Hummingbirds and Assorted thoughts

The first of our hummingbirds are back...Alan brought home a new feeder..we get loads of them in the fall and winter as many migrate here from colder climates...we have two so far..a Rufus and a Ruby Throated...there is one nesting in a neighbors tree and it scolds me when I hang out laundry....they are so fearless.....

Have you ever signed up for a giveaway and then lost the blog page? That's what happened to me last night..it was late, I was tired and was winding down looking at cottage/prim blogs when I saw a wonderful giveaway which I signed up for and now, I can't find it....sigh...I had told her I'd post about it today too....oh, well...serves me right, staying up too late...
well, I just found it! forgive my senior moment, LOL but didn't want to forget to post One Simple Country Girl's Giveaway...a checkered gameboard, a ceramic pie plate with potpourri and a fall garland...just the ticket to get into the harvest/fall season....

The cooler weather is still with us...wonderful! I hope the hot season is over...but am not counting on it quite yet....the lawn looks better...and the plants are perking up...

Yesterday we spent the afternoon at a 24 Hr. urgent care, my Alan had a infected finger that was really bothering him....we had tried all the home remedies and nothing was working so knew he needed some antibiotics.....we found a wonderful clinic that takes people with no insurance for a low price..had to wait about an hour which wasn't too bad and he got his needed meds....he feels alot better today and the finger looks better too...antibiotics are God's gift to mankind......the injury had started out as very minor, but it got very infected..his entire finger nail area was swollen and very painful...he couldn't pick locks! and that wouldn't do....

Locksmithing is a dirty job..people spray all types of things into locks..needlessly and then dust gets in there and makes them very dirty..probably why he got the infection to begin with..never spray anything into your locks...its really not needed....we even found superglue put into locks so they couldn't be opened.....the lock had to be replaced..weird...

I didn't get the writer job but they did pay me for the article I wrote which was nice. Stiff competition...

Fall Monday

This past weekend was so wonderful...the air was cool and there was a wonderful breeze..fall is coming fast...most of the fruit trees are losing their leaves including our big fig  tree..Alan harvest 150 figs yesterday and made more fig preserves...the house  smelled really good with lemon, orange, and cinnamon....

we opened the French doors and let the house air out..after all the hot weather, it had been closed up too long.. it gets down into the 50s at night and into the 70s during the day..perfect weather with blue skies and fluffy clouds.....hope your weather is improving too!

Sunday Hymn..Great is Thy Faithfulness

Thomas Chisholm was born in 1866 in the state of Kentucky. He wrote over 1200 hymns, such as: "Living For Jesus," and "O, to be Like Thee." But the hymn we remember the most is "Great Is Thy Faithfulness." Chisholm did not write this hymn because something great and miraculous had taken place in his life. No, he wrote this because over his entire life he had learned to see the greatness of God. At the age of 75, he wrote:

"My income has not been large at any time due to impaired health in the earlier years which has followed me on until now. Although I must not fail to record here the unfailing faithfulness of a covenant-keeping God and that He has given me many wonderful displays of His providing care, for which I am filled with astonishing gratefulness."

Growing up in the Methodist church, this is one of my favorite hymns...I like Fernando Ortega's version.....

We woke up to much cooler temperatures..in the 60s this morning....what a wonderful fall change after the last week with triple digits....I sure hope the hot weather is over but am not counting on it......maybe I'll get motivated to  bake and work in the garden again...been too hot to do either..

Last night I stitched up 3 little Halloween fabric tags...they were fun to stitch and a simple design

I listed these in Yardsellr

This morning, I watched the Restoring Honor rally in Washington D.C. on Facebook....just wonderfully inspiring speakers and music.....there were almost 1 million people gathered around the Lincoln Memorial..and Washington monument......very loving and peaceful, .....it ended with a bagpipe Amazing Grace and over 200 spiritual leaders in prayer...it was wonderful..
here is a video

Down to the River

Thought I'd post this wonderful Alison Krauss video....so much of our heritage has been forgotten...American was once a very Christian country..not perfect for sure, lots of problems but better... people had a sense of decency and humanity in most places .these photos of baptism are outstanding. My mama said even though she's have to walk to the bus stop at night during the Depression with the days earnings in her purse in the bad part of town...no one ever bothered her and in fact, the homeless men watched out so she was safe...would that happen now? I doubt it.

Piccalilli and Rummage Pickles

Here are the other two recipes I promised to post...I well remember being served Piccalilli at my grandmas....it is a prized recipe..

Best Ever Piccalilli

32 medium sized green tomatoes, quartered
1 pt. small onions
6 green peppers, quartered lengthwise
6 sweet red peppers, quartered lengthwise
1 1/2 qts. vinegar
3 1/2 c. sugar
1/4 c. salt
1 1/2 t. allspice
1 12/ t. cinnamon
4 ts. celery seed
1.2 c. mustard seeds

Wash vegetables, put through food chopper (food processor now) using a medium blade. Drain.
Place vegetables in a large kettle, add 1 qt. vinegar. Boil for 30 minutes, stirring frequently. Drain and discard liquid. Return vegetables to pot and add remaining vinegar, sugar,salt and spices. Simmer 3 minutes. Keep mixture simmering while packing hot sterilized jars. Pack into one hot jar at a time. Fill to 1/8th from top of jar. Process in boiling water bath for 5 minutes. Makes 6 to 7 pints.
This is so good on hamburgers, and served with meats.....

The other recipe is called Rummage Pickles..in the old days, you used every thing that was left..all the odds and ends........nothing was wasted....

Rummage Pickles

2 qts. green tomatoes
1 small head cabbage
3 sweet green peppers
3 sweet red peppers
1 large cucumber
3 onions
1 qt. red tomatoes
6 c. chopped celery
1/2 c. salt
1 1/2 c. vinegar
1 1/2 c. water
4 c. sugar
1 t. dry mustard

Chop all vegetables first, discarding pepper seeds, and peeling onions. Add salt and let stand overnight. In morning,drain and discard liquid. Add vinegar, water, sugar and mustard to vegetables. Bring to a boil and simmer an hour or until clear.
Pack into hot sterilized jars and process in boiling water bath for 5 minutes. This makes 14 pints.

My grandma would always serve different pickles and relishes at every dinner..she had pretty little depression glass plates to serve them in....sometimes the plates were divided for the different types of relishes and pickles.....I've collected a few of these..often see them at estate sales...
they are usually very inexpensive...the footed one in the middle was one of my grandma's....

. I loved her bread and butter pickles....my mother in law years later make a wonderful sweet pickle called Crystal Pickles..we begged for it whenever we went back to Iowa for vacation...just wonderful..crisp and sweet...she gave me the recipe and I tried several times to make them but it just wasn't the same.....

Harvest and Hot, Hot, Hot

Alan got up early and harvested the rest of the tomatoes....mostly green....our garden is officially over for the summer...I plan on making some Green Tomato Pickles or perhaps Indian Pickles..There are many recipes to choose from, others are  the old fashioned Piccalilli and Rummage Pickle....
here are the recipes for the first two and tomorrow the second  two.......

Green Tomato Pickles

2 qts. sliced green tomatoes
3 T. salt
2 c. vinegar
2/3 c. dark brown sugar
1 c. white sugar
3 T. mustard seed
1/2 t. celery seed
1 t. tumeric
3 c. sliced onions
2 large sweet red peppers, chopped
1 hot green or red pepper, chopped

Mix tomatoes and salt. Let stand about 12 hours. Drain. Heat vinegar, sugars and spices in a large pot to boil; add the sliced onions and boil for 5 minutes. Then add the drained tomatoes and peppers bring slow to the boil again. Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon.
Pack in hot sterilized jars. Be sure the syrup covers the vegetables. Seal at once.
Process in a boiling water bath for 5 minutes. Makes 9 half pints.

Here is the other recipe..this is called Indian Pickle

4 lbs. green tomatoes
4 lbs. ripe tomatoes
3 medium onions, peeled
3 medium sweet red peppers, seeded
3 medium green peppers, seeded
1 large cucumber
7 c. chopped celery
2/3 t. salt
3 pts. vinegar
3 lbs. brown sugar
1 t. dry mustard
1 t. white pepper

Chop coarsely all the vegetables. Sprinkle with salt and let stand for 12 hours or overnight. In the morning, drain well and discard liquid, add remaining ingredients.
Bring to a boil and simmer slowly for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Pour into hot sterilized jars, seal at once and process in boiling water bath for 5 minutes. Makes 6 pints.




The last few days have been really warm here....yesterday it got up to 108 in the shade on our patio...I hated to go out to hang up the clothes and then again to take them down (although the clothes dried in record time)...our poor Mrs. Quack was in distress and trying to stay cool in shade of our African sumac tree...I took pity and put out a sprinkler for her where she sat in the cool water.....she is moulting and doesn't look very good right now so no photo....poor girl...no eggs either..its just too hot! She has a small wading pool she takes a dip in occasionally...
We do live in a hot climate..the inland Californian valleys can get quite warm. This hot weather isn't unusual but we haven't had it like this for several summers....last year, I think we only had to put the air conditioner on for a week...its on daily now and even though we set it at a rather high temperature (81) it runs constantly. We are also coming into fire season....no major ones yet but with weather like this, its only a matter of time.

I was browsing through my dashboards favorite blogs when I came across Faithfulness Farm's post today about individual serving dishes...Paula Deen had an article in her magazine, Best Dishes.....something old has become new again!...I've always like the little individual dishes also....but enjoy the vintage ones as not only do they have the same  features as the new ones but were made right here in the good old USA. From freezer, to oven or microwave...great for individual casseroles or desserts...can I hear apple crisp?These were made back in the 70s and you can usually find them at garage sales and at thrift shops for a fraction of the new ones.....I've had these 3 in my shop for a time but decided to keep them...they are so useful....

On Sunday, our son bought his first car! As I said, he's really growing up and has been saving his money for quite some time......Its a 1997 Oldsmobile..very clean and low mileage.....bought it from the original owners.He spent yesterday cleaning and cleaning it..even had the carpets shampooed..It has new tires and rims too.Happy Boy!

Making Peach Ice Cream

One of the items that was destroyed by our garage fire was our Cuisinart Ice Cream maker... it was an oldie but a goodie.....so we looked around for a replacement. The new Cuisinart is even better! Yesterday we made peach ice cream..sugarfree of course!..and it only takes about 25 minutes...this is a Google image as I forgot to take a photo...

Peach Ice Cream
3 cups sliced ripe peaches, skins removed
4 T. freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 1/2 cups sugar, or Splenda, divided
1 1/2 cups whole milk
2 3/4 c. cream (can use half and half)
1 1/2 t. vanilla

In a small bowl, put sliced peaches with the lemon juice and half the sweetener. Let this sit for about 2  hours. Stir gently occasionally. then strain the fruit and save the juices..mash half  the fruit in the blender or by hand.

In a medium bowl, using a hand mixer at low speed (I just used a wire whisk) mix milk and remaining sweetener until all dissolved about 2 minutes or so.  Stir in the cream, reserved juice, and vanilla.Turn the machine on and pour in the mixture. Mix until thickened about 20 minutes and at the last 5 minutes, add the reserved fruit and mix completely. This can be eaten right away but we like to put it in a freezer container and put it in the freezer for a few hours. I didn't have quite enough cream  (Alan had made a smoothie with some of it so used additional milk and it was fine)....This makes about 2 pints which is plenty for us. Its fun to try different flavors..he wants to put some of his plum conserve in vanilla ice cream and see how that is......should be yummy!
The next thing I want to try is making our own vanilla....trying to find vanilla beans is proving a little difficult at least here in our neck of the woods...so far no grocery stores carry vanilla beans. I have found some online sources but will preserver and look further before I go that route.......Vodka is easy to get which is the other ingredient.....

I recently listed some stitchery on Yardseller
this is a new site  through Facebook and seems to be very popular..I already sold one item and have gotten tons of hits....they also are looking for writers and after submitting a 8 word paragraph was chosen along with 9 others for a job as a writer. I was asked  to write a 800 word essay which I did  this morning and submitted. They will be hiring 2 to 3 writers so my fingers are crossed. The good thing about Yardseller is listing is free!

A Kitty Needs Our Help

This is Mia..her owner is Nellie who lives in Chicago and is Nancy's daughter (Inside Nana's Head)
Mia is very sick and is at the vets right now......you can read more of her story by clicking on the above link
I know how much vet bills cost having 4 cats of our own and hope all my blog readers can help out, even if its  just a small amount......and I will give 50% of any sales in my shop towards Mia's care also.....together we can make a difference.....for Mia and for Nellie....

Halloween Table Mat

Here is the fall/Halloween table mat I made..sewed it up yesterday...I really like it although looking at it, I can see the border fabric pattern is not quite even....most of our fall/Halloween decorating items were torched so I think I will just keep it and use it this October with a large candle.....the pattern is from Primitive Stitches.....
I've gotten alot of her epatterns and just love them..easy to stitch..and reasonably priced...you can also order them on cardstock if you don't like epatterns which I love..instant satisfaction! She treats the fabric with a primitive tea dying mix so hers look more country..I kinda like them less prim but that's just me....I know primitive is very popular...I also completed the other tag and have this set in my shop..if anyone is interested...the holidays are coming!

Yesterday it was hot hot hot..our outside thermometer registered 102 although the official temperature was "only" 92. The backyard tends to be both hotter and colder than most of Menifee..I think its because we are in a little low area..the road behind our house is at least 15 ft. higher. that our backyard....I had mentioned the road was being worked on and the noise level is much better now, which surprised us.....when we moved in, there was 8 telephone poles behind the wall we had to look at while in the backyard..I asked the Lord to remove them...not really thinking too much about it..it was really in jest..a week later, the poles were all taken down...Thank you! Amazing how He surprises us sometimes, huh?

Tuesday Tags

Just had to show you these new tags, I have almost completed....I am quite pleased on how they came out..these is a new pattern for me...I will be listing them when finished in my shop....I decided to do alot more beading on them which sparkle and I think they came out really nice....there is one more in the set of 3 to do.....
A good friend asked about Santa tags..sadly the one set I had from last year got "smoked" in the fire so I made another set..

a rather old world Saint Nickolas....I listed these yesterday...right now there is free shipping on everything....

Can't believe how fast this year is going....fall is in the air, even though we had hot weather over the weekend..it was over 100 yesterday....Alan made more fig conserve over the weekend...plus I made 5 pints of pickled figs...we also  dried peaches..I think I might dry some orange slices today...would be nice for fall decorating...we put all the jars in boxes and stacked  them in our big walk in closet. A dark cool place...

Driving and a Giveaway

I've been riding around with our youngest as he works on driving..he passed the exam just fine and has his permit...I think he's going to be an excellent driver....I was nervous to begin with but he made me feel comfortable after a few minutes....we drove around quite a bit today and he will probably be taking the driving test in a week or two once he gets more confidence....he's growing up so fast now...hard to let go as it always is with your youngest but I am coping......he thanks everyone for the prayers and now asks to pray about this job offer coming up...its a wonderful opportunity for him..and a career maker...

I wanted to tell you about this nice giveaway...at the Rusty Thimble...
this darling snowman makedo....would look great in my cabinet but then it would look great in anyone's...I am not very lucky but perhaps you are...please take a look at her wonderful creations while you're signing up.....she has giveaways  twice a month! I do love snowmen.....

I've been busy stitching some fall and Halloween goodies....got some fall fabrics at Walmart..they are the only ones around here with fabric ..our local Michaels has zero...I have a table mat and a Halloween candle mat almost finished....but needed backing for them...is it just our neck of the woods or is it a more common thing not to have fabric stores around? JoAnns does carry fabric but it's quite a drive to ours and then the lines to get it cut and then another line to pay for it, is a real turnoff...

America in Color

Not a long post today...I was just on Facebook and one of my pages had this wonderful link website I wanted to share..the most fantastic photos of American during the depression in color..they were taken originally from slides...please check it out..it does take a few seconds to load as there are so many (at least with my camera)..my parents lived during this time as young people..what a generation! 

Captured: America in color

I had posted  before about my parents, growing up in Spokane, Washington during the 1930s...they married in 1939 and at first, before the war...baked pies to sell in grocery stores. My granddad owned a bakery....

Grandpa and Mama, 1936

Anyway, I know you will greatly enjoy the link and photos..and as I did, gain a greater insight into those hard times..we are anticipating something similar as this depression/recession lingers on..especially with the Bush tax cuts gone next year....we are still seeing tons of foreclosures here..both commercial and residential.

End of the Garden

Our garden is coming to an end for the year....the heat we've had the last month as done in most of it..still some tomatoes but that's about all....corn has all been picked and frozen, as have the beans...eaten all the squash and given alot away....
we have lots of canned produce though so am very thankful.....we could plant a winter garden but our energy is about spent, just cleaning out the garden beds for the winter sounds like alot of work...but we will preserver and get that done at least.
I would say this was a very successful year for the garden and we are both pleased. Now to get the garage repaired and the patio cleaned.....we noticed alot of stains on the concrete that need to be power washed...Alan would like to cover the concrete slab with pavers or bricks...but that's just in the talking stage at this point. I'm pushing for just staining or painting the concrete...time will tell what we decide to do....we spend alot of time out there in the fall, and have an outdoor fireplace that is wonderful for cool fall evenings...
I don't know about you but I'm noticing the days are getting shorter and its getting cooler here at night..down into the 60s...and this is just August....!!

I am regularly on Facebook and have really enjoyed both the games, getting connected to old friends and making new ones. I just discovered another great cooking/recipe site through FB and they are offering two, yes, two FREE ebooks..grilling and desserts...wanted to give you the link..Mr. Food
There is a FB page where you can get loads of free samples...I just am starting to get mine..they send you links every day to sign up for loads of free stuff....so far, I've gotten two free items..a coupon for a Starbucks snack plate (which my son enjoyed) and yesterday I got a free sample of a laundry product.  Its worth signing up for FB just for these free things..although I think you can sign up directly from the website at FreeFreebies.org...Bless our frugal hearts....

Spiced Peaches

Our little kitchen smells wonderful today..Alan didn't have but one job so he's making pickled peaches....wow...everyone who comes in the front door can't believe the delicious spicy scents..wish you could smell it.....we have lots of peaches so one entire box is devoted to these toothy delights....the other will be dried in the new dehydrator...plus tomorrow its more tomato soup as the big patio table outside is covered with ripening tomatoes....I am not sure why we feel compelled to make so much this year but God has blessed our garden with abundance.

Spiced peaches

6 lbs. peaches (about 2 dozen medium sized ones)
8 cups sugar (we used splenda or you could go half and half)
2 3/4 c. cider vinegar
4 cinnamon sticks
4 t. whole cloves

Make sure the peaches are ripe and sweet..wash and then dip them in boiling water for about 4-5 minutes, then immediately ice water..the skins should slip off easily this way...
cut off any brown spots and mushy areas....cut in halves or quarters and remove the pits.
Mix the sugar, water and vinegar in a pot and get it boiling. 8 cups sugar, 2 3/4 c. cider vinegar, and 1 1/3 cup water. Heat until sugar is dissolved. Put the spices in a cheesecloth bag and add them to the boiling liquid. Boil for 5 minutes or so..Add the prepared peaches to the hot syrup. Bring to boiling again and simmer for about 10 minutes or so until tender.
Place peaches in hot jars, fill the jars and then add syrup to 1/2" of the top of the jars. Seal and put them in the water bath canner...process for 10 minutes
Lift them out on a towel or wooden cutting board to cool....this recipe makes 6 pints..we went overboard (as usual) and ended up with more....7 pints and 2 quarts..

I am doing a little stitching between helping the big guy can, cleaning up the kitchen afterwards, taking care of the household, laundry, cats and young men, etc...a cute little Halloween mat...I will show you when I get further along on it......
Our youngest went today to get his driving permit....he asks for prayer....he has a very good job offer with our water district but he has to have a drivers license..he's a born procrastinator...and has put this off for months......he's been studying the drivers manual all morning and set off to  the DMV this afternoon..hope he didn't leave too late!

Recipe Club, Soup, and Peach Pie

I just discovered on Facebook the Just a Pinch Recipe Club.....one thing the ladies in our family have always done is share and enjoy recipes...since most of my family has passed away, I really miss the fun...my mom and aunts would pour over recipes, drink coffee and have such a good time.....I am hoping for something similar by joining....sharing good recipes and discovering new ones or improved ones is fun....
This morning, I turned this

into this

and then canned 5 qts of it...its absolutely the most delish tomato soup I've ever had.......I can't claim any credit....got the recipe from Oodlekadoodle Primitives
she's been posting for several weeks, canning recipes..this week its making your own pie filling, yummy! we buy sugar free pie filling from Walmart but its expensive, even there..so something we will probably want to do.....maybe some peach pie filling as Alan (again) brought home two flats of peaches..they have been so good this year and cheap! Peach pie.....I could use a slice right now!

My New Shop and a new Dehydrator

I've been working on my second blog and changed it to a selling one....still in the baby stages but I've had added Paypal buttons...and have a few things  listed..some holiday  tags, a pretty vintage crocheted centerpiece..a holiday craft book and some childrens books....I have some nice flour sack towels I will be embroidering for the holidays....and will list them later....plus I have some vintage aprons and other goodies to add in the coming weeks.....the link is on the left side..the little red storefront.....also if you are on Facebook, I have a page set up...The China Lake Shoppe       ...I will keep my prices as low as possible and right now there is free shipping on everything as an opening special...
I will have a giveaway soon when I get 50 followers so please stop by and either like on Facebook or the blog  or both!..

We are still canning away...Alan is making more of the fig conserve as its simply wonderful.....like the ambrosia in the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe...this time, he's remembered to add the pecans.....I also found a tomato soup recipe on Oodlekadoodle Primitives...it will be nice this winter to have our own tomato soup ready to go on a cold afternoon......with a toasted cheese sandwich....we still have lots of tomatoes with more coming.....
Alan surprised me and ordered a new dehydrator..ours was right above the fire in the rafters and was totally destroyed.....so I will be drying figs and other goodies. Our old dehydrator was a very good one..plastic but the really sturdy kind..we looked several places around here and couldn't find anything like it..but he managed to find one online through Walmart that is similar......it was a nice surprise to see the UPS man come to the door with a large package.....funny, I love getting kitchen gadgets.....not that I have the space but I sure enjoy them...

Thoughts on a more serious nature

we've traveled and so enjoyed a few of our national parks....more in the western north than anywhere else..Arches, Yellowstone, Mount Rushmore, etc. I viewed this video over a week ago and its message has bothered me ever since...our country is being trashed,and polluted by not just normal people looking for work but drug runners, ( seeing prayer rugs, and Koran's listed ,perhaps terrorists). The drug running is so bad and violent, they can't send anyone in these areas to check on the wildlife.


regardless of your opinion on illegal immigration....our borders desperately need to be secured.

Canning Adventures

Here is our canning so far....nowhere to store the jars as yet but they are done.......Alan just went to the store to get more pints/ jelly jars......he's into sugar free jam now......(.the gallon container on the left is vinegar for pickles...)
I woke up to him puttering in the kitchen, slicing peaches for peach jam, he then cooked the peaches until they were soft and put them through the food mill...
added sweetener, lemon juice and pectin...a big pot is cooking right now..so no photos of the finished product..we both decided quarts of peach jam was a bit much..hence, going to get the pints and jelly jars

He had already made a Fig Conserve......which we hadn't tried before and were pleasantly surprised..a conserve is just jam with other goodies added...this recipe includes chopped pecans (which he forgot to put in) two chopped lemons, and crushed pineapple..he must have got up really early!

I was woken to the delicious smells coming from the kitchen...and was treated to an English muffin with some of this delicious conserve + coffee

Think I'll keep him!

Here is the Fig Conserve recipe...

2 lbs. ripe figs
1 cup crushed pineapple, small can
2 medium lemons, cut into small pieces.. peel and all
1/2 t. salt
1 cup chopped pecans
sweetener..add to taste..we used 3 cups of Splenda..

Wash figs and cut into pieces. Mix with pineapple and lemons..put into a large pot with equal amount sugar (or other sweetner) and the salt. Bring slowly to the boiling point and simmer gently until thickened. Stir in nuts: put in hot jars. Makes about 5 jelly jars.....we doubled the recipe.....and also water bath processed the jars...can't see to going to all the trouble of making jam to have it spoil.......10 minutes in the water bath canner will do..

A Quiet Monday

I am getting a few things accomplished...3 more tags done.....I will start listing them soon.....in case anyone would like a set (or two.or three) ..there are two more designs to go and then I'm planning on some tree ornaments......
today was  a quiet day...everyone went to work...all the 4 guys...kinda nice to have the house to myself..turned on the radio, and did alot of housework...then stitched these up this afternoon while watching a movie.....
this morning we enjoyed  the plum jam Alan had made the day before..our youngest (19) sampled it and  his eyes got big..."Good stuff!" he couldn't believe how good homemade is.....
the weather is warm here but not too bad..the clothes on the line dried very fast as we had a good wind too....it felt like it could rain , and wish it would to break the  humidity...I cooked up some of the tiny little apples that we have from our Beverly Hills apple tree...they didn't make too much, only about two cups but it sure tastes good....we will have it for dessert this evening...yum!



Thought you might enjoy these very old cat photos..guess adding captions isn't a new thing.....

Fig Jam and Fabric Tags

Yesterday we made 6 half pints of sugar free fig jam....it is soo good...the fresh flavor shines......its so good in fact, we decided to make more in the coming weeks....this is the recipe we used which is very easy..how to make fig jam..we used Splenda instead of sugar......we will be pickling some also and got the ingredients ..we just  need to wait a day or two for more figs to ripen..

things have changed quite a bit since we last did serious canning..they now have packages of spices for different types of tomato sauces..we picked out one package to try..for pizza sauce...

.found these at Walmart. A favorite thing to do on a Saturday night is make homemade pizza.
We spent Friday night making tomato sauce and canning whole tomatoes...made 7 qts...plus 3 qts, of canned nectarines....now we can make pizza sauce too!
I bought the new "Clash of  the  Titans" and frankly, we both like the old one better...we used to call our youngest "the Kracken" when he was little as he was such a roughneck....

.I've started stitching holiday tags....here is the 3 that have been completed..

These need to be trimmed slightly and washed but they are basically done....the pattern is from Primitive Stitches..she has several new patterns out..
I sold quite a few tags last year, including this pattern..its one of my personal favorites....they make cute card enclosures, bookmarks or even to hang from the tree or on a doorknob, wreath..or a peg shelf...