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Each wednesday I will post pictures that speak for themselves. These are a day late. I had technical difficulties yesterday. Enjoy.

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Sometimes you just gotta have fun food…healthy or not. Even I allow room for the less than ideal meal. Tonight while trying to answer the neverending question of what to make for dinner I came up with this little wonder.

Cheese burger fries, I love cheese fries. It is like a weakness. I am also married to a cheese fry nut. We are the cheese fry couple lol. I like to make them because I can control what goes into them. These are cheese fries taken up a notch.

Star with good quality natural or organic fries, we used waffle because they are like scoops.

Brown a pound of ground beef (preferably grass fed local raised)

Top with ground beef and onion mixture

Top with cheese

Bake at 350 until all melty.

Meanwhile make some of this...yum and it went perfect. Less sugar than soda too.

Serve with ketchup and mustard and pickles.

Watch it disappear.

These were really good cheesefries, if I do say so myself. They aren’t great hot weather fries but I will be packing this a way for a great fall movie night meal.

 

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So there used to be this adorable little bakery within walking distance of our house. We loved it they had the coolest doughnuts and great cookies. Parker and I would walk up there and get bread often and I would always tell him when he got old enough (as in over 1) we would walk up there and get a cookie. Well unfortunately something happened and they went out of business. I was so sad because my fantasies of the two of us walking up there sharing a cookie as a treat were crushed. So the other day we went to have lunch at Jason’s Deli, something he and I used to do a lot, Piper went too. We had a great lunch and went to get pirate hats and afterward the kids were being so good I decided we would go to Gigis and get a sweet treat.

Wrapped so pretty.

Cupcake Love...

Mommy's cupcake

Parker's Kiddie kake...complete with gummy worms.

Yum, they are so big this is the only way he could eat it.

It took us about 2 or 3 sessions to finish our cupcakes but they were so good. I got a scolding for not bringing Jason one home I am a horrible wife. I am not big on sweets especially for the kids but this was a great little treat for us, even daddy who had to eat leftovers. Sorry babe.

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I know eeek right? Are you totally freaked out. Does the thought of something other than bleach white ultra sterilized milk creep you out? I know it does, it has to because with even all I know it is hard not to cringe when I am drinking freshly milked raw milk. But none the less I am drinking it and loving it. Fresh raw grass fed milk. It has been a long time coming but my amazing jason found us a farmer who sells raw milk and someone who will even stop by the farm and get it. and is cost us…$1.25 for a gallon. Mind you we have to provide the gallon container but for less than $3 we got fresh milk and fresh eggs and since they are raised and produced by the Amish it is more than likely raised using old world methods…hence organic.

SO what does raw milk look like? See below the picture doesn’t do it justice but it is really yellow looking compared to sterile milk from the grocery (even the organic). this is what milk looks like when the cow is fed a healthy diet of grass. We hope to start making yogurt and cheese with it down the road. I may try my hand at ricotta this weekend,  but for now we are just drinking it and well I made a killer latte…recipe below.

The gallon smuggle jug

Milk after transfered into our glass jugs for storage.

Did I mention the raw milk is illegal in Kentucky? We can’t go to jail for owning it or drinking it or having empty raw milk jugs (praphanelia anyone) but none the less it is illegal. The USDA & FDA allow chemical warfare to be dumped on our crops but we can’t buy raw milk…LMAO…ahem excuse me. The main reason is a major outbreak in tuberculosis that was traced back to unsanitary conditions in large dairy factories (well one reason).  However, pesticides are listed as known carcinogens (hence cancer causing) and it is perfectly legal. There is risk in consuming raw milk just like there is risk in eating sushi but people do it everyday and legally. The Weston Price foundation has some great literature on raw milk as well as Nina Plank’s book “Real Food”. Essentially you have to find a reliable source and run with it and if you see the fuzz behind you hide the evidence…;)

Brown sugar latte…

prepared espresso

steamed milk

brown sugar to taste

I steamed about a cup and a half of raw milk, added about 2 shots of expresso and then a nice heap of brown sugar. Blend and enjoy. Delish, now I am going to be up all night

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A few years back when we had joined a new CSA we received these long green things in our box. I promptly chopped them up thinking they were green onions and put them in mexican style quesadillas. They were the most delicious quesdaillas ever. That night I went on our farm’s website to see the list of what we received and saw garlic scapes. Oh that’s what those were (hence the strong garlic flavor) but what is a garlic scape. After much research I found that they are a delicacy and much coveted but the only recipe I could find was scape pesto . We had tons of scapes so I made lots of the pesto. It was amazing, but I longed for something other than pesto to make with these amazing veges. Last year when I purchased my weight in scapes (they are only available one time a year) I tried making things with them using them in place of garlic. They are divine sauteed and taste like a garlicy asparagus. Now if you don’t like garlic you probably won’t like a scape but I still recommend at least trying them. They are mild and fresh and you shold be able to get them at your market now.

As for us…we are growing garlic this year. I have scapes (had scapes). I harvested them today and cooked them. Jason found a great recipe and I followed it somewhat using what I had on hand…here is how I did it.

The coveted scape

Rough chop the scapes starting from the bottom and stopping just at the flower bud.

The flower buds...don't eat these.

Aren't they pretty...

Pound your chicken breast flat.

Season with salt and pepper

Melt 1 tbsp butter with 1 tbsp olive oil. Place chicken in pan.

Brown on both sides then remove and keep warm in oven.

Deglaze pan with 1/4 cup chicken broth and...

1/4 cup of dry white wine. I didn't have a dry so I used a table wine and it was good!

and then pour some for the cook...;)

Add the scapes 1 Tbsp butter and about 1 tbsp capers with whatever juice comes out with them.

Okay things got crazy so I didn't get to take pics of the rest. but you cook until the sauce reduces and scapes are tender. Then add chicken back to pan and cover with sauce. I then covered and let cook until I had the pasta ready.

Place pasta in a bowl, top with chicken and cover with scapes sauce. Serve with garlic bread and salad if you have room.

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Keeps the doctor away…sorry I couldn’t help myself. So the title of this post wasn’t so I could make a sad sorry attempt at comedy, there is a point. There is this really cool blog titled “A toy a day”. I can’t link pages in my posts for some reason but Jason is hard at work trying to figure out why so I will have it listed in my blogroll —> over there. Anyway the site is really neat and I had decided when Parker got old enough I would make him one…or in tonight’s case 4. The guy creates these cool figures that you can cut out, we did ours on plain paper tonight but I am going to get some cardstock to make any future ones on. I am sure we will make more, it was better than a shopping spree at Toyrus, he loved it and with the exception of the cutting they are easy. Actually the cutting is easy but I was preoccupied trying to design some flowers and so it was more annoying lol. Here are some pics of our adventure in toys…

We started with Mike and Celia Mae

So your toy starts as a printed sheet like this (Celia and Mike had to watch)

Then you cut, exacto knife is the best for this

Cut out, your pieces look like this

Fold and glue

wait patiently...

Insert arms and Voila...instant toy.

Then I got suckered into this one...They were really easy and cute even. I didn't do the best in cutting them out because I was trying to hurry because I was working on these for my Etsy shop...tulle and frayed fabric rose

fabric and tulle frayed flower

and of course pink...

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Curried Lamb

Curry Rice

Green Beans with tomatoes

Lavash & tzaziki

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Starting with lunch

Piper got a little thirsty

Somehow I became the jungle gym

Picking clovers for flower crowns

SQUIRREL...just kidding he saw a plane

Sister's flower crown

Parker learning to pop flower heads, hanging out having fun

Then the hellicopter took off and everyone forgot the flowers

Sister practicing walking

Daddy and parker "flying"

I think he fainted...

Daddy acting like he was getting sick, Parker helping

It was a fun day

a VERY fun day

 

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After many attempts to get back to blogging I think I am finally at a place where it can happen. Piper is older and we have started to fall into somewhat of a routine around here freeing up my later part of the evening…I hope.

SO family update…Parker is going to be turning 3 this month (fun birthday planning and posts to come) Piper is going to be 10 months, if you can believe it! After a little illness with both kids we are all doing great. I have so much to share and show becasue the kids are so much fun. Please be patient as I learn this new blog and try to find a great gallery. I am sure we will hit glitches.

I do want to announce my new Etsy shop “Grace Parks Creations” of which was opened in April. You can find a preview —> to the right and it will link to my shop. I am also on Facebook so like me and suggest me to all of your friends. I plan to be adding items frequently so check back.

I hope all of you are doing well, God bless and happy reading!

Jaimelee

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