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a "Fair" look back

The Great Minnesota Get Together

 

  

       

farm in the city

A gorgeous day to spend at the "farm" in the city

my childhood friend who is a patient mother, amazing homemaker & incredible spirit 

invited us to spend the afternoon at her "farm" in the city

the kiddos started out in the pool and then the gardens beckoned...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  
the girls enjoyed the afternoon...playing in the pool, running through the sprinkler, acting like boys (being nekkid without shirts)...picking ripe red and some not-so-ripe green tomatoes, exploring the bean poles, sampling sweet green peas, picking purple peppers, digging for potatoes and onions (and worms) and tasting some "raw" sweet corn...which was dubbed "sweet & good" 

a  little feast of hard cooked eggs, pretzels and ranch dressing was shared before we headed for home

our dinner included some of those yummy green & yellow beans and this

 mama is planning BLT's with thick cut pepper bacon &  heirloom tomato slices later in the week...Yum!

 
 
 
 
 

more neighborhood fun

 

 
a little neighborhood festival...the "Corn Feed"

live music, little league, sitting in the grass, sun kissed roasted corn on the cob & your bestie!

 

Summer's slow cooker stew

I have been cooking up a storm in the kitchen and working on using up all the items in my pantry to make wholesome meals.
My absolute favorite thing to make and one that my family loves is my slow cooker stew.
I've included the recipe for you here, but as always it's flexible and I never use the same ingredients twice!

So here it is: Summer's Slow Cooker Stew
* makes 6-8 servings and pairs well with crusty sourdough bread and a hearty ale!
1.5 lbs. beef meat, cubed. (I prefer chili cut cubed beef)
1 medium onion
1 cup celery
2 cups baby carrots, sliced
4 medium potatoes, cubed
* additional root veggies out of the crisper
3 Tbsp. Minute tapioca
1 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 tsp. Wee Willy's Seasonings
1 Tbsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
10 3/4-oz. can chunky tomato soup (I use Progressive)
1/3 cup water

Layer meat, onion, celery, carrots, potatoes (and other veggies), parsley in slow cooker. Mix seasonings, tapioca, soup and water.
Cover and cook on low 7-9 hours.

someone's in the kitchen...

K wandered into the kitchen while I was cooking and decided to cook too.

It served as a gentle reminder that children learn by example.

Then M came in and asked "can we bake a cake NOW?"

Sometimes its easy to learn by example but it is more fun to learn by experience!

Minnehaha Falls

Minnehaha Falls

Daddy's "Big Easy" bike pulled the girls in their Chariot to the Falls.

We danced to BlueGrass music, enjoyed some Surly Cynic, ate some delish fish, learned about acorns & witnessed a fantastic sunset over the falls.

  

someone's in the kitchen with mama

Monday's adventure took us to the kitchen where we created a new family favorite!

Ranch Chicken Casserole

• 1 package boneless/skinless chicken breasts seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic and onion
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 can cream of chicken soup
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/2 packet Hidden Valley ranch seasoning/dip mix
• 1/2 package wide egg noodles
• 1/2 can sweet corn (M is partial to the Green Giant "Dora" can!)
  
• 1/2 bag sweet green peas (we LOVE Birdseye Steamers)

Add 2 Tbsp olive oil to skillet and brown seasoned chicken breasts, set aside and drain juices.

Boil water for noodles and cook according to "al dente" cooking times on package (I also throw in the veggies to cook along with the noodles)

Mix soup, milk, sour cream and Hidden Valley ranch seasoning in small bowl, fold in noodles and veggies and add to skillet. Return chicken to skillet, cover and simmer for 25 minutes, stirring frequently.

You could cube the chicken before adding it back to the skillet.

Let me know what you think!