Summer Tradition: Blueberry Picking!

This past weekend, Erik and I did one of my very favorite annual traditions: blueberry picking! I have been going almost every year since I was very young, when my mom would take me and my brothers to a place called Blueberry Hill. This year, Blueberry Hill wasn't open on the weekend we wanted to go picking, so we found a new place to try. This one was called Grandma Dixie's, in Hockinson, WA, and it was such a good find! I definitely want to go picking there again. I may even go back again this year.

There were only a handful of families picking when we went at midday on a Saturday in peak blueberry season, the bushes were full of perfectly ripe berries, and some of the berries were bigger than a quarter!

So much fun. And at the end of all that fun, we ended up with 8.5 lbs of blueberries! We froze most of them for smoothies & muffins, but we ate a whole bunch of them fresh. My current favorite way to eat fresh blueberries is in a bowl with some plain vanilla ice cream and a big piece of this poppyseed almond bread.

Summer tradition: Picnic!

Yesterday was supposed to be hot, but it didn't warm up until nearly the end of the day. When it finally did, Erik and I decided to take advantage of the lovely summer evening with a picnic. We had sourdough bread, smoked gouda & soft swiss cheese, white nectarines, and wine that was made at a winery within walking distance of my parents' house.

We ate slowly and read good books and soaked in the last of the day's sun. Absolute bliss.

The mason jar cups were made by me, and can be found here.

Happy Earth Day!

Earth Day has become one of my favorite holidays. I love all things natural and eco-responsible, so having a day where the whole country is extra-conscious of that stuff makes me so happy!

This will be the 4th year of an Earth Day tradition that Erik and I have, watching a documentary. Usually we go see the DisneyNature film that comes out in theaters this time every year, but this year there's a gap and it turns out that next year is Bears, about Alaskan grizzly bears. I guess the production on this one is taking longer for some reason.

Previously, we've gone to see Oceans (2010), African Cats (2011), and Chimpanzee (2012). This year we're going to find one on Netflix to watch. Even though it means we'll be sitting inside staring at a screen (ironic, no?), our tradition of watching a documentary is a fun way to become more aware and educated about our Earth.

I also spent most of the weekend making Earth-friendly projects, which I will be sharing with you soon!

For now, though, there are starlings outside the window, fresh tulips on the table, and so much sunshine that there are no lights on in the house. Living on this Earth is wonderful.