The Flavors of June

by Steph // Saturday, August 1, 2026 // No Comments

The photos I post here of all that we eat may seem impressive, but, honestly, I feel like I am in a pretty big rut of just doing the same things.

Mostly that is out of necessity!

I have a lot of bellies to fill, and not a lot of extra time.

Looking back at this little ole blog of mine is a very fun and inspiring thing to do in regards to what comes out of our kitchen.

I usually look back on the year before at the beginning of every season to refresh my memory as to what we were cooking and what we enjoyed.

So let’s take a look at what those things were in June!

June was an exceptionally busy month – so I am even curious to see what I photographed!

Ok, I had already forgotten about that raspberry sourdough bread – and they LOVED it!

I am still using our smoothie “cubes” – they are a great staple in the freezer and a quick way to have a smoothie.

I just made two huge jars of those refrigerator pickles this morning because the cucumbers are coming in from the garden faster than we can preserve them!

Hummus is a staple I have made for years and years.

Lane’s absolute favorite snack!

Hard boiled eggs are a staple too.

Doesn’t everybody make hard boiled eggs all the time?

Fresh cookies are always on the counter in that same container.

I am sure I do not need to say how often I make waffles.

They are a great freezer staple!

I have probably made thousands of them over the years.

French toast is a weekly staple too!

And I make extra for the working guys who are not home when we eat it the first time – it toasts up very nicely!

Sometimes, when I have extra time, I really enjoy making our food look pretty!

Especially salads!

Pancakes are a very fun way to start a Saturday morning.

Look at the big bowl of batter!

Blake cooks them on the blackstone, usually after making a bunch of bacon too.

Then I text Addie and Scottie and say, “pancakes and bacon in 30!” to which Addie usually responds, “REALLY?”

Then we have a table full and it is yummy and FUN!

Tate and Eliza still enjoy doing their own thing in the kitchen too.

Sometimes I just tell them what I need, sometimes I just say do what you want!

Look at all that grilled chicken for family day!

And what a good NaiNai I am to provide muffins for the grands – I love to have a reason to bake!!

Anyone remember the farm kitchen?

That kitchen, in the 8 1/2 years we lived there, put out SO MUCH FOOD.

I looked up this photo to show a friend, so I had to show you all too!

Then I got stuck on memory lane and saw this photo!

Why do they have to grow up???

Ok, what were we talking about.

Flavors. Food. That’s right!

Some days are a day full of the same.

Different flavors, most the time, when it allows – but these are our from scratch staples.

I do make a lot of the same meals too.

We have some good ones, though!!

And making the children’s favorites is a rewarding thing to do.

My all time favorite meal is cranberry chicken!

We also made a new ice cream recipe with almond “malk” and raw cashews.

I am not able to eat coconut anymore.

Don’t ask, I am not over it yet, sigh.

But that ice cream is FANTASTIC!

I do not make much soup in the summer, but tomato soup is just so perfect with grilled sandwiches.

Tate and Eliza are pros at making corn tortillas now that we have that press – it elevates taco night!

Well, there’s another pot of soup – probably requested by the tallest guy in this house.

Lane loves chili!

Delivering a meal IS THE BEST.

That takes filling bellies to a whole new level, doesn’t it??

That last photo makes me smile because my hubby would smile too.

All that food has to be purchased!!

Thankfully, Blake helps me with that alot!

He stops at Costco for me whenever he is near one.

He grabs things in town for me all the time too!

And once in awhile, date night includes grocery shopping as well.

At least I buy a good snack for the long drive home!

I make chicken stock all year round.

It is a huge staple – we almost always use homemade.

Does anyone else like to peak in other people’s fridges?

I do!!

Guess what I was making in that last photo?

Blake would call it “the gross green stuff” but the rest of us love guacamole!!

Speaking of green, it seems to be theme here!

A huge delicious green smoothie – one of our favorites!

I should make that again tomorrow morning!

Some green in our muffins too – zucchini chocolate chip to be exact.

And a very green broccoli salad – we love that one and I hardly ever make it!

Oh look, a green watermelon, and some green avocado toast!

By the way, that Hawaain sheet pan dinner was fantastic and is a plan again for this week!

Ha, ha, more green!

This green apple salad is one that Kayla introduced us to and we love it!

The flavors of summer are SO fresh, delicious, light, and even better when eaten outside!

We bought and ate two whole pecks of peaches in June.

They were FANTASTIC.

Tate and Eliza know when to start asking if we can go and get some from the produce stand at Valley Market!

I am glad they keep me doing things that we enjoy.

Tate brought me the very first ripe raspberry from our very own raspberry patch!

What a privilege that was.

Baby Bertha still works very hard in our kitchen – I just used my sourdough today to make some sourdough chocolate chip cookies!

This whole meal was so enjoyed – I should do the whole thing again!

The dairy free baked mac-n-cheese had Eliza’s thanking the Lord “for this very very very good food” during her dinner time prayer!!

When your fridge is full of lemons that are going bad, make lemonade!

I made two jars of honey ginger lemonade, and one quart jar of the concentrate that we added to sparkling water.

That was SO good and refreshing!

Now I am wondering if I have any lemons in the fridge, ha, ha!

June, you were good to us in the food we enjoyed!

And in so many other good things too!

Stay tuned and I will fill you in on all that June held – now that we got all of this deliciousness out of the way!

Hope you all are enjoying summer too!!

And all if its wonderful flavors!!

MACHE 2026

by Steph // Thursday, July 23, 2026 // No Comments

Wow, has it been a super duper long time since Blake and I attended a homeschool convention!

I know it has been at least ten years, but probably longer.

I asked Blake about going this year as I round out my homeschooling career with our double caboose who start high school this fall.

He agreed that it would be a good idea!

I needed a different plan for Tate and Eliza than I did for Lane, or even Chad, who were my last two graduates.

And I wanted to see and touch some books!

Talk to some professional homeschool book vendors!

And get some inspiration from some speaking sessions.

We signed up for MACHE – Minnesota Association of Christian Home Educators – convention at the end of May.

We were going to be gone two days for it, but ended up missing the first day and just attending the second one.

I am still so glad we went!

Jazzy saw the suitcases out and would not leave my side before we left.

Sweet girl thought she would be going along!

That Friday, since we got a very late start, we stopped in Rochester to stay the night and drive the rest of the way the next day.

I took some reading material for the drive, but, as usual, could not focus enough to read it.

We decided to go for dinner at Twigs, a gluten-free restaurant that we had been to once before.

The weather was warm enough to sit outside!

I will say that this place was struggling that night, BIG TIME, but we ended up getting most of our meal free because of it, and still enjoyed being there!

Boy, do we look tired.

We were tired!

Our hotel stay was short and sweet, but at least we were that much closer to the convention the next morning!

We headed the rest of the way and got there shortly after it started.

I wanted to start in the vendor areas, and skip the speaking sessions unless we had time to get to one later, since we were only going to be there that one day.

I am very glad we did this!

It was a lot of money to pay to drive there, have a hotel, and the pay entrance fee just to look at curriculum, but it is what it is, my hubby says!

We came home with a list of possibilities to pray and think over.

I have since then ordered what we decided would be best for our 9th grade year starting this fall!

After we left the convention, we headed back through Rochester and stopped at the Costco there to stock up on grocery.

We also bought a pool floating thing, that would not fit in the cart!

Blake said I was embarrassing him walking around shopping with that thing over my neck – but it was the easiest way to carry it, ha, ha!!

Please notice my face at the check out as the total is growing and growing, sigh.

Grocery is SO expensive these days!!!!

We stopped at Qdoba for some dinner after Costco, because we had not eaten all day and we were starving!!

Looking back on this trip makes me smile.

It was rushed and during a very busy time at home, but worth it.

I am so glad we got to look at curriculum in person!

As usual, my hubby makes it all happen.

Thanks, babe, for doing this for me!!

You are one in a billion!!

The Beginning and Now

by Steph // Wednesday, July 22, 2026 // No Comments

Tate and I start dreaming about our future gardens before the garden seasoning we are currently living in even ends!!

Poor Blake – he is the one who makes our expansion ideas come true!

SO thankful for all his hard work to make Tate’s gardens happen this year – I just have not had as much time for this right now!

They got the current beds ready and added two new beds in the middle of May.

All of Tate’s seedling plants that he started inside over the cold months were longing to be outside!

We also added a second trellis as we hope to grow LOTS of cucumbers this year.

We canned pickle relish and pickles last year that were a huge hit and hope to do much more of it this year.

Blake diligently fenced the garden beds and raspberries again so that all of Tate’s precious plants would not be bunny snacks and gone in one day!

We ordered new strawberries this year – 75 to be exact – and hope to have a bumper crop starting next year!

We also visited the greenhouse one last time to fill in with some plants that we still wanted.

Getting the gardens started is THE MOST FUN!

We wait so long here in Wisconsin for warm enough weather to be growing things, taking long walks, swimming outside, having camp fires….

It is WORTH the wait for sure!!

Tate is in his gardens first thing every single morning, and as I am typing this in late July, we have already enjoyed quite the harvest of its first fruits!

We had quite a few, although small, strawberries and lots of raspberries!

We have eaten so much kale – I cut it one day and it is back the next!!

We have enjoyed all of Tate’s herbs – what a great addition to any dish!

We picked a bowl full of peppers already!

And we already have started getting zucchini and cucumbers too.

Please notice that amazing photo Blake took of Tate working in his watermelon patch one evening at sunset!

And then notice the next photo of our friend who would run up the downspout and watch us when we were working in the gardens – crazy squirrel!!

The gardens are simply beautiful right now!

I cannot believe the change when it seems like we just planted these beds!

Tate keeps his gardens looking so beautiful.

I think he may enjoy gardening more than cooking – could that be???

I wish I could take each of you for a walk around this beautiful space outside, but these most current photos will have to do!

Garden season 2026 is almost half over already!

We are hoping for another bountiful harvest this year!

Time will tell!

Any gardeners out there??

How are your gardens fairing so far this year?

Here’s hoping for a bountiful harvest for you TOO!!

Time Never Stands Still

by Steph // Tuesday, July 21, 2026 // No Comments

Even amidst the hard week during and the weeks surrounding my father-in-law’s passing, life marched on.

I tried to maintain as much normal as I could here at home, even with all that was going on.

Of course we still needed to eat.

Our home and younger children still needed care, and laundry had to be done.

I also was very diligent in my morning routines when the day allowed.

My Bible time and my long morning walk outside are a lifeline to me – especially when things are hard.

The weather in May was all over the place, and I remember celebrating each layer of winter clothes that I finally was able to put away as I no longer needed them for my walk!

My time outside early each morning is MY FAVORITE of all favorites!!

I literally gasp at the sky almost everyday, just in awe of what the Lord allows for us.

If you do not notice the sky, can I firmly but kindly ask “why not??!!”

Please take it in and praise the Lord for it too!

The Friday night before Mother’s Day, Blake and I were able to enjoy a date night!

We have our favorite spots for date night, but this time of year our favorite spots are usually outside.

We love to sit on this patio and eat the dinner that we brought there – it is such a beautiful and quiet spot!

We usually have some kind of errands to run because date night takes place in what we country people call “big town.”

Blake works in that town everyday, but I am hardly ever there!

My favorite errands are when one of the older children ask us to grab something – especially when it is for one of the grands!

We picked up these sandals for Kay who needed them for Saigey – aren’t they so cute??

I had a goal of adding some live plants to our home, and so we went and picked them out that evening.

I honestly just grabbed what I thought was pretty!

I had no idea what I was doing!!

They look SO pretty tucked all over our home!

And I enjoy taking care of them very much.

It was such a beautiful evening that night.

Sunsets even in town never disappoint!

The day after my father-in-law passed away, Eliza had her end-of-the-year concert recital for violin.

We decided to still participate, although decisions during these days always carry so much weight.

Eliza graduated from Book 1 and Book 2 this year, and after only one year playing the violin, she joined five other students in playing a Book 4 piece for the recital.

It was BEAUTIFUL!

Eliza has enjoyed every minute of the last year practicing and playing the violin, and we can’t see that ending anytime soon!!

There are endless things to enjoy here in this season!!

Like a beautiful bouquet of Mother’s Day flowers.

Or heading out for my morning walk and seeing Chad’s semi parked out front – I am going to miss that and miss him!! (Just a month and a half until the wedding!)

Or watching Tate in his element – cooking and reading at the same time!

And being up at the library as Tate works and Eliza uses the maker’s space on a Friday afternoon.

It’s the BIG things in life like these things that make the days full of joy!

Our kitchen got its usual workout in May.

It is amazing what you can do in our sweet little kitchen!!

I keep dreaming of sharing my love of cooking with the world somehow – besides this little ole blog – time will tell!!

I purchased some buckwheat groats from Azure Standard to make a recipe I was wanting to try.

Buckwheat is not wheat – so it is gluten-free!

These crepes were SO easy and turned out SO good.

We make them very often now!!

My engagement ring was sooooo thin on the bottom of it, I cannot believe it did not split in half!

Blake took it to the jeweler to get it reinforced.

That is not cheap, folks!!

I got it back after about a week, I think, which wasn’t bad!

They had cleaned it up as well, and it looked so nice!

I wore it for less than one day and one of the prongs around the diamond completely bent back and broke.

I have worn that ring for 38 years and have never had a prong break before!

Blake took it back to the jeweler and they put a whole new head on it for free.

It was gone a long time the second time!

I was very glad to finally get it back.

We opened our pool for the season in May and it looked like this –

Twelve literal gallons of chemicals and two days later it looked like this!

Yes, I cannot believe we swim in all those chemicals – but we do – and we enjoy our pool very much!

There was a lot of back and forth to my mother-in-laws…and I was constantly trying to bring her her favorite things in a ploy to get her to actually eat something.

Somehow I felt like I did my job when I would see an empty plate that had a homemade muffin on it!

The sky as we drove back and forth most times would bring tears for me.

I miss my father-in-law’s bright blue eyes and big smile that he always had on his face.

I never really thought much about how things would go with my in-laws here with us in Wisconsin, but we certainly have to trust God with this story.