Sunn Spotting

A few weeks ago the hubbs and I stopped by a grocery store in the next town and saw this amazing contraption Really, is this not the coolest little car you've ever seen?!?

A one-seater with a top speed of 25mph. Totally customizable!
Solar powered with the batteries at the very front of the vehicleYou can find out more about these here.

Dinner and Vanilla Extract

Last night Jami fried up some deer back strap (something like a pork tenderloin) that he or his dad harvested. If you fix this, be sure to get all of the white parts off, it's really tough.

While he was busy making dinner, I got busy making the vanilla extract.

Bottles ready for a hot bath.

I have a small pressure cooker that I do all of my canning in. You don't have to have the big guns to can!

All of the directions I found said to use kitchen scissors to cut the beans. I found a razor knife to be much, much easier.

This is what happens when you have hard water (and a silly husband!).

But, with a little vinegar it's good as gold!

All labled and ready to go! I really like how this turned out.

I'm off now until Monday! I hope you all have the loveliest Christmas possible!!!

The Yule Meal

I hope everyone had a Blessed Yule and it was as relaxing as my night was! We came home to a beautiful sunset.....and Jami got to use his new present to grill the best Large Mouth Bass I have ever tasted! This is just before going on the grill. It was caught in our back pond and is seasoned with lots of basil, and a pinch each of cayenne pepper and Lawry's Seasoned Salt.

Of course we had to have cheese grits with it!! A good 'ole SaGaNoFla Yule feast!

The makings for a big 'ole weight gain!

Things have been pretty busy around the Old Homestead here lately between the normal routine and getting ready for Christmas. I really haven't felt like battling the crowds and the traffic to find that "perfect" store bought piece of crap that just so happened to be marketed right. Plus I flat out don't have the money to spend. So the hubbs and I put our heads together to figure out something the two of us could make in a one size fits all. Cookies!! Everybody loves fresh, home baked cookies, right? I haven't sat down and figured out the exact price of each, but considering that we had a lot of the ingredients stock piled in the pantry, it's not very much. I paid $1 per tin at the Dollar Tree and spent somewhere around $30 at the grocery store (hitting sales, of course!). We're expecting to get 1 1/2 - 2 dozen mixed cookies in each tin. The adults (16) have a slightly larger tin than the kids (only 2). We've been making the batter, balling up the dough, and freezing it so the baking will go smooth sailing. We're also making vanilla extract for the ladies of the family. Our bottles just came in yesterday, so we'll be getting on top of that tonight!

We're making at least one batch of each cookie, most of them making between 3 and 4 dozen cookies per batch.

The List:
Snickerdoodles
Pecan Pie Cookies
Tie-Dye Sugar Cookies
Chocolate Hazelnut Thins
Pinwheels
Oreo Cookies (not the store bought!)
Chocolate Crackle
Oreo Balls (doesn't require baking!)
Shortbread Thumbprint with blackberry jelly (homemade from the back yard!)

These are the ingredients for the Hazelnut thins. Nutella is soooo good!!
For our coffee lover friends I'm making chocolate covered coffee beans that are peppermint flavored and am toying with making them Fudgy Cappuccino cookies, but we'll see how time is going. I'll try to get some recipes posted of some of these soon.

My little helper complete with his pet beer!

My friend came over Sunday night to make some cookies of her own. We did the tie-dye sugar cookies, which was good since I wanted to try them first! It took a little while to do them, but they turned out great!

Cookies Cooling

This one was my favorite!
We finished up at about 11:30 that night with more than a couple of glasses of rum and coke... all in all it was a good night!

Monkey Bread

Have I mentioned that I LOVE cinnamon?!?!

What you'll need:

• 4 cans biscuits
• 1/4 cup margarine
• 2 cups sugar, divided
• 4 teaspoons cinnamon, divided

Add 2 teaspoons cinnamon to 1 cup sugar. Cut each biscuit into 4 pieces. Place cinnamon-sugar in a bag; place biscuit pieces in the bag and shake until well coated. Dump into a Bundt pan. Melt margarine; add 1 cup sugar and 2 teaspoons cinnamon. Mix until well blended; pour over biscuits. Bake 30-35 minutes at 350* or until browned.

These are soooo delicious!!

Conch Chi Chi's

What you'll need:

• Pineapple juice
• Coco Lopez (Creme of coconut)
• Kahlua
• Vodka

Into blender put: 1 shot pineapple juice, 1 shot coconut creme, 1/2 shot Kahlua, 1/2 shot vodka. Blend until smooth.

Mudslides

Well, dang.... my mouth is already watering!!

What you'll need:

• Vodka vanilla vodka is best
• Kahlua
• Bailey's Irish Creme
• Half & Half
• Chocolate Syrup
• Reddi Whip

Into blender put: 1 shot vodka, 1 shot Kahlua, 2 shots Bailey's, splash of half and half, 1 cup ice. Blend until smooth. Make designs on inside of a glass with the chocolate syrup. Pour in drink. Top with whipped cream and drizzle with syrup. Top with a cherry or strawberry.

Just what I've always wanted!

If I'm looking for a sure fire way to relax, piddling with plants works like a charm. My favorite job ever was working for a local plant nursery. I never dreaded having to get out of my cozy bed to work in the hot summer sun or to freeze my tushie off in the Winter. Never did I tire of waiting on customers with endless questions. "I don't know what it's called, but I saw it in the mall parking lot." "Can you tell me what this is growing on my beloved roses?" "I'm no good at this, could you make a list of things that would work in my yard?" No question ever went without a good answer. It felt good sharing plant knowledge with people. I'd have to say that I learned more at the nursery than I did at any other job, possibly all of them combined. If I'm riding with someone, my eyes are constantly darting from yard to yard naming off the plants in my head. This is an excellent way to keep everything fresh and even to learn new plants!

I would love nothing more than to be able to pack up my things at this job and run back to the nursery! The sad thing is, that unless something miraculous happens in the plant world, I would never be able to survive on the wages that they pay. So, thanks to my daddy (whom I'm pretty well convinced is the best dad in the entire world) I now have that favorite job right outside my backdoor!!

I somehow neglected to take a picture of the outside, so this is from the manufacturers website!

She's slightly used (about 6 months worth) by my cousin's ex-wife (another plant enthusiast!). My dad and I have been trying to get this off of him for somewhere around a year and dad finally scored with an extremely reasonable trade! It's bigger than this picture makes it look with it being 12' deep and 10' wide. I'm not too sure on the height of it, but I'm 5'0" and can barely reach to hang a pot from the rafters! The outside is made of fiberglass that will have to be replaced over the years. The frame itself is constructed of galvanized steel which, to put it in Jami's words, will be there longer than we want it to :)

This is the inside of the green house, taken standing just outside the door. You can see how well the frame was built and the old plant hanging gives you a little perspective of the height of the structure. The built in selves are about a foot deep and go around both sides and the back. They're covered with wood which is OK for now, but when they're reading to go I think I'll cover it with something like chicken wire to allow the water to flow from the pots easier. I can also add a fan in the little square on the top middle of the back wall for more air flow if needed during our hot summers. Jami's dad was nice enough to haul in some clay/dirt and level the ground underneath. Since it doesn't have a floor in it, he also brought some old conveyor belt to put down so I won't be in the mud. He's such a nice pa-in-law; he also plowed the garden for me!

Looking out of the door you can see the bed liners we repurposed as bottom shelves. The footers on this thing have it raised up about 5" from the ground so there's an air flow around the entire bottom of it. By placing the pieces of bed liner from tailgates it totally blocks the air and makes for some mighty fine shelving.... even if it doesn't look the prettiest. For the front and rear open spots, we've temporarily placed boards to block wind. Of course I've already been told about 5 times that they will rot away in no time, but they're from an old deck that a friend tore down so I really don't give a flip if they do or not! I've got plenty more stashed out back! You can also see where it's wired up (the horizontal line running from by the door to the window). It's got the switch for the heat lamp (you can see that in the previous picture) and an electrical socket with a water proof cover.

This is looking to the other side of the door. You can see the gap I was talking about very well. This side also has wood blocking the wind for now because I have my pots sitting in the corner and a shelving unit with cover for my fertilizers and such in front of them. The black hose is a soaker hose that will probably come down since it doesn't allow for optimum watering. I don't suggest watering your potted plants this way (putting down a soaker hose in a flower bed is great, though) because not all of your plants are going to need the same amount of water at the same time. It's best to get a watering wand and water your plants as needed.

We moved in the outdoor plants this past Saturday as our first real cold weather came in that night (yea, the first frost for us was in December this year and it got down to 32*.... very chilly for us!!). I checked the temperature around 10am and it was holding a steady 70* inside the building! I'll definitely be planting some seeds early this year!!

Fake Cinnamon Rolls

I just love the way cinnamon smells, especially cinnamon rolls! This is my moms recipe- she would have these on the counter almost non-stop when I was little. They're terribly easy to make and will hold their smell for quite some time!



What you'll need:

• 4 cups plain flour
• 2 cups salt
• Water (no specific amount)
• Ground cinnamon
• A couple of sticks cinnamon to garnish

Mix flour and salt. Add water- a little at a time- until it looks like cookie dough. Roll out into a rectangle about 1/4 inch thick. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Roll up and slice about 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick. Place on a cookie sheet. Bake at 300* for 2-2 1/2 hours. Spray tops with non-stick cooking spray the last 30 minutes of baking to brown. Let cool. Place rolls in a decorative basket and garnish with the sticks of cinnamon.
Makes about 1 1/2 dozen.

Witches Brew

I'm sure there are a gazillion recipes for this, but I figured I'd post it as a substitute for the one planned! I bring to you the ever popular,

Witches Brew

You'll Need:

• 1 12oz container of frozen limeaid, thawed
• 1 qt lime sherbet, slightly thawed
• 1 liter ginger ale (chilled)
• liquor if you choose to spike the punch (if so, stick the bottle in the freezer a few hours prior)

Simply mix all of the ingredients in your serving bowl! I like how the sherbet gives it foam on the top!

True to form...

I forgot to pick up the recipe that I was going to share with you today! I'd hate to guess at it and you try it tonight only to fail miserably, so I'll get two up tomorrow. In the meantime, I'll rack my brain and see if I can come up with another one for today!

Giveaway Straight From Salem!

If you're not a follower of Octoberfarm you should really check that blog out! There's all kinds of recipes, Fall stuff and a little tour of her travels around Salem, Ma!!! I've always wanted to go there, and she's somewhat satisfied my desires! At least for now! Coolest thing? She's doing a Halloween giveaway featuring items that she picked up on her last visit to Salem!
Enter for your chance to win.... unless you want to make my odds a little better!! :)

Eating Kitty Litter?!

Yes! I said eating Kitty Litter! Well, not actual kitty litter, of course, but a cake that looks so much like the real thing I've had people refuse to eat it! I first made this cake a few years ago for a Halloween party and it's been a regular at my house every year since. I've even had a couple of requests for birthday cakes! Enough hooblah, on with the cake!!

Note: This image is courtesy of a Google image search. My poor home computer is still not in proper working order and I don't want to do any more than necessary to it, so you'll probably see more of this!

What you'll need:

• Plastic kitty litter pan (I used the large one from the dollar store)
• Litter Scoop (again from the dollar store. I think both cost about $3)
• 1 box Spice Cake mix
• 1 box White or Yellow cake mix
• 1 package vanilla sandwich cookies (NOT oreos, the ones with white icing and cookie)
• Green sugar crystal sprinkles
• Tootsie Rolls (the long ones work best)

You may want line the pan, but I usually don't do this. Just depends on what you want. I don't have cats so the liner is just an extra expense to me! Also, some recipes call for vanilla pudding added to the mix. I don't do this step either, though I did try it once. I made the cake ahead and by the time it was ready to be eaten, the pudding had made the cookies soggy. Blah!

Bake the cakes according to the instructions on the box. Meanwhile, in a food processor (or a zip lock with a big 'ole hammer!) crumble the cookies. Once the cakes have cooled, crumble them up with your fingers and mix the two cakes and about half of the cookies together. Spread into the litter box. Sprinkle the rest of the cookie crumbs over the top of the cake then top with the sprinkles to resemble the crystals in kitty litter. Next is the fun part! On a microwave safe dish, heat the tootsie rolls, a couple at a time, until they are pliable. Shape them into turd form and place around in the litter. I like to stick one on the scooper itself and have one hanging on the edge like the poor kitty had the runs! Be sure to get a little of the cake onto some of the tootsie rolls so that it looks like it's been a while since it was cleaned! Sudden thought: I wonder how those mini snicker bars would work with this? Hmm, I'll have to try that out next time! If you do, let me know it works out! You can put some news paper, or whatever you think makes it look genuine, under neath the pan.... just make sure your kitty knows the difference!! Enjoy!!

Since inventory has been done and work has finally slowed down, I will try and post at least one of my Halloween recipes these next couple of days! I'm so sad I've missed out on the festivities until now!!

The Garbage Patch

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_1DKOcMgzQ7bOJ3s8ImbTV2d-4lXdK9UAU-poMyJ9-jngUpQqHT4HOzSWleI36oXAcXAzJw3bZN6Qf1bvWGoe8XcKld3JHizpNZQi_0fzZpskZkpyqvf68iEj6dQkaP6ZNOjcinu0QcQN/s400/garbagepatch.jpg&imgrefurl=http://butimawizard.blogspot.com/2008/03/pacific-ocean-garbage-patch-twice-size.html&usg=__BOkbh2CPbiuLLUCx5SvCTCGXm-o=&h=299&w=400&sz=24&hl=en&start=29&um=1&tbnid=X3OyORmmKHTdmM:&tbnh=93&tbnw=124&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dgarbage%2Bpatch%2Bpacific%2Bocean%26ndsp%3D20%26hl%3Den%26rls%3Dcom.microsoft:en-us:IE-Address%26rlz%3D1I7SUNA_en%26sa%3DN%26start%3D20%26um%3D1

http://www.core77.com/blog/education/tragedy_at_sea_vbstv_sails_to_the_garbage_patch_10117.asp

Mother Earth is Cyring

This photo of a glacier was taken on July 16 in the Svalbard archipelago of Norway by Michael Nolan.

Quick note to swap partners!!!

For some reason I can't get onto Craftster.org.... I try to load the page and it goes to a white screen for ever then finally has two sentences written across the screen basically saying it cannot load the page. ??? I've never seen a message like this before... it's not like the ones internet explorer give. Ah.... try again later.....

CrockPot recipes out the rear!

I somehow stumbled upon this blog today and man, am I glad I did!! Thought it would be nice to share. It's got everything from appetizers, soups, and gluten free!

A Year of Slow Cooking

EDIT: I remembered where I found it! Hippie Witch's Blog!! Check her out if ya haven't yet!

Back from Vacation and Unscathed by the storm!

Since I don't have a whole lot going on in the crafting sector right now (at least that I can talk about) I'm going to take you on a little tour of our vacation! I'm going to do this in segments since I have a crap ton of pictures and learned a lot of interesting things while there! Enjoy!

We made it to Puerto Rico on Saturday, August 15 just as I was starting to get sick! Don't worry, I doped myself up with Vitamin C and was able to head it off pretty well (Emergen-C is a wonderful thing to keep on hand!). The main thing we were worried about was if we would have to come home early because of the storm headed our way. The first couple of nights were spend on the far East coast of Puerto Rico in Fajardo... right where that storm was headed! Luckily for us it took a turn and headed farther North than expected! It actually only rained on us one day the entire week!

So... on to the lovely pictures!! I have a copy of our friends pictures and will hopefully remember to bring them in with me- she's got a lovely camera ;)

This was the hubb's first time flying and he was just a bit nervous! I was a bit congested and looking like poo. I can't tell you how afraid I was that someone would think I had the dreaded swine flu and tell me I couldn't get on that flight!! I had it all worked out, though, and decided I would suffocate before I started hacking and coughing in the airport or on that plane!

These are the coffee-holic friends we went with Chelsea and Kevin. You know how you get tired of being around some people within a day or so? Not these two! They're such sweeties. Jami and Kevin have been friends since the womb and he's the guy that married us!

And here's little Lyle all ready and anxious to go. He was super stoked about getting to go to an island! This was just before taking off at the Atlanta Airport which, by the way, is the busiest airport in the world!

As we started getting over the Atlantic Ocean, my dear husband started freaking (only minor). I think the realization that we were not only in the air, but out in the middle of the ocean, got to him just a little!


So here's the fix- an ice cold Heineken in his very own coozie!








Once we landed, got our luggage and the car it was time to get some grub! I had read about the food in Puerto Rico and about the many food stand along the roads, but I was truely blown away at the number of them! They are literally on every corner and every where in between. The majority of them are nothing more than what you would see at a BBQ cookoff! Something like this (note: this is just a reference picture found by a google search) They would have their trucks backed up to the tent to sit on and the open grill cooking anything from pinchos (kabobs) to lechón asado (whole pigs on a rotisserie). The other half is tiny outdoor resuarants with minimal seating. This type of roadside food was the first thing we tried. Just East of San Juan we stopped at Fat Boys, where we plunged into the Puerto Rican culture. As we walked up Fat Boy and both of his parents were sitting on the patio deep in conversation. As soon as they saw they had customers they all stood, smiling ear to ear. I have never felt so welcomed into a place before! His parents spoke very, very little broken English and he had about as much knowledge of English as I do Spanish. We managed to communicate very well despite the language barrier. He was extrememly patient and friendly with us as we asked 21 questions about everything on the small menu. He even gave us samples of several things so we would know better about what we were ordering (which, apparently, is a very common thing down there!).
If only I could remember the names of the food we ate there!! We all had tostones (plantains deep fried, then mashed, then deep fried again- they use these as we do french fries) as a side with our meals. Kevin and I had pork tenderloin seasoned with something amazing (he wouldn't give his secret away to my little grill master), Jami had pork sausage, and Chelsea had some sort of steak. We all sampled each others plates and agreed that this was a meal fit for royalty!



Starting at the center, clockwise: mine, Chealsea's, Kevin's and Jami's.

It's also strange is that the canned drinks only come in 10 oz cans instead of the 12 oz I'm used to!

More to come in the next installment!!

3 years and counting! Ah, wedded bliss!

So, seeing as how this is a wonderful day for me and I'm stuck at work for it, I figured I'd write a mushy little entry! The hubbs and I have been married for 3 years as of today... and we haven't killed each other yet! Ha!

Let me give you a piece of history of us.... way back when (I was in 7th grade and he was in 9th) he was my little sweetheart. We were "going together" through Christmas time and he gave me a sweet little locket in which he put the cutest little picture of himself! In return I gave him a necklace with an eagle (well get back to this later). Anyhoot, like most young puppy loves, we eventually broke up, but I still watched for him around campus and in the halls... just pining away! I eventually moved back to my hometown (which really, wasn't a move at all... 20 miles) and lost all contact with him. Several years later I ran into his sister at her work and we chatted a bit. "See that girl over there?" she said. "That's Jami's fiance." AH! My poor little heart was just as broken as if she had said that the day after we broke up!! Oh, well, it was just a little kiddie crush.

One day I was cleaning up my junk and came across that little locket. I opened it and stared at the little picture for a while. Then I remembered his sister telling me he was engaged to be married. I threw the locket away. Now here's the killer. One month later- I shit you not, one month- I saw him at a bar in town. I was standing in the ever long line to the ladies room and out he walked from the men's room. He looked right at me.
"Jami.... is that you??"
"Yea, Jenna???"
"Aren't you married?" I wanted to go ahead and get this question RIGHT out of the way!!
"Nope!" ALLLLLRIGHT!!!!!!!! I'm sure he could see the excitement in my eyes! He was even better looking than I had remembered! Those bright blue eyes, that yummy tan skin. Oh, I could eat him up! As for that engagement... she apparently had some super snakes and he had broken up with her shortly after I had talked with his sister.

Sooo.... he said to find him when I came back out and that I did! I grabbed another drink and went on the prowl. We hung out the entire rest of the night, and he took me home. I *accidentally* left my hat in the backseat of his car so that he would have to call me the next day to get it. ;) We've been inseparable ever since!!!

Oh, and that necklace I gave him... his mom found it a few just a few weeks ago and it's hanging from our truck's rear view mirror. We car pool with it everyday! Man I love that guy.

And just to make this a wee more mushy, here's a picture from the best day of our lives!!


We'll be leaving for a week vacation this Friday. Kind of a mix between an anniversary vacation and a couples vacation! See that guy behind us in the picture? That's Jami's best friend who married us (no, he's no preacher of any sort!) and who we're going on vacation with! Many, many pictures to come!

Garden Bounty

I decided to try a garden this year, one project that's been on the list of things to do for quite some time! My pa-in-law came over and plowed up about 3/4 of an acre - waaaay more than any noob needs. Needless to say, I didn't plant the whole thing. I did plant about 40 eggplants (they were leftovers from the farmers next door. Do you know they throw the extras away?!? Ridiculous!!), 20 okra, 16 baby lima beans, 30-something cow peas, 16 black eyed peas, and about 40 English peas. I started all but the eggplants and okra from seed. Since we have very very rich soil (old cow pasture) I decided to try it without putting any fertilizer down. Things are going pretty dang good considering, but I am definitely going to put down some organic chicken fertilizer next time to get those big bushy plants! Also, the only pesticides I've put on them is Safer Soap and when the little buggies wouldn't go down with thatTriple Action +. The Safer is good for organic gardening, though I don't think you can technically call it organic, and the Triple Action+ is a lot more gentle on Big Mamma than other products out there. TA+ is also excellent for when you're not real sure what the problem is as it is a fungicide, miticide and insecticide in one!! (The Safer Soap is for the bugs only) Don't have anything on hand but noticed you've got bugs? Break out the sprayer and a little of you kitchen dish soap! Add a smidge of the soap to the water and spray, spray, spray. It'll make the leafs slippery and taste bad. Of course when you can get something a little better to spray on them, this is just a quick fix. You can also add the soap to whatever you're spraying on them to make it stick better! We used that method a whole lot at the nursery.... with 17 acres and 3 giant greenhouses those critters'll give you a run for your money!

These pictures are from a few weeks ago, but I don't have any more recent ones on my computer! Ignore the grass that's everywhere... I just can not keep it out! I'm devising a plan for next time, so maybe it won't be so much of a problem.


These are the cow peas


Baby Lima Beans


Okra


Eggplant (these aren't quite ready for picking in this picture, but they sure are now!! My Granny's already came and raided my garden since she's not doing such a big one this year! LOL!!)


I picked this basket of goodies right after I took the pictures! Mmmmmmm!!!


And since we were on the topic of gardening, my mom started her first garden this year, too, so for Mother's Day I made her a gathering apron. Sorry, no action shots, but take my word, she loved it!!


Isn't this just the cutest fabric?

So I've been away for a bit....

Things have been ridiculously busy at work for the past month or so and I haven't had time to do crap. We lost 2 people from an already short crew, got some new help who just this morning wrecked a truck, and have all new upper management who doesn't seem to know much about the business. On top of that we've had to have the transmission in the Jeep rebuilt, signed up for a trip to Puerto Rico (that's in the middle of August, 3 days after our 3 year anniversary!!), had to pass on the trip to my Family Reunion in Dalonega, Ga, found my cards that were supposed to go out a month ago in a work truck (can't get a man to do anything and now I'm wondering if I should send them out or say fuck it from embarrassment- I haven't even checked that thread), fixed some minor things on the truck, lost one of our snakes (she passed- not just lost in the house!!) and my brother and sister-in-law have started their house behind us. I'm thinking about stealing some of those ideas Danni had over at The Whimsical Cottage for clearing out some of the negativity in and around the house. It's been a wee bit stressful for us here lately, but I've finally got a slow day at work today!! Can't wait for that week off!!

I received a package from Tero in the Hippy Swap at Craftster and hope to get those posted today or tomorrow. We'll see how that goes! I also have some pictures from the Disposable Camera swap that need to be put up on here as well. I did get those onto Craftster today. My package to Tero is out, but she hasn't received yet, so I won't talk about that just yet! I also still have a WIP that will be sent at a later date. I'd hope everything would come in on time to send it along with the first package, but it didn't and it's taking me longer than anticipated! I kept out a few extras to include in the second package so that it won't look so shabby! :)

My Little Visitor is still here and is going to go to Puerto Rico with us, too! Arti (my little guy) is in China right now. Annnd I have let myself sign up for yet another swap, but it's a Camper's swap and who could resist that?? I haven't started on her stuff yet (it's only 4 points however you want to make them), but I do have my ducks in a row and probably should start sometime soon!

Ah, I'm off to see if I can get some stuff loaded in this last 40 minutes of work...

Brewing a concoction

I'm trying to make something to help Jami with his psoriasis. I think this mix is going to be pretty darn good for it and I can probably use it on other things as well. I've had the herbs steeping in olive oil in a western window for almost 2 weeks now. I'm about ready to make my stuff, all I need is bees wax. I'm not going to elaborate on this because I may send some in a swap package and I'd hate to spoil the whole surprise!

Been Busy!

Lyle and I finished making the jelly last week and it turned out better than I could have imagined!! I managed to delete the the pictures off of my camera before I put them on my work computer, so I don't have a pic of the finished product! Believe me, though.... it's beautiful!


Jami, me and Cooter went riding around this weekend and I showed him the Old Jail in Jasper.


He had no idea it was even there, much less that they still have the noose hanging in the window! This is the top window of the building. I imagine they would let the town watch as the criminal was punished.



As for Lyle's adventures this week, we took him riding on the 4-wheeler. I think he really enjoyed that!

Lyle also discovered a funky vine flower on the fence row- a passion flower. He wanted to get close to see all the neat little layers of it.

Makin' Jelly!

This past Sunday I spent a very hot, very sweaty two hours picking blackberries. They're so plentiful this year! I'm sure it's a combination of all the rain we've been getting and the run off from the crop fields next door. Whatever it is, it's working! I ended up with a 9x13 casserole dish plum full of them, so we're making jelly! It's my first time making it, so keep your fingers crossed that we don't botch it!

I had a little helper cooking the berries. His name is Lyle and he's from Colorado. He's my Little Visitor from a swap over at Craftster.org and he'll be here until September. I think he's really getting into this!

Here we're sorting out the berries and getting them ready for the pot. We've already thoroughly washed them.

Lyle mashing the berries to get all the juicy goodness out of them (just before we let the pot boil over...ooops!!) Tonight we're gonna get on top of making the jelly.... dad gum it! We've been busy this week!