Babies, eclipsed, by produce! 8/23/17

Sometimes I wonder where the time goes; days become a potful of yesterdays, and before I know it, the earth has made another trip around the sun.  Speaking of sun, check out this baby!  Anyway, it's a good thing we're retired ... we wouldn't have time to be gainfully employed!  We stay busy.

Spending hours at Tumbling Creek farm, with one project or another, or harvesting summer's bounty, some of which you'll see in this post, takes time.  Once harvested, the produce requires something ... either eating right now (ooh, yum), blanching, freezing, canning, or cooking into good things to eat for a later date.

Lucky me (us) that our freezer is jam packed with fresh, organic grub, all kinds.  Bags of blackberries (above) aching to be made into cobbler, await.  I love a handful of blueberries on my morning cereal, and I have plenty of 'em in the freezer.  We picked them.

Then on the 21st, we watched the total solar eclipse right here in Nevada City.  Jimmy, Anson, and Fran (friends from across the street) are using their various save-your-eyes devices.  This area was in the 82% of totality range, so our morning plunged into what looked like late afternoon at the height of the eclipse, but it was far from dramatic.  Not the same as in, say, Salem OR.  My camera disliked capturing the process, but I did get a bite out of the sun, below -- first contact.

Babies are everywhere!

Well, now I am heartily tired of tomatoes.  Below is a batch of Tomato Confit fixin' to go into the oven.  Haha, I still have a pile of tomatoes on the kitchen counter.  But, I managed to make several batches of confit and marinara, all in freezer bags.  Plus the salsa Marlene and I made, and the jars of stewed tomatoes.  You see?  No mas!

It really is yummy served warm on a crusty loaf.

On Thursday, the 17th, Matt and Jenny and five-month-old Everly Rose came for a visit. We enjoyed lunch at Ike's Quarter Cafe in Nevada City, after which we spent the rest of the afternoon chatting and playing with that cute li'l tapper.

She already has two bottom teeth and is working on uppers.  She chews and drools!

Another trip to the farm netted squash, peppers (Bell and Anaheim), more blackberries and a whole colander full of tomatoes.  Did you think we were finished?  Nope.  Still at it.  And, there's lots more producing at the farm.  

Oh my!  Look at that pretty face.  Lucky, lucky me, I had a playdate with Everly Rose on Tuesday (the 22nd) in Sacramento.  Her Mom and Dad were at home, too, busy with their own chores, so Everly Rose and I hung out together.  She has one upper tooth visible and two more ready to pop through her gum.  She sure seems to be in a hurry to get those teeth.  Her Mom thinks she's about ready for solid food.  Bet she's right.

Aha!  Caught her blowing bubbles!  That's Mr Peabody next to her head.

And she bites/chomps on that little duck, relieving her irritated gums. 

I spent four hours with her, changed her diapers, gave her bottles, and my reward was watching that happy little face.  She is the sweetest, most laid-back baby I've ever been around.  Doesn't fuss, likes to voice joyful noises.  Jen and Matt are good and loving parents, and their child is sweet.  Blessed all the way around.  It was a great day.

Ah, switching gears again, Jimmy and I got a bit of walking in on the canal trail this morning.  We didn't get on the path early enough, with el sol already baking the earth (and me) when we started.  It's been a long time since we stepped foot on this trail section ... I guess since spring when mud gripped our shoes. Today's foliage looked crispy.  I did see a couple of Chicory blooms, though most everything was in the last throes of summer.  

A couple of Sweet Peas blossomed.  Wow, buzzy bee was "gettin' after it!"

Oh geez, look at this.  More vegetables from the farm, picked today.  That zucchini would end up in zucchini lasagna, but not all of it, as the thing was a monster!  The recipe is on my computer screen. Here's the finished product below, with my homemade marinara sauce atop.  Pretty tasty!

We're gearing up for our trip.  Our passports are in order, we have our visas, Tergel is in good shape, and heaven knows, we'll have plenty of delicious food for Tergel's pantry!  Yes, we are grateful, very grateful.  We'll pull out of Nevada City just after Labor Day. Maybe I'll be able to post more food pictures before we leave (whoa, kidding ... I think!).  Meanwhile, another week has bit the dust, more yesterdays ....