Our backyard garden... and the vinaigrette recipe!

Most years, we plant herbs in our garden (must have access to fresh herbs).   This year, hubby wanted to get into the earth and plant more.  So, we have a miniature farm in our garden, and our back yard is not very large, just fyi (in fact, our trampoline takes up most of the space)!  Thought I'd show you some of the green goodness...

Swiss chard.  Bought it as tiny starter plants.  We've already picked so much and it has continue to produce, so we've saved a lot of money using this fresh chard in our morning green smoothies.

Basil, basil, yummm.  It's hard for me to pick it, even though I know I need to - and want to use it!  I get excited seeing it fill out and knowing I can make triple batches of pesto to freeze!

We have two tomato plants and one red pepper plant.  Will take a while for these to produce I think, but boy they have really flourished since we bought them as tiny starters.

ZUKES!  Very exciting, most of the family loves zucchini (babe actually whines for them!), and they have just started to blossom and grow.  Hubby was intent to grow these from seeds, so we did.  It took a while to see the sprouts poke out of the ground, and now they are giant leafy creatures!  Look at this wee zuke getting going with the blossom on top.  It's truly fascinating and rewarding to see plants grow in your very own back yard.

Pumpkins!  Also planted the seeds with these.  We'll have our very own lil' pumpkin patch this year.  And that would be lil' babes legs wandering around the trampoline in the background. :D

uh-oh little miss... don't let daddy see you digging in that garden he's planted!  See that glistening line coming down her arm?  Pretty certain that's some baby drool, hee.

Gratuitous baby bum cuteness.  Ever notice how babies squat to pick things up.  Yep, use their legs, unlike us adults (myself included) that bend over, and then walk around wondering why our backs are so sore.  uh-huh.

And, now, onto the Raspberry Vinaigrette.  I've tested it again, and added an element that I think really improves the overall taste - toasted pecans.  You can still choose to leave them out if you like (or leave them raw), but the buttery flavor of pecans really complements the fruity raspberries.  Now, after I made this dressing I thought "I wonder how some vanilla seeds would taste in here?"  Was ready to split open a bean... but, alas, none in the cupboard!  So, if you want to try that out, and let me know how the vanilla seeds taste in there (even seeds from maybe 1/2 a bean rather than the whole)... I'd love to know.  Please read through the notes in the recipe.  You know I love to "talk" with you when I write recipes, so yeah, indulge me and read through the recipe before diving in!  Hope you enjoy... please let me know!  :)  (Oh, and this is how I toss vinaigrettes into salads.  Grab a pair of tongs, get a small amount, then toss through.  Makes it easy to add the dressing and helps not to over-dress the greens.)

Zucchini and other squash have been growing in the mountains of Mexico since 7,000 B.C.  Both the flesh and the seeds were used as a food source.  (Source: Celebration of Wellness)