The Pie Patch

The pie patch consists of rhubarb, two varieties of blueberries, Chandler and Jersey as well as red and golden raspberries. Still trying to find space for strawberries. Someday

Garden update

Thought we would give a little update on the garden since its been so long. So here goes. First we have the garlic that we planted in October. It's seems to be doing better than last years. We got different seed and did some amending if the soil. We'll see how it goes. Next is our over wintered broccoli. This has been amazing. We have harvested so much we will probably do this every year and not bother with growing any in the summer. Then we have our over wintered red and Dino kale as well as some collards. The red Russian kale has been especially wonderful. Behind it we have snap peas that we planted in early march. So far so good. Now we have to finish planning and planting the rest of veg. All in good time.

Down time

Decided to take the kid down to grandpa's for the day. Grandpa came up the other day and helped set the post for the fence but didn't get to see the little one so we came down. It was nice. Got some important things done like looking at the creek, sitting on the tractor, and the favorite pastime of shooting the breeze while porch sittin.

A fence makes a good neighbor

Well it's been awhile since we last posted on here. You could guess why if you saw the last post. Even with the new addition we have kept busy on new projects. I won't bore you with a list and I probably couldn't remember them all so we will start fresh. The wife left town so instead of hanging out at the bar I figured I would bust my hump and build a new fence. I got some much needed help setting the post from my old man then of I went hanging boards. A few days later and we're pretty much there. Just need to design a gate and arbor and cut the post down to size. Not to bad for a weekend.

Look what we made!!!

    Meet the newest addition to the Rusty Roof crew, Ozzie!!! So now you know, this is what has been distracting us for the last 9 months! He is amazing! Born with all the abilities necessary for infant survival, he is a talented boy. Now Husband and I have so much to learn about him and ourselves.

   Like how to execute the perfect swaddle.

Sleep on demand.

Even taking a walk is a new adventure! Here is proud Husband and Dad with our boy wrapped up in his Moby ( a baby carrying device ) walking the farm after a snowstorm that descended on Seattle just days after Ozzie was born. We called it the "Blizzard of Oz."

We couldn't have made it through those first weeks without the help of our family. My Mom cooked and presented us with this fantastic chicken dinner complete with a snow filled flower pot used to chill the champagne. She also picked and steamed some greens from our over-wintering kale and collard plants. It was such a balm to my overwhelmed body and spirit and we toasted our lovely baby and new outlook on our lives.

So, not to worry this will not become a baby centered blog! Although he will play a starring role we still have so much work to do in our yard and garden. There are still many projects that we are itching to do and times a wasting ( ok, so maybe there is no wasted time with a new baby ). But hey! It's February already and peas need to be planted and roses and fruit trees pruned!   

So stay tuned! I will leave you with this sweet video of Ozzie and Husband that just about melts my heart. Awwwww. 'Til next time!

Now we're cooking...With Gas!!

   Phew! It has been so long since we've posted I'm a little embarrassed. Sometimes life gets in the way of what you really want to be doing. We have been super busy, what can I say? Now that it is December most of our projects have been indoors. The most exciting to date is that we have officially upgraded to a gas stove.  It is hard to describe the elegance of cooking with a gas stove as opposed to electric. The one we got is no stainless steel Viking range with six burners and a convection oven. The stove we selected is probably older than Husband and I combined and is not exactly in pristine shape. But somehow it really fits in with our kitchen. That may be because our kitchen desperately needs a remodel but all in good time ( 10+ years probably ). 

   I must say Husband really did a bang up job installing this antiquated appliance. It is a testament to his energy and willingness to try new tasks that we now have a working gas stove and the house didn't blow up. It took about two or three trips to the hardware store ( what home improvement project doesn't ), a chance meeting with an electrician neighbor who is generous with his knowledge, and some finger crossing, but he did it! And as I baked him a big ole batch of his favorite cookies today I thought how lucky I am. Sheesh! What a sap! But it's true. Thanks Hubby. 

  These are what's left of the potatoes we harvested from our bin. I'm not ready to say the bin was a success. We only got about 5 or 6 pounds of potatoes and it feels like we could have done better. We speculate that we didn't water enough or perhaps didn't cover them quite correctly as they grew taller inside the bin. Who knows? We'll try again next year! 

   It was nice to have the potatoes to mash for Thanksgiving though. Husband took on the cooking duties this year and here's a nice pic of the proud chef with his first bird! 

   Another big project of the fall was doing something with the giant box of Honeycrisp apples Grandma Gwen laid on us during her visit to Seattle from Spokane. That box was daunting but what easier thing to make apples into than applesauce! But then there was so much applesauce I had to go farther and make it into apple butter. I pulled out the Crock Pot, scoured the interwebs for a good recipe and made us some deeelicious cinnamon-y, thick and gooey apple butter! It has been so nice to spread on my morning toast with butter and a sprinkle of Brewer's yeast. Plus, since I didn't get a chance to make jam this year, we have been using it for peanut butter sandwiches. So so good!

Unexpected Summer Bounty

                             

   So only two posts ago I was lamenting on the lack of sunshine and had pretty much given up on my sunny weather crops. Yet here I sit, sweltering ( for a Seattlite anything over 80 degrees is sweltering ) with  the forecast predicting a least a week more of this gloriously warm sunshine. And look! My warm weather crops are making a showing! The lemon cucumbers that Husband planted with great faith and excitement and I kind of just shrugged at are producing like gang busters. As is the "Matt's Wild Cherry" cherry tomato that we got as a start from Rents Due Ranch.
   I don't remember if I mentioned it but earlier in the season our green beans did, simply put, pitiful. So in frustration I ripped them all out and replanted later than could really be called viable.  So it was with great surprise and delight that I walked out to discover a few fully grown green beans! woot woot! Now I can make my very favoritest simply summer salad. Just cut up a few cukes, put in a handful or so of tomatoes, snap some green beans and drizzle with olive oil and balsamic et voila! Sometimes I add feta to beef it up a bit for a nice lunch.

   Also unexpected was our beets which were looking very wimpy and then today all of a sudden boom, they exploded! So I get to make another favorite summer salad. Steamed beets with goat cheese, and roasted pecans drizzled with balsamic. At Tutta Bella Pizzeria they make a similar salad but with pistachios which contrast so prettily with the red beets.

   While the sun may be shining I can't shake the feeling that this is the last hoorah for warmth and fall is still looming around the corner. Geez what a pessimist! That feeling is sparking my wanderlust though. So last weekend Husband and I packed up the car and the dog and headed out for adventures on Vashon/Maury Island. As we live in the south end of Seattle it is no biggy to catch the ferry in West Seattle over to the idyllic Vashon. We didn't have specific plans and we drove for the pleasure of exploring and discovered plenty of pretty tiny public beaches, meandering roads that were impossible to get lost on and a few specific gems. we stopped at a very cool nursery and garden by the name of Dig. 

   The selection was a bit dry this late in the season but the ideas! Superb! They had re purposed a bunch of old culverts into various things like this awesome dog castle. They had planted some kind of moss on the inside so this very sweet doggy had a nice place to lay down. 

   A fantastic fountain, again using pieces of culvert. This has inspired Husband and I to decide that we NEED a water feature.

   

We then found the Point Robinson Lighthouse and park. Ruby was free to run around on the beach and zip around on the driftwood and swim in the Sound.  It was so nice to sit in the sun and look at Mt. Rainier in the distance and feel lucky and grateful for the beautiful place that we live in.

   So fueled with new ideas and inspirations and deliciously tired from playing in the sunshine we boarded the ferry home very happy indeed.