Emerging

In between & Quinoa Salad

This house we're renting came complete with flower beds and pre-existing garden beds (albeit overgrown). It's one of the things I love most about this place.


I spent most of today outside. I find that allowing myself to be in the moment enables me to more easily flow into what is coming next. As we prepare for a life changing move, I am intentionally doing things that help me feel grounded and somewhat normal.

For instance this morning Ian and I worked out in the garden. I had planted the greens so thickly that there is an overabundance for us to enjoy. There are so many little bundles coming up that I cleared a whole bed and transplanted it full of extra kale and mustards. Even though the greens season isn't too too long, we will have enough green leafies to last us, and plenty to share.

I also cleared a bed for zucchini and planted squash, I know they may continue to bear after we move but I am simply craving home grown food. I spent time cleaning up some of the existing flower beds too so that we can really have the chance to enjoy the abundant beauty that is surrounding this house.

For me, working in the garden just feels right. I know that we can't plant anything that bears later on in the summer like tomatoes or peppers or winter squash, but planting and caring for what I can reminds me where my food comes from. Allows me to take at least some responsibility for the nourishment I am consuming and feeding my family and lessens my need to buy something in the grocery store shipped from far away.

I am looking forward to our change of scenery andgetting to know a new place. With the stresses that come from a big move looming, It's important to take time out and breathe. To play with Ian and rest with him too. To allow myself to feel connected to this place and begin loosening my roots from the red clay soil.


Quinoa Salad

1c quinoa, rinse and soak 20 minutes

2T olive oil
1/2c chopped onion
1 clove garlic minced
1c favorite frozen veggies
1/2c frozen spinach (or 1c fresh)
1 cube Rapunzel vegetable boullion dissolved in 2c water

While Quinoa is soaking, heat lg skillet and add oil. Then sautee onion and garlic until soft. Add frozen vegetables and then spinach. Drain quinoa and add to hot skillet. Sautee 2 minutes until well coated then add vegetable stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce ehat to simmer and cook approx 25 minutes until tender. Adjust seasoning to your preference.

green grows the sringtime

Hole in the Yard by:Ian Veteto

There is a hole in the yard.
There is a hole in the yard.
What do you think lives in the hole in the yard?
A snake?
Or a bunch of worms?
Or is it just a hole in the yard?

Oh I love the glow of greens growing in the springtime, and the taste of them too. We harvested our first greens this week including kale, mustards, spinach and radishes as well as some lettuce. They were all so very delicious.




We have so much packed in there since I direct seeded that we can eat what I thin out and I have plenty of already growing beauties to create a whole other bed of greens:) The bounty of the plant world is pretty much never ending.

It will still be a while before they are ready to harvest but our little English peas are slowly making their way towards the trellis so they can climb, climb, climb.

Just a pic of some busy bees loving the spring days. This is a hive that the folks we rent from thought was on its way out a while back and then realized that it was still thriving. So, here you can see these honey bees made it through the winter and are seemingly doing very well. Ian and I watch them going about their business pretty much everyday. There is still hope for the bees, hooray! This hive is untreated, unattended by human hands, and doing great!

Soul Funk Greens

So, it's not often that my hubby comes up with anything good for the kitchen. Usually when he tries to cook something it doesn't work out that well. He is most often relegated strictly to the grill when it comes to food preparation.

Anyway, for a while now he has been talking about these soul funk greens that he used to fix, allegedly. Although in all honesty his story was corroborated by my in-laws. He told me that this THE way to fix some delicious southern style green and he had based his original trials off a dish he had eaten many years ago at Soul Vegetarian restaurant in Atlanta. Well a few months ago we were having dinner guests and he insisted that I make them, and so I did. Well, they were really tasty and I have made them numerous times since. Who knew?

I don't have a specific recipe but here's a list of the ingredients and you can just use your imagination and taste buds to get it how you like it.

1 bunch of greens (collards are my favorite)
fresh garlic, chopped (maybe 3 cloves)
onion, chopped (about 1/2 c)
nutritional yeast
soy sauce or salt
pepper
hot sauce or fresh jalapeno, chopped and seeded
tomato, chopped

Our homeschooling life

Homeschooling is such a blessing. Each day I take so many opportunities to help Ian learn, grow and play. I think there is so much more to school than just sitting at a tdesk doing book work, although for us workbooks are part of our schooling. However schooling for us also includes cooking meals and working with recipes, clearing garden beds and planting seedlings, caring for our dogs, and remembering to play, a lot. Also since we moved three times in the past year, it was easy to make education a simple part of everyday life.

Imaginative play is one of the most fun parts of our day. We go on challenging aventures, where we meet mysterious peopl, battles dragons, fend of sea monsters, and rule the kingdom with fairness and kindness. You can see the kids at ACE had a blast creating their very own Chinese dragon using muslin and markers on the day we talked about the Chinese New Year Celebration. Above you can see all of use sporting the "Olympic" medals we "won" after learning about the winter olympics that were in progress at the time.

As part of our schooling Ian is involved with a variety of outside activities that range depending on the season and his interests. Currently we meet once a week with other at ACE (Athens Cooperative Education) which right now is comprised of a loosely planned activity based on a topic and lots of outdoor play. He also particpates in a fantastic class at the Georgia Botanical Garden called Garden Earth Naturalist Club where he has had the chance to disect owl pellets (see image --->) and make his own personal worm bin.

Right now soccer season is getting going and he's excited about the first game which is tonight. He's glad to play soccer although in all honesty, sometimes things get away from me and I wasn't in time to sign him up for little league this year. It's lucky for me he is such a "go with the flow" sort of kid.

This year we aslo joined a local chapter of the Earth Scouts which is a group based on the principles of the Earth Charter signed by over 80 countries focusing on human rights, the environment, local economies and other important issues of our time. We've been to the local recycling center, created butterflies to add to an exhibit at the Dallas Museum of Art which remembers the children from the holocaust, did projects from reclaimed materials, planted seeds to grow a little garden, visited a local alpaca farm, among other things.

Last week he participated in his first big homeschool event last week. Here in Athens there is an event called the Omni Fair which offers homeschoolers the chance to share what they have been learning about or what they are interested in. Ian created a diarama using all of the dinosaurs from his collection. He designed the diasplay and gave me precise instructions about how he wanted it to look.

All in all we've been having a blast this year with or schooling and I just thought I would take a minute and share that with ya'll. So, here's to you for whatever works for your family, whichever methods help your child/children succeed, it's all good.

big week

It's been a big week here at the Veteto house. Jim, who has been working on his PhD for the past five years had his big day on campus. He has been diligent, and steadfast in his gathering of information, taken months to interview folks, and this past Monday he spent the afternoon defending his dissertation. WOW! The light is actually shining from the end of the tunnel.

Coconut Flax Granola

The other day I wishing that I had some granola around to eat for breakfasts and to offer Ian as a healthy snack. I hate to buy granola becasue I feel like there is always so much sugar in it and/or chcolate, candied fruit, etc., and so I never actually do buy it. However, I do like granola a lot, so this morning, in the midst of a fairly otherwise lazy Sunday, I decided to mix some up.

Over the past few years I have been utterly spoiled by my mother-in-law's homemade granola. We all love it! She started with a recipe from Andrew Weil and has adapted and altered it over time to fit her needs. It's really delicious. This morning I cam up with my own version and felt like sharinf. This recipe make almost 2 quart jars worth.

Coconut Flax Granola

1T canola oil

1T coconut oil

1/2c brown rice syrup

1T vanilla

2c rolled oats

1/2c raw hulled sunflower seeds

1/4c raw sesame seeds

1/2c flax seeds

1c unsweetened shredded coconut

cinnamon

3/4c raisins

Preheat the oven to 350.

In a large bowl combine everything except cinnamon and raisins. Mix well until all ingredients are coated. Put on a lightly greased or non-stick cookie sheet and form into a mound (very important step). Sprinkle on top with cinnamon. Bake 20 minutes, mixing every five minutes and re-topping the mound each time with cinnamon (you'll do this 3 times). The granola is finished baking when it is slightly browned. Remove from oven and pour back into bowl. Add raisins and mix well. Spread out evenly on cookie sheet to cool. Store in an airtight conatiner like a mason jar.