out go crazy.

-How important is seasonal eating? It is important to me for so many reasons. Biggest reason, I try to grow as much as I eat and the seasons depict that. Not a lot of fresh tomatoes coming Vermont in the winter.

-The terrifying screaming might be this? Red Fox Sounds.

-Whatever Happened to #Vanlife? Well, Things Are Changing. Van life is not just for the surfer dudes anymore.

-No Matter the Hack, Some Kitchen Tasks Will Always Be a Pain in the Ass. HERE HERE!! But here is a hack for garlic….just eat the freaking skin. No peeling. HA

-These are some kickass vinyl floors.

-Why wouldn’t pants like good tunes. Good vibrations. It just makes sense. Music For Plants Is Real (Even If The Science Isn't)

-What's the Difference Between Sparkling Water and Seltzer? I needed to double check.

-Give me a good, healthy life, over a really long life. Human Lives Might Be Long Enough Already

Pictures from the week.

-C