Today was one festive day! Celebrations all around.
The garden beds are complete (yay Kanz!) We just need one more batch of compost soil.
The herbs are planted (basil, lemon verbana, thyme, rosemary, mint, and a very sad cilantro plant that needs sun + water!)
I ate grapes! Wheee! And some almonds. And then went for a short hike with Faith.
When I got back home, Hillary was in the neighborhood after a run at the park and dropped off a few of her birthday funfetti cupcakes leftover from the weekend!!
We had more than enough Easter ham, so we invited her to stay for a birthday dinner!
The two of us in our Sun-dy best : )
The grillmaster put dinner on the grill
This is a very special ham steak.
Shortly after we opened the bakery, Brian came through our doors and asked if we had any scraps he could take to feed the pigs he was raising on his farm. He said he would be feeding them a normal nutritious pig diet and then supplementing with real food “treats”, including our whole grain breads and sweets. All of our edible, day-old bread goes to families in need at the local food bank, but we always have broken sweets, half consumed bread-board bread, sandwich loaf end pieces, things that fall on the floor and general misfits that we aren’t able to donate.
Over the past year, “Pig Guy,” as he is now affectionately called, came to accept all of our misfits once a week and fed them to his pigs. According to Brian, the pigs absolutely loved our breads.
We knew the day would come when Brian was ready to…put his pigs to a different use. A few weeks later, he brought us some pork as a thank you for all of our donations. I have never been this close to personally knowing my farmer or this connected to my food before. It feels a bit bittersweet.
We decided on a ham steak to have tonight for the holiday. Matt rubbed it in Dr. Pete’s Praline Mustard Glaze and then grilled it to a perfect char. It was simply delicious.
On the side we grilled bell pepper and butter Caraway Rye rolls
And Hillary and I made a Southern-style okra + tomato stew. This involved about half a pound of frozen okra cooked down with a can of seasoned stewed tomatoes plus a tbsp of brown sugar and 3 pinches of salt.
I can’t think of a better celebration than a birthday for a funfetti cupcake! This guy was a pure cloud of rainbow fun! Enjoyed with an episode of LOST : )
Good night!
[email protected] says
Could you taste the fresh ground whole wheat flour in the pork? Kidding. Ahh it’s been awhile since I’ve had a funfetti cupcakes. Reminds me of my college roomies.
KathEats says
Jokes were made about the smell of flax seeds coming off the grill 🙂
Lynn @ the actor's diet says
I can’t believe I’ve never had a funfetti cake before. I was so deprived growing up!!!
Sana says
That cupcake looks awesome!
The Healthy Hipster says
Everything looks delicious! And that grilled ham steak looks appetizing even to a non pork eater! 🙂
Amy says
LOVE Matt’s shirt!!
Ashley @ My Food 'N' Fitness Diaries says
what a lovely dinner!! that ham steak sounds wonderful, and i love the funfetti cupcake for dessert. 🙂
Averie @ Averie Cooks says
Between the Dr. Pete’s Praline Mustard Glaze and the funfetti cupcake, this is a delicious post and glad you guys had such a special dinner.
G says
Happy Belated Easter and Belated Congrats on the new baby. I don’t comment much on blogs but do read your’s often. I think you have such a great view towards food,life style,and activity. You will be a great role model to your child. Hope the nausea continues to pass and the rest of the time pregnant is pleasant. Also the continued success with the new bakery for you and your husband. I have always wanted to open a cafe.
Have a good start to the week
KathEats says
Thank you G!
j3nn says
Cupcakes make even holidays a little more festive than they already are!
Alex says
Looks like a lovely meal!
I’m curious to know how long approximately you grilled the red bell peppers for? I attempted to do that the other night and unfortunately they turned out far too burnt. 🙁
KathEats says
About 10 minutes. Try less direct heat?
jojo says
I looove funfetti anything (cupcakes, cakes, pancakes…etc) 🙂
Sounds like a great end to a busy day 🙂
Khushboo Thadani says
The icing on the cupcake looks like perfection!!
Hayley @ Oat Couture says
Ooh that ham looks delicious!! And I love that you have a relationship with the farmer like that, it’s so nice when people work together like that, it’s how things should be! 🙂
Emily @ Life on Food says
Oh man that dinner looks wonderful. I can imagine some mixed feelings with knowing exactly how your food was raised and by whom but its also really cool too.
Jodi @ Jodi, Fat or Not says
I’ve never made okra before…a little intimidated by the vegetable to be honest haha but this recipe seems manageable. Thanks for sharing!
Sherry Johnson-Miller says
LOVE okra…….if you buy it whole, get really small tender plants. Delicious fried or in soups. You can buy a can of tomato and okra to try (in canned goods)…..put it over brown rice for a lunch meal.
Katie @ Peace Love and Oats says
That’s so neat that you have that relationship with the pig guy!
Heather @ Health, Happiness, and Hope says
That ham steak looks perfectly grilled. And it’s been years since I’ve had funfetti cake, but I used to be obsessed with it haha.
Hope @ With A Side Of Hope says
Funfetti is absolute favorite cake! It is such a classic and reminds of when I was growing up. 🙂
Jamie @ Don't Forget the Cinnamon says
Looks tasty!!
Cheers!
The Mrs @ Success Along the Weigh says
A very special dinner indeed and that has to be satisfying to know you helped make that steak the best it can be! 😉 Cupcakes make anything that much better!
[email protected] Broken Cookies Don't Count says
The okra and tomato dish sounds tasty.
sarah says
Be careful with that mint!! It spreads and spreads and spreads. Usually you should just grow it in a pot, not a bed or ground.
katrina says
We had 3 raised beds for the past 4 years. We had to break them down, build a large new bed far away, and move all the compost that he slaved over all due to the mint. It took over EVERYTHING and we could not get rid of it. Last summer, we had mint tomatoes. We didn’t want to weed kill it because of the organic compost. It is worse than Kudzu! Now I have mint in a pot and all is well with the gardening world.
Stephanie says
Yes I triple this suggestion. Pot that mint!! it will come up every spring with a vengence even if you think you caught all of the little tricksters!
Hillary says
Love the story of your dinner. Makes me want to at least sign up for a CSA to be a little bit closer to my food!
Sherry Johnson-Miller says
WalMart has cilantro seeds for 50c a pack. I throw them in my planter……eat a few plants and leave the rest to go back to seed. Have cilantro all summer that way. :o)
Susan H. @ The Food Allergy Chronicles says
April 8th is also my birthday! I celebrated an Easter Dinner and birthday together too! I roasted a chicken with lemon, garlic and thyme and my husband barbecued a boneless leg of lamb…we topped off the evening with sparklers and my aunt’s adapted Carrot Cake…dairy, egg and peanut/tree nut free…yummy!
KathEats says
Happy Birthday!!!!!
Angel7 says
Could you taste the yummy, Great Harvest sweet treats in the pork? 🙂
http://faithfulsolutions.blogspot.com/
Jasper Naomi @ crunchylittlebites says
You look awesome. I probably say that too much. What a fun Easter day you had, it sounds like, Kath.
And did I mention that the “sound” of your words is simply GLOWING with pure, sincere and genuine love and joy…must be special mommy growing through your complexion
KathEats says
You are sweet 🙂
Karen says
I don’t know if I could eat that pork after seeing Pig Guy so many times and hearing about the animals. I feel like they were my cousins!
KathEats says
We saved you some!
kyla says
Just as a heads up with planting mint, make sure it is by itself in one bed because it can attack and take over other herbs!
Cait's Plate says
Looks like such a lovely dinner! And I’m now craving a funfetti cupcake like crazy! 🙂
Lexi @ Cura Personalis Foodie says
Funfetti makes everything better 😉
Avery says
I eat A Very Special Breakfast every morning and most of my inspiration comes from you 🙂
I could go for a funfetti cupcake right about now!
KathEats says
Cute blog title!
~Christy @ wonderofallthings says
Bittersweet for sure, but it’s such a special thing to be that close to our food. 🙂