How do you spend a Sunday afternoon in July? We spend them up to our ears in blackberries and blueberries, apparently. Saturdays tend to be so busy with family events, etc. (this weekend Paul's sister and her husband were in town for part of the weekend) which is lovely but also tends to push my domestic tendencies to Sunday afternoons.
Elizabeth spent over an hour washing and pulsing blueberries for me while I made blackberry jam from the already washed and smashed blackberries.
Who needs to schlep all those jars outside for photographing...not me, but here's a sampling. The kids think it's a horrible torture tactic for me to force them to wait the full 24 hours before letting them sample the jam. (Hey, I do let them lick the spoon!) This is a first time for me on the blueberry jam, insisted upon by Elizabeth, so I'll keep you posted on how that tastes.
Saturday lunch has taken a hit over the last few weeks with my out-of-town trip and family visiting, but we did make it to the farmer's market today after church and found some delicious produce (aside from the blueberries and blackberries). So we had Saturday lunch tonight for dinner, including this fresh pasta, which you can also enjoy through etsy if you choose.
As I went to pick basil for our tomato-basil-mozzarella salad (yes, we eat that 3x a week now, I'm sorry if you're getting bored of seeing it), I found a nest of baby ladybugs which Elizabeth tried to rescue after I dumped most of them on their backs trying to photograph them. I spent most of the dinner paranoidly looking under each leaf, despite having already checked them all and washed them thoroughly.
Basil pasta with broccoli, olive oil and (not local) parmesan, tomato-mozzarella-basil salad, and the sweetest, juiciest blueberries!
You might wonder what keeps the kids occupied when I spend the whole afternoon in the kitchen. Why they dance to symphonic Christmas carols in the foyer...don't yours?
Or they turn Paul's shirt into a sleeping bag for exhausted owls.
I am no entymologist, but I think those are actually stink bug nymphs. We raised baby lady bugs once and their eggs are very different. And then a couple of weeks ago we found some eggs just like the ones in your photo and ID'ed them as stink bugs...
ReplyDeleteNot as cute and romantic is it?
so cute. somehow we managed to miss the farmer's market again today. I always think i'll bump into you there...
ReplyDeleteYour food looks delicious and it's all things I would actually eat. If you feel like sharing a recipe or two email me at ovsmama@gmail.com I love that you make jam my family and I are getting ready to go blackberry picking at our favorite trail in the woods this week and we never have enough things to do with all the berries. I still have some from last years excursions. Beautiful photos.
ReplyDeleteBlessings,
Kat
YAY Elizabeth! The jam looks yummy. My daughters love to can with me too. :)
ReplyDeleteJoy, you always create the most gorgeous plates of food! This looks so good!
ReplyDeletethis looks delish!!!!!
ReplyDeletea work of art, truly!
..and I dont think I would ever tire of fresh mozz and basil salad!
Never apologize for anything with fresh mozzarella in it, Joy. :) We love impromptu dance parties around here, too.
ReplyDeleteThat jam looks delicious!
Oh, that plate of food looks delicious!! Very pretty too!
ReplyDeleteYum! I Love the expression on Paul's face. Katie x
ReplyDeleteThe jam looks delicious Joy! I love seeing all the berries on the blogs at the moment, makes me wish it was summer here... Thanks for the Etsy link. That last photo of the owls' is too precious!
ReplyDeleteTake care
Linda