February Update

 Well, it's February, and we're having lots of fun as always. Here's Anni showing her unique fashion sense with goggles and a tea cozy hat. The rest of the family thinks she get this from me. Hmm, perhaps they have a point. I did go dancing in a cupid costume this week, complete with wings, toga, bow and arrows.

We had almost a week of lovely weather after our snow went away. We all headed out for hikes along our local trails. Some of even got a freckle or two. Then winter came back.

 We continue to get our CSA farm boxes. Here are two latest with lots of lovely organic fruits and veggies (and fungi). Today we had a homey day. I made a big pot of chicken veggie soup and 16 lingonberry whole wheat sandwich rolls for lunches next week. Then, Anni helped bake rainbow cupcakes for tonight's dessert while I made broccoli beef, rice, and a garden salad with oranges and toasted almonds. It was delish!

We hope you all had a very happy Valentines Day. We celebrated all week. After all, love need more than a single day of celebration. We had chocolates, costumes, roses, a special family dinner, cards, and last night, David went out to listen to music. I danced, he watched (and shook his head, and maybe even laughed).

In other news, Ari sent off her first story to an Anthology of horror stories. Keep your fingers crossed for her. Alex has started his second semester at the high school IB program. He's taking the advanced art class for his elective. I love his tree drawings. Anni is beginning to think about what she want to plant in her green house. David is taking a class in art and power tools. He's going to make a yoga bench for Anni. I'm having lots of fun getting ready for my upcoming writing retreat. I've also been thinking about my garden for the upcoming growing season. I can hardly wait to go dig in the dirt!

Our 6th Day of Snow in the Seattle Area!

 January is the month I teach Anni about winter weather. I think we may have tempted the weather fates. They blew a cold front that's been drifting snow down since last Saturday.

 Anni's winter art.

 Snowmen rule the bulletin board.

 And they're taking over the mantel.

 Snowflakes hanging midair between the learning center and the dining room.

 We braved outside to feed the chickens.

 They were hungry and so not amused by the snow.

 A rhody in winter white.

 Barkley, have you been eating the snow again?

 Snowflake sugar cookies.

 No two are exactly alike.

 Is it nature or the unsteady hand of the decorator?

The flowerpot snowman standing guard over the garden. "Back you snow goblins!"

 A ginormous icicle handing right over the center of our front door, ready to nail the unexpected.

 Is this the rare Northwest tree squid?

 Nope, just a frozen wind chime anchored by an aggressive grape vine.

The official family snow-o-meter.

We've enjoyed our winter respite, but seriously Weather Fates, enough! My farm box is coming tomorrow and I don't want to have to sled seven miles to pick it up!

Lot of New Year Fun!

Happy New Year Everybody! Can you believe it's 2012 already?

We celebrated the turning of the year by all going out for a family dinner to our favorite local seafood restaurant for appetizers, dessert, and drinks. It was delish.

On January 8th, we celebrated Elvis's Birthday by playing music, watching Jail House Rock, and baking Hunkka Love Chunk cookies. The next day, I went out dancing in my blue suede boots and my mini dress. And to complete the Elvis trifecta, I went with a group of fellow writers out to see the Northwest Elvis impersonators' competition at the EMP last night. There were a whole lot of Elvi. It was fun!

Chicken Coop in the snow.

Greenhouse under a blanket of white.
David and Alex spent yesterday morning, planting nearly 700 trees along a stream bank as part of a restoration project. During that time, it rained, hailed, sleeted, and snowed. They looked like drown rats upon their return.

View out our front window this morning.

Anni having a ride.

Ari helping to bring back the groceries.
Today, the snow came down! We had a good three inches up on our hill. Anni enjoyed a ride on the sled before Alex, Ari, and I swiped it to go to the grocery store. It was a 4 mile round trip, lots of healthy exercise!

A tree in flocked splendor.

A cold day in the neighborhood; just right for soup, sandwiches, and fresh baked cookies.

Happy Holidays!

 The cookie jars are overflowing. We made cookies from Thanksgiving to Christmas; lots to share and lots for us too!

 We made an ancient Celtic feast for the Winter Solstice; spiced meat dumplings, wassail, broiled mushrooms, roasted veggies, and steamed plum pudding. It was delish!

 Here is our annual December 22nd Nana's B-day tea. It's one of our favorite holiday feasts. The kids love the sausage rolls, mincemeat pies, and scones. On the 23rd, we have Russian pancake supper, and on the 24th, we all gather in the kitchen to make loads of tamales.

 What is Alex eagerly awaiting?

 Why are Ari's eyes so large?

 Anni has the answer. Christmas dinner has arrived, roasted brussel sprouts on the stem, caramelized with maple syrup.

 Yorkshire puddings to go along with the roast beast (beef, this year).

 Oven roasted potatoes and gravy.

 And for dessert, a French Buche de Noel, complete with marzipan holly and meringue mushrooms. It was a lovely dinner.

Here's our tree this year, a beautiful all natural Douglas Fir, very round! Every time, Anni and Barkley passed they sent ornaments flying!

We hope all of you had a beautiful and peaceful holiday season, full of togetherness and joy!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving. This is the turkey we encountered at the Bonair Winery last year. We liked him so much we had to post the photo again!

 Thanksgiving has been a busy time down at the Funny Farm. It's our favorite time of year. We celebrated the turning of the leaves....

 And the arrival of our first garden box from Full Circle CSA. Our back garden patch is pretty much done for the season. We still have a few root veggies and some herbs going, but this time of year is given over to slugs and mold. Our box this week contained Yukon gold potatoes, leeks, Braeburn apples, garnet yams, D'anjou pears, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, pomegranates, Cremini mushrooms, Cut greens braising mix, and Lacinato kale

 This year our thanksgiving recipes came from a wonderful spread in this November's Real Simple magazine. The menu included cider-glazed turkey, bourbon gravy, sausage and apple stuffing, scalloped potatoes with smoked apple cheese, sauteed Brussels sprouts with poppy seeds, brown sugar-glazed carrots with rosemary and toasted pecans, fig and cranberry compote, caramelized onion rolls, and sweet potato pie with candied nut cream.

 I cooked for three solid days! We made everything from scratch except the sparkling cider and wine from our favorite family vintners. It was fantastically delicious!

 We are thankful for so much: beautiful fall days, a warm home, our big wacky circle of family and friends, all our entertaining critters, and time to spend with each other.

And one final image of the biggest turkey of them all. Happy Thanksgiving!

Here's Harry!

 Anni decided she was going as Harry Potter for Halloween this year. Check out the school jumper, tie, and scar!

 She really liked the talking wand!

And that's a pouch of Berttie Bott's Every Flavor Jelly Beans hanging from her belt. This wizardess is all set to conjure up some mischief!

Halloween or Samhain is our favorite yearly festival. We've done lots of dressing up, decoration, and cooking up of treats, and a few tricks as well. Ari's been a pirate and Medusa. I've been the Morrigan, a dark fairy, and a fine young cannibal. We've visitied friends for a Dracula movie night complete with our annual veggie stew baked in a pumpkin, and danced our feet off at our favorite celtic pub. We also celebrated some of the fun Latin traditions for the Day of the dead. Anni and I dressed up as calaveras, and we had delicious Mexican food. Time to hit the gym!

 The last of this year's tomato harvest. Amazing! We were still harvesting tomatoes in November!

 Rainy day farmer, Julie Ann, after a soaking wet trip out to the veggies. Anyone got a towel?

 The daily take; lots of carrots, tomatillos, herbs, and a few greens.

The cleaned up treasures.

We been making lots of preserves with our harvest bounty. Anni and I made four quarts of apple butter last week with the remains of her apple picking adventures. I've been making up vats of spaghetti sauce to use up our enormous tomato crop, and tomorrow, I'm embarking on a tomatillo salsa extravaganza! Now, what to do with several hundred carrots, hmm???