Special Project: Garden Shed

I decided to give my garden shed a face lift... basically just reorganizing and giving the inside a fresh coat of paint.  WOW!  What a difference it made and now it's lovely space for all of my garden tools.  

Before

We hosed out the inside and then vacuumed the entire thing

After!  

And all my things have been added!

Everything has it's place

Hooks for all the gardening tools

More hooks for more things!  

A Basket of Feverfew

A lovely basket of Feverfew

Up close

Happy Birthday Patrick!

The Birthday Boy and Clara Belle

Uncle Rad to the Rescue

It was so hot last week that even the dogs couldn't take it.  We were all on a family walk and "Uncle Rad" (Brad's new nickname), Nutmeg and Cutty had to take on a few more passengers in the gator.  

All aboard!  

Garden Pesto

We had many wonderful meals while everyone was here and most of it had elements of fresh vegetables from the garden.   I decided to make a garden pesto with some of the fresh carrots, onions and herbs.  Once combined, I kept it in the fridge and we started using it on EVERYTHING!  
  

Lovely fresh carrots, herbs and onions from the garden

Garden Pesto in process

Here are just a couple of the recipes created with our Garden Pesto!

Garden Pesto Cream Cheese Log
I always put out a little something to nosh on while the grill is going and with all the wonderful onions, carrots and herbs from the garden, I decided to make a pesto.  Not a typical pesto with pine nuts, etc. but more just the fresh herbs chopped up with onion and garlic.    Then all I did was add it to a log of cream cheese and top with some red bell pepper - VOILA!   A lovely pre-dinner noshing appetizer.  

Cream Cheese Pesto log served with crackers

Flank Steak Fajitas
We also have been in a fajita obsession as of late.  It's such a nice and easy lunch or dinner option and also a good use of steak leftovers if you have them.   We grilled a Lowfields Beef flank steak and sliced it thinly.  Then added it to a flour tortilla along with our Garden Pesto, cheese, avocado and tomato.  DELICIOUS!  

Flank Steak Fajitas

Family & the Fourth

The Fourth of July is always such a busy wonderful time at the farm, filled with family visits and lovely food.  This year, we were lucky to have not only Sister, Michael, Cutty & Nutmeg here, but also my brother Stephen, his wife Debbie and their son Brad.   A full house is always a happy house and that statement couldn't be any truer - we had a wonderful time together!     

Visits to Monticello, Appomattox and Bremo were sprinkled in with walks around the property, lots of pool time and just being together as a family.  We couldn't have asked for more.  (well, except for the extreme heat wave which had temps in the 100s!).  Stay tuned for a post on the food and recipes...

Below are just a few highlights from our celebration of our nation's independence! 

Picnic Aunt taking Michael & Cutty for a ride in the gator

Family photo overlooking the river 

Charlie & Stephen manning the grill - Lowfields Beef of course! 

Cutty loves a ride in the gator

Family togetherness - Michael, Stephen, Sister and I

Brad & Michael bringing up the kiddy pool for Cutty

Family walk

Crazy Cutty