Rocks, rocks and more rocks....

Just a note today....the cold has gotten a bit worse so am taking it easy....lots of congestion, runny nose, watery eyes, you know, the whole nine yards....I haven't had a cold in about 10 months so hopefully it won't get too bad...drinking lots of hot tea and water.....

Yesterday, we planted our seed potatoes and onions.....getting started on the garden..we found the softest place in the garden area for them..two years ago, we experimented with compost which didn't do very well, so we dumped the smelly compost in one end of the garden and covered it up...this area has the nicest softest ground now so I guess our compost experiment wasn't a complete disaster!
We've been working now for 3 years to get all the rocks out of the garden area...as you know, this part of California is rock city...tons of them, both large boulders and small pebbles......everywhere you look, you find rocks...

These are some we dug out last year.....this is a small portion of what we found.....most of them are granite....

This year, I think we have succeeded in getting most of them out....and will again keep amending the soil..we are moving the planting around too.....I noticed that our ground squirrels have been digging holes in the garden ground and burying duck food....they sneak over to the ducks food dish and fill their cheeks, then run to the garden area and bury it......so I guess in their own way they are helping us amend the soil too whether they realize it or not!

Starr Mountain Giveaway!

April, at Starr Mountain Primitives is having her first giveaway! hope you will enjoy her blog and please sign up...her choice of Blue Grass and Smoky Mountain music is a treat in itself...

I am fighting a small cold today..hope it doesn't turn into a big one.....we woke up to heavy frost and the temperature was only 28 this morning..brrr..I am going to attend church online today, Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa at 11:15 am. Pacific Time..... Pastor Chuck Smith is speaking.....he is the founder of Calvary Chapel..and started out preaching in a drive in theater, many years ago now.......

We've been doing spring cleaning, and reorganizing...not done yet but we're getting there....have a few boxes of things for a garage sale and what doesn't sell, we'll give to the local thrift shop....
I found my mom's Boyds bear

Only two escaped the fire...they are the lucky survivors.....my mom collected bears.......

Hoop House Gardening and Rain

I am continuing sharing some gardening tips..found this hoop design on Youtube and thought it was interesting..great for starting seeds under if your weather isn't too severe.We bought some peat pots the other day and are starting our seeds..mainly tomato...
Alan tells me a neighbor has put raised planters in his front yard so will have to check that out..maybe he'll let me take a photo to show you..Alan says the neighbor was outside harvesting lettuce the day he walked by.
Another storm is supposed to be coming in today and through the weekend....low snow levels too..we need all the rain we can get so no complaints..last year, our fire season wasn't bad at all, mainly because it rained through the year...we even had rain in July which is very very unusual for Southern California....if that's because of the "global weather change" its a good thing.
History teaches us that Southern California used to be much wetter than it is now..lots of underground rivers and dry river beds here...I was even born in a dry lake bed...According to history, the Spanish explorers used to sail their ships up some of the rivers , like the San Luis Rey river in Oceanside. So time will tell, I guess.....

My birthday was yesterday....it was a quiet day....everybody was working but in the evening, our youngest brought home Chinese food as he knows I love it..I had orange chicken and fried rice.....yummy.....got alot of nice cards and letters...and Alan gave me a favorite DVD collection which I watched part of last night..
right now, our boy is at a job interview...hope and pray its the right job...its for a soil retention company, they made blocks for retaining walls and other products.....its here in town also and pays well.....3 day weekends and benefits so we are hopeful.....

 Also wanted to let you know about a fun giveaway at Inside Nanas Head....  guess how much her 4 dogs weigh....the closest wins a mystery prize....I think I guessed too light....she has a new blog template that is very pretty too so check it out!

Gro Organic Review

I have always thought square foot gardening is the ideal way to plant a garden especially in suburban neighborhoods for various reasons....I was recently given a subscription to Gro-Organic,and have enjoyed planning our spring garden and exploring the website. At first, it took a few minutes to find out  how to use the garden planner as I am not very computer literate but did manage, after a few tries, to come up with a usable plan...I put in our zip code which helped greatly in determining what time to plant the different vegetables we selected...in fact, gro organic sends monthly emails and reminds you when to plant which is great! As well as they have a  newsletter and Facebook page. I couldn't figure out how to post the plan I drew but here is a video about the program..



They've have been featured on many TV shows and  their celebrity clients enjoy groOrganic Gardens like the Kardashians, Tori Spelling, Maria Menounos, Billy Bush and others. But those of us who are not celebrities can benefit too I think square ft. gardening is perfect for those of us who wish to grow food for our families in an easy way..without all the back breaking toil a large ground garden can have. This is great for city and apartment dwellers also as they have barrel and planters for patios, balconies, etc.
The gro-organic company has packages you can purchase which at first, I thought were on the high end, but after looking into it..found the cost reasonable..as it includes not only delivery and set up of the sq. ft. planters, but all the soil, seeds, plants and some plans have a year maintenance program included.

Other products they offer are Chicken Coops, beehives, composters, rainwater harvesting and  more so please check out the site.....

This model is called the Urban Coop

Last but not least, I found one page of building plans  for the handyman and the crafter. My favorite was this darling garden planter...

At least, I think its really sweet......I  imagine strawberries spilling down the sides......

So, in conclusion..I give Gro-Organic a thumbs up!
P.S. they have franchise opportunities  and with so many out of work..this might be a good opportunity for someone..the start up costs are much lower than most...


I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions 16 CFR, Part 255 Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising. Tomoson Product review & giveaway Disclosure.

Crock Pot Cooking.....Tater Tot Casserole

Last Sunday, I threw together a tater tot casserole for the crock pot....so easy and I've got to say, I need to use my crock pot more often...we get busy and suddenly, its supper time...with nothing made ...although Alan is very forgiving...
.I was leafing through the little cookbook "101 things to Do with a Crock Pot" and came upon this favorite..Sorry, didn't get a photo....

Tater-Tot Casserole

1 32oz. bag of frozen tater tots

1 can of chicken, drained (or you can substitute tuna)

1/2 t. salt and 1/4 t. pepper

1 can of green beans, drained

1 can of cream of mushroom soup

1 T. dried onion

1/2 cup milk

1/2 c. cheddar cheese, grated

Pour bag of frozen tots in bottom of your crock pot  In a separate bow, mix remaining ingredients (except cheese) and pour over potatoes. Cover and cook on high for 3 hours or on low for 4 1/2 to 5 hours. Half an hour before serving, sprinkle the cheese on top. Makes 4-6 servings. We had a fruit salad with this....it was very good and there was enough for lunch the next day......I have my mom's Rival crock pot...which is very efficient....

TIP: I like to take a whole chicken and put it in the crock pot...sprinkle in favorite herbs, we like dill, and tuck a few springs of celery and some chopped onion in the cavity..no liquid...and cook it low for 6-8 hours..the meat is so succulent and yummy...great to use in many dishes from tacos to casseroles needing boned chicken...the bird cooks in its own juices and is very moist.
You probably have some good tips too....please share!

Snow Day and a Name Blessing

My son, his girlfriend and a buddy went up to Idylwild, Ca and came back with a truck bed of snow...really nice fluffy stuff...my son is the one in the middle with the black shirt......they had a great time and so did the little girls who live next door to us...they made a snowman!

cute, huh? they had never seen snow before, so this was a real treat for them....the snowman didn't last long, its been cold here but  not cold enough to keep snow on the ground..but it sure made memories.....

I've been working on a counted cross stitch name blessing and have one section of the border done...

..

It will be outlined of course which will make the color pop. I got the pattern from Joyful Expressions and am making it for my younger son for his 20th birthday which is in July.....it should look when finished, something close to this

You can see how each block is outlined in the finished piece...I also got similar name blessing pattern to make for his steady girlfriend as they've been going together for several years...she's a very sweet and fun girl.....they all go to Calvary Chapel here in town...

Psalm 23

Maple Walnut Muffins, and a Video

I am still working on the official review of the gro organic site..I want to post the design I came up with and can't figure out how to do it yet so will hold off but am posting this video about the company..they go into schools and senior centers to help create square ft. gardens as well has help homeowners....

We had two storms come in the last few days..the first was a mild one but the second has been much larger and more rain...fortunately, it hasn't been really cold..in the 50s today..
I made more muffins this morning from the same little cookbook, Mostly Muffins by Barbara Albright and Leslie Weiner....

Maple Walnut Muffins

2 cups regular flour

2 T. firmly packed brown sugar (I used date sugar)

1 1/2 t. baking powder

1/2 t. baking soda

1 c. toasted walnuts, chopped*

1/2 c. buttermilk

1/2 c. pure maple syrup (I used sugar free pancake syrup)

1/2 c. melted and cooled butter

1 egg, slightly beaten

1/2 t. vanilla (I used our  homemade vanilla)

1/2 t. maple extract (optional)

Preheat oven to 400. Grease (Pam) 12 muffin cups or 6 jumbo cups. 

In a large bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. stir nuts into the dry mixture. In another bowl, stir together the buttermilk, syrup, butter, egg, vanilla and maple extract just until blended. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the buttermilk mixture. Stir just to combine.

Spoon batter into the muffin pan and bake for 15  to 20 minutes or until lightly browned. These muffins freeze well.

As per Alan's request, I did add some chopped dates so these actually are Maple Walnut Date muffins, technically speaking...

we buy the chopped seeded dates at our local Winco in the bulk department at the back of the store..they have barrels of all types of flours, dried fruits, seeds, nuts, etc. as well as cocoa, cornmeal, bisquick mix, sugars at very reduced prices..you don't pay for the packaging which saves big money in the long run...I got 5 lbs of bread flour for only $2.30 and 2 lbs of cornmeal for $1.00. 

*to toast walnuts, spread the chopped nuts in a single layer in a 350 oven for about 6 -8 minutes, stirring occasionally until they are browned slightly. It does make a difference in the recipe...

If you'd like your own copy of the muffin cookbook, you can get it through my Amazon.com widget....my copy is getting a little worn from use!

Unpacking and Yorktowne Dishes

We've been very busy, organizing, going through boxes, and I've unpacked our Pfaltzgraff Yorktowne dishes that I had tucked away a few years ago.....decided why not use them....rediscovered  how much I love them...I especially love the teapot, creamer and sugar containers....

I think what I like the most about these is the texture of the ceramics..very smooth, almost sensual....and I also like all the pieces you can get..from a chip and dip dish, to canisters and more.....these giant coffee cups are wonderful...I am using one as I type this post..... I was using green dishes which I gave to my oldest son and his fiancee as they are going to be getting an apartment soon..
The blue, green and brown colors seem to be pleasing which pleasantly surprised me.

Here are the canisters, plus a cooky jar, some bowls, and the chip/dip dish..

there are even corn on the cob dishes that you can see next to the cooky jar......There are also pretty blue glasses that match....as well as candles...

Why I packed these away for 6 years, I will never know.....Yorktowne is one of Pfaltzgraff's most popular pattern..I think that is why there are so many many pieces to choose from...
I am adding some of these pieces to my Amazon widget just in case anyone wants to start their own collection...our collection will be eventually  handed down.

Unpacking boxes is exhausting...we are missing a few things also...we had a white toaster that we haven't found, plus a folding chair and they returned the wrong desk chair....but all in all, we are blest to get almost everything back.....I went through the Christmas stuff, and put two boxes aside for a garage sale....after so many years we had quite a bit we don't need now that we have a smaller tree.

Tomorrow, I will be doing my review of the Gro Organic site.....

Todays scripture is a favorite...

“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”Romans 8: 38-39

Just a note...

Good evening....it has rained most of today...Alan had to go to jury duty.so I spent most of the day going through boxes....the restoration company brought back our stored items.....a little tired this evening...seems like since we moved to this county, all family members get called to jury duty every 6 months or so...don't really understand that...

I hope you tried the muffin recipe I posted yesterday..they were excellent and didn't last the morning....I got the recipe from  a little tried and true cookbook..called Mostly Muffins...it has over 75 recipes for all types of muffins and spreads...we've used quite a few of the recipes and never been disappointed....
You may have noticed I have two Amazon.com widgets on the left side of the blog..I am a Amazon.com associate.....I've selected a few of the same cookbooks we use here at home for the cooking widget...the Muffin one is listed there...as well as two cookbooks..I like these little cookbooks as they are so easy to use and have given some as gifts also...
The gardening widget has the same organic gardening books/ canning recipes we use here at  home also...
Another widget I use is on my other stitchery blog.....redwork and vintage embroidery books as I love vintage redwork and have used the books listed there also... I will never recommend anything that I haven't used personally......

Morning Walk and Muffins!

Hi..thought you'd like to join us on our morning walk......we walk down to the local field with the granddog every morning..but watch your step in some areas, lots of rocks..there is a path but it narrows sometimes....
Here are a few things we saw this morning...

we watched bunnies playing among the rocks.....

lots of bunnies.....and of course with the bunnies, comes the predators...this little kestral wasn't looking for bunnies though..they are as big as he is!.

after the walk, we usually come home to breakfast..this morning, I made Oatmeal Sunflower Raisin muffins...

Yummy! and a healthy breakfast..full of good stuff, so tasty...
here is the recipe...

Oatmeal Raisin Sunflower Seed Muffins

1 c. flour

1 c. uncooked old fashioned oatmeal

1/2 c. packed brown sugar (I used Splenda)

2 1/2 t. baking powder

1/2 t. salt

1/2 c. milk

1 egg, slightly beaten

2 T. melted butter or margarine, cooled

2 T. vegetable oil

1.t. vanilla

3/4 c. raisins

1/2 c. sunflower seeds

Preheat oven to 400. Grease muffin pan...this makes 9 regular muffins or 6 jumbos..In a large bowl, mix dry ingredients, flour, oatmeal, sugaar, baking powder, salt...in another bowl, mix the liquid together well, milk,  oil, butter and vanilla. Make a well in the dry ingredients and add the wet..stir just to combine..then stir in the raisins and seeds. Spoon into the prepared pan and bake for 18 to 20 minutes..cool on a wire rack..these muffins freeze well......

Happy Valentines Day!

Here is a link for a free dinner or supper at IHOP..the coupon is just good for today so be quick! Here is the link.
we are going later for a late lunch.....buy one get one free is a good thing....and IHOP does have regular entrees, you are not limited to pancakes....

I wanted to ask for prayer for a young man who is being deployed to Afghanistan today..he is a young Marine, a neighbor boy who we've known about 6 years....last night he came by the house to say goodbye..I made sure to give him our address so he can write..where they are going, no phones or computers....praying for protection and health...his name is Chance... .
God bless our troops...regardless of how you feel about Afghanistan, these  young men and women are doing their duty and going into very scary places....

General Mills Giveaway Winner and Tomatoes

We had the drawing this morning and drew Cheryl, the Lucky Ladybug.....Congratulations! and hope you enjoy the cereal and walking kit......I will be contacting you to get your address....you might like to check out her blog as she lists many giveaways of all types.

I will be doing a review of the GroOrganic site this next weekend....so far am favorable with their service and information on gardening......the gallery of garden photos are very impressive.....I'll let you know about how their gardening design program works and my experience using it.....our weather here has been very nice, sunny and in the 60s and 70s most days....about time soon to start planting..as I said before we have some seed red potatoes and onions to plant.....
I  found through Facebook a interesting site for tomato seeds..tomatoes being one of the most popular vegetables to plant in the home garden..we planted 50 plants last year which was about enough for all the canning we did...anyway, the site is called Penny's Tomatoes..she has recipes, many varieties of tomato seeds of all types, many heirloom varieties and all harvested here in the states....organic also.....the site has so much information, more than I can describe so if you're going to be planting tomatoes...you might like to check out her site. Her better half has a site for hot peppers  called Pepper Joes and they have a free newsletter with tips, recipes, etc. that I just signed up for.....

Soft Sugar Cookies, and a Valentine

Yesterday, I got in a baking mood again (my favorite thing to do actually) and made these soft sugar cookies..an old recipe.....you can either put a raisin on the top, sprinkle sugar on them or if you are ambitious, frost them with butter frosting...I like drop cooky recipes.. many times I don't have the patience to roll and cut..go figure, as I collect vintage cooky cutters.....

Soft Sugar Cookies

3/4 cup shortening
1 1/2 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 t. vanilla
3 cups flour
2 t. baking powder
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
1 cup buttermilk
Raisins

in a mixing bowl, cream shortening and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. In a separate bowl, combine dry ingredients, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add to creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk. Cover and refrigerate for two hours (the dough will be very soft) Drop by tablespoonfuls 2 " apart onto a ungreased cooky sheet. Place a raisin in the center of each one. Bake at 375 for 8 - 11 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool. This made about 4 dozen...

These make big soft cookies, not too sweet and are great with tea or coffee......

As Valentines day is fast approaching...thought I'd share some of my vintage Valentine postcards..I have a large album of them....

Tomorrow I will be drawing a name for the General Foods cereal giveaway...if you haven't signed up, there is still time!

Genealogy

This  is the oldest family photo I have and the most precious....this is a photo of my great great grandmother taken sometime during the Civil War or right afterwords.....The writing on the back is my great grandfathers, Henry Wagner...Frank Hunt was his brother-in-law...it reads "This picture belonged to Frank Hunt, his mothers picture. He died the 7th of Nov. from a fall at Morrels ice house west end of Ottumwa, Ia. He lived about 3 minute after the fall". My grandfather said the photo had been in Franks pocket at the time of his death. Doing more research I found out that the lady is Perthina Reddin..she looks rather worn and not a little sad...I haven't been able to go back into her family yet..her husband name was Enoch Hunt.....and I know he was born in Indiana...

Genealogy is fun and very  interesting...there are so many great online programs and so much information now, its almost overwhelming. Ancestry.com is a good place to start..you can find out so very much about  your family, even ship manifests..I know one of my ancestors was an original Tea party participant and fought the Revolutionary war..was wounded....
I only wish the large box of tintypes and old photos hadn't been given to the thrift shop when my grandfather passed away....but was lucky enough to get  a few of the old photos....there were hundreds...

A fun project is to make a journal jar...I made and sold quite a few of these several years ago on Ebay...below is an example....

Inside were 100 questions to help in journaling so you or a loved one could write their own story for future generations....questions such as Describe your best Christmas memory"..What was your first job? or who was your favorite teacher in elementary school?..I only wish Perthina had done that...can you imagine?

Restoration!

Yesterday we worked  putting a few things back into the garage..wanted to show you what the epoxy paint looks like on the garage floor...its a shiny finish and we really like it.....washes and sweeps like a dream....our oldest son was goofing around and break danced on it, leaving a few black shoe marks but they wiped off easily......we just got the plain finish for the garage but the contractor said they have many treatments....they can put designs, etc. in it. I asked him about patios and they treat those also....it isn't slick either as Alan was concerned about that...the only thing left is painting the inside door and also the stucco on one wall on the outside.....and we are good to go...am looking forward to getting the rest of our things back that have been in storage......it will be a little like Christmas again!

You may have noticed that I put a little Amazon widget on the side on the blog... am recommending a few books on canning we've used..mostly Ball and Rodale press....its certainly not canning time yet but it does help to look through the books for ideas on what  you want to grow...Rodale has been around a long time....and has excellent for organic gardening....I bought two packets of leaf lettuce seeds yesterday...I like to grow lettuces in a barrel or large pot in the very early spring...the last two years we've had nice lettuce for salads and sandwiches...I just use good soil and throw the different lettuce seeds all over it...lightly sprinkle water and we are good to go.....if there is a frost warning, I cover the baby lettuce to protect it...works really well and is so easy. Its my personal project..growing leaf lettuce....
I will be using the software this week from the ProOrganic people...let you know how it goes..we've been so busy with the restoration that I haven't gotten into it yet.........its all online which is handy...

if you are reading this and haven't signed up for the General Foods giveaway..please do! the link is on the left side of the blog......I will draw the winning name on the 12th!

100th Birthday of Ronald Reagan

I am so proud to have voted for Ronald Reagan..not only as our California governor but also as our President....the group The Young American Foundation inaugural film project, "Still Point in a Turning World: Ronald Reagan and his Ranch," produced and directed by Stephen K. Bannon ("In the Face of Evil" and "Generation Zero")...this is the trailer...thought you'd enjoy it....
we so need another Reagan...

Recipes and a New Product

With this weekend being Super Bowl...and our favorite team, The Steelers  playing...of course, I have to post this great recipe from Just A Pinch Recipe Club that I found...this recipe is for Grilled Cheese Burgers..just the ticket for a meal in front of the TV watching the game..a little messy but delicious..serve these with lots of napkins....the recipe was submitted by Collen Sowa...
we will be serving these for the guys....

Grilled Cheese Burgers

1 lb ground beef
8-12 oz mushrooms, sauteed
2 lg onions, sliced and sauteed
salt and pepper to taste
GRILLED CHEESE
8 slices of your favorite bread
4-8 slices of your favorite cheese for grilled cheese sandwiches
butter or margarine

Directions

Divide the ground beef into 4. Form large patties that will be bigger than your slices of bread and they should be thin. Place them into a large skillet and pan fry them, adding the mushrooms and onions, and seasonings.

Prepare the grilled cheese sandwiches as you normally would. Butter the outside of the bread. Grill on a griddle or in a large skillet.
When the grilled cheese sandwich is done, quickly open each one up. Put on individual plates. Place burgers on one slice of bread, top with mushrooms and onions, put top slice of bread back on top of sandwich. Cut each sandwich on an angle and serve with the usual condiments.

Sorry, I didn't get a photo taken while the cake was whole...it was just too good for the men to pass up...this cake is entirely sugar free!, including the frosting..and wonderful......finally, Pillsbury has come out with a complete line of sugar free cake mixes that are so good.....they rise well,are tender and delicious....we've waited for years to find a good s/f cake mix..had to settle for the expensive little boxes of cake mix that made one thin layer...and the frosting was..well, not up to very good standards...so if you are a diabetic  or  know a loved one that is diabetic....you can now make them a  cake you can be proud of......(.I am not getting anything for letting you know about this..just wanted to pass this new product.) The cake mixes come in two flavors, chocolate fudge, and yellow...this is the yellow cake..and the frostings are similar, chocolate and vanilla...I sprinkled some crushed almonds on the top..Pillsbury also has chocolate fudge brownies..so check your local grocery store and look in the regular cake aisle....if they don't have it, ask for it....

General Mills Giveaway

I got my packet from the General Mills company yesterday. It was very nice getting the large box which contained a coupon for a free box of cereal, a digital jump rope, a cereal on the go bowl, a lunch bag and more....I will be giving away a second set to a lucky winner..so please sign up...the cereal bowl is very cool..there is a bottom section for your dry cereal, then a cover with a spoon..the top is for the milk, you freeze that section before and then it all snaps together..everything fits inside the insulated lunch bag...


According to the 2010 Report of the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, only five percent of Americans get the three full recommended daily servings - a shocking statistic.

With many Americans making New Year's Resolutions to live healthier, it's never been easier to get the whole grain you want without sacrificing taste. Every Big G cereal contains at least 8 grams of whole grain per serving, with more than 20 General Mills cereals delivering 16 grams or more. (At least 48 grams of whole grain are recommended daily.) Big G cereals are America's number one source of whole grain at breakfast, providing America with more whole grain at breakfast than any other breakfast food from any other manufacturer.

I've noticed my digestion is better after eating whole grain cereals..
Get into the whole grain habit by just looking for the big white check on Big G cereals! Cereal is already one of the healthiest breakfast choices you can make, and the entire Big G cereal line is made with whole grain, making it a great choice. Big G cereals have the brands and flavor your family will love, including Cheerios®, Lucky Charms®, Cinnamon Toast Crunch®, Honey Nut Cheerios®, Fiber One® and Total®. ....Personally, I am partial to Cheerios....You can visit Whole Grain Nation for more information.

All you need to do to get the free box of cereal, and the walking kit (lunch bag, jump rope, cereal bowl) is  sign up and hopefully, you will be the lucky winner.....if not for you..it would make a nice gift for someone!
I will draw one winner on the morning of the 12th.

The coupon, prize pack and giveaway are provided by General Mills through My Blog Spark

Antique Photo, a little Family History and more

I ran into this old antique photo...thought I would share....this photo is of my great grandmother, Mary Roberta Barrier ( Minnis)..the older girl in the dark dress is Gladys, the little girl in the white dress is Katie and the boy on grandmothers lap is my grandfather, James William....note his cute high top shoes...this photo was taken in Carrolton, Missouri, around 1889 as James was born in 1886. Gladys, grew up and married, little Katie died in the great flu epidemic of 1919 having never married.
I am privileged to have two quilts Mary Roberta made during the Depression and cherish them greatly....I will have to post photos so you can see her fine work......my mother remembered her working on the quilts when she spent one winter with them, in the 1930s.
Grandpa always had a garden, even unto old age...he and Grandma did alot of canning and preserving....they even had a root cellar and would drive to Montana and Idaho to buy large bags of potatoes, onions, carrots, etc to store there for the winter.....even through the terrible Depression, they always had enough to eat...they even made their own root beer ! Mom remembered occasionally there would be a loud POP come from the basement, which meant a cork had blown off the fermenting brew....  

I will be doing a review of a interesting program for gardeners, called Pro Organic They have asked me to do a 30 day trial of their program so I started yesterday.....its a way to organize your garden space well, time the planting, gives you planning software and is a  source for organic gardening.....I'll let you know  how it goes as we start planning our garden for this year.....they recommend we don't start actual planting until the middle to the end of March for our area.....I'll let you know how it goes, how easy (or hard!) the program is for those of us that are not real computer savvy (like me) and how helpful (or not) it is.....they also will come out and set up your organic garden too....build raised boxes, garden beds, etc. I don't know more than that at this time....we'd like to eventually go to raised beds as I think it would be easier to take care of as we get older....
. 

Another Giveaway , New Blogger, and a New Driver!

I discovered a new blog that is so much fun to visit..had to share...its called Once Upon a Fairyland and the dear lady behind it is Jacqueline...she has just opened her dream shop (brick and mortar) and its a real adventure of fantasy and whimsy. Hope you visit.....
 also another giveaway..this one by Prim Crafts..its her birthday and she is celebrating with a secret giveaway..please tell her that you heard about it from me when you sign up...

  Its sunny here but very chilly...in the 40s and 50s with the wind chill factor...cold to us thin blooded Californians..LOL.....we are having a cold Santa Ana....so its very windy..I hung out the wash with the sun and wind...they should get dry.....maybe....but we count ourselves blest as so much of the country is snowed under....we have a worker in the garage, sanding the concrete..getting it ready to paint....so there is a constant grinding noise going on...we've never had an epoxy garage floor before so this is a first...but as the concrete was stained with soot..it was needed to seal in any smells.
Our son got his drivers license! He was so happy..and thanks everyone for prayers....another milestone and a goal met.....his next goal is to find a good job...that one will be harder, me thinks....he said he really felt God's presence in the car while taking the test....

I've worked several hours on the recipe page...put in many links to the different recipe posts..its a work in progress..I think I will probably make another one with all the canning and preserving recipes as they deserve their own spot.....I worked so much on it, I didn't realize how late supper was becoming...Alan and I went for Taco Tuesday at our favorite Mexican restaurant..its family owned and very good.....we brought home 10 shredded beef tacos, beans and chips.....the tacos are just filled with very flavorful shredded beef..much better than fast food..plus the beans are not the typical pintos but more like navy beans..they said they were Peruvian....and also very good.....I like to see local family owned businesses succeed.....

Shirred Potatoes, Doors and Driving Tests

I was thinking of a different way to prepare potatoes yesterday....when I remembered my aunt's recipe from the 1960s...as it was simple and I had the time...

 Shirred Potatoes

3 T. butter

1 1/2 T. flour

salt/pepper to taste

minced onion

3 c. milk

3 c. grated fresh potatoes

1-2 T. butter

Blend butter, flour, and milk. Cook until thickened (white sauce), stirring constantly. Fold in grated potatoes into the hot sauce immediately. Season to taste with the salt, pepper and minced onion. Pour into a shallow pan, dot with butter. Bake at 325 for 2 hours or until tender and brown..

This is so good..the slow cooking turns the mixture into a creamy delicious dish. Real comfort food. I served it with browned and baked pork chops, steamed green beans and some canned peaches...This would be good with any kind of grilled or roasted meat...I also always add a little grated cheese to the top of the potato casserole a few minutes before taking out of the oven..its not called for in the recipe but the cheese seems to finish it off nicely. Thank  you, Aunt Alyce!

Yesterday, the contractor came and put in our new fire door...he ordered one that matched the rest of the doors in the house, today someone will come to paint it....we are both really happy how its looking ..when we moved in, Alan replaced every door in the house to paneled solid core doors, far more secure.....even our front door which is a steel one is paneled....he also replaced all the baseboard from narrow to wide...it gives the house a nice look..details can make all the difference, sometimes......

this is the new door going into the garage...

This afternoon our youngest son will take his driving test....he's put it off for some time and is not a little nervous...Alan is taking him up to the DMV this afternoon.....he's a good driver and has driven with his permit for almost a year.....even driving back from northern California so he's got alot of experience...driven  more than either of us did when we got ours...so I don't think he'll have any problems....plus he's 19, not 16....both our boys waited until they were older to get their licenses. His steady girlfriend has been encouraging  him as she had got her license a few weeks ago...say a prayer as I know how it feels...as we all do....

A Special Giveaway

I just got a email about a extra special and fun giveaway.....Becky from The Crow's Nest is having her first ever giveaway and wants to get 100 followers by the 14th......but there is a catch...you have to work for it by getting as many of your blogger friends to sign up as you can.....please mention that you were sent by me at Eagles Wings

I've just started exploring her blog and it is fantastic so your time won't be wasted! Above are some of creations she is giving away.....the wax melts sure look yummy, great eye candy for sure!