Garden to Kitchen

Y’all, I have kale coming out of my ears!

I planted three varieties in an 4x8 raised bed, and it is overflowing! Not a bad problem to have, I guess, but I seriously hate to waste anything out of the garden...it makes me feel so guilty. 

The other day I was scrolling through Pinterest and a recipe for kale pesto popped up. Kale pesto?  I thought pesto was only made with basil!  I had everything for the recipe, so I made a batch. 

It was DELICIOUS!

So I decided to make several batches for the freezer to enjoy until the summer basil is ready to harvest. 

KALE PESTO

3-4 cups of kale, stems removed

3-4 cloves of garlic

1/4 cup of roasted and salted almonds

1tsp of dried basil

3/4 cup of Parmesan cheese, shredded

Olive oil

Place ingredients in a food processor, pulse, and drizzle in olive oil until you reach the consistency you like. Optional: season with sea salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste.

I spooned the basil into ice cube trays, placed them in the freezer for a couple of hours, popped them out and put them in a freezer zip lock bag for storage.

They are like a flavor bomb for pasta, garlic bread, soups, and salad dressings. 

And a great way to preserve the harvest so I don’t feel so guilty. 

But next year, I don’t think I’ll plant so much kale!

My Baby Boy Is 15!

This sweet boy, my fourth born son, Daniel, turned 15 last week.

I don’t know if I’m ok with that!

He’s the last of my boys to grow up.

I can still remember the smell of his little bald head.

His love of Legos was legendary.

So quiet, so kindhearted, and ALWAYS 

thinks of others before himself.

He tolerates me even though I know I drive him nuts sometimes.

So what did this guy want for his birthday?

“To eat all the shrimp in Galveston!”

So that’s what we did...with a little side trip to Moody Gardens. 

And a surprise meet and greet with Pete Rose!

        Because this boy literally eats and breathes BASEBALL!

It has been the greatest honor of my life to be your mom. You are a precious treasure that I have been entrusted with and I will never be the same. So hoping you had the happiest of birthdays, and while I don’t wish you’d stop growing up...

I just wish you’d slow down a little.

Love,
MOM

Speaking of Gardening...

If you've followed this blog for any length of time, you'll know I'm OBSESSED with the Dollar Tree.  Seriously, if you're not shopping there on the regular, what exactly are you doing with your life?  

Spring has sprung here in south Texas (yeah, I know it's still January!) and the Dollar Tree has put out their merch for the season.  If you are new to gardening, or a seasoned green thumb, get yourself down to the Dollar Tree for some great stuff!

A 'must have' in the backyard gardening world are Grow Towers.  They've been around a while and they can be very expensive.  On Amazon you can find them anywhere from $60-$300 bucks depending on the size.  But today as I walked into the Dollar Tree, I found these stackable three tier planters!  

They are exactly the same as those found on Amazon,

BUT FOR A DOLLAR!

I purchased four, had one of the boys drill holes in the bottoms for drainage, filled them with potting soil, and topped them with a cute frog and mushroom (also from the Dollar Tree!) and now I have my own trendy grow tower for just a few bucks.

The Dollar Tree also carries the American Seed brand in their stores.  The packets are four for a dollar.  So for a grand total of less than ten dollars, we now have a table top herb garden right outside our kitchen window.

I think more of these towers will be in my future.  Maybe make some up as gifts or they would also be perfect for a children's first garden with strawberry starts or flowers

Their gardening products don't stop at stackable towers!  You can find quality pots, gloves, bulbs, hand tools, hummingbird feeders, and even darling little fairy garden supplies there.

So have fun, get creative, but most importantly...

PLANT SOMETHING!

Garden Therapy

Even though I’m planning for the mother of all foot surgeries in February or March, I can’t stop thinking about planting my summer garden. I should be focusing on getting my house in order, filling the freezer with healthy meals, and working extra to build up a nest egg for my four month recovery. Instead, I’m browsing through seed catalogs and filling my counters and kitchen island with seedlings and starts. 

I usually don’t start seeds for my peppers and tomatoes until Valentines Day, but if I wait that long this year, I won’t be able to get the plants in the ground before my surgery. And truthfully, that first month of recovery is a really painful, drug induced haze. There will be no thoughts of gardening during that time!  I need plants to already be in the ground and the garden on autopilot. 

But after that first 4-6 weeks, the pain subsides and I know I’ll be ready to be more mobile...and definitely ready to be outside!

With my last surgery, the garden was so important in my recovery.  It made me move. It helped me out of my depressive funk. It really gave me something to get up for each day. It was my therapy. So maybe all this garden prep IS productive in planning for surgery...fresh food for healing of the body,  meaningful work for healing of the mind, and hands in the earth for healing of the soul.

Merriest of Days

The Christmas holidays were a joyful time for the Creamer Clan.  We indulged in food, presents, more food, and just being together. 

My only wish for the season was for all my babies to be home and join us for Christmas Mass.   And by some miracle, it happened!  I may have even gotten a little misty eyed because of it.

Mary Grace was an angel in the Mass procession (just in case you were wondering what the heck she was wearing!)

The new year rang in quietly and here we are half way through January.  I honestly don't know where the time went!

We are so thankful for God's mercy, grace, and the great blessings He has bestowed on our family.  

And we are praying for His blessings upon all of you as well!

May you have the merriest of days during this Holy Christmas season.