SPINACH AND PESTO (and a Ballerina)

Elsa had her recital on Saturday, a lovely little ballerina she was!

Jonel and Andy grow spinach in a cold frame and it has been prolific, and I, thankfully have been a recipient of much of it.

Huge, sweet leaves....

sauteed in olive oil with onion and lots of garlic.  (The little girls were astounded at the full, full, overflowing pan that ended up with what looked like a meager amount of spinach.)

Served with linguini, pesto, and grating of cheese.  It was so fresh and decidedly delicious.

Fresh from the garden lettuce salad...

homemade sour dough bread, buttered, with garlic and pressed in the panini machine.

Nothing quite like food fresh from the garden.

SIX YEAR OLD

She asked for the moon...and a bunch of stars, too.

And that is what she got!!

This year Elsa asked me to make a 'moon' cake for her, with stars sticking out.  (Her fourth birthday she asked for the sun, her fifth she asked for the earth, and this, her sixth, she asked for the moon.)

The moon cake, with stars.

...and she loved it, she pronounced it 'perfect'.

I also made her a sun dress with matching cap

and every year I include a wrapped gift for the birthday girl to give to her sister....

...so a sun dress with matching cap for Iris, as well.

The birthday party was held Friday morning at Wildcat State Park, and although a bit cool, it really was quite pleasant.

These girls are growing so rapidly, time seems to be a trickster, collapsing in upon itself whooshing away not just the minutes but it seems the years as well.

I feel deeply blessed to be loved by these girls.