A Busy Weekend...

Since last October Nathan has been asking almost weekly when we will be able to back to the pumpkin patch.  And Kate has been eager to get to an apple orchard for an afternoon of picking.   This weekend we made both the kids happy, and we had a lot of quality family time in the process.

Saturday morning while Josh was working hard, Grandma Ann, Kate, Nathan and I headed to a small mom and pop orchard just down the road from us.  Being new to the area we are still exploring the farms trying to find out which ones to frequent.  I'm not sure I'll be going back to this one, but we made the best of it and the kids had a lot of fun scouting out the good apples.  Kate got to pick from the tree this year - only having to jump for a few branches.  Nathan searched the ground for apples worthy of taking home - and at a 50% discount since they were on the ground.  Not bad.    We have a large bowl for eating and another bowl waiting for me to make them into applesauce this week.

On Sunday we met my parents at Brookfield Farm in Frederick, Maryland.  This was our third year returning to their Pumpkin Patch.  We love that we are supporting a local farm.  I also love the emphasis on autumn harvest rather than Halloween.  No witches or ghosts to be found at this farm.  It was an added blessing having Papa and Gigi there to find the perfect pumpkin...or pumpkins as the case was.

The hay ride is one of Nathan's favorite parts of the pumpkin  patch!  He and Kate both got to sit on the tractor. 

Daddy made it fun game searching the fields for the perfect shaped pumpkin.  Daddy picked his and the kids got to choose their own too!

 Papa Gallagher and Gigi both left with pumpkins too.  Gigi and I both took home a Jarrahdale Blue Pumpkin.  They are know for a sweet flavor and make a fantastic soup.

They also have a field of cooking squash.  I usually stock up on my butternut for the winter.  I must have left with about 15 -20 pounds of butternut squash.  And tonight we had one of my favorite fall soups with one of Sunday's picks:  Italian Sausage and Butternut Squash Soup.  (See side bar for the recipe.)

The day was beautiful on Sunday, high 70's with sunshine and a cool breeze.  The fresh air was hypnotic calling us on to another adventure.  Josh suggested we stop by Cunningham Falls State Park and take the kids on a hike to the base of the falls.  They had a blast!  We all had a blast!  I love hiking with the kids and Josh.  I look forward to doing more of it in the future.

 Nathan searched long and hard for a walking stick.  He couldn't have been more proud of his find!

I love autumn - the crisp air, the bright blue skies contrasting with the magnificent reds, oranges and yellows of the changing leaves.  The smell of fireplaces burning in the evening.  The roadside stands filled with Honeycrisp apples, squash, and corn.  It has always been my favorite season.  You can take the girl out of New England but never New England out of the girl. 

Weekend Adventures

It feels like January came and went in a blink of an eye!  I can't really tell you what we did in January.  Not much.  I think we bundled up indoors and probably watched way more TV than the American Pediatric Association would approve of.  But it's a new month, and I am bound and determined to get these kids, and myself, out of the house as much as we can.  

Last weekend, I was away on my annual girls' scrapbooking weekend. (Yeah for me!) Josh was Mr. Mom for a few days (with the help of Papa Dan).  Our nearby farm, Fox Hollow, had just announced the birth of some baby goats, so Josh bundled the kids up for a morning trek to the farm.  Here are some shots of the kids playing with the kids...ha...ha...

We go to the farm often, and Kate loves the sheep and lambs.  Nathan has a fascination with the chickens.  Some days they let us in the hen house to find our own eggs.  But today Nathan got a real treat:  he bonded with a chicken so to speak, and he got to sit on a tractor too -- can't beat that!

 

We just love Fox Hollow Farm.  Thank you to Stephanie, Vince and Olivia for always making the kids feel so welcome and special!

Keeping with community support, our good friend, Chris, works for Laytonsville Fire Department.  He invited Nathan to come by to see some engines.  Nathan is obsessed with firetrucks right now.    Every other word is firetruck or ambulance or police car.  But he honestly is fanatical about firetrucks!  What a special treat this was for our Firefighter Nathan!

Thanks, Chris, for your time today!  And thank you to all the firefighters who serve our communities so well.  We are grateful!

Katie Had a Little Lamb

Anyone who knows Kate also knows Lambie.  Lambie is her favorite thing in the whole world. 

 Well yesterday we got word that Fox Hollow Farm had a new baby lamb.  Sadly her momma couldn't produce enough milk to take care of her, so the Scuderi's were bottle feeding the lamb every three hours.  They invited the kids over to pet the newest member of their family.   The first lamb of the season (Adam) was born about a month ago; however, he was nestled in the back of the barn with his momma.  So Kate could only get a glimpse of Adam when he was born.  Today, Kate had a front row seat to see four day old Bummer the Lamb (yes, really.  my guess is their daughter named the lamb because it was a "bummer" that her mom couldn't take care of her.  Regardless of the silly name, Kate absolutely loved petting the lamb. I'm so grateful that the Scuderi family is so welcoming to our kids.  They love to go to the farm. 

Another Farm Today?

So we've been visiting a lot of farms lately, thanks to my fascination with locally grown foods.  But usually when we drive up we see a barn of sorts or some animals.  Today, we saw... a castle!   Kate was thrilled of course.  "There are princesses at this farm?" She asked.  Well sort of.  Elioak Clark Farm in Clarksville, MD, does have grass fed beef and a local produce stand, but they also have a Fairy Tale Adventure Park and a kids' petting "zoo".  Perfect way to spend a Friday with the cousins.  We had a shoe slide for the old woman with too many kids, there was a well where Jack and Jill tumbled, a crooked house, Miss Muffet and well, a few others.  The kids spent very little attention to the nursery rhyme part.  They were more interested in the "rides" and animals.

The first ride of the day was a hay ride.  Aunt Deb took the kids while I kept Nathan far away from the hay, due to a weird rash he had that finally went away.  (Didn't want to risk hay setting him off!) 

Apparently, Collin felt he could do a better job driving the tractor than the lady.  

After the hay ride Brenden, Kate and Collin hopped about Old Bessy (or Dora as it was), for a good ole' cow train ride.  I didn't know there was such a thing as a cow train until Friday.    

But the big event of the day was the Pony Ride!! Kate could not wait to climb on.  I was worried she was going to knock a little girl out of the way so she could go first.  After waiting a few minutes, Kate pushed forward for her turn.  Luckily her cousins are gentlemen and let their pushy cousin have her way and go first!

 Nathan had his first pony ride too.  Honestly, I thought he wouldn't do it.  The little guy continues to surprise me.  He LOVED it.  He wouldn't hold on, but that didn't stop him from having fun.  He didn't want to get off.  Guess, horseback riding will be in his future.

I  love Fridays. No work (for me).  Days with the kids and their friends or cousins.  A little adventure to start off our weekend. 

Oh, and we did stop by the Clark's produce stand on the way home for some zucchini, patty pan squash, tomatoes and cantaloupe.  Yum!

A Day on the Farm

Well, maybe it wasn't a full day on a farm, but we sure did have fun stopping by Fox Hollow Farm today.  We love this local farm in Gaithersburg.  I've been stocking my refrigerator with bags and bags of their fresh cut lettuce.  They actually go out to the garden and cut it while you wait, so you don't lose vital nutrients as it sits in a bag on a shelf.   I stop by the farm at least once or twice a week.  We also have indulged in their fresh eggs, pork tenderloin, home made par-baked breads, and even plants for my garden too.    Kate's favorite thing about the farm is their friendly kitty, Cider.  She talks about the kitten all day and all night.  Today I found her curled up on the floor with a napping Cider in her lap!  Kate is working very hard to convince Daddy that she needs a kitty.  Good Luck, Kate!

 

Of course there are many more animals on the farm than just Cider the kitty.  And Kate loves it when Mrs. Stephanie lets us go out to the barn.  Today she ran down there as if this was her farm to show off.  Here she is with a baby goat (his horns were just starting to show). Notice Lambie in her arms, she quickly ran to the next pen to show Lambie a real lamb.  Wish I had caught that on film.

 Kate and this turkey had a bit of conversation today...I'm wondering if he remembered her from our last visit on Saturday.   It was like they really understood each other.  Fox Hollow Farm is actually taking orders for Organic Turkey's for Thanksgiving.  They order just enough for those who place orders, raise the birds all summer and deliver them for the big feast in November.   This guy though, I think he stays around.

 The pigs were a big hit for Nathan and Kate.  They came right up to the fence and sniffed the kids.  I'm not sure who squealed louder, the piglets or Nathan. 

It's been so much fun and so rewarding supporting a local farmer, getting to know them personally, and teaching my children about the value of healthy, organic food grown locally.  For more information on buying local, see my favorite links on the sidebar.