Instant Gratification for Knitters....

I knitted a Gnome! No pic, of course, because...apparently that is how I roll. Anyway, if you are wanting some nearly instant knitting gratification, go here and knit one of these...and she posted pictures so you can see how cute they are. She also sells them, in case you want one and aren't into knitting! http://plainandjoyfulliving.blogspot.com/2009/02/fun-knitting-gnome.html

I am truly amazed at how fast this project went. I am going to make two more today...and I'll still have plenty of time to spare to finish up the patio swings refashion! And on that topic...I have the cushions done and the pillows done. I have started on the canopy. I have decided I actually like working with gigantic pieces of heavier material! And I did find for sale online the actual replacement cushions and canopy for our model of swing and I have saved a ton of money doing it myself - about 1/3 of the price! That IS a good thing!

I have been doing a lot of blog reading, but not much commenting. Just wanted to say that you all rock and I love reading your blogs! :)

Have a great weekend! :)

Another Successful Recipe! Easy Chicken...

This time with chicken breasts. It is a modified version of a recipe I came across online. Put your chicken breasts in the crock pot (I had a pack of 3). Mix a packet of dry Italian dressing mix in a little bit of water and pour it over the chicken. Cook on low for a few hours. I then took out the chicken and shredded it. Then mix together a package of cream cheese, a can of cream of chicken soup, and a can of water in the crock pot. Add the shredded chicken back in and cook for another hour or two on low. Serve over pasta, we did bow ties, the Barilla brand (I think that is what it is called!) with the omega 3's and what not in it. I was a little leery, something about the cream cheese in this recipe sounded weired, but it turned out delicious! Like an Alfredo type sauce. We had it with a salad and homemade rolls. Yummy!

It is stinkin cold here and supposed to get even colder! Below zero temps, snow on the ground, and more to come. Winter has made itself known! Pretty sad when you wish it was 25 degrees! That would be a welcome relief! I have been knitting a set of dish cloths to go along with the table cloth dish towels. Oddly enough, these are the first dishcloths I have knitted for us! I haven't been doing anything fancy...cast on 36 stitches and knit each row til it is an even square and bind off. I can get 3 of them out of one ball of yarn! :)

Are you staying warm?

You Simply Must Check It Out!!

My friend, Breanna, has three wonderful blogs going and I'd love to share them with you!

This one, her original, has a lot of neat stuff. Delicious yarn photos (she spins and dyes and knits!), pictures of neat places she has visited, her beautiful children and family, pugs, some neat crafty ideas, and more. Go on, have a look-see!

This one is one of her new blogs and it is about FREEZER COOKING!! :) I really want to get into doing this. She has some great recipes up. Check it out!

And last but not least, she is a preschool teacher. She was my youngest daughter's preschool teacher last year and I give her an A+! She's a wonderful teacher. She has recently started a blog about Montessori activities . It's new, but one you'll definitely want to follow especially if you have little ones!

So there you have it. If you are getting hit with this winter storm as we are, go grab a cup of cocoa (Or coffee for you in particular Coop Keeper Jayme! Or decaf tea in my case because I mixed a packet on cocoa in coffee just a bit ago and I am on caffeine overload!), snuggle in your warm robe, and go check out Breanna's blogs!

What? Only 139 Days Until Christmas?

Yes, it is true. Only 139 days until Christmas. And holiday pumpkin pies are on my mind! I baked the pumpkins, then I scooped the meat out, pureed it in my brand new food processor, bagged it up and put it in the freezer. Each bag has enough for two pies in it. Yum! I was going to make some pumpkin bread this evening but got busy and ran out of time. I have only done these two pumpkins so far and they made enough for 7 pies! WOW! I remember my Grandma Edna baking THE BEST pumpkin bread in coffee cans! I wish I had that recipe...does anyone have a good Grandma one?


This recipe ROCKS! It is battered jalapenos and oh man, are they good! I made them last night and served them with some cheesy queso dip. Delicious! You can find the recipe here. I am going to slice up some jalapenos to freeze to make this recipe later this winter. I think this would be a perfect way to use up frozen peppers, and freezing is so easy.

Grating up Zucchini to freeze, for the ducks. Let me ask you....how did I ever live without a food processor? Don't laugh...I have been grating zucchini by hand! With one of those flat cheese graters! Until I broke it while grating all that gosh darn zucchini! : ) LOL The thought of grating up a gazillion more pounds was just a little daunting, so I invested in this baby and it has already earned it's keep between the zucchini and the pumpkin! I can already think of a ton of uses for it. I have no idea, however, where I am going to store it!

Some of the peppers I canned today. More mild jalapenos and cherry peppers.

Knitted Babe momma and boy/girl twins I made for my niece's birthday. Tomorrow is her party and I am very excited to give them to her! I hope she likes them.

I hope you have a great weekend! :) Next week I think I'll do a Christmas Is A Craft update....How are you doing on your Christmas preparations?

Feeling Out of Whack.....

Summer is a double edge sword. I enjoy the lack of routine, yet the lack of routine also drives me insane at times. :)

We had a death in the family, so have been busy and have had a lot of family in town. Rest in peace GG Pop. We will miss you! We have also had some other family members in town who stayed with us. Always fun, yet chaotic!

Garden is growing, most things are doing wonderful, but the tomatoes look terrible. We had a ton of rain and I don't think they liked having their feet wet for so long. Maybe they will snap out of it. I have picked a few yummy cherry tomatoes. And have eaten a few sugar snap peas off the vine. Oh yum! :)

I dug some red potatoes for dinner last night and they were so delicious!

I am about to pick our first Zuchinnis. I have also been hand picking and squishing squash bugs and searching the leaves for their eggs and smashing them too. Other than that, no major garden bugs yet.

The ducks are doing wonderfully. We need to get their nest boxes built sometime in the next month.

I have been knitting. I made a trip to a Hobby Lobby and drooled all over the yarn isle. I bought yarn for gifts I am making for Christmas. I got one of the newborn hats done for my sister's twins-to-be and have started on a pair of matching booties. It kind of amazes me that I have acquired the needle and yarn stash that I have already! And I have so many projects going on at once. I am a "bouncer" though...I work best when I have a lot of irons in the fire instead of just doing one thing to completion and starting another.

I have been working on some organizing and cleaning out and getting rid of stuff. Where does all of this stuff come from? I think the Stuff Fairy must sneak in at night. I am filling up the back of the van to make a trip to the Goodwill for a drop off.

We are all healthy and happy and life is good. How are you and yours?

Canning Jar Quandry.....and Garden and Dirty Diva Duckie Updates

Hello everyone! Today my laundry is being dried by the gracious sun and I am cleaning out the pantry. Ugh. It never ceases to amaze me how easily it gets out of hand. In the process I am taking inventory of my canning jars. I currently have amassed....

18 Quart Jars
29 Pint Jars
3 half-pint jars
A million saved glass jars that are for storage and refrigerator pickles, but not canning

So, how many canning jars does one need? I have no idea. How many do you have? Is it enough? Where is the best (best meaning cheapest) place to buy them? How many do I need? Can you tell me? How and where do you store yours when not in use?

I have been working on some "canning goals" and going through that fabulous Ball Canning book and picking out the recipes that I plan to use. I figure that is a start. Is that a start? Is that a good start?

My camera sucks cow butt so I have no pictures right now. But will soon!!

The garden....is overall doing very well. I do need to weed and plan to do that this evening. We used hay (straw?) mulch around everything. One and a half of those GINORMOUS round bales to be exact. So far so good.

Successes include....

Tomato seedlings
Pepper seedlings
Cucumbers
Popcorn
Sweet Corn
Zucchini
Squash
Radishes
Carrots (have just recently made their appearance! I was so excited!)
Beets
Potatoes
Pumpkins
Strawberries
Green Beans
Peas
Melons - I am leery about the seedlings, so I direct planted some as well.
Stevia is still in pots and doing well
Recently planted Dill in the garden and Rosemary in pots. Will wait a bit longer to plant some Cilantro because last year by the time we needed it it was bolted and spent. I do have a volunteer Cilantro coming up. I let it grow. Just in case we need some sooner.

Iffy Things....

Sweet Potatoes - some of the slips are growing so we'll have some
Onions - the dozen or so I got in the ground early and then waited on the rest because I thought the soil was too wet are actually doing very well. However, ones I planted later are so-so and not a lot are making it. Even the green onions are having issues.
Lettuces - Some are coming up, but I think they needed to be planted earlier and will try a fall crop and use the cold frame
Okra - I was inspired to plant a few (thanks Mrs. S!) but so far they aren't doing so well. I am going to try re-seeding to see if we can't get it going.
Watermelon - Looking puny. Remember I tried seedlings? I went ahead and direct seeded to see if those would do better.

Total Failures...I think due to planting late

Cabbage
Broccoli
Brussels Sprouts


The Dirty Diva's got a little rearranging. As I have said and anyone with ducks knows....they are THE messiest little things when it comes to water. Their set up had their food feeder and a 5 gallon waterer inside the duck house, with their pool outside, and we'd let them out in the mornings and they'd put themselves up in the evening and lock them in. Well, they were emptying that whole 5 gallons overnight, and a lot of it (most of it!) was ending up on the floor which is essentially dirt covered with straw. The problem is that it was stinking to high freakin' heaven, to the point that I couldn't even clean it out, hubby had to do it, because I was gagging horribly! It was also becoming a breeding ground for those annoying little gnats.

So we (meaning hubby...I watched!) got the inside scooped out and cleaned up and laid down a nice thick fresh layer of straw. It is now their sleeping quarters only. Their their food got moved outside next to their pool in their play yard. When they go to bed at night, we do not shut the coop door in case they need to eat or drink overnight. Do they eat or drink overnight? I have no clue. But I do know this is working out very well and they are doing just fine. We are thinking of ways to improve the inside of the coop so they can have a waterer in there. But this will do for now. I have contemplated cutting our flock in half. My original plan was 6 or 8, but to get this kind (Khaki Campbells) we had to order a minimum of 15. No way could I eat them, they are too sweet, but I could sell some. Hubby thinks we should just keep them all. We'll probably just keep them, we'll see. Sixteen ducks is A LOT of ducks.

We are thinking about moving the majority of the garden up to the yard next year in the spot where his grandparents always had their garden. Hubby brought home a gigantic roll of thick black felt that they use under bridges. If we do, I think we are going to lay it down to (hopefully) kill off the grass over the summer and then we will remove the felt and till in some leaves to compost over the winter. But then again we may just stick to what we have been doing and keep the garden on the edge of the soybean field. We go back and forth. There are advantages and disadvantages to both.

I also did another totally cool re-purpose! The kids have a swimming pool, you know those easy set pools with the blow up top ring and soft sides? 12 X 3 I think. They love it. Anyway, last year the black lab dog chewed up the chlorine floater thing. I looked at them at the store a week or so ago and they were a whopping $10! Saving money tends to get the wheels in my head going. So I decided to make my own. I used an empty 2 liter soda bottle with lid and a small sour cream container with lid. I tied a string tightly around the neck of the soda bottle. Then poked a bunch of holes in the sour cream container and tied the string in holes on each side. I wish my camera worked, I'd show you! I'm really proud of it. :) The chlorine tablets go in the sour cream container, lid goes on, and in the pool it goes. The sour cream container fills up with water and sinks, dissolving the tablets, and the pop bottle stays afloat to keep it floating around. I'm a freakin' genius! :) No, not really.....just a momma motivated to pinch pennies and squeeze George til he screams and who saves way too many empty containers. :) LOL Or maybe that makes me a Redneck? :)

Oh, I have been knitting too. More of those Knitted Babes. I knitted a newborn one for my daughter to go with her big girl, hope to get a picture up soon. And I knitted a big one for my niece's birthday and am going to knit her TWO newborns since her mom is pregnant with twins.

Well, I think I hear the pantry calling so off I go. I hope you are enjoying your weekend!

Knitted Babe, Tree Frog, Pickle Jars, Sun Tea, (and a Picture of Me!)...

This is the first tree frog I have seen this year! And he was hanging out on our picture window which made for an interesting picture...can you see him? If you click on the pictures they will enlarge.

I saw sun tea jars at the store the other day. I was tempted to buy a couple because we LOVE making sun tea! But really, we are pinching pennies and squeezing George til he screams (don't we sound mean? LOL) and on top of that, I have never had good luck with them because the spicket part always ends up leaking. And they do require more cleaning to keep the spicket and lid crevices clean. So I thought I'd come up with something at home and "make do". Let me tell you, it was fun to be creative and the pride for my accomplishment was much more satisfying! Not to mention money saved. I remembered I had saved these giant pickle jars, which turned out to be the perfect size for sun tea jars. The only problem was that I haven't found an effective way to get the lids to stop smelling like pickles, so using them was out. I didn't want to use plastic wrap because of the chemicals and waste. So I thought 'reusable' and sewed the edges of two small squares out of left over material scraps. I tied them up with some cotton yarn to keep them in place while outside and ta da! They work wonderfully! They are easy to pour from and are easy to clean. And they are pretty to look at sitting on the deck too - bright, cheap, and cheery.

I got my first knitted babe done and my daughter loves her! She named her Cassi after one of her sister's friends. I have three more to make at least...one for my other daughter and for two of my nieces for their b-days. I will probably make a couple for Christmas gifts too, I know a couple of more girls who would love them. I sewed her a little pair of undies and a quick dress out of fabric scraps. I still want to add more hair underneath the hair that is there, but my little one was anxious to love on her so she is good enough for now. And she drags her EVERYWHERE! And she buckles her in when she goes in the van with us. I just realized something so I have edited this to add that if you click on the picture of the doll sitting on the shelf, to her left is a picture of me with my husband! Since I have never posted a picture of myself, I thought that might get you all excited. ;) LOL The picture frame says "It's not the destination, it's the journey." I love that frame.

The Dirty Divas are doing great! The are growing fast and are loving their new home and yard. Herding ducks is not an easy task but it is funny....it took three of us forever to get them to go up their ramp! They are so neat because they move as a flock - so they'd go back and forth past the ramp then under it, and repeat. A time or two we have just give up and caught them and put them in...it was easier that way! Last night we went out late to put them to bed and they were already inside on their own. The nights we herded them it was earlier in the evening and we wanted to get them put up. I think we'll just let them put themselves to bed and then go close them in. We have been getting a lot of rain and they enjoy it. I am ready for things to dry out so I can get in the garden. And I am ready for some sunshine! These grey rainy days make me tired.

*Updated* Introducing Our (Unexpected) Bottle Calf.....

Darn it. I am updating to add that when I went out to check on the little guy just a bit ago, he had passed away. :( Such is life...but it sure sucks.

His momma is old and my FIL didn't even think she had been bred. Surprise! She's not doing so well and she had no milk. My hubby decided we should give it a go with this baby. He's small. He's weak. He's not a very good eater, but he is eating. So send him some prayers, if you are the praying type! If you're not, just wish him luck! We haven't named him yet.

In other news, the ducklings are doing excellent and they are growing so fast! I will post pictures again soon andf all of the things I have learned about ducks so far.

I am now on Ravelry and I am knitting these....

Thanks to Mrs. S for loaning me this book! :) My 15 year old daughter wants one of these dolls too. Actually, she wants hers first, before my 5 year old. :) LOL Sibling rivalry or something? I am having an absolutely terrible time trying to figure out how to Increase. Other than that, I am enjoying working on them.

We got our potatoes in the ground Friday. Yippie!

Anyway, it is a busy Monday, so I am outta here. :) I hope you have a Happy Monday!!

My Onion Plan and A Quick Update...

This is what I am thinking for my onions. If you have any thoughts or suggestions or experiences, please chime in! I have never grown onions before and I can use all the help I can get! :)

This year I ordered onion plants and onion seed. I hope for the plants to make it to storage size to store for this winter, the seeds to make my own sets or plants (haven't decided yet - maybe both) for next year, and also to let some onions go to seed to collect the seeds for future sets & plants. In my head, this works out well but we'll have to see how it does in real life! I also have seeds for green onions to plant this year - if the rest of the onions go well and I have enough seed, I will probably use regular onion seed for green onion size onions in the future. Worst case scenario, I have to buy more seeds/plants next year. But I really hope to get into seed saving and buy as little as possible.

We have had a lot of rain and it has been crazy windy out! The cold frame is outside and did just fine with the rain and the wind. The green house is still in the shed, which I wish we had set it out and staked it down to see how it would have held up. This would have been a great dry run! (dry run...LOL!)

We haven't caught anymore mice. My youngest has made it her job to check the traps several times a day and she gets irritated if anyone else checks them. She also learned how to blow a bubble with bubble gum yesterday and spent 3 hours straight following me around wanting me to "LOOK MOM!!" at every attempt she made. :) I have pictures of her I will post. We did some celebrating for 3rd quarter grades...all three of my kids are doing excellent in school! They wish we'd pay them $25 per A...but we would be broke if we did that every quarter! My son is 11 and in 6th grade and he scored a 13+ on his reading level...that means he is reading beyond that of an average 12th grader at the end of the school year. Wow! His teacher also told me what they have been telling me since he was in 1st grade....he is the class clown. :) In a good way though...he doesn't get in trouble with his antics. He's funny at home too and always has been. I am very proud of all three of them for their hard work!!

Oh, and I learned how to purl over the weekend. So I can now cast on, knit, purl, and cast/bind off. I think I am getting close to trying a real knitting pattern!

That is it for now. Hope you have a great night!

It Just Doesn't Get Any Better Than This....

You ever have one of those days? Just a wonderful, perfect day. Doesn't matter what junk is going on in your life, community, or the world on those kind of days. Worrys just seem to fall away. Inside you feel a true sense of peace. And connected to God. Outside the afternoon sun has warmed your skin. The breeze brushed your face. Then the coolness of evening settling in. Today was one of those days for me. Just now was the topper to it all...walking out on the deck into the darkness, looking up and seeing a clear sky full of stars. While gazing and giving thanks, in the distance frogs are singing their evening chants. And just when you think it couldn't get any better, the coyotes in a far pasture begin to cackle and howl. The air smells like spring. You're tired, but in the good This-Was-A-Great-Day sort of way. I love country life. And I love these days! :) May we all have lives filled with many of them, and learn to be thankful for the ones that aren't so perfect.

On to the rest of it...we started some seeds! Tomatoes and peppers, and a few broccoli for experimental purposes. So far we have learned that you don't start broccoli with tomatoes and peppers! They are fast to start. So I will be moving them out of the flat. We also finished the compost set-up and moved the compost I started last fall. I made 4 loaves of bread. I looked up 5 new recipes. We trimmed bushes. We got the supplies to finish the green house. We cleaned flower beds. We had dinner outside on the deck! We are counting down the days until the ducklings arrive. I have been knitting and loving it. Ok, you have to promise not to laugh at my knitted dishcloths when I post the pictures! Or the "greenhouse" either. Or the compost system, the one that when my 11 year old son refers to it he says, smartalecy, "your compost bin" and literally does the quotation thing with his fingers as he says it!

I am going to make time to sit down and blog about all of these things. Which reminds me...I need to remember to take pictures of stuff too!

How was your Monday? :) Wishing you a wonderful week!