Sprouting Arugula, Neem Oil Soap, Farmers Market Finds, When Ducks Attack, Our Little Boy's Growing Up!

 Yes, this is the 3rd post for today!  I mention in THIS POST about me trying to sprout Arugula for the first time.  So I thought I would take this time to elaborate on that.  Keep in mind this is the first time I am doing this - so I am far from a GURU!

I didn't realize when I bought these that you did NOT soak them over night as you do with many or most other sprouting seeds.  Instead you lay it atop a medium of your choice and dampen it.  What I did is I re-used a pint sized container I got at a produce stand and lined it with a few paper towels.  I added a little bit of the sprouting seeds and sprayed them with water from a spray bottle.  This is only DAY ONE so I will update you on my progress.

Yesterday I was lucky enough to get several things accomplished in and around town as well as home.  For one - I was able to take some time with Riley and give him a more lengthy bath instead of the quickie-wash he sometimes gets.  He wasn't happy at first but once in the bath he did better than I expected I kept telling him I wouldn't use the 'mean' dryer - that's what he really doesn't like!  I kept my promise.  I used commercial shampoo briefly but then switched it to the flea and tick wash and spent a lot of time with the Oatmeal soak.  After the Oatmeal soak I rinsed him off and applied Neem Oil Soap!  I had bought a little bit from the Daughter-In-Law of a lady I know who sells it at our Farmers Market.  I'm THINKING I will be buying more of this from her in the near future.  I bought that last week.  I think Opal will be excited about this purchase of mine as she's a soap maker and lover of Neem Oil as well!  This week I bought a bit of French Bread from one of the vendors before heading out to the Winery.  I was so happy when I noticed Abers Acres Produce Stand open in our area around midday yesterday!  They are usually only open from 10 to 5 during the week and I am not able to get there because I work.  I stopped and purchased Fava Beans, Peaches, Cherries, and Blackberries.  Let's just say the Black Berries are already gone and I ate about half the Cherries already, too!  They are AMAZING!  Friday night I stopped at The Hatch Patch and grabbed some Sugar Snap Peas and ate them on Saturday.  They were tasty, too!

Yesterday I was able to make some Iced Tea.  Well, it was actually a Tisane.  I made up some of Shanti Tea's "Lemonade" which consists of Rooibos and Lemon/Grass.  It's marvelous!  As you can see I have been using my Team Melissa cup quite a bit around the house. 

I have a TON of FOOD Posts coming up but this is my 3rd post already for today.  I might wait until tomorrow to blog about the foods of the last week or so. 

I also have lots to share with you about my walks around town and some TREE Photos I have been taking.  Again, I will put those off a while longer, tho.

FUNNY STORY...
Last week while I was taking one of my walks around town I heard a duck and looked around and noticed her drinking in a nearby puddle.  I started slowly walking towards her - I often DO do this - and she started walking towards me.  I first thought - oh - how cute - she's social...well, then she started walking faster and faster!  Darn near running!  CHARGING even!  So I drew back.  I walked about a half block and she was still chasing me!  I was laughing but still trying to be cautious.  I'm thinking it was because she thought I had food.  I was behind our local Subway Restaurants. 

I don't want to label this little lady as aggressive - but she sure wasn't afraid - nor was she slow and just waddling.  Let's just say she was pretty excited.  Perhaps I was a friend of hers in a previous life and she recognized me and wanted to give me a BIG HUG!

It was a memorable moment, tho, that is for sure.

I've seen my share of wild life so far this year!  I'm thankful for it!  It makes life interesting and each being is beautiful!

Speaking of wild life...indoor wild life, in our house, that is...PACO!

I think he's finally growing out of puppy!  He's calming down in the evenings faster but he's still Mr. Personality, don't get me wrong!  He's a character.

But he's maturing.  He's snuggling more.  I like it - I like it A LOT.

This was Friday Night on my lap - on the sofa.  The 'kids' and I watched a 'scary' movie.  A "B" Movie at that.  It wasn't very good...but it was nice to snuggle with the kids.

Weekend Recap, A Very Special Benefit Fundraiser, Groceries

(I meant to post this yesterday but I was interrupted more than once! LOL)

A little recap of my weekend...Friday Night my husband and I met up with my mom and dad for dinner for Fathers Day.  We went to a local golf club/restaurant that I have posted about before.  I again had their salad bar but didn't partake in an adult beverage like I had hoped.  My one wisdom tooth was REALLY giving me some troubles and it got worse the later in the evening it got!  I thought for sure I was going to wake up with an infection there but somehow beat it!  Thank GOD!

Saturday I sort of slept in a bit.  Since I was running behind that morning I wasn't able to attend our Farmers Market but that's ok because we still don't have all that much local produce ready in our area.


These photos are from the Benefit/Fundraiser for Melissa.  I've blogged about her and her (lost) battle with cancer the last  couple weeks.  With all of the medical bills piling up and her family still 'with us' they followed thru with the fundraiser to help with those costs.  It was the most amazing turn out I have ever seen!  As soon as you walked into the fire hall I saw over 400 'bags' for the Chinese Auction - every kind of themed basket you can think of as well as gift cards and gift certificates!  My sister and I had fun looking thru all of them!  We dropped our tickets into many of them.  We also donated $88 dollars worth of Wildtree for a Basket as well!  There were a lot of people who put their tickets in the Widtree one which was nice!  Megan and I won a few things!  The wooden statue with the ivy and bunnies on it we gave to our mom/dad for their front yard!  The Margarita Basket was cool, too, my mom got a lot of the mixes and I got the salsa and corn chips.  We divvied the Sombrero's, etc.  There was also a tea basket that I took most of the contents - suggested by my sister.  They did various 50/50s, a Chicken BBQ - of course I didn't partake, they sold t-shirts and cups in her memory, they had a beer garden, they had special prize/auctions, a LIVE Auction, chance/drawings, and a Cornhole Tournament.  Incase you are not familiar with the game of Cornhole (I know I sure wasn't up until a few years ago!)  It's basically a lawn game played with bean bags and raised platforms.  You try and throw the bean bags into the platform hole.  In the first group of pictures you can see a few outdoorsy-photos with people playing the game.  It's a BIG thing around here and people make and purchase custom Cornhole 'Boards' or Platforms.  I have to say I am super excited about the handmade heavy duty cutting board I won, too!  It's pictured in clear wrapping above - my sister got the big one and I got the smaller one but the small one is still a good size.  I have already used it several times.  The wooden hearts are hand made towel holders, too!  In the LIVE auction my father bid and won 4 rounds of golf at a local golf course - he was super excited about that as well!  He then won this HUGE Purple Hanging Basket for my mom - it was the size of at least 3 Hanging Baskets!!!  It was gorgeous!  There was a couple of signed NASCAR plates that weren't getting many bids so I told him to go for them and we would send them to my cousin and her husband in TN - they have a HUGE room filled with Racing Stuff!!!  It was a really nice day!  I wish I could have shook the hand of each one of the volunteers because they did an AMAZING job!

YES!  I shop at Aldi!  I wanted to go to Wegman's but didn't have time on Sunday but I always like to stop in at Aldi and check out the deals!  In our Aldi's Store - they unload the truck and put all the produce out RIGHT AWAY - there is NO back room for that so we are getting it right off the truck.  I know it's not as good as your local farmers but we still have very little local an fresh produce here - especially for the fruits and veggies you cannot grow in our area, ya know?  So, anyways, we did our shopping there on Sunday and I stocked up on some stuff!  I have noticed more and more Organic labeled items in our Aldi's as well!  That makes me VERY happy!  You will be seeing some of my new creations very soon!

How was your weekend?

Spicy Chipotle Stir Fry & Sunridge Farms Peanut Butter Power Chews

This is my 2nd post of the day so be sure to scroll down!  Prior to doing the Vegan Stew (I talk about in the next post) I did a quick Veggie Stir Fry!  I didn't have a lot on hand so this is what I do for this - I used Onions and Red and Green Peppers as well as Frozen Green Beans.  I used Grapeseed Oil for the stir fry and Wildtree Spicy Chipotle Ranch for the seasoning!  It was very simple yet flavorful!  I was very pleased.  I ended up getting a small package of julienned Onion and Peppers from my local 'mom and pop' grocery store.  I don't know this to be fact but I think that when their deli makes their items fresh each day they have left over fresh produce and they package it up for a reduced price.  Since I had been making a LARGE grocery run this coming weekend I thought I would buy this little but to hold me over.  It only cost me 97 cents and there was enough for my Stir fry AND my Stew (next post).
 
A while back I received some Peanut Butter Power Chews from Sun Ridge Farms!  I have been 'sitting on' my tasting notes for these babies for a while now.  I figured today was as good of a day as any since I found myself CRAVING them and don't have any more left!  Ahhh...at least I will have the memories, right!?  I remember these Power Chews SMELLING like wonderful peanut butter!  The squares or rectangles were of different sizes but substantial, regardless!  They were VERY filling and even at my hungriest I could only eat 2 or 3 of them!  They did last a good amount of time.  The Peanut Butter flavor was amazing and oh-so-natural, too!  They were crispy and fun!  These were a nice alternative to 'Rice Crispy Snacks'.  And they were jam-packed with Protein, Iron, and Calcium!  What a treat!  I sure LOVED them while they lasted!

Tonight my husband and I are taking my mom and dad to Jackson Valley for dinner for Father's Day.  I'm quite excited about it.  I think I will partake in an 'adult beverage' as well!  It's been a long week!  I do like their place for dinner as they have a great salad bar!  Tomorrow - my mom, dad, sister, and I will be attending a fundraiser for Melissa - who passed away a few weeks ago - we are still doing a Wildtree Fundraiser for her family as well as attending to show support for her and her family.  I know I will recognize people throughout the day.  Sunday I have plans to clean and grocery shop as well as Farmers Market HOP both days this weekend!  I hope you have a great week, too!  Drop me a note and let me know you stopped by!

Weekend of Remembering, Wildtree, Wineries, and Camping!

I have a lot to post, once again!  I will have at least 3 - if not more - blog entries today!  I figured I would start with some of the events of the weekend.  Of course it was Memorial Day Weekend a time to remember our Military Members - Past and Present.  My father was active during Vietnam.  He was in the Navy but in with the Marines on the USS Kitty Hawk.  My Grandfather was in the Military as well...During WWII.  My Cousin's Husband is still in the Military and made a life long career of it.  He hopes to retire in the next couple of years.  I had another cousin who was a Marine and in Desert Storm.  Many Co-Workers and others, too!  I think we all know some one who has served or is serving.  I thank all who have put their lives on the line for us and this country.  Thank You!

This past weekend a co-worker of mine attended our local Four Flags Ceremony in Heritage Park, Crescent Park.  It's always a wonderful ceremony.  The photo above it one that he took and we used for our FB Pages at work.

Another photo that wasn't taken by me is this one of Tiger Swallowtail Butterflies.  It was taken by the family of Melissa Swanson Braley.  Click on her name to visit the Caring Bridge Site for her.  2 days ago you will see the story of the Butterflies.  I cannot get over this story!  Unfortunately, Melissa lost her battle with cancer over the weekend.  You may have read mentions of the fundraiser we were doing with our Wildtree Stuff for her to raise funds for her treatment.  We are still raising fund for her family to help pay the medical bills as well as donate money towards her 2 young girls she left behind.  She was only 33 years old.  This weekend we will attend her service.  CANCER SUCKS!  Too many people are struggling with it and it's devastation is NOT slowing down!  I was chatting with Opal about this on her blog earlier today.  Each day - it scares me more and more!  It seems each day I hear YET ANOTHER person with cancer regardless of who they are, what they do, how they try to prevent it.  If you or someone you know would like to contribute to the Wildtree Fundraiser for Melissa Swanson Braley - CLICK HERE.

In other Wildtree News - we were over at Noble Winery in Westfield, NY, on Saturday and did well.  We sold out of the Hot Pepper Jelly and a few of the oils.  Here's our set-up.  It was really cold that day and we were near the water.  I did manage to get some neat photos of the land, tho!  Some of which are playing havoc with my blog post so I might save those for later in the week!  Here is one of them, tho!  I used a filter in a new App I am tinkering with!

Oh!  Here we go!  Here's another one I was able to insert in the blog post!  It's a view from the front of the tasting portion of the facility looking across the parking area and drive way - looking at the Vineyard!
They also have a wonderful dog that roams the grounds!  I didn't get a photo of her but she was awesome.  I took a break and played 'fetch' with her for a while.

Next time we visit there the weather will be MUCH better!  And I hope to get some better photos of the water past the "green" on the other side of their building.  It's beautiful!

Sunday and Monday my husband and I spent some time in the woods.  His family owns over 100 acres.  There are several branches of the family that camp there on occasion as well as other branches of the family who live full-time on the same road as the camp!  Here are some of the generations of the family as well as the greenery of the land.  You can see some campers, 4-wheelers, a campfire pit, picnic tables, and many people scattered throughout.  It was chilly but fun.  A few people bring their dogs up, too!  We brought Sammy up when he was alive but I don't think our 3 now would handle all of the activity - they are pretty low-key!

Here's one of Wendy's Dogs.  She has 'twins' and they are gorgeous!  Wendy is Dale's Cousin.  There was so much that took place this past weekend and I took LOTS of photos!  I have LOTS more to share with you, too, but the posts will be long so I will leave it here, for now.  In the meantime...how was your weekend?  Do anything special?  Take any photos?  How was your weather?  Anyone specific  you want to remember - feel free to do so in comments - too!  Thanks for stopping by!  More coming soon!