Summer's Bounty

I appologize for being such a lazy blogger lately. I am going to claim as my excuse the fact that I have been using my usual blogging time during Noah's afternoon nap to nap myself as well. And I am going to blaim that on the fatigue caused by growing a new baby. So now, as I come out of the first trimester (15 weeks to be exact), maybe I will be napping a little less and writing more. Though, I have become really fond of those afternoon naps, so no promises.
Another upside of passing into the second trimester is that my appetite is returning just in time to enjoy the vegetables that we are harvesting from our own backyard. Right now we are drowning in green beans, carrots, and cucumbers, and the tomatoes started ripening last week.

I have been having fun searching out and trying new recipes to use up all those veggies. Some winners have been Eggplant and Zucchini Casserole and Sauteed Swiss Chard with Parmesan Cheese. Here are the makings of tonight's dinner, Beef and Vegetable Stew and Cucumber Salad (forgot to add the cucumbers in the picture).

Noah accompanies me to the garden and has learned to respectfully watch the bees that love our borage. He has been enjoying alpine strawberries straight from the garden, and stands by not-so-patiently signing "more please, more please" as I search for a small handful of ripe berries every other day or so. I have to keep checking on him when my back it turned, as he has been known to pluck some green ones and eat those too.

We hope everyone is enjoying their summer! It is hard to believe how fast it went!

Be back soon (hopefully),

Jen