Father Knows Best: Garlic-Cilantro Salmon

My dad makes hands down, the best salmon dinner I have ever had. I hesitate to even order salmon at a restaurant because I'm fairly confident I'd just be disappointed.

I bought him this Quick and Easy Thai cookbook several years ago that I figured he'd like, and he's made several delish recipes from it, all to our family's delight (remember the Khao Soi?). Even if you don't fancy yourself a chef or a seafood maker, please please don't count yourself out on this one. You really would be doing yourself and whoever dines with you a disservice. I think it's smart to make a few more fillets than you need so that you can have leftovers that will be gobbled up the next day and are also excellent for putting in a salad, omelet, etc.

Here's what you'll need: 
3 TBSP coarsely chopped garlic
3 TBSP coarsely chopped fresh cilantro stems and leaves
2 TBSP fish sauce (don't skip in this, it is key - find it in your international aisle)
1 TBSP soy sauce
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 TBSP vegetable oil
6-8 salmon fillets (frozen will turn out excellently)

Here are the easy steps:
In a small food processor, combine garlic, cilantro, fish sauce, soy sauce, sugar, salt, pepper, and oil. Grind to a smooth paste, stopping now and then to scrape down the sides and adding a little water as needed to bring the ingredients together. Give your precious baby a bottle so she won't get in the way of the prep work!

Look at all that garlic! Scrape into medium bowl, add the fish fillets, and toss to coat everything well. Set aside for 20-30 minutes. Heat oven to 425 degrees F. Place fish on lightly oiled grill rack (with tin foil on pan underneath to prevent drippings from burning. Cook until slightly browned and done to your liking, carefully turning once, about 5 minutes on each side or longer for thicker fillets.

If you want to keep things simple, just bake them in a 13x9 pan. You don't even have to marinade them...just place the fillets in, best side down and baste on the marinade. Cook for 5 minutes on the first side, then flip, adding the rest of the marinade to the fish. Cook another 5-10 minutes until salmon flakes, but don't overcook.

My dad typically serves the fish with asparagus (sauteed with mushrooms, olive oil, and soy sauce) and a rice dish, so plan accordingly! This salmon is EXCELLENT for leftovers and can be used in a multitude of dishes. I hope you'll try this recipe and love it!

Rosemary Ranch Chicken Kabobs

There are a handful of go-to recipes that are classics in our family...the ones you always bring out when you know what you're gonna get and you know it's going to be scrumptious. My brother Jakob and my sister-in-law Jessica introduced us to Rosemary Ranch Chicken Kabobs several years ago and we've never been the same since! Anything with rosemary is typically a hit with me, so combine ranch and juicy, tender chicken and we've got a winner.



This chicken is a summer essential for the grill and is absolutely delish, not to mention fool-proof. There's just something about it that always turns out right...I think the white vinegar tenderizes the chicken to perfection. I think it was originally from AllRecipes but we've adopted it as our own and I like to assume it will live on for generations of Ondreys to come. Here's the recipe for six.




Rosemary Ranch Chicken Kabobs
Ingredients
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup ranch dressing
3 TBSP Worcestershire sauce
1 TBSP minced fresh rosemary
2 tsp salt
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp white vinegar
1/4 tsp ground black pepper, or to taste
1 TBSP white sugar, or to taste (optional)
5 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into 1 inch cubes

Directions
1. In a medium bowl, stir together the olive oil, ranch dressing, Worcestershire sauce, rosemary, salt, lemon juice, white vinegar, pepper, and sugar. Let stand for 5 minutes. Place chicken in the bowl, and stir to coat with the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
2. Preheat the grill for medium-high heat. Thread chicken onto skewers and discard marinade.
3. Lightly oil the grill grate. Grill skewers for 8 to 12 minutes, or until the chicken is no longer pink in the center, and the juices run clear. Serve with roasted vegetables or other preferred sides. Enjoy!

Khao Soi {Chiang Mai Curry Noodles}

There are some meals you just can't live without. The first time you encounter them, it's love at first bite and you wondered what you got excited about eating before. Khao Soi (known as Chiang Mai Curry Noodles to some) is one of those dishes!

We were introduced to Khao Soi when we lived in Chicago and frequented the most excellent and wonderful Opart Thai House in Lincoln Square. (Side note: If you live in Chicago, stop reading and go there right now. You can thank me later.) It was so ridiculously good we ordered it time and time again, salivating as we awaited its delivery. This dish is such a perfect combination of some of the best ingredients out there: noodles, coconut milk, curry (that isn't spicy), cilantro, lime, garlic, shallots, and green onions. Where could you go wrong with that line-up?! It is seriously perfection in a bowl.

When we moved to Chautauqua County, NY where the Thai scene is...well...nonexistent, we dove into my dad's copy of Quick and Easy Thai which I had bought for him many moons ago.  Lo and behold, Khao Soi is the dish on the book's cover and the recipe seriously hits the jackpot! Not only is it to die for, it is eeaassyy to make.

If your grocery store has a halfway decent international section, you should be able to find all of the ingredients you need for this winner. If not, Amazon does. When choosing Asian ingredients to cook with, it's best if you can purchase brands that are - shocker - from Asia and your dishes will taste more authentic. Sometimes we don't have that luxury, but sometimes we do.

The recipe is below, but you basically boil your Chinese egg noodles (set aside after boiling), saute the garlic, red curry paste, and chicken, then throw in the coconut milk, broth, and other spices and let the baby simmer for 10 minutes. THAT'S IT! Once the soup is ready, you'll place the noodles in your bowl, ladle on the curry, top with the best garnishes known to humanity and enjoy, one savory and splendid bite after the next. You think I'm bring dramatic and going overboard, but it's one of those meals you eat and say to yourself, "this is the meal I was born to eat!" I prefer to have the garnishes and all ingredients ready to go from the beginning because it doesn't take long to prepare and before you know it, you're ready to feast.

I hope you'll try this recipe and I hope you'll love it as much as we do in our house. Even if you are under the impression that you don't like curry, you might be pleasantly surprised with this one. If it's new to you and you make it, I'd love to hear what you think about it. If you've made it before, I'd love to hear if you have other ingredients you add or if your method is different. Enjoy!

Khao Soi {Chiang Mai Curry Noodles}
Ingredients
1/2 lb. dry Chinese-style egg noodles (or 1 lb fresh)
2 TBSP red curry paste or panaeng curry paste
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (cut into bite-size strips)
2 TBSP vegetable oil
1 TBSP chopped garlic
1 can coconut milk
1 3/4 cup chicken stock
2 tsp curry powder
2 TBSP soy sauce
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
2 TBSP lime juice
1/2 cup cilantro (chopped)
1/3 cup green onions (chopped 1/3 inch)
1/3 cup shallots (diced)

Directions
1. Heat vegetable oil in a saucepan/skillet (that has a lid to use later), and then add garlic. Toss well and add the red curry paste, mashing and stirring to soften in the oil, about 1 minute. Add the chicken and cook 1 to 2 minutes tossing now and then to brown it evenly and mix it with the curry paste. add the coconut milk, chicken broth, curry powder, soy sauce, sugar, and salt and stir well. Bring to a gentle boil and adjust heat to maintain a lively simmer. Cook about 10 minutes, until meat is cooked through. Stir in lime juice, remove from heat, and over to keep curry warm while you prepare the noodles.

2. Cook the noodles in a large pot of rapidly boiling water, until tender but still firm, as little as 2 minutes for fresh and 7 minutes or more for dried. Drain, rinse well in cold water, drain again, and divide noodles among individual serving bowls. Ladle on hot curry, and sprinkle each serving with the shallots, cilantro, and sprinkle each serving with the shallots, cilantro, and green onions. Serve hot.

3. (Optional) For some extra crunch and intrigue, you can make ahead some fried noodle nests to top off your soup. Using 1/2 pound of fresh egg noodles, heat about 2 cups vegetable oil in a wok to about 375 degrees. Carefully add a handful of noodles, let sizzle and brown a few seconds, then transfer to a platter to cool. Serve on top of soup.

Vegetable Garden

Our garden is finally in and ready to produce! We planted a variety of vegetables and herbs a couple weeks ago, but now the fences are up and the plants are starting to grow. We're starting out simple with just one raised bed (12'x4') and we've got tomatoes, peppers, carrots, broccoli, beans, basil, cilantro, rosemary, and thyme. We maintained a garden for a few years in Chicago and it's rewarding now to know the plants we're working with by just looking at their leaves and to have a better sense of how to grow them.


When it comes to outdoor living, TK doesn't do anything half-hearted so the plants are now protected from deer and other pesky animals with a heavy fence that was built with love, plastic fencing, and two-by-fours.



There's not much that warms my heart more than seeing my boys working together on something and enjoying the outdoors. Here's hoping our garden is bountiful this season and that it will provide for many meals enjoying each other's company!

5 Benefits of Budgeting and Planning for Meals

Oh, hello. Remember me? I'm slowly but surely emerge from the fog of having a newborn while wrangling a three year old and not living in our own place. We've been busy around these parts...up to our ears in diapers, house-hunting, three-year-old adventures, and living the daily grind. I won't make excuses as to why I haven't been blogging (because the Lord knows no one probably even cares), and I'll do my best to get back into the swing of things.

My "contribution" to our current living situation with my parents is that I plan and prepare a majority of the meals we eat each week. This has been a good practice for me, since before we moved we basically were in limbo between the post-college-we-eat-frozen-pizza-most-nights-or-go-out phase and the responsible we're-33-years-old-and-have-children-who-need-to-eat-something-remotely-healthy phase. In my mind I had built up meal planning to be some sort of skill that took practice and science...it was certainly a hidden knowledge of which I was lacking. Budgeting for meal planning was something I had repeatedly told my self I didn't know how to do as well.

Here's how to successfully budget and plan for meals: Get an envelope and put cash in it. Get a piece of paper and write down each day of the week and what you want to eat (don't forget your veggies). Go to the store and buy what you need with the money you have. It's really not that complicated and it's actually quite a competence-inducing activity. Some of the benefits I've observed include the following.

1. You will eat and be able to prepare a variety of foods. Meal planning has given me a way to use tried-and-true recipes and at the same time has given me the space to force myself to try new ideas. All those recipes you have pinned and waiting to be used can be put to the test. The cookbooks making your kitchen shelves look pretty while they collect dust can stop whimpering each day that goes by while they remain untouched. When you live in a small town like we currently do and the Thai, Mediterranean, and (___insert any food besides pizza and subs you like___) restaurants are non-existant, you learn how to make some pretty good ethnic dishes of your own. I'd venture to say our house is one of the best places to get Thai food in at least a 50 mile radius and I'm not kidding. Necessity is the mother of invention.

2. You will waste less food. I can't even begin to try and count the pounds of food that have spoiled and been thrown away over the years because of good intentions I had on a whim at the grocery store. When you plan for meals, you buy what you say you're going to buy and you eat what you say you're going to eat. It's that simple. We usually plan a night of leftovers as well to make sure food that was bought is eaten and doesn't go bad. If we bought too much, we eat leftovers until they are gone...if that's not enough to force realistic expectations of what to spend and make, I don't know what is. Once I got excited, went overboard, and made way too much chicken chili and we were eating it night and day for nearly a week. Lesson learned and now I know how much to make in the future.

3. You will eat healthier, more whole foods. Now this does require planning for food that is somewhat healthy, but even if you're making unhealthy meals chances are you are eating real food that is not full of preservatives and that has less calories, fat, and sodium than you would be eating at your average restaurant. Meal planning on a budget will force you to eat less pre-packaged food as well. Less fake equals better...it just does.  

4. You will save money. Keeping a budget allows you to know exactly where your money is going. This might seem like an obvious point, but to so many clowns (myself included) in my generation this is not something we really "get." I don't know why, but we don't. Knowing how much cash you have for food and what food you'll buy means you're not flippantly spending money every day figuring out what to stuff in your face. You'll spend less money on gas making last minute trips to the store and you'll spend less on impulsive buying once you're there. You also will have groceries in your home that need to be eaten (since you planned meals around them) so you'll be less likely to eat out as well. To stick to your budget, get an envelope and put the cash in it you plan to spend...not complicated.

5. You will feel competent in the kitchen. I'm no 50s-wanna-be-housewife but I'll admit I feel a sense of competence at a home-cooked meal that I made for my loved ones with only a small amount of stress included. I think anyone would! Planning your meals on a weekly basis allows you to know what is in your fridge at all times (aside from the random Matchbox car or toy train your toddler hides there), it allows you to know what to expect for the week, and it allows you to become a better cook (see #1). All these things combined enable you to not find yourself grasping for ideas at the last minute and either a) making a hellish meal concocted of random ingredients where you're second guessing your every move (i.e. "green onions can go with syrup, right?") or b) throwing in the proverbial towel and just going out to eat because you "don't know how to do anything in the kitchen." With meal planning, you will be the master of your kitchen instead of feeling like a foreigner who doesn't belong there.

Growing up, instead of "practice makes perfect," my mom always said "practice makes better," and she's right.  If you believe that meal planning and food budgeting would be helpful for your roommates, family, or yourself, I encourage you to just start! It's not complicated. You'll learn tricks along the way for what works best for your home, but you won't get better at it if you don't do it.

Now that I've droned on and on, I'll let you go. As a parting gift I'll link you to a great menu planner/grocery list all-in-one from Real Simple. Here it is, but you don't really need it. All you need is a piece of scrap paper and something to write with. Just do it. Go forth!

Godzilla

One thing living in your parents house allows you to do is remember and reconnect with household objects you grew up with but may have forgotten. An item I have a new-found appreciation and love for is this crazy old kitchen knife we grew up with, aptly named "Godzilla." 


As a child or teenager, one typically doesn't give much thought to their parent's cutlery, but since my new contribution to the family (now that we're living here) is cooking our meals, I find myself using this knife many times a day. And I love it. I don't even know where they got it, but it's like a family heirloom. TK thinks it looks like some relic from the Crusades.


Godzilla may look and be old, but it cuts everything like it's slicing butter. I honestly try to think of what could possibly need chopped or diced just so that I can use it. For all I know, knives made these days are better, but not the ones I've encountered. So I'm loving this puppy while I can...and asking for it to be written into the will that I would receive it. We'll see if my siblings object. It could result in an eventual family feud, but I've just got to keep that knife! 

East Carolina Pulled-Pork

After Sawyer was born, we were the recipients of the kindness of our amazing church community that has a tradition of bringing home-cooked meals to people during their first few weeks as new parents. TWO WEEKS of food, glorious food from so many lovely people who are willing to lend a hand and serve us from the kindness of their hearts. Every meal was a break from the reality of having to make your own dinner every night.

One of our favorite dishes we received was from our friends Christina and Kevin who made some to-die-for East Carolina BBQ. TK and I are suckers for BBQ of any kind, and this was one of those meals you keep talking about for a few days, even after all the left-overs are eaten up.


We commandeered the recipe post-haste and have made it numerous times over the last almost three years. It's easy, it's delicious...it's made in a Crock Pot...what's not to love!? As a word to the wise, I'd advise placing your slow cooker in the garage, basement or somewhere where the vinegar smell won't infiltrate your home...it gets pretty intense around the middle of cooking and then wears off. Even if you have to make it in your kitchen though, it's worth any vinegar infiltration.


Basically all you have to do is place the roast in your slow cooker (after removing any excess fat), salt and pepper it and add 1 cup and a half apple cider vinegar to the pot. Cook for 9 hours, then remove and set aside the juices. Shred the pork, removing bone and obvious fat. Save 2 cups of liquid and add to them 1/8 cup brown sugar, 1/8 cup pepper sauce, 2 tsp crushed pepper flakes...and if you like it extra spicy add 2 tsp cayenne pepper.


We serve ours on a roll with coleslaw (and some BBQ sauce on the side if you MUST). Sweet potato fries go well with this glorious pork too. Now get cooking and enjoy!

Ingredients 

5-6 lb pork shoulder or butt (bone-in, excess fat removed)
salt and pepper
1 1/2 cups apple cider vinegar
1/8 cup brown sugar
1/8 cup pepper sauce
2 tsp crushed pepper flakes
1 tsp cayenne pepper
Coleslaw
Kaiser rolls

Directions

1. Salt and pepper pork roast and place in crock pot. Add 1 ½ cups apple cider vinegar and cook on low heat for 9-10 hours. DO NOT OPEN LID.
2. Save 2 cups of juices, and discard any additional liquid. To the saved liquid, add brown sugar, pepper sauce, crushed pepper flakes, and cayenne pepper.
3. Shred pork into crock pot and remove bone. Pour liquid mixture over meat. Stir and simmer before serving.
4. Serve with coleslaw, rolls, and BBQ sauce.

Slow Cooker Guinness Beef Stew

I'm not sure if I've ever actually made a beef stew, but I've always wanted to find a nice hearty recipe for a cold wintery day. Over the last few weeks I've actually been making recipes that I've collected on Pinterest (I know, that's the point of Pinterest, but I'd venture a guess that most people don't ever get around to most of their pins). I'm now on a quest for the best beef stew recipe, so if you have suggestions, suggest away. Here's a good one we tried last night: Slow Cooker Guinness Beef Stew from this blog.

Start by peeling and preparing your carrots, potatoes, and parsnips. What's a parsnip, you ask? I asked myself that too, and when I bought them in the store, I honestly felt pretty awesome. They're basically like a carrot, but evidently sweeter when cooked. They look cool too, don't you think? Once cut into 1-inch chunks, set your roots aside.



Next, sauté half of the beef (seasoned with salt and pepper) in a large skillet (with 2 tsp oil) and, once browned, add it to the slow cooker. Finish browning up the second half of the beef in another 2 tsp of oil. After the meat is out of your skillet, add onions (with 2 tsp oil and 1/4 tsp salt), and sauté till browned (about 5 minutes)...then add Guinness (except for 1/4 cup), spices, chicken broth, and chocolate and bring to a boil. This will smell glorious. Be sure you've hidden the bottle of Guinness where people who like it won't find it so that you don't have to run to the store to buy more in the morning, looking like someone who can't get past 9am without a dry stout.



Transfer liquid to Crock Pot, then add your root vegetables. Cook on high for 9-10 hours. About 15 minutes out from the meal, mix up the remaining 1/4 cup of Guinness and flour...add it to the slow cooker and cook on high for 15-20 minutes to thicken up the stew. Serve with some yummy crusty bread and enjoy! This makes a hearty portion, so you'll have some nice leftovers to feast on as well.



Here are the ingredients you'll need:
4 lbs boneless beef chuck roast, trimmed and cut into 1-1/2-inch chunks
Salt and pepper
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 onions, chopped about 2 cups
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1-1/2 cups Guinness Draught
1 tbsp light brown sugar
1 tsp dried thyme
1 ounce bittersweet chocolate, chopped
2 bay leaves
8 carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks (the recipe said 5, but I think it needed more)
1 lb parsnips, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
1-1/2 lbs baby red potatoes (about 24), scrubbed
1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tbsp minced fresh parsley
Bread for serving on the side

Crock Pot Ham Sandwiches

I'm falling in love hard and fast with my Crock Pot. I've always been a fan, but lately, it's showing me new wonders I've never beheld. You think I'm exaggerating, but this is for real. We all know the standard fare for slow cookers...pot roast, chilis, delicious things of that nature. But I'm on a new kick of making anything and everything in the old girl. I'll start with something a little more "normal."

HONEY GLAZED HAM! Last month for Easter Sunday, I was faced with what I'm sure is an age-old dilemma: too many hot dishes and not enough oven space (#firstworldproblems). Even if I could have used our first-floor neighbor's oven (he was joining us for our meal), I didn't want to keep coming back through our church service next door to keep glazing the pig. TK suggested we use the Crock Pot and I was sure some genius out there had already figured out the details.

I hit the jackpot with a recipe from this website. To. Die. For....and I'm seriously not even a ham person. It was beyond simple and tasted like Easter perfection. My husband raved about it for over a week in April so I made it again this past weekend for some gourmet ham sandwiches he wanted to make. It worked again like magic.

Here's what you do: stuff that ham (bone in, ready-to-eat) into your crock pot...depending on your slow cooker's size, you won't want to get a ham that is over 8 pounds. It's a snug fit...and I mean snug. Mix up 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar, 1/4 cup honey, 1/4 cup butter, 1 teaspoon Worcestershire, 1 tablespoon brown sugar, and 2 teaspoons thyme and pour it over the ham into the slow cooker.




Set your Crock Pot to low and leave it be for 6 hours. That's it. THAT'S IT for a perfect ham. Look at that meat fall off the bone. Even though it slides right off, it stays relatively intact so that you can traditionally slice it and dice it.




We served ours up on a pretzel role, with provolone cheese and a special mayo/ranch/mustard concoction. Like I said, I'm not that much of a ham person...but now I might be. Enjoy! Little dudesicle liked it too...

Time for Cheesy Potatoes

I'm having one of those Januarys. One where it's nasty outside and you can't think of anything fun to do. One where you sort of just want to hibernate like other sane mammals and just wake up in the Spring. Seriously, most days I feel like I've been bored out of my mind or motivated to do nothing but feel sorry anyone who's with me in this miserable, cold weather.

That's when it's time for cheesy potatoes. We had a potluck at church this weekend, so I figured it was a good time to bring out the big guns. There are many things I love about my church, but one of them is that we know how to throw a potluck. We're a pretty young demographic, so sometimes the traditional sides aren't plentiful...which is why I "take it upon myself" to make the most conventional, classic potluck offering of all time! This recipe is from my dearest mother-in-law who is a potluck goddess to be sure. I realize this picture maybe looks less than appetizing, but I promise every bite is a dream come true.

Here's the recipe for those who need a potluck dish, or a January pick-me-up. I scooped out a serving for myself before the meal so that I could be sure to get some...and so I could bring some cheese-filled goodness to my cold, lame winter.

Ingredients

• 2 lbs cubed frozen hashbrowns
• 1 can cream of celery soup
• 1 can cream of chicken or potato soup
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1/4 cup margarine
• 10 oz shredded cheddar cheese

Preparation

1. Mix all ingredients putting potatoes in last. Place in 9x13 inch dish. Crush 1 pkg Ritz crackers and mix with 6 tbsp melted margarine. Put this mixture on top of potatoes for the last 20 minutes.
2. Bake at 350 for 50-60 minutes.

Baked Oatmeal

I say there's nothing like an easy, delicious solution to feeding breakfast to a large group, especially around the holidays when you want to soak up every moment you can with your loved ones rather than slaving in the kitchen. Who's with me?!

Here's a tasty option for the next couple weeks when breakfasting with extended family or if you want some yummy leftovers ready-to-go for a morning meal. It's cheap too...Baked Oatmeal!!! All you need to do is combine the ingredients, plop them in a casserole dish, and bake. Little kitchen helpers will also enjoy mixing.

Combine the following:
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 TBSP brown sugar
3 eggs
4 1/2 cups old fashioned oats
3/4 TBSP baking powder
1 TBSP salt
1 1/2 cup milk
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes in a greased dish, uncovered. Serve with juice, honey, yogurt, or fresh fruit. Sit back, relax, and enjoy!

Key Lime and Avocado

I like to pass on my fair share of recipes that are tried and true, but don't be fooled. We're usually shoving frozen pizza into our mouths or scrambling at the last minute after Sawyer goes to bed, trying to piece together a "meal," typically void of vegetables or anything green.

Last night it was taquitos. Frozen beef taquitos and tortilla chips. Super healthy.

But here's a gem I found to class things up a bit. I'm not usually a salsa girl, but I bought this on a whim and am about to go back to the store and throw down $50 to stock up on as many jars as I can get of this limited edition. Frontera Key Lime Avocado Salsa. ¡ME GUSTA!

Off to the grocery store to make a salsa investment!

Urban Farmer

Our church started a vegetable garden a few years ago, and it's raised hundreds of dollars for our Warming Center and other community efforts. It's also allowed many of us to get our hands dirty and learn a thing or two about growing food, city-slickers that we are.

I signed my city-mouse up to be on the garden team. I figure no one's too young to contribute once they're able and it would get us out in the sunshine!

So far, he's been a good farmer who loves to water the plants, eat the veggies, and play in the dirt. Sawyer's a huge fan of tomatoes, so he seems to find these mini ones particularly wonderful. Beans are a close second.

An interesting development in this year's garden has been the flourishing of seeds that we never planted, but that have risen out of soil that was from the church's compost bin. Peppers and gourds spring up all over the place that weren't planted. I mean, what the heck is this thing, a mellon? A cantaloupe? Whatever it is, it's massive and it's growing in our temperate garden unbeknownst to us.

I long for the day we have our own garden where we can sow and reap to our hearts content, but until then, this city plot will have to do!