When the Cypress Whispers and More

The first weeks of spring walloped us with lots of snow and then torrential rains. We’ve spent a lot of time indoors tucked away into couches, corners and under bedcovers reading up on warmer places and dreaming of the future of our little space when temperatures begin to rise and the sun comes out. Here are some of our good finds.

For the Grown-Ups

When the Cypress Whispers by Yvette Manessis Corporon is a sweet escape that makes it a great beach read. Trust me, it is not too early to start that summer reading list. As I read the book I felt transported to the Greek Isles but even more I could picture myself in the kitchen of the main character, Daphne’s yia-yia (her grandmother). From piping hot cups of kafe or frothy frappe I found myself craving more than spanakopita. I wanted to pop salty olives into my mouth and nosh on grilled fish seasoned with lemon and oregano. This is the story of Daphne, a four-star New York chef, who returns to her homeland for her wedding to another New Yorker only to find that maybe the path she has chosen isn’t the one that really should travel. It’s a story of family bonds that span generations and yes, food. I say come for the food and stay for the story. Fall in love with the traditions.

What books are on your summer reading list?

For the Kids

Square Foot Gardening with Kids: Learn Together: – Gardening Basics – Science and Math – Water Conservation – Self-sufficiency – Healthy Eating is a bit of a mouthful.  The book is an incredibly comprehensive way to look and learn about gardening with kids.  Broken down into sections for preschool, grade school tweens to teens there are exercises in math, science and art to get each age involved.  After such a long winter this was a project that the whole family got into planning.  The square foot garden is broken down into a grid and each area is easily accessible for even the youngest member of the family.  Each person picked something they wanted to plant and (hopefully) eat.  We added in bug deterring marigolds in two spots too.  We ordered seeds and dirt and picked up the wood this weekend.  We’ll get started in the next week with mixing weed-proof soil (the recipe is included) and in the meantime we have used the handy guides to learn the most about how our plants need to be cared for before hitting the soil and during the process. I love that there are loads of hints about how to keep this whole process easy and fun for the kids.  It’s a lot of prep work but what garden isn’t?  I think that the fruits and veggies from our small amount of labor will create some fun, lasting memories and healthy meals too.

We decided to plant: 

Corn (a trellis building guide is also included in the book.  We plan to make ours from sticks.)

Pole Beans

Carrots

Marigolds

Strawberries

Broccoli

Cucumber

Are you planning on gardening or doing a summer project that involves the whole family?  Let’s hear about it!