Braised Pork Belly and Shanghai Bok Choy

There's nothing like a richly braised meat accompanied by simply stir-fried, lightly salted bok choy. Warning: Do not look at the upcoming pictures if you are not a fan of fatty meats...

Strawberry Margarita and Strawberry Basil Ice Pops

It's been so hot here lately. High heat and high humidity at a time of year when my body is just not ready for it. The kids are irritable because they're constantly dripping sweat after being dragged outside for all of mommy's yard and garden work. So how do I bribe them without filling them up with gosh knows what goes into those syrup-laden, packaging-heavy frozen treats that are commercially available?

Warning: Farmshare posts ahead...

The CSA season is beginning here and you are now being forewarned that my blog will very soon become almost completely food oriented.

Here's the first box. And yes! There's finally enough bok choy in my share to make a whole vegetable dish. (I always wondered what I was supposed to do with the measly two heads of bok choy that I used to get in my half-share last year?)

So hopefully, I'll be able provide some seasonal, gastronomical inspiration as I try to keep up with the deluge of produce.

In case you were wondering, here's the planned itinerary for the above:

• Leaf and Romaine lettuces: salads.
• Rutabagas: mashed (to go with red-braised pork belly)
• Bok choy: stir-fried (to go with pork belly)
• Rhubarb: jelly or tart... undecided as of this moment
• Spinach, kale, chard: blanching and freezing
• Asparagus: grilled (mmm!)
• Scapes: Maybe a stir fry with tofu, mushrooms, carrots...
• Radishes: leaves have already been made into pesto. Radishes may (attempt to) be butter dipped. 
• Sage: a friend suggested sage tea which sounds intriguing and soothing
• Basil: Will be planted with the rest of my basil.

Mesh Produce Bag Repurpose

Have you ever thought what a waste it was to throw these produce bags away? I don't usually buy packaged and wrapped vegetables or fruits but there are a few staples that come pre-bagged that I routinely purchase.

Avocados are one such item. Obviously, you can save these bags and use them as your produce bags, which is the fate of the above pictured bag. But other than saving them for reuse or the random craft, do they have any other repurpose? They do - in the most unusual place...

Father's Day Quickie

Provocative title, huh?

A Great Hat: The Eddie Cap from Mushroom Villagers

Have you ever wanted to get a hat that was the perfect fit? How about if it had a nice long, wide brim that actually shaded from the sun? And what if the kids thought it looked a bit like a train engineer's cap (upping its intrinsic value at least tenfold)? Well, that's the Eddie Cap! Irene over at the Mushroom Villagers has a great tutorial for this versatile cap.

I first made this cap for my eldest, when I was still very new at sewing, and Irene's photos and instructions guided me through the whole project without a hitch. It wasn't long before my large-headed son needed an upgrade, so a second army-patterned cap was made with a few alterations to the measurements to accomodate his oversized gourd.

Recently, I had to make a third cap for #2 because we'd lost his hand-me-down one and because he wanted one like big brother.  I thought I'd take a few photos to show the slight modifications I use to make the cap more comfy for the little guys.

What to do with a Bold Bunny?

Grrrr.... A few years ago, it was all our lettuce. Last year, they ate every one of the heirloom black cherry tomatoes before we even managed a taste. This year, they demolished almost half of the tomato sproutlings. Now they've decided that they like pea shoots?!? I mean we love eating 豆苗 (pea shoots) too, but I was hoping to get some peas first!