December 12, 2016

So some of you are having snow, but I am getting rain. And I mean rain and more rain. All those months when we had nothing and now we have barrels full. 

Now that the gardens are over and there is time to stop and think I have decided that I need to find a way to grow without water. Now I know that is not 2 things that go together. Growing food without water sounds kinda like an oxymoron. But hang with me I am trying Hugelkultur, let's just say hugel beds for short. Now I have set up 2 of them and I am excited to plant them out in the spring and give it a go. Always trying new things. Improving? It is a wait and see kind of thing, but it will be fun trying.

So Christmas is almost here. I am NOT running myself ragged trying to do everything in the biggest and best way. We are spending the holidays this year relaxing as much a possible and trying to just enjoy each other. How about you, what is your goal for the holidays?

I had fallen behind on weekly menus and with the hustle and bustle being pushed at us from all sides this time of the year I find it helps me to plan ahead. so here are the menus for this week.

Monday........salsa chicken and all the fixin's in a spinach wrap

Tuesday........chopped salad with all the toppings plus boiled eggs for protein

Wednesday.......omelets w/onions, peppers, spinach and bacon topped with fresh tomatoes

Thursday.......tortilla soup using the left over salsa chicken

Friday........chopped salad and homemade pizza

Saturday......no idea! Maybe eat out.

Sunday........pot roast

So as it is getting colder I know we tend to go more for comfort foods. But I am trying to keep the fresh salads on the table as much as possible. How about sharing some of your menus with us?

  

Christmas In MY Shop

I have just listed some ornaments in my Etsy Shop, so if you want to take a look just click the link above. And let me know what you think.

There will be others showing up next week so be on the lookout.

What do all of you have planned for the weekend? 

I am heading out on a special adventure this evening and I will tell you all about it when I get back home.

Be safe and enjoy time with those you love.

Created By Americans

You see it written on tags and merchants us it in advertising. But how many of you look for it? I mean really look for it. Like won't make the purchase until you find it was made in the USA?

I have always been big on this myself. Being a maker I like to support other like minded souls. It takes some time and extra effort to find what you are looking for sometimes. But the quality and workmanship are always worth it. And I love the satisfaction that I have helped the little guy right here on American soil.

Think about the current state of our Country (think indebtedness)! Now sure, it was not you or me that got us in this place to start with. Or was it? I mean the government spends more money that you or I put together, right? So no one could ever blame this on us, right?

Well think about what I am saying. I mean really think about it. It won't make your head hurt to bad, I promise!

Let me just throw out an example here. Lets say the lamp on your night stand gets broken and you need a new lamp. 

Now there are several options.

•  You could create a new one yourself
• Find a local person to make one for you
• Get on the internet and source one from a USA craftsman
• or find one on the internet from somewhere that requires a (slow) boat to get it to you
• or run down to the local mall or Wally World and grab one quick and easy. 

Now before you all start pointing out other options let me say that I know they are out there. I just wanted to give us an assortment of ideas to process here. So we were all thinking along the same lines.

So I guess first off we have to ask ourselves how fast we want that new lamp. If we "got" to have it today then number 5 is the only choice you got. If you don't mind waiting for it and want it at the least expensive price then number 4 is a good fit. If you are looking for a quality piece that you have some say in the look and feel of the finished item, one that is crafted right here in USA then you could choose 1,2 or 3!

Now we get down to the nitty gritty! If you make the decision to pick American Made then you are choosing to put America first. Giving work to those folks who are trying to support their families with the God given talents they have within them. Keeping work inside the USA!

 What would that do for America's economy? 

Could it help? 

Would in increase our wealth?

I know we were only talking about a lamp. But come on people and think. Its your money and shouldn't you be putting it into our Countries economy? Should you be making better choices of where you spend your money? Now maybe it costs a bit more to buy American Made.  But I think we deserve a better quality product. And I also do not "need" it as fast as I think I do sometimes. 

Americans we all need to do our part and to stop blaming others for the problem. It takes us all doing our small part.

Proud To Be an American and standing here saying to you that my money will stay in America.

How about you?

Weekly Menus

This is a quick post to share what we are eating this week. It has been so hot this summer and we have not eaten from the grill as much as we usually do because I could not stand outside to cook it. But the weather is beginning to give us a reprieve so this week, we be grillin'!

Monday.....grilled chicken and veggies (onion, zucchini and bell peppers.

Tuesday.......grilled sirloin burger served on top of a big chopped salad with feta and balsamic vinaigrette.

Wednesday........grilled loin chops, potato wedges and yellow squash

Thursday......grilled veggies with olive oil pasta

Friday.....leftovers from all week on a whole wheat wrap with dressing of choice.

Saturday and Sunday are still up for grabs!

But I must say grilling season is not over and you can enjoy it now more than in the extreme heat of summer. So share with us what you are having. And the big plus is that with the AC off this does not warm up the house.  

Happy Labor Day

I hope everyone is having a safe and fun 3 day weekend. And I hope you are doing exactly what you want to.

Some folks are getting in the last hurrah before summer is over. Picnicking, camping, boating, swimming are all favorite ways of celebrating this weekend. 

But as for me and my house we are spending it at home quietly. We are enjoying the solitude and peacefulness of just the 2 of us being together and doing nothing. Now hubs washed the van yesterday and is washing his vehicle today. And I am doing some creative things in the studio. But that is it for us. We have enjoyed good food and times just sitting and talking together.

We like not being out on the roads with some of those crazy folks!

So what are you doing this weekend?

Oh, I almost forgot, this is the view from my hammock!

Be safe out there!

Beautiful Things

It has been busy around here and busy means some things just don't get done. And lately it seems that I am not posting much.

Maybe that will change as the weather does, or doesn't. It has been so hot and humid this summer. The air is thick and breathing is hard to do in the midday sun. As you look around outside there is beauty everywhere though.

The trees are green and sky is so blue. I love seeing the beauty that God has created. 

This banana leaf is way above my head. And look at all the shades of green that are showing with the sunshine and shadows.

Black-eyed Susan and Four O'clock, now that I look at this picture I believe I took it at the wrong time of the day! Oops! Must have been before 4pm! But it's still pretty.

So no matter how hot or humid it gets there is still beauty all around us. We just have to decide to see it sometimes. So I have been trying to take time to see the beauty. Even if sometimes I have to do it from inside by looking out the window.

Sometimes it is just to hot to go outside. At least that is the way I felt on this day. 

And I am in West Virginia, I can only imagine how you all are feeling who are further south.

 Everyone take care and enjoy the beauty that is around you, even if you have to do it by looking out the window!

Water For My Plants

Most of the water for my plants around the yard has been coming from the watering can. But last evening we had about 2 hours of a slow steady soaker. I was hoping it would continue throughout the night but I will take what I can get.

From the looks of some of the plants, I would say they are happy as well.

my Banana "grove"

Impatiens in a not so sunny window box 

The front door welcome pot

I hope you enjoyed a small bit of my flowers today.

A Little Fun

It was fun for me at least! 

And it added to my Etsy shop. 

I thought I would share with you what I been doing since it has been so hot that you had to stay indoors or fry!

There is one more but I can't seem to get it to take so here is the link. Get ready for some sparkle!

So what have you all been doing on these stifling hot and humid days?

Weekly menus

Now this weeks menus is going to be a bit different. Since it is only me this week. I have planned for meals on the fly.

So I cooked a chicken in the crockpot, then placed in the fridge to cool and deboned it and placed the bones along with another package of bones I had in the freezer back in the crockpot and made about a gallon of bone broth. The broth was strained and packaged in 2 cup containers in the freezer for winter use. But the chicken is in the fridge waiting for me.

I also peeled and sliced a golden honey dew melon.

Washed and placed a lot of fresh veggies in the fridge to be grabbed when needed.

Made a loaf of sourdough for toast and open face sandwiches.

Boiled a dozen eggs and put in fridge.

I also have items to make guacamole, so that will be done one day and a guac salad will be enjoyed.

And I also have yogurt and cottage cheese in the fridge.

So food this week for me will be on the fly. Grab it and go.

But this is an example of how you can eat healthy and quick with just a little planning ahead!

Share with us some of your tricks for eating healthy and quick.

Weekly Menu

I am so tired of this hot weather. But then complaining does not change a thing. So I just do what I can to deal with the heat and one way is not turning on the oven or cooking much inside at all for that matter. 

So as much cooking as possible is being done on the grill. It is kinda amazing at the things you can cook on the grill if you just think about it. 

Also been cooking with as much fresh produce as possible,  it won't be long till we will be resorting to what has been stored in the jars or freezer.

So this week goes as follows.

Monday.......fish tacos and grilled zucchini

Tuesday......Turkey Kielbasa and grilled veggies (zucchini/onion/potato)

Wednesday......grilled chicken and root veggies (carrots/beets/parsnips)

Thursday......chopped salad with chicken from last night

Friday......steak with roasted potatoes and corn on the firepit.

Each night I always have a plate of slice tomatoes, cucumbers and bell peppers as a side dish.

So why don't you share what kind of meals you are having to keep you out of the kitchen. I would love some more ideas

A small "w"

I was spending some time with a friend and(weaving teacher) the other day and we were talking about folks knowing about weaving and then folks really being weavers. During this conversation she said something that has really stuck with me. She said those who are true weavers, those who have mastered the skills needed to produce beautiful cloth from start to finish, those are Weavers with a big "W". But folks who are just learning, who are still being instructed, (like me), we are weavers with a small "w". 

Now I don't mind at all having a small "w" because it says to me that I still have plenty to learn. It says my brain has more to absorb. That I need to spend more time with like minded folks to glean what I can from them. Also that there is plenty more reading for me to do on the subject. So it is not a problem for me to have a small "w".

But there are those out there like my friend Jane and a new acquaintance, Julia that are definitely Weavers with a big "W" and I am glad to know them both. And I hope there will be many more brain picking sessions in the future. Who knows maybe some day someone might be picking my brain. So I got a lot to learn so I can pay it up someday! 

Well I was out and about at sundown the other evening and came upon a weaver with a big "W" and I just had to share it with you. Can you just imagine how hard she worked on this? She definitely has a big "W"!  

But this guy will have to admit he still has a small "w"! But hang in there little guy and keep on learning, I know you can do it.

That's the way it is with all of us. We start out learning and taking small steps but if we never give up and we keep on moving forward toward the prize we can achieve the big "W". 

I hope you enjoyed stopping in today. Leave me a comment below and let me know what big letter you've got or maybe are working toward.

It's Hot

I am sure it hot where you are too, unless you are reading this from somewhere in the Arctic. And if you are, then place post a comment it would surely make my day!

But getting back to the heat(which we can't do anything about at all) So we just have to deal with it. Now I am sure how we deal with it has a lot to do with our lifestyle and what we have going on in our lives. And I am sure that my situation is a bit different than some of you, but I thought I would share a few ways that I am coping with the heat or at least trying to.

Probably the first thing I need to say is the heat just drains me. Takes all my energy away as fast as you can say "heatwave". So anything chores that need doing outside in the garden or yard get done very early 5am till about 9am or from around 7pm till dark thirty or till I really can't see my hand in front of my face anymore!

Also we are eating a lot of cold meals. Thus not heating up the kitchen. Or we use the grill for meats and veggies as well. The other day I wanted to cook a pot of green beans and I put the hot plate on the patio and cooked them outside. I also have used the crock pot outside in the summer.

I hang out all my clothes so the heat from the dryer does not add heat to my house. 

When I am outside working I always have a small wet towel with me, usually draped around my neck. This adds moisture to my skin and as it evaporates it cools me down.

As chores are done inside or even sit down things that need to be done I have a small fan in each room which is turned on. Now we do run the AC but when it is 99* outside it is hard for your heat pump to maintain a 70* temp inside your home. So by running a fan or even a ceiling fan the inside air is circulated and dehumidified helping it to feel cooler.

And drinking a bit of extra water for sure.

Now I am sure some of you have other things that you do to help withstand the heat. So click down below and post a comment and share with the rest of us. After all I think it is hot everywhere right now!

I think I need another glass of ice cold water!

Summer And All It Has To Offer

Summer is one of those words that means different things to different people.

For instance if you are talking to a child of school age I bet they would tell you the best part is that school is out and they get to go swimming.

But when I got to thinking about "summer" and what it meant to me, I realized that it is so many things. It is all the flowers that grow and the veggies too. The birds and the bees that flit from bloom to bloom. And how about the fireflies that flicker in the trees at night. There is the beautiful sunrises and the darkness that doesn't fall till almost 10pm. And lets not forget green, everything is so green. But not one shade of green, yet so many shades that we could never name them all.

How about the smells of summer? There is the fragrance of those flowers and how about freshly mown grass? And the scents of the fruit harvest. The smell of burgers cooking on the grill. Oh, and how about the smell of Coppertone or Hawaiian Tropic?

And it would not be summer without all the tastes of the season! The sweet wetness of an ice cold watermelon is hard to beat on a hot day. Or that sweet tartness of some fresh squeezed lemonade. A tall glass of "sweet tea" is just the best! And then I think of the handfuls of juicy strawberries, blackberries and mulberries that never make it to become a pie. Grilled anything is a sure taste of summer. Now I know we can grill anytime of the year, but it always seems to taste better in summertime.

Now the sounds of summer are something we can enjoy even when we it is dark outside and we can't see a thing. The Crickets chirping. The baby Hoot Owls coming on to their voice is always a surprise in the dark. Both to me and the baby hoot owl! And if you are lucky enough to be near a body of water you will be gifted with the mating sounds of the Bullfrog. From time to time late in the evenings I will hear a Coyote sounding off from the ridge above our house. And early in the morning before the sunrises I can almost always hear the wild turkeys saying goodmorning. At least that is what I tell myself they are saying! And the birds begin their morning wakeup calls. 

And how about looking up on a clear night at all the stars in the sky?

I am sure there are many more that I left out and I would love it if you want to share in comments what you love about summer. 

Use this as a conversation starter at mealtime and see if your family shares the same summer loves or if they are different. Wouldn't it be fun to go outside and spread a blanket and the whole family look at the stars above them. Oh sure your kids might think you are crazy but if not over this then something else for sure! Let me know how it goes. 

In Memory Of.....

The last post I did.

It was a while ago, I keep thinking I will wait for something to happen in my life worth writing about. But it seems that I live a boring life to say the least. So I guess I will share some of my boring life with you.

I have been piddling away in the yard and gardens. We have had so much rain that it has almost been impossible to do anything in the ground. But my potatoes are planted (not in the ground) and several pots of flowers are planted and even beginning to grow and fill in the pots. Green onions are something we have been eating from for a month or so. In fact the second batch has been planted to come along a bit later on. Sorry there are no pictures but since I did not feel this was all worthy of blog space I did not take any. But I promise I will get some and share them in a later post.

My darling Hubs has taken several fishing trips and so yesterday he decided that I needed to go out to eat. This is something we do not do very often, for several reasons. (1) It is just to easy to put a meal on the table at home. (2) If I cook it then I know what is in it. (3) It saves a lot of money to cook at home. But he had a coupon to our favorite restaurant (Cheddar's), so we got dressed and headed out for a fun evening. We were seated quickly and in a very nice location. We decided to pass on the appetizer and just get a house salad to begin our meal. Then I was served the cajun pasta with shrimp and crabmeat. And Hubs had Chicken Fried Steak with mashed potatoes and green beans. My pasta was divine! Hubs does not eat seafood so it was a treat for me!

While we were eating and talking this is what the scenery looked like. 

It was fun watching the fish in the tank while were were eating. But truth be known I think they had just as much fun watching us.

Enjoy your weekend everyone and be safe out there!

Monday and Menus

The weekend all kinds of crazies!

Saturday I woke up to snow and 30 degrees!

Sunday morning it was 22 degrees but the snow was no longer on the ground.

Now it's Monday and it windy and 60 degrees! 

I told you it was crazy!

I have released more rugs in my etsy shop, you can see them HERE!

So I thought I would share some menus for this week's dinners.

Sunday........spaghetti and meatballs(from the freezer) and a chopped salad

Monday.......chopped salad with homemade personal pizza

Tuesday........baked pork chops, baked potatoes, baked beans and spicy kraut

Wednesday......frittata and homemade biscuits

Thursday......clean out the fridge and eat all the leftovers(or if not any, eat a PBJ and a glass of milk!)

Friday......I am leaving for a show this weekend so I will put a chicken in the crockpot with carrots and potatoes and have coleslaw in the fridge as well as a bowl of macaroni salad.

Saturday......they will eat leftovers!

Finished Product

I have been spending time with my new creative love. It is a Union 36 loom. If you have followed me here for awhile you know when I got it and have heard some of the stories about times I have shared with it.

I have spent many hours sitting and sharing my creative juices with her as she leant me her talents. And together, just as she helped those before me to create beauty and functionality, we have completed the first of (I hope) many useful rugs.

You can see it here.

  

Happy Easter

Alleluia! 

He is Risen.

He's Alive.

Thankful Thursday

Each day of our lives should be full of thankfulness. So we are doing something a bit different around here lately. At breakfast every morning we are all talking about things we are thankful for. And you know what? I (we) are finding that it is really hard to be unhappy after naming off several things on your happy list. Once you claim the happiness you seem to hang on to it. You carry it with you throughout the day remembering it when something comes up that would otherwise be a downer.

So here is my simple list for today, in no certain order.

I am thankful for the health of everyone in my family.

For the wonderful sunshine we are having and even the rain that is coming this afternoon.

I am thankful for having time with my grand at this time in his life.

I am thankful for my Dad who is 88yrs old.

And for getting to go fishing.

One thing I have learned about this experiment is that we will be doing it all the time now. It is definitely worth the attention every morning. 

Spring Has Sprung and I Did a Doodle

Well yesterday was the first official day of Spring and our high was 40*. According to the local weather service that is a good 10* below our normal for the first day of Spring. So as I sit here typing this and scratching my head I have to wonder what is coming our way in the weeks ahead. Will it be dry and hot or wet and cold  or ........well I could go on with this craziness for ever! So let's just say we are glad that Spring is here and take what she gives us.

I do know one thing for sure, things are greening up around here. The grass is growing and the flowers are poking their little heads up to see what the weather is doing. The birds are all out looking for the perfect place to build their nests. And the buds on the trees are all popping out.

I worked on a doodle this week and could not help but think of spring as I did.

Menus for dinners this week:

Sunday......we had leftovers, two of us had meatball stew and grilled cheese and the other had shrimp tacos

Monday...... chicken pot pie (recipe here) and a small chopped salad

Tuesday......venison sausage and blueberry pancakes

Wednesday......cooking on the firepit. Roasted potatoes, carrots and a head of cauliflower and grilled pork loin chops

Thursday.....leftovers

Friday......turkey kielbasa, potatoes, onions, and fresh spinach in foil pouches 

Saturday......No clue yet!

Almost Spring Time

According to the calendar at least!! We have had 2 weeks now of high temps in the 70's, but today is only getting up to 40* if we are lucky and the dreaded S word(snow) is coming our way tomorrow. That's right on the first day of spring! I really hope it doesn't affect the fruit trees and dogwoods. But with temps dropping into the low 30's we may be having a problem.

So there has been some lawn clean up going on around here. As well as some work on some beds that will hold mostly veggies of one kind or another. I always intermingle flowers in my beds as companions to help deter bugs but also as food for the soul. I have been amending soil in some beds and making more beds as well. Soil is being hauled from the woods after I have sifted it to get out all the debris and large pieces. This is more like half soil and half leaf mold from the forest floor. Really good stuff!! 

Last year we had a very wet season and because of planting in some "unique" ways I still got a pretty good harvest. I call it unique, but hubs calls it weird! But he has no problem eating the food that it provides. So I afford him a few laughs.

I alway grow my potatoes in cages and this year I am going to try my sweets in containers of some kind as well. I will do my onions in raised beds. I have really good luck with this method for 2 reasons. First we do not walk in the beds so the soil is not compacted and also if we get lots of rain the raised beds drain well. And I will put my green onions (scallions) in a half whiskey barrel. 

I will do my best to get some pictures later on and share those with you on the next post about my growing methods. But you have to promise not to laugh? 

I may have cold temps outside and not be able to work in the garden but I have been blessed with a ray of sunshine on my window sill.

This orchid is blooming and I have another one getting ready to anyday now.

Mondays Musings and Menus

The fog is lifting this morning with an eerie look as it hovers just above the automobiles. 

So many signs of spring are popping up around here. And it really is early too. Look at the buds on the maple tree in my front yard.

And the buds on the Dogwood are about to flower out. I so hope they don't get nipped by the cold.

The daffodils are waving their heads in the wind already. 

And as you can see the bluebirds have begun building already. This box always has at least one broad every year.

I love spring and I am so glad it is here. But I just hope that old man winter does not rear his ugly head and mess it up!

This week is an easy week for food.

Sunday....we had leftovers

Monday.....shrimp tacos

Tuesday......grilled chicken and veggies

Wednesday.......grilled salmon and chopped salad

Thursday........loin chops with leftover grilled veggies and pasta

Friday.......Chopped salad and homemade pizza

Saturday.......meatball stew

Free Willy Friday

 It is 76* right now and although I know it will change and we will still have some chilly weather ahead, I cannot help but be thankful for a little slice of this warmth and sunshine.

We got some rain overnight, nothing torrential just a slow steady "spring" rain. The robins are all over the place and having no trouble finding worms to eat. I have not seen any signs of nesting yet, but I am sure it will not be long now. 

Hubs and the grandson did some fishing this week, but no catching. The water is a little bit murky still but it will clear up soon.

I have my first show of the year in 5 weeks from today!! Where does time go.

Been looking at all the things around me that I am so thankful to have and be a part of and thought I might share a bit of it with you.

My Grandson is with us and although there have been some challenges (we are old you know) it has truly been a blessing.

I am thankful for several new friendships that I have began to nurture through a fiber guild that I have started going to. It is so fun to spend time with ladies of like minds.

I am thankful for a good report on all my blood work and exam from my Dr. yesterday. 

And for having such great Dr.'s at our local VA hospital. Hubs went and they quickly realized he had a sinus infection, so he is on a Zpak.

So as you get ready for the weekend, what are you looking forward to?

And be on the lookout tomorrow for the weekly doodle!

Tasty Tuesday

Something I have not done in a while is share a recipe with you here on my blog.

So as I was wondering what I would pull from my boxes to share with you, the grandson walked in and we got to talking as I was looking through the box. And just out of the blue he said you know what I have not had since the last time you fix it? And I looked him straight in the eye and said, a Green Cake? And with a big grin on his face he shook his head and said, how did you know?

So I pulled the recipe and this week I will be sharing a recipe for "Green Cake" aka "Pistachio Pound Cake". He has loved this cake since he was about 2 years old and I made it for St. Patty's Day. He could not pronounce Pistachio so he called it Green Cake. And throughout the years I have made it for many occasions. Easter, 4th of July, Christmas and Birthdays even.

Pistachio Pound Cake

1 pkg. white cake mix

1 pkg. pistachio instant pudding mix

1/2 cup oil

1 cup water +1/2 tsp. almond flavoring

4 eggs

Blend all ingredients in large mixing bowl then beat at medium speed for 4 minutes. Bake in a greased 10 inch tube pan at 350* for 45-55 minutes. Cool right side up for about 20 min. then remove from pan. 

Frost with icing of your choice. We like a simple confectioners sugar glaze with a touch of lemon or almond in it. 

He is 18 now and the pronunciation is not a problem, but around our house we'll still be calling it "Green Cake".

Enjoy!