raspberry/blueberry fun

July 30, 2014 Megan Rodriguez

A friend Mandy and I picked raspberries and blueberries this past Saturday. Berry picking is such a great hang--while your hands are busy, the conversation can flow so freely. I had a wonderful time, and I do believe that raspberries and blueberries are my favorite berries to pick, clean, and eat! So delicious and versatile, those berries are! Since Saturday, I've been finding ways to incorporate as many berries into things as I can. It's been quite a success, and quite enjoyable.

I started with a batch of raspberry/blueberry jam. I love having my basement canning shelves filled with homemade jams! Not only are they delicious, but I love knowing exactly what's in them--good berries, a little sugar, and some lemon. It's so worth the time and money upfront!

I was also able to put quite a bit in my freezer this year, which I also love. My hope is to not really buy berries again this year. I'm sure a special occasion or two may come up where I'll buy a half pint or two, but for daily eating, this is it, folks! Eating locally makes me appreciate fruits and veggies even more. Not only do they taste better when they are that fresh (and ripe when they are picked, ahem!), but they also become more of a specialty when we only eat them fresh when they are in season. It makes us cherish them more (and waste a lot less), and I like that.

We've, of course, been enjoying berries on food, specifically breakfast and dessert. The other day I made my mom's Pannekoeken recipe, topped with plain yogurt (this is my new favorite brand!), real maple syrup, and berries. With a little uncured bacon on the side, you've got one delicious breakfast! Yum!!!

My go-to breakfast, though, has been yogurt, a little raw honey, a little homemade granola, topped with berries. Just perfect for a summer morning on the deck.

Ah...berries! They are so much better in season!

strawberry mint deliciousness

July 17, 2014 Megan Rodriguez

With the plethora of strawberries that have been in my kitchen over the past week, I've found myself experimenting with a few creations. This is one such creation that I made this past weekend. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

Strawberry Mint Deliciousness

1 quart strawberries

a few sprigs of mint

a tablespoon or so of honey (depending on your desired sweetness level)

lime wedges

club soda

vodka or gin (if desired)

Blend the strawberries, mint leaves, and honey in a blender until smooth. When ready to serve, pour the strawberry puree over ice (I filled the glass about halfway), add an ounce or two of liquor, top with club soda, drop in a squeezed wedge or two of lime, stir, and drink in the sunshine! Yum!!

to market, to market

July 12, 2014 Megan Rodriguez

Going to the Farmers' Market on my bicycle is one of my favorite things about Saturdays in the summer! I love, love, love it!

I hope you are enjoying the weekend and possibly some farmers' market bounty as well!

strawberries, and more strawberries

July 11, 2014 Megan Rodriguez

On Wednesday morn, my dear friend Amy and I stole away and picked some of the last strawberries of the season up at Berry Hill Farm. It was harder picking than what we experienced last year as the fields were a bit picked over and some of the older forgotten berries were moldy and gross. So, we spent a few hours of that gorgeous day picking through good and bad berries. The tedious picking did not prevent me from picking a whole lot of berries, though. I think I ended up with about 17lbs of berries! Ha! I went into the picking saying that I wanted more than last year...and that is exactly what I did! I walked away with three full flats and Amy walked away with two. We were also both able to walk away with a bit of rhubarb as well, even though its spring prime had passed. It was quite a success!

Jam making immediately commenced once we got back to my place. We needed up with 14.5 half pints of yummy strawberry rhubarb to be shared and enjoyed over the summer and throughout the long winter that will surely follow.

The rest of my berries were cleaned and hulled yesterday and so far I've frozen 8lbs of berries, 4 cups of rhubarb, and filling for a strawberry/rhubarb pie all in freezer bags. I also started infusing a batch of strawberry/rhubarb vodka and have a few plans for the rest of the berries that are currently sitting in my fridge. I may even have enough to freeze a pound or two more! Hoorray!!

In the busyness of the past two days and the overwhelming amount of berries that I brought home, I did end up losing a few cups of berries to mold and mushiness. I was a bit upset about it until I realized that they were only $2.20 a pound and I lost less than a pound...so life will go on. And the chickens are reaping the benefits of those less than desirable strawberries. They quite enjoy the mushy ones!

As I stared at my table full of berries yesterday, it made me so happy to think about the fact that I probably won't need to buy strawberries for the rest of the year. Not only do fresh, local berries taste SO much better (and are surely packed full of more nutrients!), but they are also cheaper and better for the local economy and environment! These beautiful berries travelled just 40 miles from the field to my kitchen and they will last us throughout the winter. I'm so very thankful for this!

summer break

May 22, 2014 Megan Rodriguez

It's summer break!!! My teaching job at the University of MN is finished for the semester and I am off for the summer! This will be my second summer on break, and I'm thoroughly excited about it. While I have the opportunity to teach in the summers, my husband and I have decided that it's better for us if I don't teach. The reason for this is that not teaching in the summer frees me up to do so many other things. It gives me the opportunity to travel with my husband to music festivals and his other gigs. It gives me time to relax and enjoy the quite home-life for a few months. And it also gives me time to grow and preserve a ton of food! For us, these benefits far outweigh the lack of income. We've realized that sitting down to a table full of homegrown produce (throughout the year) is worth a bit of penny pinching through the summer. It's amazing how much our quality of life can improve when we take a few moments to prioritize and choose to live with less, in order to really live with more.

So, summer break is here! Now, some of you may be imagining me spending my days lounging with a book, a blanket, and the sun, and while that will most certainly happen, that's not what the majority of my days will look like. Food is my focus for the summer. Twelve tomato plants are going in the ground in the next day or two, along with peppers, cucumbers, beets, potatoes, beans, summer squash, zucchini, carrots, radishes, lettuce, kale, shallots, and herbs. My plan is to can and freeze as much of that homegrown goodness as I can. I will also be filling my freezer with strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries from local farm fields. Whatever I can't grow enough of or can't pick from someone else's field, I will buy at the farmer's market and preserve that. This past summer, I was able to can enough tomatoes, corn, green beans, pickles, soups, applesauce, and jam to sustain us through the winter. I am just finishing up the last of my berries from last summer, and the pesto that I froze will be eaten up until another batch is ready for the blender! It's been AMAZING to have such good, fresh, local food on hand all winter. And I've realized that not having to buy all of those things, has allowed me to spend my grocery money on organic produce and eggs, grass-fed meets and milk, and even some organic pantry items. I've often wondered how people can afford to buy really good food, and now I know one of the ways that it's possible!

So, while I may not be teaching this summer, I will most definitely be working. You'll find me busily working to provide my family with good, wholesome, nourishing food that will last us through the winter that will most certainly come!