Matt and I recently came across a children's book called Where are all the Minnesotans? The back of the book reads, "In the Midwest, winter means freezing temperatures, shorter days, and piles of snow. For some, the logical response is to curl up under the blankets and hibernate until spring. But wait: where are all the Minnesotans? Outside of course!" And it's totally true. Everyone is equipped with a big jacket and trusty boots, so although the winter is long and we look forward to the spring, we certainly take advantage of the season.

This is our third winter here and it's been a right of passage. The first two were considered mild, and even we can admit that. So after three years, we can finally say with full certainty that we love it here without the caveat that we haven't had a real winter yet :) The funniest thing in my mind is that we've done more winter activities this year than we did either of the years before! Our first year here we went ice skating outside and fell in love with the idea of outdoor winter activities. Last year we got to participate in Bentleyville up North (meaning further north than here) on Lake Superior, and felt like that one activity had fully encompassed winter for Minnesotans. But this year, our coldest winter yet, we've hiked a frozen waterfall in single-digit weather, played in the abundant snow on multiple occasions, visited the Saint Paul Winter Carnival snow sculptures, and, most recently, meandered through an ice castle on a snowy day. And our Minnesota baby was with us for most of it- safely bundled and content as can be.

It has certainly been a bucket list winter for us this year, and the irony is that we could only enjoy these activities because of the cold- and it has taken a fair amount of determination. We went to the waterfall twice because the first time around the baby was too cold and my brother's phone died due to the frigid temperatures. We booked the ice castle several days in advance and ended up having to drive through falling snow to get there. But I don't really think about any of that when I think back on these adventures or look at these pictures- If anything, all of the extra effort shapes these endeavors into the beautiful memories that they are. Bundling up builds the anticipation, facing the cold adds a sense of purpose and excitement to every venture, and warming up afterwards creates a rewarding sense of accomplishment and contentedness. And that's why we love our winters in Minnesota.

How is it that a Christmas tree can continue to carry the childhood magic of Christmas long after you've outgrown the idea of Santa Clause or dancing nutcrackers coming alive while you sleep? I feel the same enchantment I felt as a child picking out the perfect tree and unboxing special ornaments. Christmas trees make wherever you're celebrating feel like home and family. They are Christmas morning memories, forever tied to the excitement and hope of unwrapping the perfect gift, and the peace and calm of reading by the soft glow of twinkle lights.
Every year when we set out to find our Christmas tree, I think of my brothers running around and playing hide-and-seek at our local tree lot. And even though it was just a parking lot outside of a Home Depot, it was still magic. Tradition has a way of doing that- making ordinary things remarkable. And this year, we think we found a new tradition for our family: Krueger's Christmas Tree Farm.

And even though it was our first time there, it's the nature of Christmas to bring back memories and remind you of home and family. The timeless setting reminded me of stories my grandpa tells of when he had his own Christmas tree lot in Santa Monica, back when it only cost an extra 25 cents per foot to have your tree flocked, and when a tree wasn't a tree without tinsel. Grandpa sold trees to movie stars and hand-selected the 18-foot tree for the Beverley Hills Hilton Hotel Lobby ("It was a marvelous tree!"). I once saw an old black & white home video of Grandpa in Oregon loading up his truck with trees for his lot, and I felt I was a part of that too- that my tradition was his tradition and that our Christmas trees connect us in the same what that the Christmas spirit does with strangers throughout the month of December.

Our tree this year is almost like our very own Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future- decorated with ornaments purchased this year with visions of Annie enjoying them for years to come, but also with ornaments from childhood and from Christmases each year since we were married. 

We ask a lot of our little tree: Tradition, connection, home, family, Christmas. But ultimately, in our home, I hope it can stand with all of its meaning and be this reminder to us: "I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord." -Luke 2: 10-11

If you can go at night, I suggest you do! The bonfire and lights added a whole new element of magic to the experience.

Even in the freezing rain, we had so much fun picking out our tree, meeting Santa, and playing in the snow! And in spite of the weather, the place was packed with smiling Minnesotans (bundled up, of course :)

Here's our Emma. She's always sweet and always hungry, and she won over her big sister in no time at all. ​

When it comes to baby #2, you wonder how your heart will make room for one more. You question if you can do it all over again and worry about what life will be when everything settles. At least I did, until the moment I met Emma and knew immediately that she was always meant to be ours. 

Matt and I have a rule that if one of us sees something worth stopping for on a road trip, we'll always make time to pull-over. Once, several years ago, we were both struck by the miles and miles of sunflower fields that lined the highway as we drove through South Dakota. But we didn't stop. By the time we made our way back in that direction, the flowers had begun to fade, and we both held onto the feeling that we had let an opportunity pass us by. I think that's why we both agreed it would be worth it to drive nearly an hour to go see the Treasured Haven Farms Sunflower Field this past Labor Day. ​

I don't know what it is about a field full of flowers in full bloom. It didn't hurt that the weather was perfect. And although there were plenty of other people there, we could wade into the rows of flowers and feel almost like we had the place to ourselves. 

It was about this time last year that I came across Cut Flower Garden by Erin Benzakein and started to imagine growing fields of flowers of my own. Autumn Meadow Farm was always going to have a garden and a few animals, but I've started to dream of flowers too, my own addition to our little "someday" homestead. 

I experimented with growing different flowers from seed this year, including Sweet Peas, Tulips, Zinnias, Cosmos, Snapdragons, and Larkspur, and learned a little bit about myself as a flower gardener and A LOT about flowers and cultivating them in my own yard. For example, Sweet Peas have the sweetest smell and DO NOT like to be transplanted, Cosmos take their time to bloom, and, apparently, Snapdragons and Larkspur prefer to be watered so they can actually germinate. 
I'm interested to see if my tulip bulbs will survive another winter and flower again in the spring. The bulbs I got from Floret Flower, Erin Benzakein's family farm, are absolutely stunning. I was disappointed that they bloomed when the rest of the yard was still recovering from the winter, but it was a good excuse to arrange them into a bouquet and enjoy them inside. They lasted for quite a while too!
Annie has loved checking in on the "pretty flowers" everyday, and I have never appreciated new growth or fresh blooms more! But I think when it comes to Autumn Meadow Farm, I'll just pick a couple of varieties to focus on. Probably flowers that can also serve a purpose in addition to their beauty? Right now I have visions of Lavender and maybe Sunflowers. Until then, I have plenty of time to learn!

Here's what I love about reading: There will always be good books to read out there if you just know where to find them. I've used Pinterest, Goodreads, and even Instagram to find my next read, and recently my efforts led me to a New York Times Bestselling novel published in 1978 that had otherwise completely escaped my notice.
The Passing Bells Trilogy by Philip Rock starts out feeling a little too much like Downton Abbey. It honestly felt as if Julian Fellowes had created Downton based on Abingdon Pryory! And while I enjoyed Downton Abbey (and watched every episode), The Passing Bells could never be mistaken for a soap opera, as Downton often was. While there is romance and the development of beautiful, enduring relationships, that is not what these books are about. They are about real life, real love, and the effects of time and history. As you follow each character's experiences and point of view, they become real to the reader, representing not only a bygone time, but also the lives of the people who experienced our history firsthand. The writing is artful, and the descriptions, especially of wartime, were simply powerful. 

I've loved Natasha Solomons since I read The House at Tyneford back in 2012 (a book I credit with getting me on the path of readership I am on today), but this book was something else entirely. House of Gold by Natasha Solomons follows a wealthy Jewish family (modeled after the Rothschilds) in the years leading up to and during WWI. I simply cannot imagine the amount of heart that must have gone into writing this book, especially concerning the treatment of Jews throughout Europe during the time period and the specifics of the money markets and political turbulence. It was so well researched that the characters truly came alive and their stories became real. 

I also recommend The Summer Before the War by Helen Simonson and Seven Days in May by Kim Izzo if you're looking for a well-written (although perhaps lighter?) WWI read.
Do you have a favorite WWI book that you recommend? 

I keep thinking back to last summer and how sad I was to see it come to an end. It had gone by too quickly, and for the first time, it felt like the wait over the winter for new planting, growing, and harvesting was going to be tediously slow.
But this year is different. Yes, I have a due date to look forward to (so time can't go by quickly enough), but I've also taken full advantage of the seasons this time around. 
I've definitely noticed an impatience this year- with wanting the seeds to sprout, and wanting the harvest to come. I've been disappointed that things don't flower all at once and that the beauty and bounty don't last. But there is also something beautiful about being so intimately involved in the cycles of our garden. It does make you look forward and enjoy the harvest when it does come.
We noticed recently that life is a lot like June in the garden. Everything is planted and in the ground, and all that is left is to weed, water, and wait. So with that in mind, I'm especially grateful to have made it to August (nearly September!) and to be enjoying fresh vegetables that will sustain us for months to come.

First of all, it turns out that these plants are VERY prolific. We really only needed one and I'm still not sure what to with all these tomatillos!
Something else I learned this year? Tomatillos are ready to pick once the husk that grows around each one starts to split.
I haven't canned anything with the tomatillos, but I did make and freeze a double batch of sauce from the Green Chile Chicken Tamales by Rick Bayless​.
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We don't have a Cafe Rio here, so I make this dressing and put it on everything.

There are a million different varieties out there, but this year our favorites are Sheboygans (As in Sheboygan WI, so you know they love this MN summer weather), Black Cherry Tomatoes, and the traditional Italian San Marzano. 
Couple of tips and tricks:

• Grow your basil alongside your tomatoes. Supposedly basil as a neighbor improves flavor, amongst other benefits.
• ​Cut down excess growth on your tomato plants so they put their energy into making tomatoes instead of leaves and branches. We neglected our plants this year and saw significantly less produce.

And what do we do with all of our tomatoes? I'll make and freeze a few soups and lasagnas and I'll can a bunch of the tomatoes. But it's incredible how much a fresh tomato or a new variety can enhance the flavor of a recipe. Here are some of the recipes we love this time of year:

• Tomato Galette with Basil Pesto and Feta by Wood and Spoon
• Mexico: One Plate at a Time by Rick Bayless (tomatoes AND jalapenos AND onions)
  • Creamy Enchiladas with Chicken, Tomatoes, and Green Chile
  • Red Tomato Rice
  • Classic Shredded Beef

What do you do with your summer produce?
And do you need any tomatoes???