Hudson Valley Living – Page 4

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Posted on May 31, 2013 by Carol — 1 Comment ↓

A few months ago I bought a 50mm lens for my camera, thanks to our tax refund. And I’ve really been enjoying using it. In fact, it’s re-ignited my interest in photography. Not since the early days of Flickr have I taken so many photos! So when It learned about a site that is just for local photography, well it didn’t take much convincing to get me to join.

Coincidentally, they currently have a 50mm challenge going on right now! I thought I’d share the photos I’ve entered so far.

The Very Hungry (Thirsty?) Caterpillar by Carol Bancroft

Azalea by Carol Bancroft

Memorial Day Fun by Carol Bancroft

Vintage treasure by Carol Bancroft

It’s a start!

Can It, Bake It, Grow It, Swap It!!!

Posted on May 11, 2013 by Carol — No Comments ↓

Last week when I was talking about my carrot cake jam, I mentioned that I was making it for a food swap our library was hosting. I knew that there would be some tasty treats there (we have a large population of excellent cooks in our community), and the results did not disappoint!

So… what is a food swap and how does it work? Well, basically you bake, can, grow, forage, or otherwise bring something to the proverbial (and literal) table. You taste. You talk. You trade. It was so fun, and a great way to engage with our neighbors! We had many curious patrons who expressed interest in participating in our next go-around. And I hope they do! What a fun way to try new things.

Here’s what we had today…

Cookies:::

Ginger-chocolate mini scones:::

(My) carrot cake jam:::

Granola:::

Fresh honey nut butter:::

Local eggs from happy chickens:::

Sriracha (better than anything with a rooster on it — trust me!):::

Handcrafted vanilla extract:::

Spicy Guinness Mustard:::

We shall eat well, indeed! I feel a little bit spoiled, and a lot bit lucky to be part of this.

I am already thinking ahead and deciding what to make for our next one. Perhaps some fermented sauerkraut or spicy pickled vegetables? I definitely think it will be something fresh and vinegary. But homemade hot fudge could be fun too… So many delicious possibilities!

Morning at the Lake

Posted on April 27, 2013 by Carol — 1 Comment ↓

This morning Jake and his Boy Scout troop participated in the 43rd annual Wappinger Creek Water Derby. He went through a swim test and canoe training to help him prepare and he was psyched! After a filling breakfast of buttered toast and ham and egg scramble, D. dropped him off at the location where he meets for Boy Scouts and he was on his own. It’s hard to “let go” but so good for everyone at the same time.

Jake had an amazing experience (and is wiped out, understandably), but it was so much fun for him. While he was off at the derby, we decided it was the perfect opportunity to take our brand-new canoe for its maiden voyage. (Yes, after seeing all the scouts having a ball in the canoes, and not being able to jump in himself, D. bought one as a birthday present to himself.)

We headed down to Landsman Kill here in Rhinebeck and it was absolutely perfect! I can’t believe more people (especially those who live right there) weren’t out on the lake). The temperature was just right for spending some time out on the water.

After rowing around the lake twice, we had a picnic lunch and called the outing a success. Next time we will probably go for longer, but considering it has been many (many!) years since I last canoed, this was a perfect way to ease back into it.

As Drew loaded the canoe back onto the Subaru (oh yes — now I totally feel like part of the club, driving around with a canoe strapped to the roof of our Forester, LOL…), Noah tossed rocks into the lake while Laura picked some flowers.

It was such a great start to the weekend. But now I need to make a salad and get the pizzas on the grill. Drew and Jake set up the big movie screen, and we have cupcakes and wine and tea and coffee, and… I’m just so looking forward to this fun, relaxing family night. I hope the same for you!

First Snow of the Season

Posted on November 8, 2012 by Carol — 1 Comment ↓

Thankfully it wasn’t enough to even cause a school delay this morning, but yes we got our first snowfall of the season! It looked so pretty as it came down late yesterday afternoon. Laura couldn’t wait to get outside, so we bundled up for a few minutes and I (of course) couldn’t help but snap a few shots.

It’s still quite windy, though. I can’t lie — I was pretty happy when she finally agreed to go inside to warm up!

Hard to Believe

Posted on October 30, 2012 by Carol — 1 Comment ↓

I don’t even know where to start a blog post after something like Hurricane Sandy happens. Luckily, our little spot upstate-ish barely felt any effects. Yes, it rained, and yes the wind was blowing like mad, but aside from a 10-second power blip, and a whole lot more leaves down, we are no worse for the wear. My heart absolutely breaks for everyone in New York City, New Jersey, and other affected areas. My thoughts are with them.

Last year at this very same time we were hammered with that freak blizzard. If I remember correctly, we had 18 inches of snow on the deck! Here’s what our yard looked like:

Today it’s just gray and windy (still). Last year I crocheted my way through the storm working on baby elf hats. This year, I hooked away at dozens of granny trees.

Tonight I just plan on being cozy in my little home, and being grateful that I have power to cook, unspoiled food to eat, munchkins to hug, and a sound roof over our heads. Disasters like this have a tendency to remind us of what’s really important, don’t they?

A Visit to the New York Botanical Garden

Posted on October 15, 2012 by Carol — 1 Comment ↓

What a weekend! I have so much to tell you about, but I thought I’d start by sharing some photos I took yesterday. While Drew and Jake were at ComicCon, my mother-in-law suggested the rest of us spend the day at the New York Botanical Gardens. I’d never been there and she certainly didn’t have to convince me — I was so excited to finally visit!

We saw the gorgeous Monet’s Garden exhibit, as well as the Haunted Pumpkin Garden (very non-spooky, very fun, and great for children). Noah had a great time planting buckwheat seeds and dissecting an owl pellet, while Laura enjoyed playing in the outdoor puppet theatre and just looking at all the incredibly creative pumpkin sculptures.

Seeing all these beautiful plants makes me wish I was a better gardener! Just gorgeous stuff. I’ll let the photos speak for themselves.

I could have spent the entire day wandering around. If you live in the metro New York area and you’re looking for something fun and Halloween-y to do, this exhibit was a lot of fun, plus the grounds are just so beautiful. We plan to go back for the holiday train show and I can’t wait for that!

First Frost

Posted on October 13, 2012 by Carol — No Comments ↓

It was a chilly night, indeed. But the frost makes everything so beautiful, doesn’t it?

CSA 2012 | Share #4

Posted on July 23, 2012 by Carol — No Comments ↓

Again, I’m late with my farm share post. This was last week’s yield. It was hot and humid and I was sweaty as heck and I had to drag Jake and Noah with me after camp, but heading to the farm was actually a nice transition between our very active day and our lazy night. I had the timing just-right and the barn wasn’t crammed with people!

We got:

2 heads of lettuce
1 zucchini
1 yellow squash
1 sweet onion (alternate choice: leeks — it was a hard decision)
a head of cabbage
a bunch of carrots
1.5 lbs. of green beans
2 cucumbers
a bunch of lemon basil
head of garlic
PYO cherry tomatoes and tomatillos

We also picked flowers! The boys loved that. And it’s no secret that I do too 🙂

Unfortunately, the carrots got rubbery pretty fast, so I just stuck them in the freezer to use for chicken stock. It was a bummer, but… having them frozen will come in handy.

{CSA 2012} Share #3

Posted on July 7, 2012 by Carol — No Comments ↓

Hoo boy, this post is going up late! Yes, this is Tuesday’s farm share. I just haven’t had the chance to get much blogging done this week. But better late than never, right?

Lots of good things this week, especially the PYO flowers! 20 stems! Laura had a great time picking them out with me. We also got:

3 heads of lettuce
kale & chard
1 bunch of beets
1 sweet onion (My favorite! I just love these so much!)
1 head of cabbage
1 decent-sized bunch of basil
1/2 lb. of broccoli
zucchini & summer squash

The chard wilted before I had a chance to use it, but… that’s how it goes with chard. I feel like you have to use it as soon as it’s picked or else it just gets icky. We grilled the zucchini and summer squash on the 4th of July and they were fantastic! I didn’t do anything special: just salt, pepper, and olive oil in a foil packet. Delicious, though.

The beets…. ah, beets. If you’ve read my blog for any length of time you know that beets are my culinary nemesis. I know they’re super healthy, and I think they’re a very pretty vegetable, but I have a hard time getting past the fact that (to my palate) they taste like dirt. Last year I pickled them and that was OK. Back in 2008 I made this beet cake and that was actually really delicious. I’ve tried boiling, roasting and I choke them down, but beets are just not my favorite thing.

Still, I press on. So for last night’s dinner I decided to try them raw. I peeled a large beet and then shredded it in the food processor along with a carrot, a granny smith apple, and some fresh ginger. I tossed the slaw with some champagne vinaigrette and you know what? It was delicious! It’s a magic combination of ingredients that accentuates the beet’s natural sweetness without the earthiness that I don’t like. So that was a win. What to do with the rest of them now? I’ll make the slaw again, but I might resort to roasting. A friend suggested sprinkling with dill, so I may give that a shot.

Anyway, that’s it for my week in vegetables 🙂