Friday Favorites

Good morning! Here are some of my favorite things this morning- things I'm loving, and things I'm thankful for!

Tomatoes!

Tomato basil & mozzarella salad- lunch or dinner every day this week!

Canning- it is pretty awesome.

The garden is still looking green, despite the heat. 

I think the straw mulch is helping!

Happy Friday! What are your Friday Favorites?

Friday Favorites

Among many other things that I am appreciating this Friday, I'm really liking how my canning-lid plant labels turned out! I think they catch my eye as I'm walking by, which was one of the things I was looking for in a plant label, and they were also totally re-purposed, which is great!

Here's some photos of my favorites. What do you think?

 Happy Friday!
What are some of your favorite thing this Friday morning?

Friday Favorites

My favorite things about this Friday include:

Pollinators in my garden this morning

Tomato time!!!

Spacemaster cucumbers- you rock my world!

Local blueberries for breakfast

Happy Friday! What are some of your favorites today?

Friday Favorites

Colorful potatoes from the garden make a great potato salad.

 Cherry pitters are kind of amazing. I pitted 2 quarts of cherries yesterday and it was a breeze!

How did I not have one of these before now?

Dinners at home this week have been straight from the garden- here's one from last night. 

Veggies, and sometimes tofu, cooked up in a bit of oil. Simple and delicious.

Ha- look at this cat. What a cute one.

What are you favorite things this Friday?

Friday Favorites

Today I'm thankful for a lot in the garden: some plants are just starting to come into their prime, and some are on their way out. I've been a lot more relaxed about harvesting and using all the goodies from my garden this year and it's really helped me to appreciate each type of veggie/fruit as it comes into season!

Here are some of my Friday Favorites:

Harvested the last of the garlic scapes this morning- I think I'll chop and freeze them.

Look at these amazing Mountain Rose potatoes- they're so pink!!

Pulled my first garlic of the season to see how they are progressing- woah!

First big harvest from the garden- carrots, onions, scapes, kale, and some basil!

Happy Friday, friends! What are your favorites this Friday?

Friday Favorites

Some of my favorite things Friday are:

These hostas- aren't they gorgeous? I always admire this specific variety at a 

certain house in my neighborhood- they're like fine art!

 All the herbs in the garden are filling out and looking nice! 

Below are thyme and oregano.

This techincally happened earlier on in the week, but my little sis graduated from High School!!! 

This is us on Tuesday:

This is us in 2005 or 2006,a year or two after we were matched:

So proud to call her my sister :)

Happy Friday, friends!

Friday Favorites

Mike and I have been playing disc golf for a couple of months now- 

it's been such a fun way to see our city :)

Seeing colorful produce at the Farmers' Markets is a pick-me-up, any day of the week!

My little sister Sam is graduating next week- today's her last day of High School! 

She's worked so hard, and I could not be more proud of her.

What are your favorite things this Friday? :)

Friday Favorites

Sugar Snap Peas climbing up the trellises in the garden

 Kidney and Provider Bush Beans are coming up!

I just can't help it- I like the look of organized rows in the garden!

What are your favorites this Friday?

Friday Favorites

My favorite things goin' on this Friday afternoon!

Just can't get over my asparagus-induced excitement- pretty amazing veggie! 

 Every week you get so see a variation on this picture, folks, I know- sorry. 

Speckles lettuce is a work of art!

 This tulip is a bit behind the curve on blooming time :)

Chives are about to bloom! Love the pop of color they add to the garden.

 If you're anywhere where these are sold: get them, ASAP! The Chili Lime ones, specifically. 

Best. Chips. Ever.

Friday Favorites

These are some of my favorite blogs to follow lately

Chiot's Run 
Susy gardens in N.E. Ohio, and her blog is simple and beautiful. She takes breathtaking photos of everyday life in the garden, and I look forward to each post!


homesprout 
This is a new blog for me- I just stumbled upon it recently. Allison, blog owner, writes about her efforts towards a "homemade" life. I'm excited to catch up and see more posts from homesprout.


100 Days of Real Food 
Lisa's blog at 100 Days of Real Food started off as a family challenge- to go 100 days without each processed foods, and focus on real and whole foods. I've enjoyed reading through the experiences, which I can really relate to, and I'm glad she's kept blogging 

Civil Eats
This is a great website, devoted to a whole assortment of blogs on topics close to my heart: local eats, young farmers unite, rooftop gardens. In addition to their themes, they also share a lot of relevant information about food systems, both locally and nation-wide, as well as relevant legislation and advocacy around eating, agriculture, & food.

What are your favorite blogs to follow? I'm always on the look-out for new blogs!

Friday Favorites

My favorite things this Friday:

I really appreciate that at our local food co-operative, the Ypsilanti Food Co-op, I can purchase produce from the Farm I work with- it makes me happy. Spinach and Carrots from Growing Hope Urban Farm!

First harvest of my lettuce of choice from the garden this season- Speckles variety. Isn't it pretty? I harvested several leaves off of each plant, and made a small, delicious salad yesterday. 

This week I had to take a dead neighborhood cat that had been hit by a car to the humane society. It was sad, and I am really appreciating our little guys. I've been sending them silent subliminal messages: "Stay inside! It's not even that awesome outside anyway!"

What are your favorites this Friday?

Friday Favorites

My favorite things this Friday:

Registering for the  BALLE conference (Business Alliance for Local Living Economies), in Grand Rapids this year. I'll get to represent Growing Hope as well as Think Local First of Washtenaw County, where I am the board VP- it's such a great opportunity!

The two CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) shares that I've signed up for this year; I am so excited! May-September I'll be a member of Bridgewater Barns Family Farm CSA, run by Tony and Janet (pictured below with Kimba). I'm splitting with a friend/co-worker- so cool.

September through March I'll be part of Stone Soup Roots & Grains CSA, which I'm splitting with the neighbors down the street. Look at this nice postcard I received in the mail :)

What are your favorites this Friday?

Friday Favorites

These were my favorite things on this awesome, beautiful Friday!

$1.99 Taco Bar at Dos Hermanos, our local Hispanic Market, for dinner. Freshly made and delicious!

My new desk at the Growing Hope Center, where our organization just moved in to today! 

I'm in a little hobbit-like alcove and it's so cozy.

 Raspberry plants leafing out- It reminds me of the amazing little berries we will soon be enjoying.

What are your Friday Favorites?

Friday Favorites- My favorite follows!

I follow many blogs and have lots on my feed- probably close to 100! While I like stumbling onto new ones, reading new ideas, and meeting new people, there are several that I regularly keep an eye out for updates from. Most of the blogs I love are in the vein of gardening, homesteading, natural living, etc. but there are a few others that always catch my attention- bright pictures, beautiful graphics, or well-put thoughts will do that to me. So for my first-ever Friday Favorites, I will share them with you!

Not Dabbling in Normal
Chiot's Run
from the mouth of a mother
IBKC
Civil Eats