Little House In Paradise

Kami's Last Chemo

2012-03-01T07:23:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was Kami's last chemo...Yippee !!!!!!!

Here is the big chocolate goodie that our son-in-law Colin and grandson Samuel ordered from their favorite market...Love it!

It is now off to the finish line for our sweet girl, she gets all the measurements and preps today for the final leg of the journey....radiation and then this chapter of our lives will be complete and on to building her body back up and catching up with all that was put on semi-hold.

I thank you from the bottom of my heart for all of your prayers, sweet emails and thoughtful comments, they do hold us up high and help us not to stumble and fall into the pit of despair and pain.

Wishing you all a day full of joy! xo

Frederick's Chicken Report

2012-02-27T09:07:00.009-08:00

I hope you all had a nice weekend. We had a great one visiting with family and seeing some of the grand kids. Usually I am a bit nervous when the Mr. and I are both gone over the weekend as many times we have come home to sad stories from the coop. This time we decided to leave Frederick the cat in charge of the flock and the new, young rooster. Many of you expressed interest in how that might turn out (me included) so, let's go find Frederick and see. - There he is in the library.

Frederick's report: "Well, to make a long story short....It was gruelling...First, right off of the bat, Friday morning that nasty Falcon got on the run fence and started going after the chickens causing all kinds of feathers and noise..so, being the good sitter that I am, I quickly climb the fence and go into action at lightening speed, coming mere inches from the offending bird, it flies off and all of a sudden, I become the villain with the rooster chasing me right back over the fence!...Then Saturday, I hear several chickens making noise from the coop and go to investigate, with such a raucous, I'm sure that harm has come to them.. I get there in the nick of time as I find two of them trapped in small boxes fearing for their lives, I jump on the ledge to find out what could be after them and.....once again...I am the villain...they come after me and peck me on the head! Certain that they drew blood I ran for cover through my door in the house and to the safety of Library."

"The remainder of the weekend was more of the same! Now can I have my payment that you promised?"

Let's ask the girls their side of the story..."Hello girls, how was your weekend?"

"Brilliant idea mom, to leave the crazy cat in charge...He tried to kill us all weekend, you might as well have hired the coyote!"

"Alright Frederick...the girls confirmed your story...kind of, so here is your payment."

Lip smacking good, thanks mom!

Even though there seems to have been a huge communication gap, it all turned out in the end.

Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood

2012-02-24T09:30:00.004-08:00

Happy Friday! It is such a beautiful day here at the City House and after some real nasty, grey weather it is a welcome sight. This has been a good trip with happy results from Kami's blood cell levels. She was house bound for awhile with daily shots to get those cells producing again (pesky chemo side effects) but with a positive lab report, we met at Fabric Depot for some retail therapy of the best kind...that would be, of course, fabric and notions with some discounts..yeah!

The Mr. is on his way down for a rare 3 day weekend and the grand kids will finally see Grandma and Grandpa at the same time. Frederick the cat has been left in charge of the chickens and will be making sure the new rooster keeps the flock in order....hmm, this will be interesting.

Hope you all have some happy plans for your weekend too! xo

Favorite Pan Share

2012-02-21T05:52:00.007-08:00

Are you all ready to share your favorite pan this week? I realized after I suggested this, that it would be difficult for me to choose just one, so the Queen for the day will be the one I have been finding especially handy lately. Below is my versatile, enameled cast iron pot that slow cooked our steel cut oats all Saturday night and made our one pot dinner last night.

I though I would take this opportunity to share a meal that has been a go to for me on many occasions through the years.

If you do not have one of these steamer baskets, I stongly suggest getting one to have in your kitchen arsenol..it is a must. Turn the heat on, put in the basket and add water.

Last night I scrubbed up some potatoes and carrots quartering the potatoes and slicing the larger carrots in half lengthwise...most were small, sweet and thin.

Last, I cut large chunks of Polish Keilbasa rope sausage and added that to the pot with a sprinkling of dill weed to top it off. On goes the lid and about 20 minutes later....

Dinner is served and only one pot to clean. You can do the same thing with a Dutch oven or larger pot if you have a steamer basket that opens wide.
*
Now I will attempt to do a Linky trick so that we can all share....Hopefully, it will work and we can all go visiting each others blog...Off I go now...

Well, I couldn't figure it out and have no more time to waste on it, I have to travel today....I'm sorry and must say, very disappointed and am sick of feeling stupid over tech things....Maybe someday I'll figure it all out.

xo

Your Favorite Pan? and The Winner

2012-02-17T08:03:00.000-08:00

Happy Friday all! Today we find out who won the cookbook and also an idea I have for next week. So I'll share the idea first.

We all have that favorite pan that we reach for time after time, you know, the one that never lets you down when you fry up Aunt Harriet's famous Chicken recipe. Well, how about if we all share our best pan..I will find out how to do that Linky thing and we can share with each other. I think it will be so much fun, we can actually see one of the tools that we use to feed our families.

Over the weekend you can be thinking about which one you want to share.

*

Now for the winner of the soon to be released cookbook "The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Food From My Frontier".

Congratulations to....Carla from Favourite Vintage Finds Please email me your info and the book will be on advance order for you..ready to mail out upon the release on March 13th...Enjoy!

I hope you all have a joy filled weekend and please be 'looking' at those pans for next week! xo

New Family Member

2012-02-15T16:05:00.000-08:00

We are welcoming a new member to the flock today. A week ago Saturday we had to say goodbye to Brewster the rooster. He was old and tired and just laid down and said I'm done, so off he went to the big 'run' in the sky. At first we thought the girls would be fine without a man to boss them around...Maybe not...
They misbehaved so bad, it was party, party, party escaping to all parts of the fields all around with no thought to danger. Monday, I put my foot down and went on Craigslist and found the handsome one above. He is only 5 months old and is afraid of the chickens...they went after him right off...but he will grow in to his responsibility.

We won't name him yet we will wait to see his personality. As he grows I will post and give updates.

Tomorrow night is the deadline for the cookbook giveaway, if you haven't left your comment you might want to hurry over here.

See you Friday morning! xo

Cookbook Giveaway

2012-02-13T05:41:00.000-08:00

Happy Monday to you all and because tomorrow is Valentines Day and you all are such sweethearts, I will be giving away a cookbook. The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Food From My Frontier. It will be released March 13, 2012 and you have a chance to have it show up in your mailbox.

It's easy to enter: All are welcome, no matter where you live!

Just tells us a favorite goodie that you will be preparing or having...maybe it is one that you had in the past or one that is on your wish list to enjoy.

The deadline to leave a comment is Thursday, 9:00 pm PST and I will announce the winner Friday morning.

A very Happy Valentines Day to you all! xo

Photo - Amazon.com

Garden Dreaming

2012-02-06T08:41:00.000-08:00

There might be frost on the ground and temps in the 20's at night, but that doesn't stop me from dreaming about the garden.

The chickens are having thoughts of things to come also with their job of fertilizing and tilling the soil.

The seed catalogs have been arriving for weeks now and so I have been making lists while looking at the beautiful photos from this catalog put out by Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds...Oh my, the photos are stunning!

This is a very large, magazine style and size catalog and one that you really should have in your mailbox.

Territorial Seed Company is from Oregon and has built a broad audience and great reputation..I never go without this one and their seeds have been in our garden for over a decade.

Here are the links to Baker Creek and Territorial, I highly recommend them both to you.

Must run..I'm off again down the road and will check in on you all later today. Have a great Monday! xo

When Costco Gives You Lemons

2012-02-04T09:26:00.000-08:00

Things have calmed down on the home front...whew, what a week! Finally there is hot water in the Little House again, a brand new water heater was installed on Thursday....Happy days are here again!

To celebrate, I am going to do something with my big bag of lemons from my trip to Costco and make sure my honey has something yummy next week while I'm down at City House.

I know what will be just the ticket......Lemon Cake and I will take one loaf with me to share with the hungry sweet tooth's down south!

Doesn't this look good...my mouth is watering. You can't go wrong with Barefoot Contessa's recipe. - Photo - James Merrel

I must be off to a much needed trip to the Salon (pesky roots).

Have a happy weekend! xo

Cold Showers

2012-01-31T09:25:00.000-08:00

Saturday afternoon, our water started getting a bit cool, not a good sign. I have always been comforted by having gas heat and water, if electricity goes out we suffer very little. Never did I think about a pilot light going out and not wanting to stay lit.....Oh boy! I had no idea the amount of times I use the hot water, being an excessive hand washer (always in the kitchen) and food prep then the clean up and how about a nice warm shower every morning.

The gas man just left and it looks like it has nothing to do with their part of the system, so that means it will need to be replaced and preferably by.....YESTERDAY!

Now that I have had to move many things around and found far too many dust bunnies, or maybe I should say dust bears, I have decided it is time for a good clean out..wish me luck.

Hope you are having a good week, with no 'surprises'. xo

Little Cooks

2012-01-27T07:21:00.000-08:00

Those of you that have followed me for any length of time will know that I am passionate about food and cooking. You may have guessed that by the theme of most of my giveaways. I feel cooking and feeding people go far beyond nourishing the body....the act itself expresses a love beyond words.

With that said, it is only natural for me to have a desire to encourage our young ones to get started helping out in the kitchen as soon as possible and to do that you must have an.....apron!

So that is the project that I hinted about on Wednesday. I am starting a line of children's aprons, ones that they will really enjoy wearing and for the little girls, they must be pretty. The grand daughters will be the first to 'test drive' the aprons and choose the ones that will be put in the shop.

Ella and Eden

Sissy (Juliet)

Here is the very rough pattern, I used a sheet that I tore and held up to Ella and taped to shape it a bit. - If there are any seamstresses with weak stomachs you may wish to turn away now...I use 'no' patterns and I fly by the seat of my pants...the stories my sewing machines could tell!!

Here is the first one, mind you it is just pinned down but I think it is pretty close to how I want it, maybe a pocket...I don't know.

It is from a wonderful, sturdy linen tablecloth that I picked up a thrift shop, and we must have lace (also from the thrift) on a little girls apron.

Sissy says "What about the boys when they are in the kitchen with us?"

I thought of them too Sis, what do you think about this fabric?

"That's terrific grandma....I want to cook with my boys too!"

So that's it, I am starting a full line of the aprons for girls and boys. I will share this apron when I'm done. After I try it on Ella and make any changes in the fit, if needed, I will get my stock up enough to put in the shop.

A New Beginning!

I hope you have some nice plans for the weekend...have a good one! xo

New Project

2012-01-25T18:02:00.000-08:00

I have something on the drawing board (my head) that I have been planning on doing for some time now, it isn't a huge impossible task, just one I haven't made myself start...I'm sure none of you know anything about that..Ha!

So, I am telling you now, that I will share on Friday what it is and show you the progress, that way I will have to do it.

I'm off to finish dinner, dim the lights and light a candle...my honey will be home soon.

See you Friday! xo

xo

Flowers In The House

2012-01-23T12:32:00.000-08:00

It is hard to believe that it is time for Jane's monthly house call again. For those who don't know about this, Jane hosts a once a month challenge of sorts, to share an arrangement that we have in the house.

I'm feeling a bit better today and believe I may be on the mend so I grabbed my clippers and the dogs and off we went to do some snipping around the yard. Nothing fancy as you can see, but I think it was just the ticket to lift my spirits a little too.

I'm very late with this today but am glad, as always, that Jane encourages us in this...Thanks Jane!

Have a lovely Monday everyone! xo

Ah-Choo !

2012-01-21T16:03:00.000-08:00

I am a bit under the weather today but have done some tweaking, between sneezes, on my comment section. I am getting reports that some of my readers are still unable to leave comments on my blog, and as I go visiting others, am finding some of the same complaints.

I have changed my comments to 'full page' in hopes that it will fix the problem. Please take a moment to leave me a quick email if you still are finding a problem..Thanks!

Hope you are all having an enjoyable weekend! xo

Remission !

2012-01-19T09:05:00.000-08:00

Tuesday was Kami's 5Th round of chemo (above photo - 4Th chemo) but on Monday they did a PET scan, half way through the 8 rounds to see if that will be enough or if 4 more need to be added to the treatment plan.....She just called 45 minutes ago to say the phone call came with the wonderful news that she is in REMISSION ! Only three more to go (every other Tuesday) and then 3 weeks of radiation every day.

Thank You LORD !!!!! And thank you all for your prayers, comforting words and supportive emails...I am so Blessed to have you all in my life.

This is a great day!

Love to you all. xxoo

Photo - Borrowed from my sister...thanks sis!

Are You Having Problems Leaving Comments?

2012-01-17T19:22:00.000-08:00

Some are reporting not being able to leave comments for me and also for some of the other blogs they follow. I have had some problems too..I will go to leave a comment on a few blogs and it will take me to a all white page and freeze up..But I have no problem closing that window and getting back to my Dashboard.

Are you having a problem leaving me a comment or anyone else for that matter? Please leave me an email to let me know (top of my side bar).

I looked to see if Blogger has know issues but no luck.

Thanks! xo

Mr. Bold Coyote

2012-01-16T10:13:00.000-08:00

I thought I'd share with you just how bold the coyotes are getting around here lately. The Mr. captured these shots about 11:00 am yesterday. There were two of them earlier and a couple of weeks ago, one ran out of the front yard when I went to let Jack out!

They are not even afraid...One day not too long ago, I had one coming toward me as if it were a dog and wanted to say hi...ya, right!

Here is the snow we are having today and you can really see how close the coyote was when compared to this shot.

Here is Miss E's sweet house as the snow comes down. The forecast is up to 8" tomorrow and who knows how much on Wednesday before it warms up and high winds are expected.. then a wind storm on Saturday...It may all prove to be very interesting.

Stay snug and warm my friends. xo

A Taste Of Winter

2012-01-14T13:47:00.000-08:00

We woke up to snow this morning, most of it has melted off now but will freeze tonight and usher in an all out winter event. I went shopping yesterday afternoon to stock up on the necessities, just in case it really gets ugly. The Pacific Northwest is very odd that way...a bit of snow can turn into an ice rink in a short amount of time and reduce a respectable 4 wheel drive rig into a useless sled..best to stay at home.

The chickens finally ventured out, not trusting that strange white stuff earlier...the bugs must have come out too.

I hope you all are having a nice weekend so far. I will post tomorrow about the weather if it gets interesting. For now, I think I'll go take some cuttings of the French Pussy willow (top photo) and pop them in a vase. xo

Finally!

2012-01-05T11:42:00.000-08:00

This week I have been reading many resolutions for the new year and I will start off confessing that "None" of them were mine....They do not work for me, so, many years ago I brought that to a screeching halt, finished, done, no more. I trick my brain by calling it, casually, "New Beginnings", it sounds so much kinder to my scattered brain.

So, I will share my first NB. About a year ago I found this map at a garage sale in Vancouver and brought it up to the Little House, where it would live, above my computer, as a reference, while reading blogs from far away places. And so it sat, leaning in the corner, forgotten...until now...Ta- da, it's up as you can see and the space under is even organized (kind of ).

So there you have it, I have started the year off right and I'm all excited about the other things that I am going to trick my brain with, haha.

How about your New Beginnings, are they going well so far? xo

One Last Time On The Line

2011-12-30T11:54:00.000-08:00

A perfect day to put a load on the line, the last time for 2011. Windy and clear, the sheets will be dry within the hour.

Maybe less time if the gale force keeps up like this! Unless........

The Line breaks...Oh well, another thing to put on the list for 2012!

Happy New Year to you all, see you on the other side! xxoo

A Happy Christmas

2011-12-27T19:57:00.000-08:00

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and perhaps are still enjoying some time off with loved ones. Our Holiday was very nice and we were especially happy and blessed with all of the members of the family attending the Christmas Eve service at church and then back to our home for the gathering.

And this is the blessing that brings joy to my heart...Our daughter, Kami, after 3 rounds of chemo, is feeling so much better. Her strength is coming back, the fatigue is gone and the extreme itching is practically a bad memory. We are so thankful that this cancer can be cured and she will see precious Abe and her 3 other children grow up. - It was a Happy Christmas! Praise God!

The Gift

2011-12-25T09:30:00.000-08:00

" The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel" - which means, "God with Us." Mattew 1 : 23

* Photo Source - Library of Congress

Parting Shot

2011-12-19T09:17:00.000-08:00

The tree is finally decorated, at least as much as it's going to get this year. I'm off to put the glitter on the city house and excited about all of the joyous events with the family.

A few packages to deliver for some special neighbors and the dogs and I are off down the road and looking forward to the Mr. coming down too, later this week.

A happy Monday to you all. - I forgot to take a snap of the goodies for you but will share what I will be making this week. xo

Begging Buddies

2011-12-18T13:21:00.000-08:00

Jack and Frederick, proving that two heads are defiantly better than one when it comes to getting some of Dads lunch!

Hope you all are having a good weekend! xo

Helper

2011-12-16T06:54:00.000-08:00

This is it...the last weekend before the main event, are you ready? I have much to do before I leave on Monday for the city house and can not possibly do it all by myself. Above, is a sweet volunteer who said he would be thrilled to come along to give me a hand. He seems to be eager to get going, so I had better gulp down the rest of my coffee and hop in the shower.

I plan on baking some cookies and other goodies this weekend that I will share on Monday before I pack the car. For now, I wish you all a wonderful weekend!

Peppermint Bark Critique

2011-12-12T06:39:00.000-08:00

This sweet journey of mine started from a comment made, innocently enough, by Martha Stewart on a recent show. I had just caught the very end of the segment where she said something like "You had better get your peppermint bark while you can, as it isn't around long!" So the hunt was on...It really made no sense how the obsession took over, as I had never had peppermint bark or even wanted it, but just knowing it may be limited made me a crazed woman on a mission. After looking and looking I finally located it....Only 5 packages left, I grabbed them, then put 'one' back feeling guilty for hoarding (leaving one means not hoarding, right?). I couldn't wait to sample it , my taste buds had already decided what it would be like, it must be wonderful if it was so hard to find and only around for a short time...I tore into the package and took a nice bite, with a glazed look in my eyes, lids half closed and a slight smirk, I let it sit on my tongue to melt a bit. It didn't take long before the sad truth set in, the fact that my brain made a better candy than the well known and highly praised Chocolate maker that will remain unnamed. What to do now?

So here we are, after 3 different tries, I do believe that I have the recipe that the brain told the taste buds about. It ends up being the one that I made with the grand kids. The one above, made for hubby to take to work, turned out well but is missing that one little addition that I will explain below.

Proven Peppermint Bark

Approximately 10 small ( the smallest) candy canes - These ended up tasting stronger than the larger ones.

1 package white chocolate chips

Dark chocolate chips to melt for the drizzle

Dash of vanilla

This will come together fast so have your baking sheet ready. I used a non-stick but have read you can use veg. spray. Also, take your aggressions out on the candy canes by putting them in a heavy duty gallon freezer bag or double up with a regular one...now take a rolling pin after it until it is in little pieces.

Empty the chocolate into a heat proof bowl and microwave for 60 seconds then take out and stir, put it back in for 30 seconds and stir...be careful now...put it back in for 20 seconds and take out and stir, if you have a few chunks left keep stirring and see if they will melt out, you may need to put it back in but be careful not to over melt.

Vanilla, add just a few drops, it makes a big difference but can overpower if you do too much! Stir well.

Take it to your baking sheet and pour it out, smoothing about 1/8 to 1/4 , I like it thin. Then sprinkle the peppermint by hand to cover.

Melt about 1/4 Cup of the dark or milk chocolate in the same bowl but it should take much less time in the micro.

I took a spoon and dipped it in the choc. and just drizzled it over...see the photo above.

Let cool in fridge for at least 3 hrs. Then break into pieces....Enjoy!

Email me if you have a question. xo

Favorite Ornament

2011-12-11T12:09:00.000-08:00

It has been a full week but I'm finally back to the Little House and putting the last touches on the tree. When I packed up the car, I grabbed a few boxes of our vintage ornaments to bring back and was pleased to see my very favorite one was tucked inside. This horn was my fathers when he was young and always gets a special place on the tree. He would be pleased to see that it is still being enjoyed.

I am making a batch of peppermint bark today for the Mr. to take to work tomorrow...I will try to remember to take some snaps of it to share in the morning. I made some with the grand kiddos this week and it was a real hit.

Hope you all are enjoying your weekend, see you tomorrow!

Christmas Breakfast

2011-12-05T06:05:00.000-08:00

About this time every year, I start thinking about Christmas breakfast, contemplating the perfect menu, easy but worthy of the occasion. Up to this point it has just been a thought and sadly, ending up actually nothing to write home about. So now I am reaching out to you, my blogging friends, for some of your ideas and actual menus that you might have. If you have something that works for you, please do share.

Looking forward to your suggestions!

Have a great Monday. xo

Photo - Food Network

Sunday Reflections

2011-12-04T05:40:00.000-08:00

Lord, even though there are Christmas lights on the chicken coop, we know you are still "The Reason For The Season".

And the rooster says Amen to that!

Jack Frost Nipping

2011-12-01T09:32:00.000-08:00

Happy December everyone and a cold one it is in our neck of the woods! Jack Frost paid a visit to us and it will soon be "Looking a lot like Christmas" around the Little House. Last night we put the tree up in it's special spot, after some minor issues (actually not a pretty scene but we won't go into that) with the Chinese made tree stand, which was totally modified by The Mr.

Off I go to get some different lights for the tree as the new, Tear Drop ones that I envisioned looking amazing on our sweet tree, were malfunctioning before even getting on the tree....Yes, I hear you saying "At least they weren't on the tree!"

Have a great day, hopefully the next time I will be able to show off a bit of the tree! xo

Let The Fun Begin

2011-11-28T10:07:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving and had a chance to spend time with friends and loved ones. Now that we have polished off the turkey and all of the leftovers, it is time to polish some of our special things that been ignored (obviously) for some time now.

I always look forward to bringing out all of my favorite Christmas decorations and after all of that cooking and dish washing, it is so much fun just feeling like a kid again!

I just love Santa and have started a collection, it is still small but how exciting to keep finding new ones to add to it. This one was from my sweet Mister last year, thanks again honey!

A recent thrift find of yards and yards of these mini glass garlands, I almost made a squealing sound in the shop when I found it..he he!

We have decided to put up a real tree this year in the Little House as the artificial one gave it up last year, its limbs no longer willing to hold the load that I put on them.

We will be off to a U-Cut place to try to find a skinny 7Ft. Noble to fit in the small corner by the window....Wish us luck!

December 1st is when we turn the outside lights on and the Christmas tree will be all done, fingers crossed! I will share some of that soon.

Have a great Monday! xo

Blessed Day

2011-11-24T06:41:00.001-08:00

Wishing you all a Blessed and Happy Thanksgiving!

xo

Photo - Norman Rockwell Thanksgiving

2011-11-21T07:07:00.000-08:00

Another Monday and the beginning of Thanksgiving week, I hope you all had a pleasant weekend, many probably making preparation for the festivities to come. It will be a busy week for our family like most of yours. I am packing up this morning for a very stormy Interstate 5 drive to the city house, I can see my white knuckles already!

We have a winner for the Bon Appetit subscription and it is "Anonymous"...Congratulations and please email me with your info in the next 24 hrs. . . Thanks!

I must be off, have a nice Monday!

Bon Appetit Thanksgiving Giveaway

2011-11-18T06:53:00.000-08:00

The countdown has begun, the last weekend before Thanksgiving is here. These next few days will undoubtedly find us busy as little beavers, cleaning the guest room, making the list for the market and figuring a plan of action.- No matter what you will be doing to prepare, please take a moment to enter this giveaway that I am having to show you how thankful I am for you, my readers. One of you will get a year subscription to Bon Appetit. If you already subscribe then another year will be added on.

To enter, just leave a comment telling us a side dish that is always on your family's Thanksgiving table....that's it.

Deadline will be Sunday night and the winner will be announced Monday morning.

Have a wonderful weekend! xo

Back To Life

2011-11-14T16:20:00.000-08:00

When I pulled in from the trip an hour ago, this is what I saw...Miss E's chimney with smoke coming out of the wood stove chimney, yippee, she's home from the Rehab center. No doubt she is happy to be home, even if she needs to be in a wheelchair for a little bit. Perhaps I will take you for a visit in the next few days!

I think I have finally found the perfect time period to travel from the city house to the Little House. I left Vancouver this morning at 10:50 and the drive was great, not counting the downpours for the first hour and a half. When I went through Seattle, the traffic was so light it was kind of spooky...like in the middle of the night. I won't even try to figure it out.

The dogs and I unpacked the car and started off for a walk when Jack sniffed out an escapee...The grass is always greener.....

We have Kami's chemo schedule and I will be going down every other week. Her first treatment is next Tuesday. I have put her blog on the top of my sidebar so that if you want to check there for updates it will be easy to get to. Thank you again for you thoughts, comments and prayers.

With the holidays just around the corner I will have to be very organized and if you know me you are laughing hard right now....Oh well, I can try.

A Short Break

2011-11-10T09:15:00.000-08:00

The colors this Fall have been spectacular. I don't know if it is my imagination or the strange weather we have had this last year that really has made the colors more vibrant...whatever it is, I am loving it. Are you experiencing it in your area?

On the walk with the dogs this morning, I captured our neighbors barn and some of the colors that I mentioned are here too, with even the dried grasses around the old fence. Can't you just picture a pile of yarn in all these colors?

I am off to the city house and Portland, tomorrow Kami will be meeting with the Oncologist and will be getting the full report on the Hodgkin's Lymphoma and a plan of action. It will be so good to get going on this and hopefully she can get come relief from that insane itching.

Thank you all for your thoughts, prayers and loving comments, it is a comfort to us all. We will keeping our chins up through this journey and will update information as needed.

I will not be making a post until next week but will be checking in with all of you as I can...like as soon as I turn on the computer at the city house...you're not getting rid of me that easily, haha!

Have a great weekend! xo

Thanksgiving Plans

2011-11-08T07:51:00.000-08:00

This Thanksgiving, our son and daughter in law will be hosting our feast. It will be their first and will include DIL's family also. Last year a surprise snow arrived and our plans to head to the city house fell through and we ended up having a quiet dinner alone. This year we will be making up for that, I'm sure, with all bringing their favorite dishes to add to the 'groaning table'...(I have always loved the sound of that!).

In years past, we have tried to help out so others might also have a good meal. Our favorite way of doing this is, to either take a turkey or give a donation to the Union Gospel Mission in Portland, where they not only feed the body but the soul too.

There have been reports that all of the programs that offer this meal are underfunded this year for obvious reasons. If you are interested in giving, here is the link www.ugm.org, when I type it in it brings up Seattle, when you do it I bet it will bring up your local one (hopefully). If you have another favorite charity, you can always find the nearest one through the Google or Bing help.

Where will you be celebrating your Thanksgiving, at home or maybe you will be traveling?

Have a great day! xo

Top photo - Country Living.

Bottom - UGM

Sunday Reflections

2011-11-06T06:46:00.000-08:00

Thank you Lord that you are always caring for us. -

He will feed His flock like a shepherd;

He will gather the lambs with His arm,

And carry them in His bosom,

And gently lead those who are with the young. Isaiah 40:11

Clock Reminder

2011-11-05T21:08:00.000-07:00

Just a quick reminder to set your clock back an hour before you go to bed. - Hope you are having a splendid weekend.

Miss E. Takes A Spill

2011-11-02T08:40:00.000-07:00

It was 28 degrees at 8:00 am this morning. Normally, on a chilly day like today, I would look over across the road to Miss E's and see the comfort of a curl of smoke coming out of the chimney of her wood stove, but there is nothing. Sadly, she had a fall a little over a week ago. It was about 10:30 in the evening and she was preparing the guest room for company that would arrive the next day. Apparently she had a tug of war with a sheet and the sheet won and down she went. She reports that the pain was intense and believed that her hip was broken, but that didn't keep her from scooting slowly across the floor to the kitchen to get that tea kettle off of the burner. "Thankfully it was on the front burner" stated Miss E. Then makes a phone call to daughter and eventually the daughter who lives in town shows up and the paramedics are on the way.....But first, the curlers must be taken out and hair fixed before they arrive. - Can you just imagine the poor daughter worried sick but having to do her mothers hair?!

All this happened while we were asleep, she thought we were down at the city house. Anyway, she didn't break the hip but did fracture the top of the Femur and they had to put two pins in. She is now in a Rehab facility and doing very well and will be good as new in about 4 weeks. I am always amazed at the strength of this 83 year 'young' women. Taking care of herself, like walking everyday, doing yard work (weed eating, mowing, gardening etc...) eating right, always doing for others, really does pay off.

We love you Miss E. keep working hard on your therapy....Remember, you have all those Christmas cookies to bake!

Morticia Would Be Proud

2011-10-31T09:18:00.000-07:00

Jane at Smallbutcharming, suggested for this months 'Flowers in the house', that we might come up with something creepy, in keeping with the special day. So I said to self "What would Morticia Addams do?" Well, she would make an arrangement out of dead things..How easy was that, a vase full of spent badness!

Thanks Jane!

Have a Spooktacular day! (I couldn't pass it up) xo

Daddy's Day Off

2011-10-29T08:23:00.000-07:00

It doesn't get much better than this... Saturday morning, Jack has Suckee Bear and Maggie gets the lap..All together on the couch.

Wishing you all a weekend as heavenly as this! xo

Answer to 'What Is It"

2011-10-26T08:35:00.004-07:00

Thanks for all of your helpful and funny guesses, this was so much fun! Abby from My Spotty Pony was the first to come up with it but Carrie at Cottage Cozy and Sherry from The Farm House also hit the nail on the head. It is ......A butter curler and won't I be an impressive hostess at my next large dinner party (what large dinner party?) ! This really was fun, now I'll be on the look out for our next challenge.

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Have a great day! xo

What Is It ?

2011-10-25T08:48:00.000-07:00

When I saw this at the local thrift I just had to have it. Never mind that I have no idea what it is, it just looks handy and I figured that the Internet would tell me all about it.

No luck with that, so I thought I'd give you all a shot at it. Does it look familiar to anyone?

If you know please tell, but if not, a wild guess would be fun.

Even better, a story to go along with it would be interesting too.

Let's see what everyone comes up with.
The Mr. thinks it has something to do with cake decorating, I don't know so much about that.

Have a good one! xo

Perfect $5 Gift

2011-10-24T10:02:00.000-07:00

Can you think of someone who would love a subscription to Bon Appetit for Christmas? How about really surprising the teacher, boss, or perhaps your pastors wife. What other gift keeps on giving all year long for $5.00? Here's the link and the code number is 7371. At the end of the checkout you should see the savings. I will be adding on to my subscription for the second time which will put me in to 2013...Yea!

Here is another great deal, for Taste of Home, it is only $4.oo for one year (8 issues). Here's the link for this and the code number is 2981.

Hope these might help with that Christmas list and be easy on the pocket book!

Have a great start to your week! xo

Choosing To See The Blue Sky

2011-10-22T09:50:00.000-07:00

The older I get the more I am understanding all of those phrases we hear through out our lives, one comes to mind this very second as I think of those silly chickens of ours..."The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence." Not long ago, the landowners gave us permission to fence off all of the pasture from our back fence to the next pasture so our chickens would be safe and have a large area to scratch and do their chicken stuff. You guessed it, I'm sure, they want to go on the other side of that fence...same field, just on the other side of the fence, go figure.

Here is the phrase that we are living with right now, "When the going gets tough, the tough get going!" That's it....When we get a bad report of any kind in life, we have two choices. We can run from it or we can face it, and no matter which one we choose, it is still there. So, in our family we choose not only to face it, but charge at it...plow right through it and then continue on.

I have nothing new to report on Kami except that on Wednesday they will be doing a procedure to biopsy a node next to her heart and lung, a bit touchy so she will be in for 4 - 6 hrs. to keep an eye on her after the 20 min. procedure.

Many thanks for the special comments and all of the supportive and loving emails. I can't begin to tell you how much that means when your world falls apart and you can't see straight to even pick yourself up....My heart is full with your kindness.

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And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:7 .

Prayer Needed for Daughter

2011-10-18T14:57:00.000-07:00

I didn't want to say anything until we knew something for sure. Kami was having some problems and Dr. ordered a chest x-ray, it came back abnormal and she went in for a CT scan with dye yesterday and just got word from an oncologist that he looked at the scan and it looks like Lymphoma but said it was the kind that is very treatable with good results. She goes to a thoracic surgeon and he will remove the node and they will also do another scan of the abdomen to see if any of those nodes are involved. By the end of the week we will have a full diagnosis.
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Prayer is needed, for healing and for strength and for sound minds to face this journey. I will keep you updated.
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If anyone has had any experience with this, I would like to hear about it.
Thank you!
xo

Vancouver Colors

2011-10-16T16:56:00.000-07:00

A quick photo of these beautiful trees that I snapped while walking the dogs near our Vancouver house. I drove down Friday to help our son and his family move from Portland to Vancouver, very near to us...Yea!! Just checking in with you all, now off to take dinner over to the kids new place.

Hope your weekend was a good one!

xo

Keep It Warm

2011-10-12T09:13:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, while making my usual rounds to the blogs, I came across a great idea from Joy over at Savvy City Farmer. She posted about what she called a Coffee Butler and encouraged us all to pick up one of the orphans from a thrift and save it from the dump...Yikes, that's a bad word around here. Anyway, I remembered my Mid-Century carafe that I had tucked away and pulled it out for my afternoon coffee.

It did a fabulous job of keeping it warm and no bitterness, which means less waste for me, as I will pour it out and start over with fresh.

I went on Etsy to see if they had any and was pleasantly surprised to find a vast amount and variety for some pretty good prices too. Here is the link if you want to look around.

This morning I made another pot after my shower and here it is, faithfully keeping my brew hot until I need another little pick-me-up, how fun is this?!

Have a great day friends! xo

Gifts From Above

2011-10-10T11:23:00.000-07:00

We are blessed, or cursed, depending on what day you might ask, to be in a breeding zone for some raptors here at the Little House. Today I am feeling blessed as I arrange these feathers collected by my guys (The Mr. and Jack the dog) on their walks through the fields and hillside on the property. We can recognize most of them coming from the red tailed hawk and believe some of the others are from the 'nasty' falcon, who will actually come down to the chicken yard, or sit right on our fence by the garage!

Just a little something to share with you on this Monday morning. Hope your week is staring out well, have a good one! xo

Outside Magazine $4 Year

2011-10-07T07:45:00.000-07:00

Is there someone on your Christmas list, or perhaps a birthday coming up, that would enjoy this magazine? It isn't one that I would order for myself but thought there might be someone that can use this good deal from Slickdeals.net. Here is the link and the code number to enter is, 7312 after you get to the final amount it should be $4.00. It's easy to send as a gift, I ordered a subscription of Taste of Home for Miss E. across the street.
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Have a great weekend! xo

Treasure Box

2011-10-04T06:54:00.000-07:00

Last week while on a thrifting jaunt, I came upon one of my favorite finds, an old recipe file. Whenever I see one of these, my first reaction is excitement but soon a bit of sadness creeps in when I think how someone didn't realize that in this discarded treasure box, were pieces of this cooks life, a diary of sorts. There is also history hidden on some of the news clippings as you can see here in the photo below.

I'm happy to find recipes from magazine pages and newspapers. Sometimes the dates are found on the bottom or top of the pages but other times I must put on my detective cap if the era of the box is to be found. This one had none of the above but on the back a recipe for Roquefort French dressing was an article with the photo of the soon to be released postage stamp in 1959, so I know that it is at least that old. I also try to find out about how long the person added to the box and so we look for the latest date, in this case it was necessary to dig a bit deeper. The food article above for the Shrimp Curry, was by Alyce Hazeltine and she wrote of a recent visit to Hawaii and the Governor's mansion where Mrs. John A. Burns, the first lady of Hawaii serves this curry. So after a quick search on Bing.com I found Gov. Burns served from 1962 - 1974. Not an exact date but close enough to get the era.

After all of the investigative work and delicious recipes gone through, I decided there was only one thing left to do.....choose one and give it a try. Molasses sugar cookies, they are good in any era!

Have you come across any of these 'treasure boxes', perhaps one of your relatives?

I have more baking to do today, I think it will have to be Pumpkin Bars with that declicous creme cheese frosting, I can taste it now!

Have a great day! xo

My Sister - The Beak Whisperer

2011-09-30T05:32:00.000-07:00

Happy Friday to you all. Where did the week go, I don't know about you but the days are flying by and it will be Christmas tomorrow! Speaking of that, just the other day my sister was saying how she has been picking up presents for her 'boys', those boys being of the feathered kind. I know, I have never mentioned these nephews, but I really know nothing about birds that live in the house, and so I leave all of that knowledge to my little sis, who has such a way with the birds that she has been named by some as 'The Beak Whisperer' as her blog is so named.

Here is Zeek, the Nanday Conure, a rascal for sure and one that I never get my fingers near his lopper like beak!

This is Timothy, bless his heart, a Timneh African Grey who was adopted by Sis. When she got Timmy, he looked horrid from picking most all of his body feathers off, I couldn't even look at him for a long time when I would go visit...it was very sad. Look at him now, with her knowledge and patients, he has come a long way. She has developed special toys that birds need to occupy their minds and beaks.

Here is their Condo unit, Timothy's is on the left, Zeek is on the top right and Gabe the Cockatiel, who is painfully camera shy, is on the bottom right. They have a wonderful view of the chicken compound where they can boss those silly birds around through the window.

Her love of the feathered friends have even spilled over into her art work..Love this sweet owl!

Do you think they all might be spoiled? Our brother always says "When I die, I want to come back as one of Michelle's animals". How funny!

Like I said, my knowledge of birds end with the chickens so I will invite you to go over to her blog where you can see more.

I hope you all have a fun packed weekend in store. xo

Breakfast

2011-09-28T09:05:00.000-07:00

In my many years of of gardening and my eagerness to plant just a few more zucchini hills, 'just in case' something doesn't come up, I have made my share of The Bread. Many recipes have been stirred up by these hands and many a high hope have been dashed. - Not this time, finally, I do believe, a tasty, above average loaf of zucchini bread has come out of my oven. It is moist but solid, with a hint of spice and a crust with a tiny bit of caramelized chew.

This recipe has been on my list (almost forgotten) of things to bake. It is from this book by Maida Heatter and was published in the early 80's. She made a point of baking up recipes until they reached perfection and sharing others that she found noteworthy. This one came from a restaurant she had visited in Seattle named E.A.T. , I tried to find it but was unsuccessful in my search. Anyway, here is a link if you would like to know more about this fascinating woman.

Zucchini Loaf from Seattle

3 Cups sifted flour

Scant 1 t. salt

1 t. baking soda

1/2 t. baking powder

3 t. cinnamon

2 Packed cups zucchini, shredded into julienne-shaped slivers

2 eggs

2 C. sugar

1 C. oil

1 t. vanilla

4 oz. of walnuts, cut or broken into medium size pieces. - I used about 1/2 C. pecans. (toasted).

Oven 350 degrees. oven middle rack. Makes, one - Loaf/Bread Pan

Maida suggests buttering the loaf pan and using fine bread crumbs instead of the usual flour for dusting the pan...I did do this and will do it for all cakes and other baked items in the future. I was very impressed with the crust and I'm sure you will be too.

This can all be done easily by hand and so no need to get out your mixer but you can use it if you prefer.

In a large bowl beat eggs just to mix.

Mix in sugar, oil and vanilla.

Add sifted dry ingredients and beat/stir to mix - it will be thick, I used a wooden spoon.

Add zucchini along with any juice and mix thoroughly, the zucchini will thin the batter. Stir in the nuts.

Put into pan and smooth the top and bake for 1 hr. and 45 min. check with a cake tester and make sure it comes out dry. The loaf will rise high and have a crack on the top.

Have a good Wednesday.

Let it cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Turn out and let cool completely...Enjoy!

That's What I Get For Trying

2011-09-26T07:10:00.000-07:00

Good Monday morning to you all. Hope you all had a nice first weekend of Fall. We were busy on Saturday getting things done outside, as our first fall storm came in on Sunday with wind and sideways rain. Today we have a stronger one coming in a few hours and the Wind Advisory warns of potential power outages as "The trees have their sails on"...sometimes the NOAA forecast discussion authors fancy themselves novelist and get a bit fancy in their wording.

I'm sure you notice the new look. I got all happy and brave this morning and took the dreaded plunge...wanting to be like all of you 'normal' bloggers that actually have a photo on your header, I said to myself..."You can do it"! So here we are, a photo and everything else rearranged on the page....and yes, I already went to layout and chose the one I had, several times, even restarting my computer and trying new templates, some didn't even show my blog at all.....Can you hear me weeping? This is why I am afraid to try anything new. Well this is just to warn you that every time you come to visit it will be different....next time you will probably see me standing on my head, flipping my blog with my feet !!

Any suggestions would be helpful and appreciated. xo
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Update!! - Now the placement is fixed...making me out to be a liar now, hahaha!

Welcome Fall and A Winner

2011-09-23T09:53:00.000-07:00

Happy first day of Fall! I had to laugh this morning, when at 4:30 am, I checked the thermometer and found that is was...66 degrees, really!? The other morning it was 43, go figure.

That's fine though, because I am keeping my fingers crossed that the weather will hold out and the rest of the berries will ripen and not succomb to the dreaded mold. The freezer is filling up with bags of shredded zucchini and frozen berries and I am happy to keep adding to it as long as possible.

One of the projects for the next few days will be to put up this nice sturdy fence along the hedgerow where sadly, we have lost some chickens to intruders. I will rest much better after that is done.

Another project will be to follow the advice of Miss E. across the road and save my geraniums over the winter in the garage. Hopefully mine will look as lovely as hers do every spring when they are brought out.

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This morning the dogs flipped a coin to see who would be the one to pick the name out of the hat. Maggie won the toss and Jack held the hat (he is a much better sport about losing than she ever is). The winner is . . . .

Sherry from the blog The Farm House. Congratulations Sherry! Send me your mailing info and the cookbook will be on it's way.
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Hope you all have a nice weekend, do you have any produce left in the garden to tend to or just planning on some fun for the beginning of Autumn? xo

Recipe from The Farm House

2011-09-22T05:11:00.000-07:00

This Plum Sauce recipe was sent in by Sherry from The Farm House blog. There is a lot of activity over at her blog with fur, feathers and a snake! Take a minute and check out the fun.

Since I am an 'Auntie' of two Airedales, I can say with certainty that the plum sauce in not safe!

Remember today is the last day to send in a recipe and have a chance to win the just released, Cooks Illustrated Cookbook.

Thanks Sherry for your entry!

Asian-Style Plum Sauce

Ingredients

1 oz. fresh ginger or more to taste
2-3 cloves fresh garlic
1/2 onion
1 c. dark brown sugar
2 Tbsp. lemon juice or juice of one fresh lemon
1 c. cider vinegar
1.5 Tbsp. soy sauce
1.5 Tbsp. teriyaki sauce
1 tsp. sesame oil
3 lbs. any variety of red plums or a combination of Italian plums and red pluots

Directions

Mince the first three ingredients finely in a food processor. Stir with all liquids into a large pot. Pit and cut up the plums before running through the food processor. As the photo shows, I processed everything to get a smooth sauce with some texture but no lumps. Add the plums to the pot.

Bring everything to a boil, turn down heat to a high simmer and cook for about an hour until the liquid is reduced by 1/3 or 1/2, depending on the consistency that you like. Give it a stir every few minutes and check consistency. Because of the low amount of sugar, this sauce will not firm up like jelly when cooled. Meanwhile, wash and keep in hot water 7 half-pint canning jars and lids. You may only need 6 but it's best to have an extra.

After an hour or when the sauce reaches the consistency and taste that you like, ladle into hot jars, seal and process 10-min in a boiling water bath, according to usual jam-making directions.

Pumpkin Pound Cake

2011-09-20T07:55:00.000-07:00

Today's entry for the giveaway puts us in the fall mood for sure. It was sent in by Lynn. She has the lovely, food and fun packed blog - Happier Than A Pig In Mud, where you will find the recipe for this festive cake. Thanks Lynn, and good luck!

I have listed the other entries below in case you missed them.

Fresh Tomato-Cilantro Salsa - Diana

Rosemary Popovers - Maureen

Remember that Friday is the drawing for the winner. Don't lose out on the chance to get this great cookbook...You can't go wrong with a recipe from "Cooks Illustrated"! See 'Simple' details to enter on my sidebar.

Have a sweet day! xo

Movie Night at The Coop

2011-09-19T05:36:00.000-07:00

The beginning of another week is here, actually the last week of summer. I hope you all had a fun weekend and maybe were able to squeeze a bit more into the final bit of the season. Our garden is still in production mode so I have been busy with that. Speaking of gardens and producing, we have another giveaway entry over at the other blog, The Kitchen Calls. Please head over there and take a look. Remember, the drawing for the cookbook is Friday and the details are on the sidebar.

The chickens had an end of summer Shindig last night so I grabbed the camera to share some shots of the event.

"Ladies, ladies,....listen up...Tonight, we will be enjoying a special movie that I have chosen myself for your enjoyment. We will be serving popcorn too so come and get it!

"Yummie, I love popcorn soooo very much!"

"So do we, but there never seems to be quite enough for us all to get our fill!"

"Better hurry and get your spot if you want a good seat, the perches are filling up fast...the movie is one of our very favorites. . . . . ." The Cornfields !"

And off they ran like a blurrrr, because it truly is their favorite movie and a good time was had by all.

Have a good Monday my friends. xo

Rosemary Popovers

2011-09-17T05:38:00.000-07:00

Happy weekend everyone! I hope you all are enjoying this last weekend of summer, where has the time gone? Here is the first of our giveaway recipes, sent in by Maureen, don't these Popovers look perfectly light. Let's get right to her email.
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This is a recipe that I make every fall for my husband. It is so so good.
I usually have a few left over too and I bring them into my parents and they love them as well.
This recipe was in one of their catalogs about 10 yrs ago.

Rosemary Popovers - Williams Sonoma

Ingredients:
2 eggs
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup milk
2 Tbs. unsalted butter, melted
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 Tbs. very finely chopped fresh rosemary
1/2 Tbs. very finely chopped fresh flat-leaf
parsley

Directions:

Butter a popover pan or the wells of a 12-well muffin pan.

In a bowl, lightly whisk together the eggs and salt. Stir in the milk and butter. In another bowl, stir together the flour, rosemary and parsley. Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture, whisking until just blended. Do not overbeat.

Fill each cup about half full and place the pan in a cold oven. Set the oven temperature to 425ºF and bake for 20 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 375ºF and bake until the popovers are golden, 10 to 15 minutes more. They should be crisp on the outside. Quicklypierce each popover with the tip of a small knife to release the steam. Return the popovers to the oven for 2 minutes for further crisping, then remove and serve immediately.
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Recipe and photo source here.
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Maureen also sent in a recipe for Pumpkin Crisp that she enjoys making, you can find it here.

Thank you Maureen for sending your recipes in, I'm thinking that the popovers would go great with a pork roast and some homemade applesauce, yum!

Have a great weekend! xo

Fall Cookbook Giveaway

2011-09-15T11:32:00.000-07:00

I have an itching for a giveaway, it has been awhile since we have all joined together for some fun. This is going to be a short post as I had a nice one almost ready to publish but blogger had another idea...I ended up having to delete and start over. So, here we go. This is the soon to be released Cooks Cookbook, with 2,000 foolproof recipes from the their first 20 yrs.

Send in a favorite recipe that you enjoy fixing at this time of year or one you have on your 'to try' list. It would be great to send a photo too, if you don't have one then I will try to find one online that is close. If you do send in something that is not original to you, please credit/source the info.

We will start today and draw the winner on the first day of Autumn, September 23.

Send all entries and any questions you may have to my Little House email that you will find on my sidebar.

Have fun and good luck. xo

Better Homes Mag. $4. YR.

2011-09-12T12:45:00.000-07:00

Here is another great magazine deal! Better Homes and Gardens for $4.00 a year from slickdeals.net. Go here and enter code # 7223 and at the end of check you should see the savings. Remember that they usually only offer for a day or so.
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Have a great day! xo

Shanksville, PA

2011-09-11T07:03:00.000-07:00

Flight 93 - Shanksville, Pennsylvania
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I remain in prayer for our country, The United States of America.

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Source of photo

A New Day

2011-09-07T09:14:00.000-07:00

What a beautiful morning! I am drinking it in and sharing with you. It is cool right now but promises to get down right hot today. The Pacific NW is just now getting hot summer weather, Seattle and our area up here will be in the 80's. The Mr. just hit the road for the City House and Portland....forecast there is near 100! Grandpa will be making the rounds to see grand babies and meet our new little bundle, Abe, for the first time!

Here is Miss E's sweet house across the road, with her gorgeous geraniums on her porch. She keeps them over the winter every year. They live in her garage and she waters them once a month...they get better every summer!

The coop is still in the shade and the chickens will have to get all of their 'scratching' done before it gets too hot, when they get too warm they walk around with their beaks open...not a pretty sight.

There's the Little Shed, it will be too warm to do much work up there today but soon it will have a nice coat of white paint inside and newly stitched curtains and all the treasures it can hold....just in time for the crisp fall weather and another 'new day'.

I have beans to pick and tend to today and a much needed trip to the market. What is on your list for the rest of the week?
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Have a great day! xo

Abe at Home and Healthy

2011-09-03T14:19:00.000-07:00

Baby Abe is 3 weeks old today! He is at home and thriving, eating every two hours through the night and gaining weight like mad, Dr. is very pleased right along with the rest of us. For more pics and Kami's brief update you can go to her blog here.
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I hope you all have a fun filled Labor Day weekend! See you on the other side. xo

Berry Thankful

2011-08-28T15:34:00.001-07:00

My thoughts and prayers are still with all of those that have been or will be touched by Irene. I am thankful that it wasn't as bad as some had feared it would and so many were spared life and property.

I am thankful that finally our summer has come and my berries are ripening, this will be my second picking and they are calling to me as I type. Thankfully I can pop them right in to the freezer on cookie sheets where they freeze up beautifully and get packaged in to the zip bags. I love thinking of cold and wet winter days when I have a big pot of soup on the stove and some blackberry cobbler in the oven...Yum! Enough of the dreaming, I'd better get out and start picking.

I hope you all had a safe and happy weekend and a wonderful Monday! xo

Quilts of Gee's Bend

2011-08-25T07:05:00.000-07:00

Many times I have thought about a post on the amazing women of Gee's Bend and after leaving a comment over at Ted and Bunny's blog, I decided to take a moment to leave you with a few links to go and take a look. The fact that these women that started out as freed slaves in an isolated place in Alabama, passed on, through six generations, these works of art, fills my heart with wonder and joy. Please do take a moment to visit these links you will be so inspired.
xo
Source of above photo and other quilts - http://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images?_adv_prop=image&fr=slv8-w3i&va=gees+bend+quilts
Some History - http://www.quiltsofgeesbend.com/history/

Wood Stove Search, Opinions Please

2011-08-22T06:34:00.000-07:00

Good Monday morning to you all, I hope you had a fun filled weekend. The garden needed my attention and shopping for some canning supplies were on the top of the list. Hubby had only one day off but managed to put together a makeshift gate for the 'south field' so the little chicks can't just take themselves for a walk anymore.
We are now officially on a serious wood stove search for the Vancouver house. There are so many brands and styles that my head is spinning.

I do like the modern styles like these but want the option of cooking on the top if needed. Our top priority is efficiency and want one that can last through the night and at least have embers in the morning to work with.

* I have no credits for the photos above because I looked at so many images and websites that I forgot who these belong to, sorry!

These last two tiny photos are from the Lopi website. This is the brand that we are familiar with as they are made right here in the state of Washington. Our son-in-law believes that this is the best stove and since he was smart enough to marry our sweet daughter, we will value his opinion.

Will you give us a hand on our hunt? If you have any experience with a wood stove or know of one that someone has that is either good or bad will you please share, it would be most appreciated.

I see rain clouds coming, better get out and pick some blackberries. Have a wonderful day!

Sunday Reflections

2011-08-21T07:42:00.001-07:00

Thank you Lord for answered prayers, you are always faithful and I love you!

Catching Up

2011-08-20T09:54:00.000-07:00

It is totally amazing how a garden can grow when you turn your back for a week! Above is my welcome home gift that the Mr. had waiting for me at the door...Eeeeek !!!! First on my list will be to find the proper way to freeze grated zucchini, any tips would be welcome. Also, my Auntie Ella made a zucchini relish that many looked forward to receiving at Christmas time, I may even tackle that today.

The apples have even started growing larger and getting a pretty blush.

Finally, flowers on the beans, here are the purple ones that are so easy to harvest and even better when blanching as they turn green in the boiling water, telling you it's time for the ice plunge.

These were an experiment, they are Malibu pole beans from Territorial Seed and packaged for 2009. I had no idea if they would come up or not, as I didn't do anything special to keep them for this long. Now we will have to wait to see if the beans turn out well.

Please let me know if you have a good way to freeze grated/shredded zucchini for use in breads or muffin recipes. I know that if not done correctly, it can have a not so good result in the finished product.

I hope you all are having a sunny, happy weekend!

Abe Update

2011-08-18T07:03:00.000-07:00

I am pleased to report that Abe has made some huge improvements in the last day. Kami gives us a quick report here.

Abe and Papa

2011-08-15T22:09:00.000-07:00

Abe and his Papa bonding in the NICU.

There have been a few setbacks and he now has a chest tube but is doing better this early evening. Kami was discharged today and had pumped enough breast milk/colostrum to last until early morning, so after spending all day with Abe, they went home for the night...with heavy hearts and empty arms. I do hope he can come home soon.

Thank you all for your sweet and loving comments and continued well wishes and prayers, it has been a blessing to have them.

I will update soon.

New Grandson

2011-08-14T08:25:00.000-07:00

Last night our new grandson was born, and even though he had 3 more weeks to go, the little rascal was 7lbs. 12oz. and 20 1/2 inches long. Our precious Abraham is having breathing difficulties (his lungs were not quite ready) and was taken to NICU where he is in very good hands.

I want to thank you all for your special words, thoughts and prayers while we kept him in " a little while longer", your support means more than I can say.

Off I go now to pick up my sister and my mother (great grandma) to pay a visit. I will be sharing photos soon.

Love to you all! xxoo

The Rest Of The Buzz

2011-08-10T13:37:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone, I hope you are all well and have some exciting plans for the weekend...It's almost here, Yea!

It is time to finish the story about Charlie's Place and the Bees and if you missed it you can catch up with a quick visit here.

Above, is a photo (Wikipedia) of a swarm of bees, thousands of bees, I wish the photo could have been larger so you could get the effect of how amazing it is when you see one. It is when the queen and all of the bees go to find another place for their hive, and with this in your mind, I will begin the rest of the story.

To set the stage, here is a view from Charlie's, of the Little House (click to enlarge) and the field between the properties. If you look really close you can see the clothes on the line, the garden and the new fenced back field for the chickens. Across from the front of the house, on the edge of the field is where we have our bees.
I have tried to figure out a good way to get all of the information in, without going on and on, as most of you who get comments from me know, I have a problem condensing my words...Did I just hear groaning? Anyway, this is the best condensing I could do.
As you remember, Charlie's bees died and The Mr. left a hive up there that was clear of wax moths to add bees to at a later date. Winter had now past and it was the end of April, the bees we ordered were added to the second hive at our house, my hubby was pleased, as his exsisting hive had made it through the winter (his first as a beekeeper) and it was very strong......About a week later my sweetie came in the house from his usual quick check on the bees, with a awful look on his face, he was visibly pained, "The entire original hive is gone, they left". It was heartbreaking, it' hard to explain, but you get close to them, he calls them "his girls" and when he works with them he says "Hi girls, I'm just going to.....". A saddness covered the Little House.
In the mean time, Charlie's property was purchased by the owners of the land that The Little House is on and they tilled up his old garden and offered us an area to put in what we wanted. We ended up putting in some Zukes and Sweetmeat squash.
About the third week of May, I went up to water the squash, and decided to drive around the back of the house (circular drive around) and park up above the garden and take the steps down.

Around I went, and as I was coming around the other side...there were thousands of bees, picture the top photo, it was a swarm, I couldn't believe my eyes and the sound of the buzzing filled the air.

Over on the wall, where the other hive had been, was something that looked like a cloth draped over the stone (did I mention I still need to get glasses) but as I looked again, I realized it was a cloth, it was a drape of bees! They were clustered so thick and the cloud of bees were getting bigger by the second, they kept coming from the hill. My mind raced, it's hard to think for a second when you see something so unbelievable and massive. Finally (it really only took my quick mind a second, haha) I said "A swarm"!!!!

I flew past the garden, down the drive and to our house, ran in sayin hurry, hurry, you have a swarm at Charlie's.....We have never moved so fast, we quickly gathered hive parts and bee gear and took off. Once we got up there, The Mr. encouraged them to go into the other hive and eventually the settled in.

How strange though, that they wanted to fill that empty spot where the old, moth invaded hive had been.

And so it goes, that in the end.....Charlies request for The Mr. to tend to his hives, have been fulfilled.

And, perhaps, the lost bees came back home.

Charlie's Place and The Bees

2011-08-08T07:54:00.000-07:00

There it sits at the base of our little hill, "Charlie's Place", as we still call it, even though he has passed on. In his 90 plus years, Charlie did about everything, but the most visible, especially from our house, was the gardening and beautifying of his property. Being a wise man, he also kept bees and tended them up until this last autumn when, from his hospital bed, asked my Mr. to please take his bees as he would not be coming home.. Charlie died and about a week after so did all of the bees...both hives, dead!

One of the hives had been invaded with wax moths and my hubby didn't want to risk using it again, so off to the dump it went. The other hive was left to be addressed at a later date as we had our own to tend to for the winter and another order of bees to be delivered in the spring.

This tale has a happy ending but with a few twists and turns so I will leave the rest for next time, after all it is Monday and we have other blogs to visit.

Have a beautiful day!

Sticky Situation

2011-08-04T09:31:00.000-07:00

This last weekend we paid a visit to one of the hives to see how things were going. The Mr. found that they had most definitely been busy little bees with honey a overflowing..it was time, he announced, to capture some of the golden goodness.

And here is the results of the first few frames that were removed.

Here is my high tech invention to extract the honey....

As you can see for yourself, it works very well. I won't try to tell you that it is fast, let's just say it was a good lesson in patience for me and I was actually very satisfied with the end result.

We have just enough to share with family in Portland and a few neighbor friends here that share their blossoms with our bees.

This weekend we will be checking the hive at the upper property and I will be sharing the interesting story of how that one came to be.

Hope you all have something "sweet" planned for your weekend!

The Little Shed

2011-08-01T11:40:00.000-07:00

Behind this weathered door is the future of a sweet little shop. A place where seasons will change and so the treasures that come and go will find new life too. It will be the tangible part of the Etsy, Stockshop. I am so looking forward to decorating for the different holidays and the challenge of working with no power to the little building.

As you can see there will be a bit of elbow grease required but nothing that the Mr. can't conquer with the trusty weedeater.

Most of the work will be done on the inside, beginning with moving the plywood away from in front of the window, thank you, old shelving to be taken down and a coat of white paint, and, some pretty little curtains are must. Many things to work out and not that long to do it before the shop opening in the fall...I will keep you updated on the progress.

Off to do some much needed shopping. Have a great day!

New Beaks

2011-07-29T09:18:00.000-07:00

Introductions are in order, two new little chicks were hatched out by this proud mom about 2 weeks ago. One of them stretched out and posed for the camera, showing off the attractive stripes on the wings, how cute.

Here is another new addition...to the chicken run. The land owners were kind enough to let us fence in this field for a massive free range area where they will never run out of bugs, worms or any of the wonderful things that make chickens happy and healthy.

I am so thrilled with our garden this year! We have tried and failed for several years, the soil was just too horrid, so we let it be for a year with straw and chickens roaming and scratching. As you can see, no need to go to the Farmers Market for beets or......

Dinosaur kale, which we started from seed on a table in the living room.

Green beans have always been a favorite of mine to grow and this is a milestone for this garden as every time they started climbing, they would shrivel and die..not this year!

Just look at them climbing for the heavens...."It makes my heart soar like a hawk". Does anyone remember what movie that quote was from, I think it was in the 70's ?

We will be working on the shed this weekend that will be the home of my Etsy Stockshop. I will be sharing some of the progress on this as we move toward the reveal of the newly remodeled and restocked shop this fall, stay tuned.

Do you have a project you will be working on or some well deserved fun planned for the weekend?

Have a good one! xo

You're The Best!

2011-07-26T09:03:00.000-07:00

First I want to thank you all for your thoughts and prayers regarding our little guy. Kami is still holding him in and minding her P's and Q's (I wonder what that really means?) so all is well. As I type she is on the way to another ultrasound to check on baby and progression, I will let you all know how that goes.

I am on my way back to the Little House for a week and then back down here.

As you can see, I have some 'straightening up' to do in the yard and all around the house! Hahaha!

Have a lovely Tuesday! xxoo

U.S. National Debt Clock : Real Time

2011-07-25T16:20:00.000-07:00

Want an eye opener? Check out this link!

U.S. National Debt Clock : Real Time

Foodie Magazine Subs..$4.99 Yr.

2011-07-25T09:13:00.000-07:00

Two more great deals again from slickdeals.net, $4.99 a year! If you already have these subscriptions, I think you can renew at this price. I am going to try it with the Bon Appetit...Anyway, here is the link of B A and the code is 2978, you put it in the code box and at the end of checkout you should see the full savings. It looks like both magazines come up on the link. If you have problems with this, just go to slickdeals.net and look all of the way over on the right and you will see the two magazines offered.

Here is the link for the Everyday RR and the code is 3681. Remember that time is limited on these magazine deals.
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Happy Monday! xo

Sunday Reflections

2011-07-24T16:58:00.000-07:00

Thank you Lord, for keeping our grandson growing safely inside of mommy for one more week.
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Thank you Lord, for all of my special blog friends who are keeping all of us close to their hearts, they are true treasures.

Prayers Needed

2011-07-19T07:10:00.001-07:00

We are expecting an addition to this group of busy grandchildren on September 5Th, but he is trying to come right now, needless to say it is way too soon. Daughter, Kami, spent time this weekend in the hospital and was sent home with medication and ordered bed rest. Thankfully, our son in law, is a Portland firefighter and has the '24 on and 48 off' work schedule. He does have some obligations to cover for vacations and needs to fulfill those promises.... in come the grandmothers....so I am going down today and take some shifts while he is gone. I will be down there for at least a week but will be able to sleep at our Vancouver house and get some things done there too (will someone please clone me).
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Please remember our little one in your prayers, we are taking it one day at a time as everyday he will be stronger. Kami has had the steroid shots to help his lungs develop in case he can't wait.

Thank you and I will still try to visit your blogs and give you updates on mine.

xo

Sunday Reflections

2011-07-17T05:59:00.000-07:00

On this beautiful morning, I thank you Lord, for providing a place for us to grow a portion of our own food and the ability to tend it.

Our Sewing Machines

2011-07-14T18:04:00.000-07:00

Isn't there just something so special about a woman and her sewing machine? Through the years the homemaker showed her love and tended to the needs of her family with this faithful friend.

I did a search for some different ones and thought I would share a few. If I had the one above, it would be kept out all of the time...how pretty is that?

Where would you even start with this one?

This was listed with the sewing machines and I love the way it looks and the color, but I think someone is pulling our leg....is that liquid thread..? hummm. Anyone know what this sews?

How about this little jewel, I think it is a Featherweight and I want it. Do any of you have one of these?

Do you know what I would like to do? How about in the near future, we all share our machines or maybe even a memory of mom or grandma's one that they sewed on for the family. We might do our own post and then visit each others. Would anyone be interested in this?

I have to travel tomorrow so I had better get some things ready. Hope you all have something fun planned for the weekend. xo
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Here is the link to the sewing machines.

Uncheck It

2011-07-12T10:54:00.000-07:00

I feel bad that there are some who still are having problems with leaving comments. The last few days I have seen quite a few mention this. This is a quick post to let those of you who are still struggling see how easy it is to fix...at least everyone I hear about doing it, says it worked. First sign out, then go back to your blog to sign in and make sure that box (above) is unchecked. You will need to go through the sign in process every time but it is worth it to be able to leave those much loved comments.
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If you feel the nudge and have a chance to mention this on a post, you are welcome to link to this post.
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Have a great day! xo

Packing Treasures

2011-07-11T08:05:00.000-07:00

Happy Monday everyone! Hope you all had a wonderful weekend. I noticed many in blogland went to local farmers markets or went berry picking and made some yummy things with the produce. I love the first fruits of summer!

I am packing up some found, thrifty treasures to take to the Vancouver house this morning. The chenille bedspread will go great on the white iron bed in the guest room and I was thrilled to find the set of Pyrex bowls a few weeks ago to brighten the food prep in the kitchen. I love the child's plate I found for the new grandson that we will meet in September. Also, a special treat just for me, a new candle to help freshen up a house that has been closed up for weeks, will be much appreciated this evening as I unpack and then relax a bit after the drive.

Off to water the garden and finish packing. I will check in on you all this evening, have a lovely day. xo

Help - Garden Question and A Winner

2011-07-08T09:28:00.000-07:00

The garden is doing very well so far and the beets are growing like weeds, well the weeds might be catching up soon!

Here are the very special onions, they are from Miss E. and special because they are the same ones her late husband planted years ago and she saves from her garden every year. I was honored when she parted with some this year to share with us, I will carry on his onion legacy across the road.

Here is where I need help. These started coming up all over the garden as soon as hubby tilled. It was as if I had spread seeds all over and they continue to come up as you can see.

Here they are as they get bigger, in the center you can see the flowerettes forming.

Here they are with the flowers. I went on the internet to see if it might be broccoli rabe, it looks like it might be but I would rather not guess about it and so I ask you what you think?

When I started pulling it and put it in the compost, the chickens went nuts over it and next thing I knew, it was all gone. Every evening I go and pull out more and they wait for me to throw it over the fence...it grows very fast. I might add that we have never planted anything like that in the garden so it is a mystery. All ideas welcome.

We have a winner of the Thrifty Hints contest. All of the hints were very good and each a winner in itself so I thank everyone who contributed. To be fare I stepped aside and asked daughter, Kami and her friend Joy, to be the judges. They are both good homemakers and moms to little ones and are on strict budgets, so I felt were well qualified.

Here are their emails:

Kami: I have chosen Lola Nova for the thrifty contest because she not only had one great idea, but 11! I bet she saves loads of money on a regular basis!

Joy: I love that you did a thrifty contest! I like all the ideas Lola Nova had. It makes think I need to adventure beyond only canning jams. :)

Thank you ladies for being the judges.

Congratulations to Lola Nova for putting on that thinking cap and helping us all out and I will get the Book sent out right away.

I hope you all gleaned helpful hints from all of our friends who sent them in, thanks again to you all!

Have a wonderful weekend! xo

This and That

2011-07-07T08:04:00.001-07:00

So many times I will think of things I would like to share with you, not huge things but little bits here and there. Maybe tips or just something fun that you might get a kick out of, like the above fridge magnet that we found at a thrift shop and couldn't pass up. So it is, that when I have few of these things, they will go in a quick post and will be called.. "This and That".

This may not be news to many of you but it is worth passing on for those that don't know. When a small bit of shell gets in with your egg, take the big shell and scoop it right out, works much better than chasing it with a spoon..ugh.

How many of you are tired of the T-shirts that you are buying your man being cheap and thin? The price would go up and the quality down. This T above is the best, very heavy duty and doesn't stretch out at the neck. It comes with a steep price but also with very good reviews and I believe will last a lot longer than the other 'name' brands. I mde my purchase at JC Penney, on sale. There are different Stafford T's to choose from but I made sure to get the - Performance one.

Mascara, well I am picky and have tried many in hopes of the one that didn't give me spider legs, clump....you know what I mean, and it needs to be waterproof because I cry...I cry at commericals, in church, reading certain blogs and on and on it goes. So when I went to get the Clinique that I am most happy with and was told "not making waterproof anymore" I was a very unhappy girl, until the nice sales lady told me about this....

I am a happy woman once again. Dior, no clumping, huge brush that doesn't need excess mascara to be wiped off before use and most important, waterproof. No more wasting money on the hunt.

Hope this may have been a help to someone.

Reminder, this is the last day to enter thrifty hints. Tomorrow the two judges will let me know who they have chosen and I will be posting the winner. Info is on my sidebar. Good luck to you all.

Have a great day. xo

Happy Independence Day!

2011-07-04T13:28:00.000-07:00

Hope you are all having a wonderful 4th! We just returned from the Anacortes Parade. Just as you would imagine a small town parade would be. Enjoy the rest of the holiday!

xo

I Want Big Photos

2011-06-30T17:56:00.000-07:00

A new blogger friend had those nice big photos on her post today and so I ask her to tell the secret. She was happy to share how...

only it didn't work for me. I was dissapointed but fooled around and thought maybe I had it...So this post is the result of my experiement that went wrong. That is why the photos of the handy work of the iron worker passing time (?) has nothing to do with this post.

Here is a happy thing....my Jack and his dad went on a walk last night and brought me ..

flowers from the field. I love my guys!!

So if the pictures turn out big, then I will be suprised and if they didn't then I will be sad and any tips on how to do this would be appreciated.

Thank you to new blogger friend Kimberly for her help. She is new to blogging and has a lovely blog, Camp and Cottage Living.

Hope you all have a nice evening. xo

Happy Monday!

2011-06-27T08:12:00.000-07:00

Good Monday morning to you all. Sharing some quick pics this morning as the 'list' awaits and it is a long one this week. My climbling rose is finally doing something after 2 yrs., thank you! In the back ground is a vintage deck chair we found at a garage sale Sat. for....$1.00 ! !

Enjoying the Peony before they are all gone. The bushes were groaning with the weight of them all so they got a good haircut yesterday.

This is one from a big bowl indoors, that I am offering to make it an official "Flowers in the House" that Jane is hosting again, "Hi, Jane!" If you have some flowers in your house right now, why not grab your camera and share over here.

My big window box is doing well and I think from now on I will use the geraniums like these instead of the petunias that I have in the front...much less persnickety I'm thinking.

Another find at that same garage sale, an old time themometer that mounts on the window frame and will be fun to check come winter....never mind that we have an indoor/outdoor digital weather station, it just isn't the same, now is it.

I am wishing you all a wonderful, good start to a week of new beginnings.

Thrifty Contest

2011-06-24T07:55:00.000-07:00

Phone rings: "Mom, I just got back from shopping and guess how many things went up AGAIN?" .... Our daughter Kami, like most of us are on a tight budget. We are forced to stretch that dollar farther and farther and lately can't see how we will be able to pull it off much longer. Since none of us are going to give up, we might as well stick together and share some helpful hints. How about a contest....not a giveaway, but a real contest. Share some tips of how you are making ends meet. I'll start.

In high school, for most of the years, we had to wear skirts, no pants allowed for girls, the only exception is if it snowed real bad and there were blizzard conditions (not too often in Portland, Oregon). Anyway, the family budget didn't allow for many nylon panyhose so if I got a run in my nylon, I would hurry and try to stop it by dabbing on nail polish, hopefully I had clear and not some dark pink. Eventually they could no longer be salvaged and into the garbage they went and out came the dreaded knee socks until payday when new nylons could be purchased. Until...one day a brilliant lady thought of taking two pair of pantyhose, both with a runner in one leg, and cut of the bad leg in each and put them both on...A new pair of pantyhose. Can you even imagine how much money that saved everyone?
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Share your story and if it is chosen as the winner then you will win this book.

Urban Pantry - Tips & Recipes for a Thrifty, Sustainable Kitchen - Check it out Amazon.com

You can leave a tip here today and after that a link to this post will be on the sidebar for you to leave tip in comment section there. You may enter as many tips as you like.
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Have a wonderful weekend.
xo

Kitchen Favorites

2011-06-23T09:44:00.000-07:00

Today, I have decided to head over to Modern Country Style, where Sarah has invited us to "Kitchen Favorites Linky Party" to share with others the things that we love in our kitchens. I love being in the kitchen but in the Little House it is a challenge to say the least, so I will show you a few things that help keep me positive.

Confession time...I love to cook but have a huge problem cleaning up after myself, something that I have struggle with forever, so the area here at the sink is my love/hate place.

When I found this at a local thrift shop it was placed right above the sink and the words encourage and remind me of why I so enjoy to cook and nourish my loved ones.

I found this years ago in the Simple Country Pleasures magazine, I tore it out and put it on the cork board that I have over my small work surface. I never tire of the truth of the words and picture.

Last but not least, the very favorite thing in my kitchen would have to be my cookbook collection and the one above is the latest addition.

That's it for me, now I think I will go on over to the party and visit some other favorites. Come on over and join up if you would like to share too. Here's the link.
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Have a happy Thursday.

Mollie Makes

2011-06-20T09:47:00.000-07:00

When it comes to being a lucky winner, I am not in that group. But I am now!!! Yea, I won this magazine from Lola Nova's giveaway, with Lola Nova featured in it, thanks Lola!! This is a marvelous, unique and fun, crafty periodical from the UK.

Here are the adorable eggs that Lola is showing us how to make. She also has the tutorial at her blog that I would be linking to right now if only I could link after I download pictures...

Here, they are showing Lola working on another project in her studio, in her home, in my home town of Portland, Oregon...(special place in my heart).

This page is an example of the fun ideas that are sprinkled through this must have magazine. At this time it is only sold in the USA at certain places like Joann Fabric and you can go to Molliemakes.com, once again, sorry about the lack of link problem. Dottie Angel is in this issue also so I would hightly recomend picking it up if you can find it.

Have a happy Monday!

Photography Magazines - $4.99 YR.

2011-06-16T08:26:00.000-07:00

Another great Slickdeals.net offer too good to pass up. Remember to hop right on it as it may not last long.

I don't know what the regular subscription prices are but I figure that $4.99 a year has to be a good deal.

Here are the links:

Digital Photo - Apply this code: 9664 and in the end it should show the savings.

Popular Photography - Apply this code: 4669.

It is a beautiful day here for my drive back up north, I hope it is sunny where you are.

Quick Salad

2011-06-13T08:13:00.000-07:00

Good morning friends, I hope your Monday is going well. I took a quick snap of the salad that I whipped up for my Mr. B. to have while I'm gone. A quick trip to the other house for an appointment and to see the family. There will also be a an intimate visit with the mower, I'm sure.

This can be your own salad, as mine is never the same. It goes together fast and is a hit with kids and adults. Here's what I did today.

3 apples, cut up to bite size pieces

2 small cans of mandarin oranges, drained

handful of coconut

handful of sliced almonds

handful of raisins

1 carrot grated

1/2 C sour cream

1 T honey

grated nutmeg (whole) maybe 1/8 t. It is much stronger than regular nutmeg and a different flavor. If you haven't tried it then I encourage you to do so, you won't turn back!

salt and I use a little pepper too.

Mix it all together and enjoy. It will keep for days in a covered container in the fridge.

Have fun with this. I have put chopped cabbage and pineapple, different nuts and dried fruit. The one thing I always use is..Apple and coconut.

I will be heading back up here Thursday but I hope to have time to visit your blogs this evening.

I must run.

Sunday Reflections

2011-06-12T06:57:00.000-07:00

Thank you Heavenly Father, that whenever I reach out my hand, You are there.

Some Answers, Hopefully

2011-06-10T06:13:00.001-07:00

First, I would like to thank all of you who left comments of problems and helpful hints. There still seems to be many who are having a wide variety of problems and I would love to say that I have answers for all of them but sadly do not. However, we have some things to work with and I have links for you to go to that may help in your own search.
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This page is from the Blogger help forum and I was interested in what Dark UFO, a top contributor said on 6-9-11 reguarding comment and login problems.

http://www.google.com/support/forum/p/blogger/thread?tid=4bd36d5355dbcf8c&hl=en&fid=4bd36d5355dbcf8c0004a54a75527982&hltp=2
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This page has a bit of everything people have asked Blogger about and may address your problem.
http://www.google.com/support/forum/p/blogger/label?lid=0271191b4249689a&hl=en
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This might be the most important of all. Several friends said that they downloaded the latest version of Mozilla Firefox and that seemed to fix all of their problems. I spoke with my daughter, Kami, this morning, and she uses Mozilla and has no problems at all while we have been struggling. To me, this sounds like something we might all look into.
http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/new/
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Also mentioned was an alignment problem with Picasa Web Album, if you have a fix for that please email me and I will pass it on.
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One suggestion was to upgrade with the new Blogger template.
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I hope that this will help some or all of the problems, it at least gives us something to work with.
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Have a wonderful weekend!
xo

Blogger Problems, Brainstorming Party

2011-06-08T06:55:00.000-07:00

As I visit different blogs, I am hearing that we are still having some problems with Blogger and they seem to be all over the map. So I thought that since we are all pretty clever cookies, we can put our pretty little heads together and share our thoughts, problems and solutions.
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Let's get started: Leave a comment of a problem or solution that you have found. Remember this is brainstorming so any thoughts or ideas are welcome....what do we have to lose, really? Even if someone else has left a comment with your same problem, leave yours also.

I will start here with...

* spell check is not working this morning, was working yesterday.

* couldn't make a link on Monday after photo was added, had to delete post and do link first then add photo.

*post will not publish, have to go to edit page and checkmark that post then go to bottom of page and click on publish checked posts. This has been going on for days.

* perhaps the most famous problem - not being able to comment on certain blogs..Answer - Sign out on dashboard, then when you have to sign back in make sure before you do, uncheck the 'stay signed in' box, make sure it is all the way undone. You will have to sign in every time but since I have done it I have had no problems at all with leaving comments...I tested this morning to see if this has been fixed, by checking the box again and it is NOT fixed, at least not for me, so I will keep mine unchecked.

That's it for me, now go ahead and leave your comment and I will do my best to put it in order for all of us.