Morning at the Farm

The kids and I had to run an errand for Jim a few weeks ago, and since we were going to be out by the orchards, we decided to stop at one for a morning at the farm. 

 We started with some play time.  Both kids loved climbing around on the different play equipment.

 Maddie tried out the little tractor.  She looked so cute!

 The kids enjoyed the slide on the side of a big wooden pirate ship.

 After a while, we went over to see the animals.  Both kids liked looking at the goats, and Drew was excited to pet them.

 Maddie got very upset when a couple of the goats got a little too close.

 The goats were very friendly.

 Drew climbed up on a big pyramid of tires and wanted to pose at the top.  He was Superman that day, after all.

 We took advantage of the sinks at the end and washed our hands after touching the animals.

 Last year, we picked our strawberries ourselves, but I didn't want to take that on this year with an active 16 month-old, so we bought some berries (and donuts!) at the farm store.  I tried a new washing technique I had read about.  I soaked the berried in a mixture of vinegar and water before storing them in the fridge.  The soak was supposed to prevent mold and help the berries last longer.

 We ate some strawberries the day we bought them, and then the rest of the berries sat in the fridge for a couple of days.  When I opened the lid of the container, there was a moldy berry right on top.  It was the only moldy berry I found, but there were several other berries that looked like they were starting to go bad, so I am not sold on the new washing method.
I used the rest of the berries to make freezer jam.  I had never made it before, and I love the taste!  It was pretty easy, and I've been enjoying it on English muffins for breakfast for the past few weeks.

I am hoping to go back to picking our own berries again once Maddie is a little older, but we had a nice morning at the farm, and we have been enjoying our berries for the past few weeks!