In The Heat of Summer

 I am back from a lengthy visit with my daughter Holly and hubby Richard.   We spent days elbow deep in paint….I’ll have pictures later of her freshly painted formal dining room.  We also did a little shopping and eating…a pregnant girl gets hungry quite often…haha…not me, Holly, who is going on 20 weeks!  My 13 year old niece made the trip with me and we all enjoyed the beach at St. Augustine and a wild water park on another day.  I’m getting too old for that kind of stuff and the sun is just out of my league now.  I actually got quite a bit of sun on the beach with 30 and 50 SPF sunscreens, while sitting under an umbrella!  Gosh what would have I looked like if I had not done that?  I fear a visit to the ER would have been in order!  And the spot on my left leg where I failed to get any sunscreen…well you can only imagine what it looked like…it stayed swelled for about a week!! No kidding! It is starting to peel today!

Holly picked the fabric for the new cover I will be making for their baby’s high chair…It is neither boy or girl related but will match her kitchen!  Aqua, white, and red!  

This willl be the ruffle trim around the cover!

These items of fabric were purchased from sewdeerlyloved Etsy shop!

 It is too cute…wish me luck in sewing this project!  I’ll let you know how it turns out!

My veggie garden is on a slowdown…just too HOT this time of year!  But we have enjoyed fresh white peas, tomatoes, plenty of okra which is still making, bell peppers, onions, English peas, cucumbers like crazy, and potatoes. We are planning to plant a fall crop *wow crop sounds BIG* of more English peas, rutabagas, and collards.  A little something all year to keep us fed!  I’m on my second batch of homemade pickles right now…it’s a week long process! I was also able to obtain some fresh figs from my SIL with which I eat a pile of and the rest I made into preserves!  Now this is a common thing here in the southern part of the south!  A homemade buttermilk biscuit, buttered while hot, with a fig preserve is divine!  Yep…wish I could share with you all!

Its review time again…yep another Gooseberry Patch cookbook review of what’s cooking!  I will be sharing at least 3 recipes I have hand-picked from one of their latest new books.  You will also get the chance to pre-order this book at a discount before it hits the store shelves.  There will also be a give-away in my review for one lucky winner!  So stay tuned and look for this review coming up soon!  I have one more recipe to make and then I will be ready!

I hope you all are enjoying your summer, hot as it is…I have missed being here and sharing with you…but as you know life has a way of taking us away from our hobbies and past time pleasures.  Life gives us more of the things we need at certain times, more challenges, more opportunities, more experiences, and more excitement. We must take those times and live, learn, laugh, and of course LOVE it, making memories all the while!

In the Garden…In the Kitchen

…two of my favorite places to spawn some photo art.

In the garden I walk in my flip flops, I pick the harvest; I pull a tiny weed or two.
I pluck a flower and snap a picture to capture its smell forever.

In the kitchen I preserve the taste forever. I smell the aroma of fresh goodness mixed with some sweetness. I stir and stir until all is perfect.
I stash it away for another day.

  

I love to create works of art from the blessings that flow before me. 

Grab your camera and click away in your daily doings! 

You will not only have fun but you will create wonderful memories.

Peas, Paint, and Picasso

Hello April! You are welcome here. You have arrived with a changing warmth; one that feels comforting to the touch.
Comfort is good…it is safe. Reassuring.

The lion passed on by ~ followed by the gentle lamb.

The Easter season is approaching…a season that I love because of it’s promises. Promises of hope, forgiveness, and eternity… More reassuring comfort for us where we can find peace and joy.

I find a certain peacefulness while in my veggie garden…in the mornings while it is still cool, the birds are singing, the sun is peeping around through the trees bringing forth a new day. The dew is still lingering on the plants. Cute little green lizards are catching bugs to eat. Ladybugs are climbing high on the stems of the peas in search of the blooms. Bees are buzzing their gossip.   Life is good.

I picked my first English peas this morning…YaY! So excited!



Fresh Pick of the Day!

I then picked enough lettuce for my lunch salad. Three different types of leaves, along with some young and tender spring onions for a little zip! Going to add some roasted walnuts, cherry tomatoes and drizzle with EVOO and red wine vinegar. Paired with a turkey sandwich on Honey Wheat Berry bread; it is going to be delicious!! So rewarding to know that I planted those veggies, God nurtured them, and now we get the benefit of healthy food.

I’m working on a little project for Holly…so I cannot share it with you yet. It’s a secret…something for her new house in Jacksonville! Shhhh…don’t tell! It involves paint, wood, wire, and a ribbon. Lots of pretty bright colors.

It really feels good to hold an artist brush in my hands again! Swirling colors together, matching them together in the design…I love being creative. I can’t wait to see the finished project and see her face when I give it to her!

I'm also working on an antique mirror for a shabby look…here are the beginnings…

A large solid oak frame with beveled edge mirror…a steal for $2.98 at the thrift store in Tillman’s Corner, west of Mobile, Al.  I’m going to give it that shabby look and put some fancy hooks from Hobby Lobby where I had to fill the 4 holes on each side.

We are expecting storms tonight…I pray they be gentle and kind to us. Holly and her husband Richard experienced a rather scary tornado storm as it passed through the New Orleans area last week…you may have seen the aftermath of damages and flooding on the national news. At a friends house where they were visiting, they stood and watched black “boiling” clouds as they passed over, dumping golf ball size hail everywhere, including on Holly’s car which would have been under a parking shelter had they not been where they were. Oh the luck! 13 good sized dents not including those on the roof which were too numerous to count. They had just made the final payment on the Murano in December, paying for it in only 4 years…I was so proud of them! BUT…most importantly…they were safe and unharmed when the tornado touched near the WalMart where they shop. Thank you Lord!

Please spare us tonight from bad weather although we need the sweet rain!

Going now to put some clothes in the dryer. listen to it tumble,
and dip my brush in some paint after I eat that salad!

Pea Picking Good

Did you watch the Hallmark movie "The Lost Valentine"?  Betty White and Jennifer Love Hewitt were awesome. They drew the tears, the romance, and the love straight from the past into the present. If you missed it Sunday night be looking for the encore…it is a must see.

If this movie does not touch your heart, you are made of cold hard stone. Love at its best and I’m not speaking of Jennifer, although she was great. Sean Faris…well he added a little eye candy for every one of any age…And Betty…what can I say…she is just plain awesome in every way!

We had a beautiful weekend here in the south…temps in the seventies on Saturday…such a tease…so what did we do? Gardening. Yep…after much prep work which involved some horse poo compost, knee bending, back aching work; our end result was 80 feet of planted sweet English peas and 24 feet of sweet onions. I can’t wait to see them do their thing and reap the harvest. If you have never eaten fresh picked and shelled English peas, you are being deprived! Le Sueur has nothing on fresh!

Speaking of picking….

I have been picked! Yep me, out if thousands of bloggers in bloggerville world, to review a Gooseberry Patch cookbook. The reviews will be from their newest not-yet-released cookbooks. I get a first sneak peek at the book and get to try, play, and prepare the recipes…then I get to tell you all about it! You will be among the first to find out what’s in the book, see a prepared recipe, and find out how to get it first! So stay tuned for some fab recipes with photos, my thoughts straight from the taste buds and most of all a SPECIAL surprise. I am so excited. I have the honor and privilege of wearing this special badge on my blog...

 along with having the opportunity to test out some of the recipes before the book hits the shelves!
Stay with me and be looking for my first review coming up sometime in February… There will be something in it for you!   The excitement mounts…

BTW…tomorrow begins February, the LOVE month…ready or not!

Good Things Everywhere

I’m having lots of fresh veggies from my garden and that makes me giddy!! Yep it does!  Wish I could say that I plow with this old tractor but...
We have extended the size of the garden though... Allllll-most doubled in size, which meant putting up more fence...yuk…hard work. Then we built more raised boxes 3’x10’x10”…building them was the easy part…getting them level on the ground was the hard part! Now we just have to fill them with soil. $$ oh my! But in the end we will reap our rewards with a harvest for years to come…Cucumbers, peas, tomatoes, okra, red potatoes, yellow squash, broccoli and onions. And that just for right now! Fresh is the best! ~Just incase you are wondering why the fence and why raised boxes?…well our dirt is hard clay in most spots and nothing grows well in concrete dirt…and the fence keeps Bambi, Thumper, and Peter Rabbit from enjoying my veggies before we do! ~~~

A friend asked me to share some recipes because she was stumped about what to fix lately for their evening meals. So I thought I would share my favorite Lasagna recipe. It is so easy and so delish. I took this dish along with a lemon cheese cake to my grieving friends when we lost our neighbor to a bad stroke. They raved on it! So here’s my easy

No Boil Lasagna

2-15 ounce containers of Ricotta cheese
2 cups o mozzarella cheese, shredded
½ cup parmesan cheese, grated
2 eggs
1-16 ounce jars of meaty spaghetti sauce
12 uncooked lasagna noodles

Combine ricotta, 1 cup of mozzarella cheese, ¼ cup of parmesan cheese and eggs. In a 9x13 baking dish, spread a cup of sauce, layer 4 uncooked noodles, then 1 cup sauce and half of the ricotta mixture. Repeat. Top with remaining 4 uncooked noodles and 2 cups of sauce. Cover tightly with foil and bake at 375* for one hour. Remove foil, sprinkle with remaining cheeses. Bake uncovered for another 10 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.
I add sautéed onions, mushrooms and bell pepper to mine because I love them!!
This recipe can be made ahead and refrigerated until ready to pop into the oven! Serve with a fresh salad, rolls or garlic toast, and iced tea.

It’s not your basic meat and taters meal *winking* but it is oh so good and easy! Enjoy!

*****

Now on to taking care of some fun business…I have received some nice awards lately and I wanted to share them and thank the givers. First comes from Renee at Sewn with Grace.  She has a passion for quilting, sewing, knitting, and crafting and does a beautiful job while sharing her faith and family. She presented me with The Trendy Blog Award.

Now I am passing it on to 10 of you whom I think are trendy too…yeah I know just 10…this is going to be hard but here’s 10 anyway:

Mama Holli at No Body Put Mama in a Corner 

Cindy at Rick-Rack and Gingham 

Manda at There is a Time  

Cindy at Things About Who, What, When, Where and Why 

Kim at Homesteaders Heart 

Michelle at  Love to Junk

Angie at  Berry Homespun Primitives 

Lindsay at  Southern Cinderella

Jacqueline at My Daily Discovery 

Sares at  Love Leigh Treasures 

Whew…I’m out of breath!! Now go visit these lovely trendy ladies! They are awesome!

My next award comes from Cindy AKA Cinner.

 It is the "Life is Good" Award…That to me is just beautiful! Please go visit this sweet and funny lady who overcomes many obstacles on a daily basis…things we take for granted like the joy of Laughing! Thank you Cindy!
For this award you get to find out a little more about me…so here goes….

1. What is the most memorable dream you ever had? My dreams would be those goals that I wanted to meet…like get married, have a child, and live happily ever after. I am living the dream.

2. Do you have a 'spirit' or totem animal or an animal you feel particularly connected with? Hummmmm…Well now I just don’t know about a totem? And my spirit is not of the animal kind… so I guess I will just say this “I love kitties”…but you already knew that huh?

3. If you could go on any journey tomorrow, where would you end up? Hey I’m on the journey right now…my journey through life…you know the good life…and by the grace of God my life’s journey will end up in heaven for eternity.

4. A cozy winter's eve by the hearth or a warm summer's day by the sea? I’ll take either one of these…both are very nice and comfy.

5. If you could conquer one fear, what would it be? The fear of creepy crawly things and those creatures that slither around…yuk.

6. What is your favorite poem? Not much into poetry but do love a good quote and good books to read.

7. What are your most frequently used herbs and what do you use them for? I have never grown herbs…yet…but I’m planning to grow some lavender and thyme…I already have the seeds, so we’ll see how it pans out.

8. Savory snacks or sweet puddings? both

9. What is one thing you wish to achieve this year? Just one…you’ve got to be kidding me? I give up…………………………

10. What would your perfect day consist of ? Prayer.Coolness.Simplicity.Goodness.FreshAir.Easiness.Happiness.Contentment.

****

OK…enough is enough…sorry this is so long. Thanks to Renee and Cindy for thinking of me. Oh gosh I was supposed to pass this last award on to three friends…but I will let you decide who you are. If “Life is Good” to you, take this one a run with it, let us all know how good it is!!

MY GARDEN IS GOOD

LASAGNA IS GOOD

LIFE IS GOOD

GOD IS GOOD

A Sunday Walk…

~ If you are seeking creative ideas, go out walking.

Angels whisper to a man when he goes for a walk.

~ Raymond Inmon

I do not want the peace which passeth understanding,

I want the understanding which bringeth peace.

~Helen Keller

~ Only those who have the patience to do simple things perfectly

will acquire the skill to do difficult things easily.

 ~ Johann Friedrich Von Schiller

~ It is important to expect nothing, to take every experience,

including the negative ones, as merely steps on the path, and to proceed.

~ Ram Dass

~ Fear is not your enemy. It is a compass pointing
you to the areas where you need to grow.
~ Steve Pavlina

~ Through humor, you can soften some of the worst blows that life delivers. And once you find laughter, no matter how painful your situation might be, you can survive it.
 ~ Bill Cosby


Enjoy your week!

 

How Does Your Garden Grow?

Mine is growing and giving me some veggies. I’ve had the pleasure of picking my first English peas…so sweet and tender; and heads of beautiful green broccoli. I love it! The horse poo has paid off.

~ The best place to seek God is in a garden. You can dig for Him there~

George Bernard Shaw

I am most at home in my garden where it doesn’t matter if I wear make-up, my clothes don’t match, or that my shoes are dirty. The birds sing to me, the butterflies flutter by in their beauty, and a cool breeze flows by. Swoon~

Throw on you rubbers and take a walk with me through my garden…

Rows of tall green plants full of blooms and tiny pods of sweet peas…

Huge leafy broccoli plants with flowery heads begging to be cut...

Lined up green tops of onions growing and reaching toward the sky…

Bushy leaves on the bed where the potatoes sleep…

Tiny little plants growing up to make some okra…

Huge leaves connect each of the squash plants as they build a canopy for big bright yellow flowers which reveal little baby veggies…

Cucumbers trying their best to reach the fence to trellis on…

and bell pepper plants getting a fresh start, along with

some new tomato plants which I have already caged.

Along the edges are some mixed wild flowers growing

from their youth with petunias and daisies all around.

~ The best way to garden is to put on a wide-brimmed straw hat and

some old clothes. And with a hoe in one hand

and a cold drink in the other, tell someone else where to dig.

~ Texas Bix Bender

LaughOutLoudCute!

I get pleasure from my garden where I feel the sun’s warmth,

I get to dig in the dirt with my hands, and I get the delight of reaping my rewards.

I am at home in my growing space.

Mary, Mary, quite contrary,

How does your garden grow?

With silver bells, and cockle shells,

And pretty maids all in a row

When I don my yellow rubber ladybug shoes, with gloves on and tools in hand, I begin to cultivate my love of gardening. And when I tire and need a sit-down; the “pink” chair is my resting tool. Yes it is pink! Jackie even sits in it for a while! So…what’s on the menu for supper…baked ham, homemade mashed potatoes, fresh English peas, and sweet tea. Grab a fork and come eat with me!

~ Gardening is the art that uses flowers and plants as paint,

and the soil and sky as canvas.

~ Elizabeth Murray

Go dig in the garden and bury all your troubles…you will find peace there.

How does your garden grow?

              

My word for 2010-Experience

I’ve experienced growing things.

Peter Henderson Seeds and Mary Mary graphics found in Google search.