Coconut Peach Cobbler recipe Just a few weeks ago, I was talking a big game about how I was going to take a break this summer from picking, canning, or even thinking about large amounts of produce. I made it to August until I buckled under the pressure. The peaches & tomatoes made me do it (reading Farmer Boy to my kids right now didn't help, either)! So this past weekend I hauled out the strainer to make applesauce, the canner to can peaches, and the baking pans to make marinara sauce. The floors were sticky and the house was destroyed, but it didn't matter. I just felt this deep satisfaction that comes with jars cooling on the Keep Reading
Canning Peaches: Step-by-Step Guide
How to Can Peaches In August, peaches start to ripen and hang heavy from the branches. Whether you pick your own or buy them from your local farmers market or produce stand, fresh peaches are sticky, sweet summertime treats. Early varieties of peaches are generally available in late July or early August. Later varieties should be available through mid-late September. If you buy or pick large quantities of fruit, it's a good idea to spread it out in one layer so you don't end up with a mushy mess when the fruit starts to ripen. I also add a small bowl of apple cider vinegar (with a couple drops of dish soap) to the mix to keep the fruit fly Keep Reading
How to plan a (successful) strawberry picking trip with kids
I can't even tell you how much I love this time of year in the Pacific Northwest. Warm days. Cool nights. And the berries. Oh, the berries... After much practice, my friends and I have somewhat perfected the art of berry picking with small kids. In fact, five years ago, we hauled our two toddlers and one newborn out to Sleight's Farm in Mulino to pick strawberries. At worst, this may sound like a recipe for disaster. At best, this may sound like lots of kid chasing and very little berry picking. The kids did great, though, and we managed to pick around 25 pounds each. The kids raced up and down the rows, filling their bellies with berries and Keep Reading
How to Can Sweet Cherries {A Step-By-Step Guide}
After a few fun-filled days around the Fourth of July spent in Lyle, Washington last year, my little family headed over to Maryhill, Washington, land of vineyards, orchards, hot weather, and wind turbines. We had one thing on our minds: sweet cherries. My sisters had stopped by the Maryhill Fruit Stand earlier in the week. They kept talking about how they bought a bag of cherries and ate it before they even made it back to the car, the fruit was so sweet. U-pick was just $1 a pound (apricots, too). My husband and I had talked about picking cherries for years; we needed to track this place down. Pulling up to the fruit stand, the sign Keep Reading
Overnight Oats (Breakfast in a Jar!)
Overnight Oats in a Jar Even though I'm technically a stay-at-home mom, I find myself hustling my crew out the door 4-5 mornings a week. Breakfasts often consist of granola bars flung to the backseat while I balance a bowl of granola on my lap in the front. Not exactly the breakfast of champions. Enter one of my favorite new uses for the humble Chia seed: Overnight Oats in a Jar. I honestly woke up in the middle of the night thinking about this oatmeal. Beautiful breakfast jars sitting in my refrigerator, just waiting for me to grab as I head out the door! It was hard to get back to sleep. Obsessing about food is nothing new for me, but I Keep Reading
Making the most of your local farmer’s market
Farmers' Market Tips & Tricks Many of the Portland/Vancouver area farmer's markets open up soon. Enjoy these tips. Our local farmer's market kicks off its season in the beginning of May! Looking for one near you? Go here. We love wandering through outdoor markets and buying our food directly from the people who grow it. Whether it's listening to the local bands, watching strangers and bumping into friends, checking out the bins of beautiful produce, or just enjoying the way my husband's eyes light up when crenshaw melons are in season, I love everything about small, local farmer's markets. Okay, not everything. Some of those music groups can Keep Reading
Why I Can (and you can, too)
This is a re-post from a previous year. A few weeks ago, I posted a step-by-step guide to canning peaches for beginners. I was all set to follow it with several more basic canning tutorials. Next up, tomatoes! However, as I was pulling out of the Growers Outlet parking lot last week with 400 pounds* of tomatoes in the back of my van, it hit me: This is not normal behavior. In fact, the guy who loaded all 18 boxes even tried to intervene. "Uh, ma'am, have you ever canned before? Because... this is a lot of tomatoes. Are you sure you're up for it?" I assured him that I was splitting the order and the work with 2 other people. He still laughed at me as Keep Reading