Backyard Farmgals

To celebrate summer and because it's just too darn hot to really do any cooking (or even much farming), I whipped up this delightful and cooling tropical salad.  It is loaded with all kinds of fruit, nuts, peppers, and super nutritious quinoa, one of my favorite grains.  My kiddos have gobbled bowls of this over the summer, it's sweet but only because of the fruit.  Even my hubby keeps asking for more! This is great for parties or just a light dinner out on the patio.  Make sure that you use really ripe mangos, they are the key flavor, sour mangos just won't do the trick.  Also, make sure you rinse the quinoa really well before you cook it, otherwise it will be bitter.  This makes a huge amount of salad, but it is great stored in the fridge for lunch the next day, and the flavors get even better overnight. TROPICAL QUINOA SALAD backyard farmgals printer friendly version 1 cup (dry) quinoa (I used 1/2 cup black and 1/2 cup regular), coo...

I can't remember the first tomato I ate, what it's color was, or how it tasted.  There are, however, tomato colored memories that flash through my mind when I am out among those big green vines. Some of my very first memories have tomatoes ingrained in them.  In his garden, my grandfather introduced me to a Better Boy.  Salt shaker in hand, he would pick a soft, red, warm tomato.  Sliced with a pocket knife, he would give me a wedge liberally sprinkled with sea salt.  I can remember tasting the sun.  Warm, sweet, and tart all at the same time.  Juice running down my chin and the slurp associated with the big greedy bites.  I remember the taste of that tomato patch, along with weathered hands and wrinkled smiling eyes. I have different memories later on.  When I married, the first thing I bought to go with the newly remodeled house (the home where my grandfather was born) was a tiller.  $400.00.  The price tag seemed hefty to...

This is the most beautiful juice.  I love the pink color and it tastes absolutely scrumptious.  I have been trying to put more raw food into my diet and juicing is a great way to do just that.  You get all of the vitamins and flavors, and it makes your skin glow.  I needed a big boost of vitamin C a few weeks ago and this did the trick.  I snagged a similar recipe from This Rawsome Vegan Life and now I am hooked. An awesome side effect of juicing is that you crave sugar a whole lot less.  When you do snag a little sugary snack, it tastes way too sweet, and you are stunned at how sugar packed it is.  Juice has a way of resetting your tastebuds.  Let's face it, I need all the resetting I can get to keep me eating healthy and glowing!  Another side effect is energy, oodles of it.  I feel so energized when I juice.  I love that feeling! As for juicers, I don't have the million dollar juicer.  I have a mid-grade one that do...

Because it's raining and because I have at least a million and one things to do, I potted a fabulous succulent pot this morning.  I was feeling rebellious.  Go away to-do list... a little Scarlett O'Hara moment rising up, "I'll think about that tomorra".  I guess I need a little fun.  I did finish planting the farm this weekend and I need to celebrate (this year was rough - too much school, two orthopedic injuries, and one horrible case of bronchitis that became a sinus infection from you-can-guess-where; May was not a good month for me).  This not-so-little nursery near me sells a big variety of tiny succulents in 2-inch pots.  They are so cute, I could buy a truckload of them, but I settled for enough to fill this stellar skinny metal pot that I have. I love succulents, they have texture and color in all shades of greens and purples, even a little pink.  I love the chunky leaves and stout fat shapes.  They are a texture freaks dream ...

Just in time for Summer.  This little recipe is a great side or an awesome and pretty healthy main course.  You could add some shredded chicken or some salmon hunks to this if you need a little extra protein.  This has plenty of veggies in it, use what you can out of the garden.  This will be perfect Summer night meal when the garden is at its height.  My little farmhands absolutely LOVE these noodles.  These are just a little bit sweet, thanks to a little agave.  You can sweeten with honey, it is just a bit more difficult to work with (hint - heat it up before you combine with the soy sauce). COLD SOBA NOODLE SALAD backyard farmgals Printer Friendly Version Here 8 oz soba noodles, cooked, drained, rinsed with cold water and drained again 1/2 red bell pepper, thinly sliced 1/2 yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced 1/2 english cucumber, quartered and thinly sliced 1/2 bunch of green onions, green parts thinly sliced handful of ...

With summer fast approaching and temperatures spiking up into the 90's (eek... it feels too early), it's time for some cooling off.  I have to tell you, since I have been married, I have NEVER had an air conditioner... and we live in a desert.  Go figure.  For some reason there always seems to be something more important, or necessary, to do with the air conditioner fund.  Every house we have lived in has had huge mature trees on the South-West side, making cool air "a luxury", not a necessity.  I even had a baby in July during a summer heat wave.  The day he was born, it was a cool 105ºF, at least the hospital had air conditioning.  I had been sweating like a mama pig for weeks...  all these sweaty memories keep popping into my mind.  BUT this year is different, my hot farm hand hubby worked a deal and... (drum roll, please) ...WE HAVE CENTRAL AIR!  In celebration of my coolness (meaning flowing cool air swirling around me, too much...

These are goddess cupcakes, in the sense that whoever you share them with will suddenly see you as a goddess!  I served these and I was a goddess for a whole weekend, no kidding.  Let me tell ya, being a goddess for a whole weekend has its advantages! I made these beautiful little cakes for a spring celebration and they were a hit.  I served them and the room became very silent except for the occasional "mmmm..." and little lip smacking sounds as they were devoured.  The hubby and the uncle ate themselves silly, almost to the state of cupcake induced coma.  What is it with men and carrot cake?  No, really, I get it.  If my thighs were oh...so...thin, I would have eaten a whole plateful of these!  The butter and the cream cheese get in the way of that plan... What makes these so good is that they are moist, but not overly moist.  The frosting is not overpowered with sweetness which makes me smile and they boast an unusual and delicat...