Monday, October 3, 2011

 One of the pumpkins grown in our pumpkin patch. This is the first year we have grown this variety, and I think it is especially beautiful!
 Bits of broken glass found on our property. We found a lot more, including some of the green Fire King stuff. It was great fun having our own archeological dig!
 Driveway leading to our house. Blueberry bushes on the right. The driveway is about a quarter of a mile long, and slightly uphill, so it makes for a good walk!
Stuart and Robert waiting for me at the top of the driveway. These are some of the things  making my life rich and full right now! In fact, life has been so rich and so full that I have had no time to really keep up on this blog. With the advent of Fall, the pace slows a little bit, the farm years winds down, and we prepare for our long winter's rest. Looking forward to this, and looking forward to keeping up on this a little bit more!

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Spring

evening sunlight and blueberries in full bloom

sweet lilac in bloom

healthy raspberry canes!
It always seems easier to speak of beauty and a rich, full life in spring! The emerald greens, beautiful skies coming at the end of a stormy, rainy day, evidences of growth and the promise of wonderful fruit to come make life lovely and rich indeed!

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

food!




Food! Everyone needs it to survive. We talk about it, read about it, blog about it, agonize over it, and enjoy it. Therefore, in a blog that talks about the rich, full life, food must play a central role. I am always shocked at the way most Americans eat. We buy pre-packaged foods, bakery cakes, frozen meals, jarred sauces, and deli salads. We talk about how busy we are, too busy to cook, really. And yet I maintain that we are no busier than we have ever been, it is just that our priorities are wrong. The simple truth is that making your food from scratch is better tasting, better for you, and cheaper. It is a little more time consuming, and takes more forethought, but the results are worth it. I can stir up a delicious white sauce in about five minutes, and adding a splash of vermouth and grating of fresh parmesan cheese makes the sauce delicious. I five minutes I have something much better than jarred sauce, with no preservatives and no mystery ingredients. One of the things I want to talk about on this blog is how to make truly delicious food that is inexpensive (usually! I like to splurge on fun ingredients, like really good cheese of fancy olives from time to time!) and easy to prepare. The challah bread in the picture costs about $1.25 a loaf to make. It is so delicious, especially hot from the oven slathered with butter! You can't get that "just out of the oven warm and soft" effect with store boughten bread.I would like to encourage people to see cooking as an art form. With all of the beautiful colors and textures and smells food has, it truly becomes art!So! Stay tuned for recipes, techniques, menu planning help, and lots of pictures of good food!

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

about the blog

Believing that life is, in the words of Robert Louis Stevenson, so full of so many things that we should be as happy as kings, we wanted to start a blog that reflected those words of wisdom. Life IS full of many things, and as a result, we should be grateful and happy. We know that happiness can be a hard fought battle to achieve, but even during the dark times, we can still be grateful and courageous! This blog will be a reflection of the things that make life meaningful, and our record of the things that make life beautiful!