To Plant A Garden Is To Believe In Tomorrow

I love my garden. It is my space. Every night at dusk I love watering it with my heavy watering can, the drops of water spilling out as I carry it, sprinkling my toes. In the morning I rush out to check for new strawberries and fresh peas. I collect herbs and greens lovingly before dinner. I've even embraced weeding and practice meditation while I work and can often be out there for hours just working before it even occurs to me that the kids might need me.

Here is a link to a post I made early in the growing season last year. I have to say that the garden will be one of those memories that stay with me forever. Here are a few of my favorite photos from last year's garden. I make altered books (if you don't know- google some images) and I am making one with all of my garden info, plans and photos. (I make a ton of these and they are on going projects often taking years to complete.) I am also making a cookbook Zine which has a chapter with favorite recipes for garden goodies and uses some of these photos.

spinach and egyptian walking onions 

The first strawberry, mother's day 2013 

Mother and Daughter, Mother's Day 2013 

collecting strawberries with coffee 

BEETS! 

Food Not Bombs 

Beautiful potatoes

rainbow beans

The view

sunflowers

sweet corn

more beans

pickling the peppers

I am catching up on old posts I never finished. I also hope to catch up on posting about this years garden. I am also tagging and organizing all the photos from the past 3 years on the mac. I wish I had kept up with this from the beginning. Switching to a mac has been difficult. 

Projects are abound around here.

Wild and Free: Foraging a spring cocktail

Today I decided to forage spring violets for violet syrup to make a cocktail.

We gathered about a cup of violets from our yard. When foraging, it's good to know how much you need so you don't take more than you need. I left the violets that weren't opened yet and for every three I pick, I leave one behind so that there will always be some left.

I washed the violets with water and vinegar and water two more times just to make sure they were clean. (We have chickens in our yard and countless deer and other critters.)

Next I boiled a cup and a half of water, poured it over the flowers and let them seep for 2 hrs.

After the violets have seeped, strain the liquid. It should be a beautiful color of blue.

Next, add the juice of half a lemon. As you pour it in the liquid will swirl and dance into a beautiful purple color. It's science magic!
Add 3/4 cups of sugar and reheat the liquid on the stove. Bring to a boil and reduce to simmer. Let the liquid thicken into a syrup (about 10-15 mins).

Once the syrup has cooled, you can use it for many different things. I chose to make a cocktail!

Vodka Lemonade with Violets
Juice of 1.5 lemons
2 oz vodka
Water and ice to fill glass
Violet syrup to taste