i've been dying to tell you

i feel like i've been gone from this blog posting business way too long. my apologies. turns out, raising a child is time consuming. so here are all things i wanted to tell you. . .
1. a beetle infestation killed my eggplants. assholes. thus, there are no more eggplants.
2. there are PLENTY of cherokee purple tomatoes, roma tomatoes, cucumbers, jalapenos, yellow squashes, acorn squashes, red potatoes, serrano peppers, & herbs. email me to purchase.
3. my friend summer writes a blog about life as a mother. she recently wrote a piece about those incredibly wasteful kleenex hand towels. you know, because your reusable, washable cloth hand towel may get you sick. (hear that sarcasm?) check her blog out.
4. summer also sent me a great idea about keeping prepared beans & rice in the fridge for the days when you can't possibly find anything to eat. this would be great for mike. i can go to the grocery store, spend a $100, come home. . .and he will ask me if there is anything to eat. but, that's not the point, her friend michael b. gave her this idea and including ideas for "dressing up" the rice & beans. one of those ideas, was black beans, rice, and SLICED MANGO. i just ate it. so friggin' delicious.
5. sweet corn from our farmer friend down the road is the best thing that ever happened to me. like my friend, meggan, said. . ."i like summer because it's like your meals are planned for you". meaning, ideally, we all should be eating what is fresh & available. like sweet corn, tomatoes, & cucumbers. running out of ideas? how about sweet corn panna cotta or corn & basil cakes or mix your cucumbers, tomatoes, a little red onion, olive oil, S&P, lemon juice, and day old bread to make a delicious salad. once again, a summer contribution. from my friend summer, not the season. well, kind of the season. oh, jesus. you know what i mean!
6. speaking of basil. . . if you have not made pesto yet this is the time. freeze it into ice cube trays and use throughout the year.
7. cashew butter is amazing, my friend, kalle, and i ate at daily grub last week and elle did an awesome job with cashew butter. i had a sope & quesadilla that both had it in there. i could bathe in that stuff.
8. mike and i got a dog named rufus on saturday. he is not very good with cats, however, so we had to give him back. if anyone you know would like a very sweet, docile, big, smart lover dog named rufus let me know. he is great with children & other dogs. he stays on the property and understands simple commands. he is a two year old golden retriever, rottweiler mix.
9. too much squash in your garden? or people keep leaving it at your door? check out this wonderful soup recipe. i think it would be good with some good, old-fashioned blt's on the side.
10. it's back to school time, so look forward to a back to school special of our provision subscription and a community craft night.

you're all amazing and i hope you survive the heat wave. remember the popsicles.