The Farm Chicks

We Brake for Shakes

After a hot summer's day of strawberry picking, it's hard to resist whipping up a strawberry shake for an afternoon treat.  Some great shakes can be found at the local High Country Orchard, perfectly located near the berry patches we love.

High Country Orchard Strawberry Shake:

1/3 cup Fresh Strawberry Blend (see below)

6 oz. whole milk

3-4 scoops premium strawberry ice cream

1 oz. Torino strawberry syrup

Prepare Fresh Strawberry Blend (see below) in your blender.  Add remaining ingredients and blend until thoroughly combined.  Pour into a frozen glass and top with whipped cream.

Fresh Strawberry Blend:

Blend 1/3 cup fresh washed and trimmed strawberries (the riper the better) with a little bit of sugar.

 

Tips:

Prepare several batches of the Fresh Strawberry Blend and individually freeze for use once the season has passed.  Microwave or thaw the mixture before use.

Freeze whole strawberries for other favorite recipes.  Wash and trim and place on a cookie sheet.  Leave room between berries so each will freeze individually.  Freeze and place into a freezer bag.  Remove handfuls of berries as needed.

A Trip to the Berry Farm

One of our favorite summer traditions are multiple trips to the berry farms located just minutes from our home.  My children really love picking out their berry flat carrier and hopping on the tractor for the ride to the field.

There are always contests they dream up to see who can pick the most or eat the most and everyone leaves with red, strawberry scented fingers and red-ringed lips.

Tips for the trip:

We try to pick in the early morning to avoid the mid-day heat and to avoid "baking" the berries as they sit in the flats.

The boys always end up with strawberry stains on their clothing, but they are easily removed when I pre-treat them before washing with ERA detergent.

Grow your own Patch:

Strawberries are really easy to care for and with some basic care at the end of the season, you can enjoy strawberries fresh from your own garden.

• In the fall, mow or clip down your strawberry plants to avoid pesky bug infestations.
• Cover completely with straw for protection against harsh weather.  (Avoid using hay as it encourages weed growth).
• In the spring, uncover the plants and move the straw to surround each one.  The straw will act as a natural weed barrier and will keep the area mud-free for your knees at picking time.

Nantucket

Our family is heading out early in the morning for Nantucket and Boston.  I've made sure to load my ipod up on my favorite radio show, This American Life (they have free podcasts, for goodness sake!), for the airplane as well as lots of embroidery supplies to while away the time on the long flight.  And I painted my toes Nantucket Red.  So, I think I'm all set.

We're really looking forward to meeting up with Colin's brother, Thatcher, and our sister-in-law, Jill.  And the boys absolutely love getting to spend time with their cousins.  Even though we live so far apart, we get to see each other a lot by planning vacations together.  It's the best.

And I love that I can schedule blogs to post while I'm gone, and that's all set up now too.  Yahoo!

P.S.  If you have any super secret tips or can't miss suggestions for Boston or Nantucket, I'd love to hear them!

P.P.S.  Nantucket Red isn't really a nail polish color, but I thought it should be, so I named it.  : )

Last Day Love

Yesterday was the last day of school for our boys and we celebrated with a breakfast of Waffles and Strawberries.  It was a great way to start the day.

So summer is officially declared in our house and I'm really looking forward to a special one.  And as each year flies by, and especially now that our oldest son Cody has graduated, Colin and I are reminded that our jobs as full-time parents are so short.  So while I get to be their mom, I want to make it as sweet a life as possible.

Curtain Crush

I love simple curtains and I have to admit, even after all these years, I still have a crush on them.  And here's the good part:  I made them out of vintage sheets.  It's true.

I LOVE good cotton sheets (vintage) that have that sturdy, yet soft feel.  And whenever I find them at estate sales, I buy them because they're good for so many projects.  For my home and style, the twin sized sheets are the perfect length for my windows.  And exactly right for my sliding glass doors too.  I use them in my kitchen, living room, and master bedroom.

To make, I just sew ribbon tabs to the top of the sheets, and hang.  Whenever they need to be cleaned, I can just throw them in the washer, and they're as good as new.  And since they're white, the best way to perk them up if they're a bit yellow-ish when I purchase them, is to give them a quick soak in Rit Color Remover.  It turns them perfectly crispy white.

And honestly, it doesn't have to be limited to sheets.  I've found darling blankets that I've turned into curtains for the boys rooms too.  And colorful, patterned sheets are great as well.  But best of all, they're so easy and inexpensive too.

Front Porch Family

Last night, Colin's sister, Alison, and our brother-in-law, Rick, came over for dinner.  Since it was such a beautiful evening, I decided to move everything to the front porch, for a perfect summery dinner.

We had delicious Copper River Salmon, Garlic Potatoes, Fresh Fruit, and Green Salad.  And for dessert, warm Chocolate Chip Cookies.

And after a brief thunder and lightning intermission, which we enjoyed watching from our front porch seats, all of the cousins had a hockey/bike riding/roller-blading/go-cart cruising/pogo stick jumping/rock climbing extravaganza.

And it was perfect.

Drink-o-Rama!

I love collecting great old pop bottles to fill with special drinks for guests.  Like these I filled with vanilla chai tea I'd brewed the day before.  Delicious juices work really well too!  To seal, I use new corks that we purchase from home improvement stores like Lowes.  And I always make sure to sterilize the bottles before use.

For this Prairie Party, we placed the bottled ice-teas in a huge old yellowware bowl and filled with ice.

Muncha-a-Buncha!

We've been munching and crunching around our house lately, since we stocked up on one of our favorite treats from the show.  Anoka Farms Brittle.  Oh. My. Goodness.  It is amazingly terrificly scrumptiously delicious.  And what I love even more about it is that it's a tiny mom and pop business, created by Stephen and Shelly, using her grandmother's recipe.  And I love how they honor the memory of her grandparents and their farm on Pleasant Prairie, which is just a hop, skip, and a jump away from me.

And as we've been munching and crunching, it occurred to me that I just had to do a post about it before Father's Day because it would make the best gift for that special day.  Really.

My favorite is Chocolate Dipped. I wonder what yours will be?  Let me know!

For Me?!

I came home from the show to my peonies in full bloom.  They're my favorite flower ever.