Wow, what a busy few months it’s been, friends!

I seriously can’t believe I haven’t shared any Logan updates with you in almost 4 months, but we’re baaack!!
And what a busy, busy 4 months it’s been!

If you’ve been following along on my Instagram – stories and/or posts, then you know that we moved from Arizona.
Yes, after nearly 17 years of living in the valley of the sun, we returned to our home state of Rhode Island and we couldn’t be happier.

SAVE THIS FURRY FRIEND FRIDAY –  FAMILY TO YOUR FAVORITE PINTEREST BOARD!

Kurt and I decided to leave Arizona and return to our home state of Rhode Island because we missed our kids as well as other family members and friends who live in the area.

Back in 2002, we moved out to Anthem, AZ to raise our three kids in the sunshine and so that we could experience a new part of the country. Well, we did that and once the three of them left the nest, this mama bird missed them terribly.

Our oldest, Alex, is living in Berlin, Germany and our younger two, Emma and Cameron have an apartment together in Philadelphia. Combined with missing them, a yearning to be closer to the water which we grew up on and near along with wanting to experience a change of seasons again, Kurt and I decided to make the move.

Another impetus for our move was Kurt retiring as a chiropractor. After over 27 years in practice, and providing for our family I am thrilled to say he is now assisting me with 365 Days of Baking. He’s helping me with optimization, and he’ll also be writing some posts on health. Look for the first one in the upcoming weeks!

You can follow Logan the Golden Dog account on Instagram where you’ll see more pictures and adventures of our furry friend!

The week before we left, Cameron came out to visit us one last time and we went to Bartlett Lake. Logan loved the hike and retrieving sticks we’d throw into the water.

So, Kurt and I packed up some of our belongings (but gave MOST of them away), and left Arizona. Needless to say, it was a looong trip across the United States with Logan and Winnie, and a U-Haul trailer in tow. 
We drove 40 hours+ (becasue of traffic and weather) in just 5 days. It was both mentally and physically challenging, but overall it went very well and we had no issues!

On the way, we were able to stop at Mary’s new home in Ohio. You might know her from her blog, Barefeet in the Kitchen.

We had become close friends while she was living about 20 minutes away from me in Arizona. So, I was very sad when she and her family moved a little more than a month before we did. I missed them like crazy (and still do!).
On our way out east, I told Kurt we HAD to go visit them, and it was one of THE best stops on the trip!

They have THE most beautiful home and every day I can’t wait to see what she posts from her front porch posts on Instagram. 

Logan was VERY good on the car ride, as was Winnie. 
We made frequent stops so they could get some exercise and do their business. 
I even had Winnie in a harness and on a leash to make sure we wouldn’t lose her.

This was Logan’s “are we there yet?” look when we were somewhere on the Pennsylvania Turnpike.

Another stop we made was in Philadelphia to see Emma and Cameron. My heart was SO full and seeing both of them just cemented the fact that we’d made the right decision to move back east.

You can follow all of Logan’s antics here on my Instagram, too! You’ll see what our Furry Friend Friday pup is up to each day.

We arrived at my in-law’s in Charlestown, RI the morning of March 11th, and one of the very first things we did was to take Logan down to the beach.

It was his first time seeing the ocean and he was a bit scared of the waves.

But over time he sure has grown to love it.

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Then after about a week and a half later, Logan experienced his first Rhode Island snow. He enjoyed doing zoomies around the yard as he has every other time he’s been in the snow.

We’ve since moved into a one bedroom apartment for the next year until we find a home of our own, but we’re still able to get to the beach and enjoy going on trail hikes around the state.

Now that we’re pretty much settled, you can look forward once again to our weekly posts. 
I’ve found the the saying, “absence makes the heart grow fonder” to be so very true. We left the state of Rhode Island thinking we’d never return, but we’ve both grown to have such an appreciation for it because we’ve been away for so long. 
It definitely made “coming home” that much sweeter.

Thanks so much for reading!

Did you enjoy reading this week’s tails (haha) about Logan the Golden Dog and Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder? If so, please take a look our past posts!

Furry Friend Friday – Family

Furry Friend Friday – Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

Furry Friend Friday – Dog Farts

The post Furry Friend Friday – Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder appeared first on 365 Days of Baking.

Do you realize that EVERY meal on our plates contains ingredients grown on a farm?
Therefore, sustaining the agricultural backbone of America is vital and everyone can help.

I am proud to be partnering with Farmland in association with American Farmland Trust to bring you this sponsored post. I have been compensated but as always all opinions are 100% my own.

It is always a great honor and privilege when I get to visit a farm.

Each time I visit one, the work ethic and dedication of each farmer never ceases to amaze me.
It is their way of life, their livelihood. Some are born into it, and others such as Erich Schultz of Steadfast Farm, a market and micro farm in Mesa, AZ, choose to embrace it wholeheartedly as a new vocation.

SAVE THIS STEADFAST FARM – A FARM TOUR TO YOUR FAVORITE PINTEREST BOARD!

Years ago, Erich, who has a career background in high-end residential and commercial landscape design, became involved in designing a few projects for Agritopia. It is a residential community surrounding 22 acres of working farmland in Gilbert, AZ.
After completing those and wanting a life change, he decided to take over the Agritopia farm, working to make it more efficient and productive.

Throughout the years, he was able to do just that.
Eventually, he decided to scale down for a simpler life, leasing just two acres of land in another community.
Ultimately, this organic, micro market farm called Steadfast Farm was born.

When I think of  Phoenix, AZ and the cities and towns that it encompasses, a “farm” is definitely not the first thing that pops into my head. I’m thinking dry, hot asphalt, plenty of big office buildings and lots of homes really close together.
A farm? No way.

But Erich’s done it and right in the middle of Mesa, Arizona surrounded by what is to ultimately be 15,000 homes and the largest community park when completed.

Pretty cool, huh?
There’s just something so wonderful about visiting Steadfast Farm. It’s a peaceful, profitable and living piece of property smack dab in suburbia!
It’s amazing and I’d love to see more of these micro farms incorporated into many communities around the U.S.

Erich has worked very hard to make this “the smallest farm with the highest yield” and one that “specializes in baby vegetables”.
It was built in two months and uses no large mechanized tractors, only one which you can walk behind.
A big John Deere would dwarf this little bit of land, and they use minimal tillage so as not to disturb the soil.

Using the walk-behind tractor pictured above, 10 rows of carrots are able to be planted in a 30-inch bed as opposed to a mechanized farm tractor planting just two rows in the same space.

Consequently, because of such efficient systems and methods, they can do 10-20 acres of production on just a two-acre lot!
Pretty incredible, right??

Soil health is extremely important and Erich is aware of that.
“Nature’s doing things this way for a reason.”
He works with nature, not against it, paying close attention to the needs of the soil. It is fed accordingly with compost, fish fertilizer and compost chicken manure.

He grows micro-greens which are greens harvested about two weeks after planting. They include (pictured below and from the bottom going up) pea, sunflower, arugula and kale, and broccoli.
Once planted, they are placed under a 24 hr. grow light, and at harvest one rack will produce $500 worth of greens.

Gorgeous, aren’t they?
Not only that, but they were super delicious!

It’s in Erich’s nature to solve problems, so using the proper tools and machinery to be more labor-saving and cost-efficient is important, too.
When it came to harvesting the micro-greens, he discovered that one man in 20 minutes could harvest what it took 2 people 4 hours to do just with the purchase of one particular machine.

They say that necessity is the mother of invention and it’s definitely been put to use here!
There are two horse water troughs, but no horses in sight.
In each of these, there is PVC piping with small holes to create an “air bubble bath” to gently wash the produce.

The greens are then placed into one of the two full-size washing machines that have been reconstructed with large, holed plastic tubs. On the spin cycle, they drain the water much like your salad spinner at home does.

I thought these were SO cool!
A mega salad spinner.

After they’re spun, they’re placed on these racks where box fans built into the rafters above gently blow to completely dry them off.
Customers have told Erich that because of his methods, the salad greens can last up to 3-4 weeks in their refrigerator!
MUCH different than what you might purchase at your local grocery store, right?

Conservation is important here on the farm, too.
Only 1/10th the amount of water is used by the incorporation of a drip system, and micro sprinklers which water the crops from above.

With a detailed plan, Erich can rotate 6-7 crops each season.
There is a Fall/Winter season and a Spring/Summer season with the peak being April.
Because of the triple-digit temperatures and cost to water during the summer months, the farm is closed during July and August.

This downtime is also important so that he can spend quality family time with his wife and three children.
A farmer can work 24/7 because there’s so much to do and the dedication they have to their farm is exemplary. Time away is imperative.

To Erich, personal balance along with having a good strong work ethic is extremely important. He is honored to be growing food for people to eat while at the same time being able to provide for his family.

Here, they grow vegetables such as red and green leaf lettuce, carrots, radishes, baby kale, Mizuna which is an Asian green, baby turnips and more. These are crops that there is a demand for and can do well in an Arizona climate.

They are able to provide produce each week for 4 farmer’s markets and 25-30 Phoenix-area restaurants. One of which, the Handlebar Diner, is located right next door to the farm.
It serves delicious salads (I know, I ate one!) and food using Steadfast Farm produce.

Steadfast Farm is also funded by a Community Supported Agriculture or CSA.

What is a CSA?

A CSA is an arrangement where people pay a fee in advance of the season to provide the farmer with capital to run the farm.
In return, the farmer then supplies those members with a portion of the harvest.

At Steadfast Farm, there are 100 families who participate.
The curated box which is based on the freshest availability is given to them on a weekly or bi-weekly basis and can be picked up at 17 different locations throughout the Phoenix area.

To me, a CSA is a win-win, and I’m going to join one!

Micro Farming in growing communities is definitely an option for those farmers who want to do what they do best. Leasing smaller areas of land can prove to be more profitable.
Erich is also a consultant, giving his knowledge to those who want to build a small-scale farm and/or use a portable/modular farming system. He’s helped a few farmers around the country.

Providing farmers with the resources to work their farms efficiently thereby creating the most profit, preserving their land and encouraging conservation are ways to ensure that America will continue its’ sustainable agriculture.
This is where American Farmland Trust comes in!

What is American Farmland Trust?

American Farmland Trust (AFT) is an organization that began in 1980 to protect farmland, promote quality and efficient farming practices, and to keep the farmers on their land.
They are also strong advocates for conservation and are determined to preserve land, soil, and water.

Did you know that “over 175 acres of U.S. farm and ranch land are lost every hour“?

175 acres, every hour!!
YIKES!!!
That’s 3 acres every. single. minute.

Frightening, isn’t it? It scares and saddens me to think that farmers are losing the precious land on which many not only work but live. It is their livelihood and for many, has been in their families for generations.

The incredible connection farmers and ranchers have with their land, good farming practices, and the work they do is all intertwined. AFT is the only national organization which recognizes that.

Sustainability is SO very important.
How can farmers who are running out of land and resources continue to provide not only for the consumer but for their own families as well?
How can the needs of society continue to be met when there’s such growth in population?

As I see it, farmers are truly the backbone of America.
They nourish us and I hate to think where we’d be without them.

I encourage you to:

• Learn more by visiting American Farmland Trust to see how you can help.
• Support your local farmers by participating in their CSA.
• Visit your local farmer’s market.
• Take a farm field trip and see all that’s done on a farm and learn more about how the food we eat goes from farm to table.
• Purchase specially-marked Pure Farmland items so that you can help Farmland save American farmland and help American Farmland Trust further their mission.

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I’d like to thank Erich for allowing me to visit his farm and share his story.
Also, many thanks to American Farmland Trust for the work that they do throughout the U.S. for our farmers and ranchers, and Shawn Shepherd, the West Coast director of AFT, for accompanying me to the farm.
And last, but not least to Farmland for giving me this great opportunity to learn more about farming here in my own backyard.

Be sure to look for some upcoming recipes with Farmland, with one inspired from my visit to Steadfast Farm!

The post Steadfast Farm – A Micro Farm Tour appeared first on 365 Days of Baking.

The holidays were super busy for us as I’m sure they were for you as well.

I am proud to be partnering with Toyota for this post. We were able to use the 2019 Toyota Sequoia Platinum in exchange while my family was together for the holidays. There has been no compensation and all opinions are 100% my own.

One of the things I was most looking forward to for Christmas was having the whole family in one place for a whole week!
Now that the kids are older and off on their own, it’s more difficult to get everyone together as some of you may know.

Alex, our oldest, now resides in Berlin. She moved there in October after living in Weinstrasse, Germany for a year as an au pair (full-time nanny).
She’ll be an au pair for another family over the next year and is hoping to stay in Germany for as long as she possibly can.

When she arrived back in Europe last week she texted me and said, “it’s good to be back and this feels like home”.
Bittersweet for her momma, but I love seeing my kids happy and if that’s where she’s supposed to be, so be it.
I’ll just have to go visit her every so often.

SAVE THIS FURRY FRIEND FRIDAY –  FAMILY TO YOUR FAVORITE PINTEREST BOARD!

Emma and Cameron, our two younger children are living together in Philadelphia and working. I love how they’re both experiencing all the things that great city has to offer.

I went to visit Emma last March, months before Cameron moved in with her and really enjoyed the history, architecture, museums, and of course, amazing food.
I NEED to go back SOON!

One of the other things I was extremely excited about was seeing how Logan would react to each of them.

Cameron was the first one I picked up from the airport.
When we walked in the door Logan went right up to him, wagging his tail and brushed up on his legs.

When Emma came home, he went right up to her as well. He then plopped on the ground wanting her to give him belly rubs which so immediately did.

Below is later in the week when they were playing on the floor.

He took to Alex as they’d been old friends as well, immediately making her feel welcome.
And it goes without saying that Winne was extremely happy her mother was home, too.

He thoroughly enjoyed going on walks with them and always wanted to be part of the action.

Logan absolutely LOVED being with his family. Kurt and I were so interested to see how he might react to meeting them and how he’d be to have three extra people in the house for a week.

He handled it all like he’d known them forever and absolutely ADORED all of the attention they showed him.
I’m thinking it might be because some of their stuff is still here in the house, and has their scent.

Facetiming and hearing their voices also familiarized him with them as well, I’m sure.

You can follow Logan the Golden Dog account on Instagram where you’ll see almost daily pictures and adventures of our furry friend!

While they were home, we had the use of a 2019 Toyota Sequoia Platinum.
And oh, man did I absolutely LOVE that car!!

So much so that I may have shed a slight tear when we parted ways.
But not as much as when I had to say goodbye to each of the kids.

It was a wonderful car with plenty of room for 5 adults, a 60 lb. puppy, and luggage!
We were driving comfortably all week to the restaurants, stores, and activities we’d planned.

And I’m not gonna lie, I now want this car as my next one.
It was THE most comfortable car I have ever driven and drove like butter.
Ok, what I imagine butter would drive like. haha

I think the rest of the family enjoyed it as much as I did.

You can follow all of Logan’s antics here on my Instagram, too! You’ll see what our Furry Friend Friday pup is up to each day.

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Needless to say, it was so hard saying goodbye to each one of the kids, not knowing when we’d all be together again.
And for a few days following their departures, Logan wandered around the house looking for each of them. It was so sweet.
But I’m already looking forward to how our boy will react when he sees them again.

Did you enjoy reading this week’s tails (haha) about Logan the Golden Dog and his Family? If so, please take a look our past posts!

Furry Friend Friday & Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

Furry Friend Friday & Dog Farts

Furry Friend Friday & Dog Friendly Southern Utah

The post Furry Friend Friday – Family appeared first on 365 Days of Baking.

Ok, I know this has absolutely NOTHING to do with food, but this is so cool in a kind of scary-don’t-ever-want-to-touch-it-or-see-one-of-these-ever-again kind of way!
If you’re of the squeamish sort, you may not want to read (or look) on.

Mr. 365 and I celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary today and it was definitely memorable.
We’re planning a trip to Napa, so if you have ever been and there are places we MUST see, places we must eat at or wineries we must go to, I’d LOVE to hear about them! So, please leave me a comment below.

Today we went to out to lunch at St. Francis here in Phoenix. We’d never been and it was fun to experience a new place and some delicious food.
I ate the Rice Bowl with Seven Vegetables and Mr. had the French Onion Burger and then we ate the Toffee Pudding for dessert.
It was all very tasty and I am excited to go back.

When we arrived home and headed into the house, we spotted this beauty on the wall in our garage near the door. I sort of freaked out because it was quite a large one. Then upon closer inspection, Mr. exclaimed, “there are babies on her back!”
YIKES!!!

I thought it was pretty cool, but not cool enough to leave her be. Mr. scooped her into the cup he had, babies and all and deposited her into the front yard.
Minutes later while thinking about the 10 (or so) of them while sitting in the house, my mind started wandering. Leaving that family in the front yard would give them ALL a chance to return to our home which I really didn’t feel comfortable with and began getting quite squeamish. Usually the scorpions don’t freak me out and I can pick them up and flush them, but seeing this one really bugged (haha, no pun intended) me. The mother in me wanted the family to stay together, but at the same time I wanted them far, far away.

So, out to the front yard I went, cup and piece of paper in hand. She had moved to a new spot, but I was able to gather them up and move them to a new location down the street and behind a stone wall. Hopefully, she won’t remember her way back “home”.

I posted this on my personal FB page and many fellow Arizonans have seen quite a few scorpions, but those of who have commented had never seen one with babies.

I don’t feel the need to see one again.

Tomorrow, I’ll be all about the food! 🙂

The post Scorpion with Babies appeared first on 365 Days of Baking.

As if you didn’t already know, something special is happening this Sunday.

I’m sure I’ve already talked about it ad nauseam because our beloved Patriots are playing, but you can never have enough food or goodies for the party, so here I am again!
And of course, I have a food blog, and that’s what I do!

I made these Deflated Footballs out of chocolate that would look cute on cupcakes or even eaten alone, and now I’ve made these team-colored jelly (jello) shots to add to the festivities.

They’re pretty potent, so be careful in your consumption and by all means, do NOT leave them within reach of the youngin’s who will be in attendance. They’ll be knocked on their keisters!
If you want to make them without the alcohol, then, by all means, do that. All you need to do is substitute the vodka with water. No biggie.

Recipe adapted from Jelly Shot Test Kitchen.

Print

Game Day Jelly Shots

Pass the appropriate team shot when they score a touchdown!

Author Lynne Feifer

Ingredients

Blue Gelatin Layers

• 2 2.79- ounce packages Jolly Rancher Blue Raspberry Gelatin
• 4 packages unflavored Knox gelatin
• 2 cups water
• 2 cups UV Blue Raspberry Flavored Vodka

Red Gelatin Layers

• 1 2.79- ounce package Jolly Rancher Cherry Gelatin
• 2 packages unflavored Knox gelatin
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup cherry flavored vodka

Green Gelatin Layers

• 1 2.79- ounce package Jolly Rancher Green Apple Gelatin
• 2 packages unflavored Knox gelatin
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup green apple flavored vodka

White Gelatin Layers

• 1 14- ounce can sweetened condensed milk
• 2 packets unflavored Knox gelatin
• 1 ½ cups boiling water
• ½ cup cold water

Instructions

Directions for Blue Gelatin

• Pour the two cups of water into a medium saucepan and sprinkle the 4 packets of Knox gelatin onto the water. Allow to sit for 1 - 2 minutes. Heat on low while stirring constantly until gelatin dissolves. This should take about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add the 2 packages of Blue Raspberry Gelatin and stir until dissolved. Stir in the vodka.

White Gelatin Layer

• While the blue gelatin sets in the fridge, mix 1 cup of boiling water with the sweetened condensed milk in a medium bowl and set aside.
• In a small bowl, place 1/2 cup cold water and sprinkle 2 packets of the unflavored gelatin over the top. Let it stand for 2-3 minutes, until the gelatin looks grainy. Add 1/2 cup boiling water to the bowl and stir until gelatin dissolves completely.
• Add this mixture to the condensed milk mixture and stir to combine. Set aside and let the contents come to room temperature.

Direction for Red Gelatin

• Pour the one cup of water into a small saucepan and sprinkle the 2 packets of Knox gelatin onto the water. Allow to sit for 1 - 2 minutes. Heat on low while stirring constantly until gelatin dissolves. This should take about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add the 1 package of Cherry Gelatin and stir until dissolved. Stir in the cherry vodka.

Direction for Green Gelatin

• Pour the one cup of water into another small saucepan and sprinkle the 2 packets of Knox gelatin onto the water. Allow to sit for 1 - 2 minutes. Heat on low while stirring constantly until gelatin dissolves. This should take about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add the 1 package of Green Apple Gelatin and stir until dissolved. Stir in the green apple flavored vodka.

Assembly of the Game Day Jelly Shots

• Spray both of the 8 X 8-inch pans with cooking spray and wipe out the excess with a paper towel.
• Pour one cup of the blue gelatin into the bottom of each pan. Place in refrigerator for 15 minutes to set. While the blue gelatin sets in each pan, mix up the white gelatin.
• Gently pour 1/2 cup of the white gelatin into each pan. Place in refrigerator to set for 15 minutes. While white gelatin layers are setting, separately mix up the red and green gelatins.
• In the Patriot's pan, gently pour 1 cup of the red gelatin and return to the refrigerator to set for 15 minutes.
• In the Seahawk's pan, gently pour 1 cup of the green gelatin. Place in fridge for 15 minutes.
• Pour 1/2 cup of the white gelatin into each pan and return to set in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
• Pour 1 cup of blue gelatin into each pan and return to the fridge for another 15 minutes.
• Pour 1/2 cup of the white gelatin into each of the pans and place for 15 minutes into the refrigerator.
• Finally, pour the remaining cup of red gelatin into the Patriot's pan and green gelatin into the Seahawk's and place again in the refrigerator to set for 15 minutes.

Notes

It may be necessary to return the gelatins to liquid form if they should thicken during assembly. Reheat pans on low or by placing bowl of white gelatin into some warm / hot water.
It is important that all gelatin is at room temperature when adding layers to the pan so that it doesn't melt the layer below it.
It also may be necessary to spread each layer of gelatin with an offset spatula as the pans become colder towards the end of assembly.
The cherry gelatin can be substituted with watermelon, just be sure to replace the vodka with the appropriate flavor as well.
To remove from the pans, sit in warm water for a minute or two. Cut into squares and remove with an offset spatula. Place the shots on a refrigerated plate and keep in refrigerator until serving. These are best passed around as opposed to being set out on a table.

So, the photo shoot is suddenly over when I accidentally spill the vodka shot into the plate. Oh well. Time to clean up my mess.

I tell ya, these things are pretty strong, but they sure are fun!
I rate everything I make on a scale of 1 – 4 with 4 being the best and these Game Day Jelly Shots earned 3 rolling pins.
Unfortunately, the Patriots cherry shot wasn’t up to par with the rest. It tasted like cough syrup and I was disgusted. I highly suggest using the watermelon.

I think that would be a great flavor. It may not be as dark as the cherry gelatin, but it would probably taste better.
Who knows, maybe you like cough syrup and they’ll be fine for you and your guests. If you want the colors to be a bit more prominent as well, feel free to add one to two drops of food coloring to each of them.

Have fun this Sunday, but be sure to consume these Game Day Jelly Shots and all alcohol responsibly! And most importantly, PLEASE DO NOT DRINK AND DRIVE!!!

Enjoy the game!!
And,…go PATS!!! 😉

If you like these Game Day Jelly Shots or want some more jelly fun without the alcohol, then you’re sure to love these…

Patriotic Jelly Stars

The post Game Day Jelly Shots appeared first on 365 Days of Baking.