Sunflower Playhouse

This spring, we tore down a dilapidated old building that the kids had been using as a playhouse, The floor was rotten and it was really not a safe place to play, besides being quite an eyesore! They were pretty disappointed at the prospect of having no playhouse! We plan to build a tree house in a giant shade tree, but hubby won't have time this summer, as other projects have taken priority. So, I bought some sunflower mix seeds and planted a three sided square for an "organic" playhouse for this summer! Here is a picture of it's progress so far. My little girl is pretty thrilled with the idea of a playhouse made of flowers! I'll keep you posted on the progress!

Homemade Granola

I remember eating homemade granola when I was little and nearly breaking teeth on it! I found this super yummy CHEWY granola recipe that is officially my favorite now! Makes a great breakfast on these hot summer mornings when you don't want to heat up the house cooking!

Chewy Granola

5 cups Old Fashioned Oats
1/2 c. wheat germ
1 c. dry milk
1 c. sesame seeds
1 1/2 -2 c. dry fruit chopped
1 c. coconut (optional)
1/2 c. pecans, chopped
3/4 c. almonds, chopped

Mix together in large bowl

1 c. oil (I use Canola)
1 c. honey
-Warm oil and mix with honey. Pour over granola mixture and stir well.

Spread on oiled cookie sheets and bake at 300 for 20 minutes, stirring half way through.

Cool and take a break from cooking breakfast tomorrow!!

Growing Green

June is here and as the weather gets warmer, the greens you planted early in the spring are in full swing! I don't know about you, but I usually get carried away in my planting and end up with more lettuce, kale, chard, and spinach than my family can bear to consume, as much as we like it! So, I'm trying to come up with a few creative ways to use all this green stuff in a way that is not torturous to my family. I have to admit that I had not eaten chard since forced to as a child until last night. I tried a new recipe and I have to say it was so good that I even ate more for lunch today!! Amazing! Don't know if that's due to a good recipe or the fact that I grew up. But here is a good way to use a LOT of chard.

Sauteed Swiss Chard

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1/2 small onion, diced
• 1 bunch Swiss chard, stems and center ribs cut out and chopped together, leaves coarsely chopped separately
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
  
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, or to taste
• 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• salt to taste (optional)

Melt butter and olive oil together in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in the garlic and onion, and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the chard stems and the white wine. Simmer until the stems begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Stir in the chard leaves, and cook until wilted. Finally, stir in lemon juice and Parmesan cheese; season to taste with salt if needed.

I think I will leave out the Parmesan next time, as I think it smells like old socks. But it was still really really good! I imagine that you could use spinach in much the same way, but I have not tried it.

As far as kale, it freezes great! I wash it, trim off thicker stems and pack it into ziplock bags. To use it, just break of a chunk and crumble into soups or smoothies! It turns smoothies bright green and my kids call them "Pond Water Shakes," but they love them and kale is packed with calcium and vitamins!! I also tear up the kale leaves into salads, throw them chopped into stews, or you can even bake them, I've heard! I haven't tried it yet, but they say you can wash and dry your kale, put it on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle on some seasoning salt or any seasoning and bake at 350 for 10 to 15 minutes until the edges are browned. I can't wait to try this one out!

For lettuce, I haven't found any great sneaky way to use up the massive amounts of lettuce just a little patch produces yet. Well, other than salads, of course.

Any great ideas out there for using up all this green I'm growing? After all, they are so good for you! They make your heart healthier, boost your immune system, have very few calories, and make you run faster and jump higher. Well, maybe not all of that, but definitely good for you!