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Strawberry Surprises & Pixel the Hedgehog’s Reviews

June 6, 2010 By Laura 5 Comments

04_picked_strawberries-300x214

The last time I had checked the strawberry bed, there was 1 strawberry that I was sure would be good and ready the next day for pickin’, and I had my name all over it!!

But I didn’t actually get out there until 2 days later.

01_strawberries

And lo and behold, there were several ready, and some were downright huge!

02_strawberry-growing

Not only were there a good many ready, it was obvious there would be a good many more ready in the next day or two also.

They always look so pretty among the green leaves, and dark rich soil, that I’m always feeling a little….reluctant, to pluck them off the stems.  I remember having the same hesitations last year.

03_growing_strawberries
I know. I’m strange.

One more photo. One more angle.

Sometimes, one more day.

04_picked-strawberries

We did get to picking the first ones, and filling up this shallow dish.  As a side note about the dish, it’s one that was always in my home that I grew up in.  It’s blue, and is a Pyrex piece.  I always thought it was a little odd, but always found it useful.  Somehow, it made it’s way to my own home, once I was married.   I have no idea how.  I don’t recall taking it, and my mother was not the type that would come over with a dish of something delicious in hand.  But somehow, it got here.

One of the times my mother was here, I took out the dish to use, and told her I didn’t know how it ended up here.  She then told me something else I didn’t know:  It was once her mother’s (my grandmother’s), and it used to have a handle that attached to the extended lip there, for when using with the oven or stove. Well, that explained the oddness about it.

It also took on more meaning in that moment.

05_huge-strawberry

I was determined to somehow show you all, how big this strawberry in particular was.  Here it is next to a nickle.  But…..my comparison photo somehow does not convey my intent.

06_huge-strawberry

So I tried another angle, looking down at it.  It was a wide strawberry!  But still, it was bigger than the photo looked.

I wished you all could be there, to just hold it in the palm of your hand for a moment, because that is how you would truly comprehend it’s size.  It was the circumference, that was impressive.  But there were many that were almost as big.

07_bowl-of-strawberries

They were so nice to look at, we put them in a pretty bowl for like….a half an hour.

But then the kids wanted to eat some, and Michael wanted to cut one up and put it on his cereal.

08_strawberries-on-cereal

I would LOVE to do more commercial photography. I have so much fun taking photos of stuff like this.  It’s yet another reason I blog.  So I have an excuse to take such photos, and have something to do with them.  Can’t you see this shot in a commercial?

09_fresh-strawberries-on-cereaal Or this one on the front of a cereal box?

Maybe I can work for Kellogg’s.

Do you think I’m good enough?

10

The kids were enjoying them just as they were.  So fresh and juicy!!  The bowl was emptying quickly, but since then, we have filled up that Pyrex 2 more times in the past few days, and some were even BIGGER!

I’ve had so many plans for our strawberries this year.  I want to make some jam, and strawberry shortcake.  But I wonder how I’ll have enough at one time.  Maybe I can freeze and collect them until I have a good amount all at once?  If they make it to the freezer.

11_hedgehog_strawberry It’s good for a hedgehog’s diet, to eat certain fresh fruits and vegetables, too.   So we were SO excited to let Pixel try a strawberry!

She’s going to LOVE IT, right?

12_hedgehog_strawberry

Not so much. She put her visor right down. We even tried cutting off little bits, since she wouldn’t take a bite.

WHAT?! We all just love them so much.  Strawberries are so GOOD!

This couldn’t be true.  She MUST love them too!

13_hedgehog_strawberry

So we tried again the next day, and felt hopeful, for a moment…..

14_hedgehog_strawberry

….but she turned away again.  What in the heck.  We’ll keep trying to introduce her to different things.

She has grown, hasn’t she?  She doesn’t fit in a t.p. tube anymore.

I am still working on posts about our front yard transformation/gardening progress.  It’s going to have to be a 2 or 3 parter, with what I have right now.  I think you’ll love seeing how things are going, and what the plans are.  The future plans include growing other fruit as well.  But right now, strawberries (& tomatoes) are the only fruit we’re growing.  Although we do have a wild raspberry bush out back.

Are you growing any fruit this year?  What are you growing, and how is it going?

That’s a wrap with this post. It’s Sunday night as I type, and we did a lot this weekend.  I’m tired!   I promise the next blog post will not be about our strawberries. In fact, I believe the next will be in the Home Schooling section.  But thanks for sharing in our amateur gardening excitement with us! We hope to hear from you.

Let’s have a great week!

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Filed Under: Gardening, The Homestead Tagged With: cereal, strawberries

I Am Seeing RED!! | Strawberries

May 31, 2010 By Laura 6 Comments

01_strawberry_bed-300x214

It’s Monday evening, at the close of our long Memorial Day weekend.   It’s a bit sad the weekend has gone by so fast, but we’ve got to be happy with all we got accomplished outside!  I have been taking photos like crazy, and can’t wait to show you all what we got done, and what the drawn out plans are for our front yard transformation, into a garden wonderland!  But for this post, I want to share with you the excitement over our strawberries!

02_strawberrybed As some of you, who have been following us for some time now, know, our strawberry bed was just planted last spring.  We planted Everbearing, and June Bearing.  So while we got a small handful of strawberries, there was really never enough at any given time, to really do anything with. But THIS year, they are more established, and maybe we don’t know what we’re talking about….(and as new gardeners, there’s a good chance of that….)…..but it looks like we’re in for an amazing strawberry season!

To start, once our plants broke through the straw mulch with their green leaves, and we raked most of the mulch off, things just started growing like mad!  To see how much things change, day to day, is nothing short of full-scale excitement, in my simple little world here!

Check it out……

03_strawberry

I took a photo of these strawberries on the late afternoon of Friday the 28th.  These are the Everbearing, that are producing fruit right now, of course.

04_strawberry

This is the same strawberries this evening, Sunday the 31st.  I have to admit, it wasn’t a big surprise, that just smacked me in the head out of nowhere.  I watched it grow from a tint of pink, to a richer and richer red, with about 100 visits to my gardens in those 3 days.  RiiiiiighT.  I have nothing else to do.  I only have 4 kids, who live in my house ; ), who want to eat all of the time (like meals 3x a day?  Is that normal?), love to dirty the clothes they where, not to mention themselves, etc.  What else could I possibly have to do?  Nada!

05_strawberries

As to not look too pathetic, you need to know I wasn’t watching just that strawberry.  They are all over the place!

06_strawberries

Honestly, it’s a jungle in there!  I am sure the occasional neighbor driving by, is wondering what in carnation I am doing, bending over so extremely with my big-bum to the street, as I peek under all of the leaves and into the strawberry forest.

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The more I look, the more I find!  They seem to be multiplying like, like, like…. rabbits!  Or…. Catholics!  lol.  (Just a little joke there.  I can joke about that if I AM a Catholic, right?) (I think so.  Errr…I’m pretty sure. I mean, I’m fine with it.)

08_

Here’s another!  And I’m telling you, there are lots that are just GIGANTIC!  Or, you know, HUGE.

Ok…it’s our first year, and maybe we are overly-impressed.  BIG, anyway.

09_

Look at this baby!  It’s the only one that is THIS juicy red.  I think it’s going to be red for pickin’, like,  tomorrow!  Whatever would we do with ONE strawberry?  I say, whoever finds it ready first, gets to have it!

I am sure someone visits the gardens frequently.

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Filed Under: Gardening, The Homestead Tagged With: strawberries

3 All-American Treats, for Your All-American Weekend | Red, White and Blue Recipes

May 27, 2010 By Laura 8 Comments

If you are looking for some all-American, red, white and blue food ideas, you’ve come to the right place!

With Memorial Day here, and the 4th of July not too far away either, I thought I would share 3 very easy red, white & blue treats, that are perfect ideas for your all-American weekend celebrations and gatherings.


BOWL OF STARS

This is more than an easy, refreshing, cool treat. It’s a decoration, and a festive item on the menu your family and/or guests will be impressed with!


All you do is cut the watermelon in 1/2 the long way, completely cut up one half into thin (about 3/8″) slices, and cut out stars with any star shaped cookie cutters!  I had stars in 3 sizes.   With the other 1/2 of the watermelon, scoop it out as much as a whole piece as you can.  You should then be able to cut that into a few more slices too, and get more stars out of it.

When the 2nd half is all scooped out, you use it as your bowl for all of the stars!

I put a few stars on bamboo forks, to stand up.  You can also use skewers, if you lop off the very sharp end, and cut them to a good size. I stuck some stars on sticks, into the bowl edge/rind, and even stuck in other pieces in the bowl.  Kids love them on a stick!  I had some on a stick too.

So put some star-spangle in your summer!

………………..


Red, White & Blue Fruit Parfait

Here’s another fresh idea, I pulled from our archives.

It couldn’t be any simpler to make:

1) Rinse some strawberries and blueberries in the sink.

Last year, since our strawberry bed was new, we had to use store bought berries. But this year, with our strawberries established, we’ll be getting them from our garden!

2) De-stem and slice the strawberries.



3)  Go through the blueberries real quick , just to make sure there are no smooshy ones, : ) , and also take off any tiny stems still on.

4)  Get out your can of Redi-Whip.

5) In clear cups, layer strawberries, whip cream, blueberries, and more whip cream on the top.

It’s perfect ‘light-little-something’ to hold every one over until dinner.  Or have it breakfast!  Or dessert!

Sprinkle some Grape-Nuts cereal, or granola, on the top, for some crunch!

Simple. Pretty. Tasty.

And simply pretty tasty.

………………….


American Sparkle Cone

This one is an ordinary treat, with a couple special twists.

Scoop some vanilla or chocolate chip ice cream, onto a sugar cone.  Sprinkle on some red and blue sugar crystals.


What kid…..errrr, ….person….doesn’t love ice cream?  Nothing creates quiet, like ice cream cones,….on a warm day.  Know what I’m saying?  Silence I tell you. ; )   Just a whole lot of rapid licking going on!

I’m full of tricks.   And I’m not afraid to use them!

Here was a surprise, no one was expecting….

I put an upside down Hershey Kiss, in the bottom of the cone.   Because I’m the coolest mom on earth. ; P

(Not counting yourself, of course.)

As they were out on the deck, licking up a storm, Michael was peeking out the window at them. I said, “What are you doing?”  He answered….”I don’t want to miss it when they get the Hershey Kiss in the bottom.”  I said…”Are you kidding?  We’ll HEAR it, when they find the Hershey Kiss.”

Sure enough, the whole dang neighborhood heard their cheers!

I hope these ideas add a little eatin’ fun to your weekend!  I know when I think of long summer-like weekends, I think of FOOD.  Ohhh….just add some protein and veggies here and there, and you’ll be all set too!

Have a safe, fun, relaxing, TASTY All-American long weekend, Everyone!

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Filed Under: Desserts, Recipes, Treats Tagged With: 4th-of-July-recipes, all-american-food-ideas, Memorial-Day-recipes, red-white-blue-recipes

High School Senior Photos Sneak Peek | Blaire

May 26, 2010 By Laura 4 Comments

high school senior photos plymouth ma

There is always collectively so much work to share here in this section, between Michael and I, and yet it has ultimately become the most neglected area of the blog.  I have lots of photo sessions I never did share here, but always could still. But I know I have opted many times, to post in the other sections as an alternative most every time, and I’ve figured out why.   We haven’t really been able to read, if the posts that fit into this section, are something you all, as general blog visitors,  enjoy seeing and reading about, or not.  ??? While many do visit it when we post, even less feedback is left here, than the other sections.  So if you would please, could you let us know what your thoughts are on sharing our work here?  Michael is in the midst of his busiest season of the year with signs, boats, and truck lettering.  I am heading into my own busy season as we approach summer, with my portrait work.  So it is helpful to know if it is worthwhile to share much here, and/or how often. We would SO appreciate hearing from you, regarding this puzzle, whether in the comments or by e-mail.  After, our blog, is in part for our readers

high school senior photos plymouth ma

Meanwhile, this is Blaire.  Beautiful, isn’t she?  She is graduating this week, I believe.  Blaire will be off to college to pursue her dream of becoming a…………… teacher, I think.  I’m questioning my memory here….I get my seniors mixed up sometimes.  Anyway, I did this big senior photo session of her just a few weeks ago, and this is a small handful of her photos.  We used the locations of her family’s beautiful yard, and then a boardwalk/waters nearby, where she spent a lot of her childhood growing up.

high school senior photos plymouth ma

Only a couple years ago, I did her beautiful sister’s senior session.  Her name is Alexandra. Her locations were their yard also, and the very old cemetery down their street. No, she did not grow up playing there.  lol. But it was such a cool place, with the old iron gate, etc. Love places like that.  The shot on the right of the duo above, was my favorite of the session.  Of course, the quality of the image is low here on the blog, but the actual image is awesome.  She had perfect milky skin. Loved her attire for this setting. Anyway, these girls parents are fine folks indeed.  Their mother, is our eye doctor.

My client, in this case their mother, really loves my black and white work.  She has pretty good ideas of what she wants, and yet really trusts me as the professional. I love clients who are really enthusiastic and excited about the whole process, and she is just like that.  She loves contrasty images, and that is just my style, which she was so drawn to, and so hired me.   One of her optometry offices is right beside a pediatrician group practice, of which my children portrait work is displayed all throughout.  However, she also loves to see just a few in color.

high school senior photos plymouth ma So this is Blaire again, and we are in her beautiful backyard.

high school senior photos plymouth ma Their backyard feels almost….magical to me. I’m quite sure little fairies live there.  In part, because of the beautiful life-size doll house amidst lovely gardens!  What lucky little girls, growing up as sisters close in age, with this charming little doll house, to make the most of their imagination with.  The outside is painted a celery green, the roof is shingled, it has a charming front door, and yes, the inside is completely finished as well!  Look at the curtains in the windows!  Oh……I forgot for a minute there that the post is about my lovely senior subject.  But do you love that dollhouse or what?  I think it’s a dream. I want one.  So what if I’m in my 40’s?  What’s that got to do with the price of eggs, in France?  I would use the house as a drawing and painting studio.  And for some of that q-word, when needed.  Quiet.

The front yard is just as beautiful.  I love the stone walls and steps.  More flowers and beautiful landscaping.

high school senior photos plymouth ma

high school senior photos plymouth ma

The boardwalk is in the downright CHARMING village of Sandwich.  I love villages.  I can’t tell you how much.  I would live in Sandwich, if I could. In a very old house.

high school senior photos plymouth ma

high school senior photos plymouth ma

As I said, Blaire grow up at this boardwalk.  She used to jump off the bridge into the water!

I love doing all I can, to make senior’s photos very personal.  While this work session is actually far more traditional than my typical work, I still enjoyed it very much, and they did indeed have a very personal touch to work with:  Their late grandfather’s name is part of the boardwalk, and we incorporated it.

high school senior photos plymouth ma

high school senior photos plymouth ma This shot above was the one they loved the very most.  Big portrait of this one.  They also ordered a 12 Image Session Album, and several 8×10’s.  The same exact order, and album, as for her sister 2 years ago.  The albums are gorgeous.  They are black leather, matted pages of 5×7’s, and come in a satin lined black box.

I have to tell you…..I was freaking out, walking along this boardwalk, and there was no hiding it!!  I’m a bit afraid of heights.  The boardwalk is very high at parts, over water sometimes, way too narrow for me, with no side railing or anything obviously, and wouldn’t you know it…….the wind was blowing!  I was petrified.  Not that I am light enough for the wind to blow off the boardwalk (lol), but….the fear is still there!  Honestly…..I was holding onto the back belt loop on the back of Blaire’s pants, because she was walking in front of me. I yelped a scream a few times. Professional, I am. Huh?

high school senior photos plymouth ma

Blaire was a joy to shoot, just as her sister was.  But…..there aren’t any more kids in the family!  I’m going to suggest a family photo session at my next eye appointment, for sometimes next summer, when both girls are home.   I’d just like to see them all again, and all together. They are a great family, and I felt honored they hired me, based on my work.

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Filed Under: High School Senior Pictures, High School Senior Pictures Sneak Peeks, Photography, Photography & Lettering Tagged With: high-school-senior-photos, high-school-senior-photos-plymouth-ma, photography

Your Kids Might Dig This, Too! | Archeology Digging Fun for Kids | Homeschooling

May 22, 2010 By Laura 2 Comments

If your kids love archeology, digging in the dirt, or finding treasured, they are really going to dig this!
(This post contains an affiliate link.)

archeology for kids

My cousin and her daughter (my God daughter) came down a couple of months ago, for a girl’s overnight with myself and my own 2 girls, and so thoughtfully, she had brought some great gifts for the kids! It was so sweet.  It was unexpected and unnecessary, but I do love gifts that are both project-like, fun and educational.

archeology for kids

This is one of those gifts,…. which was for {JM}:  Dig & Play Treasure Island.

Some may not think of it as educational, initially, but many of us homeschoolers, tend to quickly identify the learning aspects that are truly in just about anything, and everything.

Dig and Play Treasure Island brings out the excavator in your child.  The kit contains a plaster block, which contains buried treasures and coins. Using the specially designed digging tool, they must dig at the plaster little by little, to find the treasures.

It takes hard work, determination and ambition, but is ultimately rewarding.  To me, this helps instill the life lessons, that nothing worth having, comes easy.  What’s more, {JM} spent hours having fun, was excited about what he had found, and inspired to keep going to see what else was still yet to be discovered.

By reading and following the directions (such a necessary skill in life), {JM} learned that wetting the plaster, would make the digging easier, because the plaster would soften. (Science).

Soon he could see the edge of something!  He dug more ambitiously around the treasure, so that he could get it out.

Gold and silver coin treasures were being exhumed all over the place.  Because the plaster digging was a dusty job, {JM} wore a face mask that Daddy had on hand.  But a bandana would do as well.

{JM} also learned that the more water he sprayed on the plaster, the easier the job got!

What’s this?  It looks like a treasure chest!  He wondered what was inside.

Wow!!  Look at the beautiful gems!  And a die?

Dig and Play Treasure Island, also comes with a game board. and game directions.   Game pieces are also exhumed while digging in the plaster block.

So once the digging is all done, the fun doesn’t end!
What a great gift idea, for your kids, or other kids in your life.

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Filed Under: Elementary Homeschooling SCIENCE, Games, Homeschooling, Science Tagged With: archeology-for-kids, archeology-projects-for-kids, dig-and-play-treasure-island, educational-games, educational-gifts, elementary-homeschooling-science, homeschooling, homeschooling-archeology

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