Category Archives: Nourishing

Picnic Ready

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Oh how I have been dreaming of an outdoor kitchen.  I don’t know about you, but I have grown tired of the kitchen…not only is it hot in there, but it is in there… aka not outside where we want to spend all of our time lately.

I prefer to grow food rather than cook it anyway, but mostly because I just love being outside.  So an outdoor kitchen….would be the answer to my prayers….but in the meantime I have been figuring how to eat well outside, while spending as little time as possible inside…. yes the picnic…So I thought I would share a few recipes I have been delighted with lately and if you have any tips, recipes or secrets of summer food….please share.

Crossing my fingers for another abundant year in the garden

The idea behind all this of course, is you spend a day in the kitchen and then freeze your picnic ready snacks so you can grab them, throw them in the picnic basket and by the time everyone is hungry, food is thawed and perfect for munching.  These recipes are for Killer Hummus, Pita from scratch, and Whole Wheat Sourdough Pita, as I am a big sourdough fan.

Freeze hummus in little jelly jars so there is enough for one picnic at a time. Pita of course can be cut up and frozen as well.

All are easy and seriously good, and of course freeze really well so they are ready when you are to go outside.

Elm seeds and mallow leaves

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I know you all have been muchin’ salad lately.  The fresh greens of spring are something we look forward to all year. Baby lettuce, spinach, arugula….and what of the wild greens?  My lettuce is there but often hidden under handfuls of french sorrel, dandelion greens, chervil, arugula (leaves and flowers), rocket, mint leaves…all of which I wrote about last spring here.

Arugula Flowers are Edible, a spicy delight

Arugula is in the Cruciferae family ( as in cross, see the flowers, they are all like that) though now the family is called Brassicaceae after it’s most popular member, broccoli. Arugula flowers, as well all the other Cruciferae cousins flowers are edible, just look here.  This season I have added Siberian Elm seeds and Mallow Leaves to the mix.

Young Siberian Elm Seeds

I know the Siberian Elm can seem a great nuance, and that it is when those seeds go flying and take root just about everywhere…but if you pick the seeds before they fly, when bright green and brand new, they are sweet and delicious.  I have heard they can be eaten later too, cooked with the papery seed hulls rubbed off according to eattheweeds.com

Mallow Leaves -Malva

My newest friend, ground cover, medicine, and munchy is Malva.  It has been used for everything from headaches, to poultices to post- partum cleanses.  The leaves can be eaten young and are medicinal.  This sweet little blog tells you even more.

So as your greens come up, don’t forget to eat those weeds!!

The Swing is now a Flying High Chair!!

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So you saw the swing and seemed to love it as much as we do. THANKS, I was astounded at how many of you cheered us on!!  Jangy also loved it , so much in fact he didn’t want to get down for meal times, which we are enjoying outside on the porch just about every meal now…So daddy came up with this cool tray that comes on and off for meals.

Swinging through lunchtime

Now we sit across from him and all share our meals right here.  And the best part is, no more sweeping the floor!! Anything that falls the birds, ants and who knows else will get later.

Removable Feeding tray

Joel took some cherry he had from left over flooring in Jangy’s room and made the sides.  Drilled holes and cut out notches for the dowels to fit in.

Pine tray with little indentation so food won’t get away

The tray top is pine which he used a scorp on, (a tool that cuts in a U shape) to make the indentation so the food would roll off.)

Pictures of Scorps from
“A Musuem of Early American Tools” by Eric Sloane

Drilled the pieces together, made a little wooden lock so it would stay put.

Wooden lock

Sanded it then rubbed the whole thing with Walnut oil and Tada…so cool.

And there you have it, a flying high chair.  Then we gave him Kimchi I made from Carrots, Turnips, and Cabbage we grew and he gobbled it up…..Oh a parents pride!!

Jangy is munching on a Kimchied Turnip slice!! That’s our boy!!