IT'S ABOUT...FAMILY!

2012-10-23T15:47:00.001-05:00

Fall has always been one of my favorite times of the year and it is definitely upon us now! We have been enjoying such pleasant weather these past few weeks. Temperatures have been consistently dropping during the day into the mid-70's and the nights have brought some chilly temps down into the upper 30's! Wow..I know!
Just wanted to send a little post to say hi and keep the ball rolling here on the pc whilst we continue to school, settle and raise the family.
Blessings to you all!
Kimi

I love my daughter!!

2012-09-09T23:12:00.001-05:00

She is my oldest baby girl and I have to praise her a little here on my blog. She is a dedicated, young lady of God and spends her days devoting herself to the works of the Kingdom. She is always looking for a moment to share her faith with a hungry soul and she is so well-versed in God’s word. Currently, she is enrolled in nursing school and is in the process of taking her final classes. She also works for our local grocer, trying to get as many hours as she can. She plays the piano, sings, and helps out with the computer at church, as well as, teaches music and piano to kids. In her very rare, but spare time, she helps me out with a kids club for our homeschool group. She is a blessing to everyone who knows her and I haven’t found anyone who doesn’t love her right from the start. I thank God for sharing her with our family. He has given me the best opportunity of being a Mom, in having you for a daughter-I love you so much Camille!

A trip to the zoo!

2012-09-01T00:17:00.001-05:00

Well, if you are like us, you love any chance you can get to take a trip to the zoo. Two of our youngest kids are studying

Apologia Science-Land Animals of the Sixth Day,

and they are learning about mammals, creation, animal careers, everything animal! Right now we have been studying “Predators & Prey”, “Habituation”, and “Camouflage”. So, we went to our local zoological park this week and visited the areas specifically related to our study.

This is called a ‘Wild Dog’. It’s a very brightly colored creature with sharp teeth. Very unusual!

Of course, these young lions are among the most feared predators around. Let’s just keep them on the other side of the glass, shall we. Actually, these gorgeous girls, named Asha, Kimba, and Lily, will be traveling down to Mexico soon. They are part of a species survival program, called the (SSP) Species Survival Plan. The zoo they will be transferring to is also part of the AZA and is an accredited institution. Labor Day weekend will be the final weekend to view them at the Birmingham Zoo.

Some of the kids observing the fresh water turtles, large fish and fowl in the pond that’s in the center of the zoo.

This is the Red Panda.

As we were walking around this area, a little flamingo began following the girls…it was stretching its neck over the barrier and almost poked them on their shoulders. When they looked back at it, the flamingo just stared at them and waited. Then we found some approved animal treats and fed them.

Apparently, these little guys are used to getting these little treats. The girls screamed with excitement as the birds poked the food from their hands.

The zebra is always one of our favorite animals. There is five in this exhibit and earlier this morning they were feeding on fresh hay. No two stripes are the same.

We did get to watch the elephants feeding that morning. They were feasting on a healthy diet of veggies….more specifically: sweet potatoes!

Elephants are the focus of the Trails of Africa exhibit. It has a cultural themed motif that adds to the whole African experience.

(above) wonder what these strange animals are called???

There was so many other exhibits and probably too many to show on just one post. I know it’s just a bunch of animals, but what is so amazing is that we serve the One who has created ALL of them! We took time with the kids and talked with them about how amazing God truly is to have placed every shape, color, size, ability into all of these gorgeous creatures. What an absolutely wonderful God we serve!

Thanks for visiting and come back soon. Kimi

Lesson Plans-Elementary, Middle & High School

2012-08-21T23:17:00.001-05:00

Home-schooling, home-educating, teaching at home.

All three bring to mind the same idea: children learning in the environment of their own home. For parents/grandparents, this may bring additional thoughts of curriculum and lesson planning. Finding just the right curriculum can take a little time, but with patience and some research you can find what works best for your children. Then it’s on to making out those lesson plans. I just wanted to share what I have chosen to use over the years. And although my lesson books are new this year, they are still the same kind of plans I have used for many years. I just bought several so I could have one for every grade. We have a 9th gr, 8th gr, 6th gr, and a 1st grader. Plus, 3 who have already graduated.

High school lesson plan book:

(above) 2 students use this lesson book. (9th gr & 8th gr) Each have 7 days on this layout. Each have 1 block (or section) per day. Each student finds his/her day and subject. Each student works from this lesson plan on a daily basis.

(below) You can see where each student finds their own name, subject and day of the week. From here they can begin working on Monday. remember: these 2 students are in high school and they are very capable of working from a lesson plan book.

Middle school lesson plan book:

(above) Now, this lesson plan book is set up a little bit different, in that I am using one (1) entire book per student. It really makes it easier for me and for the student to read every day. Above is what the cover looks like and you can find them at the Dollar Tree for exactly $1! I just couldn’t pass this up, so I picked up a few more for the next several years too!

(below) Down the side you can see Mon thru Fri. The left side is one week and the right side is the next week. This student has three (3) blocks per day for his daily lessons. I like to write out a little more detail for this age and under, so he will begin to understand what is expected of him. It also helps him because he SEES it in WRITING, and if it’s in writing he can keep up with it. (6th gr)

(below) Here you can see the three(3) blocks I use on Monday. Each subject is written in a certain color, (colors coordinates with text book) to be read easier. The student can then follow all the subjects which are color divided.

(below) As before, each day is set up to use with three (3) blocks. Although this student can not read fluently yet, she is in the process of learning how to read her subjects every day. By the time she gets into higher grades this will be second nature for her.

Word to the wise: I plan my lessons out for usually no more than two (2) weeks. This gives me time to adjust their scheduled lessons, if needed, and to re-write them if they are working ahead faster than schedule. Also, to adjust lessons if they are falling behind in any subject.

A little more of our trip together…

2012-06-12T01:34:00.001-05:00

Walt Disney World-Orlando has several theme parks to visit. We try to go to as many as we possibly can in one day. And for us, that’s part of what makes it fun!! Parking at one and then riding over to all the others is fun in itself, because we can see the whole park on the way and it’s kinda like a little tour. And it’s free! Shuttling to all the theme parks is a guest courtesy.
Here’s a few clips of the 17 hour day we spent there!

Our first stop…ANIMAL KINGDOM!!

IT WAS SUPER! PROBABLY ONE OF OUR ‘favorite’ theme parks to visit.

Then we went over to ‘MGM’ Studios to ride the dreaded
Tower of Terror!!
With several 13 story drops, it leaves a person feeling a little light-headed!
Ok, so I took pics –DURING—the ride!! It was too funny not to snap a few of them and their faces!!! Ha---but the joke was on me…I got so sick from the motion, I nearly threw up!
We got caught in the rain for a few minutes and that was too fun. We ran through the main street area and got soaked…but it was totally great! Here’s two of us standing out in the rain. Hope their clothes dry soon, cause we’re on our way to the next stop…Magic Kingdom. Yayee!!!Every park we visited, we would travel by bus, boat or monorail to get there from where we actually parked our van. So here’s a shot of the girls riding on one of the buses we took. We’re heading over to the Magic Kingdom.
And what do you think is the first thing we see upon entering the spectacular Magic Kingdom??? Cinderella’s Lovely Castle
And of course this totally thrilled the littlest member of the family. She got a bird’s eye view from on top of Daddy’s shoulders. She saw Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Pluto along with Belle, Aurora, and Cinderella herself!! And too many other princesses to name-Wow!! What a little girl’s dream!
All throughout the parks, you can stand under these little spray-mists of water to get cooled off. Here’s the girls getting a little wet as we continue on our way to the next ride. We had just got off the river rapid ride. They got soaked already!!

The Carousel is always fun, but even better when it’s Cinderella’s Magical Carousel!! Cinderella’s Castle is all lit up at night. It gleams with purple, blue and pink lights shining brightly on it.
We took a break and watched the most gorgeous firework show on EARTH!! Since it was only early evening, we still had time to a quick bite to eat and a few more rides!! Buzz Light Year’s Laser Shooting ride is one ride we always enjoy! We got to shoot shoot shoot at all the targets and as you hit a target, the laser gun totals up your score. At the end you can see who did best! So cool!
Mom and Dad got to ride this one together! Dad had the best score!
Going through a tunnel to fire at more targets!!! Get ‘em Kiddos!
This was the last ride of the night….SPACE MOUNTAIN…this was even more special because over 35 years ago, their Papa had helped to build this ride for Mr. Disney.

The end of the night was finally here and we spent it watching the Spectacular Lights Parade and eating some junk food!

Somebody just couldn’t hold out any longer….she had been going since 6:00am. How is she even holding on??

I felt like I was on a ride all day myself!! Since I have had a few mishaps in the recent months…(call me clumsy)…they decided it would be best for Mom to get a little wheelchair for the day. So that’s just what we did. And it really made a difference. Here we are riding the monorail back over to our parking area. Thanks family for taking care of me all day!!

The fun didn’t end there….we had several more days of things to do. We got to visit with some family and friends, help with some needed chores that needed to be done around the place and go bicycling and swimming. Since my family lives in an area that offers so much to do, there isn’t a dull moment for those who like the activities that Orlando offers. And for those who enjoy a quiet moment, I’m looking forward to posting about our time on the lake at my Grandma’s house. She is in her 90’s and is still one of the most beautiful lady’s I have ever known!
Thanks for stopping by to peak in on our blog. We look forward to seeing you next time!
Blessings to you~Kimi

Spending time together

2012-06-02T22:38:00.001-05:00

Summer is full of fun activities just waiting for us to dive into!!

Here’s a few things we’ve been doing since we started our vacation:

THE BEACH

DISNEY—and more, next time!

A Spring Day in May

2012-05-09T11:27:00.001-05:00

There’s just something intriguing about the water, with a few geese, some ducks and bright sun,

toss in some feed for the floating water fowl, and you’ve got a great day made for fun!

But what do you think makes it the absolute best?

It’s when friends come along and share in the fun!!

ICE CREAM TIME!!

Right here in our pasture, five baby geese were born 2 weeks ago. The gander is so proud, just standing so tall. He has been protecting his family, day and night, from overhead predators, like the Red Tail Hawk and Screech Owls.

I’m so glad you stopped by to visit here with us. I hope it inspires you to take a few moments every day, just to enjoy what is right in your own backyard. Blessings Abundantly to you and your family,

Kimi

Warmer days are here

2012-04-03T09:11:00.003-05:00

Tender buds are popping out on every stretching branch and cover all the trees around us. The kids have been playing in the fresh water creek in the afternoons, collecting bugs, caterpillars and insects of all kinds. They found a few crawfish the other day too.

We got to start on some little flower beds and the little kiddos really liked helping with that. They collected a bunch of rocks from the creek, to border the beds.

A favorite thing for me to do lately is spend time out on my deck. Since we have been enjoying these warmer days, I dressed up my “outdoor room” just outside of my kitchen. I’m adding a rug and some pillows next month.

Thanks for stopping by to visit here with me on this lovely day! I hope to come by to visit you on your blog…leave me a note so I can take a peek!
Blessings Abundantly to You!
Kimi

Just Mom and Dad

2012-02-24T21:16:00.001-06:00

Thank you kiddos!! You are awesome!

Yes! We have taken a short TIME AWAY, just the two of us.

Here’s a little photo journal of our first half.

Overlooking Chattanooga, TN.

Inside Ruby Falls Cave-but don’t let that fool you, it is seriously inside the earth-over 1000 feet below the surface! This is the waterfall at the end of the tour.

Gorgeous! God made it and we saw it! So cool!

Water is flowing all over inside this deep cave. This little pool was about shoulder height and magnesium rich. So they let us know, if we were to drink out of it, we would probably have to go potty pretty quickly. (you know, magnesium)

You can walk around the back side of the waterfall.

Waterfall view from underneath. Sprinkles of water all over my lens.

The nickname this formation is called is

Over Niagara Falls.

Stalactite and stalagmite formed a column.

When the cave was originally popularized, the man who discovered it crawled through this 2 feet high space under the earth. He was missing for over 17 hours and then reappeared at his original entering point. He then took his wife down and she crawled along with him. He wanted to show her the underground falls. He named it ‘Ruby’, after her.

The Tennessee Aquarium-River and Sea Journeys.

The Tennessee River behind the Aquarium

Short bus tour over the river to get an idea of what we will do tomorrow.

Crab Fondue with Toasted Parmesan Bread. It was amazing! We also had, Cedar Plank Salmon and Seafood Stuffed Pasta Shells!! Absolutely Dee-Lish!

Relaxing, resting, reading and just being together! It has been so nice.

More tomorrow! Love you guys~see you soon!

Birthdays, Basketball and the “Running Game”!!

2012-01-31T23:24:00.002-06:00

We have had several birthdays this month and that means kids are growing UP!
Garrett, you are such and inspiration to us and to so many others as well. You have a great sense of humor and make people feel good about themselves. You are friendly, outgoing, and thoughtful. Our lives are more blessed because you are a vital part of our family and we thank God for your strength, honor and godliness. Our prayer is that you continue to grow in Him as you walk in His light! You are a young(man) of God. We love you.

Micaylah has just had a birthday and it’s so hard to believe she is nearly a ‘teen’. She is a gentle and kind-hearted young lady that loves God with all her heart. We can remember the day she was born and have watched her grow into a young lady who’s heart truly desires to seek God first and become all He has for her. You will do mighty works for the kingdom, Micaylah! We love you!

We have a special game we really enjoy playing at the end of the day. When we all go outside and the weather is nice, we play the running game. I know, it sounds almost too simple, but the kids love it to pieces.
Here's what we do:
*everyone takes a place near the caller (the one who calls out the spots to run)
*the caller names several places around the yard where the kids can run to
*after the caller says, "On your mark, get set, GO!"
*all the kids go running to each spot, in the order it was called out
*the first one back home-wins

One of their favorite places to place is one the rocks, next to the creek. The water is flowing and they have some of the most imaginative stories to make up. They always come back in pretending they were on some island or sailing on a ship. We love it!

Here’s a little update on our kiddos…

2012-01-28T00:04:00.002-06:00

The days are just flying by as we are getting settled in our new routines with our ‘littles’, our ‘middles’ and the one oldest (who’s still loving living here at home, whilst she is in nursing school). WE love our new home nestled in the mountains and are enjoying the briskly flowing creek running right outside our front door.
The other night we were having some fun taking a few photos and here’s a sample of the evening.

Big Sissy got some new glasses and guess who ''HAD'' to try them on...yes, 3 new pair!!

Playing in the den with blocks, Legos, and duplos ( they had a few friends over for a short visit)

You can't have too many hugs!

All eight of 'em! They have bonded in such a special way that it truly amazes me to see the changes taking place right before my eyes. I don't think they will ever forget each other. Our prayer is that the good will out weigh any bad.

It’s amazing what changes can happen during the course of just a few months. Our schedule, time frame, home-life and priorities have all ‘shifted’.
God has and is providing for us in such a beautiful way that these few words can not possibly express it in any way sufficient enough to bring all the glory to his name that He completely deserves. We are more than humbled by what He is doing in our own lives that we just want to continue to say thank you Lord for what you are doing and how you are doing it “ALL”, on our behalf. WE love you Lord so very much and thank you!

10 Reasons to be happy this evening:

2012-01-12T22:10:00.003-06:00

I saw this on my friends’ blog recently and wanted to share my thoughts.

1) We all ate a hearty, homemade dinner—together!
2) My husband has a good job-we’ve been w/o one
3) We saw an old friend tonight-miss them greatly
4) my Bible is laying here beside me-and I read it today
5) my living room is finally painted-creamy yellow, one of my best color choices ever!
6) the ‘’littles’’ are peacefully sleeping, the olders are having quiet time and I’m watching them all
7) I have a new chicken coop for ‘my gals’
8) I can hear the rushing of the creek outside
9) my husband is spending the morning with us tomorrow
10) God is my very best friend!

Share your 10 reasons! Have a great night and blessings to you this evening!

Thankful hearts

2011-11-27T00:03:00.001-06:00

Autumn has come and been so pretty. We have been enjoying our beautiful weather and the changing of the season here in the foothills of Alabama. Since the addition of our 4 children, life has been busier than ever! Trying to get my lesson plans completed has really taken a back seat unfortunately…sad face. I’m hoping to get back on it shortly, but we’ve spent some good quality time instead…here’s how our Thanksgiving went.

Snack time out on the upper deck, just outside the kitchen.

Going on a hike into the surrounding mountains on the property.

Every kid loves to walk along the creek when it’s low enough. Posing for this pic wasn’t the favorite idea though.

Getting ready to head in for some turkey dinner.

We had sooooooo much food! This year was a little different in that we didn’t go anywhere and didn’t have any visitors…very, very different. But we did have four new little family members!! In light of that we decided to stay home and focus on being together as a family. Since possibly that may have been something new for them. Our two oldest girls helped me in the kitchen and we baked and cooked all day. Our oldest boys and Dad went out doors and the ‘littles’ went along too.

At the end of the day, we sat down to a huge dinner…all 10 of us. Good, good feeling!

Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving day! Thanks for stopping by for a visit.

Blessings! Kimi

Finger is healing

2011-11-09T23:30:00.001-06:00

It’s been a week now and Garrett’s finger is in a cast and has finally stopped throbbing so bad. We go next week for a check up and hopefully the cast can be removed. He’s ready for the normal things boys do at his age: play ball, wrestle with his brother, rake the yard…NOT…that’d be the things Mom wants the boys to do at his age.

Thank you for your prayers and concern. Much love to you! More update soon.

Broken [pinkie] finger

2011-10-31T21:52:00.002-05:00

Well, earlier this month Garrett, our 13 year old, pulled his left rib cage from the chest wall when we were moving and this past week end he broke his finger playing football with the guys. The ribs are healing very nicely and so he decides to go play football with his buddies and we all know how guys can be when they are having fun….ruff. Anyway, here we are in the ER again with Garrett and then today at the orthopedic surgeons’ office. And so Wednesday he’ll be having surgery on his left hands’ PINKIE finger. Thankfully the break wasn’t [ON] the growth plate, but it was on the phalange just above the knuckle. Look in the pic below...it was a clean break. The surgery will correct and repair the break with dual pins in a cris-cross manner. We're hoping the recovery won't be a full 6 weeks.

Garrett’s broken pinkie

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Thanks Bro John and Sis Michelle for helping after it happened…John (a local fireman friend) actually had to set Garrett’s finger as it was terribly dislocated and Michelle (who is an ER nurse) set our minds at ease when she assessed it. Camille (who is in nursing school and the BIG sis) wrapped it up safely until we got him to the ER that night. Thanks you guys!
Please keep him in your prayers as he will be having surgery this WED morning. I’ll send an update afterward.

The many joys of parenting many!

2011-10-26T23:49:00.002-05:00

The last week has been more busy than ever. We added one more little one (for just a little while) to our mix…that makes 4 new ‘LITTLES’ with 6 original. Over the weekend we went to the park for a few hours and played on every-single-set-of-monkey-bars, every slide, every swing…LOVE-IT!!! We arranged everybody’s room in an efficient manner, did lots and lots of laundry, went to birthday parties, mowed/weeded the yard, prepared the kids play area, tidied the house some more, fed chickens (which BTW haven’t started laying eggs since the move, poor gals), and have absolutely enjoyed SEEING fall arrive!
Here’s a quick mix of pics for you--

Little Faces

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We are learning new things every day and taking it very slowly with our new children. Parenting is totally a journey worth taking in stride.
Thanks for stopping by for a visit…and thank you for your prayers.
Kimi

The journey continues…

2011-10-13T21:48:00.003-05:00

The last few months have been busy for us. We have moved into our new home, complete with a secure, finished basement, our oldest daughter has moved into the little efficiency attached to our house and we have new little family members.
Click on our photo gallery below and you can see some of our recent pics…have a blessed day!
ps...our comments have been reactivated ;)'

more of our family journey

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So, changes are part of our journey

2011-09-07T22:46:00.001-05:00

With the recent storms that have changed the face of our community, we have to admit that we will be changing along with it. Braving more storms out here in tornado alley is not a comforting thought.

Our plans have taken a new turn and instead of building a house on our property here in the country we are selling out. For these last few months, we have been looking for just the right place. Living in such a beautiful state, there are many natural surroundings that add to the character and beauty that make a house a home. We found a wonderful house nestled in between these gorgeous mountains and it’s closer to our church and to my husband’s job.

Here are a few pictures that we wanted to share that show part of the natural surroundings of our new home. To the left of this pic is a mountain as well as to the far right.

There is a gorgeous creek that runs through our front yard. It had just rained, so the creek had turned into quite a ‘little’ river. It normally is not flowing this fast, nor is it deep.

The property comes with 26 additional acres and has a couple of ponds on them…stocked with catfish. We shall see what becomes of our new journey.

The house itself is big and spacious, plus it has a deck or two. The best thing it has to offer is that it comes with a huge, finished basement!!! YAYEE FOR US!! I’m lovin’ it!! More to come…

Thanks for coming by for a visit~Kimi

Squash, Stir-fry & Salads!

2011-08-31T22:15:00.001-05:00

This is one of my golden, yellow summer squash plants! When it was planted, it didn’t look like it was going to make it, but after a couple of weeks, it just began to grow into this lovely plant. I think squash and zucchini are one of the prettiest garden plants to grow.

Here you can see all those tender, little yellow squash coming up.

The last few weeks our garden has been yielding the most wonderful veggies ever! Golden, yellow summer squash, crispy, green zucchini, kohlrabi and sweet baby bell peppers. We added fresh baby carrots to the dish also.

Fresh salad with home grown veggies: my little bell peppers were so delicious along with my favorite poppy seed dressing!

Carrots, zucchini slices and squash disks made for a great dinner one night last week. They were sautéed in wasabi sauce that I made a few weeks ago.

The garden is about finished with its work for the summer and I think we’ve decided not to plant a fall garden this year. So, we’re looking forward to next spring and making plans for what we’ll get started with after winter.

More news coming up on our family ‘expansion’. And hopefully we will have some photos to share.

Blessings Abundantly to you! Thanks so much for stopping by for a visit.

Kimi

The Adventure Begins

2011-08-02T20:11:00.003-05:00

We are finished with our state licensing, have our CPR/First Aid/Pool Safety certification and home study completed. With the recent tornadoes, it pushed back the program somewhat and we all have been eagerly waiting for the arrival of our children.
We got to keep 3 precious kids last week, so they just did school along with us, along with everything else we do. Here’s a little photo gallery of our week.
Doing school

Playing in the rain

Going for a little trail ride

Picking fresh flowers

Picking cucumbers & green beans

We had such a great time with them. Keep us in your prayers. Our hands, our hearts and our home is open and waiting for our new little ones!
Thanks for stopping by and visiting. Please feel free to leave a comment below.
Kimi

it’s a fondue night! {how to serve Bok Choy}

2011-07-23T00:06:00.011-05:00

The other night we decided to have a different kind of dinner…fondue. We had steak and chicken with brown rice along with Bok Choy and broccoli. The meal was complemented by the tasty sauces that were absolutely homemade by us and tasted delectable! Here's a couple recipes of the evening--
Bok Choy

1 lg head Bok Choy
3 C broccoli florets
2 T olive oil
2 T sesame seed oil
4 T soy sauce
S & P to taste

Clean, cut and set aside broc and bok; in large sauce pan, heat over med-low heat oils and soy sauce'; add broc and bok; simmer for 5-7 min; tossing lightly; add S & P to taste; serve with brown rice and your favorite meat. We loved it with our fondue dinner (above).
Note: clean bok choy by cutting off and discarding the end of the stalk; pull every stalk off as you would celery; clean thoroughly; slice all the way up to the green leaves; save the leaves-they’re gorgeous anyway! Add the stalk pieces to your dish.
Brown Rice

2 C brown rice, dry
4 1/2 C water or broth
2 T olive oil
1/2 leek, sliced
1/2 yellow onion, minced
4 cloves garlic
S & P to taste

Rinse rice thoroughly; place in large pot or rice steamer; add remaining ingredients; cook till tender; Serve with Bok Choy…yummie!
Here’s a pictorial of the evening.

I wish I would have taken photos of the food, but will remember to do that next time.

The sauces we used were so wonderfully flavorful and totally completed the meal that I’m going to have to put them in a post all by themselves.
Thanks for stopping by…Kimi

Kohlrabi-how to harvest, cook & serve

2011-07-15T17:58:00.002-05:00

Kohlrabi: low, stout vegetable; slightly sweet taste; can be served alone or used in place of turnips, potatoes or rutabaga.
Days to Harvest: 55-60 days after planting seeds in soil.
Species: Brassica-which means its from the same family as turnips, broccoli, cabbage, collard greens, mustard plant etc.
Back in April we planted several kinds of seeds in our freshly tilled garden plot. Among them was Kohlrabi. We waited and waited to see how well they would do and finally we saw these tiny leaves sprouting up in the row. Such pretty little leaves all in a row. As time went on I noticed a bulb was forming on top of the ground. Digging under and around the bulb, I checked if there was a root. Sure was! Covering it back up, I waited some more. Finally, after about 55 days (after sowing the seeds) I pulled the bulb up out of the ground and shook the soil from its root.
All the light green, long stems were soft, but firm and I simply snapped them off, laying them in a pile.
Here’s a recipe I used to serve this delicious vegetable.
Pinto Beans and Kohlrabi

2 C dried pinto beans
3 kohlrabi
4 T real butter
6 C water
S & P to taste

Wash, rinse and clean beans; place in large cooking pot with butter, S & P, water; bring to a rolling boil. Meanwhile, clean kohlrabi and peel as you would a potato (as below). When your bean are about 20 minutes away from being done, add the kohlrabi to the beans; stir gently and cook until semi-soft; NOT mushy. Add additional water if necessary.
Serve with fresh green beans, steamed carrots, fresh potatoes and Johnny-cakes (corn bread sticks)

Cut in half

Cut ends off

Peel as you would a potato

You’ll notice that the outer skin is very woody, although it peels very easily. Be careful to observe that if the meat of the bulb is woody, it may be too hard to eat. So cut that part off before cooking.

The inside of the bulb is tender and almost has a sweetened flavor. Not enough to really be sweet though. You can cut into cubes or cut into julienne slices(as in baby carrot sized) and use with your favorite veggie dip, fresh and raw.

Home made corn bread sticks are the perfect addition to this garden-fresh meal. High in protein, fiber and potassium. Low in fat and salt.

Thanks for visiting!
Kimi

{Kitties, summer days and green beans}

2011-07-13T20:01:00.002-05:00

my growing garden

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Summer is always a productive time on our little farm. We have been growing vegetables in the garden, herbs in containers and harvesting lots of green beans. Cucumbers, radishes, garden peas, tomatoes, bell peppers, green beans, yellow squash, zucchini and kohlrabi seem to like the soil here and are coming up very nicely.

{GreeN BeaNs!!}

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The other day, I went out to check my garden and noticed there were so many beans just hanging and ready to pick. My husband and I started picking and realized we needed a larger basket. We ended up bringing in a 6 gallon bucket of them. We ate some, gave some away and canned the rest. Now we need to go pick again.

A couple of weeks ago a dear friend of mine gave me new rooster. He’s the white one in the background. He’s only about 6 months old and already as big as my hens. Which, by the way, have fallen in love with him. We haven’t named him yet…any suggestions?

Early in the spring I planted a vegetable that you don’t hear a lot about: KOHLRABI. As I waited for it to grow, I decided to plan some recipes to use it in. This week I used it in our favorite cornbread and bean recipe. It was delicious! Absolutely wonderful. I’m going to put the recipe on my homemaker’s site: www.thehomemakersminuteandmore.blogspot.com
Thanks for stopping by and taking a moment. Remember to send your suggestions for our new rooster’s name…He really needs one!
Kimi

July 4th (day 3)

2011-07-05T00:09:00.001-05:00

We had such a good day today!

Brunch at noon: French Toast w/hard boiled eggs, fresh OJ, and table talk. Then we began getting ready for the fun afternoon.

July 4th 2011

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The kids like to play volleyball every afternoon, so while we were bar-b-que’n, they played a game of volleyball. Then we had grilled hamburgers, hotdogs, mac’n cheese, au gratin potatoes, baked beans, chips ‘n dip, fresh carrots, ‘Angel’ eggs, chocolate chip cookies, and a new dessert that I just put together this afternoon…vanilla wafer pudding pie-topped with homemade chocolate sauce. It was so-so sweet! Oh and we also made some decadent chocolate-dipped strawberries. I just used my strawberries and dipped them in the chocolate sauce (above).

Chocolate Sauce Recipe:

2 squares Bakers unsweet chocolate

1-1/2 C confectioners sugar

2 T real butter

4 T milk (I used almond milk)

*Melt chocolate & butter in small saucepan. Add sugar. Stir. Add milk and stir until mixture is smooth and shiny (about 3-4 min). Set aside and use for dipping or drizzling. Reheat if needed.

After that we all sat down in the family room and watched a neat historical program called “Liberty’s Kids!” It was about the Declaration of Independence and very interesting.

It was a very nice day especially since some of us are recovering from being sick these last few days. We hope you had a great day doing just what you wanted to do! Happy Independence Day!

Using new blog writer!

2011-07-04T23:21:00.001-05:00

Today was a very pleasant 4th of July. After finally starting to feel better I was able to eat some decent food. Our youngest daughter has been sick with this yucky virus too and couldn’t eat as much as she wanted. Hopefully, we will all be feeling better very soon.