fresh produce...

The sure sign of summer here on O'Donovan Acres is the garden. Once that is planted we all know summer is here. We take turns watering, picking, and eating the fresh produce!

Here are fresh picked beets. Plenty for all and some to share!!!

Yum the corn will be ripe in mid July!!!

We have already enjoyed grilled zucchini, the tomatoes are starting to blush,  the lemon cucumbers have a little maturing to do, but oh the joy of fresh produce! 

gray skies....

This year we had a real winter. A real wet one, so wet that we had flooding, major flooding. 

This is what it looked like coming down form over out bridge toward the horse ranch.

This is turning the first corner. Rushing muddy water.

Now this is the straight part of our driveway, now a creek bed. 

This is looking out on the field. What happened is our creek was flowing, but it kept raining. up the creek two vineyards, the dike broke and flooded through the two vineyards, then down our driveway all the way to the huero huero (pronounced where o where o) river next to the horse ranch. we had 8-12 inches of water flowing down our driveway for a week.

The benefit of it was that it drowned out lots of ground squirrels. The bummer is we will need a whole new driveway before next winter. The humorous part was we had catfish laying on our driveway that the neighbor kids would take buckets out and rescue! 

the hanging nest...

This spring a family of finches had quite a creative way of building their nest up in our palm tree. All the grassy strings that hang off the fronds they somehow tied together and made a hanging nest. there they hatched two little baby birds!!! They were quite noisy but very fun to watch!

life is short...eat cookies...

Everyone loves cookies, but here are two of my favorites that are so easy and very showy for a summer party or gathering!!!

Milk Chocolate Florentines:

cookies:

2/3 cup butter

2 cups quick oats

1 cup sugar

2/3 cup flour

1/4 cup corn syrup 

1/4 cup milk

1 tsp. vanilla

1/4 tsp salt

filling:

12 oz milk chocolate chips

Melt butter in a mixing bowl in microwave. Add remaining cookie ingredients, mixing by hand. Line baking sheet (air-bake works best) with foil. Drop level teaspoons of dough 3 inches apart onto foil. Pat flat. 

Bake at 375 for 5-7 minutes or until lightly browned in center. Cool completely; peel from foil. (cookies should be crispy). By size match cookies into pairs. 

In top of double boiler over simmering water, melt chocolate chips. Spread chocolate over bottom of one cookie. Top with second cookie, lightly pressing together. Place in a single layer on baking sheet. Chill until chocolate is set. Makes 3 1/2 to 4 dozen sandwich cookies. These cookies freeze well.

Frosted Ginger Cookies:

1 cup sugar

3/4 cup butter softened

1 egg

3 Tbsp molasses

2 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 tsp ginger

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp each salt, grond cloves, ground nutmeg

Glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar

1Tbsp. water

1 tsp lemon juice

Cream sugar and butter. Mix in egg and molasses. Add the rest of ingredients. Roll balls of dough in sugar. Bake at 350 for 10 min. or until golden brown. Remove from cookie sheet and let cool 10 min. Then drizzle glaze over cookies. ENJOY!!!

strawberry season....

Yay! Strawberries are almost ripe! I think that strawberries are my favorite berry! I love to go out and just pick them and eat them, toss them on a salad, or in a smoothie!

YUM!!!

summer salsa.....

So first here are the pictures then I will write the recipe and directions!!!

Now I was doing this for a large group of people so I made lots of recipes!

Yummy Summer Salsa:

1 8oz can of tomato sauce

1 8oz can of diced tomatoes

1 handful cilantro

2 cloves of garlic

6-8 dried arbol chiles blackened

1 tsp salt

Blacken chiles in broiler then dump in blender. Dump remaining ingredients on top of chiles. Pulse blend until desired texture. (I like it a little chunky, others prefer it totally blended) Enjoy with chips, tacos, burritos, and much more!!!

a waterfall...

A project we have always wanted to do ever since we re-dug our pond was a waterfall. There is a pipe that flows into the pond from up the hill a little ways, and there was a ditch from the water rushing down.  So finally we began.

So beneath the huge oak tree is now a beautiful waterfall! As you can see it still needs rocks, but that is the easy part!

This is a side view showing the top and where it rushes down! 

And here is the final picture! Now you will have to come sit by this peaceful place and listen to the calming water!