Good Morning All,
I just wanted to wish everyone a most joyous New Year's Eve and New Year's Day where ever you are in the world.
It will be very quite here at the house. We don't drink or party so its movies and caramel popcorn, and a something? supper from the freezer or pantry.
I have another post going but I didn't want to post it until I finish cleaning my cast iron. I want to do a short tutorial on taking care of cast iron and seasoning it.
We had a little excitement here late yesterday morning and early afternoon but I did not want to post it on the New Year's post, I didn't want to ruin the New Year. But I will tell all of you with the cast iron post. It was interesting.
Well, I get going, I have a few errands to do, and I really don't want to be out, because around here, drinking is huge and it gets dangerous being out, and the cops will be out in force, and will be around here because of what we had happen yesterday, so I will take my leave of all and I wish all a blessed 2012 and productive gardens and pantries full of produce and freezers full of wonderful eats. I also pray for peace, and tolerance for 2012, Lord knows, we need it so badly.
We also need guidance and prayer for our country, and our government, it REALLY needs help!
Love and Hugs to All
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Saturday, December 24, 2011
A Blessed Merry Christmas to All
Good Afternoon Everyone,
I stopped from kitchen duties to wish all of my blogs readers, wonderful blog friends, and and my European blog friends a most joyous Holiday/Merry Christmas/Yule season.
I also want to thank all of you for your wonderful comments, emails, readership and just wonderful companionship through the year. I feel so, so blessed to have readers from all over the world. I learn so very much from all of you, and all that you share of your lives, recipes, and just daily living.
I am currently in the kitchen making Ilene's Hot Milk Sponge Cake. Ilene has a wonderful, fun, to the point blog called "The Rock Whisperer. Ilene lives in Oklahoma and has wonderful, recipes and just good fellowship. Please find her blog on my blog and go visit. If you want to make her hot milk cake, just go to her blog, find recipe index, and she has it listed there. It is a wonderful, cake, and it looks so good right now in the oven, can't wait to eat it. Its for the Holiday table here. Then comment that you tried her cake.
I am also cleaning my cast iron cookware along with the kitchen and baking, since I have the oven fired up. I have my great-grandmother's and grandmother's cast iron Lodge, and Wagner cookware and it is something I treasure the most in my kitchen. I will post pictures after the first of the year. I am going to take a little break from the computer, and try to come up with some different things for the blog, and I think that taking care of cast iron cookware may be the first for the next year. Yes it takes a little time to season it, but nothing more than what you normally do in a kitchen, in fact, along with Ilene's cake, I have a small and medium fry pan in with it curing. Kill two birds with one stone.
I will try to learn to post better, try to come up with interesting things. My problem is, right now, my weather is very cold. Can't talk about the garden, maybe when I start seeding, and setting up my make shift cold frames I can talk more. Again, I am a boring individual, not too much going on in my life but the bills. No snow, and in fact it is down right nice for us. We are supposed to hit 40* F today and throughout the next week. Some days next week will be in the 50's. Wow, that's pretty warm for us in January, when it usually is below zero till the end of January and first part of February.
I have been sand bagging a little on all of your blogs. I have been somewhat busy, just doing everyday things. Have been a little stoved up with arthritis and in the mornings, I just plain crip around, but I get going, have a few cups of coffee, or tea and then an aspirin and away I go, but by late afternoon, evening, I am painful and ready to call it a day.
Well, I can smell the cake, yum, I can hardly wait. So I had better get off my rear and get it out.
Again, I wish everyone a wonderful, peaceful, Christmas Holiday for all of you and many blessing in the coming year.
Thank you for your following and friendship.
Love and Hugs to all
I stopped from kitchen duties to wish all of my blogs readers, wonderful blog friends, and and my European blog friends a most joyous Holiday/Merry Christmas/Yule season.
I also want to thank all of you for your wonderful comments, emails, readership and just wonderful companionship through the year. I feel so, so blessed to have readers from all over the world. I learn so very much from all of you, and all that you share of your lives, recipes, and just daily living.
I am currently in the kitchen making Ilene's Hot Milk Sponge Cake. Ilene has a wonderful, fun, to the point blog called "The Rock Whisperer. Ilene lives in Oklahoma and has wonderful, recipes and just good fellowship. Please find her blog on my blog and go visit. If you want to make her hot milk cake, just go to her blog, find recipe index, and she has it listed there. It is a wonderful, cake, and it looks so good right now in the oven, can't wait to eat it. Its for the Holiday table here. Then comment that you tried her cake.
I am also cleaning my cast iron cookware along with the kitchen and baking, since I have the oven fired up. I have my great-grandmother's and grandmother's cast iron Lodge, and Wagner cookware and it is something I treasure the most in my kitchen. I will post pictures after the first of the year. I am going to take a little break from the computer, and try to come up with some different things for the blog, and I think that taking care of cast iron cookware may be the first for the next year. Yes it takes a little time to season it, but nothing more than what you normally do in a kitchen, in fact, along with Ilene's cake, I have a small and medium fry pan in with it curing. Kill two birds with one stone.
I will try to learn to post better, try to come up with interesting things. My problem is, right now, my weather is very cold. Can't talk about the garden, maybe when I start seeding, and setting up my make shift cold frames I can talk more. Again, I am a boring individual, not too much going on in my life but the bills. No snow, and in fact it is down right nice for us. We are supposed to hit 40* F today and throughout the next week. Some days next week will be in the 50's. Wow, that's pretty warm for us in January, when it usually is below zero till the end of January and first part of February.
I have been sand bagging a little on all of your blogs. I have been somewhat busy, just doing everyday things. Have been a little stoved up with arthritis and in the mornings, I just plain crip around, but I get going, have a few cups of coffee, or tea and then an aspirin and away I go, but by late afternoon, evening, I am painful and ready to call it a day.
Well, I can smell the cake, yum, I can hardly wait. So I had better get off my rear and get it out.
Again, I wish everyone a wonderful, peaceful, Christmas Holiday for all of you and many blessing in the coming year.
Thank you for your following and friendship.
Love and Hugs to all
Saturday, December 17, 2011
William F Cody (Buffalo Bill) home decorated for the Holidays
Good Evening Everyone,
I just got back a little while ago, to go out and take pictures of William F Cody's home, which is only about a mile away from my home. Every year, the Nebraska Game and Parks decorates his home for the holidays and for a few days, you can go out and tour the home, and they put on chestnut roasts, and serve holiday hot cocoa and coffee, tea.
Yep, I live in the community where Buffalo Bill lived. This home was a beacon for the elite of the world during his time. There were extravagant parties held here, and a lot of general elite mingling and A list participants.
I thought you all would enjoy it. I hope the photos turn out, its very hard to take photos at night. But you can't see the lights during the day. This photo was the best I could get. Sorry.
I will see if I can go out to get a daytime photo of his home and the huge barn.
Enjoy!
I just got back a little while ago, to go out and take pictures of William F Cody's home, which is only about a mile away from my home. Every year, the Nebraska Game and Parks decorates his home for the holidays and for a few days, you can go out and tour the home, and they put on chestnut roasts, and serve holiday hot cocoa and coffee, tea.
Yep, I live in the community where Buffalo Bill lived. This home was a beacon for the elite of the world during his time. There were extravagant parties held here, and a lot of general elite mingling and A list participants.
I thought you all would enjoy it. I hope the photos turn out, its very hard to take photos at night. But you can't see the lights during the day. This photo was the best I could get. Sorry.
I will see if I can go out to get a daytime photo of his home and the huge barn.
Enjoy!
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Boo Boo'd Again
I see that my noodle recipe didn't get on the recipe page. Maybe someday I'll get it. Sorry.
egg noodle recipe
Mabel's Egg Noodles
2 1/2 Cups flour (I used all purpose)
Pinch of salt
2 eggs beaten and set aside
1/2 cup milk
1 Tablespoon butter
I get everything out and let sit to room temp. Like the milk and eggs. I do slightly heat up my milk, to warm and add to my flour.
I place flour in a large bowl, make a little hole in the center and then add your salt, then I add my heated milk, then the eggs in the center.
I mix with a heavy wooden spoon I favor, blend well, and then I leave this mixture sit in the frig for about a half hour to an hour.
After chilling, I take flour out, place on a floured cutting board and knead with my hands well, until everything is blended and the dough feels silky.
I then make a long roll, and then using a pastry cutter, cut into manageable chunks that you can flatten out and run through the machine.
If you do not a pasta machine, just roll out like a pie crust, and then you can use a pizza cutter to make your noodles, cutting the size you want. I have also used a hand wheel that was my grandmother's that tenderized meat.
makes about a 1 pound bag of noodles.
I place my noodles in the freezer to chill and then toss them in a little flour to coat and then place them in bags for portion sizes.
2 1/2 Cups flour (I used all purpose)
Pinch of salt
2 eggs beaten and set aside
1/2 cup milk
1 Tablespoon butter
I get everything out and let sit to room temp. Like the milk and eggs. I do slightly heat up my milk, to warm and add to my flour.
I place flour in a large bowl, make a little hole in the center and then add your salt, then I add my heated milk, then the eggs in the center.
I mix with a heavy wooden spoon I favor, blend well, and then I leave this mixture sit in the frig for about a half hour to an hour.
After chilling, I take flour out, place on a floured cutting board and knead with my hands well, until everything is blended and the dough feels silky.
I then make a long roll, and then using a pastry cutter, cut into manageable chunks that you can flatten out and run through the machine.
If you do not a pasta machine, just roll out like a pie crust, and then you can use a pizza cutter to make your noodles, cutting the size you want. I have also used a hand wheel that was my grandmother's that tenderized meat.
makes about a 1 pound bag of noodles.
I place my noodles in the freezer to chill and then toss them in a little flour to coat and then place them in bags for portion sizes.
Noodles! Noodles!!!!!
Well, I'm shocked. I did it. The noodles turned out pretty good for me doing it.
Starting the second batch, my pasta machine was jamming up. Checked it, no dough caught in the mechanism, got through the noodles, and then D said he would look at it to see what it is hanging up on.
I am sorry the photos aren't too good. It's dark in my kitchen and trying to take shots of things and I don't think that they turned out that well. And my little digital camera is very cheap, cheap.
I will post the recipe for the noodle dough on my recipe page. Hope I can do that too.
Enjoy
Hugs
Starting the second batch, my pasta machine was jamming up. Checked it, no dough caught in the mechanism, got through the noodles, and then D said he would look at it to see what it is hanging up on.
I am sorry the photos aren't too good. It's dark in my kitchen and trying to take shots of things and I don't think that they turned out that well. And my little digital camera is very cheap, cheap.
I will post the recipe for the noodle dough on my recipe page. Hope I can do that too.
Enjoy
Hugs
Icy Palace
Good Morning/Afternoon Everyone,
Well the weatherman predicted freezing rain/drizzle and guess what.....HE WAS RIGHT!! I knew that it would be but still when you go out in the morning, and then try to get the paper even a couple of steps, you take your life into your hands.
Even the dog did a sash shay down the steps, I got after her to slow down, and down she went, then proceeded to get up and the back end slipping around to go do her business and then back in. That was at 7 am this morning.
I hate ice. I hated it when D and I drove truck. I tried to learn to drive on it, but even seasoned drivers like D, with 35+ years behind the wheel says, if its ice, forget about the load being on time. You cannot keep anything on the road with a fourth inch of ice on the road, period.
So, I am working in the house, just puttering around as FlowerLady says, and then decided to make egg noodles. I have my grandmother's pasta machine and I a going to master it today, without pinching my fingers in the roller.
I'm having roast chicken for dinner with leftovers planned for the rest of the week.
I love it when I can get in the kitchen and try to re-master things like noodles. I also like to get in the kitchen to forget about the worlds problems which are so very great at the present time. I also went to the grocery yesterday as I knew it would be icy today, and looked at prepackaged egg noodles in the freezer case and they are over $4.00 a package. Yikes! I don't think so. And the packages are so small to boot, so I am planning on trying to do more noodles and letting them dry a little and then freeze them in packages myself. Take that Grandma's Egg Noodle company.
Still having problems finding parts for the car. So I am driving the old dually, which I do love to drive. Its big and rough riding but I do enjoy it. The only thing about it is the fact its hard on fuel and you have to remember that you have to park someplace where you can get out, its large fenders stick out, and its a little hard to back out, and you definitely don't go to the bank drive up window!!!!
Well, I think that I will get back to my noodles, they are chilling in the frig, and then off to squeeze them in the pasta machine. I also am going to try to email a few emails to friends, it seems life just plain gets in the road and you can't just sit and write.
Well everyone, I wish you a blessed week and I am sure that all of you are getting ready for the Holidays and family.
Please enjoy everyday and I will try to blog later this week. I will see if I can get a few photos of pasta or my fingers!!
Love and Hugs to all
Well the weatherman predicted freezing rain/drizzle and guess what.....HE WAS RIGHT!! I knew that it would be but still when you go out in the morning, and then try to get the paper even a couple of steps, you take your life into your hands.
Even the dog did a sash shay down the steps, I got after her to slow down, and down she went, then proceeded to get up and the back end slipping around to go do her business and then back in. That was at 7 am this morning.
I hate ice. I hated it when D and I drove truck. I tried to learn to drive on it, but even seasoned drivers like D, with 35+ years behind the wheel says, if its ice, forget about the load being on time. You cannot keep anything on the road with a fourth inch of ice on the road, period.
So, I am working in the house, just puttering around as FlowerLady says, and then decided to make egg noodles. I have my grandmother's pasta machine and I a going to master it today, without pinching my fingers in the roller.
I'm having roast chicken for dinner with leftovers planned for the rest of the week.
I love it when I can get in the kitchen and try to re-master things like noodles. I also like to get in the kitchen to forget about the worlds problems which are so very great at the present time. I also went to the grocery yesterday as I knew it would be icy today, and looked at prepackaged egg noodles in the freezer case and they are over $4.00 a package. Yikes! I don't think so. And the packages are so small to boot, so I am planning on trying to do more noodles and letting them dry a little and then freeze them in packages myself. Take that Grandma's Egg Noodle company.
Still having problems finding parts for the car. So I am driving the old dually, which I do love to drive. Its big and rough riding but I do enjoy it. The only thing about it is the fact its hard on fuel and you have to remember that you have to park someplace where you can get out, its large fenders stick out, and its a little hard to back out, and you definitely don't go to the bank drive up window!!!!
Well, I think that I will get back to my noodles, they are chilling in the frig, and then off to squeeze them in the pasta machine. I also am going to try to email a few emails to friends, it seems life just plain gets in the road and you can't just sit and write.
Well everyone, I wish you a blessed week and I am sure that all of you are getting ready for the Holidays and family.
Please enjoy everyday and I will try to blog later this week. I will see if I can get a few photos of pasta or my fingers!!
Love and Hugs to all
Sunday, December 11, 2011
More info on New Zealand food control
Good Morning Everyone,
I have been doing some research and then did a search on a search engine that does not record your ISP. I keyed in "New Zealand food growing illegal and came up with startling information.
I urge you to do the same, and please start mentioning this on your blogs, or just start talking about it.
This law is based on a food safety law, and it included, guns, seeds, herbals, and of all things, WATER that are illegal. It is meant for the dominate seed companies to control food. And the government will seize everything and throw you in the clinker, probably for good.
This is something that we all need to watch and start pounding your state's Representatives as this is serious business and this will bring all of us to our knees.
I am having some issues posting links, so please start doing searches and please relay the information and message that if New Zealand citizens are going to roll over and let this happen, then it will migrate to us as well and other nations.
I think that you may remember last year when we were having problems with the local law here, and the cop told me that gardens were illegal.....well folks, I rest my case.
I will keep posted on this issue.
Try to have a wonderful weekend.
I have been doing some research and then did a search on a search engine that does not record your ISP. I keyed in "New Zealand food growing illegal and came up with startling information.
I urge you to do the same, and please start mentioning this on your blogs, or just start talking about it.
This law is based on a food safety law, and it included, guns, seeds, herbals, and of all things, WATER that are illegal. It is meant for the dominate seed companies to control food. And the government will seize everything and throw you in the clinker, probably for good.
This is something that we all need to watch and start pounding your state's Representatives as this is serious business and this will bring all of us to our knees.
I am having some issues posting links, so please start doing searches and please relay the information and message that if New Zealand citizens are going to roll over and let this happen, then it will migrate to us as well and other nations.
I think that you may remember last year when we were having problems with the local law here, and the cop told me that gardens were illegal.....well folks, I rest my case.
I will keep posted on this issue.
Try to have a wonderful weekend.
Saturday, December 10, 2011
A Very Disturbing Piece of News
I just received an email newsletter from a journalist source and read it. In it I read a comment to the news story that New Zealand has or is in the process of banning all growing of food by citizens. DO WHAT PEOPLE! Give me a break. You mean that this country is in the process of this and Kiwi's are going to stand for it.
Please if I have any European readers, Aussie's or Kiwi's, please give me more info on this. This is absurd to say the least.
If this is going on, who's next, England, US, etc.
I would like to hear more info on this if someone can enlighten me.
Again, I find this so very disturbing, to say the least.
Please let me know.
Have a great weekend.
Hugs
Please if I have any European readers, Aussie's or Kiwi's, please give me more info on this. This is absurd to say the least.
If this is going on, who's next, England, US, etc.
I would like to hear more info on this if someone can enlighten me.
Again, I find this so very disturbing, to say the least.
Please let me know.
Have a great weekend.
Hugs
Thursday, December 8, 2011
going's on...NOT
Good Afternoon Everyone,
I hope that all of you had a wonderful Thanksgiving Holiday season. From the blogs I have read, it seems everyone did.
Yep, I been sand-bagg'in ( sitting on the side lines) and just reading blogs. I have had some computer issues since I last posted and it has been another headache and very much irritating and also just plain evil. I wasn't sure if I had a virus, but I had some issues which I think I have gotten fixed.
I am sure that my blog was hacked somehow, it was getting weird, and I couldn't post to some blogs. My computer tech who is a whole lot smarter than I helped me to work some issues out, by phone, and I think that I have some of it worked out. I also was getting some just down right porno photos from some whores on Twitter, and I stopped that right off the bat. I am sorry that I use strong, salty sailor words, but I call it as I see it. If you want to whore around, do so on your own time, but not on my blog, and don't sent filth to my email.
We have had some political issues here and some animal rights issues and I think that some Nebraska blogs have been tampered with.
It is snowing here at the moment. Maybe about 2 inches at the moment. Nothing to get in a twist about. Boy the other day, Monday, Tuesday morning, it got down to -6* F. Very little wind so not much wind chill, and about an inch of snow, south of us, some small towns got 12 inches of snow, and it dropped down to -16*F. A little chilly for early December. I was going to go our and take my camera and run about town while on errands and catch some photos of the corn that is being harvested and all of it piled on the ground at the CO-OP, but like the bug problems and the blog problems, why not car problems. I call it Murphy's Law, it generally follows me around like a black cloud. Anyway, waiting for a part. Now try to find a part for a 89 Cadillac, like finding a needle in a haystack.
The house smells delightful as I have a small pot of chili going. Since it is chilly out, chili sounded pretty good. And I can't do anything outside anyway, except scoop off the sidewalk, which I did, and then came back in.
The house is in a twist also, as I am cleaning out drawers, closets, and it looks like a federal disaster area. But only for a short time. We have stopped painting for a short while until it warms up a bit, then we can finish up that little chore.
It has been quiet around the ghetto here for a while. The rental to the south of me is still open, everyone who looks at it tells the owners it looks like **** (I'll let you fill in the blank) and so yesterday, the owner's mouthpiece was over trying to see what was wrong with it. Well for one thing, it is not cleaned, the former tenants had 5 dogs in there and did not let the dogs out, I will let your imagination fill in here, and for the finale, the rental has no heat and it got to -6* the other day and the water is not drained and guess what! Last night after supper, I was out, letting the dog go outside and I heard a large amount of water running, and at first, I thought it was my place, so I looked and listened, then seen water just a bubblin' out of the north side of the rental where the small bathroom is located. It looked like a fountain. And I did have a good laugh. Couldn't of happened to a better bunch of idiots, (evil grin) So, I see someone is over there this afternoon, its still bubbling away and they don't know how to shut off the water. There is a water shut off underneath the trailer in the middle where the main line comes in. Anyone who lives in these things needs to know this so when you have a problem, you can at least shut the water off and not have too much damage. But we are not dealing with intelligent people here.
Well, I had better get back to my sorting of stuff and clothing. I have piles to go to the thrift shop and the rest to the trash.
I wish everyone a great rest of the week and a wonderful weekend.
Love and Hugs
I hope that all of you had a wonderful Thanksgiving Holiday season. From the blogs I have read, it seems everyone did.
Yep, I been sand-bagg'in ( sitting on the side lines) and just reading blogs. I have had some computer issues since I last posted and it has been another headache and very much irritating and also just plain evil. I wasn't sure if I had a virus, but I had some issues which I think I have gotten fixed.
I am sure that my blog was hacked somehow, it was getting weird, and I couldn't post to some blogs. My computer tech who is a whole lot smarter than I helped me to work some issues out, by phone, and I think that I have some of it worked out. I also was getting some just down right porno photos from some whores on Twitter, and I stopped that right off the bat. I am sorry that I use strong, salty sailor words, but I call it as I see it. If you want to whore around, do so on your own time, but not on my blog, and don't sent filth to my email.
We have had some political issues here and some animal rights issues and I think that some Nebraska blogs have been tampered with.
It is snowing here at the moment. Maybe about 2 inches at the moment. Nothing to get in a twist about. Boy the other day, Monday, Tuesday morning, it got down to -6* F. Very little wind so not much wind chill, and about an inch of snow, south of us, some small towns got 12 inches of snow, and it dropped down to -16*F. A little chilly for early December. I was going to go our and take my camera and run about town while on errands and catch some photos of the corn that is being harvested and all of it piled on the ground at the CO-OP, but like the bug problems and the blog problems, why not car problems. I call it Murphy's Law, it generally follows me around like a black cloud. Anyway, waiting for a part. Now try to find a part for a 89 Cadillac, like finding a needle in a haystack.
The house smells delightful as I have a small pot of chili going. Since it is chilly out, chili sounded pretty good. And I can't do anything outside anyway, except scoop off the sidewalk, which I did, and then came back in.
The house is in a twist also, as I am cleaning out drawers, closets, and it looks like a federal disaster area. But only for a short time. We have stopped painting for a short while until it warms up a bit, then we can finish up that little chore.
It has been quiet around the ghetto here for a while. The rental to the south of me is still open, everyone who looks at it tells the owners it looks like **** (I'll let you fill in the blank) and so yesterday, the owner's mouthpiece was over trying to see what was wrong with it. Well for one thing, it is not cleaned, the former tenants had 5 dogs in there and did not let the dogs out, I will let your imagination fill in here, and for the finale, the rental has no heat and it got to -6* the other day and the water is not drained and guess what! Last night after supper, I was out, letting the dog go outside and I heard a large amount of water running, and at first, I thought it was my place, so I looked and listened, then seen water just a bubblin' out of the north side of the rental where the small bathroom is located. It looked like a fountain. And I did have a good laugh. Couldn't of happened to a better bunch of idiots, (evil grin) So, I see someone is over there this afternoon, its still bubbling away and they don't know how to shut off the water. There is a water shut off underneath the trailer in the middle where the main line comes in. Anyone who lives in these things needs to know this so when you have a problem, you can at least shut the water off and not have too much damage. But we are not dealing with intelligent people here.
Well, I had better get back to my sorting of stuff and clothing. I have piles to go to the thrift shop and the rest to the trash.
I wish everyone a great rest of the week and a wonderful weekend.
Love and Hugs
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Happy Thanksgiving Everyone
Please enjoy the holiday with family and friends.
And if going out on Black Friday, please be careful.
Enjoy!
Hugs to all
And if going out on Black Friday, please be careful.
Enjoy!
Hugs to all
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Added some unfriendly to the diet recipes
Good Afternoon Everyone,
I found some more very unfriendly to the diet recipes from grandma's box. Take a peek and enjoy. If you have any questions, please comment and I can explain. For European readers, I am not sure of conversions, but I think that there are conversion charts on the web for your use.
Please enjoy.
There isn't much going on here at all at the moment. D and I are just painting and working still in the house. I am trying to talk D into going to his family in South Dakota for the Thanksgiving holiday coming up and take a break from me and the house. (personally I need a break!) LOL. Sounds like the weather will hold and just be chilly and as far as I know, no blizzards or ice on the horizon/ But you never know in this part of the country.
Got over the headache. It takes about 4 days for everything to calm down. We have had several cold fronts go through and sometimes the wind stirs up the dirt and pollen and we have had no substantial snow or rain to keep the dust down. We are also into full swing of corn harvest here and I drive by the CO-OP's here which are bulging with corn and the corn dust and bran is blowing all over and that sometimes causes me grief also with my sinuses. Thank you for the well wishes from all of you. I think that I will live for a while now.
I am wishing everyone a wonderful Thanksgiving Holiday and if you are traveling, please be careful and enjoy the time with family and eat yourself silly.
Hugs
I found some more very unfriendly to the diet recipes from grandma's box. Take a peek and enjoy. If you have any questions, please comment and I can explain. For European readers, I am not sure of conversions, but I think that there are conversion charts on the web for your use.
Please enjoy.
There isn't much going on here at all at the moment. D and I are just painting and working still in the house. I am trying to talk D into going to his family in South Dakota for the Thanksgiving holiday coming up and take a break from me and the house. (personally I need a break!) LOL. Sounds like the weather will hold and just be chilly and as far as I know, no blizzards or ice on the horizon/ But you never know in this part of the country.
Got over the headache. It takes about 4 days for everything to calm down. We have had several cold fronts go through and sometimes the wind stirs up the dirt and pollen and we have had no substantial snow or rain to keep the dust down. We are also into full swing of corn harvest here and I drive by the CO-OP's here which are bulging with corn and the corn dust and bran is blowing all over and that sometimes causes me grief also with my sinuses. Thank you for the well wishes from all of you. I think that I will live for a while now.
I am wishing everyone a wonderful Thanksgiving Holiday and if you are traveling, please be careful and enjoy the time with family and eat yourself silly.
Hugs
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Snow Flurries and a pounding headache
Good Morning Everyone,
I will try to type as best as I can over a pounding sinus headache that I started to get yesterday morning. It has now blossomed into a small migraine and I am starting to see "spots" so that means that I need to crash out on the couch and nothing else will get done today, ( or tomorrow).
As I type, it is lightly snowing little flurries of puffy snow flakes. And the air has taken on a very chilly presence, like late winter air. It is supposed to be chilly starting today, and getting colder toward the Thanksgiving holiday. I crawled out to let the dog out and the air was so cold and felt so good on my head and nose when I breathed in the cold air, and for a little while, I did feel better. I do have my cold pack that I use, but for some reason, the outside cold air feels better. Must be a nature thing.
I would take my camera out, but......I don't feel good, don't think that I could see well to take photos of the flurries and my camera is dead from low batteries, so, take my word for it, I do see flakes, unless I am delusional from the pain in my head!
I will try to post in a few days, and if I can get better grade batteries, I will post what D and I have been doing around the house.
Take care all,
Hugs
I will try to type as best as I can over a pounding sinus headache that I started to get yesterday morning. It has now blossomed into a small migraine and I am starting to see "spots" so that means that I need to crash out on the couch and nothing else will get done today, ( or tomorrow).
As I type, it is lightly snowing little flurries of puffy snow flakes. And the air has taken on a very chilly presence, like late winter air. It is supposed to be chilly starting today, and getting colder toward the Thanksgiving holiday. I crawled out to let the dog out and the air was so cold and felt so good on my head and nose when I breathed in the cold air, and for a little while, I did feel better. I do have my cold pack that I use, but for some reason, the outside cold air feels better. Must be a nature thing.
I would take my camera out, but......I don't feel good, don't think that I could see well to take photos of the flurries and my camera is dead from low batteries, so, take my word for it, I do see flakes, unless I am delusional from the pain in my head!
I will try to post in a few days, and if I can get better grade batteries, I will post what D and I have been doing around the house.
Take care all,
Hugs
Friday, November 11, 2011
Veterans Day 2011
I am posting today to remember all veterans, past and present for their service to our country.
I post this also for my Dad, and my Dad's Dad, he was in WWI. My Dad was in WWII, his brother was in Korea, and my Mother's Dad was in WWII, in the European Theater, and gave the ultimate sacrifice. He was shot by sniper in the french village of San Lowe, on Novenber 12, 1944, and died on November 14, 1944, sadly on my mother's birthday.
Please remember your vets in your communities, as they have given so much for so little.
Have a wonderful weekend, everyone.
Hugs
I post this also for my Dad, and my Dad's Dad, he was in WWI. My Dad was in WWII, his brother was in Korea, and my Mother's Dad was in WWII, in the European Theater, and gave the ultimate sacrifice. He was shot by sniper in the french village of San Lowe, on Novenber 12, 1944, and died on November 14, 1944, sadly on my mother's birthday.
Please remember your vets in your communities, as they have given so much for so little.
Have a wonderful weekend, everyone.
Hugs
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Boo Boo'd
I thought I was posting to my recipe page, but oops! It didn't get to the page. Well anyway, enjoy the recipe.
I am still learning how to post to another page. Bear with me, dear readers.
I am still learning how to post to another page. Bear with me, dear readers.
Holiday goodies that are not good for you
Good Morning Everyone.
I am adding some not-so-good- for you goodies for the upcoming Thanksgiving and Christmas Holiday. These are my grandmother's recipes, so you may have to adjust them depending on ingredients.
These are not diet friendly either, some of the recipes have, God forbid, "lard" in them, but sometimes, my grandmother used lard, as it was all she had to use, remember, this are post 29 and 30's recipes, especially these. I am writing them just as they are in her book, these are hand written recipes. These are courtesy of Mabel Bettinger. Please enjoy them. She would want you to. From her kitchen to yours. My grandmother was from Canada, but ended up in the south in the Ozarks, because her family were migrant farmers, so she used molasses quite a bit. Both the dark and light molasses. These cookies, you could use the light or dark, depending on your taste.
Here goes:
Ginger Cream Cookies
1 Cup Molasses
1 Cup sugar
1 Cup butter (or 1 Cup lard)
1 Cup sour cream
3 Cups flour (probably all purpose) flour was just flour in those days
2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ginger (you could sub fresh grated ginger)?
2 teaspoon cinnamon
Mix ingredients, (she did this by hand, she didn't have a mixer till much later on)
Drop by teaspoonsful on to a greased cookie sheet. Bake, (I would try 350* F oven) not sure of time, just watch and take out when golden brown, or however you like your cookie's surface.
Frosting
GrandMa used a variety of frosting bases, regular cream, sour cream, or cream cheese would work.
Small amount of cream or sour cream or cream cheese, and powdered sugar, mix, adjust consistency and spread on cooled cookies. Her recipe says to use small amount of frosting on cookies, I say, spread it in thick......:*) She was conservative with things, this was the 30's.
Pumpkin cake
2 Cups cake flour, sifted
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/2 cup of shortening (or butter)
1 Cup sugar
1 egg
1 Cup pumpkin
1 Cup raisins
3/4 cup nuts, chopped (you can omit raisins and nuts if you wish)
Sift together the first eight ingredients. Keep the sifted ingredients in a separate bowl until ready. Cream shortening, add sugar and blend well. Add egg and beat til fluffy. Add pumpkin. Gradually add the sifted ingredients into your dry ingredients and blend until smooth. You may have to adjust smoothness with a dab of milk or cream. Add nuts and raisins if you want them in the cake. Bake in an 8 inch square pan, or what ever pan you have that would work. 350* F for about an hour. Keep an eye on this though in the oven.
I am adding some not-so-good- for you goodies for the upcoming Thanksgiving and Christmas Holiday. These are my grandmother's recipes, so you may have to adjust them depending on ingredients.
These are not diet friendly either, some of the recipes have, God forbid, "lard" in them, but sometimes, my grandmother used lard, as it was all she had to use, remember, this are post 29 and 30's recipes, especially these. I am writing them just as they are in her book, these are hand written recipes. These are courtesy of Mabel Bettinger. Please enjoy them. She would want you to. From her kitchen to yours. My grandmother was from Canada, but ended up in the south in the Ozarks, because her family were migrant farmers, so she used molasses quite a bit. Both the dark and light molasses. These cookies, you could use the light or dark, depending on your taste.
Here goes:
Ginger Cream Cookies
1 Cup Molasses
1 Cup sugar
1 Cup butter (or 1 Cup lard)
1 Cup sour cream
3 Cups flour (probably all purpose) flour was just flour in those days
2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ginger (you could sub fresh grated ginger)?
2 teaspoon cinnamon
Mix ingredients, (she did this by hand, she didn't have a mixer till much later on)
Drop by teaspoonsful on to a greased cookie sheet. Bake, (I would try 350* F oven) not sure of time, just watch and take out when golden brown, or however you like your cookie's surface.
Frosting
GrandMa used a variety of frosting bases, regular cream, sour cream, or cream cheese would work.
Small amount of cream or sour cream or cream cheese, and powdered sugar, mix, adjust consistency and spread on cooled cookies. Her recipe says to use small amount of frosting on cookies, I say, spread it in thick......:*) She was conservative with things, this was the 30's.
Pumpkin cake
2 Cups cake flour, sifted
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/2 cup of shortening (or butter)
1 Cup sugar
1 egg
1 Cup pumpkin
1 Cup raisins
3/4 cup nuts, chopped (you can omit raisins and nuts if you wish)
Sift together the first eight ingredients. Keep the sifted ingredients in a separate bowl until ready. Cream shortening, add sugar and blend well. Add egg and beat til fluffy. Add pumpkin. Gradually add the sifted ingredients into your dry ingredients and blend until smooth. You may have to adjust smoothness with a dab of milk or cream. Add nuts and raisins if you want them in the cake. Bake in an 8 inch square pan, or what ever pan you have that would work. 350* F for about an hour. Keep an eye on this though in the oven.
Friday, November 4, 2011
It's Alive!!!!
Good Evening Everyone,
Well, I think that I mastered adding pages. I added a recipe page, and posted my grandmother's Harvest Bars on it.
I will try to post recipes that all of you will like. I am not sure but I do hope that you enjoy them.
I posted the Harvest Bars, as my grandmother would do these for Thanksgiving and Christmas. I also added a new blog for my herb and seed business. Hopefully I will get that going later, so I can use it at the Farmer's Market next year.
Well, not much going on around here. It is starting to get cold now, the night before, it got down to 12*, so it was chilly. I found the house too hot, and I had the thermostat set at 69*. What we did do this summer is took off the drywall inside the front windows which is the bedroom, and before it was chilly in there, and a freezer when you had a stiff north/northwest wind blowing. We added heavier insulation, which there was no insulation in and around the windows and walls of the front. Now it is toasty and warm and no drafts. Funny how a small change does make a big impact on something in the house. Hopefully next year, the old windows will come out and a larger, better window will go in.
We got most of the outside work done. The garden is cleaned up, it looks so very sad. Just a few months ago, it was 6 feet high with tomatoes, and squash, and other goodies. Now its a bare, barren plot. I dumped a lot of compost on the area where I had tomatoes, next year it will hold squash. I am going to plant my tomatoes and cucumbers in the blue pots. Hopefully, next year, I can utilize my south side. I lost my neighbors to the south, so I don't know what I will have. We are going to finish out the snow fence before someone else moves in and hopefully that will provide a buffer of some sort. Time will tell.
I have been busy working my in home chef clients, for a while there, I had to back off on account of my knee. I think that the knee is healed. It still hurts when I stand too long on it, and if I put my weight on that knee, it does hurt badly. So I just pace myself, and try not to do too much. My spine has been giving me problems, but it always does, it is just getting worse. Boy, its the pits getting old. LOL. I have a few clients who want Thanksgiving dinners done for them, so I am trying to figure out how to do that. I think that I will just figure how much each plate will be and buy extra turkeys, which right now are on sale and with the points I have at one grocer. I can get several, and just cook extra turkey and the trimmings and take plates over to my clients. The good thing is my clients aren't fussy eaters.
Anyway, things seems to be getting back to normal. Haven't heard from the owner, we lost two renters, so I don't know what happened there, and personally, don't care, just as long as the owner and his mouth piece leave me alone. The child abuse case we had last week has really drawn things down to where there are now calls from the city council to start checking trailer parks and other properties around the area for junk and other things going on. That is one reason we worked hard outside to clean up and spruce up everything. So I don't hear from the owner or the mouth piece or the city.
Well, it is starting to get late, and my eyes are crossed from working on this blog and finally figuring out the page elements. I still can't get the lettering changed. I change the lettering, save it, and it still does not apply to the blog. So I will just have to play with that. Maybe later in the weekend.
I wish everyone a great and peaceful weekend. Enjoy it, or gets lots of things done.
Hugs
Well, I think that I mastered adding pages. I added a recipe page, and posted my grandmother's Harvest Bars on it.
I will try to post recipes that all of you will like. I am not sure but I do hope that you enjoy them.
I posted the Harvest Bars, as my grandmother would do these for Thanksgiving and Christmas. I also added a new blog for my herb and seed business. Hopefully I will get that going later, so I can use it at the Farmer's Market next year.
Well, not much going on around here. It is starting to get cold now, the night before, it got down to 12*, so it was chilly. I found the house too hot, and I had the thermostat set at 69*. What we did do this summer is took off the drywall inside the front windows which is the bedroom, and before it was chilly in there, and a freezer when you had a stiff north/northwest wind blowing. We added heavier insulation, which there was no insulation in and around the windows and walls of the front. Now it is toasty and warm and no drafts. Funny how a small change does make a big impact on something in the house. Hopefully next year, the old windows will come out and a larger, better window will go in.
We got most of the outside work done. The garden is cleaned up, it looks so very sad. Just a few months ago, it was 6 feet high with tomatoes, and squash, and other goodies. Now its a bare, barren plot. I dumped a lot of compost on the area where I had tomatoes, next year it will hold squash. I am going to plant my tomatoes and cucumbers in the blue pots. Hopefully, next year, I can utilize my south side. I lost my neighbors to the south, so I don't know what I will have. We are going to finish out the snow fence before someone else moves in and hopefully that will provide a buffer of some sort. Time will tell.
I have been busy working my in home chef clients, for a while there, I had to back off on account of my knee. I think that the knee is healed. It still hurts when I stand too long on it, and if I put my weight on that knee, it does hurt badly. So I just pace myself, and try not to do too much. My spine has been giving me problems, but it always does, it is just getting worse. Boy, its the pits getting old. LOL. I have a few clients who want Thanksgiving dinners done for them, so I am trying to figure out how to do that. I think that I will just figure how much each plate will be and buy extra turkeys, which right now are on sale and with the points I have at one grocer. I can get several, and just cook extra turkey and the trimmings and take plates over to my clients. The good thing is my clients aren't fussy eaters.
Anyway, things seems to be getting back to normal. Haven't heard from the owner, we lost two renters, so I don't know what happened there, and personally, don't care, just as long as the owner and his mouth piece leave me alone. The child abuse case we had last week has really drawn things down to where there are now calls from the city council to start checking trailer parks and other properties around the area for junk and other things going on. That is one reason we worked hard outside to clean up and spruce up everything. So I don't hear from the owner or the mouth piece or the city.
Well, it is starting to get late, and my eyes are crossed from working on this blog and finally figuring out the page elements. I still can't get the lettering changed. I change the lettering, save it, and it still does not apply to the blog. So I will just have to play with that. Maybe later in the weekend.
I wish everyone a great and peaceful weekend. Enjoy it, or gets lots of things done.
Hugs
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Making some changes
Good Evening Everyone,
I am just making a quick post to tell everyone that I am starting to make some changes to the blog. I hope that I don't mess it up, delete it or make it disappear into the wild beyond in cyberland.
I am also trying to add some pages for recipes? How do you do that. I can't seem to get to that point. Any suggestions what I do to add a page element?
I also tried to change my blog title and change the type of lettering, and it won't change that either? Any suggestions.
I am not a bright light bulb when it comes to this stuff.
I will try to blog this weekend, I have been so busy with painting, and moving things around, I have let my blogging go for a little bit.
Take care all, have a great up coming weekend.
Hugs to all
I am just making a quick post to tell everyone that I am starting to make some changes to the blog. I hope that I don't mess it up, delete it or make it disappear into the wild beyond in cyberland.
I am also trying to add some pages for recipes? How do you do that. I can't seem to get to that point. Any suggestions what I do to add a page element?
I also tried to change my blog title and change the type of lettering, and it won't change that either? Any suggestions.
I am not a bright light bulb when it comes to this stuff.
I will try to blog this weekend, I have been so busy with painting, and moving things around, I have let my blogging go for a little bit.
Take care all, have a great up coming weekend.
Hugs to all
Thursday, October 27, 2011
add on to what is going on this week.
Good Morning Everyone,
Well, we are now into the pretty cold air of the season now. During the night the panhandle of Nebraska got a winter storm and quite a bit of snow as well as Wyoming, Colorado, somewhere around 8-12 inches. Tis the season here and I am sure its here to stay for a while.
It is supposed to warm up again in the 50's and 60's here by the weekend.
I want to take the time to apologise for the rant yesterday. But for some reason, this really bothered me and I will tell you, it has really pissed my community off and probably not for the good. At least for people like me who live in trailers or modulars.
The city is now declaring war, so to speak on us who live in these this type of housing. I guess, I am just going to sit back, and just see what will happen next. This may spark a war on landlords like the one who owns this crappy park to clean up or have eminent domain waged upon them as the talk seems to be stemming towards. The only problem is the owner of my area, if you shove, he shoves harder and usually declared a personal war on individuals in his path. He is a spoiled kid who has been given pretty much anything and when someone plays in his cornflakes or sandbox, he becomes a hammer and makes life miserable for us who live in his areas. This news story about the kids in the dog kennel has really started something and I think that now the city officials have had their eyes opened to the fact that their fair town is not a perfect utopia like they thought is was. The city officials have blinders on around here and do not see the huge influx of drugs and distribution that we have here. It really is not safe here, especially after dark and I am noticing that not a lot of people go out after dark anymore. We also had a murder here last week, a stabbing attributed to drugs, so I think the community is on edge. The issue is, this is nothing new at all for this community. I see it here all the time. In fact, there is a single woman with kids living in the crappy unit behind me, and it is just like the place that was busted Monday night. Junk laying around, garbage strewn about, as she will not pick up the garbage at all or even take it to the garbage. I refuse to pick anything up anymore. I used to pick up around here, but since the snit with the owner, earlier this year, I quit picking up and mowing around the lot. Its his problem anymore. This community for some reason, always has blinders on, it wants to be a utopia, but with new people trying to move here from all over for jobs, which we do not have, these new immigrants bring with them the ills of the social world with them.
I had someone make a comment, which I did not post. She told me that she did not want to read of troubles of the area that I live in. Well my dear, I am afraid that where I live, we have urban troubles and though unfortunate, I will post things about the area I live in. It is not perfect, it is basically a slum in a rural community that seems to be perfect. Its not, I assure you, but like my blog says, living and making it the best I can. I am sorry that I cannot bring a lot of happy simple living to my blog, as I can't. I am extremely poor, and when you are poor, you are given an area in which to live that is affordable. The particulars of my area is the fact that this is the home of Union Pacific Railroad, and it is the hub of the rail yards. And since we have had this here since the railroad was built in the late 1860's, it has been a town of ill repute, and of gouging for your money. The cost to live in this community is 25% higher than any other community in the state, even the large urban areas of Omaha and Lincoln. The rents are equal to the cities, and the cost of groceries here, especially meat is mind boggling to say the least. Will this ever get solved, no it will not, in fact it will get worse, with worse things coming into the picture like the child abuse incident we had Monday night. With people not being able to afford better conditions, with landlords praying upon people who are lower income, and unable to afford better things because of no work or medical issues which you cannot qualify because you cannot pass a credit check or a background check, which is what this community does, and then this follows you all over town to everyone, as gossip is slung here like mud and shit.
So I really do not have a answer as to this. I know that this is all over the country, not just here, but everywhere. I just do not want people who read this blog to think that I have a utopia world here, I don't. It is a hillbilly hell here. And again, if you do not like the blog, then please do not read it. When I started the blog, it was meant for people who live in conditions like me, on how to live and coupe with the conditions. I am not an expert at all, but when you live in parks such as I do, it is a different world, different from a home or neighborhood, though, homes and neighborhoods have problems too, but when it is a trailer park, you are sort of in a collective, with generally an owner who is an idiot and doesn't care about anything but money, and puts the population of ill repute in these parks. And you are at the mercy of it as there really isn't any place to move that is better than the place you are in now. And forget about going to the city officials, as this has been done in the past with everything falling on deaf ears, but since this abuse case has gotten national attention, this may well be the straw which broke the camel's back, but to what extent if anything gets done. I am just afraid that it may target innocent people, the elderly and disabled who live in trailers as all rotten and now you will pay for your habitation in these units through harassment and intimidation from officials.
I am also going to take a look at the blog in general. Again, I do not live in rural, beautiful area where I have farmland, animals and a lovely atmosphere in which to post photos of. I have tons of farmland around me within a few miles, but I cannot just get in the car or walk too much to post photos. I wish I could, but with the price of gas, I cannot just get in the car and drive around without having somewhere to go. I cannot afford gas as a liberal expense to bring things to you. I wish I could. This year in general, has been a trying, and ill gotten year. I have many things going on, with only me doing it. I do not have family in which to ask for help, and to get help from outside sources here is a recipe for disaster as again, the town gossips and you don't know if you may end up in jail or some kind of trouble with officials. This community dwells on starting trouble and taking it too far. I cannot remember if I ever mentioned this or not, but when I was doing my herb sales at the farmers market last year, I damn near got into trouble with cops as I had brought some culinary mushrooms with me that I was growing at home, they were Shitaki mushrooms along with some other Japanese culinary mushrooms for cooking and medicinal use and some idiot who went through the market, told the cops who make their presence known came over and told me that someone came over to them and told them I had drug mushrooms and was selling them. Boy, I was pissed and so was the market director, who came to my rescue. I also had dried herbs there and they thought the containers were pot. This is what this community is as a whole and the mind set.
So I will sit back the rest of this week and take in what is going on. On the home front, D and I are getting ready to re finish floors, starting with the front bedroom, and smoothing out the rough spots and then I am applying several coats of poly floor paint and then bringing my large area rugs from the storage garage and then finish painting the walls and just fixing up things to make it more home-y. I am hoping that this helps me cope with all of the ills.
I want to again, thank all of you who have followed this blog. I love all of you, and respect your advice and opinions. And I just want to try to bring better things to you, hopefully the next year with a better blog. I am not a professional blogger, just a human trying to exist in a rough time.
Love and Hugs to all.
Well, we are now into the pretty cold air of the season now. During the night the panhandle of Nebraska got a winter storm and quite a bit of snow as well as Wyoming, Colorado, somewhere around 8-12 inches. Tis the season here and I am sure its here to stay for a while.
It is supposed to warm up again in the 50's and 60's here by the weekend.
I want to take the time to apologise for the rant yesterday. But for some reason, this really bothered me and I will tell you, it has really pissed my community off and probably not for the good. At least for people like me who live in trailers or modulars.
The city is now declaring war, so to speak on us who live in these this type of housing. I guess, I am just going to sit back, and just see what will happen next. This may spark a war on landlords like the one who owns this crappy park to clean up or have eminent domain waged upon them as the talk seems to be stemming towards. The only problem is the owner of my area, if you shove, he shoves harder and usually declared a personal war on individuals in his path. He is a spoiled kid who has been given pretty much anything and when someone plays in his cornflakes or sandbox, he becomes a hammer and makes life miserable for us who live in his areas. This news story about the kids in the dog kennel has really started something and I think that now the city officials have had their eyes opened to the fact that their fair town is not a perfect utopia like they thought is was. The city officials have blinders on around here and do not see the huge influx of drugs and distribution that we have here. It really is not safe here, especially after dark and I am noticing that not a lot of people go out after dark anymore. We also had a murder here last week, a stabbing attributed to drugs, so I think the community is on edge. The issue is, this is nothing new at all for this community. I see it here all the time. In fact, there is a single woman with kids living in the crappy unit behind me, and it is just like the place that was busted Monday night. Junk laying around, garbage strewn about, as she will not pick up the garbage at all or even take it to the garbage. I refuse to pick anything up anymore. I used to pick up around here, but since the snit with the owner, earlier this year, I quit picking up and mowing around the lot. Its his problem anymore. This community for some reason, always has blinders on, it wants to be a utopia, but with new people trying to move here from all over for jobs, which we do not have, these new immigrants bring with them the ills of the social world with them.
I had someone make a comment, which I did not post. She told me that she did not want to read of troubles of the area that I live in. Well my dear, I am afraid that where I live, we have urban troubles and though unfortunate, I will post things about the area I live in. It is not perfect, it is basically a slum in a rural community that seems to be perfect. Its not, I assure you, but like my blog says, living and making it the best I can. I am sorry that I cannot bring a lot of happy simple living to my blog, as I can't. I am extremely poor, and when you are poor, you are given an area in which to live that is affordable. The particulars of my area is the fact that this is the home of Union Pacific Railroad, and it is the hub of the rail yards. And since we have had this here since the railroad was built in the late 1860's, it has been a town of ill repute, and of gouging for your money. The cost to live in this community is 25% higher than any other community in the state, even the large urban areas of Omaha and Lincoln. The rents are equal to the cities, and the cost of groceries here, especially meat is mind boggling to say the least. Will this ever get solved, no it will not, in fact it will get worse, with worse things coming into the picture like the child abuse incident we had Monday night. With people not being able to afford better conditions, with landlords praying upon people who are lower income, and unable to afford better things because of no work or medical issues which you cannot qualify because you cannot pass a credit check or a background check, which is what this community does, and then this follows you all over town to everyone, as gossip is slung here like mud and shit.
So I really do not have a answer as to this. I know that this is all over the country, not just here, but everywhere. I just do not want people who read this blog to think that I have a utopia world here, I don't. It is a hillbilly hell here. And again, if you do not like the blog, then please do not read it. When I started the blog, it was meant for people who live in conditions like me, on how to live and coupe with the conditions. I am not an expert at all, but when you live in parks such as I do, it is a different world, different from a home or neighborhood, though, homes and neighborhoods have problems too, but when it is a trailer park, you are sort of in a collective, with generally an owner who is an idiot and doesn't care about anything but money, and puts the population of ill repute in these parks. And you are at the mercy of it as there really isn't any place to move that is better than the place you are in now. And forget about going to the city officials, as this has been done in the past with everything falling on deaf ears, but since this abuse case has gotten national attention, this may well be the straw which broke the camel's back, but to what extent if anything gets done. I am just afraid that it may target innocent people, the elderly and disabled who live in trailers as all rotten and now you will pay for your habitation in these units through harassment and intimidation from officials.
I am also going to take a look at the blog in general. Again, I do not live in rural, beautiful area where I have farmland, animals and a lovely atmosphere in which to post photos of. I have tons of farmland around me within a few miles, but I cannot just get in the car or walk too much to post photos. I wish I could, but with the price of gas, I cannot just get in the car and drive around without having somewhere to go. I cannot afford gas as a liberal expense to bring things to you. I wish I could. This year in general, has been a trying, and ill gotten year. I have many things going on, with only me doing it. I do not have family in which to ask for help, and to get help from outside sources here is a recipe for disaster as again, the town gossips and you don't know if you may end up in jail or some kind of trouble with officials. This community dwells on starting trouble and taking it too far. I cannot remember if I ever mentioned this or not, but when I was doing my herb sales at the farmers market last year, I damn near got into trouble with cops as I had brought some culinary mushrooms with me that I was growing at home, they were Shitaki mushrooms along with some other Japanese culinary mushrooms for cooking and medicinal use and some idiot who went through the market, told the cops who make their presence known came over and told me that someone came over to them and told them I had drug mushrooms and was selling them. Boy, I was pissed and so was the market director, who came to my rescue. I also had dried herbs there and they thought the containers were pot. This is what this community is as a whole and the mind set.
So I will sit back the rest of this week and take in what is going on. On the home front, D and I are getting ready to re finish floors, starting with the front bedroom, and smoothing out the rough spots and then I am applying several coats of poly floor paint and then bringing my large area rugs from the storage garage and then finish painting the walls and just fixing up things to make it more home-y. I am hoping that this helps me cope with all of the ills.
I want to again, thank all of you who have followed this blog. I love all of you, and respect your advice and opinions. And I just want to try to bring better things to you, hopefully the next year with a better blog. I am not a professional blogger, just a human trying to exist in a rough time.
Love and Hugs to all.
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
I'm Ready for my Close-up, Mr. DeVille
Good Evening Everyone,
I am so sorry for not getting back blogging. It seems that by the time I finish up with clean-up around the house, I come in the house, totally exhausted, and quite sore, and a horridly painful spine, and then too tired to blog, I crash on the couch and fall asleep until about 5 am, then the dog has to go out and I get the paper and then I may crash back for an hour or so, then up and at em' again. I am also feeling like not blogging, it is dull here, not much happening, and since gardening is over. I just sit'in on my butt, but I'm working inside the house, which it seems to me, I'm not getting anywhere.
Today, I had to take D to his pain management doctor in Kearney, which is about 100 miles to the east of me. They did another round of pretty painful injections with a spine needle that no one would ever get next to me with one. They only manage spine and leg pain for about 3-4 days then its back to chronic pain again and pain meds. I am just so upset that there really isn't anything being done, and what is being done now has come way too late in the game to even manage or cure the problem in the first place. Almost 3 years coming up and it was only this January that the company even did an MRI in the first place. Then the pain management didn't begin until this June, and now its going to be the 1st of November and pretty much its back to square one again. I am at a loss now. Welcome to the crappy world of work comp, (or lack of ).
While I was waiting for D to get back into the observation room, on the news I heard about 4 kids being in a trailer from my hometown that were kept in a dog kennel. Well, gee, we made the national news again! Such a nice town that I live in, NOT!
I think that with all that is going on in the world, and now this sucky town that I live in, is really getting on my nerves. Where I live in this trailer park, with the druggies, alcoholics, and other social ills, that come with the image of trailers and trailer parks, this will really put a black eye on the community. This morning, while looking at blogs and the weather, the radio personalities were talking about how this town rivals the drug problems that pretty large, urban area are dealing with, DUH! Its been like this for several years now, and is getting worse each day. I will bet that this child abuse case is connected with drugs or liquor. Seems that parents want the dope and booze more than taking care of kids and home. This case will also put a black eye on trailers even worse than it is now. Remember back last year the problems we were having with the cops here and the trailer park image he had with all of us living here.
I sometimes feel like the world comes crashing down upon your head and you don't even have a beanie hat to protect you. It seems that you just cannot get a footing and hang on to the rope for dear life. Ilene, I'm ranting today, and I am also very tired from the drive to and from the Doctor's office. I don't do driving very well anymore. I don't enjoy it like I did when I was young and foolish and would go where angels feared to tread, mainly in terrible urban areas when I drove truck with D. Some of the most dangerous and gang riddled areas and that was in the 70's. I know now it is 100% worse. Calgon, take me away.........
Anyway, I am starting to get cross-eyed at the screen, and I cannot see the letters on the keyboard. I think that I will quit for the night, fix a soothing cup of herbal tea and rest. Maybe the world will look better tomorrow. Probably not, but we can wish, can't we?
I am so sorry for not getting back blogging. It seems that by the time I finish up with clean-up around the house, I come in the house, totally exhausted, and quite sore, and a horridly painful spine, and then too tired to blog, I crash on the couch and fall asleep until about 5 am, then the dog has to go out and I get the paper and then I may crash back for an hour or so, then up and at em' again. I am also feeling like not blogging, it is dull here, not much happening, and since gardening is over. I just sit'in on my butt, but I'm working inside the house, which it seems to me, I'm not getting anywhere.
Today, I had to take D to his pain management doctor in Kearney, which is about 100 miles to the east of me. They did another round of pretty painful injections with a spine needle that no one would ever get next to me with one. They only manage spine and leg pain for about 3-4 days then its back to chronic pain again and pain meds. I am just so upset that there really isn't anything being done, and what is being done now has come way too late in the game to even manage or cure the problem in the first place. Almost 3 years coming up and it was only this January that the company even did an MRI in the first place. Then the pain management didn't begin until this June, and now its going to be the 1st of November and pretty much its back to square one again. I am at a loss now. Welcome to the crappy world of work comp, (or lack of ).
While I was waiting for D to get back into the observation room, on the news I heard about 4 kids being in a trailer from my hometown that were kept in a dog kennel. Well, gee, we made the national news again! Such a nice town that I live in, NOT!
I think that with all that is going on in the world, and now this sucky town that I live in, is really getting on my nerves. Where I live in this trailer park, with the druggies, alcoholics, and other social ills, that come with the image of trailers and trailer parks, this will really put a black eye on the community. This morning, while looking at blogs and the weather, the radio personalities were talking about how this town rivals the drug problems that pretty large, urban area are dealing with, DUH! Its been like this for several years now, and is getting worse each day. I will bet that this child abuse case is connected with drugs or liquor. Seems that parents want the dope and booze more than taking care of kids and home. This case will also put a black eye on trailers even worse than it is now. Remember back last year the problems we were having with the cops here and the trailer park image he had with all of us living here.
I sometimes feel like the world comes crashing down upon your head and you don't even have a beanie hat to protect you. It seems that you just cannot get a footing and hang on to the rope for dear life. Ilene, I'm ranting today, and I am also very tired from the drive to and from the Doctor's office. I don't do driving very well anymore. I don't enjoy it like I did when I was young and foolish and would go where angels feared to tread, mainly in terrible urban areas when I drove truck with D. Some of the most dangerous and gang riddled areas and that was in the 70's. I know now it is 100% worse. Calgon, take me away.........
Anyway, I am starting to get cross-eyed at the screen, and I cannot see the letters on the keyboard. I think that I will quit for the night, fix a soothing cup of herbal tea and rest. Maybe the world will look better tomorrow. Probably not, but we can wish, can't we?
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Boring
Good Morning Everyone,
Well, not too much going on here, except the bills. D and I have been just working around the house to try to get things done before we get caught with our pants down from surprise blizzards and other weather that may pop up around here. One minute its warm then next minute, you have a raging snow storm. We also discovered a water leak of some sort in the S room, on the carpet, so today we have to do recon to find what and where the water is before it gets cold. I hate leaks, especially in modular homes, so I am going to start working this morning clearing out and while I'm doing this, I will start throwing away stuff that is of no use or a pile for the thrift shop. Then, we have to cut out the carpet in there, and dry things out and then when we get it fixed, I will paint the floor with some floor paint until I can afford to lay vinyl down in the spring.
Today is my birthday. I don't usually do much on birthdays. This one will be spent working on the house, and then maybe if I'm not too tired, I will bake an angel food cake for tonight with dinner. Not sure what's for dinner either.
Last weekend, I bought beef shanks at the grocery. I was quite shocked that they carried shanks in the first place. I bought about 12 of some nice sized shanks with a lot of meat on them, and then Saturday, I popped them in the oven and slowly roasted them for the day. They turned out so nice and so very flavorful. I made homemade beef and noodles on Sunday. Very tasty and filling. I had enough left over of the shank meat to fill two freezer containers for two more meals. I am going this weekend to see if the butcher at the market has more and I am going to purchase more to freeze with my vacuum sealer and have these for the winter. Belle got some large bones to chew on also.
I am also posting a photo of the wild kittens we caught this August with Chester, the ICU cat from last December. He was the one that was caught in the fence and lost a his right leg and part of his tail.. He has fallen in love with these kittens and takes care of them and watches over them like a hawk. A good uncle.
Anyway, this will be a short post. I will post more later this week, but until then, I had better get dressed in my cruddy work clothes and start the the hunt for the water leak.
Have a great week everyone
Hugs
Well, not too much going on here, except the bills. D and I have been just working around the house to try to get things done before we get caught with our pants down from surprise blizzards and other weather that may pop up around here. One minute its warm then next minute, you have a raging snow storm. We also discovered a water leak of some sort in the S room, on the carpet, so today we have to do recon to find what and where the water is before it gets cold. I hate leaks, especially in modular homes, so I am going to start working this morning clearing out and while I'm doing this, I will start throwing away stuff that is of no use or a pile for the thrift shop. Then, we have to cut out the carpet in there, and dry things out and then when we get it fixed, I will paint the floor with some floor paint until I can afford to lay vinyl down in the spring.
Today is my birthday. I don't usually do much on birthdays. This one will be spent working on the house, and then maybe if I'm not too tired, I will bake an angel food cake for tonight with dinner. Not sure what's for dinner either.
Last weekend, I bought beef shanks at the grocery. I was quite shocked that they carried shanks in the first place. I bought about 12 of some nice sized shanks with a lot of meat on them, and then Saturday, I popped them in the oven and slowly roasted them for the day. They turned out so nice and so very flavorful. I made homemade beef and noodles on Sunday. Very tasty and filling. I had enough left over of the shank meat to fill two freezer containers for two more meals. I am going this weekend to see if the butcher at the market has more and I am going to purchase more to freeze with my vacuum sealer and have these for the winter. Belle got some large bones to chew on also.
I am also posting a photo of the wild kittens we caught this August with Chester, the ICU cat from last December. He was the one that was caught in the fence and lost a his right leg and part of his tail.. He has fallen in love with these kittens and takes care of them and watches over them like a hawk. A good uncle.
Anyway, this will be a short post. I will post more later this week, but until then, I had better get dressed in my cruddy work clothes and start the the hunt for the water leak.
Have a great week everyone
Hugs
Saturday, October 1, 2011
Welcoming October and snippets of goings-on
Good Afternoon Everyone,
Well, it has been pretty busy here doing things that need to be done before we get cold weather or worse yet, SNOW, like we did a few years ago in October, being hit with three blizzards in the month. D and I cleared out the garden, I still have some hot peppers hanging on, I cover them when it may get cold and unwrap them when the sun warms up. I got my shallots, walking onions and garlic planted in my bucket brigade, been digging up nasty weeds and sand burrs and just general out side house work that needs to get done. Glenda, for your inspiration, the carport painted. We won't get to the porch until next year, as there are some major repairs that need to be done and not enough money, so till then, the cover goes up around the porch and also the carport to keep the snow from blowing around the patio area.
I haven't even started in cleaning the house, or anything. Since I broke my knee, I have been limited as to what I could do, and on top of things, I had a shingles attack in of all places, on my left hand, Oh, it is so very painful, and having your hands in water or cleaning water, is out of the question until it heals up, which will be a few weeks, so I bought a pair of latex gloves and cotton gloves to wear to protect the skin until it heals.
Yesterday, as I was going home from the grocery store, I stopped by our local nursery, and they were having a 50% off trees, shrubs and plants sale. I shouldn't have, but I bought 3 trees! The two on the south side of the house are a Honey Locust, and to the back, a Ornamental Pear. In the front, this tree is a WinterBerry.
We desperately need shade on the south side and front, and I had been looking for trees that would fit. Well, I found them and at a good price. The WinterBerry is a very hardy tree that gets around 15-20 ft tall and about that in width. This will be to cut the horrid summer sun from shining in the front window, which is my bedroom and without the Morning Glories in the front, that room will get around 130-150 degrees in that room, even with the air going. So I am anxious about this WinterBerry growing. The nursery man told me WinterBerry is very hardy in our zone, which is 5, truthfully, we are between zone 4 and 5 so I was glad to find a hardy tree for our zone, which the tree is hardy to -40* below zero. The other south trees are hardy in our zone, and are drought tolerant. So, yesterday, after I got home, D and I fired up the dually and went and picked the trees up and then spent the afternoon, digging holes, which I will tell you, by the time we finished late in the afternoon, we were both pooped totally. I am not young anymore to dig holes, but I am sure proud of the trees. I hope that they will do well.
I had several questions about the pepper spread and what you put it on. My grandmother made it for crackers, as she made her own cracker recipes. This is good on a hardy whole grain cracker or rye cracker. I suppose you could use this on just about anything that all of you would desire. Be a child again, just do it and let me know what you use it on.
Really, other than that, that is about all that is going on. Still quiet here, and I am sure enjoying it too.
Well, I need to run a few errands today, so I will catch everyone later and have a great weekend, all!
Hugs
Well, it has been pretty busy here doing things that need to be done before we get cold weather or worse yet, SNOW, like we did a few years ago in October, being hit with three blizzards in the month. D and I cleared out the garden, I still have some hot peppers hanging on, I cover them when it may get cold and unwrap them when the sun warms up. I got my shallots, walking onions and garlic planted in my bucket brigade, been digging up nasty weeds and sand burrs and just general out side house work that needs to get done. Glenda, for your inspiration, the carport painted. We won't get to the porch until next year, as there are some major repairs that need to be done and not enough money, so till then, the cover goes up around the porch and also the carport to keep the snow from blowing around the patio area.
I haven't even started in cleaning the house, or anything. Since I broke my knee, I have been limited as to what I could do, and on top of things, I had a shingles attack in of all places, on my left hand, Oh, it is so very painful, and having your hands in water or cleaning water, is out of the question until it heals up, which will be a few weeks, so I bought a pair of latex gloves and cotton gloves to wear to protect the skin until it heals.
Yesterday, as I was going home from the grocery store, I stopped by our local nursery, and they were having a 50% off trees, shrubs and plants sale. I shouldn't have, but I bought 3 trees! The two on the south side of the house are a Honey Locust, and to the back, a Ornamental Pear. In the front, this tree is a WinterBerry.
We desperately need shade on the south side and front, and I had been looking for trees that would fit. Well, I found them and at a good price. The WinterBerry is a very hardy tree that gets around 15-20 ft tall and about that in width. This will be to cut the horrid summer sun from shining in the front window, which is my bedroom and without the Morning Glories in the front, that room will get around 130-150 degrees in that room, even with the air going. So I am anxious about this WinterBerry growing. The nursery man told me WinterBerry is very hardy in our zone, which is 5, truthfully, we are between zone 4 and 5 so I was glad to find a hardy tree for our zone, which the tree is hardy to -40* below zero. The other south trees are hardy in our zone, and are drought tolerant. So, yesterday, after I got home, D and I fired up the dually and went and picked the trees up and then spent the afternoon, digging holes, which I will tell you, by the time we finished late in the afternoon, we were both pooped totally. I am not young anymore to dig holes, but I am sure proud of the trees. I hope that they will do well.
I had several questions about the pepper spread and what you put it on. My grandmother made it for crackers, as she made her own cracker recipes. This is good on a hardy whole grain cracker or rye cracker. I suppose you could use this on just about anything that all of you would desire. Be a child again, just do it and let me know what you use it on.
Really, other than that, that is about all that is going on. Still quiet here, and I am sure enjoying it too.
Well, I need to run a few errands today, so I will catch everyone later and have a great weekend, all!
Hugs
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
General Goings-on and This n' That
Good Morning Everyone,
I thought I would post because you'd think that I dropped off the face of the earth or floated into the ozone layer, I am sure some people around here wish I would do so.
We have had a few busy weeks here. My parents furnace quit and D has been trying to find a gas valve for a 26 year old furnace, which we finally did, and sometime this week, he has to put it in. My parents, like everyone else, cannot afford a heat tech's services, around here, it is almost unaffordable, but all that needs to be done is put the valve in, and hook everything up, and no tech. D is pretty handy, but we both have been snarling at each other lately, as he gets in my way in the kitchen and I am territorial in the kitchen, especially when I am canning or cooking, and I know that some of you know what I am talking about. I do not like someone hanging over my shoulder asking what I am doing, and I lose my train of thought or it derails completely and I have a melt down, in which I start snarling and yapping.
We also have been painting the carport. The owner, for some odd reason, wanted the all the carports painted, (hint, maybe he's wanting to sell it!, I have been told this), but he hired a tweeker, (a druggy) and my insurance lady specifically told me not to let this guy paint, as the owner, who does not carry a stitch of insurance on anything, to touch anything. She told me that if he fell on my place, I would be responsible for his work comp and the owner would probably pull a fast one on me and take my home away from me, which should tell all of you how much this man is hated in town.
I bought the paint early this spring when it went on sale, it was oil based barn and fence paint. We were going to paint this spring, but the weather was horrid for anything outside and then it got hot too fast and so we waited to paint til last week, the weather was nice, warm and the only thing I had to do was paint the supports and wasps. I did the lower parts and D did the higher parts of the carport as I am still crippling around with the knee, and it hurt but it had to get done. Now it is done and looks good, and it will last as it is oil based. The owner bought acrylic latex based interior paint and the rest of the carports look like crap, since he hired a tweeker, oh and by the way, this tweeker only got $10 a carport, this is what this guy pays in wages to whoever he hires.
I have been having a lot of pain lately in my spine and now the knee. I think that when I took the tumble off the porch, I threw something out of order. I still have things to do around the house, but not everything gets done. It really PO's me, to tell you the truth. Lately, I wish I could fly away somewhere, to get away from everything, but I can't.
Several people asked about my pepper recipe. I will try to post that this week. All it is it roasted red and orange peppers, I threw in a few green ones, some onion, and garlic, and a little bit of canola oil and roasted it in the oven and then the last half hour, I put them under the broiler. I was going to do them in the big grill I have, but that was when I broke my knee, so I didn't do it. It turned out good, I thought. I haven't tried any of the jars yet. I got 12 8 oz. jars of peppers. You can see from the photo of the peppers in the oven in the roaster. After I roasted them, I pulsed them through the food processor, and then placed them in my large crock pot to heat and not burn, then placed them in jars and processed them for 30 minutes in the pressure canner under 10 # of pressure.
Really other than that, that is about all that is going on here. So far, it has been pleasantly quiet here. The new people who moved in the open rentals are quiet, the ones next to me are great, a little scary to look at with the tattoos and rings, looking like a fishing lure, but they are nice, quiet, and pleasant, which is fine. They are also plant lovers so, everything in the world is ok at this moment.
Well, I will take my leave of you all. I will try to post more. I still have to tackle the garden, and clean up the tomato vines, I still have tomatoes coming in, so these I will freeze and I will process those later in the year. I planted garlic and shallots last week in between the painting, and other stuff going on. I surprised I can still think and function!
Take care all.
Hugs
I thought I would post because you'd think that I dropped off the face of the earth or floated into the ozone layer, I am sure some people around here wish I would do so.
We have had a few busy weeks here. My parents furnace quit and D has been trying to find a gas valve for a 26 year old furnace, which we finally did, and sometime this week, he has to put it in. My parents, like everyone else, cannot afford a heat tech's services, around here, it is almost unaffordable, but all that needs to be done is put the valve in, and hook everything up, and no tech. D is pretty handy, but we both have been snarling at each other lately, as he gets in my way in the kitchen and I am territorial in the kitchen, especially when I am canning or cooking, and I know that some of you know what I am talking about. I do not like someone hanging over my shoulder asking what I am doing, and I lose my train of thought or it derails completely and I have a melt down, in which I start snarling and yapping.
We also have been painting the carport. The owner, for some odd reason, wanted the all the carports painted, (hint, maybe he's wanting to sell it!, I have been told this), but he hired a tweeker, (a druggy) and my insurance lady specifically told me not to let this guy paint, as the owner, who does not carry a stitch of insurance on anything, to touch anything. She told me that if he fell on my place, I would be responsible for his work comp and the owner would probably pull a fast one on me and take my home away from me, which should tell all of you how much this man is hated in town.
I bought the paint early this spring when it went on sale, it was oil based barn and fence paint. We were going to paint this spring, but the weather was horrid for anything outside and then it got hot too fast and so we waited to paint til last week, the weather was nice, warm and the only thing I had to do was paint the supports and wasps. I did the lower parts and D did the higher parts of the carport as I am still crippling around with the knee, and it hurt but it had to get done. Now it is done and looks good, and it will last as it is oil based. The owner bought acrylic latex based interior paint and the rest of the carports look like crap, since he hired a tweeker, oh and by the way, this tweeker only got $10 a carport, this is what this guy pays in wages to whoever he hires.
I have been having a lot of pain lately in my spine and now the knee. I think that when I took the tumble off the porch, I threw something out of order. I still have things to do around the house, but not everything gets done. It really PO's me, to tell you the truth. Lately, I wish I could fly away somewhere, to get away from everything, but I can't.
Several people asked about my pepper recipe. I will try to post that this week. All it is it roasted red and orange peppers, I threw in a few green ones, some onion, and garlic, and a little bit of canola oil and roasted it in the oven and then the last half hour, I put them under the broiler. I was going to do them in the big grill I have, but that was when I broke my knee, so I didn't do it. It turned out good, I thought. I haven't tried any of the jars yet. I got 12 8 oz. jars of peppers. You can see from the photo of the peppers in the oven in the roaster. After I roasted them, I pulsed them through the food processor, and then placed them in my large crock pot to heat and not burn, then placed them in jars and processed them for 30 minutes in the pressure canner under 10 # of pressure.
Really other than that, that is about all that is going on here. So far, it has been pleasantly quiet here. The new people who moved in the open rentals are quiet, the ones next to me are great, a little scary to look at with the tattoos and rings, looking like a fishing lure, but they are nice, quiet, and pleasant, which is fine. They are also plant lovers so, everything in the world is ok at this moment.
Well, I will take my leave of you all. I will try to post more. I still have to tackle the garden, and clean up the tomato vines, I still have tomatoes coming in, so these I will freeze and I will process those later in the year. I planted garlic and shallots last week in between the painting, and other stuff going on. I surprised I can still think and function!
Take care all.
Hugs
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Cool Air Finally!
Good Afternoon everyone!
I am sorry that I haven't posted as quickly as I should, but I had a mishap at home here, and I have been gimping around.
A few weeks ago, we had a nice rain overnight, the next morning, I went out early to get the paper, had my bedroom slippers on and "WEEEEE", down the two steps to the concrete. It happened so fast, the only thing I knew is that I was straddling the step and concrete, I did know that I did NOT want to hit the pavement with my back, which I have done before and I was hurt'in for quite a while. Well, I did catch the stupid guard rail to my right, but I still straddled everything, and even broke a bolt in the rail. I do know that my right knee was at a funny angle and so I sat there for a little bit and got up and at the time, everything seemed ok.
This all happened on a Tue morning, and then Friday night, I let the dog out before we all went to bed, and I stepped down on my right knee and OMG, the pain was horrid, and I could not even get my knee to work, the pain was horrid. So I got the dog in and I immediately got my ice pack on and then took some Advil and then just rested for awhile, the pain was still there and then Saturday morning, I was still in pain, cripped around Farmer's market, a pulled my little french market cart around with me, and then went home, cripped around the kitchen, trying to can things, which was not fun or pleasant, but got it done.
Sunday, I went to the pharmacy and got a knee support and then called the doctor's office Monday morning which I hate to do. Had x-rays and found I cracked the knee bone that is below the knee cap on the left side. No wonder it hurt! Doc told me to baby it and stay off of it so it can have a chance to heal. There is also a small piece of bone floating around, and if that doesn't go away, doc will make me go for surgery to fix it, which I am definitely not for at all. So I am trying to behave myself, I did order Meals on Wheels for a few weeks, so I don't have to cook, which is nice, I hate to say it, I enjoy cooking but not with an intense pain in my knee while I stand cooking.
So, I am just trying to take it easy, it drives me nuts, as there is so much housework to do, laundry, you know, ladies, the stuff that needs to be done. I am just doing what I can, then I take breaks, ice up the knee, and then hit it again/ It helps when I have the brace on, as it supports my weight some, but still, if I turn on my leg, which I do a lot, to do something, oh my, salty sailor words come out of my mouth. My parents are ok, and will get by, until I can get my knee working again. D is laid up like I am, but he has been doing some housework, some stuff, I don't want him to touch, like laundry, but if I don't get to it, it will be there tomorrow. I am not going to worry about it. I do not have anyone to impress in my home.
I posted photos of the canning I did, surprising it came out right with me hurting. I am letting the pepper spread sit for a few weeks to meld the flavors. I will post what I did. Again, I don't have a "recipe" but I will post what I put in it and you can adjust to your taste. It is very easy. Since I hurt my knee, I had to roast the peppers in the oven, I put a little canola oil in and then roasted them for about an hour on 350*. I hope that it did turn out, as the peppers I bought were expensive at a $1.50 a piece, which is better than the $5 a piece they are asking for in the grocery store, which I will not buy at all. My neighbor also has peppers and some of those I will dehydrate and freeze. Also, please do not look too close to the canning photos, as my kitchen looks like a federal disaster area, and I not even going to show you the stove. I am waiting to clean the stove when all of the canning is pretty much done.
It is delightful here today. It rained overnight about a half an inch, and it is only in the 50's as of this afternoon.. I hope that this cool air get to Glenda and Ilene, you need it down there. It is supposed to get down into the 30's tonight, so I sure that some of my garden will get nipped by frost. Oh well, must be a sigh to slow down, yeah, right! What slow down is that!
Well, I had better gimp on into the laundry room to finish laundry or I will have to run around naked and that would be a total disaster, don't want to scare anyone into the ozone.
Everyone, please have a great week, and hopefully rain and cooler air to enjoy. I am afraid Fall is here.
Hugs to Everyone
I am sorry that I haven't posted as quickly as I should, but I had a mishap at home here, and I have been gimping around.
A few weeks ago, we had a nice rain overnight, the next morning, I went out early to get the paper, had my bedroom slippers on and "WEEEEE", down the two steps to the concrete. It happened so fast, the only thing I knew is that I was straddling the step and concrete, I did know that I did NOT want to hit the pavement with my back, which I have done before and I was hurt'in for quite a while. Well, I did catch the stupid guard rail to my right, but I still straddled everything, and even broke a bolt in the rail. I do know that my right knee was at a funny angle and so I sat there for a little bit and got up and at the time, everything seemed ok.
This all happened on a Tue morning, and then Friday night, I let the dog out before we all went to bed, and I stepped down on my right knee and OMG, the pain was horrid, and I could not even get my knee to work, the pain was horrid. So I got the dog in and I immediately got my ice pack on and then took some Advil and then just rested for awhile, the pain was still there and then Saturday morning, I was still in pain, cripped around Farmer's market, a pulled my little french market cart around with me, and then went home, cripped around the kitchen, trying to can things, which was not fun or pleasant, but got it done.
Sunday, I went to the pharmacy and got a knee support and then called the doctor's office Monday morning which I hate to do. Had x-rays and found I cracked the knee bone that is below the knee cap on the left side. No wonder it hurt! Doc told me to baby it and stay off of it so it can have a chance to heal. There is also a small piece of bone floating around, and if that doesn't go away, doc will make me go for surgery to fix it, which I am definitely not for at all. So I am trying to behave myself, I did order Meals on Wheels for a few weeks, so I don't have to cook, which is nice, I hate to say it, I enjoy cooking but not with an intense pain in my knee while I stand cooking.
So, I am just trying to take it easy, it drives me nuts, as there is so much housework to do, laundry, you know, ladies, the stuff that needs to be done. I am just doing what I can, then I take breaks, ice up the knee, and then hit it again/ It helps when I have the brace on, as it supports my weight some, but still, if I turn on my leg, which I do a lot, to do something, oh my, salty sailor words come out of my mouth. My parents are ok, and will get by, until I can get my knee working again. D is laid up like I am, but he has been doing some housework, some stuff, I don't want him to touch, like laundry, but if I don't get to it, it will be there tomorrow. I am not going to worry about it. I do not have anyone to impress in my home.
I posted photos of the canning I did, surprising it came out right with me hurting. I am letting the pepper spread sit for a few weeks to meld the flavors. I will post what I did. Again, I don't have a "recipe" but I will post what I put in it and you can adjust to your taste. It is very easy. Since I hurt my knee, I had to roast the peppers in the oven, I put a little canola oil in and then roasted them for about an hour on 350*. I hope that it did turn out, as the peppers I bought were expensive at a $1.50 a piece, which is better than the $5 a piece they are asking for in the grocery store, which I will not buy at all. My neighbor also has peppers and some of those I will dehydrate and freeze. Also, please do not look too close to the canning photos, as my kitchen looks like a federal disaster area, and I not even going to show you the stove. I am waiting to clean the stove when all of the canning is pretty much done.
It is delightful here today. It rained overnight about a half an inch, and it is only in the 50's as of this afternoon.. I hope that this cool air get to Glenda and Ilene, you need it down there. It is supposed to get down into the 30's tonight, so I sure that some of my garden will get nipped by frost. Oh well, must be a sigh to slow down, yeah, right! What slow down is that!
Well, I had better gimp on into the laundry room to finish laundry or I will have to run around naked and that would be a total disaster, don't want to scare anyone into the ozone.
Everyone, please have a great week, and hopefully rain and cooler air to enjoy. I am afraid Fall is here.
Hugs to Everyone
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Remembering 9-11-2001
Good Evening Everyone,
Today was a somber day for me. I can still see the images from the news about the attacks and remember a conversation that I listened to when my mother and I still had our needlework and quilt shop in town.
At the time, I was involved with designers in NYC, working with them on beading and garment designs for up coming fashion shows. I also designed and beaded state rodeo queen's clothing and was busy with that at the time also.
I had to call a designer that I was working with at the time to make sure we had all of our ducks in a row for her up coming spring collection, and I was making sure that she would be sending me materials and beads for her prototype garment. I was on the phone with her, when her voice cracked, and she stuttered, at first I thought she had gotten sick or something, and I kept asking if she was ok, and her words were, "I just seen an airplane go into the WTT, (World Trade Towers), her office was just down the street from them and she had an open view of the tragic and unbelievable events that were unfolding at the moment. I could here through the phone the impacts, and sirens and chaos that was starting, I was totally in shock at what she told me on the phone, and then we just couldn't talk at the time and that we would talk later. Later, her office was almost destroyed by all of the debris from the impact and collapse.
Needless to say, we did not get to finish her collections. It was another year before I got her prototypes to design and finish for her show. After that, I closed the shop for the day, and went home to see the horror myself.
I do not have words to tell you of the feelings I had that day, like everyone else, we were in total shock of the events. I am not even sure if we are safer today than that day, but I will tell you, our world changed that very day, and not for the better.
I will post sometime this week of what I have been up to, but for today, I leave thoughts of everyone who was touched by the events of 9-11 and prayers for the families, the victims, and the innocent. Also, the first responders, the firemen, police, and EMT's, my prayers and thoughts are with all.
Hugs
Today was a somber day for me. I can still see the images from the news about the attacks and remember a conversation that I listened to when my mother and I still had our needlework and quilt shop in town.
At the time, I was involved with designers in NYC, working with them on beading and garment designs for up coming fashion shows. I also designed and beaded state rodeo queen's clothing and was busy with that at the time also.
I had to call a designer that I was working with at the time to make sure we had all of our ducks in a row for her up coming spring collection, and I was making sure that she would be sending me materials and beads for her prototype garment. I was on the phone with her, when her voice cracked, and she stuttered, at first I thought she had gotten sick or something, and I kept asking if she was ok, and her words were, "I just seen an airplane go into the WTT, (World Trade Towers), her office was just down the street from them and she had an open view of the tragic and unbelievable events that were unfolding at the moment. I could here through the phone the impacts, and sirens and chaos that was starting, I was totally in shock at what she told me on the phone, and then we just couldn't talk at the time and that we would talk later. Later, her office was almost destroyed by all of the debris from the impact and collapse.
Needless to say, we did not get to finish her collections. It was another year before I got her prototypes to design and finish for her show. After that, I closed the shop for the day, and went home to see the horror myself.
I do not have words to tell you of the feelings I had that day, like everyone else, we were in total shock of the events. I am not even sure if we are safer today than that day, but I will tell you, our world changed that very day, and not for the better.
I will post sometime this week of what I have been up to, but for today, I leave thoughts of everyone who was touched by the events of 9-11 and prayers for the families, the victims, and the innocent. Also, the first responders, the firemen, police, and EMT's, my prayers and thoughts are with all.
Hugs
Sunday, September 4, 2011
AHHHHHH COOL AIR, AHHHHHHH
Good Morning Everyone,
Well, the cool air that we were told would come is finally here. Yesterday, (Sat) it was chilly, and the wind was blowing about 25-30 mph and I went to the farmer's market and it was cool.....felt good, but chilly, when a few days ago earlier, it was 100* F. So it was a change. I am not sure what the temp was Sat morning, but this morning, (Sunday), at 7 am, it was 38*F. You could see your breath this morning when I went out to get the paper. My tea tasted very good this morning. and it is so wonderful not to turn the AC on. I want to give that poor AC some time off, it has run since the first week of July and has not been turned off, and I want a break from the damn electric bill too!
I am hoping this cool air gets to my southern readers, and a hope of rain to them also.
I am getting ready to process again today. Since it is cool, I can work a little better. I got beautiful red peppers and some orange sweet peppers from my favorite vendor from the market, and I will do my pepper spread probably on Monday, or Tuesday. I have to roast the peppers so I need to fire up the smoker and do them and let them sweat and develop flavor. Then puree them with onions and garlic in the food processor and then I will place the mixture in my crock pot to heat so it does not burn and then put it in canning jars and can and then I am done for a little while. I also am going to get next week, some small red onions to pickle and can, and then look for something adventurous to try that I have never done before. Not sure what, but I will keep my eyes open.
The vendors at farmer's market have told me that it was a mixed year, some things did very well, other things didn't do good at all. Some, like my pepper lady, had a wonderful pepper season, while others who grow peppers, had a bust season. It is funny how people's gardens and farms, some of the farms are separated by 100+ miles apart, while others where separated merely by blocks, had success or failure. I have my opinions, but I seen a bizarre of strange weather this year all over the country and here as well. We didn't even have a spring so to speak, just winter, then summer, now it is fall-like now. Go figure.
Well, other than that, I don't have much to talk about. I am enjoying the quiet, and solitude.
Well, I had better get off my duff and get to processing all of this produce.
Take care everyone, have a great Labor Day holiday and have a great up coming week.
Hugs to all.
Well, the cool air that we were told would come is finally here. Yesterday, (Sat) it was chilly, and the wind was blowing about 25-30 mph and I went to the farmer's market and it was cool.....felt good, but chilly, when a few days ago earlier, it was 100* F. So it was a change. I am not sure what the temp was Sat morning, but this morning, (Sunday), at 7 am, it was 38*F. You could see your breath this morning when I went out to get the paper. My tea tasted very good this morning. and it is so wonderful not to turn the AC on. I want to give that poor AC some time off, it has run since the first week of July and has not been turned off, and I want a break from the damn electric bill too!
I am hoping this cool air gets to my southern readers, and a hope of rain to them also.
I am getting ready to process again today. Since it is cool, I can work a little better. I got beautiful red peppers and some orange sweet peppers from my favorite vendor from the market, and I will do my pepper spread probably on Monday, or Tuesday. I have to roast the peppers so I need to fire up the smoker and do them and let them sweat and develop flavor. Then puree them with onions and garlic in the food processor and then I will place the mixture in my crock pot to heat so it does not burn and then put it in canning jars and can and then I am done for a little while. I also am going to get next week, some small red onions to pickle and can, and then look for something adventurous to try that I have never done before. Not sure what, but I will keep my eyes open.
The vendors at farmer's market have told me that it was a mixed year, some things did very well, other things didn't do good at all. Some, like my pepper lady, had a wonderful pepper season, while others who grow peppers, had a bust season. It is funny how people's gardens and farms, some of the farms are separated by 100+ miles apart, while others where separated merely by blocks, had success or failure. I have my opinions, but I seen a bizarre of strange weather this year all over the country and here as well. We didn't even have a spring so to speak, just winter, then summer, now it is fall-like now. Go figure.
Well, other than that, I don't have much to talk about. I am enjoying the quiet, and solitude.
Well, I had better get off my duff and get to processing all of this produce.
Take care everyone, have a great Labor Day holiday and have a great up coming week.
Hugs to all.
Thursday, September 1, 2011
canning up a storm
Good Morning Everyone,
I am sorry that I have not been blogging recently, but I have been inundated with produce and fruit and I have had to get most of it process or lose it, which I do not waste anything.
An update of the living situation here: As of now, it is very quiet. There are the three rentals still open, a lot of people have been by to look, and the words from the lookers were not at all nice about the property's that are open. I am sure that my ears will burn as most of the people looking mentioned why is the house next to the rental nice with flowers and a mown lawn and this place is a piece of s***. I am sure that the owners are fuming at that comment. So yesterday, very late in the day, some squirrly looking guy came over and mowed the lawn of the rental next to me, and this morning very early, the so called maintenance man was over, putting in a new interior door from the NFH when the guy was beating the old lady and put her through the door, which you could hear in my house.
Rentals here are over priced, and what is available, I wouldn't let my dog live in which is what these places are. We are getting new people in this community from other states, and I have been told by my neighbor lady across the street, who is also a land lady, that people who are moving here are going to city hall and complaining to the mayor and city officials about the conditions of rentals. I am standing ready as I am sure the owner of my area will surly blame me for this rush of complaints from the city officials, he usually does. I do hope though that his ears get tired of the insults from would-be- tenants about his properties. He deserves every word and insult he gets, and hopefully a fine or conditions that have to be met.
My neighbor lady, the land lady, has given me a huge amount of white flesh peaches from her tree. They are going to be gone after Labor Day, on and off until the 16th, and I have the tree to myself. So I have been picking peaches and canning my brains out, literally. I do not let free fruit or food get away from me. So I have been doing this for a few days. I have to get it done, because some strangers have been stopping by the neighbor lady asking if they can take the peaches, so I have been on to this and trying to get the fruit off of the tree. I am for now, just processing them and freezing them in freezer bags. I treat them with fruit fresh, sugar and lemon juice and take them over to my parent's freezer. Mine freezer is absolutely full, and I am going to take a hint from GLD from her blog to clean out the freezer, yikes!!
So, really other than that, I haven't been doing too much. It has been fairly cool here lately, but yesterday and today it is supposed to be up in the high 90's and then cooler weather is coming our way, which I hope will filter down to some of you south of me. My garden is slowly fading away. I pulled up some cucumbers, and have picked a few melons, which I am surprised about. My tomatoes are still slow, but I am getting some. My neighbor man across the street has been gone also, and I have been making raids on his garden for tomatoes and green peppers. I have been waiting for some the of the peppers to turn red as I want to make a pepper spread for crackers and I need colored peppers. I will make some mild and some a little hot. If you want, I will try to post the recipe, it is my grandmother's so I really don't have a "recipe" so to speak, but I will keep track of amounts and post later, when I get a batch to make some.
Other than that, I have just been busy putting up some food and just staying out of every one's way. I am also starting my fall ritual of buying things on sale to put away. I keep a full stocked pantry for winter, but something i have noticed lately and I am now careful about buying is that the stores are keeping track of what you buy. A few weeks ago, I bought 6 bags of sugar and the checkout lady asked why I was buying so much. I would of just ignored this, but it was her tone of voice that alerted me to her inquiry. I just told her I am making pickles and jellies and jams, (which I am), and she went on about checking me out. But I am reading from other's blogs, that in some area's of the country, people are being questioned about if they are hoarding. Top be honest, around here, it would be that no one questioned what you bought. As we are in ranch and farm country, farmers and ranchers buy a lot especially starting this time of year for the winter, usually to get them through the winter as where these ranches are located, you may be snowed in for a month and a half or more. Also they have ranch hands and have to feed these men and when you are located 150 miles or more from a large town to get supplies, you just can't get in the truck and go to the grocery store every day or week.
So I am now careful when I go and where. If I have to, I split my purchases over several days, when sales are going. And I don't make conversation about what I am buying. I am personally shocked of this behavior now. It is now a sign of the times.
Well, I think that I had better get off my soap box. I need to start on my peaches and later the tomatoes.
I wish everyone a wonderful rest of the week and to my US readers, have a wonderful and safe Holiday Labor Day weekend.
Love and Hugs to all.
Thank you for all of your support and comments
I am sorry that I have not been blogging recently, but I have been inundated with produce and fruit and I have had to get most of it process or lose it, which I do not waste anything.
An update of the living situation here: As of now, it is very quiet. There are the three rentals still open, a lot of people have been by to look, and the words from the lookers were not at all nice about the property's that are open. I am sure that my ears will burn as most of the people looking mentioned why is the house next to the rental nice with flowers and a mown lawn and this place is a piece of s***. I am sure that the owners are fuming at that comment. So yesterday, very late in the day, some squirrly looking guy came over and mowed the lawn of the rental next to me, and this morning very early, the so called maintenance man was over, putting in a new interior door from the NFH when the guy was beating the old lady and put her through the door, which you could hear in my house.
Rentals here are over priced, and what is available, I wouldn't let my dog live in which is what these places are. We are getting new people in this community from other states, and I have been told by my neighbor lady across the street, who is also a land lady, that people who are moving here are going to city hall and complaining to the mayor and city officials about the conditions of rentals. I am standing ready as I am sure the owner of my area will surly blame me for this rush of complaints from the city officials, he usually does. I do hope though that his ears get tired of the insults from would-be- tenants about his properties. He deserves every word and insult he gets, and hopefully a fine or conditions that have to be met.
My neighbor lady, the land lady, has given me a huge amount of white flesh peaches from her tree. They are going to be gone after Labor Day, on and off until the 16th, and I have the tree to myself. So I have been picking peaches and canning my brains out, literally. I do not let free fruit or food get away from me. So I have been doing this for a few days. I have to get it done, because some strangers have been stopping by the neighbor lady asking if they can take the peaches, so I have been on to this and trying to get the fruit off of the tree. I am for now, just processing them and freezing them in freezer bags. I treat them with fruit fresh, sugar and lemon juice and take them over to my parent's freezer. Mine freezer is absolutely full, and I am going to take a hint from GLD from her blog to clean out the freezer, yikes!!
So, really other than that, I haven't been doing too much. It has been fairly cool here lately, but yesterday and today it is supposed to be up in the high 90's and then cooler weather is coming our way, which I hope will filter down to some of you south of me. My garden is slowly fading away. I pulled up some cucumbers, and have picked a few melons, which I am surprised about. My tomatoes are still slow, but I am getting some. My neighbor man across the street has been gone also, and I have been making raids on his garden for tomatoes and green peppers. I have been waiting for some the of the peppers to turn red as I want to make a pepper spread for crackers and I need colored peppers. I will make some mild and some a little hot. If you want, I will try to post the recipe, it is my grandmother's so I really don't have a "recipe" so to speak, but I will keep track of amounts and post later, when I get a batch to make some.
Other than that, I have just been busy putting up some food and just staying out of every one's way. I am also starting my fall ritual of buying things on sale to put away. I keep a full stocked pantry for winter, but something i have noticed lately and I am now careful about buying is that the stores are keeping track of what you buy. A few weeks ago, I bought 6 bags of sugar and the checkout lady asked why I was buying so much. I would of just ignored this, but it was her tone of voice that alerted me to her inquiry. I just told her I am making pickles and jellies and jams, (which I am), and she went on about checking me out. But I am reading from other's blogs, that in some area's of the country, people are being questioned about if they are hoarding. Top be honest, around here, it would be that no one questioned what you bought. As we are in ranch and farm country, farmers and ranchers buy a lot especially starting this time of year for the winter, usually to get them through the winter as where these ranches are located, you may be snowed in for a month and a half or more. Also they have ranch hands and have to feed these men and when you are located 150 miles or more from a large town to get supplies, you just can't get in the truck and go to the grocery store every day or week.
So I am now careful when I go and where. If I have to, I split my purchases over several days, when sales are going. And I don't make conversation about what I am buying. I am personally shocked of this behavior now. It is now a sign of the times.
Well, I think that I had better get off my soap box. I need to start on my peaches and later the tomatoes.
I wish everyone a wonderful rest of the week and to my US readers, have a wonderful and safe Holiday Labor Day weekend.
Love and Hugs to all.
Thank you for all of your support and comments
Monday, August 22, 2011
No Gulag Yet!
Good Morning Everyone,
I hope that all of you had wonderful weekends and during the last week. I'm sure you have been canning or just busy in the garden or with families.
Well, I am still here. I have not been issued a eviction from court or anything yet. The mouth piece of this owner is just that, a mouth piece. He is a relic from old school crooks, at one time, an embezzler from an auto dealership here in town some 15 yrs ago, and resides with the crook owner who gives him a job as he cannot find any job in town that will take him.
I blow everything off, but I will tell you, the thought of court has me on edge. I have enough going on anyway, and then to go to court so the whole town knows what is going on so gossip and more gossip goes around. I try to just go on, but my brain is in high gear and I'm on edge mentally. I have been canning, as I have to, to keep up with the garden. I have started my physical therapy so I can get some health issues under control before I can start cancer testing, which will be in October sometime. I will tell you though, it is wonderful to have quiet, and peace next door from the NFH to the south. But I am worried of who will go in next....The whole neighborhood including the house neighbors are relishing in the quiet also, at least for a little while, but are worried about what will be next?
Since the NFH incident with the mail box, I have changed everything to go to my box at the UPS store. I used to get a few things here but no more. We are missing a bank statement for my parents, who I handle their bills, and we are sure it was in the mail when the NFH took the mail. I notified the bank, and they have everything flagged, and made a request from the police for fraud or identity theft also on my parents behalf. So I guess if she goes to jail, I'm sure I'll get it from the owner on this too. Time will tell.
Well, I need to get ready to go to physical therapy this morning, then home to more canning. I have some cucumbers I need to do something with, and then I need to clean the kitchen and laundry room. The kitchen looks like a disaster area, and the stove is horrid, from canning. So this is on the agenda next.
I will post photos of canning and the garden. The garden is winding down some, and I have lost some squash to the bugs as usual.
I wish everyone a wonderful and productive week. I will post later.
I hope that all of you had wonderful weekends and during the last week. I'm sure you have been canning or just busy in the garden or with families.
Well, I am still here. I have not been issued a eviction from court or anything yet. The mouth piece of this owner is just that, a mouth piece. He is a relic from old school crooks, at one time, an embezzler from an auto dealership here in town some 15 yrs ago, and resides with the crook owner who gives him a job as he cannot find any job in town that will take him.
I blow everything off, but I will tell you, the thought of court has me on edge. I have enough going on anyway, and then to go to court so the whole town knows what is going on so gossip and more gossip goes around. I try to just go on, but my brain is in high gear and I'm on edge mentally. I have been canning, as I have to, to keep up with the garden. I have started my physical therapy so I can get some health issues under control before I can start cancer testing, which will be in October sometime. I will tell you though, it is wonderful to have quiet, and peace next door from the NFH to the south. But I am worried of who will go in next....The whole neighborhood including the house neighbors are relishing in the quiet also, at least for a little while, but are worried about what will be next?
Since the NFH incident with the mail box, I have changed everything to go to my box at the UPS store. I used to get a few things here but no more. We are missing a bank statement for my parents, who I handle their bills, and we are sure it was in the mail when the NFH took the mail. I notified the bank, and they have everything flagged, and made a request from the police for fraud or identity theft also on my parents behalf. So I guess if she goes to jail, I'm sure I'll get it from the owner on this too. Time will tell.
Well, I need to get ready to go to physical therapy this morning, then home to more canning. I have some cucumbers I need to do something with, and then I need to clean the kitchen and laundry room. The kitchen looks like a disaster area, and the stove is horrid, from canning. So this is on the agenda next.
I will post photos of canning and the garden. The garden is winding down some, and I have lost some squash to the bugs as usual.
I wish everyone a wonderful and productive week. I will post later.
Monday, August 15, 2011
Storms on the Horizon
Good Morning Everyone,
I hope that everything is going well for all of you. I have went through some of my blogs I follow, and it seems that everyone is doing well, enjoying family and what's left of summer and the start of school.
Well, I have had some problems here at the house, from the neighbor from hell to the south. Last Monday night, D caught her kids stealing mail from all of the community boxes and then taking it to her trailer and then she comes out and puts the mail back. Dan did not yell at them, but told them not to get into other's personal mail boxes. So this BFH went crying to the owner that D threaten her, (which he didn't, I was out there too). Well, Thursday afternoon, the owner's so called "manager" called and threaten us and told us we would have to move out because she is moving out. I found out over the weekend, welfare was moving her out several months ago to get her into section 8 housing. So I had to go to my attorney Friday morning and discuss possible court. Personally, I should of called the cops to report the theft of the mail, but then the kids would of lost their support. But she still would of went to the owner because we called the cops, so it would of been a no win situation anyway. I did go and turned in a report to the Postmaster General at our mail facility last Tuesday.
The only reason we are targeted is the fact that I stand up and do not let people destroy my home, vehicles, or steal my personal mail. But to the owner, its ok as he puts feral trailer park trash in the rentals, and you have to just put up with their destruction and crap. He blames us for everyone "getting kicked out" which he did, himself, for non payment of rent. I did not make them not pay their rent. I was not involved with an incident earlier this spring when a pedophile raped a 15 yr old in the back trailer, yet I am to blame for that. The only thing we had to do was call the cops because the back trailer had a party and had 4 wheel drive vehicles in the back lot doing mud races and they threw huge mud rock all over my trailer, took out several screens on my house and cracked the windshield on the dually pickup. I called the cops on that, and we still got in trouble as we weren't supposed to call the cops on them, just let them do what they want. They were evicted last month for non payment of rent and that is our fault also. For that I am the cause of the trouble. Go figure.
So, I will be absent for a little while until I get through this mess. I wish I could move at this time, but financially I cannot, as I have cancer testing this week, and I just cannot afford the moving until next year sometime.
So I will keep you posted and I ask for prayers and good peaceful karma to surround me at this time.
Everyone please take care and I will talk to everyone later.
I hope that everything is going well for all of you. I have went through some of my blogs I follow, and it seems that everyone is doing well, enjoying family and what's left of summer and the start of school.
Well, I have had some problems here at the house, from the neighbor from hell to the south. Last Monday night, D caught her kids stealing mail from all of the community boxes and then taking it to her trailer and then she comes out and puts the mail back. Dan did not yell at them, but told them not to get into other's personal mail boxes. So this BFH went crying to the owner that D threaten her, (which he didn't, I was out there too). Well, Thursday afternoon, the owner's so called "manager" called and threaten us and told us we would have to move out because she is moving out. I found out over the weekend, welfare was moving her out several months ago to get her into section 8 housing. So I had to go to my attorney Friday morning and discuss possible court. Personally, I should of called the cops to report the theft of the mail, but then the kids would of lost their support. But she still would of went to the owner because we called the cops, so it would of been a no win situation anyway. I did go and turned in a report to the Postmaster General at our mail facility last Tuesday.
The only reason we are targeted is the fact that I stand up and do not let people destroy my home, vehicles, or steal my personal mail. But to the owner, its ok as he puts feral trailer park trash in the rentals, and you have to just put up with their destruction and crap. He blames us for everyone "getting kicked out" which he did, himself, for non payment of rent. I did not make them not pay their rent. I was not involved with an incident earlier this spring when a pedophile raped a 15 yr old in the back trailer, yet I am to blame for that. The only thing we had to do was call the cops because the back trailer had a party and had 4 wheel drive vehicles in the back lot doing mud races and they threw huge mud rock all over my trailer, took out several screens on my house and cracked the windshield on the dually pickup. I called the cops on that, and we still got in trouble as we weren't supposed to call the cops on them, just let them do what they want. They were evicted last month for non payment of rent and that is our fault also. For that I am the cause of the trouble. Go figure.
So, I will be absent for a little while until I get through this mess. I wish I could move at this time, but financially I cannot, as I have cancer testing this week, and I just cannot afford the moving until next year sometime.
So I will keep you posted and I ask for prayers and good peaceful karma to surround me at this time.
Everyone please take care and I will talk to everyone later.
Monday, August 8, 2011
stormy weather and canning
Good Evening Everyone,
I hope that all of you are doing well. Its the beginning of the week and hopefully a productive and safe week for all of you.
I am sorry for the delays in posting but I have been canning, and freezing some produce. With great anticipation, we finally got our corn people in from a community about 80 miles east of us. They produce some of the best corn around, and what I like about their corn is: ITS AWESOME. and not too many WORMS! I have been freezing this corn, I blanch first, then I use my vacuum sealer and bag it. I wanted to can some, but personally, I am starting to get POOPED. I have been doing tomatoes, and cucumbers, and freezing some peppers, and canning a few, but I am starting the old, "I tired of the garden routine", which I shouldn't be like that, I enjoy the produce and the harvest, but damn, my back is sure screaming, especially this year. So I have just been doing small batches, getting things together, and then I get another batch, and get it canned. I won't be able to get it all, and if I have leftovers, or the neighbors have leftovers, I will donate this to the food pantries and the homeless shelter. I would like to do some sweet pepper spread, and a few things that I have never tried before, and then I think that I will slow down.
We had a nasty storm yesterday evening, and it rolled through and made a lot of noise, and of course, it had some hail in it, but it was small hail, and not a bad wind behind it to drive the hail through the garden. We had another a few hours ago tonight, a tiny one, it made a lot a noise also, but it blew just south of us and is being naughty down the way. During the night, we had a nasty cloud go over, the clouds were very ominous looking, and the lightning was terrible, but no thunder, just a few piddles of rain drops. We had a storm last week and we got about 3/4 inch of rain, but that was about it.
Well, other than that, that is just about it in a nutshell. I will post photos of canned stuff and corn. Right now, I am totally pooped and am seriously thinking of bed and read a little and then ZZZZZZZZZ.
Good Night Everyone
Hugs
I hope that all of you are doing well. Its the beginning of the week and hopefully a productive and safe week for all of you.
I am sorry for the delays in posting but I have been canning, and freezing some produce. With great anticipation, we finally got our corn people in from a community about 80 miles east of us. They produce some of the best corn around, and what I like about their corn is: ITS AWESOME. and not too many WORMS! I have been freezing this corn, I blanch first, then I use my vacuum sealer and bag it. I wanted to can some, but personally, I am starting to get POOPED. I have been doing tomatoes, and cucumbers, and freezing some peppers, and canning a few, but I am starting the old, "I tired of the garden routine", which I shouldn't be like that, I enjoy the produce and the harvest, but damn, my back is sure screaming, especially this year. So I have just been doing small batches, getting things together, and then I get another batch, and get it canned. I won't be able to get it all, and if I have leftovers, or the neighbors have leftovers, I will donate this to the food pantries and the homeless shelter. I would like to do some sweet pepper spread, and a few things that I have never tried before, and then I think that I will slow down.
We had a nasty storm yesterday evening, and it rolled through and made a lot of noise, and of course, it had some hail in it, but it was small hail, and not a bad wind behind it to drive the hail through the garden. We had another a few hours ago tonight, a tiny one, it made a lot a noise also, but it blew just south of us and is being naughty down the way. During the night, we had a nasty cloud go over, the clouds were very ominous looking, and the lightning was terrible, but no thunder, just a few piddles of rain drops. We had a storm last week and we got about 3/4 inch of rain, but that was about it.
Well, other than that, that is just about it in a nutshell. I will post photos of canned stuff and corn. Right now, I am totally pooped and am seriously thinking of bed and read a little and then ZZZZZZZZZ.
Good Night Everyone
Hugs
Friday, July 29, 2011
Recipe for the Fiesta Zucchini relish
Hello everyone,
I am flattered as I received quite a few emails about the Zucchini relish. Gosh, it isn't fancy but tasty. Thank you for your inquiries. My grandmother would blush.
Now, I really don't follow recipes to the book, but just follow general guidelines. My grandmother did not follow recipes hardly at all, so I learned from her, working around her methods. This is so very similar to pickle relish, you can use a pickle relish recipe you have and just substitute shredded Zukes and adjust your spices and vinegar.
I got about 6 cups of Shredded zukes, and then I shredded a couple of sweet peppers I had left over from last summer's garden. I also shredded a couple of Gypsy peppers, which have a a nice pepper punch to them, though they are not hot, and I shredded a couple of Garden Salsa peppers which have a tiny bit of heat to them but they are not hot either. I also shredded a couple of carrots also for color, to make up for the pepper color.
The peppers you can use for this is unlimited, please use your imagination and your palate. Adjust your seasonings to your family or tongue. If you want a flaming relish, add a more hot pepper. Please do not be afraid of what you can do with this. If you are timid, just use sweet peppers and carrot and then next add a spicier pepper and adjust. Something that will add zing is a red onion, which is what I am going to do next batch. For this batch, I added a white onion. I used a medium onion and just diced the whole onion in this batch.
I took the shredded zukes, and put in an ice cream bucket about a 1/1/2 gallon size along with the peppers, onion and put cold water in and added salt, about 2-3 tablespoons, if you are a salt restricted diet, just use cold water and I soaked this mixture overnight in the frig.
The next morning, I drained the water from the zuke mixture in a large colander and then rinsed good, and then let drain in the sink for several hours. While this is draining, I started my vinegar and spice mixtures in a large pot, if you have a stock pot or a maslan pan, use this, heat your vinegar mixture up, and adjust to your taste. I started with about 2 cups of apple cider vinegar and added about a 3/4 cup of sugar, again adjust to your taste. Then I added 1 tablespoon each of dill seed and celery seed, and mustard seed, in the pot and let simmer, but I did not boil this, just heat up good.
Then I added my zuke mixture and stirred up to make sure all the relish mixture is covered well and then I let this simmer for about an hour, then I tasted the mixture and adjusted to my taste, if you need to add more vinegar, splash some in, I also added a couple of splashes of red wine vinegar to this and I liked the taste. I did use vinegar for canning, which is 5% acidity, which is what you need for canning. I had to add a little more sugar, a tablespoon at a time, till it was where I wanted it. I also added a little more of celery, dill, and mustard. If you wish, omit any of these spices to your taste if you do not like it, again, experiment with the taste, and think pickle relish.
Then I canned this mixture. General canning directions for this: Wash your jars and then keep hot, keep your lids and bands hot, and I used a mix of pint and half pint jars with a tiny 4 oz for the last bit I had left over. Then I used my pressure canner as a water bath canner, not employing the pressure regulator, just letting the steam come out the spout, I found this so wonderful as it did not heat up my kitchen like my big water bath canner does. So I am using this method to water bath can my relishes and pickles, and tomatoes.
I processed for 20 minutes, then turned off the heat, let the steam settle down for about 10 minutes and then took the lid off, please when you do this, please lift the lid away from your face, as you will get a intense facial steaming if you don't and a nasty steam burn, please follow the rules when canning for safety.
Well, I hope that this helps, again, forgive me for not having an "exact recipe", but I find recipes sometimes restricting, please have fun with this, and play with your food, you have my permission. If you aren't sure, email me or post a comment, and I help you along.
Have fun
Hugs
I am flattered as I received quite a few emails about the Zucchini relish. Gosh, it isn't fancy but tasty. Thank you for your inquiries. My grandmother would blush.
Now, I really don't follow recipes to the book, but just follow general guidelines. My grandmother did not follow recipes hardly at all, so I learned from her, working around her methods. This is so very similar to pickle relish, you can use a pickle relish recipe you have and just substitute shredded Zukes and adjust your spices and vinegar.
I got about 6 cups of Shredded zukes, and then I shredded a couple of sweet peppers I had left over from last summer's garden. I also shredded a couple of Gypsy peppers, which have a a nice pepper punch to them, though they are not hot, and I shredded a couple of Garden Salsa peppers which have a tiny bit of heat to them but they are not hot either. I also shredded a couple of carrots also for color, to make up for the pepper color.
The peppers you can use for this is unlimited, please use your imagination and your palate. Adjust your seasonings to your family or tongue. If you want a flaming relish, add a more hot pepper. Please do not be afraid of what you can do with this. If you are timid, just use sweet peppers and carrot and then next add a spicier pepper and adjust. Something that will add zing is a red onion, which is what I am going to do next batch. For this batch, I added a white onion. I used a medium onion and just diced the whole onion in this batch.
I took the shredded zukes, and put in an ice cream bucket about a 1/1/2 gallon size along with the peppers, onion and put cold water in and added salt, about 2-3 tablespoons, if you are a salt restricted diet, just use cold water and I soaked this mixture overnight in the frig.
The next morning, I drained the water from the zuke mixture in a large colander and then rinsed good, and then let drain in the sink for several hours. While this is draining, I started my vinegar and spice mixtures in a large pot, if you have a stock pot or a maslan pan, use this, heat your vinegar mixture up, and adjust to your taste. I started with about 2 cups of apple cider vinegar and added about a 3/4 cup of sugar, again adjust to your taste. Then I added 1 tablespoon each of dill seed and celery seed, and mustard seed, in the pot and let simmer, but I did not boil this, just heat up good.
Then I added my zuke mixture and stirred up to make sure all the relish mixture is covered well and then I let this simmer for about an hour, then I tasted the mixture and adjusted to my taste, if you need to add more vinegar, splash some in, I also added a couple of splashes of red wine vinegar to this and I liked the taste. I did use vinegar for canning, which is 5% acidity, which is what you need for canning. I had to add a little more sugar, a tablespoon at a time, till it was where I wanted it. I also added a little more of celery, dill, and mustard. If you wish, omit any of these spices to your taste if you do not like it, again, experiment with the taste, and think pickle relish.
Then I canned this mixture. General canning directions for this: Wash your jars and then keep hot, keep your lids and bands hot, and I used a mix of pint and half pint jars with a tiny 4 oz for the last bit I had left over. Then I used my pressure canner as a water bath canner, not employing the pressure regulator, just letting the steam come out the spout, I found this so wonderful as it did not heat up my kitchen like my big water bath canner does. So I am using this method to water bath can my relishes and pickles, and tomatoes.
I processed for 20 minutes, then turned off the heat, let the steam settle down for about 10 minutes and then took the lid off, please when you do this, please lift the lid away from your face, as you will get a intense facial steaming if you don't and a nasty steam burn, please follow the rules when canning for safety.
Well, I hope that this helps, again, forgive me for not having an "exact recipe", but I find recipes sometimes restricting, please have fun with this, and play with your food, you have my permission. If you aren't sure, email me or post a comment, and I help you along.
Have fun
Hugs
Thursday, July 28, 2011
canning produce from the getto garden
A very short post and photos of what I am doing this weekend...Canning the first tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers from the getto bucket brigade garden.
I am going to do a fiesta salsa, which has some colored sweet peppers and then some mildly hot garden salsa peppers. And then a few cucumbers for pickles. This is just a very small start. Everything in the garden is slow, but is doing well beside the fact we had terrible cold and wet weather throughout the spring here and then intense heat and humidity. I got some of the larger Zukes done for relish yesterday.
I am planning to go to Farmer's Market Saturday and see if my vendor has colored sweet peppers. I just need a few for my fiesta salsa, it brightens up the mix and makes a pretty and colorful gift. The peppers around here are pretty late just like everything else. Oh well, best laid plans of mice and men.
Well, I need to get going and go see if I can find some Pickle Crisp and a few other things for canning over the weekend.
Please take care all and have a wonderful and productive weekend, in whatever you plan.
Hugs
I am going to do a fiesta salsa, which has some colored sweet peppers and then some mildly hot garden salsa peppers. And then a few cucumbers for pickles. This is just a very small start. Everything in the garden is slow, but is doing well beside the fact we had terrible cold and wet weather throughout the spring here and then intense heat and humidity. I got some of the larger Zukes done for relish yesterday.
I am planning to go to Farmer's Market Saturday and see if my vendor has colored sweet peppers. I just need a few for my fiesta salsa, it brightens up the mix and makes a pretty and colorful gift. The peppers around here are pretty late just like everything else. Oh well, best laid plans of mice and men.
Well, I need to get going and go see if I can find some Pickle Crisp and a few other things for canning over the weekend.
Please take care all and have a wonderful and productive weekend, in whatever you plan.
Hugs
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
First processing of the season.
Not much to post about today, but I managed to process the first Zucchini of the season into a sweet/mildly hot relish. I let it sit in the frig for about 24 hours, and then processed it this morning before it got too hot to do so.
I really do not have a recipe for the relish, its my grandmothers and I think that I used about 2 cups of apple cider vinegar and about a 3/4 c. of sugar and about 1 TLBSP each of mustard and celery seed, and a half of a large white onion. There was about 6 cups of Zucchini shredded. I used my electric food processor, but you can shred by hand with a cabbage shredder. I am going to look into a hand shredder, a good one.
I still have small Zucchini and small crookneck squash and some gold Zucchini. I would like to slice these lengthwise and process these with the pressure canner. Anyone have a recipe for these? Either pickled or pressure canned?
Mommy cat and babies are starting to simmer down some. Still skittish and hissing but they don't run away as much when I go into the bathroom to check on them. It will just take time.
Well that is about it for this uneventful day. Have a great day all!
I really do not have a recipe for the relish, its my grandmothers and I think that I used about 2 cups of apple cider vinegar and about a 3/4 c. of sugar and about 1 TLBSP each of mustard and celery seed, and a half of a large white onion. There was about 6 cups of Zucchini shredded. I used my electric food processor, but you can shred by hand with a cabbage shredder. I am going to look into a hand shredder, a good one.
I still have small Zucchini and small crookneck squash and some gold Zucchini. I would like to slice these lengthwise and process these with the pressure canner. Anyone have a recipe for these? Either pickled or pressure canned?
Mommy cat and babies are starting to simmer down some. Still skittish and hissing but they don't run away as much when I go into the bathroom to check on them. It will just take time.
Well that is about it for this uneventful day. Have a great day all!
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Busy in the kitchen, possum chasin' new kittens
Good Afternoon Everyone,
Well I hope that all are surviving the heat, or drought or both. It is still very hot here and I'm busy in the kitchen at the present time, trying to keep up with the Zucchini and the start of the cucumbers. I shredded some larger Zucchini one of my house neighbors gave me into a relish, its a sweet/hot mixture. I will see tomorrow if the spices and vinegar are ok and then process it. I put a few sweet, and mildly hot peppers I had from last year in this batch, so I will see if its worth canning. I am trying to round up my jars and lids. I am tempted to try the Tattler reusable lids. Hopefully, around the first, I will order some and try them. Has anyone every used these lids? Let me know.
I also got some hamburger patties made and frozen. I can hardly wait until I get my beef order and start making my ground beef fillings, and my stew meat. Since I got my pressure canner, and I'm not afraid of it, it seems I have lost out on a lot of good food because I was a pussy about a pressure canner!
I am chasing a very large possum around the trailer park. The other morning, around 4:30 am, I was up and the dog had to go out, and Belle, went around the corner where she usually goes and I heard some very intense "hissing", and it sure didn't sound like a cat, so I had my flashlight, and shined it where the sound was coming from, and lo and behold, a very large, ( I guessing about 25 lbs) possum was by my north neighbor's back step. It was not a happy camper, and I suspect its a male just by the size. I brought the dog in as I don't want her torn up and by the time I went back out, it disappeared around the back. So, I have my two traps set at night, but as of yet, nothing. I will keep trying, as I don't want that around here at all.
The neighbor from hell clear to the north trailer left a mom cat and three kittens in the trailer, they have been in there with all of this heat, and one other trailer neighbor who lives next to this trailer, came over and told me he heard kittens crying. So, Saturday night, I snuck in a back window when it got dark and found them. Mom has been around for a while, but I didn't know where she came from or what. These babies are pretty wild, but I was able to corner them, and get them rounded up, I de-fleaed them and mom, and for a few days, I had them on my porch, but it was getting just too hot, and I finally brought them into my large bathroom in the big wire cage I use. Mom is pretty easy to handle, but the babies will take a little time, they are 2 blacks and a black/tan tabby female, the blacks are a male and female. I will try to get a photo of them, but usually they run and hide when I come in. Mom is a garden variety grey and very thin. But with a little food, she will be ok.. I was not expecting more cats, and I am getting very tired of cleaning up other stupid people's messes. I am not sure what to do with them at the moment, but right now, my goal is to just get the kittens tamed down and mom filled out, I will cross this bridge when I get there.
Well, that is it for right now. Just wait though, something can happen here in a New York minute. I am going out a little later to water the garden and then come in and make supper. I think boneless pork chops and fried potatoes with cucumber salad and tomatoes in on the menu tonight.
I will try to take photos of the garden. The cherry tomatoes I have are over 6 feet tall now.
Take care all
Hugs
Well I hope that all are surviving the heat, or drought or both. It is still very hot here and I'm busy in the kitchen at the present time, trying to keep up with the Zucchini and the start of the cucumbers. I shredded some larger Zucchini one of my house neighbors gave me into a relish, its a sweet/hot mixture. I will see tomorrow if the spices and vinegar are ok and then process it. I put a few sweet, and mildly hot peppers I had from last year in this batch, so I will see if its worth canning. I am trying to round up my jars and lids. I am tempted to try the Tattler reusable lids. Hopefully, around the first, I will order some and try them. Has anyone every used these lids? Let me know.
I also got some hamburger patties made and frozen. I can hardly wait until I get my beef order and start making my ground beef fillings, and my stew meat. Since I got my pressure canner, and I'm not afraid of it, it seems I have lost out on a lot of good food because I was a pussy about a pressure canner!
I am chasing a very large possum around the trailer park. The other morning, around 4:30 am, I was up and the dog had to go out, and Belle, went around the corner where she usually goes and I heard some very intense "hissing", and it sure didn't sound like a cat, so I had my flashlight, and shined it where the sound was coming from, and lo and behold, a very large, ( I guessing about 25 lbs) possum was by my north neighbor's back step. It was not a happy camper, and I suspect its a male just by the size. I brought the dog in as I don't want her torn up and by the time I went back out, it disappeared around the back. So, I have my two traps set at night, but as of yet, nothing. I will keep trying, as I don't want that around here at all.
The neighbor from hell clear to the north trailer left a mom cat and three kittens in the trailer, they have been in there with all of this heat, and one other trailer neighbor who lives next to this trailer, came over and told me he heard kittens crying. So, Saturday night, I snuck in a back window when it got dark and found them. Mom has been around for a while, but I didn't know where she came from or what. These babies are pretty wild, but I was able to corner them, and get them rounded up, I de-fleaed them and mom, and for a few days, I had them on my porch, but it was getting just too hot, and I finally brought them into my large bathroom in the big wire cage I use. Mom is pretty easy to handle, but the babies will take a little time, they are 2 blacks and a black/tan tabby female, the blacks are a male and female. I will try to get a photo of them, but usually they run and hide when I come in. Mom is a garden variety grey and very thin. But with a little food, she will be ok.. I was not expecting more cats, and I am getting very tired of cleaning up other stupid people's messes. I am not sure what to do with them at the moment, but right now, my goal is to just get the kittens tamed down and mom filled out, I will cross this bridge when I get there.
Well, that is it for right now. Just wait though, something can happen here in a New York minute. I am going out a little later to water the garden and then come in and make supper. I think boneless pork chops and fried potatoes with cucumber salad and tomatoes in on the menu tonight.
I will try to take photos of the garden. The cherry tomatoes I have are over 6 feet tall now.
Take care all
Hugs
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Busy critter
Good Morning Everyone,
Well, I finally caught this little guy. This possum has been around here for a few months and I finally caught it. It wasn't a happy camper either, when I took the photo, it was growling and hissing and have general ill will towards me. I will take it this morning down the road from my house to an area that has a creek and pastures and he is big enough to live on its own. Glenda, yours is bigger than mine, LOL. If you check out Glenda's blog at Living and Gardening in the Ozarks, you will find she trapped a possum that I'll bet was getting in the corn.
Well, that is it for this morning's frivolities, I will water a little, and then I have got to get to this house and all the work that is in here, AFTER I take this little guy back out into the wild, first.
Have a great day,
Hugs
Well, I finally caught this little guy. This possum has been around here for a few months and I finally caught it. It wasn't a happy camper either, when I took the photo, it was growling and hissing and have general ill will towards me. I will take it this morning down the road from my house to an area that has a creek and pastures and he is big enough to live on its own. Glenda, yours is bigger than mine, LOL. If you check out Glenda's blog at Living and Gardening in the Ozarks, you will find she trapped a possum that I'll bet was getting in the corn.
Well, that is it for this morning's frivolities, I will water a little, and then I have got to get to this house and all the work that is in here, AFTER I take this little guy back out into the wild, first.
Have a great day,
Hugs
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Tarragon harvest
D and I just got done with stripping Tarragon leaves that I dried. I dried the entire Tarragon bush, and cut it clear back, it may sprout a few more but with the heat, I really doubt it. I hung this Tarragon under my carport and it took about a week to dry, it really helped with the very hot air we have. So now I have Tarragon in the freezer for winter for my fish and chicken recipes.
I like my herbs dry but not to the point where they do not have their green color. This Tarragon is just right for me.
Take care all and I will see what else I can come up with. I need to pick Basil, so I may do this and process this and post photos.
Take care and don't get too hot in the garden.
Hugs
I like my herbs dry but not to the point where they do not have their green color. This Tarragon is just right for me.
Take care all and I will see what else I can come up with. I need to pick Basil, so I may do this and process this and post photos.
Take care and don't get too hot in the garden.
Hugs
Monday, July 18, 2011
Look Ma! I didn't blow up the house
Good Morning Everyone!
I hope that all of you had a wonderful, productive weekend. From the blogs I am reading, it looks like summer is in full swing with drought, and hot and everyone trying to keep everything going. First its cold now hot, go figure.
Well, with the encouragement from several "mommy" bloggers I have, I took the big step and bought a small 6 qt pressure cooker, and about a week later, I bought a larger 16 qt pressure canner.
They are both Presto brand, and I have used the small 6 qt for several things to ease into using this "scary" equipment, or so I thought.
I did potatoes for potato salad Sunday afternoon, wow, just a few minutes and done! No heating up the kitchen or anything. And I DIDN'T BLOW UP THE HOUSE.
I think that in a earlier blog posting I mentioned that when I was in Jr high, in home ec class, I put a very large commercial canner lid into the ceiling tiles of the school kitchen. I should mention that it wasn't all me that did it, but a general fear of the canner in general, in which I was the one put into the position of handling it as I was the only one in my class that had any knowledge of canners simply because I helped my grandmother can, but I was not an experienced helpmate, I was just learning too, but you know 13-14 yr old girls, no one wanted to touch it, so I was the sacrificial lamb so to speak, and since then, I have been so terrified of them. And this school canner was an antiquated one at that, what do you expect in 1973.
I bought the 16 qt canner through Amazon, for 64.76 + the 12.00 shipping. My Ace Hardware had the same thing for 114.00 without tax which is 7%. So I did save some money. And Amazon had it here in 5 days by FedEx so I was pleased.
I am planning here in a few days to fire it up and give it a test run to check pressure, and then I am planning Zucchini, as I have it running out of my ears now, and then sometime next month, I am going to get some of my beef from the processor in a small town about 60 miles from me. I am just ordering ground beef, and meats I can use for stew and soup and a few briskets, and that is about all I use. I am not a big steak fan, I usually grill small steaks on the Holidays and birthdays, but that is as far as I go with beef. I really do not need a whole beef or half beef, but feel I buy what I use and I don't waste anything. And I am going to can a lot of this beef for Mexican cooking and stews and such. I don't have a lot of freezer space but I will put some in the freezer and can the rest.
I will be making taco/enchilada fillings mostly, and some seasoned ground beef for some other recipes, and then seasoned stew beef for soups and stews.
The garden is doing ok, it is so blasted hot now, it hit 99 here yesterday, (Sunday) but the heat index was in the 105 to 108's which is pretty hot for us here, I know my southern readers get it worse, so I do all of my work in the am, mowing and watering and then I work in the house in the afternoon. That is about it.
My cucumbers are slow, I am getting a few but nothing major. I am slowing getting tomatoes but nothing to toot my horn over either, but the plants are really loaded, and so are the cucumbers, so if they do grow, I will have them coming out of my ears also.
Just a recap of the neighbors from hell update, the one NFH to the north has been kicked out, the NFH to the back of us has been kicked out, but the b**** next to me is still here. Damn! I am hoping as all of us are, that she will move as her b**** sister who was in the north trailer who is now gone, she will follow her, so we are keeping our fingers crossed. I will keep you all posted.
Other than just trying to stay above water to pay bills and keep everything going, everything is fine, I quess. I lost 2 chef clients, as they were having problems too, so my extra money was cut off somewhat. I am somewhat depressed, with all that has been going on, it seems the budget crisis, and just things at home, just trying to keep a roof over your head, it takes all of your energy, and with it being so hot, it makes it worse. I keep the tv off quite a bit, as I am so very tired of hearing the political crap you hear, it just wears you out. Its the same, day after day. I am trying to keep my parents calm, as they are so worried about their social security, I have no answers. I guess, just stand fast, and damn the torpedoes and full speed ahead.
Well, I had better get outside, I need to mow real quick and then water a little and then I am done. Then I will move in the house and put potato salad and slice some zucchini to get them ready to process in a few days.
I wish everyone a wonderful week, hang in there, and I will post later if I can.
Hugs to all
I hope that all of you had a wonderful, productive weekend. From the blogs I am reading, it looks like summer is in full swing with drought, and hot and everyone trying to keep everything going. First its cold now hot, go figure.
Well, with the encouragement from several "mommy" bloggers I have, I took the big step and bought a small 6 qt pressure cooker, and about a week later, I bought a larger 16 qt pressure canner.
They are both Presto brand, and I have used the small 6 qt for several things to ease into using this "scary" equipment, or so I thought.
I did potatoes for potato salad Sunday afternoon, wow, just a few minutes and done! No heating up the kitchen or anything. And I DIDN'T BLOW UP THE HOUSE.
I think that in a earlier blog posting I mentioned that when I was in Jr high, in home ec class, I put a very large commercial canner lid into the ceiling tiles of the school kitchen. I should mention that it wasn't all me that did it, but a general fear of the canner in general, in which I was the one put into the position of handling it as I was the only one in my class that had any knowledge of canners simply because I helped my grandmother can, but I was not an experienced helpmate, I was just learning too, but you know 13-14 yr old girls, no one wanted to touch it, so I was the sacrificial lamb so to speak, and since then, I have been so terrified of them. And this school canner was an antiquated one at that, what do you expect in 1973.
I bought the 16 qt canner through Amazon, for 64.76 + the 12.00 shipping. My Ace Hardware had the same thing for 114.00 without tax which is 7%. So I did save some money. And Amazon had it here in 5 days by FedEx so I was pleased.
I am planning here in a few days to fire it up and give it a test run to check pressure, and then I am planning Zucchini, as I have it running out of my ears now, and then sometime next month, I am going to get some of my beef from the processor in a small town about 60 miles from me. I am just ordering ground beef, and meats I can use for stew and soup and a few briskets, and that is about all I use. I am not a big steak fan, I usually grill small steaks on the Holidays and birthdays, but that is as far as I go with beef. I really do not need a whole beef or half beef, but feel I buy what I use and I don't waste anything. And I am going to can a lot of this beef for Mexican cooking and stews and such. I don't have a lot of freezer space but I will put some in the freezer and can the rest.
I will be making taco/enchilada fillings mostly, and some seasoned ground beef for some other recipes, and then seasoned stew beef for soups and stews.
The garden is doing ok, it is so blasted hot now, it hit 99 here yesterday, (Sunday) but the heat index was in the 105 to 108's which is pretty hot for us here, I know my southern readers get it worse, so I do all of my work in the am, mowing and watering and then I work in the house in the afternoon. That is about it.
My cucumbers are slow, I am getting a few but nothing major. I am slowing getting tomatoes but nothing to toot my horn over either, but the plants are really loaded, and so are the cucumbers, so if they do grow, I will have them coming out of my ears also.
Just a recap of the neighbors from hell update, the one NFH to the north has been kicked out, the NFH to the back of us has been kicked out, but the b**** next to me is still here. Damn! I am hoping as all of us are, that she will move as her b**** sister who was in the north trailer who is now gone, she will follow her, so we are keeping our fingers crossed. I will keep you all posted.
Other than just trying to stay above water to pay bills and keep everything going, everything is fine, I quess. I lost 2 chef clients, as they were having problems too, so my extra money was cut off somewhat. I am somewhat depressed, with all that has been going on, it seems the budget crisis, and just things at home, just trying to keep a roof over your head, it takes all of your energy, and with it being so hot, it makes it worse. I keep the tv off quite a bit, as I am so very tired of hearing the political crap you hear, it just wears you out. Its the same, day after day. I am trying to keep my parents calm, as they are so worried about their social security, I have no answers. I guess, just stand fast, and damn the torpedoes and full speed ahead.
Well, I had better get outside, I need to mow real quick and then water a little and then I am done. Then I will move in the house and put potato salad and slice some zucchini to get them ready to process in a few days.
I wish everyone a wonderful week, hang in there, and I will post later if I can.
Hugs to all
Monday, July 11, 2011
A Hod Pog of going's on
Good Morning Everyone,
I hope that all of you are doing well, and surviving the gardening and heat blues. I am reading from other's blogs that the heat is on, and everyone is dealing with it as best as they can.
We are now in the heat too, we are also starting the July monsoon season, where we get almost daily thunderstorms in the late afternoon and evenings. These come up from the southwest from Colorado. Some have been a little monstrous but we only had one hail storm and thankfully, it did not damage my garden too much, as the fence and the closeness of the other trailers saved the garden by deflecting the hail stones, which were about the size of a quarter and then pea and marble sized stones. I just trimmed off the damaged leaves and used my worm compost tea and some organic liquid fertilizer to snap some of the plants out of shock. Everything seems to be doing fine. We now have the heat to deal with.
It has been ok around here, we had a neighbor from hell problem very early Saturday morning, the house neighbors called the law around 2 am, which I did not hear anything, which is shocking, but I was very tired and slept through THAT little skirmish, but then, I got up around 4 am, because I hurt somewhat, so I was up and then all hell broke loose again from the same B**** that lives next to me, and she was starting more problems with the B**** sister who lives in the trailer to the north of me about 2 doors away. They were all out in front of my trailer and so I called the law and the dispatcher, with a little humor, told me this was the second time they were called and that the cop that patrols our area at night will not be happy going back there. By the time everything was calmed down, it was a little past 5 am, and I was not a happy camper and neither was the house neighbors. I wish they would all move.....
I have been busy drying cilantro and then yesterday (Sunday), I cut some of my french Tarragon and am drying this under my carport for a few days.
I also changed my kitchen around to accommodate the canning later on,. First, trailers are not laid out well in the first place, especially the kitchen, but I moved my frigs to the south wall, and then I have my work table in the middle to handle canning. I moved my baker's shelf where the one frig was and I like it. I can move around and not stumble into everything.
I am going to try, if everything is quiet this week, to wash down my cupboards and go through some things and throw stuff out or to the Goodwill. I am running out of room. I just cleaned out the cupboards last winter, seems stuff just multiplies.
We have started the trips to the pain specialist for D for his spine problems. They are doing injections in specific spots in the vertebrae to control pain. The meds that they give him do no good anymore, and I am not a fan of meds anyway, so this is the last option for now. I talked to the Doctor and he does not have anything good to say about the prognosis, as almost 2 1/2 yrs ago, he asked for MRI's and an appointment with his neurosurgeon, only to be denied, and now the nerve damage and spine damage is beyond repair and with D's age, it is a last option and a permanent one, in which D would have the problems I have with spine surgery. The injections also only last about 4 days for pain control, so it's not a fix either. This is what work comp does to someone in our state, which is nothing, and then ruins the health of the employee and then there is nothing that can be done. Or should I say, this is what happens when the employer does not HAVE work comp in the first place. It is a mess.
I need to schedule my doctor's appointments also, I have had some issues with my parents, and I also lost a very beloved kitty over the Forth of July weekend. Her name was Runt, and she was 21 yrs old. She put up a good fight, but I am sure that she had liver cancer and finally I had to take her to my vet to peacefully send her to heaven. She was a very small, kitty, and was very sick when I got her at about 6 wks old. She had a very bad bout with a bacterial diarrhea and since that, she always had digestive problems which I controlled with enzymes and probiotics. I do not think that I did too bad of a job to get Runt to 21. She was a very sweet and yet grumpy kitty. I will miss her terribly.
Other than that, that is about all that is going on. I also forgot to mention, that I got 3 cucumbers and a tomato, Yay! And they sure were tasty! Had them for dinner last night. Everything is very slow though but it is coming along.
Well, I need to get going this morning, before it gets too hot. We are supposed to have storms also, so I need to mow and trim some more. I trimmed the garden yesterday so I could take photos of it, and I didn't want all of you to see the crappy weeds I had in my garden, it looked like a poop hole. The weeds got away from me.
Anyway, enjoy your week and take care all.
Hugs
I hope that all of you are doing well, and surviving the gardening and heat blues. I am reading from other's blogs that the heat is on, and everyone is dealing with it as best as they can.
We are now in the heat too, we are also starting the July monsoon season, where we get almost daily thunderstorms in the late afternoon and evenings. These come up from the southwest from Colorado. Some have been a little monstrous but we only had one hail storm and thankfully, it did not damage my garden too much, as the fence and the closeness of the other trailers saved the garden by deflecting the hail stones, which were about the size of a quarter and then pea and marble sized stones. I just trimmed off the damaged leaves and used my worm compost tea and some organic liquid fertilizer to snap some of the plants out of shock. Everything seems to be doing fine. We now have the heat to deal with.
It has been ok around here, we had a neighbor from hell problem very early Saturday morning, the house neighbors called the law around 2 am, which I did not hear anything, which is shocking, but I was very tired and slept through THAT little skirmish, but then, I got up around 4 am, because I hurt somewhat, so I was up and then all hell broke loose again from the same B**** that lives next to me, and she was starting more problems with the B**** sister who lives in the trailer to the north of me about 2 doors away. They were all out in front of my trailer and so I called the law and the dispatcher, with a little humor, told me this was the second time they were called and that the cop that patrols our area at night will not be happy going back there. By the time everything was calmed down, it was a little past 5 am, and I was not a happy camper and neither was the house neighbors. I wish they would all move.....
I have been busy drying cilantro and then yesterday (Sunday), I cut some of my french Tarragon and am drying this under my carport for a few days.
I also changed my kitchen around to accommodate the canning later on,. First, trailers are not laid out well in the first place, especially the kitchen, but I moved my frigs to the south wall, and then I have my work table in the middle to handle canning. I moved my baker's shelf where the one frig was and I like it. I can move around and not stumble into everything.
I am going to try, if everything is quiet this week, to wash down my cupboards and go through some things and throw stuff out or to the Goodwill. I am running out of room. I just cleaned out the cupboards last winter, seems stuff just multiplies.
We have started the trips to the pain specialist for D for his spine problems. They are doing injections in specific spots in the vertebrae to control pain. The meds that they give him do no good anymore, and I am not a fan of meds anyway, so this is the last option for now. I talked to the Doctor and he does not have anything good to say about the prognosis, as almost 2 1/2 yrs ago, he asked for MRI's and an appointment with his neurosurgeon, only to be denied, and now the nerve damage and spine damage is beyond repair and with D's age, it is a last option and a permanent one, in which D would have the problems I have with spine surgery. The injections also only last about 4 days for pain control, so it's not a fix either. This is what work comp does to someone in our state, which is nothing, and then ruins the health of the employee and then there is nothing that can be done. Or should I say, this is what happens when the employer does not HAVE work comp in the first place. It is a mess.
I need to schedule my doctor's appointments also, I have had some issues with my parents, and I also lost a very beloved kitty over the Forth of July weekend. Her name was Runt, and she was 21 yrs old. She put up a good fight, but I am sure that she had liver cancer and finally I had to take her to my vet to peacefully send her to heaven. She was a very small, kitty, and was very sick when I got her at about 6 wks old. She had a very bad bout with a bacterial diarrhea and since that, she always had digestive problems which I controlled with enzymes and probiotics. I do not think that I did too bad of a job to get Runt to 21. She was a very sweet and yet grumpy kitty. I will miss her terribly.
Other than that, that is about all that is going on. I also forgot to mention, that I got 3 cucumbers and a tomato, Yay! And they sure were tasty! Had them for dinner last night. Everything is very slow though but it is coming along.
Well, I need to get going this morning, before it gets too hot. We are supposed to have storms also, so I need to mow and trim some more. I trimmed the garden yesterday so I could take photos of it, and I didn't want all of you to see the crappy weeds I had in my garden, it looked like a poop hole. The weeds got away from me.
Anyway, enjoy your week and take care all.
Hugs
Monday, July 4, 2011
Happy 4th of July Everyone
I just wanted to stop and wish everyone in the US a wonderful 4th of July holiday. I am sorry that I haven't posted for a while but I have been really tied up with elder care, doctor appointment for D and myself and the garden and home details which never quit.
I will post sometime this week, with photos of the garden progress.
I also wanted to say that I too, and having major problems with Blogger in posting comments on other reader's blogs. I have been unable to get it worked out nor have I been able to get a hold of anyone at Blogger. So if you have not see me, it is because of this glitch that Blogger is having. It burns me up totally as I have wanted to comment and I have been unable to.
If I want to comment, I will email.
Have a wonderful day.
Hugs
I will post sometime this week, with photos of the garden progress.
I also wanted to say that I too, and having major problems with Blogger in posting comments on other reader's blogs. I have been unable to get it worked out nor have I been able to get a hold of anyone at Blogger. So if you have not see me, it is because of this glitch that Blogger is having. It burns me up totally as I have wanted to comment and I have been unable to.
If I want to comment, I will email.
Have a wonderful day.
Hugs
Monday, June 20, 2011
Wet Monday
Good Morning or Afternoon, everyone, whichever it may be.
Well, its wet here, we had some pretty nasty storms roll through last night, one was just 14 miles south of us with baseball sized hail which I was praying it would not move north to us, but it did go east and pounded everyone down that end of the state. As of this morning, it was still making its way across Nebraska, pounding and dumping inches of rain, especially where they do not need it with the Missouri flooding. We do not need pails of rain either, though we need rain, we are in bad flooding from the North Platte river and its pretty wet and full of mosquitoes, you don't spend too much rime outside unless you want to be carried off by biting bugs, or use tons of poison spray on you, or get West Nile virus.
Since its pretty wet out, I cannot get out in the garden to prune some tomatoes back. So I am inside today running the dehydrator to dry some cilantro for my salsa later this year. I buy cilantro from the grocery whenever they get it in, which is few and far between, so when the grocery gets it in, I grab what I can and wash it in baking soda and rinse and then cut the stems off, and place in my racks. I save the stems and dry those and then run them through a coffee grinder to make a powder to put some in my salsa to add more flavor to the salsa or my homemade taco sauce or enchilada sauce.
I will try to set up a recipe section when I get closer for my sauce recipes, my sauces are not hot, but they do pack flavor from the garden salsa peppers I use and the cilantro. You do not need too much cilantro in a quart of salsa, as it packs a punch in flavor. I would grow cilantro myself, but with my garden reduced in size this year, I cannot use the south side, but next year, I hope that I can. I will grow in containers and then cover them with netting to keep the caterpillars out of the dill and cilantro as they love to eat everything down to the roots. Til then, I am forced to buy from the grocery. Even the farmer's market vendors don't grow it. Too much work.
Really other than that, not too much going on. Pretty quiet, shocking, isn't it! Especially in my neighborhood.
I am just working around the house, it seems pretty erratic, I'm in one room and work for a little while, then I get bored and then move to another room and work there for about an hour, then go outside and work there for a while then come in and start back with the beginning room I was on. I do get things done, but its pretty ADD.
Well, I think that I will go and have some lunch, I fixed colored pasta yesterday, and mixed salad shrimps and the fake crab into a seafood pasta salad, so that is on the menu then I have to run my mom around for a few errands this afternoon, so I will get all of this done, and then find something else to get into trouble with, lol.
Take care everyone and have a great week in what ever you are planning to do.
Hugs.
Well, its wet here, we had some pretty nasty storms roll through last night, one was just 14 miles south of us with baseball sized hail which I was praying it would not move north to us, but it did go east and pounded everyone down that end of the state. As of this morning, it was still making its way across Nebraska, pounding and dumping inches of rain, especially where they do not need it with the Missouri flooding. We do not need pails of rain either, though we need rain, we are in bad flooding from the North Platte river and its pretty wet and full of mosquitoes, you don't spend too much rime outside unless you want to be carried off by biting bugs, or use tons of poison spray on you, or get West Nile virus.
Since its pretty wet out, I cannot get out in the garden to prune some tomatoes back. So I am inside today running the dehydrator to dry some cilantro for my salsa later this year. I buy cilantro from the grocery whenever they get it in, which is few and far between, so when the grocery gets it in, I grab what I can and wash it in baking soda and rinse and then cut the stems off, and place in my racks. I save the stems and dry those and then run them through a coffee grinder to make a powder to put some in my salsa to add more flavor to the salsa or my homemade taco sauce or enchilada sauce.
I will try to set up a recipe section when I get closer for my sauce recipes, my sauces are not hot, but they do pack flavor from the garden salsa peppers I use and the cilantro. You do not need too much cilantro in a quart of salsa, as it packs a punch in flavor. I would grow cilantro myself, but with my garden reduced in size this year, I cannot use the south side, but next year, I hope that I can. I will grow in containers and then cover them with netting to keep the caterpillars out of the dill and cilantro as they love to eat everything down to the roots. Til then, I am forced to buy from the grocery. Even the farmer's market vendors don't grow it. Too much work.
Really other than that, not too much going on. Pretty quiet, shocking, isn't it! Especially in my neighborhood.
I am just working around the house, it seems pretty erratic, I'm in one room and work for a little while, then I get bored and then move to another room and work there for about an hour, then go outside and work there for a while then come in and start back with the beginning room I was on. I do get things done, but its pretty ADD.
Well, I think that I will go and have some lunch, I fixed colored pasta yesterday, and mixed salad shrimps and the fake crab into a seafood pasta salad, so that is on the menu then I have to run my mom around for a few errands this afternoon, so I will get all of this done, and then find something else to get into trouble with, lol.
Take care everyone and have a great week in what ever you are planning to do.
Hugs.
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