GardenMama

.: Savoring The Harvest :.

 

This spring my family and I planted fifty tomato plants. We enjoyed many colors and varietals throughout the season that were canned, frozen, stored and eaten straight from the garden.  We enjoyed working and playing together as co-participants in the entire cycle--from seed to harvest.

Most of all we enjoyed gathering up baskets of garden fresh vegetables and flowers to bring to neighbors, and jars of still warm tomato soup. Packets of flower seeds we gathered will soon follow!

 
Upon harvesting each and every tomato from the garden we enjoyed a beautiful warm soup as a tribute to all of the love, hard work, and care that each one of us poured into making the garden grow this year. 

My husband, a wonderful cook and sweet gentle teacher in the kitchen, enjoys imparting the lessons of heart and home with the children by his side. Today's menu called for garden fresh tomato soup!

Fresh, still warm garlic bread paired with a golden colored soup warmed our bellies and our memories of this precious time together!

Each child gathered baskets of tomatoes back to the house where they then washed them and set them back in the sun to dry, next gathering up what they saw as the most beautiful and delicious tomato specimins that would go into today's soup!
   
Mama of course enjoyed a bit of 'garden art' creating and photographing rainbows of gorgeous homegrown veggies and sunflowers what a colorful palette to behold!

Growing and storing your own foods, sharing this rich process from start to finish with your littles,  enjoying a wholesome home cooked meal from these processes and sharing this bounty with those that live around you is an incredible gift!
 

.: Gardenmama's Tomato Soup :.

Twelve freshly picked tomatoes
Two cups vegetable broth
1/2 cup chopped celery
Handfull of fresh basil
1/2 cup chopped onion

Combine tomatoes and broth; stew for thirty minutes on low heat.
Strain into a bowl, removing the seeds and skins.  Return to pot.

Stir in 2 tbsp. flour.
add celery, basil and onion.

Cook over very low heat until mixture has thickened to desired consistency.
Stir in one cup of milk during the last ten minutes.

Season to taste with salt and pepper. Process in the blender for a smooth soup before serving.

Note: We used more yellow tomatoes than red for a milder soup.  (I have a difficult time digesting red tomatoes) The yellow tomatoes also created a golden-colored soup that was lovely! We also added a bit of shredded cheese before serving!

.: Enjoy!! :.

.: I am in the process of making some changes to this space. It will be an on-going process! Today I made the photos larger! Tell me what you think! :.

.: A Story-Book Adventure! :.

Many years ago (while my husband and I were just dating) we enjoyed visiting a very inspiring topiary garden that is home to eighty unique topiaries.

This whimsical garden was so inspiring to us that we decided to travel back here with our children to share with them these gardens that were established in 1872.

It is incredible while walking the garden to know that some of these same plants have been growing for over one hundred years.  You can feel the history in this place and the adventure while walking through the winding garden paths and happening upon giant topiary animals reminding us of the story of "The Garden of Abdul Gasazi"  by Chris Van Allsburg.

The trees on this seven acre estate are very old and very strong. Branches wind up high and then dip back down low.  The roots are planted firmly in the soil below creating an incredible invitation to play among their branches. 

We stopped along the way to view the garden from a birds-eye perspective.  While the trees cradled us we wished that they could speak to tell us a story from so many years ago!

The three children lead the way through winding paths drenched in color and filled with intoxicating scents of heirloom plants that still stand tall today.  We wonder just what will greet us along these paths next?


We happen upon a horse and rider that points the way to an old grape arbor. We take joy in walking this path alongside these new friends. Closing our eyes the sun warms our faces and the powerful scent of sweet red grapes fills the air.
 

The children take notice of an elephant, wide eyed with wonder and awe. We back up just a bit under the grape arbor giving him just enough room to enjoy a meal of fresh flowers that grow all around him.

 

After such a close encounter with this wild elephant we continue walking through the flowery path. among the flowers we find a pond filled with darting Koi. Soon we find ourselves weaving through a maze of bamboo. The children run and play hide-and-go-seek, enjoying this day of magic!

We ramble alongside a patch of antique damask roses that scent the air with a rich perfume that find us lingering just a bit longer...

Excitedly my eldest son finds the most beautiful and colorful Dahlias while large animals watch over us in the distance!

"Hello there friends" they call out to us! "We wish you a happy day in our garden!"

"Thank you for visiting with us, now come follow us right along this path and we will play!"

 We followed these playful animals and played alongside them too until our feet brought us into another garden room where colorful butterflies led us from flower to flower.

"Well hello!" We hear as we stumble upon the vegetable patch! "Let us show you around!" So we walked amidst giant rainbow swiss chard and  sweet yellow pear tomaotoes...

There she was, the same wild hare we had spotted earlier in our day.  She followed us here to tell us a very exciting message! With a twitch of her nose and a wiggle of her white cotton tail she said "Come, follow me past the rust-colored sunflowers and the windmill"...

"Come along, follow me through the lettuces, pumpkins and peas"...
 

"You will see a green archway in the distance. Walk under these arches and they will lead you to a wonderful place!"

"Here we are, you have found it! Now walk upon the grand veranda of this lovely home. Through the heavy doors you will find well-loved toys hidden in some of the rooms!"

A dainty set of miniature saucers and cups even tiny sets of silverware  are set out before us. We stop for a moment to wonder if  a mouse family that lives among this old home was told of our arrival!

Oh, if I could only find myself behind this glass  for some time of play I would be ever so happy says the little girl!

We linger for just a wee bit more over this perfectly lovely kitchen, imagining ourselves slipping behind the glass and shrinking ourselves for just a short time to cook up a mouse-sized cake to go with our tea!

In the halls of this antiquarian home we find ourselves in a childs room.Beyond the sheers there is such a lovely view of animals marching about in the flowering gardens below!

With a curious eye we see that yet another tea party is taking place tucked away in this room!

 

We continue to walk along into the rest of this home. My mind wanders with each new hallway and set of stairs imagining who used to live here in these rooms!

 
 

With books set out and saucers and plates upon a small table in the beautiful living room, it was an amazing place to visit. Yet, back outdoors is where I felt the 'heart' of this home still alive and growing strong!

The hands, hearts, and minds who dreamed of these gardens and poured forth their work to trim each shrub and plant and care for each tree were most certainly appreciated as we ended our day up in the arms of a very old tree.

Thank you to the gardeners and dreamers who lived in this place so many years ago who have also shared their creative spirits with my family and many other families on this day! 

.: May you experience magical adventures in your every day! :.

.: Corn Husk Dolls ~ Tutorial :.

.: Corn Husk Dolls that were created while a summer meal of farm-fresh corn was boiling :.

Each year in late summer we look forward to farm fresh corn! It's such a treat to travel the country roads around home and stop at the handmade sign that announces this sweet golden treat!                                                                                                                                                                                                   
 

.: Each year we enjoy shucking corn in celebration of summer :.

The corn stand is the drive-up of choice to make our meal of on these summer evenings. Just a bit of butter and salt paired with a side dish of ripe tomatoes and fresh garden Basil makes our bellies very happy!

While the corn boils we take some time to create corn husk dolls.  

Step One: Gathering Corn Husk

First gather a pile of corn husks.  This will be what forms the base of the corn husk doll.

Step Two: Making The Doll's Head & Dress

Fold the pile of corn husk that you gathered completely in half, matching up both ends.                       

The bottom is now frilled--this is the doll's dress.

Wrap a thin piece of floral wire at the top of the corn husk to create the head of the doll.  

Step Three: Shaping The Doll's Head

With scissors, define the doll's head by rounding the two upper corners. 

Step Four: Creating The Doll's Waist

Tightly wrap a piece of floral wire around where you think the doll's waist should be.

Step Five: Creating The Doll's arms

For this step you will set the 'doll' to the side and gather up another small pile of loose corn husk.  This will be used for the doll's arms.

Step Six: Securing The Doll's arms

Fold one end of the husk over, making the tips meet the center.  

Next fold the other end of the husk over to make the tips meet the center.  (Now both ends are meeting up in the middle.)

Secure this in the center with floral wire and now you have what looks like a 'bow-tie'  Make sure to leave long ends of the wire 'loose' this is what you will be securing the arms to the body with.                                                                           

Step Seven: Creating The Doll's Hands

On either side of this bow-tie, wrap a small section with wire to form the doll's hands.

Step Eight: Securing the doll's arms to the body

With the 'leftover' wire that is loose in the back, secure this 'bow-tie' looking piece (the arms) to the back of the doll's body by sliding the long wire behind the already secured wire of the waist.

Step Nine: Creating a Dress

Use scissors to snip the dress portion. Make a frayed edge as short or as long as you wish.  If you 'fluff' the frayed edge with your hands it will curl slightly when it dries making for a fuller dress.

Steps ten and eleven: Creating Pants and Feet

By making one long snip up the center of the bottom half of the doll you are creating legs or pants.

Now divide the corn husk and wrap a piece of wire around the bottom. One side will create a left foot and the other a right foot.

 

.: My daughter also made herself a corn-husk bracelet! :.

  .: We appreciate making each piece of this vegetable purposeful as a way of showing gratitude for the garden and to the farmers who grow this good seasonal food. :.