Category: Slice O’Life

Snapshots of the Farm April 2014

Snapshots of the Farm April 2014

Today is April 25th. It's a bright, sunny day with temperatures in the mid-50s and wind gusts up to around 10 mph.  Not bad, today.  The wind has been gusting to 40 mph the last three days, so this is a nice change of pace.  I still wore flip flops when I walked my kid to the bus, but at least my toes weren't blue when I came home. For your enjoyment, a few photos to show you just what we're up to at this time of year, before the period of summer production at breakneck speed hits. This garlic was planted...Read More
Could Little Ol’ Me Possibly Learn to Live Like Julia?

Could Little Ol’ Me Possibly Learn to Live Like Julia?

If you've read more than a few of my posts you know that I have lots of 'things' - things that irk me, things that make me cringe, things that I love, things that I cannot live without. Some of those things are substantial, essential tasks and duties.  Some of those things are pretty much inconsequential and arbitrary and are only problems IN MY MIND BECAUSE I LET THEM BECOME SUCH. Scary, isn't it, just how much anxiety our minds can create over such unimportant nonsense?  Of course, we only think it's nonsense AFTER we've dealt with it and jumped...Read More

I Married My Father

And not in the good "I could make a gajillion dollars off a reality show" way, either. You see, when the first flood hit (I cannot believe I'm writing it like that -- but there were indeed TWO FLOODS within a two-week span), my parents' home suffered some damage that made it impossible for them to live there.  Kay brought over a motorhome and Mom and the dog (Mikey) have been living in it.  But after 40 years of marriage, Mom and Dad no longer share a bedroom, one reason being they both snore and keep each other up.  Plus, the dog has...Read More

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly… Irene Edition

The Good Friends that give of themselves to make things a little easier for us following the devastating floods of Hurricane Irene. Kay brought over a motorhome for Mom and her baby (14 yr old blind dog) to live in while home is in disrepair. Dad is staying in Thomas' room with the tv we took from Mom's bedroom.  When I got up the first morning he was with us, he asked for remote control instructions.  "How do I change the channel?  I got stuck watching Jersey Shore for hours!"   Stuck?  When I laughed and asked about The Situation, HE NAMED OTHER...Read More
Hurricane Grill

Hurricane Grill

This would be lovely if the river wasn't so perilously close to our homes.  I read so many posts on Facebook last weekend talking up "hurricane parties" and the various cocktails to be served at such.   I saw tons of signs in stores warning us to gather emergency goods, stock up on water and canned goods and bread. I BAERed a bit, but still took heed and bottled up gallons and gallons of water.  I know what it's like out here in the wilderness when the power goes out.  (Ok, we're 10 minutes from one of 3 real cities in Orange...Read More

I Want This Life

I could take a hundred pictures a day like this - IF I didn't have to work or care for a child and home. And after discovering her sitting on a bulldozer at 4:30am (I was going out to load the truck for market), I want a hidden camera following her around all night. In other news, my baking bug inspired an Heirloom Tomato Galette with Queso Blanco and oil-cured Olives.  It was delicious and the recipe is coming soon.

Life Happens

[caption id="attachment_597" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Chilly Walk at Sunset"][/caption] I had lots of ideas in my head and planned to write up some new recipes this week, but sometimes, as we all know, things don't go as planned. Too much going on farmwise - we had a light and scattered frost on Tuesday morning.  That means the 15-minute Tuesday drive around the farm took about 40 minutes instead.  Dad and I always take a ride around checking out which crops (or plantings of multiple crops) are ready for harvest each week.   So we hopped in the Jeep Wrangler (Mom's baby from 1987.... still with...Read More

Imitation is the Sincerest Form of Flattery

...or,  Watch what you do and say because your child WILL repeat EVERYTHING, both good and bad. [caption id="attachment_155" align="alignright" width="112" caption="Cucumber Tendrils"][/caption] The plan was for Thomas to go to The Shore with his dad for a few days, so we went 'shopping' in the fields for snacks for the trip. Kirby cucumbers, baby carrots and green beans are all great raw and hardy enough to store in a cooler bag for 2 days plus they have the added benefit of being the few veggies the boy will eat these days. I've given up trying to figure out what his...Read More

Timing is everything.

My darling boy is turning six next week, so for his class' April birthday celebration, we made up goodie bags using some of Papa's homegrown popcorn on the cob. We wrapped printed instructions (available at www.bialasfarms.com) and a brown paper lunch bag (because you can pop it in a bag in the microwave) around one cob and tied it with cotton string. Those cobs went into cellophane goodie bags with a few other treats.We put the goodie bags in the kids' cubbies at school and they were all abuzz over it. No feedback yet, but we know 6-yr-olds! As I...Read More