Our Old Homestead

Update

2010-04-29T12:03:00.003-05:00

Good Morning Everyone. First I wish to thank each of you for your well wishes, prayers, thoughts and hugs. It means so much to us.

Lucas has completed all tests and the results are back. He suffers from IBS although the doctor is still extremely concerned about his weight loss. Nothing else showed up on the ultrasound, ct scan, colonoscopy, gastronomy and blood work.

It has been a long, worrisome process and now we deal with trying to find foods that will not only agree with his stomach but that will help him to gain weight. Since my last report he plummeted to 185 pounds but is now up to 188 pounds.

I will be back and forth but not regular for a while.

Thanks again all my friends. I will visit your blogs when I get a chance. I miss reading them so much!

Remember to give your loved ones a hug!

Good Morning Friends

2010-04-05T10:06:00.002-05:00

Good Morning friends. First I want to wish each and every one of you a Happy Easter and I hope you had a great time with your family and friends.

Our Easter was spent on the road heading to the emergency room. My son Luke has been having some stomach problems which explains some of my absence.

Six months ago he weighed 296 pounds. Today he weighs in at 191.4 pounds. He has constant stomach pain and can barely eat.

We have been seeing doctors and now are waiting for more tests. The doctors are thinking that it might be Crohn's disease.

Old pants - size 44 New pants - size 36

Luke is very tall - 6 feet 7 inches and 191 pounds barely covers his skin. All of us are extremely concerned but he remains in good spirits.

I apologize I do not have the time to visit all of your blogs. Know that I am thinking of you wishing you the best.

I will return after he has been diagnosed and things are back to normal. We would appreciate prayers and well wishes my friends. Please keep us in your thoughts.

Enjoy the weather and please remember to give your loved ones a hug! =)

Watch our for these Easter Imposters!

2010-04-01T12:01:00.008-05:00

I have still been so busy and have had not much to report but thought this was so cute so I had to share. Take care my friends!

Spring Cleanup

2010-03-24T12:45:00.003-05:00

The nice weather has prevented me from posting and I apologize to those who wondered where I have been.

The nice weather has melted all our snow, dried up the mud and we are now into spring cleanup.

Luke spent day chopping wood for our outdoor firepit. There are alot of evenings we sit in front of the fire enjoying the evening under the stars.

The weather has been perfect for cleaning up my flowerbeds, preparing the garden and cleaning up the yard. Each spring we still have scrap that makes it's way to the surface each year.

A few days ago, our scrapper Mike showed up and cleaned up quite a bit for us. He makes a dollar and we enjoy seeing the scrap leave the yard.

While Mike was picking the scrap, we discovered an old watering trough which I saved and plan on planting flowers in it. Luke also found an old steel milk can which I will paint and add a nice splash of color to the front yard with flowing petunias in it.

The days are becoming longer which gives us much opportunity to work outside. I love these days. Actually, the other day when Luke and Bob were on the four wheeler, they came across a deer having a baby. When I went back to take pictures for you, she was already gone.... I was so disappointed! I was hoping to share the miracle of birth with you.

I hope that each of you have a great day and remember to give your loved ones a hug! =)

Just to Make You Smile

2010-03-13T13:26:00.006-06:00

It's the weekend...here a few pictures that my Mom sent me...just to make you smile.

More Practical Sewing

2010-03-10T12:08:00.003-06:00

I have been trying to improve my sewing skills lately. Not only to make things for myself and my family but also for Christmas gifts. Yesterday I successfully finished making a pair of flannel sleeping pants.

I used the fabric that Bev sent me a while back....cute little snowmen. I love snowmen!

They fit perfectly and were so easy to make.

Now I can get busy making many more for family and friends for Christmas. I have been really enjoying trying new things and seeing a piece of fabric being transformed into something that can be used and that is practical.

It has been raining all day...and the snow is beginning to disappear however we are left with a TON of mud! So since I cannot work outside just yet, it is another great day to pull out the machine and try something new.

Have a great day everyone and remember to give your loved ones a hug. =)

Apron Is Done!

2010-03-08T13:39:00.002-06:00

I found a pattern that reminded me of my Grandma. She always wore aprons that I can remember.

Many times she would collect eggs from the chickens, bake the bread, and give us kids hugs and while she did all this, she wore the apron.

This apron reminds me of my Grandma. I wanted to make one for myself to wear in her memory. I never followed a tissue paper pattern before and I think I was quite successful. I will wear this in memory of her always. I will collect the garden produce and bake the bread... I will never be as good as my Grandma...but I am now trying. I was only seven when she passed, but I still remember her and her smell. I will always love her with all my heart.

Remember to give your loved ones a hug...we never know how long they will be in our presence.

Have a great day!

Mudville U.S.A.

2010-03-05T14:52:00.005-06:00

With the warm weather we are experiencing lately...in the high 30's and low 40's our property turns into Mudville U.S.A. I took the long walk up to the mailbox today and could not resist showing you what we have to deal with every spring when the snow begins to melt...and it has just started!

Coming up to the old farmhouse we have on the property.

We have had to begin wiping all the animals feet when they come in from outside.

Not fun!

The grass is beginning to show in some places....looks promising!

There is still much snow to melt so this will be a looooong process.

But when I begin to see grass, I get excited. I dream of flowers and gardening.

The only damage from this winter that I can see so far is this old shed that is located across the highway from us....apparently the roof didn't make it. No one lives on that land anymore but I think they do store some things in there.

We will evaluate all the buildings as the days go by and see what damage will have to be repaired before the next winter hits but I don't even want to think about more snow right now! I want to enjoy the changing of the seasons...which we really experience here and love so much.

No robins have been seen yet...but hopefully they will return soon and then we will know that Spring has officially arrived!

Have a great weekend everyone and remember to give your loved ones a hug! =)

I'm Trying!

2010-03-01T13:12:00.003-06:00

One of the skills I wanted to learn this year was to knit my own socks. How cool would it be to make all your own socks so you never had to buy any every again?!

Learning to knit with double pointed needles has been a challenge for me but I finally got the hang of it and am progressing quite nicely with the pattern I chose. Although it takes me about 15 minutes to make one round, I am learning!

What new skills have you been working on lately? I love learning from other people.

Homemade Butter!

2010-02-27T11:18:00.003-06:00

One of my homesteading skills I wanted to learn this year was to make homemade butter. Well it was successful!

I used organic heavy whipping cream for this project.

I used about a quart of cream and poured it into my mixing bowl and began to mix.

The cream transformed into fluffy cream "pillows" and then stiff peaks These then broke down into soft cottage-cheese-like curds as blobs of butterfat separated from the milk.

The butter began to stiffen and lump together and the watery milk pooled in the bottom of the bowl. It took about 10 minutes for this to happen.

I then stopped the mixer and carefully poured off as much milk as I could. I refrigerated it and will use it for baking.

I then used a rubber spatula to press the butter against the sides of the bowl. I then added 1/2 cup of ice water to the butter and used the spatula to press the butter and water against the side of the bowl. This step is called washing, it keeps the butter from spoiling.

I then kept pouring the ice water and repeating the step until the ice water was clear.

I continued to knead the butter against the side of the bowl until all the liquid was pressed out.

I lightly salted the butter.

Here is the finished product. It tastes delicious! The difference is unbelievable! Luke said I need to now make homemade bread to go with it. =)

Give it a try. It is so easy and you will not believe the taste.

Fact or Folklore?

2010-02-24T14:31:00.003-06:00

Last week, I received a copy of this magazine in the mail on a trial basis.

It is a lovely magazine that captures the true heart of a farm girl. It has so many wonderful sections such as crafting, cooking, gardening and general work that is done around a farm. It also has a lovely website that can be found here.... http://maryjanesfarm.org

There was an article in the February/March issue that I received which I found very interesting.

Here is an excerpt from it...

...When the 1918 flu pandemic killed 50-100 million people between 1918-1920, there was said to be a doctor who visited many farmers to see if he could help them combat the flu. The doctor came upon one household where everyone was very healthy. When the doctor asked what the family was doing that was different, the wife replied that she had placed a dish of unpeeled onions in each room of the home. The doctor asked if he could have one of the onions to observe under a microscope. When he did, he found traces of the flu virus in the onion. It had absorbed the infection, keeping the family healthy.....

The article continues on to explain that many small businesses are doing the same. They are placing onions around the workplace and have very few to no employees with any illnesses.

At the time when I read this article, I had been suffering with a very bad toothache. Nothing seemed to help the pain subside. After reading this article I thought 'why not try it?'.

That evening I cut off both ends of the onion as described in the article, placed it in a bowl next to my bed on my beside table. I could faintly smell the odor of the onion but nothing that was too unpleasant.

To my surprise by morning, the onion was black. My toothache was gone and has not returned since that night! Now, I don't know if it was the onion or a coincidence but I will definitely be trying it again when needed!

The article also states that it will work on individuals that are suffering with such things as pneumonia and colds.

Amazing! Fact or folklore? I don't know but I believe it!

An Award! Thank you Grannys Garden!

2010-02-21T21:37:00.005-06:00

I received an award today. Thank you Grannys Garden! Granny and Pa are fantastic people and I love reading her blog so much. You can see it here..

http://grannyandpa.blogspot.com

I wish to pass it on so here are the rules.

1. Post award

2. Pass it on to 12 bloggers that brighten your day.

3. Link to nominees.

4. Link back to givers.

Here are my twelve.

1. http://amysreallife.wordpress.com/

2. http://blushingrosetoo.blogspot.com/

3. http://ninnysnotesblog.blogspot.com/

4. http://countrydream1.blogspot.com/

5. http://katididscreations.blogspot.com/

6. http://sewmanyways.blogspot.com/

7. http://ranettesdailystitch.blogspot.com/

8. http://bertthebadchicken.blogspot.com/

9. http://outbacktania.blogspot.com/

10. http://toddlertalesdaz.blogspot.com/

11. http://foodfortheflowerstogrow.blogspot.com/

12. http://mylittlemogo.blogspot.com/

Thanks again Granny for the award and these blogs are such a joy to read.

My Sewing Has Gone to the Dogs

2010-02-19T11:47:00.003-06:00

A friend of mine Bev came up with this brilliant idea. Doggy (and kittie) mats for their food and water bowls.

What a great idea! They can be easily washed so they aren't all grungy and I can make one for every season or holiday!

Here is the detail on the ears. She did hers a little different so I want her to see up close how I made mine. It was Luke's idea! LOL

Here is the finished project. I used an oval platter to cute out the face and used a smaller oval box I had to make the ears.

Now Sammy can eat in style. =)

Have a great day everyone!

Did It!

2010-02-15T11:38:00.004-06:00

One of my goals this year was to make a quilt. Well I am done! Woo hoo!

I am really excited as it turned out so nice and talk about warm! I cannot believe how warm it is. No wonder our ancestors used them.

I am now thinking of trying a denim rag quilt...so I will have to get busy cutting the squares.

More snow hit us last night and the day will be busy shovelling and clearing the driveway and stairs. Our driveway is about 1/4 mile long so it is no small feat.

I keep dreaming of spring with warm sun and green grass.

Have a great day everyone! =)

Happy Valentine's Day!

2010-02-14T10:32:00.001-06:00

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY EVERYONE!

REMEMBER TO GIVE YOUR LOVED ONES A HUG!

Working on Projects

2010-02-09T10:07:00.005-06:00

It has been snowing once again, so for the guys, it means time to have some outdoor fun! Luke and Bob have been taking advantage of our friend's snow machine. Dave (our friend) left it here for them to use whenever they like. He lives in town and doesn't have much opportunity to just jump on it and take a ride when he would like to. He decided to leave it here and will come up to visit when he wishes to go riding...in the meantime he told the guys to use it....so they have!

While they are out cheating death....they go waaaay too fast in my opinion...I have been busy sewing in the warmth of the house.

Here is a table runner top that I just finished yesterday. It will be given to my Auntie for Christmas.

Just the backing and the binding needs to be added.

I will be making her two nine-patch square runners to match for her end tables.

This table runner top will be a gift for my Mom's neighbor.

My Mom asked me to make some for her close friends and she will be giving them as gifts for Christmas.

So my days have been busy sewing and baking. I want to try and make butter soon. I have the ingredients and now just need to find the time to whip it up. I wish to do it on a day when hot homemade bread will be coming out of the oven. Sooo yummy. :)

The weatherman is calling for more snow today and the clouds are so heavy and black that I am sure they will open up and dump a load on top of us.

Have a great day everyone, keep warm or cool where ever you may be. Remember to give your loved ones a hug!

The History of Aprons

2010-02-05T12:01:00.003-06:00

I don't think our children know what an apron is.

The principal use of Grandma's apron was to protect the dress underneath because she only had a few. It was easier to wash aprons than dresses and they used less material but along with that,
it served as a potholder for removing hot pans from the oven.

It was wonderful for drying children's tears and on occasion was even used for cleaning out dirty ears.

From the chicken coop, the apron was used for carrying eggs, fussy chicks, and sometimes half-hatched eggs to be finished in the warming oven.

When company came, those aprons were ideal hiding places for shy kids.

And when the weather was cold, grandma wrapped it around her arms.

Those big old aprons wiped many a perspiring brow, bent over the hot wood stove.

Chips and kindling wood were brought into the kitchen in that apron.

From the garden, it carried all sorts of vegetables. After the peas had been shelled, it carried out the hulls.

In the fall, the apron was used to bring in the apples that had fallen from the trees.

When unexpected company drove up the road, it was surprising how much furniture that old apron could dust in a matter of seconds.

When dinner was ready, Grandma walked out onto the porch, waved her apron, and the menfolk knew it was time to come in from the fields for dinner.

It will be a long time before someone invents something that will replace that 'old-time apron' that served so many purposes.

Remember....

Grandma use to hot baked apple pies on the windowsill to cool. Her granddaughter's set their on the windowsill to thaw.

They would go crazy now trying to figure out how many germs were on that apron.

I don't think I ever caught anything from an apron.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY HONEY!!!

2010-02-01T21:26:00.008-06:00

HAPPY 50TH BIRTHDAY

HONEY!

LOVE

YOU!

A Surprise

2010-02-01T09:50:00.006-06:00

In my mailbox today, there was a lovely surprise!

I received a package from a dear friend of mine Darlene for my birthday. She is always surprising me with treats that are not only unexpected but that I love.

Isn't the birthday card adorable?! So sweet.

Inside was some lovely vintage material and some new cleaning cloths that I have never tried before.

The vintage material brought tears to my eyes as it reminds me of a tablecloth that my Grandma use to have.

The colors are exactly the same as hers and I wouldn't be surprised if the pattern is the same too!

I will be making myself a tablecloth with this material and everytime I use it, I will not only be remembering my dear friend Darlene but also of my Grandma. I really wish my Grandma was still around so I could visit with her. I miss her very much.

Thank you Darlene from the bottom of my heart. You really made my birthday special! Now off to try those cleaning cloths she sent!

Have a great day everyone and remember to give your loved ones a hug! =)

Frugal Gift Idea

2010-01-28T10:06:00.003-06:00

I love our Goodwill Store. Many times you can find new items that still have the tags attached for a very reasonable price. The other day I was able to pick up a set of 3 Valentine's place-mats for 99 cents. They still had the tags attached and were so cute that I had to try my new idea with them.

These place-mats are the kind that are double layered.

First you need to carefully take apart the seam on one end. Just an opening large enough to be able to stick your hand into it.

Next, take some cotton batting stuffing and begin to stuff, making sure that all corners are well stuffed.

The last step is to hand sew the hole back up and voila!

You have perfectly stuffed pillows! I was thinking seasonal pillows would be so reasonable to have throughout the home. Valentine's Day, St. Patrick's Day, Easter, July 4th, Halloween....... oooh, the possibilities!

Have a great day everyone, I am off to finish a new table runner that I have been working on.

Remember to give your loved ones a hug! =)

Penny Rug Update

2010-01-27T17:06:00.002-06:00

Some of you have asked about my penny rug. The material is wool except for the little plaid pennies on the outside. I picked up this kit at the local Goodwill store for 99 cents and thought it was a great way to experiment making one.

I am having alot of fun with it and will definitely make more. Here is a great link to not only show wonderful pictures but also the history of how the penny rugs came to be and she also has some links for patterns.

http://www.astorybooklife.com/how-to/penny-rugs/

I suggest giving it a try as not only are they decorative but easy to make!

Soon, I will have another great easy and frugal idea to make for gifts.

Have a great evening everyone! =)

Fabric and Penny Rug

2010-01-26T13:51:00.003-06:00

I have made some wonderful friends on the web. People I have never met in person but I know that if I did, we would sit around for hours, drinking tea or a glass of wine and have a great time.

One of these friends is Bev who lives in Spokane Washington. I have been making here some crocheted flowers that she wants to make into a quilt on day. They have been fun and different to make and our agreement was if I made them for her she would send me some snowmen fabric. I LOVE snowmen so to me it was a great deal.

The last few days we have been experiencing a blizzard with a lot of snow. Yesterday when we were clearing the driveway and parking lot, I decided to talk the long walk up to check the mail and I am so glad I did! The mailbox was empty and full of snow as the snowplow must have hit it when it went by. I happened to glance to my right and I noticed a green box buried halfway into the snowbank so I thought I would check it out and toss the garage into the bin. Well, it was a parcel addressed to me!

When I opened it, Bev had surprised me with this wonderful Valentine fabric!

She sent me three yards of each and I was so excited!!!

I was jumping up and down (while Bob and Luke thought I was crazy).

I envision many wonderful projects that I can make with this fun fabric. Thank you Bev so much!!! I just love the choices you sent. I have been enjoying myself just playing with it and figuring out what to make first. You are the best!

I have also been working on my first penny rug. It is a Christmas theme and I have made a few mistakes along the way but it is beginning to come together nicely. I still have all the stitching to do around the sides and the wool pieces but I like how it is looking. This will be placed in my Christmas box as a gift for someone this year.

What have you been doing to pass the time away this long winter? I love hearing what everyone else is making.....it gives me even more ideas! =)

Have a great day and don't forget to give your loved ones a hug!

In The Frame

2010-01-25T19:46:00.004-06:00

Last fall, Bob and I hit a garage sale that was about a mile from us at an old farm. The little old lady and little old man that were hosting the garage sale had it set up in a big pole barn. The pole barn was packed to the rafters with goodies!

We must have been there for at least an hour, walking through the aisles and aisles of treasures that they had laid out. Records, old magazines, china, radios from at least the 1920's, everything you could think of was there. I LOVED that sale!

Off to the side, I noticed a long box and when I looked closer, the box was labelled 'quilt frame'. I was so excited!

I took the box up to the counter and asked the owner if all the pieces were there and she guaranteed that they were. She asked if I quilted and I told her that I wanted to start this winter. She was so happy that it was going to someone who was going to enjoy it as she did. Her husband had bought her a new one and no longer needed the one I was purchasing.

After a few hours of trying to put it together the other day, I was finally able to attach my quilt top and get busy. I was surprised when I unloaded the box, the instructions were still in the bottom intact and easy to read. The one brace had splintered from age but an angle bracket was added and it worked wonderfully. Now I am happily quilting away, thinking about how many hours this little old lady worked like I am. Did she make a quilt for her children? Her grandchildren? What did she think about while sewing those pieces of fabric together?

Whatever she was thinking, whoever she was making the quilt for, I am excited to stitch away on my quilt that is attached to a piece of history. Who says 'new' is better? I don't! I wouldn't trade my quilt frame for a new one any day!

Have a great evening and don't forget to give your loved ones a hug! =)

Been Busy

2010-01-22T21:31:00.004-06:00

Wow, it has been busy around here at the old homestead. My sewing machine has never worked so hard as it has this past week.

I have to apologize to all my blog friends. The lack of comments on your sites is not intentional. I have very limited opportunity to use the computer lately as Bob is using it so much for work that it makes it difficult for me to pop in and say hello. I have been reading faithfully from my iTouch however to comment is difficult on that blasted little machine. So I am still there...just not talking! =)

I wanted to show you what I have been working on...

A set of tapestry pillows. This will be given as a Christmas gift. I cannot mention names as she might read this site so I will keep quiet on the receiver.

My Christmas gift box has been started and these made their way into it. I am happy to say that the box is filling up quickly. This excites me as during the summer, it is so difficult to get any crafting done.

This little needlepoint pillow will be another gift for a special little girl whose parents are friends of ours.

I am hoping she likes it.

Here is a quilt top that I just finished today. The blue flowered material is a vintage material that I discovered in my stash. After picking up the red (it does have little dark blue polka dots on it) and the yellow material, it took very little time to whip it up.

After ironing all the creases, I made my way to the old farmhouse to find my quilting frame that I had purchased last fall at a garage sale. I had never put it together and was hoping all the pieces where in the box like the lady told me.

A few hours later and a little tweaking on the one stabilizer bar (the wood has split but I used an angle bracket to fix it) my $3 quilting frame is ready to go!

The backing material is just finishing up in the dryer so tomorrow I can spend the time layering the top, batting and backing and pinning it together. I need to re-read the instructions (yes, they were still in the box!) on how to lay it all on the frame so it stays nice and taunt so I can begin hand-quilting it.

This is my first attempt at such a big quilt project. My blocks that I showed you a week or so ago are still sitting waiting to be made into the top. I am a little apprehensive about cutting the material for the sashing......maybe I will get the courage up to cut it this weekend.

A storm is headed our way starting tonight. Sleet, ice and snow are expected with accumulations of 4 - 6 inches. Perfect time to enjoy a cup of tea, bake some treats and quilt my time away.

Have a great weekend everyone and remember to give your loved ones a hug! :)

Found the Link!

2010-01-18T21:05:00.003-06:00

Quick note to tell those of you who asked about the link to the coasters. I found it! It is Karen over at Sew Many Ways.

Here is her blog.... http://sewmanyways.blogspot.com/2010/01/tool-time-tuesday.html

So THANK YOU Karen for a great tutorial!

Enjoy making some of them my friends. :)

Still Busy Crafting

2010-01-18T10:51:00.005-06:00

My days have been lazy but not long! Seems like when I am kept busy with crafting, I never have enough time. I am trying to get all my Christmas gifts made early so I can enjoy the summer gardening and spending time outside in the sunshine.

Here are a few projects I have finished. The first is a quilted table runner made with snowmen with a flannel backing. So cozy!

Back side.

The next project was a set of coasters. I saw these on another blog....I am sorry I don't remember which one as I read so many. So if the original author is reading this please take it as a compliment. I love making these...so simple and practical!

I made a set of four with three different types of material. She used five different fabrics.

Do you notice how the coaster wraps around the base of the wineglass? I think this is so cool!

Here is the next table runner. This one is for me. I love this material!

Machine quilted.

Here is the backing.

Now I need to make some curtains for my Mother's closet. I will be using a lovely flowered blue pattern. Her room is painted a soft shade of blue so I think they will suit the room perfectly.

I hope everyone is enjoying their day and remember to give your loved ones a hug! :)

Sashing

2010-01-15T11:12:00.004-06:00

I picked up some material the other day that I thought would be appropriate for the sashing on my quilt. Now I have been playing with the squares, trying to figure out where they should be placed.

I am not going to use the wonky block for a small pillow, I think. At least I will be putting it to good use and it will match the quilt! Win - win.

After I have decided where I like how the blocks are placed, I will begin cutting. A little nervous but I need to get at it. Hand-quilting it will take me a long time. The rest of my time lately has been experimenting with making quilted table runners. I am almost finished one so I will show you next time.

Today is sunny and a warm 20F. We haven't seen the sun in about a week so what a treat. I think I will spend some time by the dining room window and soak it in while sipping my morning coffee.

Have a great day everyone!

Last of the Blocks

2010-01-13T10:57:00.002-06:00

Finished the last of the blocks yesterday. I am happy with all of them except the first one as it turned out horrible! Nothing matched up for me so I will ditch it and use the 8 that worked out well.

Will toss this one into the pile and not use it. I don't understand why the squares didn't match up but I chalk it up to a learning experience.

I am excited to find the sashing for the squares so I can get busy quilting it. Hand quilting it will be.

Does anyone have any ideas on what color I should use? I am not good at putting colors together and I am nervous about what I should use.

Have a great day everyone!

Homesteading Skills

2010-01-11T10:27:00.003-06:00

As mentioned in yesterday's post, I want to try new homesteading skills this year. I have decided that a skill a month is doable without being too much of a burden on my everyday chores and activities.

I feel that it is important to continue to learn new skills even if we are getting older! =)

So I sat down and made a list of all the things I would like to try this year. I started already making a quilt but this will be a year long project as I will be putting the quilt together and quilting it by hand. I don't own one of those fancy long armed machines but I sure wish I did!

Homesteading Skills for 2010

January - homemade bread bowls

February - make napkins and tablecloths for home use (I have already made some napkins but will need quite a few more and I haven't tried the tablecloths yet)

March - make homemade butter - I want to try Rhonda's recipe that she uses over at the down to earth blog.

April - make homemade ice cream - also Rhonda's recipe .... I can see gaining a few pounds here!

May - making a rag rug

June - homemade dandelion jelly

July - learn to whittle - we have many willow trees on the property and I would like to try and make a cane

August - making bar soap - I tried this last year and was unsuccessful. I will give it a go though as I don't give up easily.

September - candle-making - I would love some homemade dipped candles

October - braided rug - I love the old-fashioned braided rugs and would love a new one for in front of my kitchen sink.

November - knit a pair of socks - this is way over my head but I want to try...even if they turn out a little oddly shaped, they are only for me anyway.

December - I am going to leave this month open. I would like to think of something that has to do with the season. I am sure I can find something before this month comes around.

There are my skills listed in black and white. Hmmm, some may be moved around throughout the year to different months but I want to be able to say on December 31st that I was successful this year learning 12 new skills that will assist me in living a more simple life.

January - this month's skill was learning how to make bread bowls. You know the type, in restaurants you will see salads, spaghetti, soup served in them. They are always so delicious when I have them when we are out dining so I wanted to try making them from scratch.

Last night dinner was to be spaghetti and venison meatballs so what a perfect time to try them!

Here is the recipe...

Bread Bowls

2 pkgs or 2 tbsp of yeast
2 1/2 cups warm water
2 tsp salt
2 tbsp oil
7 cups flour

1 tbsp cornmeal
1 egg white
1 tbsp water

Directions

1. In a large bowl dissolve yeast in water. Let stand 10 minutes.

2. Add salt, oil and 4 cups of flour. Stir well. Add 1/2 cup of flour slowly, mixing as you go.

3. When the dough has pulled away from the sides of the bowl, turn out on floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic .. about 6 minutes. Oil a large bowl, place dough in bowl, turn to coat with oil. Cover with damp cloth, rise until the dough is double in size, about 40 minutes.

4. Punch down dough, divide into 8 portions. Shape into round loaves. Place on lightly greased baking sheets, sprinkle with cornmeal. Cover and let rise until double in size...about 35 minutes. ***I made only 4 loaves so they would be big enough to hold spaghetti***

5. Preheat oven to 400F. In a small bowl, beat egg white and 1 tbsp of water, lightly brush loaves with egg wash.

6. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and brush remaining egg white wash on the tops and bake 10-15 more minutes until golden brown. Cool on wire racks.

7. To make bowls, cut 1/2 inch from top of each loaf, scoop out centers, leaving 3/4 inch thick shells. Fill bowls with chili, soup, salad, or spaghetti.

Just out of the oven.

So yummy! Sorry for the bad picture. My camera doesn't work well without natural light and it is dark here by dinnertime!

One homesteading skill for 2010 done! On to the next one.

Have a great day everyone and remember to give your loved ones a hug.

Keeping Warm

2010-01-10T10:09:00.003-06:00

The temperatures have been frightful lately which means much time spent indoors and keeping warm. Thank goodness I don't suffer from SAD like some other people. It would be horrible with the type of weather we have!

I am still plucking away at making blocks for my first quilt. It is a fun process but time consuming as I check things once, twice and three times before I cut or sew.

This is the third block in the series.

This is the fourth block.

I laid out all the blocks I have completed so far to see what the quilt will look like. I like it! :)

I have also been working on reducing the paper products we use in our home. I believe we should all do our part to take care of this planet and it helps on the pocketbook as well! Paper towels, napkins, Kleenex and such will slowly be fazed out of our home. Bathroom tissue will have to stay I think!

Here are some napkins I made recently. They will be placed in a big basket so whenever one is needed they are handy to grab. I double sided them for extra strength and absorbency. I have a roll of this material that was given to me by a friend and the roll is 50 yards! I don't think I will have to worry about running out anytime soon.

I have been slowly making a list of new homesteading skills I want to try this year. When I have my list ready, I will post it for you to see. It will help to keep me focused on my goals and be accountable! I am thinking 12 new skills...one a month which I think is reasonable. The skill for this month was to make napkins so I am successful for January.

Have a great day everyone! I am off to do some more housecleaning and crafting. =)

Check out Never Enough's Giveaway

2010-01-07T12:35:00.004-06:00

Just a quick note between housecleaning and crafting today to mention a giveway over at Never Enough's blog.

Stephanie made a darling Minnie Mouse apron and she is not only giving it away but she will embroider the name of the winner on the pocket. How perfect is that? A great apron to wear while baking all those goodies. So pop on over there and drop her a comment. It would be nice to see one of my cyber friends win!

Her blog is located here. http://never-e-nuff.blogspot.com/2010/01/minnie-mouse-apron.html#comment-form

Good Luck! :)

Another Block and Caregiving

2010-01-06T20:12:00.005-06:00

The last few days have been spent taking care of Bob. He hasn't been doing well....he is in a lot of pain. For those who don't know, my hubby has been fighting mouth cancer for about five years. There have been rough roads and smooth roads but the most trying are the days when he is not feeling well.

When he was first diagnosed, it was a stage four cancer. He had a huge lump in his mouth. The treatment was surgery, radiation and chemo. He had the surgery. They cut out half of his tongue, removed 12 lymph nodes from his neck and pulled most of his teeth. The radiation came next which burnt his neck and face so bad I thought he would never look normal again. Then the chemotherapy. The chemo took a lot out of him. The energy was gone and he lost a lot of weight. When he looks back on it, he says it was like a bad dream.

So we take each day as it comes. Some days are good and some not so good. The last few haven't been good. He is in quite a bit of pain and very lethargic. I worry about him and try to make him feel as comfortable as I can.

Today he forced himself to help Luke install a speed bag in the garage. Luke has been wanting to use a punching bag for a while but the cold weather has kept us inside. Today the temperature rose enough that they decided to install the punching bag and try it out. Both of them had a blast trying to make the bag work as they thought it should.

While the guys were working on 'manly' stuff, I worked on another quilting block. I am having a lot of fun with this ... learning as I go.

Here is block number two. It was a little more difficult as it was a paper piecing technique. I had never tried paper piecing before but it wasn't as bad as I thought. I have the quilting bug in me now and want to work on fabrics all day long!

I am hoping that I will have some time tomorrow to pluck away at another block. I am so anxious to finish all the blocks and get to the quilting part!

I hope you have a wonderful evening with your loved ones and don't forget to give them a hug!

After the holidays

2010-01-04T10:39:00.003-06:00

Well the holidays are over. It has been crazy around the old homestead and decorations are finally put away. Things are finally back to normal. I had a wonderful visit with my Mom over the holidays. It is always such a joy when she can come and stay awhile.

Everyone loved their 'homemade' gifts which inspires me to do more next year. Now I am waiting for spring to arrive so seeds can be planted in the garden.....but it will be a while yet!

The temperatures here have been very cold...perfect weather to stay inside and get projects done while enjoying a cup of tea and taking many breaks doing enjoyable tasks.

I decided yesterday to try my hand at block quilting. I have quilted before but have never made my own blocks and it is one of my goals this year. I want to make a few quilts for loved ones and to me there is nothing that screams 'homesteading' than being cuddled underneath a homemade quilt.

This is my first quilt block. The colors in the picture don't do it justice. The corners aren't perfect but I am happy with it since it is my first attempt. I am hoping to get better as I go along!

I am sorry to all my friends whose blogs I read regularly. I haven't been around on the computer much but will try and catch up. Sometimes life gets in the way!

Today will be spent taking our Rottie Sammy to the vet. He had to have emergency surgery before Christmas and he needs his check-up and shots. He is doing well and is as goofy as ever.

I need to make a trip to the library as one of my goals for the new year (I don't call them resolutions as then I don't stick with them) is to learn Spanish. So I have a kit on order there so I can get started. This should be an experience!

I hope everyone is doing well, keep warm (or cool) where ever you may be on the this planet of ours.

Remember to give your loved ones a hug! :)

Happy New Year!!!

2009-12-29T14:48:00.004-06:00

Just wanted to pop in quick and wish everyone a Happy New Year.

Blizzard Bertha hit us on the 23rd and we have been snowed in since Monday. We could not leave the property and no one could make it in. It has been horrible! Talk about a quiet Christmas!

I was suppose to pick up my Mom on the 26th but the dangerous roads held us off until yesterday. So I will be spending the next few days with her.

I hope the new year brings everyone much luck, good health and wealth!

Merry Christmas Everyone!

2009-12-22T10:36:00.003-06:00

The countdown to Christmas Eve is on. So many things yet to do and I am finding myself with very little time to spare so I wish to take this time to wish each and everyone of you a

VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

I sincerely hope that you spent time with your loved ones and enjoy the best of what the season has to offer.

I will return after the holidays to share pictures with you of our special times together.

Woo hooo!!! Santa's Coming! =)

The Real Winner of the Nobel Peace Prize

2009-12-20T14:16:00.002-06:00

With Christmas approaching and so many soldiers overseas away from their families, I thought it fitting to honor them for what they do to maintain world peace. This story touched my heart and truly believe that this solider (along with all the others) are the winners of the Nobel Peace Prize.

John Gebhardt's wife, Mindy, said that this little girl's entire family was executed. The insurgents intended to execute the little girl also, and shoot her in the head......but they failed to kill her.

She was cared for in John's hospital and is healing up but continues to cry and moan. The nurses said John is the only one who seems to calm her down, so John has spent the last four nights holding her while they both slept in that chair. The girl is coming along with her healing.

He is a real star of the war and a hero of peace.

May all the soldiers keep safe from danger while overseas. May they return home soon to their families safe and sound.

Merry Christmas to all the soldiers around the world who keep us safe.

Finishing Projects

2009-12-19T10:48:00.003-06:00

All gifts are bought/made, all gifts are wrapped and under the tree. The baking is done and now we are patiently waiting for the big day. I love being done early so there is no stress at this time of the year. I shop and make things all through the year so I don't have to run around like a chicken with my head cut off the last weeks before Christmas. =)

I finally finished these tea towels the other day. They are embroidered on linen and since I do not like when you can see the stitching in the back, I added a checkered cotton to the backside.

They turned out quite well and I will be giving them to my Mom as an extra gift since she just finished remodelling her kitchen. I hope she likes them! I have been trying my hand at candle-icking and almost finished a lovely pillow with lace. Just need to stuff it and sew up the hole.

Things have been slow around here and I am spending alot of time enjoying crafts while Bob and Luke play on the computers. Winter is a slow, mellow time where we finish projects that are done indoors. Once spring and summer hit, we spend all our time outside.

I hope each and every one of you are finishing up those last minute projects that are required to be done before the big day. Enjoy time with your family doing activities that make this season special!

Homemade Crackers

2009-12-16T10:12:00.003-06:00

I thought I would try another homesteading skill yesterday and try my hand at making homemade crackers.

They were easier than I thought and next time I would like to try adding some dried cheese to make cheese crackers or different herbs to make some butter/herb flavored crackers.

These were gobbled up quickly with some Kraft cheese spread that we had and I will definitely make them again.

Homemade Crackers

4 cups of flour
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 cup of shortening
1 1/3 cup of milk
salt to taste

Directions:

Mix flour, baking powder and shortening; add milk and blend well. Form a ball of dough and cut into four pieces.

Roll dough out very thin.

Cut with a cookie cutter or use a pastry wheel with crinkled edges. I decided just to use a pizza cutter and it worked well.

Place on a greased cookie sheet. Prick each piece with a fork 4 to 5 times and sprinkle with salt.

Bake at 375 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown. Watch them as they burn easily.

Rolled out.

So tasty!

Things have been extremely busy around here getting ready for Christmas. Baking, sewing and knitting are all top priorities right now.

All the gifts are wrapped and under the tree ready for Santa to arrive.

Enjoy your day everyone and make sure to give your loved ones a hug! :)

Happy Birthday Mom!!!!

2009-12-14T09:53:00.003-06:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!!!

Today is my Mom's 65th birthday. She retires on New Year's Day and I am so excited for her.

Now she can putter around in her garden all that she wants, enjoy her time with her two kitties; Blossom and Sir Humphrey and get plenty of rest.

For you Mom.....

Dear Mom,

I said a prayer for you

to thank the Lord above

For blessing me with a lifetime

of your tenderhearted love.

I thanked God for the caring,

you've shown me through the years,

For the closeness we have enjoyed

in time of laughter and of tears.

And so, I thank you from the heart

for all you've done for me

And I bless the Lord for giving me

the best Mother there could be.

We love you with all our hearts and miss you terribly!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!

Happy Hannukah

2009-12-11T10:13:00.002-06:00

HAPPY HANNUKAH

To all my followers and friends who are Jewish, I wish you a Happy Hannukah!

Blizzards and Baking

2009-12-10T10:17:00.004-06:00

Yesterday the weather man was calling for a blizzard. We were expecting up to 18 inches of snow with high winds in the excess of 40mph. Not pretty. We hunkered down and waited for the arrival of the snow.

Nothing is better than relaxing in a warm house while the cold December winds are blowing outside. The snow began to fall and everyone went to their comfy places to relax.

I decided what a better time than to bake (unless of course we lose power) than during a blizzard. It makes the house smell wonderful and the heat from the oven beats out any chills that might try to sneak in.

I prepared my kitchen counter with all the necessary supplies and went to work. First of course I had to put on my snowman apron and tune the radio to the Christmas music channel. I was in heaven.

I started with homemade rolls that accompanied dinner's menu of sloppy joes and butter/herb rice. Yummy!

Then I began with the cookies. I was able to bake a German Chocolate Cake with icing, four dozen thumbprint cookies, four dozen meltaway cookies and four dozen Christmas sugar cookies that I iced with green icing and sprinkles. What a great start to my Christmas baking. I still want to attempt fudge and candy but that will probably have to wait until the next blizzard!

Here is my recipe for Meltaway Cookies. They are very simple and taste like a shortbread with chocolate chips. Something fun to do with the kids or grandkids.

Meltaway Cookies....

2 cups (1 pound) of butter, softened....you can use margarine but butter tastes so much better
1/2 cup sugar
4 cups flour
2 cups chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350F

Cream softened butter and sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy.

Gradually add flour, then stir in chocolate chips.

Drop by teaspoons on un-greased cookie sheets.

Bake 12 - 14 minutes, cookies will be pale in color.

Let stand two minutes before removing from cookie sheet and dust with powered sugar if desired.

Enjoy!

Thankfully we didn't receive the 18 inches of snow they were predicting but now the wind has picked up and a wind chill advisory is now in effect. With the wind we are reaching as low as
-30F temperatures. Too cold to venture far outside.

I think I will stay hunkered down in the house and work on an afghan. Winter is officially here. Stay warm folks! :)

Sinterklass

2009-12-07T10:16:00.003-06:00

My Mother was born in the Netherlands and the tradition is on December 6th of each year, Sinterklass would ride through the streets on a white horse with Black Peter at his side handing out candy to all the good boys and girls. If they were bad that year, then Black Peter would hand them a little bag of black coal.

We have always kept this tradition alive in our household and each evening my son Lucas would place his wooden shoes by the door in hopes that in the morning his shoes would be filled with candy.

When he was younger he would leave the horse a treat of carrots to make sure the horse had enough stamina to continue riding to each of the children. Now that he is older that part of tradition has gone by the wayside but he still looks forward to checking his wooden shoes the next morning.

This morning he awoke and found his shoes filled with his favorite candy..... Mike and Ike's Tropical flavor. As an extra special treat he even received a razor that he loves so much! He must have been extra good this year. =)

I am hoping that when Luke has children of his own, he continues the tradition. The Dutch believe that Christmas Day should be reserved for the holy aspect of Christmas thus the reason for Sinterklass to visit on December 6th.

Don't you just love traditions?

Wonderful friends

2009-12-03T20:51:00.003-06:00

I have made some wonderful friends over the internet. Friends that I have never met in person but we keep in touch through sites and blogs that we all visit regularly. These ''cyber'' friends have touched my heart many times with their thoughtfulness.

Yesterday I received a large parcel in the mail. It was from one of my ''cyber'' friends that I have never met but have spoken to on the phone many times.

Darlene aka 'dean' send me these lovely items as a Christmas present! I carefully unwrapped each item that she sent, amazed at her thoughtfulness.

The pinecone ornament she made herself and it is just wonderful. So creative (I just have to steal her idea!). There was also another little ornament of a little child angel. Both now adorn my Christmas tree. The Christmas book I have already begun to fill in the blanks but the best part was she signed the inside front cover. Now each year when I pull out this book, I will remember her kindness. The picture of the mittens now hangs on my wall and the little unwrapped present sits on my china hutch....it had a special message attached that read...

This is a very special gift

That you can never see

The reason it's so special is

It's just for you from me

You never can unwrap it

Please leave the ribbon tied

Just hold the box close to your heart

It's filled with love inside

Thanks Darlene, I will treasure them always. :)

Mittens

2009-12-02T14:03:00.005-06:00

One skill that I have been trying to perfect is making mittens. My skills as a knitter as not proficient enough to try it with needles but I made a pattern the other day by crocheting them.

These are for a friend's grandson. He asked me to make a hat/scarf/mitten set for a grandson and a granddaughter. So I really needed to sit down and figure out how to make mittens.

These mittens are crocheted open as you can see by the above picture, then whipped stitched closed when finished. Very simple and they turned out quite well.

After I had taken this picture, I decided to add a tie to the wrist part of the mitten so they can be tightened when on to keep out the snow.

These still need some tweaking but I am pleased that I was able to make it as least this far! Now only if I can figure out how to knit them....that would be wonderful!

Have a great day everyone and stay cool or warm...where ever you may be on this Earth of ours. :)

Found Treasures

2009-11-30T18:35:00.003-06:00

We spent some time yesterday on the four-wheelers. We have never seen weather like this before in Northern Minnesota at the end of November. It has been un-seasonably warm.... 40 degrees F during the day....so we might as well take advantage of it.

At the back of our property there are piles of junk from when this land was an old junkyard. So while we were on a break from wheeling I asked Bob to pull over to one of the piles. I found this old washtub that I love and will use for planting flowers in next spring.

I also found this old oil can that has no dents or holes in it. I was quite excited as I love old stuff like this.

I am not sure what I will be using this for but I am sure I will figure something out.

The last few days have been spent wrapping Christmas presents and decorating the house. I have also been busy finishing up the last minute crochet projects that I have on the go. A friend of ours ordered a hat/scarf/mitten set for his two grandchildren so I really need to get these done! One set is finished and now I just have to get my motivation going to finish the other.

I hope you each have a wonderful evening with your loved ones!

Decorating

2009-11-27T10:01:00.002-06:00

We had a quiet Thanksgiving which was very nice. I spent the day cleaning and setting up the Christmas tree. I was getting anxious. I really enjoy the Christmas season and love having the tree up early but once Christmas is done... I want it gone! LOL

Tigger posing by the tree.

This year I decided to make my own wrapping paper and bows and use re-usable shopping bags that I made myself. I am liking how the wrapping paper is turning out. It reminds me of an old-fashioned Christmas.... brown kraft paper and fabric bows.

I still have alot of wrapping to do but I will take my time, enjoying the process. It was lovely last evening sitting on the couch in the glow of the lights from the tree. Such a special time of the year.

Now if I can just get my butt in gear to start my Christmas baking! =)

Happy Thanksgiving

2009-11-25T15:18:00.005-06:00

FROM OUR FAMILY TO YOURS

ENJOY YOUR TURKEY AND PUMPKIN PIE!

Men!

2009-11-23T21:10:00.003-06:00

Why do men like to collect junk? It seems to be something that is born within them. Bob is a junk collector.... a LARGE junk collector.

We have two storage sheds, 2 houses on the property packed to the rafters with stuff, a large barn and a garage! In some of those buildings, you can barely move around and most of the stuff is his. He takes in all sorts of junk from friends that are usually hauling it to the dump and then decide to stop here first to save themselves a trip. They KNOW he will take their junk.

The other day these two motors were dropped off. Now I understand that alot of people love old motors like this for collections and I respect that. I have been to many fishing lodges where I have seen old motors displayed on walls and I think they look terrific. They suit the surroundings that they have been placed in.

Unfortunately, the items Bob seems to end up with will never be lovingly displayed...they will end up at the back of the barn, collecting dust and pigeon poop while I trip over them every time I need to venture into the dungeon to try and find an item I need.

Oh well, we can't live with them and we can't live without them.

I just wish that he would stop collecting junk! =)

Completing Projects and Starting New Ones

2009-11-21T13:00:00.002-06:00

I have been working on Christmas gifts lately, trying to tie up some loose ends and I finally finished this scrappy afghan for a friend of ours. He is a bachelor and just moved into a new place so I thought a scrappy afghan would be appreciated for those long, cold winter nights that will be here too soon.

It took me longer than expected with changing the colors each row but I am happy with how it turned out.

Now to start on the next one! LOL

It is the last hunting weekend and my house will soon be full of orange colored male hunters so I better get going on making some treats for when them come in from the cold.

Have a great day everyone! =)

Boys will be Boys

2009-11-19T09:50:00.004-06:00

This is for those Mothers of boys, sisters of boys, and boys that have grown older.

Yep, living in a house full of males ... except for one female cat.... I put up with alot! When I saw this email from my Mom, the pictures just reminded me of how much we put up with as women! LOL

Have a great day everyone and give your loved ones a hug. =)

Just Precious!

2009-11-18T10:25:00.004-06:00

My Mom sent me an email the other day and I just had to share it with you. It is just too precious!

One pound deer - he is beautiful! ! !This tiny deer was delivered by Caesarean section at a wildlife hospital after a car killed his mother. Little Rupert, who is so small he can fit in an adult's hand, was born after vets failed in their battle to save his mother.

At just six inches tall and weighing just over a pound, he is now in an incubator in the intensive care unit at Tiggywinkles Wildlife Hospital in Buckinghamshire. He has only recently opened his eyes.Les Stocker, founder of Tiggywinkles, said, "Rupert's mother had very severe injuries. We brought him out and got him breathing, and then he went into an incubator on oxygen. He is now being fed by a tube."

Tucked up: Rupert in an incubator

Rupert pulls a striking pose for the camera.

Asleep: Rupert takes 40 winks.

Staff members are optimistic that Rupert, now five days old, will make a full recovery.
"Deer are very, very tricky, but this one has spirit. He's an extremely feisty little guy and quite pushy," Mr. Stocker said.

It is little things like this that make life so precious.

I hope everyone has a great day!

Not much new here!

2009-11-16T16:55:00.004-06:00

Another busy weekend with the hunters here. My weekend was spent cooking, baking and keeping drinks filled. I am relieved that there is only one more weekend left for hunting as I need to start concentrating on Christmas! I love Christmas!

Today the weather was a warm 48 degrees and sunny so I decided to get my outside Christmas decorations up before the weather turns nasty and cold.

We don't put up much outside...lots inside though! Just a wreath, a little lighted deer and some garland on the step railing. This year I also hung some cute little signs in the birch tree outside the front door....but that's it. It didn't take me long but I am glad that it is done so I don't have to think about it anymore!

I took some time to move furniture around in the livingroom, give it a good cleaning so I can put up our tree after Thanksgiving. A little baking and some visiting with company and that rounded up my weekend and my day today.

Just waiting for Pasie and Luke to come in from hunting. I am hoping to hear a shot but it is almost time to come in so I think they will be skunked again today. Well, there is always tomorrow.

Have a great evening everyone with your loved ones! :)

Treasures

2009-11-14T19:08:00.004-06:00

Do you remember items from your childhood? I do. Certain things stand out in my mind that bring back wonderful memories. My Grandpa use to smoke a pipe. To this day whenever I smell the aroma from a pipe, I remember him. He use to sit in his chair in the livingroom and always wear a sweater....smoking his pipe. He had an ashtray that he always used to tap the ashes out of his pipe and I loved that ashtray.

I loved it because it had a Momma doggy and her babies following behind with a little gold chain that connected them all together. I remember playing with that chain all the time while Grandpa smoked his pipe.

One summer my Mom and I were hitting all the garage sales in town and what did I find? The exact same ashtray that I remember as a child. I grabbed it right away and bought it for a quarter. The chain was broken but I didn't care, it brought back so many wonderful memories that I just had to have it. I treasure my little ashtray and everytime I look at it, I remember my Grandpa. He passed away when I was only 7 years old.

The other item that I am desperately searching for is a cookie jar. I would love to add it to my most treasured items. This cookie jar also brings back wonderful memories at my Aunt's farm where we, as children, would spend our summers. My Auntie always made sure that cookie jar was full with treats for us kids. We were not allowed to touch it, she would have to give us the treats herself...that is how much she loves that cookie jar.

I would love to be able to find this. I keep trying but no luck so far. I keep my faith that I will someday find this cookie jar so I can always remember those wonderful summers on the farm.

So if you ever spot one, please let me know! =)

Warm Weather Memories

2009-11-12T18:18:00.005-06:00

Cold weather is here. Every day the temperature drops a little more. I was looking through our photos and decided to share some warm weather memories from this past spring and summer.

Enjoy!

Have a great evening everyone and thanks for stopping by. =)

Happy Rememberance Day/Veteran's Day

2009-11-11T17:36:00.004-06:00

HAPPY REMEMBERANCE DAY TO ALL MY FELLOW CANADIANS

In Flanders Fields

By: Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, MD

(1872-1918)

Canadian Army

In Flanders Fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses row on row,

That mark our place; and in the sky

The larks, still bravely singing, fly

Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead.

Short days ago

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,

Loved and were loved,

and now we lie

In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:

To you from failing hands we throw

The torch; be yours to hold it high.

If ye break faith with us who die

We shall not sleep,

though poppies grow

In Flanders fields.

HAPPY VETERAN'S DAY TO ALL MY FELLOW AMERICANS

From a Grandmother to a Grandchild

2009-11-10T21:41:00.003-06:00

A poem for my son Lucas from his grandmother (he calls her Nanny).

My grandson is a man now

The years just passed so fast

I watched him grow but I still see

The little boy he was.

My first-born grandchild and I did not know

How deep my love would grow

I held that baby in my arms

And felt I held the world.

The time I spent with with him was precious

A beautiful little boy

So many memories crowd my mind

Of love and laughter and joy.

He grew up strong and healthy

I'm so proud of him today

He's kind and gentle and loving

And, to me, perfect in every way.

Woo Hoo!!! One Proud Mamma!

2009-11-09T20:11:00.004-06:00

Busy weekend with hunters and much excitement. Saturday morning started out slow with many shots heard all around us but not from any of our men. Then bang ... but nothing. Our great nephew Chase shot at a doe but it got away. Disappointment!

Around 3:30pm, they headed out once again. At about 4:40 we heard shots, then Chase running in the door yelling Luke got a buck!

We whooped for joy as it is Luke's first hunting experience and with one shot in the neck at 75 yards he bagged an eight point buck.

I was never so proud and excited. We jumped on the four-wheeler, tagged and dragged it to the shop where the engine hoist was ready for gutting.

Neighbors nearby were at the shop immediately to check it out. Many handshakes, pats on the back and then the cutting began.

The rule around here is.... if you shot it, you gut it. Luke had no problem and Loren our brother-in-law guided him along.

After the messy job was done, we headed to the house for a huge turkey dinner to celebrate.

Unfortunately the rest of the weekend turned up nothing else but there is still 2 and 1/2 weeks left to fill all the tags. We aren't too worried. LOL

Luke and I are headed to Canada tomorrow for some appointments so I will be back on Wednesday. Have a great evening!

It Has Begun!

2009-11-07T08:20:00.004-06:00

Deer hunting has begun! With a houseful of hunters, I will be cooking and baking from now until Monday. Then I will have a break during the week and it will start all over again on Friday.

I will be back on Monday....hopefully with some pictures of the deer that we have shot!

Have a great weekend everyone and make sure to give your loved ones a hug! =)

Pineapple Upside Down Cake

2009-11-05T15:40:00.003-06:00

Pasie has been craving a pineapple upside down cake so in order to satisfy his sweet tooth I baked one up this morning. So yummy! I am hoping there will be some left for tomorrow when the hunters begin to arrive for opening season on Saturday but I doubt it.

Basic White Cake Recipe

1 3/4 cups flour

1 tbsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup butter or margarine

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

3/4 milk

Combine flour, baking powder and salt together; set aside. In small electric mixer bowl, cream butter with sugar, eggs and vanilla until light.... about 6 minutes. Pour into large bowl. Blend in dry ingredients gradually alternating with milk, beginning and ending with dry ingredients.

To make it into a pineapple upside down cake, you will need...

1 white cake recipe (above)

1/3 cup melted butter or margarine

1 cup brown sugar

9 slices pineapple, drained

9 maraschino cherries (I omitted these)

Preheat oven to 350F. Prepare white cake batter. Melt butter in small bowl, add brown sugar and mix well. Pour butter/brown sugar mixture into a 9 x 13 inch greased cake pan and spread uniformly on the bottom. Place pineapple slices close together on sugar and decorate cavities with cherries. Cover with cake batter. Bake in the oven until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes. Loosen sides of cake and invert gently on cake plate. Serve warm or cold with whipped cream.

Enjoy!

Morning Gossip Session

2009-11-04T11:37:00.004-06:00

Every morning the same scene unfolds. We rise, start coffee, shower, catch up on the emails, have a bite to eat and then it happens.

The cars and trucks begin coming up the driveway. I have to make sure a full pot of coffee is brewing as it is time for the Male Morning Gossip Session!

This morning when I snapped this picture, only two buddies had shown up so far but there will be two more on the way.

Usually Luke is sitting in there with the guys but he jumped out of the snapshot as he hates having his picture taken....just like his Mom!

People always say that women are gossipers. Well I beg to differ. I have never heard such gossip as that that comes out of males mouths! Each morning they sit there and gossip for a couple of hours before heading out to the shop so I need to keep the goodies baked and ready to be attacked when they show up.

So when you hear a male say that women gossip, be sure to mention that you know better!

Have a great day everyone and give your loved ones a hug =)

Snapshots Of Our Property

2009-11-03T10:25:00.003-06:00

Temperatures have been cool and cloudy so we spent some time yesterday investigating the property and noticing how the deer are travelling through the property. Hunting season begins on Saturday and the excitement is high.

I thought I would share some snapshots of the property with you.....

The sun is shining this morning so it is time for me to head out and clean up outside. I need to get the lawn chairs and bbq put away so Bob can plow once the winter snow storms hit. He is a crazy nut in that truck so I have to make sure everything is cleared away.

Have a great day everyone!

Handbags

2009-11-01T13:05:00.003-06:00

Halloween was a little disappointing this year as we didn't have one child show up! The weather was horrible with rain and cold so I don't blame the parents in not wanting to make the extra long trek to our place but it still would have been nice to at least see one little goblin or ghostie.

I have been spending the last couple of days sewing handbags. As mentioned in a previous post, I plan on wrapping some of my Christmas gifts in re-usable handbags that the recipient can use to go shopping with. A double gift!

'

Here are a few of the ones that I had completed. Only one is Christmasy but if the recipient is going to use them year-round, only Christmas material really isn't the best choice. I have just finished cutting out another six so I better get busy!

They are so easy to make and the pattern is here... www.sewmamasew.com/blog2/?p=514

Even if you can't sew well, you will be able to whip these up in no time. All the sewing is straight lines! That is about all I can manage myself. LOL

Since it is chilly and rainy here today, I might just have to put off the sewing for a while to bake a loaf of banana bread. Sounds good to go with my cuppa.

Have a great day everyone and give your loved ones a hug! =)

Happy Halloween!

2009-10-31T12:26:00.003-05:00

HAPPY HALLOWEEN EVERYONE!

ENJOY THE EVENING AND THE LITTLE TRICK-OR-TREATERS!

Homemade Cinnamon Buns and Dinner Rolls

2009-10-30T14:28:00.006-05:00

It rained all day yesterday....the kind that pours down, floods everything and makes a mess of the property. I wasn't going anywhere! To make the home smell good and keep the kitchen warm I decided to make homemade dinner rolls and cinnamon buns for dinner. I had put on a crock-pot of Beef and Barley soup from scratch that morning and the temptation of homemade dinner rolls to go with it were too much to resist.

Yeast in bowl.

I follow a recipe that I had discovered on Frugal Village and I love it. I make bread, dinner rolls, cinnamon buns and pizza crust from that one recipe. It is a large recipe that will make three large rolls that the family loves.

White Sandwich Bread

In a large warmed bowl, add 1 cup of lukewarm water, 1 tsp of white sugar and 2 tbsp (or 2 packets) of yeast. Let sand 10 minutes, then stir until yeast is dissolved.

I buy my yeast in bulk from the local Health Food Store. $3.50 for a pound of yeast is a great deal!

Next stir in 2 cups of lukewarm water, 1/2 cup white sugar, 1 tbsp of salt and 1/2 cup melted butter. Beat ingredients then stir in 9 cups of flour, adding them 1 cup at a time.

Once it is stirred well, use a cup of flour on the countertop for kneading. Knead until the dough becomes elastic which is about 4 to 5 minutes.

After kneading, put the dough in a large oiled bowl and flip to coat both sides with the oil.

Loosely cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in a warm spot. Let it rise one hour.

Punch down dough to remove air bubbles and divide into 3 loaves. If you wish to make cinnamon buns I used the dough for one loaf and rolled it out. Then I shaped the rest of the dough into buns and placed them in a greased pan.

I rolled out the dough for the cinnamon rolls, spread on butter (fairly thick), added brown sugar and cinnamon. You could also add raisins but we aren't a big fan of raisins around here.

Starting at one edge roll the dough into a log and slice pieces and place in a greased cake pan.

Cover pans with clean dishtowels and place in a warm area for another hour.

Loaves should double in size. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 400F for 20 minutes.

They are ready when they turn a golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped.

Remove from pans and cool on a cooling rack.

Delicious! Nothing better than homemade soup, dinner rolls and cinnamon buns for dessert!

Remember to give your loved ones a hug! =)

Homemade, Handmade Christmas

2009-10-28T15:42:00.004-05:00

There are a number of blogs I follow that I love to read each day. They are listed at the right sidebar. These women are so inspiring with all that they do and how they live. Katie over at Katidids has been talking about her family having a homemade, handmade Christmas this year. You can read about it here...
http://katididscreations.blogspot.com/2009/10/handmade-homemade-frugal-holidays-men.html

Today her topic is about men's gifts. Men are difficult not only to buy for but also to make something for but she has listed alot of great links that will help to make that special male in your life a gift that they will love and appreciate.

I, too, have decided to make more gifts this year for Christmas. We have quite a few friends that we exchange gifts with and all of them will be getting something made by me. I am quite excited about it actually. I gave much thought as to what everyone would like and have spent the last few months sewing, knitting or crocheting their gifts.

This year I also plan on wrapping all gifts with homemade wrapping paper. I will make some re-usable shopping bags as wrapping paper as well but I plan on wrapping most gifts with brown kraft paper that will be decorated with stamps, fabric and designs. Less in the landfills and easier on the pocketbook.

One of my most favorite Christmas movies was the Walton Christmas. Do you remember that one? It always brought a smile to my face that the children were happy with the gifts they received and didn't expect much. Those were the good, old days. Now children want a room full of gifts, the most expensive and still don't seem satisfied. It scares me to think that these younger children are growing up believing that material possessions bring happiness.

If you plan on making more homemade gifts this year, I would suggest getting started now if you haven't already. To me a homemade gift is one from the heart. Anyone can walk into a department store and pick something out but when it is made my the giver's own hands, then they must think the world of that person.

If the whole handmade idea is intimidating, start small. Bake some cookies to give to a neighbor or mailman. It is a beginning and you will notice how much joy it brings to you to see how much it is appreciated. A warning however, once you start it is hard to stop.

Remember to give your loved ones a hug! =)

2009-10-27T15:53:00.002-05:00

Thanks everyone for your kind comments yesterday. Yes, I think I am ready for him to leave..... I can't be selfish even though I want to keep him home forever! He has matured alot since leaving high school and it is time for him to go. I don't know what first interested him in Norse Theology but he could tell you a bunch about it already. He has always found that topic to be fascinating and I am excited that he is following his dream.

It has been a beautiful day today...much work being done outside. We are not going to have too many more days like this so we have been enjoying the sunshine. I have been reading two very good books lately that I had picked up at Goodwill.

Living a Beautiful Life is an elegant book with delightful suggestions on how you can turn dull, irritating routines into life-enhancing rituals. It has simple ideas on how to make your home a lovely oasis of tranquility. I am thoroughly enjoying it.

Simple Pleasures of the Home enhances your joy in being at home, whether baking an old-fashioned apple pie, soaking in a pine-and-bergamot scented bath, or falling into bed amid lavender dream pillows. The book includes so many wonderful recipes and how-to's that I want to try them all!

My Mother enjoys writing poetry and I have one of hers to share with you that describes exactly how I feel about my love with books....

My love affair with books

Started when I was small

A lonely child can find the world

Between the covers of a book

I'd hold a book in my hand

And be filled with anticipation

I would never know

Where I would be going or who I would meet

As I got older and my interests changed

I met Kings and Queens in foreign lands

I learned how they lived and how they ruled

The people in their realm

Rich people, poor people

Through books I learned to know them

Their lives, their pains and joys

Their hardships and their heartaches

As I grow old I hope my Lord

Will see fit to grant my wish

That my eyesight never fails me

So I can read 'til my dying day.

Have a great evening everyone and give your loved ones a hug! =)

Party!!!!

2009-10-26T18:59:00.004-05:00

A quick note tonight as the excitement around the old homestead is high. Lucas received notification today that he was accepted into the university of his choice!

He will be attending Lakehead University in Thunder Bay Ontario in September 2010. He has been extremely nervous waiting to hear if he was accepted or not.

He will be following in my footsteps. I too graduated from this amazing University. It is nice that he is continuing the tradition. He will be studying Anthropology/Archaeology with a major in Norse Theology. We are all very proud of him, excited for him and I am being the typical Mom by worrying already! LOL.

We enjoyed one of his favorite dinners....homemade pizza.... and are still talking about all that needs to be done before next September. Ahhhh, the excitement of being on your own and starting your life. I am so happy for him. :)

Give all your loved ones a hug!

Halloween

2009-10-24T19:40:00.004-05:00

Living way out of town we don't receive many trick-or-treaters. We usually only get three. Yes, three. One is the daughter of a couple of friends of ours and the other two are really young children that are friends of ours as well.

Since we only have three visitors...and it is so much fun to see how they are dressed since we don't see many.... we do things a little different around here.

I always have pumpkin cookies, cakes and squares ready along with hot apple cider and hot coffee for the adults. They come in, sit and visit, have a treat and when they head out the door, the children receive a trick or treat bag. The bags are really quite large and include a couple of little toys that I think they will enjoy.

So the pumpkin is ready .....but the baking has to be done yet. I won't bake until the day before or else Bob, Luke and Pasie will have everything eaten! This time of year is what I term 'the holiday season', as after Halloween is Thanksgiving, then deer hunting time and then Christmas so most of my time is spent in the kitchen cooking and baking or else I am decorating the house.

Busy times are almost here but I love them!

What do you do for Halloween?

Linda, please email me at tattoolady51 at hotmail dot com concerning the clothespin bags. Thanks! =)

2009-10-23T18:46:00.006-05:00

Not much to report today. I cruised through a local craft show before I picked up some groceries. There were many lovely things for sale....I forgot my camera or else I would have shared some of them with you. I am so sorry. LOL, I need to attach that thing to some part of my body!

Once I browsed through the fair, I grabbed a few things at the local grocery store and headed home. The weather has been horrible.... snow, rain, wind and cold.

Luke was busy winterizing the boat and motor and fixing the duck pen so they can stay warm and dry. I think even the ducks are beginning to dislike this weather. Bob was busy in the shop so I took the time to make a banana cream pie and then started dinner.

This evening I will spend some time working on some crafts and curling up a good book.

Have a great night and give your loved ones a hug! =)

Snow Day!

2009-10-22T17:38:00.006-05:00

A snow day! Yep, the kind of dreary day where the clouds hang really low in the sky and you can almost see those flakes dancing around inside them waiting to drop on unsuspecting people....us!

The flakes were huge and what a mess that type of heavy snow makes. We had to dig out the insulated coveralls (a must around here), winter boots, hats, gloves...everything.

Look at the size of that snowflake...right in the middle! They were soooo big.

The roads became slick and dangerous as it had rained for hours before the temperature dropped and the snow began to fall.

Then Bob and Luke just had to take out the four-wheelers to slip and slide around like the crazy guys that they are!

I could just envision broken bones, flipped wheelers and lots of mud.

They did arrive back safely though....while dragging in mud, grass, snow, wet clothes... just in time to eat a hot dinner.

Off to clean up the mess they made when they walked in the door....now to find enough registers to put the boots, hats and gloves on. It is going to be a loooonnnng winter.

P.S. Give your loved ones a hug! =)

My Best Friends

2009-10-21T11:58:00.004-05:00

Not only is family priceless but so are friends. When I moved from my hometown to live with my hubby in another city, I not only gave up spending time with my family but with my best buddies.

Erin and Ryan are those best buddies. Erin and I had worked together for many, many years at an elementary school and had become very close. We still are but we cherish our time together even more now.

They visit at least 2 -3 times a year and we look forward to when they can come and spend some time with us.

Erin and her doggy Rufus.

Not the most flattering picture and I am sure I will hear about it when I talk to her next time but I think she is adorable anyway.

This is her husband Ryan. He is just as goofy as she is. He is a true hunter and fisherman and loves the talks he shares with Pasie when they are together.

The guys. These two are inseparable and dangerous for practical jokes when together.

Here is Erin at her best. She and Barb were having a blast one evening. This picture represents Erin's goofy nature that I love.

We miss these guys very much and unfortunately I don't have a picture of their two children Matthew and Morgan. They also come and never want to leave! The arguing that goes between the kids and the parents is amusing when it is time for them to head home.

I miss these guys very much and love them with all my heart. They both have been the best friends that a person could ask for.

Don't forget to give your loved ones a hug! :)

2009-10-19T14:58:00.002-05:00

Today was spent crafting and baking. A cool, cloudy, windy day brings out the nesting instinct. I attempted to make clothespin bags for the craft show in December. I am happy with how they are turning out.

Here is the first of my clothespin bags. It is rewarding to make something new out of recycled materials. Less in the landfills!

The vintage wooden hanger and clothespin adds to the look of the bag. I am happy with how it turned out.

There is always time for a cuppa and a treat. This was a new recipe that I tried with fresh garden zucchini. It is a yummy, moist cake that everyone loves. A real keeper.

Zucchini Chocolate Cake

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1/2 cup oil
2 eggs
1 3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour
4 tbsp cocoa
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup sour milk
2 cups shredded zucchini
1/3 cup chocolate chips plus extra

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 325F. Grease a 9 x 13 inch pan.

Mix all ingredients together except zucchini and chocolate chips. Mix well with a blender. Once mixed well, fold in zucchini and chocolate chips. Fill pan and sprinkle another 1/3 or 1/2 cup of chocolate chips on top of the batter.

Bake 40 - 45 minutes. The cake can fall a little in the middle.

Delicious!

Have a great evening everyone and give your loved ones a hug. =)

Family Pics and the Ride Home

2009-10-18T19:19:00.004-05:00

Before taking my Mom home, we had to get some family pictures. We won't be seeing her again until Christmas and we miss her a lot.

Bob and Mom

Luke and Mom.....Luke is 6 feet 7 inches tall so he kind of towers over her!

Me and my Mom.... I HATE having my picture taken! UGH

After the pictures, we loaded up the car with her belongings and shopping finds. The car was pretty full! This is about 1/2 way between where we live and Canada. It is a small town of Virginia ... a mining town. Very pretty but it was very overcast that day. They have 10 of the big windmills lining the hill...unfortunately you cannot see them in the picture because of the clouds.

That was our adventure when my Mom was visiting. A lovely time and always a joy to have her. Miss you and love you Mom!

Feeding Time and Fun Times

2009-10-17T14:58:00.003-05:00

When my Mom was here we went shopping! I love shopping but not malls or department stores. My favorite places to shop are these types of places!

Goodwill!! Thrift Stores, Salvation Army! This Goodwill is huge. It is located in Duluth which is about 30 minutes from where we live. I don't get a chance to shop here much but always make a point to hit it when my Mom is down visiting with us. We love this store. It has everything you could imagine. The Monday when we stopped they were having 'vintage day' and all old clothing from the 1940's to the 1980's were on sale. I suppose people check out their selection for Halloween costumes. My Mom picked up some very pretty sweaters and blouses along with a microwave stand she had been looking for. Great deals!

We also stopped at the Goodwill here in town (my favorite store) and my Mom saw me admiring this cute little gardening seed box so she bought it for me! I just love it and have already began filling it with heirloom seeds that I have saved from my garden this year. It is just perfect.

Thanks Mom!!!

The day was also spent feeding the ducks. They really need to leave now but I don't think that they plan on flying anywhere soon. Every morning I wake up afraid to look out the window at the pond. I am frightened that they will be frozen in the ice. They refuse to go to their warm shelter and insist on staying in the water all night.

Does anyone have any suggestions how we can tell them it is time for them to fly south?

Wonderful Blog

2009-10-17T14:53:00.002-05:00

I wanted to let all my readers know about a wonderful blog I have discovered. It is called the painted quilt. Kaaren creates lovely quilts and the pictures of her creations are absolutely gorgeous!

Check her out here...

http://www.thepaintedquilt.blogspot.com/

The first Friday of every month she releases a new Freebie pattern that readers can use and enjoy. Her button is on my sidebar (the blue quilted basket).

Take the time to tour her blog and drool over the lovely items she makes. I wish I was that talented! =)

Apples and Awesome Views

2009-10-15T14:45:00.003-05:00

Sunday was spent peeling apples and peeling more apples. Pasie's apple tree produced a huge crop this year. We had six - 50 pound bushel boxes of apples from one little tree!

There were so many apples I didn't think we would ever finish! Many were rotten but they were tossed out to the deer .... we have to feed those little ones as well!

Here is my Mom busy at it. Notice our cups of tea sitting there with us? Can't be without a cuppa to help us complete our job.

We used this older apple peeler for a while...but many of the apples were odd-shaped which made it difficult to use this contraption so we resorted to hand peeling. We ended up with quite a few bags that will be later used for apple crisp, applesauce, apple cookies.. MMMM, just thinking about it puts me in the baking mood.

That morning, the deer wandered through the yard....

I think they could smell the apples from inside the house and were waiting for their share! So cute....three little ones. They didn't stick around for long as the ducks chased them away from their grain! =)

Give your loved ones a hug tonight...never take them for granted. Have a great evening!

Snow, Nasty Roads and Canada

2009-10-14T18:20:00.005-05:00

Saturday morning I woke up to this.......

SNOW!!! The worst part wasn't the snow but the ice that had accumulated on the roadway over night. Very slippery.

I wasn't looking forward to the three hour drive to pick up my Mom in Canada but it had to be done.

Rock cuts along the way.

After I gassed up the car, cleaned off the windows and bought myself a cup of coffee, I turned the radio to my favorite channel.... National Public Radio and off I went.

You can see the layer of ice on the roads in this picture...travel was slow for about an hour. Then the roads began to get better as up north they didn't receive as much precipitation as we did at home.

Don't the evergreen look pretty?

After driving for three hours, I reached the Canadian border. Here I am passing from the United States into Canada! I have crossed this bridge about a million times in my lifetime....nothing special for me. =)

My Mom was already packed and waiting for me when I reached her house. We loaded up the car up and headed back right away. We chatted all the way to try and catch up on the gossip. Dinner was ready in the crock pot when we walked in the door and were ready to hit the bed after our tummies were full of roasted chicken, mashed potatoes, gravy and veggies.

I'm Back

2009-10-14T08:42:00.003-05:00

Dropped Mom off last evening. It was a long day driving up and back. I spent some time with my nephews Tyler and Brady and my sister in law Shelly while I was up in Canada because it was Brady's 14th birthday. I also dropped in to say hello to my best buddy Erin at work and headed home once again.

Once home, I was exhausted so I crashed on the couch. Bob woke me an hour or so later and I headed to bed. After 10 hours of sleep, I am beginning to feel normal again!

Mom and I had a great time so I will sort through my pictures and post later this evening. Off to start my day and get some laundry caught up.

I hope everyone has a great day!

Will Be Back On Tuesday

2009-10-10T21:54:00.003-05:00

I successfully picked up my Mom today from Canada....although the drive was slow due to 4 inches of snow overnight!!!

I wish to spend quality time with her, do some Christmas shopping, some processing of 100 pounds of apples and some crafting so I will be back on Tuesday after I take her back. I promise I will take lots of pictures to show you!

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend and spend some fun time with your loved ones. :)

My Top Ten Frugal Tips

2009-10-09T20:14:00.003-05:00

1. Make as much food from scratch as you can. Bread, soup, stuffings, cookies, cakes...anything that you can make from scratch will save you a ton of money! Plus it is healthier. You don't know what is in those prepared, convenient foods! Make your own!

2. Make a budget! If you have a budget written down, it will save you a lot of un-necessary spending.

3. Turn off the lights! If you or a family member are not in the room...turn off the lights! Start keeping track of your energy consumption and learn where your money is going. If you watch your power meter, you will learn how much you can save by turning off a switch.

4. Drink water! Children and adults do not need pop, juice, or energy drinks. Get your children and yourself in the habit of drinking water. Not only is it good for your body but it is free! If you start getting into the habit of always having a re-usable water bottle with you, your body will start craving water when it is thirsty.

5. Start a change jar! Perfect for when you empty out your hubby's pants before throwing them in the wash. Oh, and any change in the washer in this house is mine! If they can't empty out their pockets before throwing them in the basket...it goes to the change jar! Change adds up quicker than you can imagine (especially in Canada with the Toonies and Loonies!) Use your jar money for vacation, a special treat for the family or paying off debt.

6. Make your own household cleaners! Educate yourself on how to use vinegar and baking soda to clean everything in your home. Cheap and non-toxic. I haven't used store bought shampoo and conditioner for months.... I use a mixture of 1 tsp of baking soda to 1 cup of hot water and it is better than any shampoo or conditioner I have ever bought, no expensive de-tangler necessary here.

7. Watch flyers and use coupons! I use coupons regularly and watch all flyers for sales when buying groceries or large priced items. I rarely buy anything that isn't on sale. If you stock up on sale items, it saves a lot of money which leads to number eight on the list.

8. Stockpile! Stockpiling canned goods, meat, and groceries will save you a ton of money in the long run. My stockpile is large and it is like I have my own grocery store in my pantry. If I want to try a new recipe, I rarely have to worry if I have the ingredients on hand. We also stockpile meat from hunting in our backyard.

9. Do not eat out! Keep a journal of how many days your family eats out in a year and cut it in half. Eating out is not only causing Americans to become obese but if you have ever watched any of those television shows that prove what workers do in fast food restaurants to the food before it is served to the customers....you will never eat out again!

10. Stay out of the stores! You can't spend any money if you aren't there to be tempted.

This is a small sampling of my ways to save money....I have many, many more. I would rather have the dollar in my pocket than giving it to a large corporation.

Make sure you give your loved ones a hug tonight. :)

Answers and Artisan Bread

2009-10-08T18:43:00.006-05:00

As promised, I did make another loaf of the Artisan bread today. I hope that the following tutorial will be easy enough to understand. If I am unclear on any of the instructions, please ask me to clarify. It is a very easy procedure and well worth the effort.

This bread is like a sourdough bread and best eaten fresh. I have eaten up to two days later with fine results, but like anyone knows, bread is best when hot out of the oven.

Artisan Bread

Ingredients:

3 cups lukewarm water

1 1/2 tablespoons of yeast

1 1/2 tablespoons of salt

6 1/2 cups all purpose flour

Steps:

1. In a large bowl, add yeast and salt to water and stir well

2. Mix in flour and stir in with large spoon....do NOT knead the dough

3. Cover and let rise for 2 hours

4. Cut off a grapefruit size of the dough. Stretch the dough and fold underneath.

5. Place the ball on a greased pizza pan. A stone pan is best but my pizza pan works well (mine has holes throughout the pan to allow air to rise from underneath).

6. Lightly flour the ball of dough.

7. Using a serated knife, slice partway through the dough...I usually slice it three times.

It should look like this.

8. Cover with a clean cloth and let rest for 40 minutes.

9. Fill an oven safe bowl halfway with water (I use an old bread pan). Place in the lowest rack in the oven and turn oven on to 450 degrees. The water adds moisture to the heat which is essential to properly bake this bread. The oven needs to be at a full 450 degrees before the dough is placed in the oven.

10. Place dough in oven and bake for 30 minutes

Viola! Fresh baked Artisan bread!

It sounds a little complicated but once you do it once, I am sure your family will ask for it all the time.

This recipe makes approximately 3 or 4 loaves of bread. You can bake one at a time and keep the remaining dough in the refrigerator (covered) for up to a week. Just follow steps 4 through 10 to make bread fresh daily!

I had two readers ask me questions in my last post so I will be happy to help.

Courtney - Yes, I have dehydrated foods before I received my dehydrator. You can use an oven or the sun. I do not recommend the sun as there is an increased chance of food spoilage that way. Here is a link to a great site that explains using an oven.

http://www.purecountryhiking.com/dehydrating/oven-drying.php

I hope that you find what you need there. If you have any more questions, feel free to ask!

Katie - Here is an easy recipe for Whole Wheat Bread....although this recipe includes regular flour as well, it is worth trying. If I run across any others that are only whole wheat flour, I will let you know!

Ingredients:

3/4 cups warm water

2 tbsp oil

2 tbsp sugar

1 tsp salt

1 cup of bread flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 tsp rapid rise yeast

Bread machine - place all ingredients in the pan of the bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Select whole wheat cycle and regular bake time, press start.

After 5 minutes, check how the dough is kneading, it may need either 1 tbsp of flour or 1 tbsp of water, depending on the consistency. Once the bread is done, allow it time to cool on a wire rack before cutting.

In the oven - prepare as usual. Allow it to rise twice. Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes. Cover loaf with aluminum foil, and continue to bake for 30 minutes. Remove bread to wire rack to cool. Allow to cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing.

Have a great evening everyone and give your loved ones a hug! :)

Apologies and Anticipation

2009-10-07T21:09:00.014-05:00

I have to apologize to my readers who might have been waiting for the tutorial and recipe of the Artisan bread. I still had enough from yesterday so I didn't need to make anymore today. Tomorrow I will definitely be making the rest of the batch so I will take pictures and give you the recipe.

Today happened to be sunny so we spent the day outside buckling a few things down, changed the oil in the four-wheelers and just enjoying the day.

I did make a quick trip to Goodwill...it is my most favorite store ever! Bob needed some work jeans and I was able to pick up a couple for him. I also found a few craft supplies that I have been needing so it was a great shopping day. It is great when I can find things at thrift stores...not only does it save me money but it saves on the landfill sites.

The St. Louis River that runs through town.

Tomorrow will be a day of baking as my Mom is coming for a visit on Saturday. As long as I can keep the guys away from the goodies, I should have some for when she is here. I will run to pick her up and I will be taking my camera with me. I have to get into the habit of taking it with me everywhere as I am finding that when I forget it, the most beautiful opportunites come up that you might enjoy.

My Mom lives in Canada so it is a three hour drive each way for me. Hopefully the weather holds out as they are calling for snow on Saturday and Sunday. I am excited for her visit so we can have a fun time together and we will be hitting all the thrift stores in town and we are planning a day trip to Duluth where they have awesome thrift stores. I really want to check out a few other stores as well (for Christmas gifts) but I can't mention which ones in case Bob or Luke read the post.

Off to make myself a cuppa. Thanks for the prayers for Amy and Baby Monkey. She appreciates all your positive thoughts.

Give all your loved ones a hug! :)

Craft Day

2009-10-06T18:53:00.008-05:00

The weather was horrible again today. I am hoping for a couple of nice days yet so I can get the last of the house and buildings buckled down for the winter. I also want to shampoo all my carpets before I start decorating for Christmas so I like to have the windows open and the breeze blowing through the house when I start that big chore. Here's keeping my fingers crossed for a few more nice days.

Since the weather wasn't agreeing with my plans...I chose to finish up some crafting that I have been working on and do a little baking.

I am still not use to taking pictures for my blog so I have to apologize for not having any pictures of the baking I did today. I will get better at remembering, I promise.

I baked apple cookies, brown sugar cookies and Artisan bread. I will post the recipe and pictures of the Artisan bread tomorrow as it is a recipe that you keep in the refrigerator until you want to bake fresh bread. The dough will keep up to a week in the fridge. So I will definitely take pictures tomorrow and post the recipe for you. It is delicious.

I tried my hand at making a few bookmarks. Many of you older and wiser individuals might remember this squiggly worm bookmarks. I recall them from my childhood.

They will be sold at the Christmas craft fair.

I also completed Pasie's shawl for Christmas. It is a beautiful soft yarn that I really enjoyed using. I had purchased the yarn at Walmart on sale for $1 per skein. The pattern called for only two and a half skeins. At the same time I also purchased the same yarn in a soft green color which I will make an afghan for our living room after the Christmas season. Green is my absolute favorite color.

I also spent a better part of the day searching the web trying to locate all my favorite sites that I had bookmarked but lost due to the virus in my computer. Starting from a clean slate is a little un-nerving. I must feel more comfortable with a computer full of stuff. Thanks for the offer of help Syrlinus! I appreciate it.

Before I sign off for the evening, I ask all of my dear readers to say a quick prayer for the son of a friend of mine, Amy. Amy is a fellow blogger over at http://amysreallife.wordpress.com/ Her youngest son which she so aptly names Baby Monkey is currently in the hospital. He has all of a sudden been experiencing unexplained seizures. He is having a slew of tests with his Mom at his side. The power of a prayer is a wonderful thing. I know she will appreciate all the good thoughts.

Give your loved ones a hug this evening! :)

We are back!

2009-10-05T21:39:00.012-05:00

We are back! After 19 hours, Bob was finally able to fix my laptop. He stayed up all night formatting, deleting and re-loading everything. I have had viruses before but this one was bad!

I could not access anything! It was just horrible. I hope it doesn't happen again anytime soon.

Once Bob was able to get things fairly back to normal, we headed to the hairdressers.....Bob needed a haircut REALLY bad! My Mom is coming for a visit this weekend and he always wants to make sure he doesn't look like Grizzly Adams (remember that show?) when she comes.

I just had to take a before and after picture!

Before..... I was calling him the Shaggy Dog.

After. At least he isn't so hairy!

We returned home after he tormented the hairdresser. I quickly heated up some leftovers .... I made hot roast beef sandwiches, mashed potatoes and gravy and then we hit the laptops. We each have our own and sit together on the couch, enjoying our own sites.

Ahhhh, things are back to normal.

Thanks for being patient. I am glad to be back.

P.S. Lisa, the giveaway you won was put in the mail today. I hope you enjoy. :)

Computer Crash

2009-10-05T09:59:00.001-05:00

Good morning everyone! Just wanted to pop in and quickly inform you that my computer has crashed.....seriously crashed. Bob is attempting to fix it but is having alot of problems so....I will be back as soon as things are up and running.

I hope you all are keeping well and enjoying the season. Hope to be back soon!

Simple Saturday

2009-10-03T17:31:00.024-05:00

Another day of cold, rainy weather. I didn't feel like venturing outside today...I am just not use to the change yet. I still dream of warm, sunny afternoons that were spent in the garden, walking around the property, sitting by the pond watching the ducks and going for a nice long bike ride. Where did summer go? I miss it so.

Mr. Scarecrow welcoming visitors.

I spent the day finishing up the Christmas shawl for Pasie. I am just adding the fringe on now and chose to do a little baking between chores around the house.

Autumn swag by front door.

I made simple cupcakes with orange icing ...... kind of an Autumn/Halloween theme today. This is what is left out of 24! The guys eat them up so fast, that nothing spoils around here.

The woodpile sits....waiting for the next bonfire....

In the firepit.

The leaves have changed so rapidly since the frost....it even snowed a little last night but nothing that stuck around. My clothesline looks so barren and lonely. Fresh clean sheets hung outside in the warm breeze will have to wait for next year.

Autumn always looks so barren and soul-less as the trees, grass and plants die off for another year.

All we have left is our faith to bring us around again to spring next year.

A Contest for Cold Weather

2009-10-02T16:32:00.020-05:00

I wanted to share a contest with you from Whooga to win a pair of Ugg boots.

Each and every month, they give away a pair of their warm and fuzzy boots. The contest is open to everyone in the country. The merino sheepskin will keep any feet warm when the cold weather hits. The thick natural insulator keep your feet a comfortable 22 degree constant temperature.

Click on the link above to enter.

Have a great night everyone and keep warm! The weatherman is calling for snow later this evening. Time to bundle up!

Cold and Christmas

2009-10-01T19:15:00.023-05:00

Today was nasty, nasty. Cold, windy, raining, the clouds looked so heavy with snow it got me thinking about what was to come.

I found this article from the New York Times (December 18, 1898 edition) interesting and wanted to share it with all of you.

The weather prophets of all ages have done full justice to the Winter season. Some of the forecasts have been thrown into rude rhymes which the country folk have learned to rely on for generations. Some of them remarkable for their brevity and curious reading.

In Scotland, the writer says, that the snow of the coming Winter first makes

its appearance during the harvest in the large snow-looking

clouds that rise along the horizon;

and there is an old saying that,

"If the sun falls on the snow,

there will be snow, snow and snow yet again."

Pliny tells us that,

"a fair and dry autumn

brings in always a windy Winter,"

while a Greek proverb has it that

if the early Autumn is mild,

the sheep generally suffer from famine,

and also if the late Autumn is

unusually bright,

the Spring is cold as a general rule.

A Latin manuscript of the seventeenth century says that,

"a wet Autumn followed by a mild Winter,

is the forerunner of a cold, dry Spring."

A short jingle claims,

"Clear Autumn, Windy Winter;

Warm Autumn, Long Winter.

We are also told that

a wet Autumn indicates a cold and early Winter

and again,

"Much fog in Autumn, much snow in Winter"

In the farming populations,

If the leaves hang on in late Autumn,

"If on the trees, the leaves still hold,

The Winter coming will be cold."

and

"Onion's skin very dry,

Mild Winter's coming in,

Onion's skin, thick and tough,

Coming Winter, cold and rough."

In Scotland, if a robin redbreast appears

early in the Autumn,

a hard Winter is looked for.

I am not sure about all these old beliefs and sayings. I do remember my Mother always telling me, "if the squirrels tails are bushy, it is going to be a long, cold winter". The squirrels have been running around here (with bushy tails) frantically grabbing all the acorns and nuts they can for the coming winter. Will it be a long, cold winter as my Mother tells me? Time will tell.

With this cold weather, my nesting instinct has kicked in. I dream of long, dark evenings knitting a warm blanket with a cup of tea beside me in the glow of the light, and with this instinct comes Christmas! My favorite time of the year.

I have been working on 19 Christmas ornaments the last few days. Why 19 you say? Over at Frugal Village we are having a Christmas ornament exchange. There are 19 of us, each making our own designs. It should be interesting to see the 19 different ornaments that I will get back! Everyone is keeping it a big secret but I will share with you my design. So shhhhh, don't tell anyone!

They are miniature hats and mittens.

I used Christmas colored yarn and attached my name tag, along with the year.

It will be so much fun to see what the others are making. I might just need another tree in the house just to accomodate them all!

My Christmas tree is traditionally decorated with all Luke's ornaments and my snowmen. He has received a different one each year since he was born from both me and my Mom. He will take them with him when he has a home of his own. I love snowmen so hence the reason why they adorn my tree each year.

This is another design I was experimenting with. It is a metal shape of a Christmas tree and the beads are to represent the lights and decorations. I think that one is going to need some tweaking yet.

Cold and Christmas. Two words that go so well together and the anticipation of how cold and gifts at Christmas keep me all toasty inside.

Remember to give your loved ones a hug! =)

Frost, Finishing Projects and Fruit

2009-09-30T20:12:00.023-05:00

Last night my dearest Bob (hear the sarcasm?) left the bedroom window open. Well at about 5am, it was so cold in the room I thought the sheets were frozen to the bed frame! Talk about shock!

I could not muster up enough guts to crawl out of bed and close the window, so I laid there and froze instead! We had a very heavy frost and since I can look out over the yard from my bed, it looked like a layer of snow on the grass. I wish I could have taken a picture for you but the camera was in the living room and like I said, I just couldn't move from my frozen state.

Once Bob crawled out of bed, I told him to toss me my bathrobe so I could wrap up in it as soon as the comforter came off. Walking into the living room was like walking into an oven. What a temperature difference!

This morning, I had to grab a few groceries and visit my local Goodwill Store (on Wednesdays, the new stock is out). Once the errands were finished, I put away the groceries, threw dinner in the crockpot and headed up to the garage with my bag of knitting.

I had finished up a baby blanket for the craft fair last night so I wanted to start on a shawl that will be given to Pasie for Christmas.

The finished baby blanket.

While watching Bob fixing our four-wheeler and knitting away on Pasie's shawl, I remembered the offer from our neighbor down the road, Kathy who had the wonderful pear, apple and crab apple trees. She insisted I come and pick to my heart's content as she is a widow and will never eat them all herself.

I grabbed a few bags, a water bottle and headed over to Kathy's (Luke decided to join me as he loves her crab apples) and it took us all of about 15 minutes to fill three bags full. I will definitely have to go back and get more before they rot. I would like to make some jelly, freeze some for pies and dehydrate some for snacking.

The pears! The taste is a cross between an apple and a pear. Yummy!

Crab apples! They are just the right amount of tartness.

The apples. Large, juicy and delicious! I already made a single serving of apple crisp this evening for myself!

An abundance. They won't last long around here though!

I don't have to worry about what I will be doing tomorrow. Preserving these will be top priority but first I need to finish my apple crisp and make sure the bedroom window is closed tight tonight!

Have to add that meagan over at ecomilf.com.au is offering a great giveaway. A stainless steel Siggy water bottle! Check out her site. She is a very eco-friendly Mom, making a difference.

Have a great evening everyone! Give your loved ones a hug. :)

Comfort Food for a Cold Day

2009-09-28T20:50:00.016-05:00

Yesterday was a cold, rainy, windy, blustery type of day.

Pasie has been fighting a head cold for the last four days so I thought what better time than to make homemade Chicken Noodle Soup for dinner!

The guys love my chicken noodle soup because I made my noodles from scratch and they are sooo easy to make! Luke actually said that my soup is his favorite meal now.

My broth is saved in the freezer until ready to use. I usually cook a whole chicken in the crockpot with the appropriate spices with extra water. After that meal, I save the broth, add some of the leftover chicken and freeze.

My soup is the broth and I add parsley flakes, onion flakes, oregano, sage, salt and pepper to taste. I either add a garden snap beans or corn to the broth. This broth has been in the crockpot all day simmering away. I make the noodles about 1 hour before the meal.

To make the noodles:

In a large bowl, mix 1 cup of flour, 1 egg and 1/2 egg shell of milk. (I made a double batch) Mix together with a fork until well blended and turn out onto a floured surface.

Knead dough for just a few minutes, making sure all ingredients are well blended.

With a rolling pin....and this is the important part. Roll out dough until very thin. If your dough is too thick the noodles with taste doughy.

Using a knife.....although I use an icing spreader....cut dough into strips...as long as you want them. I make mine about 5 inches long.

As I cut the dough into strips, I add them to the crockpot and give a quick stir. This keeps the strips from sticking together.

Let the noodles simmer for about 1/2 hour.

So simple and yet economical and delicious! My guys fight over the leftovers!

I then made grilled cheese sandwiches to go with the soup. Pasie said his sinuses were already beginning to clear up! Perfect for a cold day.

What does your family like to eat on those cold, blustery days?

The Winner!!!

2009-09-28T20:40:00.009-05:00

I am quite technology inept so in order to choose a winner, I did it the old fashioned way! I wrote all the names down on their own piece of paper.....

(I really needed an extra hand to try and take pictures and draw a name!)

Put all the names in a bowl.....

Grabbed a piece...... and the winner is.....

LISA!!! Congratulations Lisa! I will need you to drop me an email at tattoolady51@hotmail.com and let me know if you would like a certain colored stripe on your washcloths or if you would just like them plain ecru. I will also need your address so I can send them out as soon as the washcloths are ready! I hope you enjoy your time, soaking in the tub this winter.

I wish I could send each and every one of you something as I really enjoy reading your posts....but keep coming back as there will be more giveaways to come!

Thanks everyone! =)

Update on Giveaway.

2009-09-28T14:30:00.002-05:00

Good afternoon everyone! I will be drawing the name tonight at 9pm and announce the winner tomorrow morning.

Have a great day, I am just spending today crocheting and trying to catch up on some projects. The weather has turned nasty. Cold, rainy and windy so a perfect day to curl up on the couch and keep warm.

I am excited to see who wins! :)

Giveaway!

2009-09-25T19:08:00.006-05:00

Another busy day dehydrating, housecleaning and baking. I have been dehydrating onions, onions and more onions. I use alot of onion flakes in my cooking and since we have about 200 onions from the garden, not to mention those given to us by our neighbor Dave, I decided it was the best thing to start with in my new machine.

Laundry, baking and grilling steaks for dinner took up the rest of my day along with a four-wheeler ride with Bob around the property. We like to do a weekly patrol around the fields to make sure everything is still as it should be. The deer have really been moving in lately so it should turn out to be a great hunting season.

With cooler temperatures now here and decreasing daylight, it got me thinking of the things I enjoy once winter rears it's ugly head. One of my favorites is making some time for myself and taking long, hot, soaking bubble baths which is how I came up with my giveaway.

We all need to take care of and pamper ourselves once in a while. So I am giving away a homemade jar of my bath salts. They are wonderful and the smell will remind you of Christmas. I am also including two 100% cotton homemade washcloths in a wonderful ecru color (the yarn is in the picture) that will be made just for the winner. If the winner would like a stripe down the center in a different color to match their bathroom decor they just have to let me know and I will make them that way. Yes, the washcloths will not be made until the winner is announced and has notified me with their decision. I also will include a jar of Raspberry Tart Body Butter to slather on once the soaking is complete.

If you would like a chance to win, please let me know in the comment section and I will add your name to the basket. The draw will be made on Monday, September 28th.

It is my way of making sure that one of my readers will have an opportunity to pamper themselves when the cooler weather hits.

Have a great evening with your loved ones. :)

Gardening and Giveaway

2009-09-24T21:00:00.004-05:00

Today was spend bringing in the garden...very long and tiring day but we are expecting rain and quite a bit cooler temperatures over the next few days so it was time.

The weariness of the busy day spent in the sun is beginning to settle in my body but I wanted to tell you about my first giveaway! I will post a picture tomorrow of the items. I want to thank all of you who read my blog so regularly and post the lovely comments, I really appreciate them.

My 'fall giveaway' is my way of saying thank you! So make sure you check back tomorrow. Off to make myself a cup of tea and watch the evening news. I have to make sure the forecast hasn't changed to snow! :)

Sammy is Ready

2009-09-23T21:29:00.003-05:00

Stopped at Goodwill today and found the perfect Hallowe'en costume for Sammy......

I don't think he is too impressed with it but he's ready!!!

Thanks Tammy at Dehydrate2Store.com!

2009-09-22T18:44:00.005-05:00

I belong to a wonderful site called "Frugal Village". It is a place where you can join to learn more about self-sufficiency, saving money, clipping coupons, making your own items from scratch, knitting and crocheting, crafts and the list goes on and on. Sara and Gabe do a wonderful job in keeping everyone happy and the support system is awesome.

A fantastic lady known as Penascodragonfly - real name Misti...on Frugal Village secretly put my name in a drawing to win a dehydrator from Tammy Gangloff at Dehydrate2Store.com. Misti is known on Frugal Village as the dehydrating queen! She can do magic with hers and has inspired many people at Frugal Village to do the same.

So because of Misti, this showed up at my door this morning...special delivery!

I WON!! I actually won thanks to Misti! It is the 3900 Excalibur Model with 9 trays!! I am in shock and will now be permanently fixed to the Dehydrate2Store.com website. Tammy has some wonderful videos, tutorials, recipes and helpful hints that are fantastic. She really knows her stuff.

So this evening will be spent not only studying the dehydration guide that came with my new machine but hitting every page on Dehydrate2Store.com website. I have so much to learn and just in time for when I harvest the garden....and jerky with venison....and baking bread...and making yogurt!!! So many things to do!

Another step towards self-sufficiency thanks to Misti at Frugal Village, Tammy at Dehydrate2Store.com and Excalibur Dehydrators!

Thank you ladies...I think you have created a monster. =)

Some Preparing for Winter and Planning for Hunting Season

2009-09-20T19:24:00.003-05:00

EEEK!! I saw this today!

See that little tiny tree in the middle of the picture? Do you see the colors of the leaves!!! Yellow!! They are yellow!!

Panic has set in....fall is officially here. So while working in the garden this afternoon and after seeing that little tree with the bright foliage, I began to think of what is to come.

Halloween, Thanksgiving, hunting season, and Christmas....but the snow is what I am most worried about.

I walked around the yard, picking up items and putting them away either in the storage trailer or in the sheds that are no longer needed for this year. When you start seeing leaves change in Northern Minnesota, you have to work fast at getting ready for colder temperatures...it can literally happen overnight.

I managed to clean up quite a bit and was satisfied with my accomplishments so I decided to take a meander over to the deer stand to see how it is holding up for another upcoming hunting season.

I noticed some of the tarp is falling down a little so I will have to make sure either Luke or Bob takes a hammer and nail to it before hunting season begins. Can't have those deer seeing you through the slits! That wouldn't work.

As you can see the stand is quite high up in a tree. Bob built it for Pasie a few years ago and it is used alot. In the winter it is fun to climb up and be able to see for miles once all the leaves have fallen and there is snow on the ground.

It is fun to climb up on a star filled night and feel that you can almost reach out and touch them... some nights it seems like you really could.

With the approach of hunting season comes lots of baking and cooking. We usually have alot of family here that I need to be prepared for. Now is the time that I begin to bake and cook so I can freeze everything. When the men arrive...all I have to do it pull something out and a nice, warm meal is ready for when then head in after night falls. It saves my sanity to be organized. :)

Well, off to make my list. I have already received requests for cabbage rolls, swedish meatballs, and taco dip. It will be a busy time once again but I wouldn't have it any other way.

Give all your loved ones a hug tonight. :)

Few items I have been working on......

2009-09-18T20:17:00.010-05:00

My pastime is crocheting and knitting. I love it. I have been working on a few items during the day or in the evening while sipping a cup of tea. I thought I would share a few pictures with you.

Some will be for a craft fair in December that I am registered for.

Duckie Bib.

Toddler dress.

This is a Christmas gift.

I will be selling afghans at the craft fair as well.

Different patterns and textures.

So cuddly warm on a cold winter night.

I still have many more items to make and I keep busy every day in between housework and yard work.

What do you like to do to pass the time?

Working and Wheeling

2009-09-17T20:32:00.010-05:00

We were blessed once again with beautiful weather today. I am very thankful as I know what will be coming soon weather-wise. Bob has been extremely busy in the shop lately with repairs and the cars are lined up in the driveway waiting to be serviced. So when it is busy like this, Luke and I spend the day in the shop with him to give him a hand with anything he might need.

I always have a bag of knitting with me. I get so much knitting done on days like this!

Tigger likes to help too.

Here is a better picture of Tigger's perch. He just hangs around all day, oblivious to the noise surrounding him.

Sammy is the same way.....oblivious.

Here is Bob diagnosing a car out in the driveway....they are lined up ready to be serviced!

You can tell autumn is here when the cars are lined up in the driveway. Everyone panics once the cooler weather hits...they want their cars ready before the snow flies.

So after a hearty dinner of sloppy joes on homemade buns, salad and homemade apple pie for dessert...we decided it was time to go wheeling again.

So I brought the camera along one more time! :)

When we go four-wheeling off the property, we go riding down the 'grate'. The 'grate' is an old railroad track that the city removed and now it is used only for people who ride four-wheelers. The picture is a little blurry as I was sitting on the back...going about 40 miles an hour!

This track runs for over 20 miles with lots of little stops along the way. Many trails go off the main one ...with lots of little surprises along the way.

I thought this flower was just so cute! As you can tell it was getting dark already.

Stopping for a break.

One spot we found was right along the St. Louis River. I loved the sign.....

It was getting dark and someone, on a previous visit, had left more than enough firewood for a small fire.....who could resist?!

The temperature was dropping quickly after the sun set and I was still in shorts and a t-shirt so I made sure I warmed up well by the fire before we headed for home.

One last picture before total darkness.

As we were driving toward home a very large owl almost landed on Bob's shoulder. It scared us to death and I didn't have the camera ready.... dang it! and then we were driving along, two deer also ran across the road right in front of us....a few minutes earlier and we would have been road kill!

Arriving home safely, we munched on hot chocolate and cookies. A perfect end to a perfect day. We love making memories that will last a lifetime.

Baking and Jars

2009-09-16T18:43:00.005-05:00

Today it had cooled down quite a bit. A perfect day for baking! Baking is something I love doing in the fall and winter. After all the hard work, I have yummy things to feed to my family, the oven helps to keep the house warm and the smells from baking are enough to make you feel all good inside.

This is a standby at our home. Thumbprint Cookies!

Here is the recipe if you care to try making some.

Ingredients:

1 and 3/4 cups flour
1/2 cup white sugar + 1/2 cup for rolling balls
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup of butter
1/2 cup peanut butter
2 tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg
36-42 Hershey's Kisses

Preparation:

Unwrap the Hershey's Kisses from their wrapper and place in a bowl. Set aside.
Place 1/2 cup white sugar in another bowl and set aside.
Turn oven to 375 degrees F.

Instructions:

Combine all the ingredients (except the Hershey Kisses and white sugar that are set aside) in a large bowl. Mix until dough forms and all ingredients are thoroughly blended.

Using a teaspoon, scoop up some of the dough and in your hands roll into balls. Roll the balls in the bowl of white sugar and place on un-greased cookie sheets.

Bake for 10 - 12 minutes or until edges are a nice dark brown. When you remove the cookies from the oven, immediately place a Hershey's kiss in the center, press down so cookie cracks a little on the edges.

These are extremely easy to make and are delicious! They don't last long around here.

While preparing to bake the cookies today, I had to take a picture of my jars. I love jars. I find them very convenient to use, they are pleasing to the eye and remind me of my dear Grandmother when I was growing up. I fill mine with rice, teabags, sugar, flour, popcorn, dog biscuits...anything that is bought in plastic bags can be stored in tight sealing jars.

Alot of my jars have sentimental value and I don't want them sitting in a china cabinet, not being used. I use all my old dishes. I would rather they be loved and used than sitting in a cupboard ignored and forgotten. My two oldest jars hold my flour and my sugar. They are very special to me as I remember Luke helping me bake cookies when he was just two or three years old. He loved sticking his chubby little hands in them to grab the scoop and usually ended up with more flour on the flour or himself than in the mixing bowl.

Use your special dishes, jars and mementos. The memories of them will continue as you use them and they will reward you with even more memories.

Give each of your family members a hug tonight!