Suburban Homestead

Newborn Goats at Toluma Farms

I had a super fun outing this weekend with the little kids while Daddy coached the big guy's baseball game. I was so sorry we weren't all together for this one...few experiences can compete with getting to hold one and two day old baby goats. And the only thing better for me than getting outside and onto a farm is doing it at a farm where cool furniture lines the wrap-around porch of the farmhouse. (Not to mention, there was an Airstream trailer in the neighboring field). Bliss.







I learned about this opportunity by going to Marin Organic's website and searching their upcoming events. (These is a super cool dairy tour coming up on the 18th). Toluma Farms is a young goat farm where they recently began making cheese. April and May are obviously the best times to visit, the surrounding hillsides are completely green and everywhere you turn, kids and lambs are dropping from mamas. Below is a picture of a sheep we watched cleaning her lamb, born in the middle of the night. (We took the opportunity to make a Jordache Jeans ad out of it.)













There were so many added treats to our visit - an enthusiastic volunteer that filled us in on all sorts of additional information, and in-ground trampoline the kids loved, tractor rides provided by the owner and goat cookies frosted with goats milk frosting!







I love these sorts of opportunities offered by some of our local organizations like Marin Organic and Marin Agricultural Land Trust (MALT). If you are local to the Bay Area, I'd encourage you to familiarize yourself with their websites and to get on their email list to learn about events like this one.

Exploring the Island of Hvar, Croatia

We did quite a few walking tours while on our trip this past week, and I’m not ashamed to admit it! We learned so much more than I could have hoped to download from a book, plus we always took a break with our guide for coffee, sat down and chatted about more personal things. It is in those moments when you truly get insights into the people and places you are visiting. Our best guide, Jana, was from the island of Hvar, and she walked us all through town, explaining the rich history of what is today a very popular destination spot.

Later in the day we met up with Jana a second time and she drove us around the island to see Hvar’s incredible countryside which today stands only as a reminder of the agrarian community that used to thrive here. For centuries, from the hilltops on down to the water, the farming of olive trees, fig trees, almond trees, grapes, lavender and seasonal gardens took place in this rocky but rich soil. Because the hills are slopped, previous generations terraced all this land for their growing needs and when you stand on a hillside today, and look all around you at this endless system of low rock walls, it’s just amazing to think back on what this island would have looked like through the centuries while in full production.

The most exciting thing for me (other than eating wild figs along the roadside!) was to learn that the generations of Hvar's famers never had a system of irrigation in place and that all the grapes, figs and olives only got water during the rainy months, and survived through the hot summers. So interesting!

The farmers of this land began leaving their family's businesses after returning home from the Second World War, opting for an *easier* life in town. Soon thereafter, the newly formed Yugoslavian government gave the island's people pine trees to plant along the hillsides. Eventually these pines took over and the stone barriers were hidden from view and all but forgotten. Then, twelve years ago, a great fire engulfed the countryside, burned down all the pines and left what we see today. Our tour guide said she was not even aware of this history on her island before it was revealed to her in the ashes. Today, bushes are making their way back and it’s believed that in another ten years or so and the agricultural ruins of Hvar will once again be buried from plain sight.

I found it so fascinating to stand there and to look at this endless stretch of what was once bustling farmland. The youth of today in Croatia are not interested in the hard life of farming - and who can blame them - it’s been in the their blood for generations! Then you look at us – those that didn’t have to farm growing up – and suddenly the whole idea of being a farmer is romantic again! ;)

Hunting for Truffles in Croatia

This is an incredibly special time for us as we take a week to celebrate ten years of marriage and three wonderful kids -- only, we didn't take the kids along on the celebration. ;)

Today, the two of us ventured down quiet, winding country roads, lined with massive family gardens of pumpkins, squash, corn and fruit trees, to partake in a bit of truffle gastronomy.  It all began at the Karlić family house, where the mother, Radmila, prepared us an incredible lunch of all things truffle.

There was salami with truffles, cheese with truffles, cream cheese on bread, olive oil and honey - all with truffles. And after the first course, we were treated to a look at all the truffles that would be added to our second course omlette!

After lunch, Radmila's son Evan walked us past a small vineyard, and down to the forest below where his grandfather began the family's tradition of truffle hunting in 1966. There were no promises that we'd find anything...

...and yet their sweet pooch found three! It was such a cool experience and one that I know we could only have had here.

Click here to learn more about the Karlić family business.

Summer Vacation Wrap-up

If everything had gone along as *planned*, I would have broken up our adventures at our friend's Northern California cabin into subjects such as The Food We Ate, The Wildlife We Saw, Spoosy's Magical Garden, etc. But I did not plan well, not at all. I did not post for almost two weeks and now instead, I'm just going to post one big collection of photos as colorful and scrambled as the thoughts that run through my mind this time of year. Here is to the end of summer and to the beginning of my favorite season!

We found this big guy hopping around Spoosy's squash blossoms. Nothing says wonderful childhood moment better than a little man's dirty hands wrapped around a giant toad.

Did someone say squash?! One day's harvest from Spoosy Moose's incredible vegetable garden. We made pesto gnocchi for lunch, and then stuffed the leftovers into blossoms which we fried for dinner that night. I also fried up zucchini and corn cakes with cheddar cheese. We ate fresh kale chips every day.

Spoosy contemplates her garden in the early morning while a young man enjoys reading one of his birthday gifts.

Like I said, Spoosy is just about as four-wheel drive as a grandmother can be. After she caught this salamander for the kids, she swam a half-mile up river where we met her (in the boat). There she taught the kids how to look for salmon underwater.

Spoosy's Garden

We are having an apple kind of day today. For breakfast we enjoyed rolled oats topped with the last of 2011's apple butter, and today I'm making a 2012 batch while preparing for friends to come over tonight to can apple sauce. It seems like the right time to pick up where we left off and post about Spoosy Moose's fruits and vegetables at her summer cabin.

It's been two weeks now since we returned home from our two week RV trip. The kids are back in school, twelve loads of laundry have brought us back to a state of *normal*, and I'm slowly chipping away at getting the house organized since our move in May.

But I want to step back a few and wrap up the last four days of our summer vacation, spent at Spoosy's homestead way up north. It all just seems like a dream at this point.

Here is a shot I snapped from the cabin porch looking at the big kid stringing his line before going out to catch his mama a salmon in the river. (Little Miss daydreams on a swing, beneath a walnut tree.)

Mr. Noodle dons some Davy Crockett attire before heading out into the orchard.

Fallen walnuts rest on top of the kitchen's half door.

Center stage in the bear-proof orchard of mixed summer fruit is a fallen apple tree that still puts out a hug production.

Spoosy told us to help ourselves to all the (organic) fruit we wanted and so we loaded up a box for home. Then we all chipped in and helped her clean the orchard of fallen fruit that could not be used.

The raspberry patch in the upper garden where more vegetables used to be grown for the endless friends and family that visited the homestead through the decades.

I LOVED this feature of the lower garden. The large space was fenced, and around it a wide path was maintained by cutting back the endless blackberry bushes and creating a sort of *wall o' berries* that make harvesting easy and painless!

For as long as I have been hearing about Spoosy's cabin, I have been making pies that never quite live up to DH's memories of hers. This summer I finally got to enjoy the legend first hand - and it did not disappoint!

A Friend's Rustic Family Cabin

For as long as Daddy and I have been an item, I have been hearing stories about time spent at his best friend's family cabin. This week, I finally (FINALLY!) got to see it for myself. Driving for six hours to get there, I was beginning to think nothing could be worth this brutality, but as soon as we turned off the main road and began making our way down the five mile long driveway to its remote location, my tune changed and I turned to Daddy and said "I take it back. If this driveway is all I ever know about the cabin, the drive was worth it!"

That long stretch of driveway took us in and out of woods dense with Redwoods and Alders. Ferns came down the hill to the roadside and met with wild foxglove. Blackberry bushes dominated and clearly served as shrines to black bears, who left their big piles of "blessings" all along the gravel road. I was in heaven!

And then we arrived at the rustic two bedroom cabin on the river - one family's tradition for three generations and counting.

We quickly learned that the cabin accepted electricity only two years ago, but still doesn't have a landline. Even still, there is only one outlet that I could see, one working bulb in the kitchen and the rest of the time it's preferred that everyone operate by candlelight and in a electronics-free environment.  If music is to be enjoyed, it must be played by the guests.

We were welcomed by said best friend's mother, a sort of second mom to Daddy and a self-proclaimed "extra grandma" to our kids. She has got to be the world's No.1 Four-Wheel-Drive Grandma - swimming upstream several times a day just because, playing with small kids until the cows come home, baking fruit pies all day long for her spawnings to enjoy. She's just amazing and we love her for all these reasons and more. In intimate circles, she is known affectionately as the Spoosy Moose.

Spoosy's cabin is an honest to goodness homestead of Little House on the Prairie proportions. There was an enormous garden (HUGE!), an orchard bursting with pears, walnuts, apples, peaches, figs and persimmons, not to mention a river full of trout, steelhead, and salmon.

The house is lovingly filled with decades of family memories and collections of objects that told stories of days gone by.

Our time at Spoosy's second home was all I had been promised it would be. In fact we stretched our planned three nights and two days to four nights and four days - it was that special! So much more to come on this magical place, just as soon as I get control over all this dirty laundry.

The Yosemite Valley

Every time we come to Yosemite I end up in tears. Last year, it happened on our last day, when at the base of Half Dome I watched my naked babies splash about in Mirror Lake. As my heart exploded, the tears erupted.

It happened again this morning, but admittedly on a slightly smaller scale. After taking our morning coffee, faces kissed by the morning sun rising over Half Dome, I took a walk to the end of our campground to visit the stables. I knew that soft, golden light, shining down on those horses, would be absolutely breathtaking.

And it was. So I took pause, let it all seep in, and let the tears well up.

It was just another summer morning in the Yosemite Valley. But even still, it seems impossible to me to be in those moments and to not feel that there is something greater than all of us at work.

California Road Trip - Day 3 - Los Angeles

Our next stop after Santa Barbara, and before Joshua Tree, was at The Farmer's Daughter Hotel in "Gloss Angeles", as the five-year-old calls it.

What's not to love about trough-like bathroom faucets, garden trellis headboards and chicken wallpaper?

Pretty Little Hen Soap

I have to share the sweetest gift I received from a friend...

...French-milled soaps is the shapes of a hen and her eggs!

I just put them in the hall bathroom, only to remove and shelve them. I've decided these sweet smelling soaps need to save themselves for Easter!

by Gianna Rose Atelier

'Agrarian Chic' Clubhouse - Before + After

I am so excited to share these photos! The project in Colorado is finished and everyone is thrilled! Our interior designer turned a drab, unloved apartment complex clubhouse into a colorful, inviting community space that residents are running to enjoy.

Today the tenants not only have the new clubhouse, but they also gained a multi-screen media room (once a storage closet), a game room (once a spa room [barely]), a fitness center and a business center. The staff also got a gorgeous new leasing office! Today I'm posting pictures of the designers portion. Due to budget, I took on the fitness room and game room, although it was heavily driven by her existing color choices, etc. Those pics tomorrow.

These were the main design guidelines I gave her:

• Add corrugated metal to the ceiling to really drive home the agrarian chic vibe 
• Add board and batt to the tall, vaulted ceiling
• Pops of color, with the primary one being a Kelly green to tie in with the property's new identity.
• Give us a barn door!

As you might guess (or not!), this was a relatively tight, tight budget. Every piece you see her is affordable and easily found in the marketplace.  I think she did an incredible job!

BEFORE:

AFTER:

The ceilings are my favorite detail - stunning! And not terribly expensive to achieve considering the high impact they deliver.

BEFORE:

AFTER:

A coffee station was added (back right) as well as bistro tables and chairs (back left). We envisioned this place being where tenants could come together for down time, study sessions (there is a college next door), games, etc. Wi-fi is available through-out.

Here is a shot of the old storage closet that is now the media room:

Business center:

Our designer *said* this was one of her all time favorite projects in 20 years of business. She also *said* she loved the challenge of the tight budget. I choose to believe her. :)

Stay tuned for fitness and game room images, before and after! :) Until then, Happy Superbowl Sunday!!!

I Have Tears In My Eyes

The coolest thing happened this morning when I woke-up early, tip-toed downstairs, and did what I always do when I'm the first one up - enjoyed a cup of coffee in my favorite cup...

...while looking out at the mountain.

(In case that was confusing, no, I haven't mentioned the *cool* part yet.)

The cool part of this story - it's actually amazing, if you ask me - is that as I sat in the silence of a pre-dawn kitchen, admiring the mountain, I thought about a poem that I've thought of often through-out my life. It's a poem that I read about 30 years ago, as a young girl, in the juvenile poetry section of some children's magazine. I remember reading all these poems written by kids like me, and then there was one poem -- one incredibly beautiful poem, signed by a nine year old girl that far surpassed all of them. I remember being in awe of this girl's ability. She was about my age and had the ability to write poetry like an adult.

I tore out the poem and kept if for years, rereading it often and thinking about the nine year old girl who could write poetry like a pro. The page floated around through my childhood, making it's way from a pin board, to a desk drawer and eventually into a keepsake box. (It might even still exist somewhere deep in our basement.)

Through the years, I have forgot almost all of the words to the once-memorized poem, all but the last line:

And I'm the one who woke the sun

And kissed the stars goodnight.

I thought about the poem again this morning, while taking my coffee in front of the mountain, kissed by the rising sun. As I listed to the first clucks coming from chicken coop, I thought - what if...what if I could find that poem on the internet?

And just like that it was there in front of me. A search of the last sentence produced the entire poem of a woman who was actually not a 9 year old in 1981, but an older woman. No wonder the poem struck me as so amazing - it was written by a professional poet! And if my memory is serving me correctly it was either misprinted as the work of a young child or it was a case of undetected plagiarism. Either way, I am so excited to have it back in my life and I'm fascinated by how much its words resonated with me at a time long before I knew I loved gardens or farms. I only wish the poet was still alive so I could share with her my story and let her know how much her poem meant to my childhood.

 

Very Early
by Karla Kuskin

When I wake in the early mist

The sun has hardly shown

And everything is still asleep

And I’m awake alone.

The stars are faint and flickering.

The sun is new and shy.

And all the world sleeps quietly

Except the sun and I.

And then the noises start,

The whirrs and huffs and hums,

The birds peep out to find a worm.

The mice squeak out for crumbs,

The calf moos out to find the cow,

And taste the morning air

And everything is wide awake

And running everywhere.

The dew has dried,

The fields are warm,

The day is loud and bright,

And I’m the one who woke the sun

And kissed the stars goodnight.

 

This day last year: "Japanesque" at The Legion of Honor

The Gift of Gobble-Gobble

One of Daddy's oldest and dearest friends is giving us the most incredible gift -- he's offered to raise a heritage breed turkey, of our choice, for our 2012 Thanksgiving table.

Um, let me think abo--- YETH PWEEZ!!!

We were directed to Murray McMurray Hatchery where, together with the kids, we selected our breed, by way of a highly competitive game of drawing breeds, scribbled on Post-it notes, out of a melamine bowl. We were all sitting on the kitchen floor.

And the winner was - Bourbon Red!

I'm excited for the experience, for having the opportunity to visit our friend's hobby farm, and to see our bird grow to full-size in the best of conditions.

Here are some photos from a recent visit to their farm, right before Halloween. Unfortunately, my lens was faulty this day and these pictures are not that great, but our friend's new home and farm is beautiful so I have to share anyway.

My Favorite Gift

All the presents have been opened, and we are now happily doing the things we love: playing, napping and blogging.

This Christmas was egg-ceptional in that the kids initial reactions to seeing the Christmas tree this morning were, for the first time, satisfying and rewarding. In years past, I've always found myself a bit saddened that they never seem as thrilled with their surprises as I'd hoped. "Hey, Mom. Look. It's a pink bike."

Wa-wa-wa-waaaaa.

This year they were great -- thrilled, gleeful, thankful, surprisingly patient.  :)

But what I really, really, really want to share is the most incredibly thoughtful, generous and creative gift my kids received from their Granny.

You may have heard of Heifer International, an organization that provides livestock to families in the third world to help improve nutrition and generate income in sustainable ways.

I've been familiar with this incredible organization for years, and have held onto their catalog as a reminder of a great gift to give.  I just haven't ever done it yet, for reasons I now know to be silly.

See granny gave my kids the gift of a pig - donated to a poor family in need, and did so in their names. And to mark the gesture, she gave them several pig related gifts so that they could "remember all day the pig present" that they gave to another family in a different part of the world.

I have tears in my eyes (again) as I write this. What an incredible Christmas gift for anyone to receive, but to give it to children, in such a fun and creative way, was absolutely heart-warming. I will have to steal this idea and encourage you to as well!

Their piggy gifts included bacon gummy candy, piggy bath scrubs, piggy booties for a baby doll and piggy banks filled with chocolate coins.

Thank you, Granny Alexis!!! You are the absolute BEST!  xoxo

Favorite Gifts to Give

Every year, Daddy receives holiday gift baskets from various business associates. Occasionally, there will be a lovely box of Harry + David fruit and nuts, if we're lucky. But more often than not, the boxes contain mass quantities of not-worth-the-calories dark, chocolate fudge, brownies and cookies. Right now I have a 12" pecan pie, "Made in Texas", that I'm wondering what to do with.

And it always makes me wonder, who is in charge of ordering this stuff?

I'm guessing whoever is in charge of ordering is just sending out the same thing to every client. And I understand why this must be, but at the same time, I just cringe at all the waste.

I have never asked Daddy what his office sent to their clients in the past, half-scared to know the answer. Instead, I offered to take over the ordering this year, in an effort to lighten the world a few more mommies having to dump seven pounds of mediocre dessert food (to their chickens).

Walking through the San Francisco Ferry Building recently, I got the idea to send out gifts from local producers.  Not only would we be sharing our favorite foods from home, but we could keep the money local while supporting small business.

Fa-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la!

Here's what I sent:

If you are a business associate of my husband, and you have 2+ kids, I sent you Miette Bakery's Valencia Hamper.

Gosh - I wish someone would send us one of these! (Anyone? Anyone?!?)  I know it is on the sweet side, but it's Miette, so that makes it OK.

If you are an associate of my husband and you are married with a grown child or two at home, I may have sent you a Cowgirl Creamery Holiday Collection,

or a sampler from our favorite local spot, Rustic Bakery.

For small offices with several people on staff, I sent the Miette Holiday Box.

If you are a single woman, or mom, I sent you a selection of body products from McEvoy Ranch, as well as a bottle of their olive oil.

And if I couldn't figure out much about you, I probably sent you a little taste of California in the form a gift box from my favorite olive oil producer, California Olive Ranch.

On a more personal note, I also wanted to give gifts to all the wonderful service providers in our immediate life: the dog walker, the gardeners, etc. In the past, I have always given them cash but with the introduction of Milly's dog walker, who takes her for an amazing 4-5 hours a day, 2 days a week, and with whom I have more of a personal relationship with, I wanted something a tad more thoughtful. So to all these people I gave $25 gift certificates to Rustic Bakery. I love that I get to share one of our favorite spots while supporting a local business, owned and operated by women supporting our local agriculture.

Fa-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la!

Happy Holidays! 

Model Apartment: Before + After

Last week, I headed out to Denver, Colorado for a quick trip to visit this project which I've been working on for several months.  I met with the landscaper, who is almost finished with the exterior improvements, but the bulk of my time was spent remodeling the model apartment (!!!) as well as having it professionally photographed.  All of it was exhausting, but great, great fun!

*Egg-citing* Discovery

Notice anything weird here?

It's a soft-shelled egg and I found our first one yesterday.

It kind of felt like a like a seamless paper bag, filled with fluid. We held it carefully and experimented with it in different positions, and its reaction to being poked with various objects. :)

I had read about these at one point, but have never seen one up close. It's apparently the result of a lack of nutrients. Hard to believe when you know how well our girls eat.

Adventures on Apple Hill

Our family's cabin is in the Foothill Sierras. It's amazing in the summer heat, with the river out back, but my absolute favorite time of year to visit is in the fall. And that's mostly because of Apple Hill.

Apple Hill is a cluster of small farms near Placerville. Most are apple orchards, but there are also peaches, pumpkin patches and Christmas tree farms.  They all open up to visitors on Labor Day weekend, and some stay open as late as Christmas.

Every farm offers something a little different - *U-pick* opportunities, hay rides, Halloween festivities, homemade baked goods, arts and craps crafts, train rides, picnicking, etc., etc. Total Americana - which is why I can't get enough of it.

Our favorite farm is High Hill Ranch, #1 on the farm tours map.  This weekend you could find us there making candles, taking ponies for rides in circles, eating bbq chicken with apple (and marshmallow!) salad, and fishing for dinner.

I mean, come on...how cute is all that?!?

Above, some of the High Hill gals prep containers of their infamous marshmallow and caramel treats, to-go.

After an afternoon at the ranch, we drove the loop that takes you past most of the farms on Apple Hill. Bavarian Hills was already celebrating October-fest with traditional German tunes making their way out to the road. Larsen Apples, shown below, is closed on Saturdays, but I've always loved the look of the barn with gold and red apples painted on the side.

Denver Dan's has U-pick, which we did several years back. This year, we just stopped by for a quick look at their Alpacas.

Is it just me, or does my daughter's hair look like that of a blonde alpaca? ;)

Wordless Wednesday

Italian Staycation - Day 5 - Metal Art

Lately, I've been hyper-aware of the architectural, landscape, interior and graphic details of modern homesteading design, on account of the Colorado project I've been apart of.  The project is taking a 25 year old apartment building, with little architectural interest, and bringing it up to date on a very, very tight budget.  We are going for a *modern mountain* vibe, and this little vacation in the wine country has supplied lots of inspiration. Today, I'm focused on ART.

The always fun restaurant Barn Diva, and it's art gallery next door, Studio Barn Diva, are a feast for the homesteaders eyes. I've found myself drawn to a lot of metal artwork this week...the *Studio* was full of it!

Here is a wonderful piece of metal artwork that I first noticed two years ago while taking dinner at Barn Diva with friends. It's a life-sized sculpture of a farmer, formed out of one continuous piece of wire. His wife (not shown) stands on a parallel wall above a row of tables. What's most exciting about this piece is how it casts shadows on the underlying wall, based on how light is cast on it.  Look at the image above. First notice the sculpture, then look at how different the shadow's image is.  The sculpture is of a straight-faced farmer, the shadow is of a man forlorn. It's creator, Seth Minor, has many more smaller pieces in the gallery next door.

Another artist at the *Barn*, Ismael Sanchez, does similar work but with many cut pieces of wire.  The impact of his life size figures and animals packs a powerful punch.  I, of course, fell in love with his chicken.

Everyday, we pass this adorable group of goats playing poker and enjoying wine.  One goat stands at the roadside taking a picture of the tourists driving by.  At night time, it's illuminated for a completely different effect.

Italian Staycation - Day 4 - Dry Creek General Store

I adore the Dry Creek General Store. It's just that simple.

Established in 1881, and still going strong 130 years later, this place is the quintessential modern day general store.  Lucky for me, we drive past it every time we leave, and return, to our summer rental.

Their shelves are lined with locally produced treats from the folks at places like Happy Girl Kitchen (the folks who taught me how to can!!!) and Kiki's Treats (chocolate covered graham crackers, anyone?), to name a few.  Mixed in with the edibles are unique gifts that any homesteader would be proud to give, and/or love to receive.

The deli, with it's freshly prepared gourmet foods of locally grown, organic meats and produce, has yet to disappoint. The menu is extensive, the countertop - overflowing, and if you can forgive the less than enthusiastic staff, you're going to really enjoy yourself.

Today we stopped by for lunch and (woops!) ended up staying for dessert: fresh, homemade "Italian donuts".

They were incredible. Much more dense than what we know as an American donut, they came sprinkled with superfine sugar and a hint of citrus.

I was thrilled to spot some jars of my favorite Verde Olive Oil Body Balm by McEvoy Ranch. (It was displayed between a rack of old school candy bars and hardcover coffee-table-worthy books on farm life.)  I grabbed a couple jars to have on hand for future hostess gifts while fighting the urge to purchase the latest edition of Extraordinary Chickens.

Italian Staycation - Day 2 - A Bike Ride

We had the rare opportunity to break away this afternoon and do a long bike ride through the Dry Creek Valley, just the two of us.  So I gathered together all my protective clothing, most importantly, my neon flowered flip-flops, and set out on a 20 mile *peddle* through the countryside.

Daddy didn't want me to get run over by a tractor and insisted I wear a helmet.  Fair enough, but I always insist on wearing a brimmed hat.  The outcome looked like this:

Not sexy.  And yet I swear it took everything out of the man not to dry hump my leg all day. ;-)

The temperature was an ideal 84 degrees and so we peddled and chatted, chatted and peddled until we reached Healdsburg in time for lunch.

We had hoped to try the new SpoonBar at the h2 Hotel, but were disappointed to learn it was closed for lunch on Tuesdays.  So we made reservations for dinner instead, and walked around oh-ing and aw-ing all the great landscape, architectural and interior details.

Just outside the restaurant's entrance was this incredible work of art paying homage to, what else, the spoon. The sound of water drizzling down a wall balancing hundreds of teetering spoons was just so sweet and calming.

Inside the lobby, I had a seat on a multi-patterned Missoni couch (when are they not?!), and looked beyond some highly lacquered coffee tables of reclaimed wood to a stunning piece of art by Stephen Galloway. It all tied in very well with my flip-flops, don't you think?

On the way home, I took this picture:

I just love the sight of an endless field of agriculture, interrupted only by a barn's corrugated metal roof.

Lovely Birthday Gifts

My birthday was on Saturday. I'm 35 36 37 38.

One of my girlfriends sent me a hilarious email where she wrote: "Happy Birthday!  I hope your day is filled with well-behaved children, an adoring husband and delicious meals that don't involve you cooking or cleaning."

I'm happy to report, it was. :)

I wanted to share a couple gifts that were given to my by my neighborhood girls. I just love these. Bridget, my favorite neighbor to the left of me, gave me the above ceramic accessories for the kitchen. I've always adored the ceramic square baskets for strawberries or tomatoes, and she also gifted me a sunshine yellow mini butter dish. Had she read my diary? Did she know we were operating with no butter dish and that I have fantasies of keeping butter on the counter at room temperature? I love its half-scale.

Then there is Sarah, my favorite neighbor right behind me. She and I share many interests: chickens, gardening and food, being just a few.  She gave me this adorable set of bud vases set in a mini version of an antique milk bottle basket. Such great gifts for the homesteader in me. Thanks, Ladies!

Daddy and I had dinner at the new El Paseo Chophouse. Yowzers! If you need a special place for that special occasion, consider it. It was incredible!

Visit to Clark Summit Farm

There is a little known secret in the world of *family fun* and it's called Marin Organic. I know, I know, it doesn't sound right, but trust me. I've had the good fortune of accessing some pretty amazing things in our local agriculture just by being on the Marin Organic email list. Go to their website, sign up for their emails, or better yet, do your community a favor and become a member, it starts at just $40 year.  Besides supporting an incredible organization, that in turn supports local farming and farmland, you will be privy to some incredible opportunities for you and your family.

Like this past Saturday when I signed the family up to take a private tour of Clark Summit Farm outside of Tomales. Third generation farmer, Liz, and her husband Dan, were more than welcoming when they allowed a handful of us to walk their land.  They only laid down one rule, "Don't pick up the baby pigs."

 

And there were hundreds of them!!!  It was enough to make your heart melt.  The kids were in heaven and the baby was squealing just like a piglet.  It's a shame those baby pigs don't like to be held!

After our visit to the farm, and at the recommendation of Kerry, from Marin Organic, we headed back into town and stopped at the Tomales deli for an incredible lunch of local, organic fare. The kids were able to order chicken tenders, (cooked to order and made with, get this -- real, honest-to-goodness chicken!!!  Woo-hoo!), while Daddy enjoyed a grass fed burger and I, a locally caught albacore tuna melt.

(Udderly Fabulous) Tour of Straus Farm

Yesterday was the day I had been looking forward to for weeks - it was our day to tour of the Straus Family Farm in West Marin.  The farm is home to Albert Straus, son of original owners Bill and Ellen Straus, his family, as well as 300 gorgeous, healthy, happy cows.

Beautifully situated on rolling hills that kiss down on Tomales Bay, you'd never know you were passing this beloved family farm as there are absolutely no markings to indicate such, only a simple number on a sign.

Straus cows are happy cows.  Nobody needed to tell us that, it was just clear as day, right there in front of us. They graze in the pasture all day long, eating grass and socializing.

They do get some supplemental feed, which they love, but not enough to cause health issues that you hear of with factory farms.  These cows never receive antibiotics, pesticides in their feed or growth hormones.  The grain was stored undercover in a sort of open-air barn (I'm sure it has a name), divided into three different areas.  We were told it took a long while for them to source 100% organic, non-GMO feed for their girls, but they are very proud of the fact that they did and that their heifers receive the best money can buy.

Some really interesting, dust covered cobwebs on wood posts dividing the feed storage areas.

Harley, the farm manager, jumped in and out of our tour, sharing his incredible knowledge of all things dairy farm.  These are his boots:

Everyone's favorite part of the tour - baby heifers.  Man were these little girls sweet!  Immediately, their unique personalities were revealed to us.  Some ran, hopped and kicked around the pen, some rested peacefully in the hay, while others came straight up to us at the fence trading licks for pats.  About six months ago, Harley started naming all the newborns with the intention of every Straus cow having a name someday. I just love that!

This is Monique:

This little girls just tore at my heartstrings when she approached my open hand and started sucking on my index finger.

The only disappointing part of the tour was learning that all calves are separated from their moms at birth. (Industry standard, sniffle, sniffle)  Everything else about these cows lives is amazing - truly it is.  But in order to run a dairy, cows can only be used for one thing and that's milk production.  So the baby boys are sold and the baby girls are raised on the farm, in a barnyard setting. There is a machine (The Urban U40!) that provides them milk on demand and we got to see it up close and personal.  When a calf enters one of it's two stalls, it scans her tag and provides her access to her daily quotient of cows milk, on demand. Here are some images of it:

Towards the end of the two-hour tour, it was time for the ladies second milking.  They were all sauntering down the hill towards the milk parlor.  I just love this picture; can you see what's going on here?

All these ladies, with their utters down to THE GROUND were just standing next to this truck, watching the mechanic work.

When I looked at this lady and jokingly remarked, "Ouch - I remember those days!", the farm manager asked, "Oh, you worked on a dairy farm?!"  Er, uh - sorta...I've had three kids - does that count?!? ;)

They have a lot of advanced technology on the farm (remember the Urban U40?) but some things are still old school.

The Milk Parlor.  All the ladies line-up and take turns, fourteen at a time.

What would a tour of the Straus Family Farm be without some organic ice cream? Cheers!

To learn more about Straus Creamery or to take a tour of their farm, visit their FAQ page.

Egg-Citing, Modern Chicken Coops

In just the few months that have passed since we researched chicken coop designs for our own ladies, there has been an EXPLOSION in the world of modern, chicken coop designs.  Had we planned a bit better, we might have something in our yard a tad more exciting than the chicken-wire-wrapped-frame that houses Beatrice, Simone, Princess and Lady Gaga.  Regardless, it's still fun to be a voyeur into the chicken coop revolution. Here is some of my favorite *egg-candy*:

*The Nogg*

*Modern Chicken Coop* by Terrabella

The economics of homegrown eggs goes out the frickin' window with this one.  *Cocorico* by Maxime Evrard is a bit *egg-stream* in my eyes, but gorgeous nonetheless.

*Eglu Cube* by Omlet.  If I had to do it all over again, this is the coop we should have purchased. We avoided it due to it's pricetag but have probably spent more in the end.

*Breed Retreat* by Frederik Roije

I love that this one looks like a trailer. *Modern Coop*

Custom coop by architects Mitchell Snyder and Shelley Martin

A Day on the Farm

The baby ate a lot of poop yesterday.

In an otherwise enchanting day on the farm, we celebrated a three-year old's big day while mingling with (mostly) free-roaming chickens, ponies, rabbits and geese.

And all their poop too.

**Note to self: Boost kiddos immune systems by exposing them to more farm dirt and poop. CHECK.

Community Olive Oil Press at McEvoy Ranch

Yesterday was my ideal winter's day.  The air was calm and crisp, and the sky was dark with the clouds of a storm in the making.  The conditions were perfect for picking every last olive off our tree before heading to McEvoy Ranch for their community milling day.

With somewhere between 10 and 20 lbs. of fruit, we packed the family into the car and drove up north to Petaluma for a new kind of adventure, as well as some quality time with good friends.

The ranch is tucked away off the main road and over the hill.  One would easily miss it if unmarked.  But once you turn down the driveway and wind your way around the property you begin making your way to a very enchanting spot. Up over the hill is 80 acres of orchards, pond and milling facility. It has more of a spa retreat feel to it than it does of a working ranch. Then again, this is the wine country. Secret spots of *splendor* are never hard to come by.

After checking in and being weighed, our olives were added to the community bin. All the olives in the bins were so small compared to ours, which were massive, glossy and juicy. I have no idea if any of these characteristics elevate our olives to a higher status then the others, but I've convinced myself that it does and that I'm most certainly responsible for it.

Drive to Slide Ranch. Now.

There is a very special place around here and it's called Slide Ranch.  This past weekend, the big guy took some of the little guys and headed out there for what was supposed to be a family campout.  Unfortunately, the rains dampened that plan but the good people out on the ranch still hosted everyone for an abbreviated four-hour day on the farm.

The kids came home wet and dirty just like I like them.  They talked of hiking to the fennel forest, playing with chickens, milking goats and eating fresh baked pumpkin bread with hot cocoa while sitting on the cliff, overlooking the Pacific Ocean.

Ahhhh....

"For a lot of kids in the Bay Area, the environment seems like a distant thing that just isn't relevant in their day-to-day lives. Slide Ranch, located on the dramatic Marin coast, connects visitors with the natural world and teaches kids about their interdependence with the environment.

Spend the day exploring the intersection of cultivated and wild lands: in the organic garden, walking the trails, milking a goat and feeding the chickens or just sitting on the bluff above the roaring ocean. Learn how our choices impact our health and the health of the planet."

Slide Ranch
2025 Shoreline Highway
Muir Beach, CA 94965

Phone: 415.381.6155
Fax: 415.381.5762