OK so picking cotton is the one thing we didn’t actually do this weekend.
Dave and I packed up the girls this weekend and headed out to the country with our long-time friends Adam and Kristie and their two little boys. Our destination: Sweet Seasons Farms and their infamous 5 acre corn maze:
This wasn’t exactly highbrow entertainment, but it WAS a pretty great (and dirty!) way to spend a beautiful Saturday teaching a bunch of younguns that food actually comes from the earth, that there is more to enjoy about life than the myriad forms of electronic entertainment that we all seem to gravitate toward these days, and sometimes it’s OK to get a bit filthy in the name of fun! There was a Cow Train for riding:
(Lauren thought the Cow Train was great fun. I found it to be a bit terrifying and a lot disgusting. You would not believe how much dirt this golf-cart-powered ride kicked up!)
The Corn maze for wandering:
We completed the maze pretty painlessly because the guys have an amazing gift for direction we just kept following people who had paid for maps with clues. To be honest – the corn maze is a cool idea, but next year I might just sit it out while the kids and guys go for it. It was so dusty/dirty! Also, the guys really do get into Mission Impossible mode and march through the maze like it’s their job. It’s hilarious….and exhausting! Anyway, Sweet Seasons offered so much more than just the corn maze and cow train. There was also a Corn Crib (a giant bucket of corn kernels for the kiddos to play in. Like a sandbox, I guess?) and a playground with swings and a homemade slide; the farmers gave tractor-pulled hayrides and had several Corn Cannons set up, which the guys loved. We took the kids’ pictures on giant hay rolls and watched the cows in the surrounding pastures. There was a faux cow for roping, and refreshments for refreshing and all in all it was really great down-home entertainment for only $6/person!
But wait, we did MORE! Once we’d seen and done everything there was to do at Sweet Seasons, we headed a couple miles down the road to the local Pumpkin Patch. I’m not talking about pumpkins set up on pallets, surrounded by cutesy Martha-approved scarecrows – I’m talking about a patch (read: acres) of pumpkins on the vine. This was super cool, as none of us had ever seen pumpkins growing before. See, this trip was educational for us grown-ups, too!
They also grew peanuts and sunflowers at this farm, so of course we had to play in the flowers a bit, too:
But the BEST part of this place was that pumpkin purchases came with as many freshly boiled peanuts as you could eat. Now I understand that boiled peanuts are virtually unheard of outside of the south, so I’m going to run off on a tangent here for a minute and get y’all acquainted with my favorite roadtrip snack.
If your travels take you through the Floribama area, you are sure to see roadside stands offering fresh boiled green peanuts. They are a must-have for roadtrips – they’re soft, salty and absolutely perfect with a sweet tea or soda (go with RC Cola for a truly southern combination!) and you can ride with your windows down and toss the wet shells out as you go. Classy, right? Whatever, just let your hair down and trust me!
Boiled peanuts are usually offered in two flavors – traditionally salty or Cajun. They’re delicious either way, but if you’re trying them out for the first time, I’d recommend starting out traditional. So just in case you don’t anticipate traveling to the south any time soon, here’s how you can make these guys at home:
Green Boiled Peanuts:
-Green (raw – NOT dry or roasted!) peanuts
-A heavy stew pot
-Salt (Kosher works well but isn’t necessary)
Then:
-Pour your peanuts into the stew pot and cover with water.
-Add 2-4 TBSP of salt
-Bring to a rolling boil, then reduce heat so that you maintain a gentle boil without bubbling over and cook peanuts this way for about an hour, stirring occasionally.
-After an hour, scoop a peanut out and test for saltiness and softness. You want the peanuts to be pretty salty (bland boiled peanuts = bleah!), the shells should be tender, and when opened the nut should fall out easily. If your peanuts aren’t quite there yet, continue to boil and check every 15-20 minutes.
-Once peanuts are done, drain and eat with abandon! Leftovers can be stored in ziplocs, and microwaved later (boiled peanuts are OK cold, but much better warm!)
And that’s that! So have you guys had boiled peanuts before? Will you try them now?? (Would you, could you, with in a box?)
Happy fall, y’all!
Becki
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
What a great looking family you have. It was fun to read your post. I used to have a boss that was from the south and he used to add boiled peanuts to his coke and drink it down. I’m surprised he never choked on the things but he didn’t. I’m a huge nut lover but have never tried the boiled peanuts. Next time I’m in “Floribama” I’ll have to give them a try.
That looks like a lot of fun. I love corn mazes.
what a fun time! and you had boiled peanuts? oh my god I’m so jealous! my neighbor (back when I was growing up) used to make them. i think that’s where I fell in love. and now you’ve given me the recipe…
oh goodness….
What a gorgeous day you all had and what a gorgeous family. The baby is growing so fast and sooo cute! I absolutely love that cow train.
You look awesome Becki 🙂