Today we went back to a partially 'normal' Sunday. Today is the day we usually get out in the morning for some fun and a cafe, and then we come home to all of our weekly kitchen projects - usually baking and preserving. It is fun - but with 2 adults, 2 kids, and a super tiny kitchen, it can be a bit nuts! I love it!!
This morning we went to our local botanical gardens. My back is still better with walking than sitting, so it is great to have such a beautiful place so close to home. We slowly walked the gardens and soaked up some sun, bumped into our neighbors, and ran into long lost friends. From there, we went to a local cafe for lunch! G loves the big chalkboard there - and the fresh lemonade!
Back at home, we started our projects. Today we made more traditional pickles with all of our garden cucumbers, a batch of pickled garlic, and fresh homemade ricotta cheese! Yum.
The boys love helping along the way - they stir, check the thermometer, scrub veggies with the brush, measure salt, pour things. When the afternoon in the kitchen was done, the boys strapped on their helmets and went outside to ride bikes and play with the neighbors while I finished everything up! I probably overdid it, but what a fun day. I'll be posting more food pics and some of the recipes to my food blog tomorrow!
Happy Sunday!
15 comments:
Wow what a fantastic family SUNDAY! And that chalkboard I LOVE...the colors are magnificent.
I love crowded busy productive kitchens...it looks like you had a buzz going on in your kitchen...FUN!
I love the idea of setting aside a day for kitchen projects. I've never tried making ricotta cheese but would be interested in trying. My family and I have a Saturday morning tradition during the summer of going to the farmer's market and a cafe for breakfast...I always look forward to it.
What cafe is that? It looks neat and very child-friendly.
Madison is such an amazing city--you are lucky to have all that so close to home.
We need to reinstate the Sunday cooking--soup, whatever--like we used to do. Kids kind of messed up that schedule long ago. Now I bake on Thursdays and that's going well. I love reading about your Sunday!
Lisa
Your pickles look wonderful! I'm glad you were able to get out for your Family Sunday! Looks like a great time!
The cafe - is The Mermaid Cafe on Winnebago (near Happy Bambino). They have some toys/puzzles/books in a small kids area, and will make special order sandwiches for my boys (grilled cheese and grilled honey/peanut butter). It is small, but super cozy and they serve a lot of local foods and have awesome coffee drinks!
http://mermaidcafemadison.com/
I love that your family visits the botanical gardens so often. The last time that X and I were there was for the, I think, 2007 Bonsai show.
I'm glad that you are on the mend. That is SUCH a good thing.
Ive just found your blog and am enjoying reading through your posts you seem to have such a lovely life!! (besides the back problems ouch ) I am relatively new to blogging but love seeing other people's family life and how it can inspire mine :-)
will pop by often :-)
Lesley x
Happy your feeling better! It looks like you all had a wonderful day~ Yum, it all looks and sounds good too!! :)
Happy Monday!
my mouth is watering just thinking about that homemade ricotta. mmmmm
any kind of cheese is astronomically expensive here, especially lately, so we haven't had any for a few months:(
I am so glad that your feeling a little better. I hope you didn't over do it yesterday. Larry aggravated his back last year and quite literally didn't sit for almost 3 months. I went to the doctor with him once for a recheck and he stood there and told the doctor how much better he was. I just couldn't keep my mouth shut. I mean he still wasn't unable to sit! Gradually he completely healed though. Hopefully you will progress a little quicker than he did.
sounds great!
How lovely your pickles and your cheese looks. I love the idea of having a day for family projects like those!
And welcome back to land of the living.
Hi Denise, Your neighborhood sounds like such a lovely place.. I'm glad you can at least walk without aching too badly... back pain, I think is the worst.
Now that's a chalkboard !!!
And if you'd gone one Sunday earlier, the 'old' friend you'd have run into would've been ME!
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