Berry Patch Farms

As much as I love a good vacation, weekend getaway or road trip, there's also something just so happy about sticking around close to home for a three day weekend.  I have a bit of work to do this weekend so couldn't head far, but truth be told, I love the opportunity to just stay around town and relax.  

While migrant workers and farmers probably don't think of picking farm produce as relaxing, this girl loved a morning spent outside in the early sun with the berries, some baskets and just the grasshoppers and chirping crickets.  My friend Mel is in town for a bit so we headed up to Berry Patch Farms in Brighton to pick some berries.  

What really hit me this time about picking food, is how much work and effort goes into farming.  As I watched the gentlemen pulling weeds and caring for the plants even as we picked, I was struck by the fact that they've been doing this all summer across the farm and the result were berries that we could consume at home within minutes.  It definitely gives you a greater appreciation of the food at the farmer's market and the need to support farmers.  

I had a goal on my 101 to bake a pie with freshly picked berries and the first thought I had after all of my effort was that there was a slim chance that I was putting all of those fresh sweet berries into a pie where their awesomeness would be overshadowed by sugar and crust.  I'll have to rethink that goal now. 

Behold, the berry. 

Strawberries were a bonus...we really headed up for the raspberries which are just coming into season this week. It was a bummer that many were still yellow--next week would have been the better weekend.  

Berry Patch Farms is definitely full of that small farm charm.  We arrived right as they opened at 8:00 and I'd definitely recommend you do the same if you are planning to go.  It was hot by the time we left and the parking was outrageous at that point.  They also pick out of some items in the morning so early is better.  Definitely a fun activity and it's almost guaranteed to make you appreciate the food growing lifecyle.  I know I won't bat an eye at the produce prices at the farmers market again. 

Colorado Renaissance Festival

Two things.  ONE: Peanut isn't quite the little Peanut anymore.  The consolation there is she's developing quite the young girl personality.   TWO: Peanut, and my entire family to be precise, are relocating to Las Vegas in the coming weeks.  Seriously.  I move back to Denver from Vegas and they all abandon me for Sin City.   I say that jokingly of course.  It'll be awesome for my sister to get some family time, and for Peanut and Chipmunk to see each other more often than just Christmas.  

Part of the departure planning though was ensuring I got lots and lots of Peanut & Auntie time.   When I was debating on activities, Renaissance Festival immediately came to mind because how cool are flower crowns and dressing up in costume when you are 6?  

I debated on picking out her costume because I've learned that 4, 5 and 6 year olds are a little particular about so many things. I thought the princess dresses would be a hit but too hot.  I finally settled on a garden fairy costume and luckily, she was thrilled.....whew.  Update:  To answer a few e-mail questions on the dress--I purchased it here.  

She had the pick of the festival, as any good garden fairy should, and this fairy chose a matching flower crown made with dried real flowers over over the rows and rows of artificial pinks and purples.  Aye, she's really growing up. 

The bungee trampoline was always my favorite part of the festival....I think it was hit with her too. 

And of course festival food is the best.  Forget turkey legs, it was frozen yogurt filled oranges for us.  

Something about a fairy costume screams out for an ethereal Lightroom filter.  I am going to miss this little Peanut.  Sniff, sniff. 

Hello Fall!

But first, goodbye summer...

And welcome fall.  

It's Hot

I don't know if it's just that I've been cooped up inside a lot this summer, or if it really hasn't been all that summery hot this year but I'm having a hard time believing that end of summer is coming. I'm not going to pretend though--I am not shedding any tears. Though I love some aspects of summer, like the markets, fairs, and all the fabulous produce, when it comes down to it, I'm just not a summer girl. I am so incredibly heat intolerant--nothing is more miserable to me than being hot. Grouchy and mean words come out of my mouth uncontrollably--it's like I have some sort of heat induced Tourette's. Do you think that's a real thing maybe?

I'd take a snowstorm over 95 degrees ANY day. I think England, even with cold rain coming down, is preferable to Mexico or the Caribbean. In fact, there's only a brief one month period around February, where tropical vactions even appeal to me.

All this to say that I really wanted to throw something in the dutch oven and let it simmer all day long, but the weather did not cooperate. Nothing was going to be simmering for very long in this kitchen. Luckily, simple syrup takes about 5 minutes tops.

I love cucumber slices in my water--it's just so fresh tasting. I also love this new trend of cucumber cocktails. While I could take or leave alcohol, I wondered if the same ingredients, minus the gin, would be as refreshing. It was...it was better actually.

I made a basic simple syrup (1 cup sugar, 1 cup water, boiled until sugar dissolves), cooled it to room temp and threw it in the blender with one chopped up english cuke. I refrigerated it until cold, and strained out the cucumber pieces.

Add some of the cucumber syrup to a glass with the juice of half a lime and a bit of seltzer and who needs soda? Add some schmance, frivolous diamond ice cubes, and the heat is almost tolerable. Almost.

The Wind Blowing Through Your Helmet...

I'm a sucker for speed and the wind blowing on my face--roller coasters, boats, motorcycles, convertibles...yes please. Having only been a passenger on motorcycles, I've always been a bit curious about the process. Your clutch is in your hand?

I heard a rumor that if you can drive a stick shift, you can ride a bike. Well this girl has only driven an automatic for 3 years out of all of her driving years. I can't explain my love affair with driving sticks--it's not a popular stance I know. In fact, when I purchased my last car, I merely walked into the dealership and said "It just needs to be a stick shift--I don't care about the other options." See, I'm easy like Sunday morning. That unpopular request of mine resulted in Honda saying "Umm, we only have two of those on the entire lot. Are you sure?" I chose one of them.

So being a lover of the clutch obviously translates well to the bike.

Or not.

Here's the thing. While the "clutch up, accelerator down" isn't so hard to get on a bike, the concept of a hand brake that stops the front of the bike is awfully hard to remember. Grab that hand brake and the bike stops, while you on the other hand, keep going. Two different brakes? That's just all kinds of confusing.

While I made it around the field a couple of times,I didn't quite master it over the weekend. But I am told that I can do a pretty graceful dive off of a moving(or suddenly stopping) dirt bike. Perhaps I should have been a stunt woman.