I love that I call Olympia home and that the sense of community is so strong amongst our friends and neighbors.  What has been accomplished in such a short amount of time is nothing less than amazing.  This project started as a small idea from the pricipal at Avanti High School.  A joint venture with Madison Elementary to have a garden.  Perhaps just a raised bed or two in the shared parking lot between the two schools.  A project that would get the kids from both schools working together.  There was interest and after a meeting of interested parties this idea evolved from a couple of raised beds in a parking lot to a magnificent working garden in what was once referred to as "The Madison Pond."  Parents, volunteers, students, and the community came together to make this project a reality.

This garden has already been a fantastic learning experience for the students, and they have already reaped the rewards in the form of salad and ownership.  Most of the students can tell you which plant they grew from a seed and then planted in the garden, what it is, and they are excited about it!  And it just isn't gardening they are learning, there have been reading lessons, math lessons, social studies (complete with a borscht and salsa garden) and it is all growing right outside the windows to the school from the tiny seed of an idea.

When we walk by the school during recess it is great to see that some of the kids actually spend their free time in the garden, walking the paths, checking for weeds, enjoying the space.  Community members and neighbors use it as a spot for picnics and to take care of it.  Food produced from the garden will go to families who need it and the Food Bank during the summer when kids are not in school.  It is truly amazing what has transpired from that tiny seed of an idea.

Just imagine what we could do as a community if we all put our little bit of effort into something.  A marshy portion of a field became a garden in a matter of a few months and a handful of work parties.  People who have no vested interest in either of the schools got involved.  We had adults and kids alike who were there for a baseball or soccer game during a work party pick up a shovel and pitch in, they wanted to be involved.  Amazing…simply amazing.

During this whole process a neighbor and photographer Steven Herppich came and took photos documenting the process and he was kind enough to put those photos into a very moving slide show.  It was shown at the garden dedication and it was very emotional for the adults but for the children as well.

And now you can see how far the garden has come, and the fabulous thing is, it is just going to continue to get better and amaze us all.

http://animoto.com/play/kR4NEGWY1jv4rSXEKG0N7g

So we are often asked if we are going to close when baby comes.  Nope, not unless someone wants to pay our bills!  So in preparation for baby coming, which we think will happen around week 38 or so based on Lauren's arrival (we know every pregnancy is different), we are starting to get together some things that we can do ahead of time to make breakfast time easier.  Hence project Sorbet stockpile!  We started doing sorbets as our fruit course just before Lauren was born and our guests love it, its different, refreshing, and especially when the days get hotter, cool!  First we have to find some space in the freezer to store the said sorbet, and second source some containers to put the said sorbet in.  Here are the sorbet flavors I have come up with so far.  I think 7 – 10 flavors will be enough, give us enough variety in case we do have longer stays, and enough to last a while as well.

Strawberry
Banana Coconut
Raspberry
Plum
Grape (haven't made this one yet, but we have lots of grape concentrate from last years concords so I'm going to try it)
Minted Melon
Peach Vanilla Rooibos
Kiwi
Peach
Orange

Other flavors to consider:
Rose
Lavender
Lemon
Watermelon

My favorites are the minted melon (cantaloupe or tuscan), and the banana coconut, although the Peach Vanilla Rooibos is good too.  Wait what am I saying they are all good!  We use our own strawberries, raspberries, grapes, and plums when I make those flavors, if we have them.  We might get kiwis this year on our vines, and we do have one peach tree, but so far we have only gotten one peach from it.  Last year we tried to grow melons but we weren't successful, plus the fruit that did start to grow on it didn't look like a cantaloupe.  If anyone figures out how to grow oranges, bananas and coconuts here in the NW let me know.  Our lemon tree (A Meyer) didn't do so well, even indoors it died.   Although in its defense it died when we weren't here to look after it and it was very cold that winter.

Any other interesting combination or flavors we should try?

Skillet Tamale Pie
adapted from America's Test Kitchen

Serves 4

Tamale Filling
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, minced
2 Tablespoons chili powder
Salt to taste
2 medium cloves garlic, minced (about 2 teaspoons)
1 lb ground sirloin (lean)
1 15.5 ounce can black beans (I also have used dried mixed beans that have been soaked over night, rinsed and cooked until soft)
2 tomatoes, diced
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese.

2 Tablespoons minced fresh cilantro leaves
Ground Black Pepper

Cornbread Topping
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup yellow cornmeal
3 Tablespoons sugar
3/4 teaspoon Baking powder
3/4 teaspoon Baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 large egg
3 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled

1. Adjust an over rack to the middle position and heat oven to 450 degrees.

2. For Tamale Filling:  Heat oil in a 12-inch oven proof skillet over medium heat until shimmering.  Add the onion, chili powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook until the onion is softened, about 5 minutes.  Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

3. Stir in the ground sirloin, beans and tomatoes, bring to a simmer breaking up mean with a wooden spoon, about 5 minutes.  Stir the cheddar and cilantro into the filling and season with salt and pepper to taste.

4. Cornbread Topping:  Meanwhile, whisk the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl.  Add buttermilk and egg and stir until mixed and uniform.  Stir in the butter until just combined.

5. Dollop the cornbread batter evenly over the filling and spread into an even layer.  Bake until cornbread is cooked through in the center 10 – 15 minutes.