Hiya happy people!

Hope you had a wonderful weekend. Can’t believe how quickly summer is flying.

I can already feel autumn whipping threw the air. How about you?

Summer is not over yet though! For us here in the desert of SoCal were still experiencing triple digit weather. It’s crazy but true.

Enough about the weather already….

it’s time to get meatless!

This week I’m sharing a tried and true brekkie (breakfast) recipe.

I get a lot a questions about my soaked oats brekkie from friends and on twitter.

It wasn’t until a couple summer’s ago that I learned about soaking methods through a book by Sally Fallon known as Nourishing Traditions.

Without getting to involved on the soaking topic;

basically by soaking the oats it allows the phytic acid to break down making it easier to digest and increasing nutrition as vitamins and minerals can absorb into the body easier.

Once the oats are soaked they can be eaten as is or gently warmed as they have already been “cooked” overnight while soaking.

There’s nothing better than starting your day out with a great brekkie (see pic above).

We have soaked oats about 3-4x a week.

It’s an easy and quick meal and the boys absolutely love it!!!

It will truly change what you thought about a bowl of oatmeal. I promise!

Lot’s of fruit and nut combos to be made and eaten.

The best part of all —- > SUPER SIMPLE to do!

… simple, healthy & YUM- O’s …

So many different variations can be done from this basic but classic recipe.

Classic Soaked Oats

To prepare soaked oatmeal recipe, you’ll need:

• 1 Cup Rolled Oats
• 1-2 Tablespoons Raw Cider Vinegar or  Lemon Juice
• 1 Cup Organic Nut Milk of Choice (normally use Almond or Coconut Milk)
• 2 Teaspoons Cinnamon
• ¼ Cup Nuts and Seeds of choice
• ¼ Cup Dried Fruit of choice

Directions for Preparing Soaked Oatmeal:

1. Soak rolled oats, seeds and nuts overnight in enough water to cover – adding lemon juice or cider vinegar to the water.
2. In the morning, drain oats and rinse them well.
3. Add milk to large glass bowl and add in remaining ingredients.
4. If you want to warm it… simply place milk into a pot and gently warm and thicken to your preference.
5. Be sure to stir frequently and simmer on low.
6. Serve with natural sweetener of your choice – we always use honey & occasionally Grade B maple syrup.

We usually eat the soaked oats without warming & leave the oats covered on the kitchen counter top.

You can soaks oats overnight in the refrigerator too but we’ve always done it this way.

Our normal toppings include but are not limited to raisins, cinnamon, sunflower seeds, chia seeds, with a drizzle of honey and oh  some vanilla…maybe 1/2 tsp!

Mmmm!

We’re out of raisins and sunflower seeds, so, this AM I topped my soaked oats with blackberries, cinnamon, honey and walnut and  it was delish ;P

If it’s not soaked oats… we also have a favorite soaked pancake recipe which I’ve “veganized” & only use gluten free grains since writing this post!

I’ve been meaning to try out a fun new recipe by Angela at the Happy Raw Kitchen… so, this morning I started soaking some oat groats! wheeeeeee….

….enjoy!!!!!

Have a great week!

How do you DO?

I’ve been zippity doo da’ing ….

click on photo’s for better view

Check out this full plate of rewards from our garden…

green beans

serrano peppers

bell peppers

our only 2 white bird peck peaches

bunches of basil

our last 3 carrots

& our 4 standard eggs

I’m watering my MIL’s garden while they’re on vay k…

her garden is flourishing with all sorts of squash, tomatoes, peppers (all kinds), beets and plenty of wild purslane!

Crook neck squash

Butternut squash

& Trombocino squash

Making myself some sort of tomato basil creation with these lovely juicy red tomatoes!

I heart fresh veggies from the garden.

It just makes my heart pitter pat.

I love being barefoot while I tend over our bounty.

GRATEFUL.

This is what summer is about.

fresh, abundant, organic produce at your fingertips!!

Grown with LOVE.

<3

How does your garden grow?

How are you? Hope you’ve had a wonderful Saturday. I managed to get some things done around the home front but other than that the REAL highlight was going to the farmer’s market and picking up our CSA crate. The Farmer’s Market seems to be getting busier by the weekend. I was a little later than normal and missed out on the cilantro and squash blossoms. I was early to the CSA pickup though and scored extra plums and bell peppers! wOOt, wOOt! Seriously, can’t believe we’ve enjoyed 12 crate loads so far on this locavore journey of ours.

I only came home with swiss chard and strawberries from the Farmer’s Market because between the garden and CSA crate; we’re getting lot’s of great seasonal produce. Still love to support local farmer’s though!!

Check it out!

I’m always amazed by how quickly things grow ...

the watermelons are taking off…especially this one!

Baby cucumbers… whoohoo!

Cute lil itty bitty beans, curling… do you see them… ?? adorb!

Do you think fairies play inside these magical bean stalks??!! I do! 

Our family of baby pumpkins… the first family (we think) died from heat stroke! 

Sorry the lightening is off…but it was the only time of day I was able to get out with the cam (D-40) .

Green Bell Peppers… our bells are lovin’ us of this year…they dig there home (raised bed).

What’s up doc? sorry! can’t help myself!

The kale is doing better BUTl… I think the bugs have invaded it…

some kind of black bug…worm maybe?! I’m doing my best to keep them alive tho!

Damn pests.

baby jalapeno pepper… mmm, spice! Love me some spice!

My pepper pot is going to make it after all. yay!

Mmm!  Tomato’s …

Still nursing these guys too (our zucchini) is struggling this year. The plants will bear fruit but die off…

we’ve fertilized, watered and lovingly cared for them. There is a baby zuke in there 2 actually…

and the other plants have a couple also… *fingers crossed*

This week we harvested 2 strawberries, 4 jalapenos, 4 carrots & 2 heads of cabbage!

so much fun to garden with the tots! They love gettin’ dirty and diggen’ things up, that’s for sure.

Our rooster…. formerly Lois but now named Louie.. how appropriate!

Funny how things,  happen, huh?!

CSA CRATE CONTENTS:

* bell peppers

* carrots

* 2  kinds of plums red/green

* cantaloupe

* summer squash

* butterhead lettuce

* red leaf lettuce (lettuces not pictured…put em’ away before I snapped a shot!)

* garlic chives

* tomatoes

* potatoes

* onions

* green beans approx 2 1/2 lbs!

Roma and Beef steak tomatoes! juicy and sweet! did I hear someone say salsa?

Love packin’ away organic fruits, veggies and herbs in my wonder thunder produce bags.

Makes my heart leap…

btw, these bags are organic and  printed with safe water-based inks! YES!!!

I have lot’s of plans for this haul of produce… mainly to get it into my belly…

but you know what I mean, err, well, I hope, anyway! LOL!  Lot’s of menu ideas! hee, hee!!

Support your local farmer!  Join a CSA today or find a farmer’s market near you!

P.S.

you might have wondered why my site was acting wonky by displaying old posts on the main page…it won’t be doing that anymore, thanks to @dawniemom!

Enjoy your Sunday!

Hope you enjoyed yesterday’s front yard urban garden update!

We have a lot of ideas and still have much more work to do.

It’s a slow going process but so worth every little bit of progress.

The backyard garden is doing alright this year. The heat really interferes with growth.

It’s tough but so much of a live and learn experience.  Gettin’ there.

Today, we did nothing but tend to the garden and housework… all day long! It was totally worth it because things are much neater and tidy.

The garden was fertilized, watered, weeded and we harvested basil, two serrano peppers & more peaches. Lot’s of yummy veggies & fruit coming our way shortly.

This post is full of pics and is lengthy, SO consider yourself  forewarned. LOL!

Our Basil is doing so well… parsley, cilantro, and 2 different kinds of thyme in this bed

& watermelon would be on the left …(not pictured)

Cukes trellised … so many blossoms…fingers are crossed!

Almond trees in the ground!

The area we live in was once known for it’s almond orchards…

some still exist but many have been plowed by new development

Backyard garden…  our pepper bed on the right… (chocolate, purple, green, jalapeno’s)

The calendula flowers are starting to die out… we reworked the bed today and planted more beets and dill!

Zucchini bed having some trouble… starting to come back and turn green again

WAS yellow and had spots (possibly mold) but looking a bit healthier these days.

Will get a flower then baby zuch’s die off…so, we shall see. A little bummed about the zucchini…

anyone know what might be the problem?

Dixie out free ranging or wreakin’ havoc…

she loves to eat our tomato flowers… Grr!

The eco tot and Baby C garden is in the very front of the pic… carrots and peppers so far…

all planted by Tristan, our 3 year old himself. He works this area and waters…

Baby C proved that he liked dunking his head in the muddy water after his brother watered.

It was pretty hilarious and I wish I would have had the camera for that shot.

Strawberries halted in production but have a a couple blossoms…

*click on photo’s to enlarge* 

Hot green chili peppers…serrano’s and jalapeno’s

These pepper plants nearly died while we were on vay k!

upon my return I discovered them to be a shriveled mess.

After a little water revival they perked up some..

Not entirely but it’s looking WAY healthier.

Tomatoes! We shaded them some because it’s hella hot

& they could use a little break from the heat.

They’re VERY happy about this.

Purple kale…

living on (just barely) after Henrietta & Dixie took the liberty of helping themselves!

Asparagus, in it’s first year… the stalks fern out… pretty, huh?!

They’re some baby gus’s in the box but the first year they get to kick it.

Our 2 peach trees sit beside this box… only 1 is producing fruit this year.

I’m still leaving out our cabbage bed, carrots, grapes, apricot, cherry and nectarine tree…

phew… it’s overwhelming! LOL!

Our first Orange Jubilee Tomato and the chicks pecked at it!

sheesh!

Now onto the CSA loot… all organic & farm fresh… support your local farmer!!!

“personal” watermelon (scored 2 extra for being early at the pickup)

& a cantaloupe from the farmer’s market.

Peaches& Saturn Peaches– round (on bottom)

red potatoes galore.

Sunny, sun… sunflowers! They brighten my soul.

Olliaberries & cilantro are from the farmer’s market…

purple basil, corn (gave 4 ears to parents)

paddy squash (3), summer squash (3) all included in CSA crate.

I like to reuse the butcher paper from the CSA box and wrap up herbs in it.

Once herbs are wrapped, I allow a tiny bit of water to run through so dampen the paper…

this helps the herbs “keep”.

Kale from the farmer’s market. I promise it’s not moldy… LOL!

Oops! PLASTIC…. next wk. I need to remember to leave the green baskets behind &

remember my cloth bags because this week I forgot them… doh! The consequences:

2 plastic bags and the green baskets. YUCK!

Red onions…  which I plan to use in salsa

Oh! which reminds me… I completely forgot to edit the jalapeno and tomato pic…

visualize 4 tomatoes, a package of cherry tom’s & a handful of peppers ( jalapeno & serrano), will ya?

All tucked inside our CSA crate!

Looking forward to using up our bounty of veggies & fruits (from the garden and our crate).

Having fresh organic produce on hand makes me giddy!

Are you involved in a CSA share?

How does your garden grow?

Hope you had a great weekend!

Our little front yard urban garden….

Such a difference from the last post!

Lot’s of flourishing going on…

Watermelon is trellised & cukes but not in this pic!

Bush beans are starting to flower…look closely and you can see little pods.

Pumpkin & Cucumber plants … tall plant in the back is Basil.

& not pictured but in front of the Basil is lemon thyme, parsley, cilantro, thyme and our…

watermelon….

SQUEE!!! SUGAR BABY’S…. Lot’s of them!!!

Lot’s of baby pumpkins like this one TOO!

MMMmmm…Summer, I LOVE, LOVE you!

We harvested our peaches off one tree… 45 in this bowl and still more to pick!

Did someone say cobbler? Um, yeah! ;P

Thinned out the carrot bed some more….

Lot’s of faces and smiles from this little guy, while doing so… just call him “bugs” LOL!

Volunteer sunflowers… food for the bees! I also bought some at the farmer’s market today and put them in a vase.

ahhh, the vibrant colors…they instantly lit up my home .

Hope you’re doing something summery with lot’s of sunshine & smiles.

Stay tuned for garden update, part 2!