Monday, August 31, 2009
Sunday, August 30, 2009
~Busy~
I've been busy, but I haven't meant to totally ignore this blog!
Around the house...
...my sister's afghan is coming along. I need to make it a higher priority though, so it gets done in time!
...my MIL came for a short visit last week, and we had a very nice time together.
...I got a new book on canning, and found a recipe to try: Zesty Peach Barbecue Sauce. It turned out super yummy!
...I got a new hair cut. I got my hair cut shorter about 2 years ago, and have been trying to maintain the cut, quite unsuccessfully. The lady I was going to for a while didn't give me the same cut twice, so I stopped going to her. Then I was going to cheap-o places and last time I totally got chopped up! So I tried someone new and guess what? She worked with my hair type, gave me some styling hints, and I got a great cut! I'll be going back to her--hopefully she will do the exact same thing because I'm super happy with it!
...the weather here feels like October. Which is totally a bummer because it is August.
Well, just wanted to say "howdy!" Hope you all have a great day!
Around the house...
...my sister's afghan is coming along. I need to make it a higher priority though, so it gets done in time!
...my MIL came for a short visit last week, and we had a very nice time together.
...I got a new book on canning, and found a recipe to try: Zesty Peach Barbecue Sauce. It turned out super yummy!
...I got a new hair cut. I got my hair cut shorter about 2 years ago, and have been trying to maintain the cut, quite unsuccessfully. The lady I was going to for a while didn't give me the same cut twice, so I stopped going to her. Then I was going to cheap-o places and last time I totally got chopped up! So I tried someone new and guess what? She worked with my hair type, gave me some styling hints, and I got a great cut! I'll be going back to her--hopefully she will do the exact same thing because I'm super happy with it!
...the weather here feels like October. Which is totally a bummer because it is August.
Well, just wanted to say "howdy!" Hope you all have a great day!
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Friday, August 28, 2009
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Rain drops on a flower
We went for a walk tonight in the misty-moisty weather, this beauty was in someone's yard right by the sidewalk.
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Tonight: tea instead of hot chocolate
Keeping with my "No S Diet" I'm skipping hot chocolate and having tea instead. I'd far rather have hot chocolate, but the tea is better for my waistline! :-)
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Monday, August 24, 2009
Sunday, August 23, 2009
~Ripple-in-Progress~
I'm smitten with ripple love, all over again! After completing my ripple afghan, I didn't really think I'd ever make another one again. But, I was wrong.
And, oh, I'm so happy to be wrong (on this particular account, that is!) The colors are beautiful, the work is fast. And it is a labor of love this time around - a wedding gift for one of my sisters. I only have until December, so I have no time to dawdle on this project!
You can be sure I'll update with pictures, because ripple afghans are so photogenic!
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Saturday's treat
I'm following "the No S Diet":
No Snacks, No Sweets, No Seconds, Except on days that start with "S".
{Saturday, Sunday, and special days - and no, every day isn't a special day!}
Thursday, August 20, 2009
A very airhead type of day
I am extremely grateful to be able to take this {unfocused} picture tonight! I left my wallet at the library and someone turned it in. I spent a crazy 40 minutes frantically retracing my steps, trying to find my wallet. I'm so thankful for the honest person who found it!
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
See the smiley?
This morning as I was reading my Bible I saw the "smiley" and for a few seconds I seriously wondered what a smiley was doing in my Bible. I was so tired this morning...
~Simple black-eyed pea soup~
The other day when I was doing my grocery shopping, I spotted the black-eyed peas, and decided to throw them in my cart. I'm not normally an impulse shopper, but I need lunch everyday and I haven't been doing too well at making myself lunch.
Black-eyed peas are packed with vitamins and minerals, they cost little, and I think they taste good. It is an aquired taste though!
I made a pot of soup for lunch today and took some pictures along the way so you too can make your very own pot of black-eyed pea soup! =D
In your soup pot, combine a chopped onion, 2 carrots, 2 stalks of celery, and one clove minced garlic:
Sautee the veggies in 2 tablespoons of butter, over medium heat, until the onions are slightly carmelized:
Sort your peas, making sure to remove any rocks or clumps of dirt (you can skip the step in which I dumped a half cup or so all across the floor!):
After sorting and washing, cover the peas with water and bring it to a boil (in a separate pot than the veggies):
Boil for 4 minutes, then drain. Add the peas to the vegetables and add 6 cups water. I also added about a teaspoon of chicken bouillon to the water.
Bring to a boil, and then simmer for approximately 45 minutes. The peas should be very tender.
Enjoy!
Black-eyed peas are packed with vitamins and minerals, they cost little, and I think they taste good. It is an aquired taste though!
I made a pot of soup for lunch today and took some pictures along the way so you too can make your very own pot of black-eyed pea soup! =D
In your soup pot, combine a chopped onion, 2 carrots, 2 stalks of celery, and one clove minced garlic:
Sautee the veggies in 2 tablespoons of butter, over medium heat, until the onions are slightly carmelized:
Sort your peas, making sure to remove any rocks or clumps of dirt (you can skip the step in which I dumped a half cup or so all across the floor!):
After sorting and washing, cover the peas with water and bring it to a boil (in a separate pot than the veggies):
Boil for 4 minutes, then drain. Add the peas to the vegetables and add 6 cups water. I also added about a teaspoon of chicken bouillon to the water.
Bring to a boil, and then simmer for approximately 45 minutes. The peas should be very tender.
Enjoy!
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Monday, August 17, 2009
~Finished Bedroom~
As promised, here are some more pictures of our finished master bedroom. Here's a before picture:
The previous owner was not handy around the house, but he didn't let that stop him from trying. ;-) The "woodwork" in our room (and main part of the house) was 1x4 boards nailed to the wall. Not very attractive.
The work accomplished:
:::replaced the accordion mirrored closet doors with regular sliding doors
:::painted
:::replaced the woodwork
:::replaced the blinds with blinds that fit into the window frame
The closet doors that were in the room were just fine. However, all of our furniture didn't fit in the room, so one of the dressers was in the closet. That meant that my clothes were actually hanging in the sewing room. By changing out the doors, our furniture now fits in the room, and all our clothes fit in the closet.
There are still a few finishing touches I would like to add to our room:
:::curtains or a valance
:::a saying in the space above the closets
:::a new throw pillow for the bed
I'll show updated pictures as I complete the above projects.
The previous owner was not handy around the house, but he didn't let that stop him from trying. ;-) The "woodwork" in our room (and main part of the house) was 1x4 boards nailed to the wall. Not very attractive.
The work accomplished:
:::replaced the accordion mirrored closet doors with regular sliding doors
:::painted
:::replaced the woodwork
:::replaced the blinds with blinds that fit into the window frame
The closet doors that were in the room were just fine. However, all of our furniture didn't fit in the room, so one of the dressers was in the closet. That meant that my clothes were actually hanging in the sewing room. By changing out the doors, our furniture now fits in the room, and all our clothes fit in the closet.
There are still a few finishing touches I would like to add to our room:
:::curtains or a valance
:::a saying in the space above the closets
:::a new throw pillow for the bed
I'll show updated pictures as I complete the above projects.
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Friday, August 14, 2009
~Around the House~
Just a little update! The summer is flying by too, too fast!
My current WIP, Heather's Rivulet:
I love it! The pattern is written very well, and it is easy to follow. When I started out, it felt like I was unknitting more than knitting (which was my own fault - not the fault of the pattern!) Now that I fully comprehend the pattern, the knitting is going much smoother!
Last night, I canned 7 quarts of green beans:
Such a lot of work, but I'm looking forward to using them in the winter! Yesterday I went out and got a 5-gallon bucket of green beans from a family in our church. I still have more canning to do today, but I plan on canning the rest in pints. For our small family, I have found that I sometimes waste food if I put it up in larger quantities. I'll use the quarts for when we have company.
And then, totally worth staying up way too late to bake, blueberry focaccia:
Oh my! Seriously yummy! It is a "dessert" but I ate it for breakfast. It is more bread than dessert - it only has 1/2 cup of sugar in it. It called for 2 cups of blueberries, and I think I used more like 3 cups of blueberries. That may explain why the middle didn't cook all the way through and I had to put it back in the oven this morning. LOL It was the perfect way to use the rest of the blueberries that we had from our blueberry picking excursion!
My current WIP, Heather's Rivulet:
I love it! The pattern is written very well, and it is easy to follow. When I started out, it felt like I was unknitting more than knitting (which was my own fault - not the fault of the pattern!) Now that I fully comprehend the pattern, the knitting is going much smoother!
Last night, I canned 7 quarts of green beans:
Such a lot of work, but I'm looking forward to using them in the winter! Yesterday I went out and got a 5-gallon bucket of green beans from a family in our church. I still have more canning to do today, but I plan on canning the rest in pints. For our small family, I have found that I sometimes waste food if I put it up in larger quantities. I'll use the quarts for when we have company.
And then, totally worth staying up way too late to bake, blueberry focaccia:
Oh my! Seriously yummy! It is a "dessert" but I ate it for breakfast. It is more bread than dessert - it only has 1/2 cup of sugar in it. It called for 2 cups of blueberries, and I think I used more like 3 cups of blueberries. That may explain why the middle didn't cook all the way through and I had to put it back in the oven this morning. LOL It was the perfect way to use the rest of the blueberries that we had from our blueberry picking excursion!
Thursday, August 13, 2009
And yet another new project
This project has a deadline! I am making a ripple afghan for my sister's wedding gift. She's getting married December 29, so I'd better get busy!
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Monday, August 10, 2009
~Canning~
If you look on the sidebar, I am keeping a running tally of my 2009 canning efforts. This summer, I have a lot of grand plans for canning. The list I've made is pretty unrealistic! But it is fun to dream anyhow. :-)
Today I canned green beans. It was the first time I've used the pressure canner that my MIL gave me. It worked great! I got seven pints of green beans. Now to procure more green beans!
There is such a great feeling that comes with putting food up!
Today I canned green beans. It was the first time I've used the pressure canner that my MIL gave me. It worked great! I got seven pints of green beans. Now to procure more green beans!
There is such a great feeling that comes with putting food up!
Sunday, August 09, 2009
Saturday, August 08, 2009
Wednesday, August 05, 2009
Dishes late at night
When the "dishwasher" is yourself, you come up with all kinds of inventive stacking methods to avoid drying the dishes!
Tuesday, August 04, 2009
Gum
When I was a kid, my parents were very health-conscious and we didn't get gum. The closest I got to gum was sniffing it at the grocery store. LOL I'm still not a gum-chewer. In fact, it makes me gag if I chew on gum for any length of time! Tonight I caught a whiff of the gum as I was putting my groceries on the belt, and thought I'd snap this picture just for the fun of it.
Monday, August 03, 2009
My "Ta-Da" List
Sometimes it is more encouraging to write down what you've done rather than what you need to do!
~Today~
Today has been a laundry,
ironing,
housecleaning,
chocolate zucchini cake-baking
awesome day.
The kind of day that every homemaker needs! It's the memory of days like today that gets me through the days where I put my shoes on before I'm even dressed. And not because I'm that into Fly Lady. No, because I can't stand all the crud sticking to my bare feet! (Just keeping it real! LOL)
ironing,
housecleaning,
chocolate zucchini cake-baking
awesome day.
The kind of day that every homemaker needs! It's the memory of days like today that gets me through the days where I put my shoes on before I'm even dressed. And not because I'm that into Fly Lady. No, because I can't stand all the crud sticking to my bare feet! (Just keeping it real! LOL)
Sunday, August 02, 2009
Saturday, August 01, 2009
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