{Farmer's Market}

We have fallen in love with our new Saturday morning routine of trying our best to get out the door early, piling into the car with snacks and coffee, and hitting the road to our local(ish) farmer's market. We have a pretty good drive {45 minutes each way} so we have plenty of time to fully wake up, point out every single cow/truck/motorcycle/bird/cool thing, and talk about what each child wants to spend their dollar on this week. Honestly more often it's $2.50 for a bear claw, but they are so darn good I can't really tell them no. 

My sister often comes with us, and pushes Nomi around in the stroller while Jenny browses to her heart's content and dances to the live music...whenever she finds some must-have produce they come to collect Bobby and I or to tell me how many "dollars" it is for the most amazing "fill in the blank with produce" so that she can go make her purchases. She carries a tote bag around and is just outrageously cute. Seven is so big. {I wasn't prepared for that At.All.} Meanwhile, Bobby and I make our way to our favorite stand and get most of our veggies for the week. Getting to choose his own veggies has really {REALLY} worked miracles on his willingness to try them, and he often strikes up conversations with the sellers about his favorite way to cook cauliflower. Be still my heart. A bit of wandering around always yields some other goodies {this week it was purple potatoes and raddishes.}This weekend everything seemed to have tripled...all of the produce was bigger, there was more of everything, and far more variety. Summer is here...and I think I love it.

{Afternoon Around Here}

 {Dancing for dust fairies}

{Do you have children too quick for the camera? I have two adorable blurs and and one hopelessly photogenic child... I swear it's not a mothering bias, the oldest and youngest just never.sit.still.} 

{I loooove these tiny roses, especially in this orange-y red shade.}

{Above ~ mobile over our table}

{Below ~ on the table}

{He likes to scrub things, but then he stashes the cloth *everywhere*...caught him in the act! ~And a knitting peek in my purse there, bottom left~}

{Freshly reworked space, a home for the wonderful, and much loved new farm toys, as well as most of our school books. We made the apple banner last fall and it is one of my most treasured belongings!} 

{Not many real ones so we're forced to compensate with paper & glitter versions} 

{Bobby helping with dinner...he was the photographer heehee} 

{I took over photography duties while he washed up} 

{Just one more...}

{My Favorite Things ~ My Mama's Kitchen}

So I have been thinking of starting a series of posts of some of my favorite things. All sorts of things, some weeks might have one photo, some might have 30...but I thought it would be a fun way to share...if any of you readers would like to join in go for it! Just link back here please, and leave a comment with your post! This week I'm sharing some pictures I took in my Mama's kitchen...because even though I'm busy (most days) in my own kitchen, this is the one that always feels like home. 

{Not only is this just an awesome spot in the kitchen, it is one where most of my favorite things are in one place. My brother and I built her that pot shelf...power tools! And that is "my spot" there in front of the cookbooks, most often when I am over, you can find me and my bag of knitting tucked just out of the main path, near all of the hustle and bustle...it's a good spot.}

 {Another Beautiful Sister}

 {Oh gappy toothed grin, I will miss you}

{I know exactly where I get my love for storing things in canning jars}

{The Cookbook Shelf}

Baby & Me...

My darling sister took some pregnancy photos of me over her spring break. So perfect to be seeing these (from just a week and a half ago!) right now while I'm feeling exhausted and puffy and READY. ;) She took several, but these three are my favorites...

Baby at 37 weeks

Baby has dropped even lower since then...we are officially at the "any day now" stage! Really we are ready any time now, but there are a few little things that I've been putting off that need to be dealt with. Like seeing if we can actually squeeze three kids in the back seat...!

Center Piece for Lent

Simple but so peaceful and lovely :) I covered the canning jars with tissue paper and slightly watered down elmer's glue. They're two of the ones we use for our Advent wreath. ;) The split peas idea is from another blog that I can't for the life of me find again...but they look so pretty in the bowl with the candle, don't they?

A quilt for my boy

About 1,000,000 months ago I started this quilt for Anthony. I don't exactly remember when...it might have been for his first Christmas, or maybe his second. Either way I started it and didn't finish it. (It needed to age for an appropriate amount of time in my WIP basket...)

Now that's he's sleeping in his own bed it's actually rather small. A little more than a yard square; which is a great snuggle size or baby quilt, but I do need to get moving on his actual toddler bed quilt. All of that being said, I LOVE this quilt. I doubt any other quilt will ever top it. It turned out exactly like I had hoped, sweet and snuggly, but still very sturdy and rustic...just like my boy! It's a very simple pattern, the khaki squares are from an old pair of Joe's corduroy pants, I alternated the "nap" so that the cord. rows go up and down in one block, then side to side in the next etc.

I did simple freehand quilting on it with embroidery floss. Big stitches, sort of straight rows, I didn't want anything fussy or to precise...it just didn't suit the project. I had it spread out and held together with basting pins (like bent safety pins) and I would work on one side and he would sit and watch on the other, then we swapped. ;) The quilt is full of memories like that...I pieced it in my grandmother's Loom Room (her studio for quilting, stained glass and weaving...bliss!) where I pieced my first quilt with my sisters; pants I got Joe for our first Christmas, and lots of time working on it with him "helping" me.

I finally sewed on the binding right before his birthday in May and he has been using it ever since. I wish I'd gotten pictures right away, because it has been through the wash at least a dozen times already and is getting a pleasantly "used" look to it. He drags it around everywhere and I know he's not ready to really start his day until he puts it down in the morning. So yes, I love it, but not as much as him! :)

Homemade Bread

Lately I've been trying to establish a weekly rhythm to help us get everything done. One thing I noticed was that I would plan to bake a few things (including bread) as part of our weekly menus, for sandwiches and the like, but then when it wouldn't happen I would have to scramble for an alternate lunch plan. Well...no more! I think Monday is the perfect day for baking around here. I'm always in the kitchen anyway, since there are usually some dishes to catch up on after the weekend, and since I'm still feeling a wee bit lethargic after two days of quietER to do lists, baking seems to be just the thing. This week I tested a new bread recipe that I really love! I have one other I would like to test, but I'm about 95% sold on this one...I just want to check the other out because well...you never know! ;) So...found on all recipes, here is my current favorite...

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup warm water
• 3 (.25 ounce) packages active dry yeast
• 1/4 cup bread flour
• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 2 cups quick cooking oats
• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 4 1/2 cups warm water
• 1 1/2 tablespoons salt
• 2/3 cup brown sugar (I used turbinado)
• 2/3 cup vegetable oil
• 10 cups bread flour

In the mixing bowl of an electric mixer, stir together 1/2 cup warm water, 1 tablespoon sugar, 1/4 cup bread flour, and yeast. Let grow for about 5 minutes. It will bubble almost immediately.

Measure oats, 4 1/2 cups warm water, whole wheat flour, salt, 2/3 cup sugar, and 2/3 cup oil into the mixing bowl. Mix on low speed with a dough hook for 1 to 2 minutes. Increase speed slightly, and begin adding bread flour 1/2 to 1 cup at a time until dough pulls away from sides of bowl. Humidity determines how much flour you need before the bread pulls away from the edge of the bowl. It is normal for the dough to be sticky.

Place dough in an greased bowl (*note* I had to use my two largest mixing bowls, and it really really filled them once it had risen! One bowl is certainly not large enough unless you have a Really Really mammoth fit-a-two-year-old-in-it bowl), and turn to coat the surface. Cover with a damp cloth. Let rise in a warm spot for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.

Divide dough into 6 pieces. Shape loaves, and place in greased 8 x 4 inch pans. Let rise until dough is 1 inch above rim of pans, usually 1 hour. (*note* clearly, I did this a bit differently, since I only have 2 loaf pans...I would really love to get some of these to expand my collection, but that's just currently not an option...so we have a variety to chose from!)

Bake at 350 degrees F ( 175 degrees C) for 30-35 minutes, or until tops are browned. Let cool in pans for 10 minutes, and then turn out onto wire racks to cool completely.

Little girls, in little dress that I made...

My niece's birthday is on Tuesday, so in honor of her fourth year I made her this dress. :) It was Simplicity 5695, in the size 4, with a pattern envelope worth of width added at the bottom (where IS my measuring tape??). I really love how it turned out, and I'm hoping to make several more dresses with this pattern. No buttons or zippers to catch on braids, I completely love the ruffle. :)

Miss Charlotte in her new dress...she's just the cutest thing ever! (8 braids for her octopus party)

Of course they were never standing still, but I realized that all three of the girls were in dresses I have made. !! Little Zoey's was Charlotte's Easter dress two years ago, Jenny's is her new dress (pictures coming tomorrow), and of course Charlotte was trying on her new dress right away.

Check back tomorrow for some new pictures of Miss Jenny and better pictures (and details) of her new dress. Enjoy what's left of your Sunday!