A Time To Be Thankful

There are many things in life that I really need to be thankful for and sometimes I really just have to stop and write them down and then ponder and pray over them for a spell.

I am so thankful that the rains have slowed down.

That the sun is shining.

And for the health of my family.

I am thankful for new friends that have been placed in our midst and hope we extend ourselves to them in the way it is intended.

I am thankful that we were able to take a dead tree out of our yard safely and that the wood will be used by others to warm their home this winter.

I am thankful for our food supply and preps since gardens have done so poorly with all the rains.

And for the ability to think 'out of the box' when it comes to food preparation.

I am thankful for the ability to exercise and support from my husband to do so.

There are many more but the most important of all is the gift of Jesus. I am so thankful for that gift and all that it means to me and my family.

Monday's Musings and Menus

Starting out another week and hoping I don't run out of week before all the stuff gets completed. One thing that I find so beneficial in staying on track and adding what seems like hours to my days is having my dinner menus planned out. 

Now breakfast and lunch is always pretty easy. Breakfast possibilities are eggs, oatmeal, pancakes, cream of wheat, things like that. For lunch we will grab cheese or peanut butter and crackers. Or even celery and peanut butter. But dinner I cook and I like having it planned out so I know what to lay out of the freezer. So here we go with this weeks menus.

Monday.....chopped salad, tuna casserole

Tuesday.....pinto beans, fried cabbage, cornbread, homemade relish or chow chow 

Wednesday.....baked chicken, dressing, green beans, coleslaw 

Thursday.....venison chunks w/ gravy, mashed potatoes, peas

Friday.....grilled trout, grilled carrots, chopped salad

Saturday.....turkey veggie burgers, baked beans

Sunday......I have not decided! We may have company.

Tuesday's Tidbits

After today the weatherman says we may have 4 days with very low chances of rain. There is a lot of outside work that needs completed if it hold true. basic stuff like mowing and weed eating. And did I say that the temps have been in the 90's and the humidity has been at least 80%.

I am going to share a recipe this week that I found HERE. It is for Navajo Fry Bread. We just love this stuff around here and although I do not fix it as often as would be liked we still have it more than we should. I know this because of the way my jeans fit! Come to think of it though it is probably not just the fry bread!

Navajo Fry Bread

4 cups flour
2 T baking powder
1 1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 powdered milk
1 1/2 T. shortening
2-2 1/2 cups very hot water

Now I do encourage you to check out the link and see how it is done. She will show you pictures and step by step details. 

But basically I mix by hand, dry ingredients first in  bowl then incorporate the shortening. Then I add very warm tap water with my hands until it all sticks together and forms a soft dough. I knead a couple of minutes more using some leftover flour if needed. I sit it aside for about 10-15 minutes and then proceed to separate and roll and fry.

**I will say sometimes it takes all the flour and sometimes it does not. It probably has to do with the weather or humidity or something like that. But cooking is something I enjoy doing and actually done care why it works out that way! But it does.

** I form mine by hand most of the time but sometimes I use an old rolling pin that is just like a dowel about 2 inches around, it doesn't have handles on it.

** I make them about 1/8 inch thick if we want them soft and chewy. But sometimes we want them a bit crisper so  roll them about 1/16 of an inch for those.

Let me know if you try this recipe and how you eat them or what you put on them.

Monday Musings and Menus

This has been a busy day and if I don't hurry and get this typed and posted it is going to be tuesday!

Hot! Hot! and so much rain and Hot! So the humidity is almost not even measurable it is so high. 

Here is what happens to the picnic table during all the rain and heat.

But that's okay because I can even see the beauty in this small batch of fungus that was sent my way this week.

Has god showed you beauty in an odd way lately? I would love it if you would share.

Menus for this week:

Monday......fish sandwiches with coleslaw and homemade tarter sauce, fresh green beans

Tuesday.....kielbasa with onions and green peppers, coleslaw and grilled carrots

Wednesday........grilled chicken, grilled yellow squash and a cucumber and onion salad

Thursday.....ranch beans, sauerkraut with onions and hot peppers and fried ho cakes 

Friday......chicken, peppers/onions served on navajo fry bread with spiced up greek yogurt and homemade salsa.

I just love hearing about what you guys are cooking. And remember that our forefathers did not have a grocery store to run to everyday/week/month and they still ate meals and lived well. So don't get strung out if you don't have something on hand, just take a deep breath and train yourself to cook from within your pantry. 

Monday's Menus...Rain and more Rain!

Seems all it cares to do around here is rain. Everyday except saturday has been rain, and even saturday only had about 2 hours of sunshine. So in case any of you are looking for clear skies and sunshine, don't come knocking around here, because you surely won't find what you are looking for!

Rain makes me tired and sleepy. And the lack of energy makes it hard to accomplish the things on my list. So my list just keeps getting longer. But I am sure that if the good lord is willing the sunshine will return. After all I have not heard anything about the building of an arc! And he did promise he would not destroy the earth again by water. So I need to stop complaining and move forward as best I can.

Okay, now lets see about dinner this week. 

Monday.....fresh ham with new potatoes, onions and peppers in a foil packet. And also roasted corn on the cob, with a wedge salad.

Tuesday.....chopped salad and italian bread pizza

Wednesday.....chopped salad and whole wheat pasta with homemade marinara. 

Thursday.......bone broth soup and a salad

Friday.....chopped salad with tuna

Not sure what the weekend holds. We might have company and if so will probably grill out.

Oh Bummer!

All right I deserve whatever I get here. I promise I will stand still and allow you gals to throw tomatoes or whatever! I won't even duck!

I started a giveaway on July 1st and the winner was to be announced on July 9th. And my crazy life was spinning more than NoRmAl and the date just flew by and I never even noticed. But no worries to the winner as I will just have to throw in a few more items! But do accept my apology! I am so sorry that I did this. 

Now drum roll please! 

The winner is:

 Kristina said...

We too are to get more rain, and I'd rather be home working than in a crowded, noisy campground on a holiday weekend. They can get rather rowdy there. I'm opting for a dry, quiet weekend. In the meantime, I need to get some fish for Hubby to grill this weekend. The giveaway looks very creative.

July 2, 2015 at 11:50 AM

 

So Kristina, if you will contact me with your addy I will get your package shipped promptly. And again thank you so much for sharing your time on my blog with me

Tasty Tuesday

I thought I would share a recipes today that is great for summer. 

This is a relish recipe that is a keeper in my book. I have been making this for many years and each year I put at least 24 quarts of this on the shelf.

Zucchini Relish

12 cups zucchini (shredded)

4 cups onions

2 bell peppers

5T. salt

2 1/2 C. cider vinegar

5 c. sugar

1tsp. dry mustard

3/4 t. nutmeg

3/4 t. corn starch

1/2 t. celery seed

1/2 t. black pepper

3/4 t. turmeric

2 T.mustard seed

Shred vegetables and place in a large pan, sprinkle with salt and cover with a dish towel. Allow to set for a few hours (3-4). Now squeeze liquid from veggies and discard. Place remaining ingredients in a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Add the veggies and allow to come back up to a boil. Stirring will keep from sticking.

Have jars, caps and rings prepared and process by putting relish into jars with liquid, filling within one inch of top. Wipe top of jar with warm wet cloth. Place boiled cap on top and finger tighten ring into place. Place jar on a towel to cool, leaving space between jars. And wait for the ping!

*** I double or triple this recipe most of the time so I have no idea how much it makes in it single form.

****This relish is great used on hot dogs or in potato salad or we like it in pinto beans. I just use it instead of pickle relish.

There is also 2 more days to sign up for the give away so scoot on over and sign up today.

Monday morning and Menus

Just wanted to show you what approach I am taking to July.

I hope everyone had a good weekend, I took a few days off from the blog but I am glad to be back. We spent sometime with friends this weekend and enjoyed good food and great conversation. 

Then home around dark on the 4th because we knew the bang bangs would begin in our neighborhood and our dogs would be a basket case(s)! We were right, the boom booms were right on schedule and the dogs were trying to get under me as I was laying on the bed!!....Lol! But it finally slowed down around midnight and then I fed and took everyone outside for a while. 

And then sunday was a slow paced work in the garage day, which I really enjoyed!

So I know you are wondering about menus for the week. But first let me say that it has been so hot here and raining everyday at some point in the day. So I am known to be grilling with an umbrella if that is what we have planned for dinner. But sometimes because of the lightning I decide to fix the same thing, but inside. So use your own judgement and just roll with it!

Monday.....grilled chicken, chopped salad, grilled corn

Tuesday.....chopped salad with a scoop of tuna salad in the middle.

Wednesday.....grilled flounder, chopped salad, grilled yellow squash

Thursday......oven fried chicken, collard greens, corn on the cob

Friday......Italian sausage, potatoes, corn on the cob, peppers and onions in foil on the fire

Saturday.......turkey casserole, chopped salad

Sunday.....no clue!

I sure do love to hear what you guys are cooking for dinners, it inspires me.

I have a giveaway going on and the drawing is not till thursday so if you haven't added your name yet jump over here and sign up. 

What Day Is It Anyway?

Its friday, I am writing that because most days I have to check the calendar to see what day it is. Yesterday my hubs made a reference to saturday, which he thought it was!! So being retired is crap for keeping up with your days! 

But I had a few things to share today. Things that say summer without a word being spoken.

If you haven't signed up for the giveaway, go HERE to get your name in before its to late.

See you later!

Thankful Thursday

The weather is a bit calmer today and for that I am thankful. 

During busy times it is sometimes hard to see things in our life that are blessings. Today I will share a few that have been placed on my plate this week.

Good Health! It is always a blessing when you and your family are safe and well. Mine are, so for this I am thankful.

The temps this week have been milder. Now that is a blessing in itself. But I have had the A/C turned off to enjoy the open windows and the sounds that can be heard with them open. So it made me realize that I am thankful to have a choice of opening them or using the A/C.

I am thankful to have plenty to keep me busy, both in the house and out.

My dogs are a blessing to me and as they are getting older I want to spend more and more time with them.

Plenty of food! Actually more than enough most of the time. I am thankful for it all and I try to not be wasteful at all with it.

Books to read and internet service! Now while these are not necessities and something I could do without I am thankful to have them.

What are some things you are thankful for? You don't have to answer, just think about it.

Now I started off July with a giveaway so if you have not put your name in the "hat" yet just click giveaway below and it will take you there. 

Giveaway

July and a Giveaway

Well July is here. We are beginning the second half of the year. Now the next few days will for some of you, be spent with family and friends celebrating the 4th. Some of you are perhaps on vacation now or will be soon. If you are traveling, I bid you safety. And of course I wish you fun and enjoyment as you make memories with family and friends.

We will be cooking out and grilling as much as the weather allows us to over the next several days. We are quite wet and rain continue to be in the forecast, to the tune of 80% chance of a downpour!

So now how about we kick off July with a giveaway! I have never done this here on my blog so I am learning as I go.

 Here is a bundle of goodies I have put together. 

Several pieces of fabric that are at least fat quarters in size. And an assortment of buttons.

 Now the fabrics are 100% cotton so if you are a crafter or a quilter then these will work great for you. Perhaps you are a button collector or just have a button jar like I do and never would have to many.

Now there are a few rules that we have to obey, so here goes.

You must be a follower of my blog to enter.

Leave me a comment here on this post and you will be entered in the drawing.

You must live in the USA! Sorry folks but with postage what it is I cannot ship internationally.

I will randomly draw a name at 7am on July 9th, 2015. The winner will be posted on my blog. Contact can be made thereafter to determine a shipping address.

So everyone play fair and good luck!

Thank you all for stopping in and if you want to share this with others feel free to do so.