Today is my birthday. But, my birthdays will never be the same. Mom’s phone call used to be the first one I’d receive every year on my birthday. I miss her cheerful raspy voice on the other end of the line telling me how much she loves me and how proud she is of me and how she can’t believe I’m growing up. I miss that comforting feeling knowing she was there, no matter what. So I guess birthdays for me are bittersweet. I’m happy to be alive and healthy and raising a family but, I’m always reminded of that huge void in my … [Read more...]
Tomato and Almond Pesto Sauce
August 6, 2012 By 6 Comments
My garden is VIBRANT right now and my basil plants are leading the charge. There’s no better feeling than to be able to pick veggies and herbs fresh from your garden and then to use them in a recipe. And, thank god I wised up and learned that making homemade pesto is actually easy and a lot cheaper than any store-bought variety. I now make about one full Ball jar of pesto a week to keep up with the rapidly growing basil plant. These jars line my freezer shelves like trophies. We’ve been enjoying pesto on everything from scrambled eggs to … [Read more...]
A Homegrown Experience: Making Fresh Pesto
June 11, 2012 By 5 Comments
Gardening is about enjoying the smell of things growing in the soil, getting dirty without feeling guilty, and generally taking the time to soak up a little peace and serenity. ~Lindley Karstens Last summer my family created our first-ever garden on a meager 6×8 foot plot of land. It only received partial sunlight, was contained by a crude chicken wire fence, and looked very sparse. But, we were ready to give our little patch of land some love. Day in and day out, my 6 year old son and I watered and tended to our project. And in the end, … [Read more...]
Homemade Hummus
June 4, 2012 By 20 Comments
We’re still celebrating the blog’s 1st birthday! And, all weekend I’ve been thinking of every possible way to use my new Ninja Blender (and consequently, you can still enter to win your very own too). I blended mid-afternoon Margaritas, made Mom’s fresh chilled cucumber soup, and whipped up my first-ever batch of hummus. As with my homemade Nutella experiment this past winter, I realized I was spending so much money buying the spreads when it’s literally just as easy (and cheaper) to make homemade batches. After all, at least you’re assured … [Read more...]
