Yeah, It's time....

Holiday Grand Plan

Yeah, the Holiday Grand Plan started this week. I love it. Lists, list and more lists!!!

Troy and Artie

Reading...

I just finished reading Rose Galbraith. Once again, Grace Livingston Hill doesn't disappoint. It took a little while to get to the good part, but she just had to set the stage...

Currently I'm reading Afternoons with Emily - seems totally different than anything I've read before....

Warm days can leave the house seeming a little sniffy and stuffy, so offset this by mixing up an oh so Summery air freshener using 30 drops ofpeppermint oil, 30 drops of lime oil and 35 drops of grapefruit oil in 40z of water. Shake and leave to blend for a day or two before spritzing into the air as often as you see fit.

From Brocante Home - Puttery Treats for Summer Days

I'm loving my bottle of summer....

The Telling

I just finished the last book in the Seasons of Grace trio - The Telling. Beverly is as good as ever!!!

First Day of Autumn

First Day of Autumn
Days until Thursday, September 23rd, 2010 56

Dr. Doolittle

Brenda trying to rescue another bird....

Cracker Barrel with Granny

Today's Harvest

July 1st - Gamecocks Baseball National Champions Day!!!

Sanford to raise USC flag above

State House

"Gov. Mark Sanford said he will raise a USC flag above the State House on Thursday "in tribute to the team's amazing season and dominant performance over the last few days in Omaha."

He also is declaring that July 1 is Gamecocks Baseball National Champions Day."

TheState.com

Watermelon & Fireflies

This week's ironing movie was inspired by Watermelon and Fireflies by Sugar Pie Farmhouse.

"My oh my! Sugar Pies, are you ready for a sun-drenched, farm fresh, sweet-as-corn-on-the-cob adventure to the good ol’ summertime? Well, this E-Book will take you there! This is more than a E-Book with words, each page is decorated in full color with vintage images, photos, charming quotes and of course 51 farm fresh ideas including family fun tips, recipes, decorating ideas, encouragement for homemakers and so much more!Darlins’, ”Watermelon and Fireflies” is just drippin’ with sweet southern nostalgia like honey from a honeycomb!" says Aunt Ruthie from Sugar Pie Farmhouse.

The e-book is just wonderful!!! The third idea in the book is about breakfast in a bucket and ends with a quote from the movie...

Oklahoma~~~~ the first musical written by Rogers and Hammerstein.

I had to watch it again as I worked today. Shirley Jones had such a tiny waist!!!! Oh for those days of gingham dresses~~~~ :-)

There's a bright golden haze on the meadow

There's a bright golden haze on the meadow

The corn is as high as an elephant's eye,

An' it looks like it's climbin' clear up to the sky.

Oh, what a beautiful mornin',

Oh, what a beautiful day.

I got a beautiful feelin'

Ev'rything's goin' my way.

Also from Sugar Pie Farmhouse we had a Ice Box Lemonade Pie last week. Emily made it and Artie loved it. He's not very big into desserts so when I find one he wants to eat for a snack- it's a good day.... plus it's cool - no baking....

8 oz cream cheese, softened

1 can sweetened condensed milk

3/4 cup frozen lemonade concentrate, regular or pink, thawed

1 container Cool Whip

q graham cracker crust

Beat cream cheese until smooth.

Gradually beat in condensed milk, then lemonade.

Fold in whipped topping and pour into pie shell.

Cover and refrigerate until set.

Fiddler On The Roof

There are just some movies that you are suppose to have seen. Some how I have made it through 42 years without seeing Fiddler on the Roof. Last week I had it playing in the background while I cleaned the living room, folded laundry and sewed up the arm of the couch. (I kept trying to find more to do in the living room so I could keep watching the movie!!!) It was a great find.

TRADITION!!!

Freezing Banana Peppers

When they are frozen I will put in freezer bags. I like freezing them alone so they don't freeze in a big clump.

Flowers from Aldi's

Fruit Flies

We've had so much fresh fruit around lately - cantaloupe, strawberries, tomatoes, bananas. You know what that bring . . . fruit flies!!! Stephen helped me yesterday and made 2 fly catchers - one for the dining room and one for the kitchen. He couldn't wait to wake up this morning and see if they were working. (the girls aren't near as interested in catching fruit flies!!!) :-) It worked!!! There were a couple of little places we needed to tape up a little tighter so there can be no escape. Artie will be impressed when he gets in tonight.

Alison at Brocante Home is the cutest thing around. She definitely has my favorite blog of the year. One of my favorite posts she posts are Puttery Treats. The latest one on puttery treats was Puttery Treats for Summer Days.

Here is one I decided to try:

Treat yourself to some grapefruit or mint shower gel for the zestiest, tingliest of starts to Summer mornings.

I couldn't find any grapefruit or mint but I did find Orange Blossom & Bamboo. It was a lovely smell last night before bed.

Troy's Off to Florida

Troy left for Florida on Friday. It was good but sad!!! I don't know you had the hardest time saying good bye???

Emily started crying

and that made Terry cry

(Troy's not looking too upset is he?)

:-)

Everyone else watched as he went through security

stripping off his shoes to make sure he wasn't a terrorist

last good-bye through the glass

After we left Troy the kids wanted to see some planes leaving but the way the airport is set up now with all their security we really couldn't see much. They threw some pennies in the fountains.

Troy made it safely to Florida and hasn't gotten over how beautiful it is there!!! The work starts today. Have a good day Huckleberry!!! :-)

They

A great post today at Coffee Tea Books and Me.

Sunday Afternoon Tea

What are "they" telling you?

Salsa

Getting ready to can the first salsa of the summer. I had to dig out my Linda Ferrari book, way way down in a stack of cookbooks - someone needs to come and clean my house while i play in the garden!!

Here's the recipe I use:

5 1/2 pounds tomatoes, peeled and diced (about 16 to 17 medium size)

2 onions, diced (I puree mine because Artie can't find an onion in something I cook) :-)

1 can (7 ounces) chilies, diced (I use fresh banana peppers from the garden)

3 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon cracked pepper

2 tablespoons bottled lemon juice

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

1/2 cup vinegar

1 1/2 teaspoons cayenne pepper (I use cayenne peppers from our garden)

Combine all ingredients and mix well. Heat salsa just until hot. Ladle into jot jars. Clean rims, seal, and process in a water bath canner for 45 minutes.

Makes 6 pints

Paula Deen's Savannah Style

I got a new book at the library this week. Paula Deen's Savannah Style. I love it.

I'm ready to move to Savannah. I think I fit there!!!!

I wanna spend the night on a sleeping porch with a fan blowing over me, drinking some ice cold lemonade and reading Grace Livingston Hill books ~~~

Tomatoes

Artie and I have been working in the garden all weekend (when we weren't celebrating Father's Day or swimming at the lake or visiting Granddaddy and Daddy).

The tomatoes had over taken the garden. They have gotten so big. Here they are from the start and next. Artie made up some tomato stakes and we finally got them all tied up!!! Whooo!!!

(don't look at the broccoli, it's almost done and doesn't look very pretty!!!)

They are all up off the ground and have plenty of room to keep growing. I need to plant some more marigolds down the side!!! They look so pretty up against the tomatoes.

I've gotten the outside all weeded but now time to do inside!!! :-) So, don't look at the weeds either!!! ;-)

Here are some of our Roma tomatoes.

Here is today's harvest (along with some green tomatoes ripening from the weekend - those who got accidentally knocked off while we were tying up the plants).

Time for some salsa!!!!

Food Week

Beginning last summer we began eating around the produce on sale each week. Our first big week was Blueberry. Here, here and here are more blueberry posts.

Next we had Peach week.

Here is Strawberry week from this year.

We have now added to also eating around the sales at Aldi's - who have great produce. Last week Aldi's had a gallon of milk on sale for .50. I guess they had a big overstock. By the end of the week they were .10 each. I bought 6 at a time, almost every day. I froze some, we cooked

muffins, pancakes, we drank chocolate milk and made milkshakes. It was yummy and cool!!!

Along with the milk, Aldi's had big bags of oranges on sale for .99 each. I started with 6 bags. The children had oranges for snack. Emily and I made Honey Orange muffins for Sunday morning breakfast on Saturday afternoon. We also made a Orange Salad for dinner Saturday night. Tonight we are having an orange pie for dessert. I have already forgotten where I got the recipe but here it is...

Orange Pie, Grape Pie, Key Lime Pie - Same Recipe with different Kool-Aid

Mix together:

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1 tub of Cool Whip

packet of Kool-Aid (optional 1 tsp of fruit juice - we used fresh squeezed orange juice)

Pour into pre-made graham cracker crust pie shell

Chill 1 hour before serving

I hope it turns out good...

This one looks prettier, I think I might copy the oranges on the top...

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

Cute book I read...

Frugal Luxuries - Caretaker of Happiness

From Frugal Luxuries by Tracey McBride

Part II: Food

Chapter 7: Every Day a

Feast

Caretaker of

Happiness

"You are the caretaker of your own happiness. As such, you must discover the positive pleasure in performing the tasks that enhance the essence of life

itself:

• Collecting, preparing, and preserving food

• Feeding an empty stomach with wholesome tasty, nourishing fare

• Relaxing in a thoroughly cleaned home (preferable your own)

• Settling to sleep on sweet-smelling sheets that are freshly laundered

(I just got the best smelling linen water from Scentennials. I love spraying a little spray over the sheets when the bed's made. Very summery smelling to me.)

• Awakening your senses via working in your vegetable or herb garden

• Learning an interesting, useful skill"

I also got some new scented drawer liners for my new vanity from Scentennials as well. Hopefully pictures will be up soon. I'm in the middle of painting my bedroom and swapping out furniture...

Broccoli

We harvested our first ever broccoli last week. (Here and here it is from the beginning) The kids loved it. They snacked all day on "broccoli trees" and dip. I've got more today waiting on me right now too...

Artie at Work

Memorial Day/Brian's Birthday Camp Out

Uncle Bryan was tired of looking at our old tent. I don't even think I have a picture of it. I gave it to Artie the first Christmas we were married. It has been kept together with duct tape the last couple of years but still has a good bit of hard camping left it in... So, Bryan sent us a new tent - a condo lodge!!

Brenda helping to set it up

Wow, it's big. 3 rooms - boys, girls, mama and daddy

Bobby showing off on the dock.

Brian's girlfriend, Lauren came. She thought she "didn't do lakes" - she found out differently. This was her first ever camping trip, first s'more and the first time she caught a fish.

Daddy teaching Emily to shoot ... what is it you call those things?

Brian helping Artie tear down the tent. Brian turned 20 on Sunday. I made his spaghetti for his birthday dinner. The kids loved their presents to him - a flashlight, basketball cards, a chess set, a green water bottle, and a dice set to play "Greedy" with.

Going home