Harvest 2012: How to Can Apples

Do you have an apple tree drooping with apples? Or maybe a friend or family member who is willing to share a bag or two? I say, can 'em! Today, I link you back to my first guest post over at Who Needs A Cape?, a blog run by a few of my favorite Mamas. I had a SUCH a blast canning this summer. Enjoy!

Songs I'm Loving Right Now

It started raining today. Autumn finally arrived. I swear I get more done when the sun hides. It's time to hunker down. And maybe write again. So here's my favorite tunes at this. moment. right. now.

The xx - Angels - Indie Pop. So bare and easy to enjoy. I feel lighter when I listen to it. 'Tis lovely.

Nero - Promises - Dubstep/Electrohouse. Just enough edge for my taste.

Nicki Minaj - Pound the Alarm - Pop. I can't escape the sticky hold of bubble gum pop. Why would I want to? Plus, it's a great workout song.



Oh Land - Wolf & I - Electropop. Celestial metaphors. Magical mellowness. Plus, there's a wolf.

Caravan Palace - Rock It for Me - Electroswing. Like my beloved Ditty Bops, but less banjo.



John Mayer - Speak for Me - Folk Rock. Is it still cool to like John Mayer? I really, really do. Still.



Apparently, I also really, really like electro-whatever.

Kaden - TWO

Dear Kaden,

(Excuse the belatedness).

You are two now. And still the sweetest boy I know. Even as we begin the "terrible twos," I thank the fates many times a day for you. Right now, nothing troubling you can't be fixed by a mama hug. And anything and everyone makes you smile your tiny-toothed, squinty-eyed grin. Most days, you are just happy to be. You are the antidote.

At Avery Park 

We are knee deep in the "mama" phase right now. You haven't yet forgiven me for going to New England and leaving you all alone with Dada. And I took Anika with me. Now you watch me with wide, leery eyes and hug my legs in small moments of apprehension - as if to say, "Just try and leave me again." I am your first responder - for snuggles, tuck-ins, dirty diapers... The second responder is Anika. Poor Dada gets picked last every time. Except for the five minutes after he gets home from work. Then he's your favorite person in the world. But other than that, it's me. I am your keeper of choice.

Honestly, I love this. It won't last forever, so I'll just soak up all the love you pour my way for as long as I can. Right now, I can scatter all your troubles with a swoop and a kiss. This is my magic. I know a day will come when you won't run to me for your kisses. But the fact that I can soothe you today, makes me feel like a superhero - albeit a tired, dis-sheveled, relaxed-fit one.

Your best friend in the whole wide big small world is Anika. You shadow her around all day long, for better or worse. Anything she says, you want to say. Anything she has, you want to have. Anything she does, you want to do. When this isn't the case, your eyes well up, your scar flushes a bright pink, and you wail loud and long in heartbreak. Luckily, Anika enjoys your company, for the most part. She has her limits, and sometimes wants alone time, but usually she likes having you around. Anika likes being the leader, and you oblige in following. 

One of many dress-up sessions. If Anika had her way, you'd both be princesses this Halloween.

I think you compliment each other. 

This isn't to say that you and Anika don't have your fights, because you do. Every day. Every hour. Sharing makes up a huge piece of this puzzle. You don't want to do it. And why should you? You are two and are your own master. As Mama, I am here to serve, nudged along by your whims, accepting mercy and judgement as they settle. Chocolate milk and cookies are ever at the ready to abate and indulge you.

Except, not really. I make you share. Most days you are pretty bummed about this. But luckily, I just scoop you up and this calms you. 

Sometimes, it is frustrating (and tedious) refereeing the arguments between you and your sister. You both fight about the same issues over and over again. Here's a good example of what happens at least three times a day:

Me, in the kitchen, back turned.

Anika and Kaden, in the living room, wildly rumpusing.

A loud thump resonates.

Anika screams.

Kaden cries.

Me: "What happened?"

Anika: "Kaden wants my wooden spoon! And he bit me!"

Me: "Kaden don't bite. Anika, can you share with him?"

Anika: "But I got it out!"

Kaden continues to howl.

Me: "How about we go get another spoon?" (or pony or truck or shiny thing)

Howling ceases.

Developmentally, you don't understand the concept of sharing - and Anika is still learning that you don't understand. She often bears the brunt of guilt, or just surrenders. I am too quick to blame Anika, as she is older, but am fast learning that you are just as guilty, and often times more so. But for every moment of turmoil between you and your sister, there are two more moments of shared secrets, conspiratorial giggles and cooperative play. There's no black and white, but that's fine because I'm just winging this parent thing anyway.

You are so inquisitive - and willing to learn and listen

In the past few months, you are into exerting your independence. Your favorite way of doing this is by answering "no" to every question, suggestion, or command. You'd think this was the only word you know. You are right on course for verbal development, saying two and three word sentences. Your favorite sentences are:

"no no no no no no no no no no"

"moh juice!"

"moh nack! [snack]"

"no Dakda! [your word for Anika]"

"Dakda car take"

"Moh play"

"boun bed!"

"next to Mama"

You will put together spontaneous new sentences, such as "hi Jak" or "go home" or "buh bye baby" that are not used by rote, but are personal and situational.

You also call Juni's collar and tag his "keys."

Naturally, you are saying many, many words too. Besides the perennials no, mama, dada, and dakda, a few of your favorite words are:

uh ooooooooh

moh! [more}

pay! [play]

geeeeeee! [cheese]

na na [banana]

wooooo [shoes]

gizey [grizly]

juju [junior]

nack? [snack]

choc mew? [chocolate milk]

haaaa! [hot]  - this means both cold and hot to you.

whoa-oa? [hello]

boooo! [book]

Most of these are obsolete even as I write them, as you usually say sentences now, rather than just words.

The punctuation points are appropriate because everything you say is very important!

My favorite antic of yours right now is what we call "The Look." It's very intimidating. It can range from the disapproving...

... to the ominous.

You will do it on cue. We find it very amusing.

Your favorite toys include anything and everything with wheels or that makes noise. Preferable exclamations include "Caterpillar Power" and "Autobots, move out!"

We are also smack dab in your book loving phase. Six months ago, you wouldn't sit still for even two pages before you wiggled out and down and away. Now, I have to cut you off. Once I turn that last page, before I can even say "the end", you are pointing to another book on the shelf, saying "moh!". Your favorites, on this exact day, are: Go Dog Go, Just Go To Bed, Goodnight Moon and Runaway Bunny (Anika hated both of these), Very Hungry Caterpillar, Puppy Too Small, and Gossie.

It is tricky reading to both you and Anika at the same time. You both really enjoy Richard Scarry's, Best Word Book Ever, What Do People Do All Day?, and Best Storybook Ever, as well as Goodnight Opus. My inner bookworm and I are, of course, doing celebratory cartwheels (metaphorically speaking of course - c'mon, I can't do cartwheels anymore). We all read a lot and we all enjoy it.

Physically, you are ~50 for weight and height, but your head is still huge. Even if you are a little top heavy, you are growing out of the clumsy stage and into a sure-footed one. You are running everywhere and can go up and down the stairs holding my hand. Maybe it's because you are more careful than Anika was - or maybe it's because you are my second child - but my reservations are waning. Climbing up onto stuff is one of your favorite activities. You also "jump" by squatting down and thrusting your body into the air. Your feet don't actually leave the ground, but you think this is pretty cool nonetheless. You are growing up, up, up my wee bairn!

These past few months, especially, you have grown in leaps. You are no longer my baby, but are a little boy now. As all changes are, this is bitter, but mostly sweet. Just this week, you've started to call me "Mohmee" instead of "Mama." So much is in store for you. I'll hold your hand a little longer, while you let me.

I love you, my little man.

CSA Week 7

After a week off, I was eager to get our box this week. 

Potatoes

Carrots

Walla walla onion
Assorted summer squash
Zucchini

Spinach
Red oak lettuce

Chioggia beets

Garlic

Green pepper

Jalapeño pepper

Cilantro

Tomatoes

Strawberries!

The strawberries were gone in an hour. Here's how the rest of it went:

Potatoes - Still in the fridge. But these keep well.

Carrots - I once again made Carrot-Ginger Dressing. This is a staple now. Heaping spoonfuls on salad. Or just spoonfuls. It's so good.

Walla walla onion/Summer squash - I sautéed these up together. Sans onion, the kids liked these too. We named the yellow squash "star squash" which makes it taste better.

Zucchini - Well, of course this happened. 

Spinach/Lettuce - Chopped and eaten raw, smothered with the Carrot-Ginger dressing.

Garlic - Added to everything possible.

Chiogga Beets - I busted these out right when I got home. I roasted, peeled, chopped, and sautéed them with garlic and the beet greens. And topped them with a little balsamic vinegar. I'm kind of addicted to beets right now.

Green pepper - Still in the fridge. Not really a pepper lover. I've got one more this week, and my sister is getting them both. 

Jalapeño pepper/Cilantro - I made a pesto with these. Surprise! Pesto is versatile, quick, handy, and freezable. I ate this one with some pulled pork burritos. Should have added black beans and sour cream. 

These food close-ups belie the truth about my workstation. Here's a different angle...

Tomatoes: Eaten raw and on pizza!

Crust on steroids. I brushed it with garlic butter, a la American Dream Pizza - so the more the merrier. 

Sous-chefs

Speaking of tomatoes, I harvested the first goodly bunch from my garden this week. If I can just keep Anika from eating them all, I'll be harvesting a whole lot more. She's as bad as the deer. Or maybe worse because she can open the gate.

CSA - Week 5

We went camping last week and used up much of our box in the wild. I forget to take photos, so they are limited.

Potatoes - I chopped these up, sautéed them, and added them to our camping frittatas. The newsletter labelled these as "Colorado Rose". The lovely pink/purple insides surprised me when I cut into them. They added great color.


Sweet onions - I used these in the frittatas as well, thinly sliced and sautéed. They were as promised - sweet and delicious.


Tomato - The first of the season! I took it camping and sliced it up for sandwiches. It was plump and heavy and a rich red hue - everything you expect from a local grown tomato. I waited too long to eat this, methinks. It had a mealy mouthfeel and lacked flavor. I didn't finish it.


Carrots, Cucumbers, Kohlrabi - Lately, I just peel the carrots and hand them over to my little bunny, Anika, who enjoys munching them down to the too-tough top ends. We ate the cukes and kohlrabi peeled and raw. Why mess with success?


Tatsoi - I ate about half of the bunch with some eggs. I expected a bitter flavor, but it tasted fresh, green, and subtle. The other half lies lonely, moist and half-rotten in my fridge, still in its plastic bag, slowly suffocating... I will take it out to the compost bin tonight, and take heart in its reincarnation.


Basil - I made pesto!

Garlic - I've been adding this to odds and bits throughout the week.

Lettuce - Salad, natch.

Zucchini - This was also packed along for the camping trip. Sautéed and added to the frittatas.


We opted for the vacation credit for Week 6. Next week will be Week 7.

CSA - Week 4

The summer of vegetables continues! 


Contents Box #4:
Lettuce (green leaf)
Carrots
Cucumbers
Dill

Potatoes (Fingerling)
Red scallions

Arugula
Cabbage
Strawberry jam!

The box was a little smaller than the previous boxes, but that was fine. It allowed us to buy some other supplemental vegetables at the store. We are eating so many vegetables! In addition to the box, we bought six extra kohlrabi from the farm stand, beets, an extra lettuce head, more carrots, and I picked a bunch of loose leaf lettuce from my sister's house.

Extra kohlrabis. They are so crunchy and yummy.

Here's the usage breakdown for this week:

The lettuce was salad, as usual.


The cucumbers and dill paired up in a vinegar cucumber salad. No recipe, just vinegar (I think I mixed rice and apple), chopped dill, salt, a little sugar, and mix it up. Eat fresh! 

Potatoes - I cooked these as I did a few weeks ago, in heavily salted boiling water. Of course, I made a few egg scrambles with the leftover potatoes. One included sauteed beet greens, garlic, red scallions, and gruyère. Even my one-year-old nephew loved it!

Red scallions - Chopped and sautéed, I added these to almost everything throughout the week.

Arugula - My first casualty. Not exactly, but I haven't made anything with it yet. The following recipe was included with the newsletter. I'll make it today and freeze it. The Winter of Pesto is imminent.

Arugula Pesto

1 bunch arugula, leaves cut off and chopped into 1-inch strips

4 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped

1/3 cup toasted nuts (almonds or hazel- nuts are my favorite)

3/4-1 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 lemon

1/2 cup parmesan cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

Place 1/2 cup olive oil and garlic in a food processor. Blend until garlic is finely chopped. Add nuts, blend again. Add the arugula, half at a time. Blend for a bit. Add more olive oil if needed to a make a more spreadable mixture. Add the juice of a lemon, a pinch of salt and pepper and blend again. Once you have the consistency you want, add the shredded parmesan cheese and pulse a few times. Season to taste. This can be used on pizzas, pastas, a veggie dip, or even sandwiches! Try dipping some roasted potatoes in this concoction.

Cabbage - I used this is a slaw, along with the carrots. I shredded up the cabbage, grated the carrots, and tossed with a splash of vinegar, a spoonful of mayonnaise, a spoonful of honey, chopped scallion tops, and a squirt of sriracha hot sauce. This was SO good! Spicy, sweet, sour and crunchy.

Strawberry Jam - Um, on toast.


I enjoy picking up the new box every week. There is a freedom in limitations. Making dinner is easy when you already know what you're eating. 

CSA - Week 3

I've been keeping up, and some, with our CSA box program.

Here what we got for Week Three:

Potatoes (Nicola)

Beets

Baby onions

Spinach 
Lettuce

Black kale

Garlic

Cucumbers
Kohlrabi

Italian parsley

Zucchini








This box seemed somehow smaller than the last, but maybe it's because I'm eating more vegetables? I am relying more and more on simple sautéeing, rather than finding an elaborate recipe in which to highlight the vegetables. I haven't grown bored yet, but will probably mix it up this next week. I do so loathe a routine...


Here's what I did:


Potatoes - I cut them up into bite-sized pieces and parboiled them with some chicken broth and chopped parsley. When they were nearly tender, I drained them and sautéed them in olive oil and garlic until a little golden crust built-up. I tossed in some more parsley and a few of the onion greens, and salt and pepper. 





As I was eating them, the taste brought me back to... somewhere. Later, I realized I ate these many times in Germany. Sure enough, I looked up parsley potatoes (Petersilienkartoffeln), and it was almost exactly what I did. The latent Kuchenmädchen surfaces. I'll have to make Marillenknödel next.


Beets - In truth, I was hesitant to eat these.

They sure are purty...

Beet greens

I have never liked beets, even though so many people seem to enjoy them. Ryan is also not a fan of them. I wanted to use both the beet greens and the roots, so I made this Roasted Beets and Sautéed Beet Greens recipe.

The cheese pizza was delicious too. I do have a toddler and preschooler you know...

I was pleasantly surprised. The overwhelming earthy flavor of the beets had been tempered by the roasting and a hidden sweetness came out. Ryan, Anika, Kaden and I, all of us, loved them. Anika has been asking for them for the last two nights, and I almost caved and bought some more yesterday at the store, but felt I should wait to see what our fourth box brings.

Baby onions - I tried my hand at roasting them again. This time, I cooked them a little longer to see if I could get more of the yummy caramelization. Instead, they just burnt.



They were still good, but I need to use a non-stick pan to get better caramelization. And I don't want to use non-stick in the oven, so I probably won't make this recipe again.

Spinach and Lettuce - Half of the spinach bunch was wilted and eaten with garlic. The other half was added to the lettuce for salad. We only got one head of lettuce this week, so I had to buy another head at the store to maintain our salad eating schedule.

Black Kale - My favorite kale thus far. I removed the thick stalks, chopped it up, wilted it, and added it to a quick egg scramble in the morning. I also added onion greens, garlic, and goat cheese. I loved it.

Garlic - I added the entire head to the cilantro lime pesto I made last week.

Cucumbers/Kohlrabi - These were eaten raw, with a little salt. I did up grate a little of the Kohlrabi and added it to some salad. I really really really really really like Kohlrabi. When I was growing up, my mom would make soups and add kohlrabi to it. I remember swiping slices off the cutting board because I liked them so much. I had to buy more cucumbers this week for Anika, too. Gotta keep up with demand!

Parsley - added to the potatoes above.

Zucchini - Sliced and sautéed with olive oil, salt, and pepper. 

Week three is a success - no leftovers. I am experimenting more with creating my own recipes, which is really pushing my culinary envelope. I am usually a recipe follower.


P.S. Did you know beets turn some people's pee pink?