a pieced and quilted life

that somebody called me

has it become the norm that my blog is no longer a blog, but a random update of what's going on in my life?

i hope not, but i'm afraid while i continue to adjust to university life it may be the case. there has been many times that i've wanted to come and share, but the amount of work on my plate for me to devour has been an obstacle. (not to mention i'm in the middle of dealing with mother nature and father winter and trying to get my summer vegetable garden established.)

obviously, so much has happened since my last post. i'm now five, going on six weeks into my first session. our semesters are broken up into eight-week chunks so by month's end i will be done with my first two classes. although the classes are only eight weeks long, we cover sixteen weeks of material, which is why we are advised to only take two classes per session. the work/study load is large.

it has truly been something to write about. the differences between going to school as an adult vs. a young adult are astonishing to me. i would like to say that i wish i had this level of maturity as a young adult, but that would not be true. for one, i was mature (maybe too much for my own good) and even beyond that i believe there is value in the experience of being "young and naive." (not dumb.)

as a young woman, i did not know who i was. at all. i knew who i wanted to be (an advantage in those early years), but i did not know who i actually was. there is a difference there. if you would have asked me then i would have told you: i want to be somebody. i wanted to be a somebody, a woman who lived and affected change, thought, ideas in the world. i did not want to be a woman who lived life on the sidelines. no, not me. i wanted both of my feet firmly planted in the center of life.

so here i am. 34 years young and knowing who that somebody called me is.

i have learned so much these past five weeks. i am not the same woman. everything about me has changed. the way i see myself. my understanding of my strengths. my religious faith and understanding. my understanding of my life purpose. my organization and time management skills. my love for my family. my sense of gratitude and appreciation for life. it literally goes on and on.

i am maintaining an a+ in both of my classes. i have consistently earned perfect scores in my overview of the bible class (which is very difficult and requires a tremendous amount of studying the history and theological movements and developments of the bible) and i have also consistently written perfect essays in my composition class. (this week i have agreed to help tutor a few of my fellow students write their papers.)

my english comp. teacher has already talked to me about pursuing a master's in english and has told me that i would be perfect for the program. she also told me that i am a gifted writer with a very bright future ahead of me. i cannot begin to explain how much that meant to me. it was completely unsolicited and throughly needed.

deciding to go back to school, assume the financial debt, and take the energy and time away from my family while i pursue my education was difficult. the last thing i wanted to be as a mother is selfish. however, the feedback from my instructor confirmed that i had made the right decision and am on the right path.

beyond that, the spiritual education i'm receiving has been another confirmation that i made the right decision. i now understand the value of going to a religiously centered school. my professors are filled with a great level of humanity and care for their students. i am truly being honest when i say that i feel the love from my professors. beginning class with prayer reminds me of being young, sitting at my grandparents kitchen table and praying with my grandfather for understanding before i started my homework. 

my bible studies professor says the exact same prayer my grandfather use to recite with me. amazing and beautiful.

to say that my faith has been enhanced, encouraged, and strengthened as a result of my christian studies class is an understatement. we are not studying from a christian-centric basis, we are studying from a historical and cultural understanding basis. in fact, most of our studies have centered around judaism and the history of the ancient middle east. i have learned how christianity grew from judaism, how islam has biblical roots, and i can say that my appreciation, tolerance, and understanding of western religions has been greatly enhanced.

the other thing that i have noticed is a different feel of camaraderie amongst the students. i have noticed that there is a helping attitude that is prevalent amongst the students. i don't feel a sense of competition but a feeling of togetherness. not a "cum-ba-ya" sort of thing, but just an underlying sense of camaraderie. 

i guess it is obvious i'm completely happy with my college decision.

And finally, the good news of this week is that i got my graduation date. yay! i wanted a spring graduation so i will be walking the stage may, 2013. my favorite number is 3 so i am thrilled. if i wanted i could of made the cut for graduation december, 2012 but i choose to aim for 2013 for a few reasons.

first, the number 3, silly i know, but i love that number. second, i wanted a traditional spring graduation. third, i am aiming to graduate magna cum laude (3.70-3.89 gpa) at least and taking a reasonable amount of classes makes it easier for me to balance school and family. (so far i have a 3.61 and if i get a 4.0 this session it will be a 3.64 which is cum laude.) and finally (the most important) is i believe e will graduate spring, 2013 also. i want us to walk the stage together because we are truly the best team i know of. well the little lady and guy are a great team too.

i have all of my classes planned to the end, and have registered out through the next year (which is when i'll be finished with my major classes). i have about 17 units of g.e.'s that i'll need to finish once i'm done with my major rotation. i start my major rotation classes this summer and will be finished at the end of summer 2012.

other happenings?

-i finished my first short story, pigeon, and sent it off for a literary contest. yay! i will probably simultaneously submit it somewhere else too...just don't know where yet.

-sadly, e's father had a heart attack a day after his birthday mid-month, but thankfully he is making a full recovery. it was a horrible few days for us, but a blessing that he got the care he needed, and made it home to us safely.

-i finished a commissioned care bears quilt...which was a very challenging project. i made a quilt out of about 50-60 vintage care bears. hard, hard work. it will be on display next week and hopefully i'll have some good pictures to share of it. 

-i have been invited to teach two art quilting classes this summer at UCR extension. 

-i am finally (we have had an unusually cold and long winter) going to be getting started planting my summer garden, which will focus on heirloom tomatoes, different varieties of squashes, and lots of herbs and a few flowers. we also started a new bed last weekend (well e did...lots of digging that i could not do) and hopefully we will be planting it this weekend (again, weather permitting)

-i'm planning on being in a fiber show this may, and if all goes as planned it will coincide with my short story, pigeon, and i will do a reading at the show. still gotta talk to cos about that, but i don't see a problem.

-got a new mbp! triple yay!

-not volunteering as much anymore, sadly, but i did do a children's sewing workshop for the metropolitan museum last weekend which was tiring and fun.

-tulips popped up last week in my garden!! 

i think that is all. i hope this past month has been as rewarding and enriching to all of your lives as mine has been. go after life, and live with your feet fully planted in the center of living!

live your purpose!

luv...ki

the first week of school (life lessons i've learned)

so this past week was major.

my schedule is a bit nuts, but not for long. i'm taking the two uni classes, and i'm also finishing up two university extension classes (fiction writing). i have four classes over three evenings, with two classes meeting at roughly the same time. and the classes are at different ends of the city.

not a biggie, i got through it and it was tiring, but doable.

so how did it go?

the thing that strikes me the most is how different it is (for me) going to school as an adult (with a family) versus going to school as a young adult. before i say how it is now, let me start by saying what it was like then. my first foray into university education.

the first time i went to university was majorally different. i was on my own for the first time, living on campus, about an hour's drive from everyone i'd ever known in my life, and i was working three jobs. socially, it was a whole new world. no offense to the good friends i have from high school, jr. high school, and elementary, but it was great to meet new people. people i hadn't known all my life, and sat in kindergarten or first grade classes with. that's where i got myself into a bit of trouble...i was a social butterfly (unlike high school).

i also had three jobs. three. that is a whole lot for a freshman college student. i worked more than i went to school, and i was going full-time. i had to work to stay in school, but work prevented me from being truly "present" in school. i had no homework time, because every free moment was spent working (or being social).

i dropped out half-way into my sophomore year.

so today, my only job is my family & home. and even that is a shared burden. e is so wonderful. (he would say: "Aww...shucks") he has helped take on some of the load of homeschooling the kids, he has become the only one making dinner, he has been washing the clothes, and he has been doing most of the grocery shopping.

so now, that i have only one job, i have so much more time to focus on school. its ridiculous. before the first day of both of my classes, i had already read all the notes, gotten the books, read the first chapters and started organizing my assignment schedule.

there was a huge difference sitting in the first class, and already being farmiliar with what my professor was going to lecture on, versus rushing into class from a job or hanging out with friends. i was able to ask intelligent questions, and i was able to follow him and really absorb what he was teaching.

i actually believe that i can get an a in most if not all of my classes. that's how focused i am, and how able i feel. i didn't feel like that before.

now, don't get me wrong, I'm not just at home studying, reading, and waiting for class. i'm still doing the majority of the homeschooling, i'm still volunteering at the extension, i'm still doing most of our daily garden work, and i am also working on a commissioned quilt project due in a week or two. but, and here's the difference, i have help and lee-way.

i don't have to worry about finishing every single lesson with the kids because i know e will pick up where i left off, i don't have to volunteer...i do it because i enjoy it, and i can do as much or as little as i want when i want, and as for the garden work...and the quilt...i'm able to fit them in around everything else.

with all that said, i have to say i'm learning a big lesson in priorties. i'm learning to say no. i'm learning that i have to set boundaries for my time, and have to be able to admit when i can't do something. that has been hard. the kids wanted chocolate chip cookies this past week and i didn't have the time to make them, so e did it. e has been asking me to make some sort of breakfast bread for him to take to work and i haven't had time to do it. my brother called me yesterday morning, using me as his normal brain dump on his way home from his mid-night shift, and i had to tell him i had homework to do and cut the conversation short. i wanted to catch-up with my sis nina in the middle of the week, but between homeschooling the kids, tending to the garden and seedlings we just started, and homework and preparing for class that night it had to wait till friday.

i hate not being available for my loved ones. i hate not being the one to do everything for everybody. but i have realized i have to give myself the opportunity to excel. i have to give myself a chance in the deal too.

so, yesterday i was able to catch-up with nina while cleaning the kitchen, last night me and e made dinner together, and i was able to talk to my brother before i fell asleep and catch-up with what was going on with him.

today, for family time i promised the kids we'll go to the farmer's market or walk around the lake, and play qwirkle and watch family game night. i'll work on the quilt half of today, and probably all of tomorrow (except for baking e some sweet potato bread for the week). when we're driving to the farmer's market, or someplace else i'll bring my books and study, and at the end of the day...before completely zonk out and early in the morning before anyone else wakes up, i'll sneak in more study time.

i'm learning that it is all about trade-offs, and setting priorities. right now my biggest priorities are homeschooling the kids, doing well in school, supporting e, and maintaing my garden and my family relationships.

everything else will have to get funneled in as i can. somethings i'll be able to do...somethings i won't.

and i'm learning that's okay.

so here is/was my homework this week, 3/7-3/13/2010:

history and overview of the bible:

-read unit one (backgrounds to the bible) notes (15 pages)*

-answer three short essay questions based on notes*

-short website review*

-study for unit one quiz (next week of class)

-(self-imposed) read unit two (the torah) notes (17 pages)

english composition:

-read textbook pages 1-138

-start reading novel (the adventures of huckleberry finn or the great gasby)*

-write first journal entry (informal essay)*

-write formal personal narrative essay

fiction workshop (extension):

-read and critique three student stories, write out critique

writing the short story (extension):

-read short story passing feet, by geoffrey hitchcock

-work on re-write/revisions to my short story pigeon

* these assignments i've finished already.

----

with all that said...i'm happy, content, and grateful.

on another note. yesterday afternoon, i was able to take some garden pictures while me and the kids were doing some sort of routine work. the signs of spring are finally start show and i had to capture it. i will be doing a post on them as soon as i can import the pictures. we also started some seedlings last saturday, so i'll take a picture of those and include that stuff too.

and also, since e has taken on dinner duty lately, he's came up with a good "recipe" or meal idea that the kids and i love, we...will be doing a post on that soon. maybe next week as i think that's when we'll cook it again, and i'll be able to get some pictures. last night i was too tired.

peace and love,

ki

 

herbalicious

 

can u guess the herbs?

if you lived by me...i'd be rolling up a bunch of these herbs...wrapping them in moist paper towels, putting them in little baggies and sending you home with them..

we have an abundance of herbs now...they are beautiful and fragrant...green and bright..and incredible pungent.

last night i took them into my yoga class (iyengar) to share with my instructor and another student and geez...i perfumed the class. i also took them a few tomatoes and some squash recipes. 

i should also tell you that i hurt myself in class last night. we were getting into shoulder stand pose (for the first time) and i couldn't quite find my balance or get my hips and legs up...and managed to really strain my left tri-cep. not fun. thankfully its just sore now.

so back to the herbs. 

 

drying herb bouquet

there is really a lot you can do with herbs...besides cooking. i actually, we have been making little herb arrangements. they smell so good and look so pretty and simple. 

that wilted one up there is from last week...the little guy was a little under the weather (not sure if it was hay fever or a teeny tiny summer cold) and so me and ya-ya decided to make him a little bouquet of all his favorite herbs...because yes...he loves herbs. crazily so.

 

 

 the kids were so inspired they took pictures with their camera.

i've really enjoy growing the herbs this season. i think i'm going to create another herb/flower garden by the rose bushes. i have some pineapple sage growing there and it has really taken off. our hummingbird friend (as the kids call the resident hummingbird) loves to come and draw nectar from the sage's tubular flowers.

i've also noticed a lot more bee, butterfly and bird activity in our garden since we added the herb and flower garden. we have this large yellow and black butterfly that seems to be twittering around everyday. (there's also more grasshoppers, wasp, and june bugs...sigh)

it's been really rewarding to grow the flowers and herbs this year. i thought i only wanted to grow edible things (i know herbs are edible too) but found that there is a lot of pleasure in growing flowers two. if my budget allowed it my garden would literally explode with color and life every season.

i'm hoping within the next few seasons to add a few fruit trees, some fragrant flowers, bulbs and a rock garden for the kids. they love collecting rocks they dig up from the garden and find in other places so i think i'll introduce them to rock stacking and balancing. i have a friend lila who does it and man...the things she's created are beautiful. she's suppose to teach me and the kids...but she moved to l.a. so she's not as close as she used to be. :(

 

tomatoes & squashes...

and finally...are garden is doing fairly well in this heat. we've had some high heat hit us all of a sudden..and my plants took a beating. it went from overcast all day to over 105˚ in a matter of days. i've had to seriously prune back some of the leaves of my squash plants that didn't do to well. in fact some of them actually died, so i may replace them this weekend. i'm still waiting for my brussels sprouts to fully mature, along with my melons..and the corn has gotten a rough shake this year with a few corn worms.

other than that all is well in my gardening world...

oh and...i took a canning & preserving class tues. night...and ummm...i'm still not sure i'm ready for the big leap into canning. it was interesting though...the class was great if your a foodie...there was lots of samples of food going around...most of which i couldn't try. nothing was vegan or even vegetarian for that matter...well except for the chips and salsa (which was too hot for me). but, all in all it was great to be there and see a "live" cooking show..and pick up a few canning tricks.

while i was there i put on my writer's hat, had my writing notebook and came up with a good story start..as my instructor's call it. its amazing how different the world looks when you look at it through the eyes of a "fiction" writer. that...was awesome...being there as a "writer" and looking for stories. not my original intention...but good none the less.

alright...i'm babbling...

be peace, ki

eating out of the garden

 

melon agua fresca w/fresh raspberry and mint

i promise you...there is nothing better than garden fresh food.

as summer begins we're starting to literally eat out of the garden...our fruits haven't came in (not that we have a lot...just melons, and berries) but our vegetables are given us heavy harvests...until the melons and berries pick up...we've been heading to the local farmer's market for organic fruits.

i thought i'd share our dinner from last night...we have more zucchini than a small family of four can handle so we're doubling up and eating it for everything...truly everything.

last night we feasted on zuchinni burgers with heirloom juliet tomatoes from the garden...tempura fried zuchinni fries with vegan ranch dressing and fresh honey dew and cantaloupe agua fresca.

 

zucchini burger w/zucchini fries & vegan ranch dressing

i've talked about this burger in previous years...but wasn't able to find the recipe on the blog (i suspect it's hiding on a separate blog i started and didn't maintain) so i'll just share it here...along with how we make fried zucchini.

jimenez family garden burger (the kids named it)

2- 2 1/2 cups of shreded squash
breadcrumbs (i chop up 6 slices of toasted bread)
3 tbl. of melted margarine
1 ener-g egg replacer
seasonings to taste:
old bay (start with about a tablespoon or two)
salt 
pepper
seasoning salt
spike's salt free mix
a squirt or two of fresh lemon juice

1. make the bread crumbs. toast bred, butter each side and then dice into 1/4" cubes.
2. grate the squash, squeeze the water out (so the burgers will crisp on the outside)
3. mix the breadcrumbs, squash, melted butter and seasonings. add in the "egg"
4. shape into patties, dredge in seasoned flour, and placed on a lightly oiled cookie sheet. lightly spray the tops with oil/pam.
5. bake for 25-30 minutes.

note: you can also pan fry the patties, to do so lightly coat the bottom of the pan with canola oil and cook on medium high heat. i did that for the patties pictured above and they came out great...crispy on the outside and moist on the inside.

alternatives: you can make this a bit more savory by adding in some sauted veggies. you can use onion, garlic, celery and bell pepper or any combination of. i love the sweet flavor of the squash by itself so we choose to forgo the extras and let the squash sing by itself...but i know it would be wonderful with the other add ins.

about seasoning: i don't measure seasonings when i cook, unless i'm baking or following a recipe and even then i often go off on my own. i suggest seasoning by taste. start off with a small amount, and add more until you get to the flavor that you like. also feel free to make it your own by adding and subtracting what you like and don't like.

homemade tempura zucchini fries

2-3 zucchinis (depending on size)

tempura batter (refer to package for ingredients and mixing instructions)

canola oil (for frying)

salt & pepper to season batter

1. cut the zucchinis into uniform sized "french fry" sticks (i like to cut the seeds off the center)

2. mix the tempura batter according to package instructions, season with salt and pepper

3. heat oil to 350˚. when oil is at the right temperature, dip a small batch of zucchinnis in batter and fry in oil until light brown. *note: the key to frying is making sure to maintain even heating temperature, so don't over crowd the pot and make sure temp doesn't drop below or spike too much above 350˚. i use a candy thermometer to watch my temperature. if the oil is hot the food won't hold on to the grease and be oily when done.

4. drain on paper towels and keep in a warm oven until ready to eat.

 

melon aguas frescas 

in spanish agua frescas literally translates to fresh water...particularly cold. its a very popular mexican drink that i suppose isn't drunk only during the summer, because there's jamaica, which is an aguas fresca made from hibiscus leaves...basically hibiscus tea and then of course there's horchata which is made commonly in mexico with rice.

my suegra (mil) makes watermelon agua frescas frequently in the summer. i'm lucky...i get real, traditional mexican food from my jimenez/estrada family. not the american version...but the real authentic mexican version. my mother in law has spoiled me...with albondigas, nopales, tamales, chile rellanos, ceviche, birrira, frijoles, menudo, sopa de arroz, i've had great, authentic mole from my aunt in law...and fresh goat cheese from my uncle in law's ranch/farm (he raises his own goat's for milk, cheese, meat).

such rich culture...i love my family (i don't refer to them as in-laws) on both sides.

and in the spirit of sharing i've made my suegra, black eyed peas, cornbread, fried pork chops, macaroni and cheese, cabbage, red beans and rice, seven up cakes, sweet potato pie...and every other southern dish i've learned from my granma, mama and aunt. she loves them the way i love mexican food.

so...when she brought us cantaloupes i thought i'd make aguas frescas, combined with some honey dew melons.

my goodness...heavenly! here's the recipe (i got the idea to add lime juice from a martha recipe)

melon agua fresca

1 large honey dew melon

1/2 large cantaloupe

1/3-1/2 cup of sugar

1/2 cup of lime juice (4-6 limes)

4-6 cups of water (this depends on the amount of juice you get...adjust to taste)

1. cut up the melons 1-inch chunks (make sure to discard the seeds)

2. blend the fruit in a blender (or food processor) until smooth. set aside

3. juice the limes and mix the juice with sugar until the sugar disolves.

4. mix the melon puree, the juice/sugar mixture and 4 cups of water in a large pitcher until combined. 

5. taste and add more water or sugar as necessary. chill, then serve with ice cubes and floating fruit or mint leaves.

*note: i've only known agua frescas to contain some of the pulp of the fruit...especially when made from fruits like strawberry...if you'd like your water to be clearer you can strain the pulp through cheesecloth or something similar...also...the taste and ratios of water and sugar you add will vary with the fruit...the way i was taught by my suegra is just an eyeball sort of way...i mined the 'nets to get a more concrete recipe to share...but do remember...the fruit really dictates the amount of sugar and possibly water you'll need. so always start with the least amount...and add more to taste.

♥♥♥

this was such a wonderful light, summer dinner...we really didn't miss the meat, etc. the best thing about keeping a garden or shopping at a farmer's market making these healthy takes on traditional foods.

i think i'm going to ask my mil to share some recipes and cooking techniques...i'd love to share the wonderful mexican food i've had the privilege of eating for the past 12 years! me and e were going to do a tamale post...video her...make 'em ourselves, etc. but jeez...that was a year plus ago and we still haven't done it...shame on us...

we keep talking about starting a joint blog...so maybe this'll be a place for us to start. if nothing else i want to preserve both of our cultures for out little ones...

enjoy the recipes...and please let me know if you try something.

happy eating!

ki

the run of my garden...

it's really hot underneath all those tiny locs

so i realized saturday afternoon while out baking in the sun that i don't post too many pictures of me on the blog. i'm really not the photogenic type. really, i'm not. my sis and brother are so much more photogenic than me. i promise you. i also like to be behind the lens...looking for new ways of seeing what's in front of me..

well, i decided i'd poke my face in...and put a face to the words. won't be too many more of these, so i'll go for broke and include 3 e took of me while i was working in the garden saturday.

 

the squash-corn-melon bed

i think i'm most proud of this bed, well, i should say its my favorite. it is growing so big...and well it just looks impressive no matter what angle i look at it from. it's made me fall in love with raised beds, and i guess it won't be long before we have more. 

 

the melons...creeping along

i've got a collection of melons in there, a few different varieties of watermelons, a couple of different musk melons/cantaloupes, and a honey dew. i really crowded them in there...knowing they were creeping plants or vines, i rationalized that they just need space to sprawl -- even if that means vertical space.

 

the tall corn

i planted the corn on the northern side of the bed, so that they would not shade the other plants. i've learned in past years that the greatness of freshly grown sweet corn cannot be beat, and that each plant only gives you 2-3 ears if your lucky...more like 1-2. to get around this and prolong our corn harvest i planted corn that matures at different times and i also planted two successions of corn about 3 weeks apart, if i'm lucky -- and i planned it right, we should have corn throughout the major part of summer. i would of liked to do another succession, but i ran out of room.

i also wanted to companion plant some gourds alongside them. next to the blocks, in front of the corn is a couple of plants of bird house gourds, and luffa gourds. these i started from seed...so we'll see how they do. so far the birdhouse gourd seems to be doing great, and looks to be putting out it's first flowers.

i realized that i didn't plant as much gourd plants as i wanted, so last week i started some more seeds, but this time outside. i'm hoping i wasn't too late. gourds need a lot of growing days, somewhere around 120-130. i'm thinking i should be fine as our summers last well into the beginning of fall. our first frost doesn't come till about december, and we have the heat of summer through the end of october.

*fingers crossed*

 

 yael's weed floral arrangement

i've taught the kids how to identify weeds, and the weed seedlings of the weeds we have growing wildly here. yael took it upon herself to make this "arrangement" of weeds. it was really quite stunning and beautiful. she had been quite, and then she called me over to see what she had done. i was speechless. she was proud.

i promised her i'd plant more flowers this fall, maybe some bulbs so she'll have more flowers to work with. right now most of the flowers we have are thorny -- roses, bougainvillea, or unreachable -- the flowering vines growing up the house. 

i did plant a few perennials and flowering herbs (lavender, sage/salvia, calendula, echinacea, chamomile, nasturtiums) a month ago, but not enough for her to work with...the flowers haven't came in.

 

me...picking weed seedlings...a never ending job

i spend a lot of time weeding, a lot. our grass has taken a back seat in the past 4 years to our vegetable gardening, and we've not feed or de-weeded it. ever. hopefully we'll get around to it, and by next year it will be nice, but still, it is just the back drop to our vegetable garden. 

as a result, there are quite a few weed seeds sprouting around this time. because i practice organic gardening, i don't use round-up or things like that. i do it the hard, old-fashioned way...rounding them up with my hands. that bucket was nearly filled in that picture, with teeny-tiny weed sprouts.

i know a lot of people hate weeding, but i don't really. not that i enjoy it, i just don't mind it. i use the time to think, and i also enjoy being able to identify plants in my yard, even the weeds. (which i don't know by name, just sight now) i'm never really aware of how long it takes, cause i'm usually thinking so deeply about something...what my granma used to call worrying...and my mother too. 

i think i've started to turn worry into creative thinking...perhaps ruminate is a better word?

 

 

our charlie, enjoying the fresh air and filtered sunlight

we've even been taking charlie out to enjoy the sun and fresh air. he loves it. he sometimes calls out to other birds, but most of the time he sits on his perch and watches. here he is close to the cage...allowing us to rub his tummy...and pet his little bird feet.

 

         

baby pigeons, hatched in our backyard

speaking of birds, remember when i told you about the birds nesting in our window? well, these are the babies and they hang out next to our vegetable garden. 

they have been there for a couple of weeks now, sitting in the shade watching us and watching the garden grow. they don't flutter off when we come near them, however if i get to close, they will get up and start to walk -slowly and softly away. not far away, a safe (to them) distance.

one seems more fearful than the other. i can get about 2 feet before they start getting "nervous" and walk away.

we've enjoyed having them in our yard, even if it means giving them space and not intruding by walking behind the vegetable garden. they are sweet birds, never a sound out of them.

there mother is back up on top of the window, sitting on another egg or two. the father checks on her and the babies often. he has a distinct call, he makes one when he sees us and flies off (when we get to close) and another one when he's just out there doing his thing. the second call sounds like a "whooo-whooo" sound...i promise you he sounds like a owl.
 

 

  

a beet, an artichoke (that i think i let open too much), juliet tomatoes, zucchini and yellow summer squash

our harvest this weekend. we are officially up to our eyeballs in squash, and the tomatoes are earnestly starting to kick in. we have lots of green tomatoes on the vines..so tomato season is gearing up. 

these little ones here are a heirloom variety called juliet. the card promised that they would be perfect for canning and saucing, so i bought them. i make batches and batches of tomato sauce in the summer, freeze them and we eat it during the winter and spring as red sauce, pizza sauce, and any other ways we can think of.

i planted a lot of seeds, and hopefully, they will grow big enough to bear fruit. They are still fairly small maybe because they're in 5 gallon pots...hopefully that doesn't slow them down too much, because i've run out of ground space.

 

laughing at myself in overalls

true, they are not the most fashionable things i could wear out in the garden, but surely the most useful and comfortable. i'm so happy i never got rid of these, even though they are enormous on me...i lived in them when i was expecting yali.

i can carry so many gardening tools, seed packets, small veggies and things in the pockets. not to mention i don't have to worry about mud splashes or getting down on my knees and digging in dirt. they are so practical, and useful...i'll never give them up!

 

 

e, the weed wrangler

as you can see, e has a gardening "fit" too. he burns easily and though not horribly bad...i still cringe when i see his red ears, neck and arms.

so he wears long sleeved, collared shirts, long pants, and a gardener's hat to protect him.

the morning glory vine growing around my house has gotten out of control on the north side. it was out of control in the front, but some years ago his mother cleared it :'( and it hasn't gotten out of control since then. e did go ahead and cut it down to the ground this spring, and he promises that he'll train it to grow around the windows as it once did. we'll see.

but, and that's a loud but. the north side is waaaaaay out of control. words can't capture the habitat i've got growing over there. it is scarrrrry. so e has decided to tackle it (literally) in the coming weeks. little by little he is bringing it down and out.

this large piece is only 1/20th of what we got going over there.

i'm going to be sad to see it go, but i'll also have much more earth to grow plants in. i told e i wanted a secret garden....so that's what it'll be. i'm also sure the vine will grow again, it is like a weed now, evasive. we've found it growing everywhere. with a little effort, i'm sure we can train it up the house again.

so that's that. that's the run of my weekend, the run of my garden.

i'll leave you with this:

it took me and e 3 houses to finally learn how to garden. our first place we were young newlyweds, with a condo and a small concrete "yard." really small. we pounded at the dirt one day, it was brick hard, and then woke up the next morning sore and ready for another hobby.

at our second house, the land was much more fertile, bigger, but it was too big. we had a corner house and had way too much land for our lifestyle, the front yard was large and the back yard was too. we planted a small patch of vegetables and grew some cucumbers. we had forgotten about it, again - we were a young married couple on the go, and my mother in law came one day and discovered a couple of cucumbers. she made me take the first bite, before  she put the rest into a salad and told me that the mexican tradition said that the young woman of the house should always take the first bite of the harvest, it guaranteed her fertility.

well, within a year or so i was pregnant, and a year later from then, again with yosef. 

as young parents we had absolutely no time to garden.

we sold that house and brought this one, much wiser we choose a house with not too much and not too little land. finally settled, wiser and patient, we started our first garden about four years ago. 

each year it becomes more a part of our lives.

now our social lives play out in the garden amongst the grasshoppers, birds & bees, snails and ladybugs. 

luv, ki

     

my garden/life

 

yummy cabbage covered with rainwater...some of the leaves have been chomped on since tues. when this was taken

i'm learning that keeping up with a garden is like keeping up with busy bees...it is constantly in a changing state...growing, moving...and constantly stuff to tend to and with.

this past weekend me and e worked hard establishing a new bed...this one is situated in the back of our yard (on the east side...running from north to south) up against the neighbor's fence. 

i've been wanting to establish an all herb-garden, but while researching and looking for inspiration online I "sort of kinda of" fell in love with flower gardens too. we have been wanting to plant "flora" that attracts butterflies, bees and more beneficial friends...and give the mischievous bird neighbors of our something to "play" in. they've been pulling my studio screen window apart...using it to build nest in the trees up against the fence. 

we also have a resident "hummingbird friend" as the kids call him that visits us throughout the day...he loves our sage bush, and the flower vine growing up the kitchen window to my bedroom and studio window. i got about 5 different sage varieties so he'll have lots of stuff to feed on. i noticed a couple of weeks ago that he has a teeny tiny nest in a tree in our front yard.

 

 

our new beds, top: (taken from my bedroom window) the raised one is housing our corn, melons, half our squash and some gourd plants...bottom: the newly planted herb, flower and a artichoke garden. *notice all those potted tomato plants on the raised bed...i think i have about 14/15 of them (some are small pots in the bed) 

i planted:

stevia, oregano, cilantro, basil, lavender, sage, chamomile, thyme, marjoram, nasturtiums, cilantro, bay, a couple of artichoke plants, a blueberry bush and a raspberry plant, . and a number of different perennial flowers. 

in the existing vegetable beds i've planted a ton of melon plants...i'm guessing 15 or so...watermelon, honeydew, cantaloupe, muskmelon. we ate melons daily last summer...so i figured cut the cost and grow our own. i'm anxious to make some melon sorbet this summer!

i've also put more corn seed in, and will be planting more squash varieties. i've got a variety that grows little squash balls, a honey acorn squash, and sweet pie pumpkin. i'm going to try my hand at bush beans too.

i spent about an hour planting up all those tomato seeds I planted in early april...i've got so many tomato plants...i really need to give some away..i have no room. local takers?

 

  

 some of my new garden residents...flowers

the more i garden...the more i need to garden...it has become my personal refuge. i know this year will be the year i finally start gardening year round. i told e, that i really want to live a more self-sustaining life. really. eating out of our garden is so rewarding...and not to mention healthier. 

i want to learn how to can and preserve this summer and also how to make some personal care items like lip balm, shampoo...and hand creams and body oils. i have so much stuff growing i need to find ways of using it all.

i grew up with a large fruit and vegetable garden, pet geese...my grandparents were share-croppers from the south...living in south central l.a. didn't stop them from living peacefully with the earth. i'm trying to raise my family that way.

 

top: my brussels sprouts...they are so green and healthy...except for the holes from the grasshopers chomping on them....or is the snails...or earwigs...or rollie pollies? i have pests this year! urgh! bottom: i finally snagged a pair of liberty of london rain boots...they are sooo comfy and warm...and was on sale too!

we've had our first harvest of the season...a mini one...a couple of squashes (round grey zucchini and the traditional zucchini). i'm not surprised...we tend to grow squash and tomatoes like nobody's business around here...the tomatoes are soon to follow...they are about 3 feet tall...and i have a few large green ones slowly making their way towards ripe. 

we made what will probably be the last pot of chicken/vegetable soup for a while...i also threw in some time and made a "vintage southeren caramel cake" from scratch, with eggs. you know how long its been since i've baked with eggs? me neither...a few years i'm guessing. the cake turned out okay...the icing recipe was not so great...and after two batches of not so right caramel sauce...i realized it may not be me...looked up recipes on the 'nets...and realized it probably is the recipe. i made lemonade though and turned the so-so caramel sauce to caramel "un-butter" buttercream icing...could of been better...but certainly wasn't horrible.

i miss baking cakes...baking in general...so i'm planning on doing more right away...and regularly.

 

top: first squash harvest...middle: chicken, veggie, pasta soup...flavored with bay, thyme, rosemary and marjoram....bottom: vintage southern caramel cake   

i've gotten into a fairly good daily rhythm, i write as soon as i open my eyes...usually for a couple of quiet hours until the kids wake up or the ideas run dry and then i've been spending my late mornings out in the garden...usually i'm walking in by 1 pm with my fingers and finger nails covered in dirt...my feet wet and soggy with dirt...and my pants dirty. 

the kids usually make their way out back and forth to the garden...potting random seeds or roots they find, foraging for rocks to turn into "rock pets" or just for collecting...and playing tag...they're also learning how to make their own pb & j sandwiches...all i have to do is scoop it onto the bread...and they do the spreading...its amazing how just this little bit of self-know-how makes them feel so "big kid" and how much time it frees up for me.

my afternoon and evenings are not as smooth...i've been volunteering so that takes away a couple of usable hours here and there...and i've been going to school...both online (ucla extension) and on weekends at riverside's university extension. 

my time is spread thin...between everything...but my happiness is full. 

i'm going to try and update more regularly...regarding the garden...it literally changes overnight these days! as this school year comes to a close (i'm literally preparing the kids last quarter turn-ins as we speak) i'm sure i'll have much, much, much, much, much, much more time. at least i hope!

have a wonderful friday!

be peace...ki

nesting.

there's a beautiful grey and blue trimmed dove nesting on my kitchen window...i hear her coo while washing the dishes and making food...i watch her "husband" come and tend to her...bringing her worms, more twigs and company a few times a day. he doesn't like it when we're out in the garden...he squaks and flies from the fence, to the roof, to the neighbor's roof...watching her and watching us...waiting for us to leave.

by the time i get the point, leave the garden to let him tend to her, and make it into the kitchen...i always catch him stepping across my window.

she watches me while i wash dishes sometimes...she seems sweet. i hope she feels safe and wanted in our little patch of the world...cause her and her babies are most welcomed.

e even thought about putting an umbrella over her when we learned it would rain tues. wonderful isn't he?

papa pigeon...helping to build the nest (last week)

 

(when i ran outside to get outdoor pictures he wouldn't leave the fence...or let me get too close to him)

her nest is in the left corner of the window...hidden by trumpet vines and rose bushes (we haven't dead-headed them to keep her feeling safe and protected)

isn't she lovely in her bed of roses?

luv...ki

* this is the second time birds have nested on our window...the last time...heavy spring rains washed the nest and egg away. i was too sad to post about it. 

happy earth day

 

squash, tomatoes, beets, flowers, melons, herbs...cacti...i crammed in a lot.

 

the red and green of the beet plant is a study in compliments...if this was a small magical world, and i was a small magical girl, i'd want to live under the beet plant.

 

4 new seedlings got started today

nasturtium leaves...the edible flower. the variegation and patterning in nature is always a work of art

"mommy is today earth day?" that's the first thing yael said to me when she woke up. I'm happy she's excited about the earth. I hope you are too.

the weather has been keeping true to season, and has been full of spring rain, and coldness the past few days. as much as i want to slush out to the garden and take snapshots...it just isn't quite warm enough for me to brave the chill. i don't survive moments of cold too well.

since i wimped out, i decided to take pictures of my "inside garden" and share instead. the seeds we planted a month ago are really doing their thing. i know the time is nearing for me to place them outside, but they have become my little "babies" over the past few weeks, and i can't stand the idea of sending them out into the cold yet. i just hope i'm not waiting too long.

we started a few new plants today (pictured above), to celebrate earth day. we started zinnia's, orange marigold's, and a variety of tomatoes called "moneymaker." smile. i know, where do they get these names? makes me think of too many different rap songs. bad ones. not the good hip hop.

i'll say it again. i hope your excited about the earth. we are.

take care of yourself and the earth...today and everyday.

ki

are you there spring, it's me kiandra...and i've got veggie plants

the kids and the new bed, homeschooling and gardening...

"are you here...are you here..." i'm singing to spring...the sun and sky...i hope your here to stay for a while....

i never needed a season to rejuvenate my spirit...like now...i'm so grateful.

the past 2 weeks have been spent cleaning, rebuilding...and finally replanting our garden. 

it seems like we've been steadily growing and expanding our vegetable gardening space since we began 4 years ago.

 

 

top to bottom: the bed at the end of winter, the tree we cut down, cleared bed, planted bed   

this year's no different, and we decided to build a new garden, a raised garden, out of cinder blocks. 

i've never had much of "a green thumb"...toting a much browner thumb...literally and figuratively...but somehow vegetable gardening has been something of a gardening revolution for me..i feel at home and quite able. much like parenting...nurturing and learning along the way. still growing and expanding on previous years.

the thing here is that i really love and enjoy working within the earth...creating with the earth...being thoughtful...a little wild...and a little tentative. there's room for spontaneity and caution...suits me.

a garden can be so many things...all at once...quite and noisy...colorful and monotone...living and dying...there's just so much dichotomy in a garden...really.

lovely cleared patio (e doesn't like to leave the cushions out...they'll get dirty he says lol) 

 

the new raised cinder bed...some what planted

so thus far we've:

cleared, enriched and planted the old bed

built a new raised garden

started some seeds indoors.

it took quite a bit of elbow greese, time, attention...and many, many trips to the nursery...

e doesn't too much care for this part of the gardening process...but honestly this is my favorite part...beginning...starting...the excitement...the planning, the anticipation...and of course the work.

there is a lot of soreness that comes along...but i actually enjoy it.

we're planting a lot of stuff this year...the usual suspects and some new things too:

cabbage (green, red and chinese)

brocoli and cauliflower

brussels sprouts

beets

eggplants

cucumbers (armenian and burpless)

peppers (jalapeno, poblano, bell peppers, heirloom sweet, and red sweet)

tomatoes (lots of different varieties...heirloom, main crops, and early, and some from seed)

squash (yellow, crockneck, zuchini, heirloom)

pumpkins (from seed and plant)

melons (honeydew, watermelon, muskmelons)

corn (from seed)

artichokes

asparagus (these are new bulbs so more than likely no fruits this year)

herbs (basil, lemon balm, cilantro, oregano, thyme, stevia, parsley)

gourds (birds house and luffa for drying and using for the bath)

marigold

lettuce (buttercrunch, romaine and traditional)

i'm sure i'm leaving something out we've been collecting lots of plants these past few weeks.

  seedlings...5 days in

i started my seeds in doors 8 days ago...and within just a few days things were already starting to sprout, though not everything. the fastest and most advanced is the pumpkin...who's now sprouting its true leaves i think. but also coming along is the radish, tarragon, oregano...and i've seen one watermelon and corn seed sprout. 

the tomatoes and squash have been a little "lazy," if you can call seeds that...i'm guessing they aren't warm enough, or getting enough sunlight...so i've been taking all the seeds out to sun bath on the covered patio daily. and i also gave them a light dose of fish fertilizer...and i do mean light. seems to be working.

its also been a almost a week since we put most of our crops out in the garden, and i am happy to say (thus far) no casualties. the muskmelons are looking a little suspect (so i gave them a little fish food too)...but the cold weather crops (cabbage, broccoli, brussels sprouts, beets, lettuce) are all looking mighty strong. in fact we've got broccoli crowns on all (3) plants...i was telling e...i wish i had bought more...we devour broccoli here. but i was unsure how they'd grow.

 

 patio herb pot

i want to give them a bit of time to get acclimated and then i'll feed them with...yeap...fish food. either later today...or tomorrow.

i cannot say enough about fish fertilizer and the wonders it does in the organic vegetable garden...plants love it and turn out so healthy...

so i'm wondering...what is everyone else growing in the earth these days? anything special? new? old timers? i know that i'm quite a lucky gardener here in sunny southern cali...but that sun (in my area) can turn wicked hot once the warm season starts...the thought of cool weather crops is laughable anytime after may and before november.

my family loves cool weather crops..carrots, and broccoli, celery and lettuces...so this year i pinky promise i will garden year round...and not stop once fall sets in. that was part of the reason why i proposed we build the second raised bed...more of an incentive. 

before i head on about my day...i've had some interesting things happen in the garden while i wasn't tending it.

overwintered heirloom tomato plant... 

last summer i brought a heirloom tomato plant (one of many) and it didn't do quite so well...i stuck it in a pot and forgot about it. well...it over-wintered and is actually doing sort of okay...so much in fact i put it in the ground. its not uncommon for our tomato plants to survive well into november...maybe even december...but to last all winter...that's a first.

and lastly...i planted some carrot seeds this time last year...of course the heat struck and no matter how much i tried to shelter them by placing them literally "underneath" the tomatoes...they didn't do well...well surprise! when we were cleaning out the bed...we found tons of carrots that had grown. unfortunately all the rains we had in the beginning of the year caused them to go bad...some cracked in the ground...but again...lesson learned...i'll definitely be throwing some carrot seeds out late summer.

 

family gardening shoes 

*this post has been a work in progress...started and stopped about a week ago...the pictures were taken over last weekend or monday...and since then...of course things have started to change...more seeds have sprouted and the garden is "settling" in...i love the first week or so after setting new plants out...the plants just seem to perk up and sprout over night...literally..it can be quite hard to keep up with them. it can also be a  quite anxious time too...some plants aren't quite as happy a week in...

well, for the second time...i'm off to begin my day with the kids...we'll be making our rounds at the local nursery...see if there are any new plants in, and to pick up a collard tree to deliver to a friend in riverside. somehow i've become a mobile nursery for a few friends. and maybe another friday trip to the gallery...after all friday is our art day.

and sewing...yes...sewing/serging/pattern cutting-drafting is in the plans too!

go out and create!

luv and peace...ki

a little bit more...

just wanted to share:

my addiction to veggie chips...if you haven't tried any of these...please do they are soooo good in a healthy sort of way...especially the snappea crisps...and veggie booty (my favorite)...

the dwindling supply of veggies coming from the garden...i've yet to cook eggplant...anyone wanna suggest a recipe? those are mostly heirloom tomatoes...green and unripe (before the birds get em) and one large bell pepper...like the eggplant...the bell pepper waited to really late in the season to take off...

we think we'll have tomatoes through the end of this month...we'll see...they usually carry on till november but...its gotten colder earlier this fall...the news is forecasting an 'el nino year...uh oh!

 

my first vegan bundt cake!!! well...if you don't count the chocolate one i've been making now for years.

i got this recipe out of the book above...the 100 best vegan baking recipes....

it doesn't have any soy/tofu or egg replacer eggs...it is suppose to be a vanilla/chocolate swirl with chocolate chips throughout.

i think i unevenly measured half of the batter for the chocolate...cause it is a bit more chocolate than vanilla. either way it is good...i will say that i will add a bit more vanilla next time (recipe only calls for 1 tsp. and i think 2 would heighten the vanilla flavor) and make sure i measure half and half of the batter for chocolate/vanilla.

it is good...sort of like a chocolate chip cookie cake...

and it gives me hope that alas i'll be able to bake a vegan cake/pound cake without tofu...

i've got more posting to do later...if i can get to it...we had a wonderful field trip week before last...and the weaving is progressing along well...my first project will be done in a few days...

i'm still wondering if i should start a separate blog for my works in progress, etc. just feels like i should...again...i guess we'll see...i'm not too good with handling one blog..let alone multiples...

peace...ki

still thinking...i should...