Eating from our harvest.

Tonight we ate our first red potatoes. We have never grown potatoes before, so this was very exciting. When we first planted them, we had put them upside down. Yesterday we had our first tomato. My son was so excited to go pick it off the vine. He helped plant it, weed it, and pick it. We are teaching him that his food just doesn't show up at the grocery store.

Red potatoes in iron skillet on grill.

1. Quartered red potatoes (One per person)
2. Quartered Vidal onion
3. Dash of sea salt
4. Cracked black pepper
5. 2 tablespoons of Olive Oil
6. Fresh herbs ( thyme, rosemary or your preference)

Toss all the ingredients in an iron skillet. Make sure all the potatoes are coated with the olive oil. Place on low flame on grill. Stir occasionally so the bottoms don't burn to the pan. Potatoes are done when they are soft and have a caramelized look.

We also have been picking our own fruit at the local farms. He helped me pick 35 pounds of strawberries, 4 pounds of raspberries, and so far we have only picked 5 pounds of blueberries. The first day we went out he stated to me that "This is fun. I thought it would be boring" .

We gave Shorty his own section in the garden. While right now he's not into weeding it the way I would like, he is learning how to grow his own food. I spent my life watching my grandparents plant their own food; they canned, froze and stored it. My mother and I had a huge garden that we maintained.

I sent my mother home the other night with some of my homemade bread and and freshly canned jam. She called me that night and told me she thought I should put it in the fair this fall. She loved it. She asked where I learned to cook and I told her it was from her. Her answer back was, you never wanted to help. I told her that I liked to watch and now I love to cook . So all you moms out their that think your children aren't paying attention to you, they are. And in their own sweet time they will do it .

My hope for my son is that by watching how we gather and make are own food, watch our carbon foot print by recycling, reusing, and reducing that he will continue it in his own life and someday pass it on to his family.
Words of my grandparents ring true today more then it ever did when I was growing up. They grew up in the depression and knew how to save and live on less. I think they would be very proud to see how I have passed that on to my family. My 83 year old grandmother gets a kick out of the fact that I went and bought a cloths line just like hers, hers has been up for more then 30 years. My mother still goes over to her house to hang out her sheets.
I did have to use the dryer today because laundry was getting backed up and the weather hasn't been that great. Does anyone else feel the guilt when you go back to the easier way of doing things. It happens I know.
Well enough ramblings for now.
Stay tuned for more recipes, ideas for the family and other fun stuff.
HAVE FUN & ENJOY LIFE