May Farm Cottage

Funtimes!!

2009-07-24T12:54:00.001-07:00

I am off for a very fun

Saturday over the mountain

to the green, green

valley, leaving the

desert behind me

for a day. Pity. :)

YES!!!

I am happy to be going to the
Coburg Quilt Show. It is a lovely
small event that is very peaceful
and relaxing.

I am packing a Tea Party Picnic

lunch for my friend and I and taking

extra in case my friend

there, who usually has quilts

in the show, can join us!

I will be back with pictures!!

(I also took some pics

of my garden this

morning...I will

share my progress

there as well)

ENJOY YOUR

WEEKEND!!

In the Shop....

2009-07-24T12:47:00.000-07:00

Some fun new "kitcheny" things

in my Etsy Shop today!!

Some "Dressy" Towels
A FUN vintage Hanky Apron

and a very "Happy" sign....

and there is more....

take a peek!! ;)

Summer Daze Tea on the Veranda

2009-07-23T22:09:00.000-07:00

At the May Farm!

With the help of my wonderful husband, we have

created a "Tea Room" on our front porch....

Above he put a flower box on a piece of

lattice to block wind.....

Below I have added some tidbits to

make it homey and "tearoomish" :)

We are set and ready for our first

group of 8 ladies!!

And here they are..... celebrating two of the ladies
birthdays!!

That is tea on

the Veranda!!

So, I know I promised to be back Monday.

Again, it was computer issues.

I just now learned how to download

and resize and post

on my daughters computer.

My hubby is still working out

of town and has the laptop

which is what I am familiar with

...he was home last weekend,

but may be gone for more than a week,

almost two weeks this time.

Then they should be done.

There is rumor that he may go to

a job in C'ourdelaine, do you

know that is where

Mary Jane's new store is!!

Mary Janes Farm!!

Wouldn't that be fun?? I am sure

my darling daughter would

not mind tending the garden for

a couple days....hmmmm.

The Silent Blogger.....

2009-07-15T10:56:00.000-07:00

Well, I am very sorry to

have been so silent!!

Life has just being going
and going at a very steady
and sometimes very fast pace.

But all that is behind me

now and I will get back to

being a good blogger

beginning Monday. I promise!!

For now a quick note for today,

in the next couple of days

I will share my pictures

from the Birthday Tea

we just had on the front porch

and then I am off for a

relaxing weekend at camp! :)

As I was reading
Proverbs 15 today,
I was taken in by verse 30.

My Living Bible reads:

"Pleasant sights and

good reports give

happiness and health."

I read the living Bible in the

morning as I am not always wide

awake and it is easy to

understand at that point

in my day. :) But once in awhile,

if a verse really stands out

to me and I really like it,

I will check it with another

translation to be sure I

have the real/full meaning.

My King James reads:

"The light of the eyes

rejoiceth the heart; and

a good report makes

the bones fat."

Well, the first does not

exactly mean the same as

"light of the eyes". I

looked up "light" in

the Strong's that is in

the back of this

Bible and the Hebrew

there means "brightness"

or "cheerfulness".

I also looked

up "fat". In the Hebrew

it means "to satisfy".

I LOVE that!!

That is telling me that

my brightness and

cheerfulness

affects my heart right

down to my bones!!

AND

That same bright cheerfulness

shining through

my eyes

can be satisfying

to other people!!

So, what a good word to

take to camp with me

this weekend

(and, well, every day:)

Be happy, be cheerful,

it is good for our health

and those around us!!

Hope you are enjoying your Summer Days!!

Be back soon with some pics....

Proverbs

2009-07-03T08:20:00.000-07:00

Have you ever taken

Proverbs and read a

chapter a day?

You can read through

it in one month.

Especially fun with children,

to read the

Proverb for the day!!

We use to start our

school days like that.

But I still like doing

it myself. There is so

much practical wisdom

in Proverbs and advice on how

to behave in every situation...

I love it, no matter

what else I am reading or

studying I like to

read my Proverb

for the day.

Here are some of my

highlights for today...

from Proverbs 3

3- "Never forget to be

truthful and kind."

6 - "In everythiing you do,

put God first

and he will direct you and

crown your efforts with success."

18 - "Wisdom is a

tree of life

to those who eat her fruit;

happy is the man who

keeps on eating it."

21 - "Have two goals, wisdom -

that is knowing and doing right

and common sense.

Don't let them slip away!!.....

23 - they keep you safe from defeat

and disaster and from

stumbling off the trail"

Have a Blessed

Beautiful

Summer Day!!

Marriage, Children, Gardens, Sales and Fun Times!

2009-07-01T07:34:00.000-07:00

Next Monday my husband

and I will celebrate

30 years of marriage!!

That is him on the right.

So, this week our last

baby at home is away.

She is visiting with

friends in Portland,

we miss her when she

is gone, we suddenly

have an empty nest! :(

But this week we decided to

make the best

of it.....we cannot

afford to do anything big

for our anniversary,

maybe we will go

out for a special dinner

but not even sure

if that is going to happen.

So, we have

been making every evening

special while we are alone.

We are both home working

all day, but at night

we make sure we

sit down to a meal

together on the porch

or somewhere cool and

refreshing and

special. It has been

nice to take that time

in the evening

to spend together.

So sorry, again, that I have

not posted for awhile.

I am a bit overwhelmed right

now. I have two weeks until

my first tea on

the porch and a week and

a half until the

sale I am in, I am

planting pots for the

tables at the camp

we have coming up

at our friends, I also

need to get a couple

freezer meals done for

them to feed the people

who come the week before

to help get ready for camp,

AND my husband leaves

for an out of town

job...need to have

some meals for him to take.

Yep, I'm tired and crazy.

So, every morning until

it is too hot I

have worked in my garden

just trying to catch up on

weeds and then spread bark

in the paths.

My garden needs to

look nice for the

tea ladies...my husband has

helped me finish a lovely

spot with an awning on

the front porch,

I will get pictures later.

Then every afternoon I come

in and try to make things

to sell, not getting very

far with that one. :(

(This is a tea towel bag I made for sale)

A fun thing we have coming up

is a camp we attend

not far from home just

a few miles from us.

Last year we had a

couple guys who did awesome

dramatizations. One was a

German soldier testimony the

other presented the gospel

in a drama, he works with

Michael and Debi Pearl's kids

back where they are from,

Tennesee, maybe. :/

It is an awesome time of

great speakers, great

food and fellowship and

some awesome fun

for younger people.

My husband made these

game tables for

camp last year, this

year they had him make

two shorter ones for

the kiddos...they are

really cute!!

We are looking

forward to camp.

So, for the next couple of

weeks I may not

post as often as I like,

but I will try.

I need to get pics of

my garden and porch!

Hope you are enjoying

your summer so far...

I think I will be able to

enjoy mine in a

couple weeks. :D

"Steady plodding

brings prosperity;..."

Proverbs 21:5

Listen to the Promptings....

2009-06-22T10:56:00.001-07:00

Last night I covered up

my tomatoe plants in

my garden......

I am soooo glad I

listened to that little

prompting.....

We had a frost!!

Actually, typical here in

the high desert :(

But what I was thinking is.....

Have you learned to listen

to those little promptings

that are from God.

Sometimes it may seem

silly, like, I should grab

two of this food item,

not sure why, but that night

you have unexpected

company......and

God knew that!!

Or.....a little

prompting to call someone,

or stop by, and just

turns out they needed that!

Or a prompting to

"be quiet"

when everything in

you wants to speak out....

Listen to the promptings....

It is awesome to see God's little

every day miracles in our lives

and just to know

He is right there working

all along.

We have had some rain!!!!

2009-06-19T20:28:00.000-07:00

One beautiful thing about

the rain is........

The Iris's are blooming!!!

We have lived here, going

on 11 years. These were planted

when we moved here, but we

did not have a well for some

time, so they never got watered.

Last year one or two

bloomed for the first time.

This year, because of

rain.....WOW!!!

My daughter, 23, who is still

living at home, spent some time

in England about a year

ago.....she actually loved

the rain there, so

She was out one day taking

these pictures in the rain. :)

We really had some downpours, making

pretty good size rivers through the

desert!!

It has mostly stopped,

just a little sprinkle

here and there.......

Has helped the flowers

and garden, and weeds...

so lot's of work to do.

My husband has had to work

out of town lately,

he has been gone all week,

he will be home

tomorrow and leave again Monday.

He has our laptop with

our pictures on it, so that is

why I have not posted

much this week. Then

decided to see what pics my

daughter might have that

I could use. :)

This week I finished

planting/transplanting

my garden. Have all

the transplants in

from my friend in the valley.

My daughter got the lawns

mowed between rains and now

we just have weeds to get a grip on.

We are busily preparing

for my husbands

homecoming and a special

Father's Day.

He has been gone so much, he just wants

to stay home, rather than go fishing or

something like that, so we will stay here.

All our children will come and we will

cook something on the fire and

have all his favorites...

potatoe salad, grammas

cabbage salad....

His favorite pie for holidays is Pecan....

His favorite cake for his birthday is

German Chocolate, his birthday is just

next month........so for

Father's Day, I am attempting

a German Chocolate

Pecan Pie!! With homemade

ice cream!! That will

make him smile. :)

God has been very good to bless our

family with a husband and Father that

loves the Lord and serves Him...

Loves us and takes good care of us....

He is working so hard right now just to

keep us afloat....

We are Blessed!!

Have a Blessed weekend, enjoy

it with your Family or

at least with the man

God Blessed you with!!

Think of something you

can do to make him smile....

Summertime......

2009-06-13T08:15:00.000-07:00

What are your plans this summer??

My first plan is to get all

my garden going. Get all my starts

in the ground, the 9 tomatoe

plants a friend gave

me, some transplants sent home

with me from my trip.......

Then I just need to catch

up on weeds, it has been

raining, with thunder and

ightening and even hail!!!!

Very Crazy!!! But boy do

the weeds love it!!

After my garden is planted,
I will begin preparing for my

May Farm Cottage

Summer Daze Tea on the Veranda.

Every Tuesday and Thursday

through July and August,

Ladies can come have

tea on the porch.

So I am going to create a

"Tea Room"

at one end of the porch with

some fun finds from my trip. Had my

first call yesterday for a group

of 8-10 for a birthday celebration!

Then a lady I know is having an
"Upscale Yardsale"
in July.
She puts a pretty big ad in the
paper and it is not just a yard sale!

There are homemade items,

she has ladies serving

lemonade and cookies,

she has lovely

things on a clothesline, a

place to sit in the shade with

your refreshment,

several vendors as

well as we can bring our yardsale

stuff that is in good condition.

I have several things I want

to make, so that is in my plan.

Yummy Rhubarb Sauce....and I will

make some Strawberry and

Strawberry Rhubarb Jams.....

And, last big thing

of the summer,

well maybe not last

if I do an end

of summer tea in my

friends garden

.....but almost last

.......have not really

decided if I will do this.....

Prairie Day Camp!!

Yep!! Girls come for a

day camp, 3 or 4 days in

a row. First we

make bonnets and aprons

so they have them to wear,

then we do all

sorts of fun things,

from making candles

to embroidery......

Prairie stuff!!

Here they all are having

afternoon tea....

Ever seen girls have so much fun

washing dishes!?!

Sitting around doing handwork.......

Oh, yes, and in between

all that, I will be

busy keeping

the quail and such

out of the garden!!!

The girls love washing clothes in

the washtub with a washboard and

hanging them up to dry......

And just so you do not think I am a crazy woman......all these things just take a bit of initial organizing and then they are really very fun!! Also, my husband has not had much work and this is a little bit of income and a way I can help from home.

And, I do plan on having some nice breaks.....July is our 30th wedding anniversary and we plan to go somewhere nearby for a night or two.....On the Tuesdays and Thursdays that no one has called to reserve tea, I may have my own friends over for a time of relaxing and chatting......And, I do want to read this summer....in the shade......yes!! Not sure what I will read, nothing too intense, just something fun......

Some friends and I plan to go to the Coburg Quilt Show and take our own "Tea Party" picnic. We also have a fun local camp we attend that is very relaxing for me.....

And if I had small children around, which sadly I do not, I would have them by my side in the garden, they would help me make cookies and serve tea to the ladies, and of course they would enjoy Prairie Camp!!! And when it got too hot.....they would dip into their wading pool, while I cooled off in the hot tub which will be set on a low temperature......Enjoy your children this summer!! Keep them nearby, they will soon be grown, very soon.....

What are your summer plans???

Sunshine on a Rainy Day.....

2009-06-01T21:52:00.000-07:00

I Love the sun shining into

the back room

between rain showers....

I am leaving town for a few days, so will not be on my computer until next week. Please come back......I have a short time after doing this tea and before I plant my garden to take a little break and visit some friends....AND get to go with my husband who is working out of town. Once I plant my garden, I will have to stick around and tend to it, which I do not mind one bit. So,I will be back.

Have a BLESSED week!!

A Jane Austen Tea

2009-06-01T21:12:00.000-07:00

Here are our lovely girls
all dressed for a Regency
day.........

They practiced and

practiced and did a very

good job of dancing!

It was a very hot day,

so Iced Tea was on the menu......

Bath Buns!!

As Mrs. Elton recommended Bath for

Mr. Woodhouse's health.....

A Perfect Picnic Tray....

Beef pie....if you look closely....

Mrs. Jennings had one at her

Lawn Bowling Party

For Dessert.....Truffles and

Tarts, Mrs. Weston's

Far Too Rich Wedding Cake

and Strawberries from

Emma's outing....

Jane's writing desk.....

A bookmark to take home,

with a picture of Jane and

a quote from Jane. The

menu tied with a ribbon.

A very lovely day!!

Now...don't you just want to go plan

a Jane Tea Party for yourself!!

A Perfect Holiday..........

2009-06-01T20:40:00.000-07:00

Memorial Day we took a BBQ

picnic to Suttle Lake.......

A wonderful time with

family and friends!!

Tea Time again.........

2009-05-27T10:10:00.000-07:00

First I want to thank you all

who have commented....it means

alot to me and is helping me to

make the decision....if you do

not know what I am talking

about (LOL) see last post......

Yes!!!

It is time for another tea!!!

A Jane Austen Tea!!

We are having fun with all the

preparations, but that has kept

me very busy and have been

checking comments, but no time

to post....bear with me....

The girls have been great!! They are

practicing some Regency dances to

entertain the ladies at tea......

They will be busy helping set up

and they also serve for me, in

their own Regency dresses

of course!!

Aren't they lovely??
This is them at the Garden
Tea at the end of last summer....
This tea was at my friends house
out on her lawn in her backyard,
it was a perfect spot....

We have menus to make....

Name cards to make.....

Food to prepare.....

So, it is a busy week....

I will be back next week!!

Have a wonderful weekend...

Oh, and if you should

happen upon Mr. Darcy or

Mr. Knightley....

send them our way!!! *wink*

Ponderings......

2009-05-20T13:19:00.000-07:00

I am sorry I have not been

here in over a week.......

Actually, I get on here and

become discouraged....

My purpose in doing a blog is to encourage

other women in their homes and

to give you a peek at what I do,

in hopes to encourage you.

Lately, however, I feel

like I am just

talking to myself :).....

If I am going to spend time

blogging, I want

to know it is doing some

good, otherwise

maybe I should not

take the time

to spend here.

Sring and Summer are becoming very

busy andI would love sharing what I

am doing, but is anyone listening??

I know people get busy and like just

checking blogs and not commenting....

I do it all the time. :)

But if you are out there,

and you are listening,

could you please leave

a quick comment just

to let me know.....

If there are even just a

few, I will continue,

but if not, maybe it is time

to reconsider.....

Thank You!!

And thank you for when you do take

time to leave a comment. Those of you

who do, have been and

encouragement to me!!

Independence Day Update....

2009-05-11T12:56:00.000-07:00

The garden is calling me today.....so this

will be short and sweet! :D

Plant Something: I have had many

packages of seeds sitting around for years!!

This year I finally got

them scattered into egg carton lids just to

see if any of them are any good. LOL. Some

are VERY old....I just could not bare throwing

out a seed if it was good. Also I have green beans

and hollyhocks sprouting that I planted.

I also planted cucumbers, zucchini and

spaghetti squash all indoors, too early

for outdoors....

Harvest Something: Sadly

not this week. My good intnetions were

to take a bouquet of herbs to my son's

on Mothers Day....but I forgot!! :(

Preserve Something: Not this week.

Reduce Waste: Reclaimed this

thrifted basket that was broken, fixed

it with bows and am now using it for my

sewing basket...works great!

Preparation and Storage: Starting

over with our baby chickens.....

preparing to have eggs!

Community: Our community does

not really have a food storage system....but

we do have a couple of shelters. This week

made cornbread and cookies to send for the meal.

Eat the food: Eating our pickles,

applesauce, peach butter, giving away

jam and fruit butters....using my

sourdough starter for pancakes

and biscuits. I think just about

every meal last week came from

our food storage.

Have a Wonderful Mother's Day Weekend!!

2009-05-08T10:24:00.000-07:00

Before I was a Mother, I never tripped over toys or forgot words to a lullaby. I didn't worry whether or not my plants were poisonous. I never thought about immunizations.

Before I was a Mother, I had never been puked on. Pooped on. Chewed on. Peed on. I had complete control of my mind and my thoughts. I slept all night.

Before I was a Mother, I never held down a screaming child so doctors could do tests. Or give shots. I never looked into teary eyes and cried. I never got gloriously happy over a simple grin. I never sat up late hours at night watching a baby sleep.

Before I was a Mother, I never held a sleeping baby just because I didn't want to put him/her down. I never felt my heart break into a million pieces when I couldn't stop the hurt. I never knew that something so small could affect my life so much. I never knew that I could love someone so much. I never knew I would love being a Mother.

Before I was a Mother, I didn't know the feeling of having my heart outside my body. I didn't know how special it could feel to feed a hungry baby. I didn't know that bond between a mother and her child. I didn't know that something so small could make me feel so important and happy.

Before I was a Mother, I had never gotten up in the middle of the night every 10 minutes to make sure all was okay. I had never known the warmth, the joy, the love, the heartache, the wonderment or the satisfaction of being a Mother. I didn't know I was capable of feeling so much, before I was a Mother.

May you always be overwhelmed by the Grace of God rather than by the cares of life....

Blessings to you all this Mother's Day!!

Pantry Homework

2009-05-04T22:47:00.000-07:00

There is just soooo much going on this week.

Some fun projects in Blogland. :)

Shan over at Honey Hill Farm is

doing a series on deepening your

pantry and cooking from it. Something I have done in

the past, but I love her approach and am going to

go through her steps to regroup some of what I

have done......check it out!!

homesteadblogger.com/HoneyHillFarm/

Look around while your there,

I love her blog.

Independence Day Update #1

2009-05-04T22:20:00.001-07:00

Thought I would join in on the fun over at Sharon's blog...

Casaubon's Book. She tells all about it, check it

out at sharonastyk.com

Here is my update....

Planted Something:

Inside have planted cabbage, broccoli,

cherry tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, various herbs,

squashes, cucumbers, beans, hollyhock, ......

Outside have planted lettuce, carrots, spinach, onions,

potatoes, radishes, beets, kale.....

Harvest Something:

Too early, but we did eat the cabbage sprouts that

I thinned out. They were really good on a baked

potatoe with cheese for lunch!

Reduce Waste:

Used old newspapers to make pots, also used some

egg cartons and toilet paper rolls.

Preparation & Storage:

Have been organizing my canning pantry and working

on a years food supply. Lately have been canning beans.

Did Boston Baked Beans and have done

some Pork and Beans ......

Community:

We serve dinner at the Shepherds House

once a week. That is our local mission. Last week I

made pasta, vegetarian spaghetti sauce and sent

cones for the ice cream.

Eat the Food:

I have been trying to use up some of what is in

my canning pantry. Eating the applesauce

and using up jam, alot of jam left. And....

we did eat sprouts........

Hope you will check out Sharon's blog and read what

the Independence Day Update is

all about!!

And....be sure to check here every Monday

for my Update!!

Extreme Makeover!!

2009-05-01T14:55:00.000-07:00

Well, it has actually been a few years since we bought

this little basket at the Goodwill. It had broken hinges

and so the lid was never connected, if I took it anywhere,

I had to carry it under one arm......

And it remained quite a mess for some time.....
All it needed was the hinge to be fixed!
How hard is that?!?!?

I decided to use fabric....looped it through the
remaining wire that was left....

then through the whole for wire on the

lid to the basket.....

Tied a nice tight bow and there you have it!!
A basket makeover!!

Things fit well inside.....
even room for extra fabric for my project....

even room for some crocheting.....

and the yarn!

I usually keep more than one project in my

basket in case i get tired of working

on one .... I can change. :)

Boy, a basket makeover, a bucket makeover...

what will be next?!?!?

The weekend is here, so will not be around

for a couple days. Finishing up planting seeds

inside and going to finish some that

go outside. My wonderful hubby

put pvc hoops over my raised beds,

so I will be turning those into

little cold frames.

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!!

Spring, Canning, Organizing.....

2009-05-01T14:27:00.000-07:00

This is our usual Spring/April weather here

on the High Desert........

This is exactly why gardening in the spring can

be very challenging here. But...know what?!?!?

My garden is surviving!! Yay!

But in the meantime, while we wait for warm

weather I keep doing some canning for my stockpile.

Bought a 25 pound bag of Navy Beans to can Navy Bean

Soup, Boston Baked Beans, Pork and Beans and

anything else I think of with Navy Beans.....

I found the recipes in the Ball Blue Book. The Pork

and Bean recipe uses tomatoe juice boiled with

onions and spices.....mmmmmm.....
That recipe only had you boil the beans for about

3 minutes, boil the juice and pour over beans

in jars and process.

The Boston Baked Beans had to cook 3 1/2 hours,

so I had those cooking in my roaster pan in the back

room while I canned the others. Then when they

were done, I processed them.

A pretty full day, but don't you just love the results

at the end of the day when you can sit back

and enjoy the fruits of your labor.....

Soooo, all this canning lead me to organize my

canning pantry which is outside in a shed. Something

that I probably should have done first. :D

So, how about a bit of sillyness....

Designer Buckets!! LOL.

Yep! Someone gave me some old wallpaper

books....I keep forgetting to use up any

of the wallpaper....

So, how about this, it only took minutes!
You need a small bucket, this is my dishwasher soap

bucket from Costco. (Once I have used up all this

store-bought stuff, I plan on making my own:)

I chose the wallpaper strips that are trims.......

how about apples for canning??
Cut it to fit around the bucket then slit it
up 3/4 of the way as the bucket is not
straight.......

and Voila!!
Designer Buckets!!

I put them in the bottom of my canning

pantry to keep my jar rings in......

What a great feeling to get an area organized. :D

Baby Blessings!!!

2009-04-30T10:38:00.000-07:00

I cannot leave you today without sharing my

latest little Blessings!!!!

I am sooooo happy to have chickens again.

When we thought we were leaving the

country for a year, (by the way

that story is on our other blog

"Bendites in Cornwall" that you

can find by going to my profile)....

we got rid of many,

many things. I gave all my chickens to

a neighbor. So, sadly for some time

we have not had our own fresh eggs.

I love having eggs to

1) use for ourselves,

and 2) sell some to pay for ours and

3) give to others who may need them.

Just one of those little

things I can do to

help with the state of our household.

Garden Beginnings.......

2009-04-30T09:56:00.000-07:00

I took a day awhile back

and layed out a calender

and planned my garden backwards!! I looked at when

I wanted things to be harvested and counted back to

when I would need to start them. I did this because

last summer we had a killing frost in August. (GRRRR)

It was actually an enjoyable

process, I had my seeds and

I had a couple of books to determine what things

were cold hardy and how long things took to

grow and I also threw in the idea of planting

some things together that help the growth of

the plants they are near.....

all with a cup oftea and "Pride & Prejudice"

soundtrack in the background.........

Very lovely time indeed :)

This year I want to work really hard for the couple

of months that we can garden and get the harvesting and

preserving done before we have frost. So, I have planned

what can get started inside now and what

could possibly go outside while it is still cold.

Since my husband still does not have much work,

I cannot just go get little starting pots, so have

been making several different types

with whatever I have on hand......

Newspaper pots.....

and below I was blessed to find in my shed these
starting pots.....and I had these plastic lids from
some pans I bought at an Outlet store. The pans
were for taking meals to the Shepherd's House, but
I did not use the lids, I did however save them!!
as well as these little starter pellets........

I also used some toilet paper rolls......

This is what I rigged up for the seeds that needed

higher temperatures to germinate. I used my roaster

oven as a container only (not turned on) and put

our heating pad in the bottom of that. Then I

used some baking cooling racks first to hold

the bottom layer up off the heating pad, then

to hold the second layer up off the first pots.

I also used egg cartons......

I lined the lids with a bit of plastic to hold the

water. At night I put the lid on the roaster,

but kept it off during the day when it was

warmer so the plants would get some light.

Did not take long and there were

baby sprouts everywhere!!!

and they just kept growing and growing!!!

Now they are ready to be

transplanted into a little

bit bigger pots. All I have to do is plant the whole

thing into a bigger pot. All of my starts are this

way so as not to disturb the roots.

Some of what I started has to stay inside until

the beginning of June, then I can put them out

but still have to watch and cover at night.

The cabbage and the broccoli I started inside

because the germination temperature was a bit

warmer than outside is right now, but as soon

as they are growing well and established

I can put them outside as they are both cold

hardy. I will probably put out one little

plant first to be sure. Wouldnt

want to kill them all at once. :)

How is your garden coming???

Springtime happenings....

2009-04-26T10:43:00.000-07:00

Well, when life keeps going on, it sure is hard

to think a about blogging. Or rather, sit down

and do it.....I do think about it. :D

I had planted some cold hardy seeds outside

and am happy to say most came up. Here

in the High Desert, that is a big

accomplishment. I also have several seeds

that came up in my back room.

So far inside: Peppers, Cherry Tomatoes, Eggplant,

Roman Chamomile, St. Johns Wort, Broccolli,

Cabbage, Squashes, and maybe a couple

more things.

Outside things that came up are: Kale, onions, radishes,

lettuce, beets, maybe I see some

carrots and spinach. Our nights are in the

low 30's sometimes high 20's, so I am

pretty excited about these things working.

I am just trying to figure out now, with small

sprouts, do I keep covering them with plastic

or just straw or what?? Much experimenting

going on here. I knew from the beginning that

this is an experiment, so that if I do have

to replant anything I will not be too disappointed.

Today I am going to plant turnips and peas, these

could have already been planted and hubby is

going to make me potatoe boxes, so Iwill

plant potatoes today.

I have also been canning some more. I canned

Boston Baked Beans and Pork and Beans the

other day. Grama Belle where we crochet

on Tuesdays gave me alot of jars from her

shed, so I have been pretty busy just

running jars through the dishwasher

Very few real canning jars and lots of

odd ball jars. But I used to can with mayo

jars, so will try it again for fruit and applesauce.

Also, there are alot of jars with lids just

right for freezer jam, since I am always

short of plastic containers and plastic

lids can easily crack.

As I started canning and cleaning jars, it was hard

to get into my shed where the canning goes.

So, I decided to clean that first and get

it organized and hubby put in the extra

shelves I needed!! Happy day.

I had planned on doing something else and my daughter

said, Mum, do what you are passionate about

today, you will get more done that way.

And, she was right!! I made wonderful

progress on the shed.

I am sad to say that I do not have the pics of

all these doings yet. Something happened

awhile back and I cannot load my pics like

I used to, so I do not know how to do

it anymore and have to always wait

for someone to do it for me.

That is why my posts get so far apart.

It is my hope and prayer that wherever you

are and whatever stage of life you are in

you are enjoying peace and contentment.

Living life as shared above gives me a true sense

of contentment and inner joy and peace.

Knowing that with God's help I am doing all

I can do to make our home a shelter and

restful place for my family.

Resurrection Day Blessings!!

2009-04-11T10:45:00.000-07:00

"I serve a risen Saviour, He's in the world

today, I know that He is living,

whatever man may say...

(la, la, forgot the words...)

None other is so LOVING,

SO GOOD AND KIND!!

"He LIVES!!, He LIVES!! Christ Jesus LIVES

today!! He walks with me and talks with

me, along lifes narrow way!!

He LIVES! He LIVES!

Salvation to impart....

You ask me how I know

HE LIVES....

He LIVES within my HEART!!!!"

The Sun is Shining!!

2009-04-07T10:27:00.000-07:00

Just thought I would "pop" in for a minute.......

Well, the weather report was actually

right!! It has been

warm and sunny and beautiful.....

I have planted many of my seeds in pots indoors, today

I am heading out to plant some outside that will

have to be covered at night.

Made our weeks bread yesterday, off to

Gramma Belle's this afternoon for a bit

of crocheting.

Just stopping by to

say "hi", been busy

outside. Oh and the wonderful sound of

the sprinkler watering the grass to make it

green again. In the high desert, the grass

is brown most of the winter and the hose

is frozen, so this is the first bit of

watering I can do. Trying to at least

green up the grass around our firpit by

Sunday so we can cook out on the fire

with the family Easter Sunday.

Proverbs 2:3-4

"...yes, if you want better

insight and discernment, and

are searching for it
as you would for lotst money or

hidden treasure, then wisdom

will be given you......."

Wow......lost money??

hidden treasure??

Lately I am actually searching just

that hard for wisdom. My husband

continues to not have enough work,

and we are day by day by day

"clinging" to wisdom and

trusting God to lead us.

I just continue to do my part in

making our home a refuge, a place

to come in out of the storm. :D

Hope you are all

enjoying Spring Days

wherever you are!!!

Early Spring

2009-04-02T16:37:00.000-07:00

We have been having snow today....

Yes, snow, then hail, then the sun

comes out :D, then just black clouds....

then it does it all over again!!

Spring comes soooo slowly here

in the high desert......

May I just dream of sunny

warm afternoons spent in

the shade of the porch.........

Today our high has been about 45 degrees,

by Sunday we are supposed to be

up to the mid 60's....

Oh Happy Day!!

Easy Granola

2009-03-31T09:35:00.000-07:00

Low fat and very tasty......

1/3 C oil

1/2 C honey

1/4 C water

1 tsp vanilla

7 1/2 C uncooked rolled cereal

(wheat, oats...above I used a 7 grain

cereal because that is what

I had on hand)

1/4 C shelled sunflower seeds

1/4 walnuts

1/2 C powdered nonfat milk

1 C raisins or other dried fruit

(I used coconut instead)

You can easily play around with the

ingredients, incorporating what you

like in granola and the flavor

you want.....like, how about maple??

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a saucepan, heat oil, honey, water and vanilla until well blended.
In a large bowl, combine cereals, nutsand powdered milk.
Pour liquid ingredients over dry and mix well.
Sread mixture on two jelly-roll pans or cookie sheets or whatever you have.
Bake for 10 min. stirring occasionally.
Remove from oven; add raisins.
Let cool until crisp before storing in airtight container.

(Makes about 10 cups)

We enjoy this with yogurt for breakfast

and snacks!!

(Homemade yogurt coming soon...:)

Sign of Spring.....

2009-03-30T07:54:00.000-07:00

My neighbor friend sent me this picture of her new

babies!! They are sooooo adorable.

Saturday we had our Titus 2 Group meeting.

This time our Bible Study was about

"Becoming a Titus 2 Woman"

How that requires a focus and different

lifestyle than we might otherwise choose without

that as our goal.

Whether we are striving to be all Titus 2 implies

now as we raise our children, love our husbands

and learn to stay home.....

or even as we are striving to be that

older woman for others in our life.....

Either way, it involves abandonment.

We must abandon our desires, hopes, dreams,

family, friends......etc. Wrap them up in a

blanket and lay them on God's doorstep!!

Walk away.......the new owner (God) will

now take care of

those abandoned things......

this does not mean we will never have

a life......it only means we are not in

charge anymore. :)

"Others may surrender......

we must abandon."

Then we talked about planning our

gardens and growing more this

year, and growing enough to feed our

families and even be able to put some up

for over the winter. How soon we can

get started on that...trying some cold hardy

crops now with plastic on them.

Then off to Gramma Belle's for more

crocheting!!

It was a good day.

Today......

2009-03-27T09:28:00.000-07:00

Today is restful compared to yesterday!!

Yesterday was full of bread making and canning

and making several pans of Enchiladas, some

for the Shepherd's House on Monday

and one for our dinner and one for

a freezer meal (yay!! love it when that happens!!)

Today...I am blogging....studying for our Titus 2

Group tomorrow....this afternoon we get to go to

a friends for our monthly "Sewing Circle" (no one really

sews anymore, but sometimes.....)

Then come home take a "homemade" pizza crust out of the

freezer, spread it with some of that "homemade" spaghetti

sauce, top with "cheapo" pepparoni from Costco that is in

the freezer and some cheese that

is already grated and in the freezer.

WOW!

How easy is that?!?!?

My kind of day. :D

I ran across this quote this morning...it is so good for so

many circumstances in life, I just have to share it....

it is from an old magazine from 1993...

I think that word "inconveniences" can be translated to

mean anything that we are dealing with...

it could be something in our past, it could be illness,

unemployment,.....anyway, here it is.......

"God uses all those inconveniences to plant

tender seeds of endurance when

you are not even looking.

And before you know it, tiny sprouts of

perseverance and contentment

begin to crop up where resistance

and impatience used to thrive. You hardly

notice itin the beginning, but one day there it is -

the sweet flower of long-suffering

bloomingright there in your very irritation.

God has us here inthis flower garden of

patience, long-suffering,

and perseverance."

Have a great weekend!! See you Monday!!

Spring Fling!!

2009-03-27T09:03:00.000-07:00

Remember I said I had another tea since I had been on here.....

Spring Fling!! A Healthnut Tea

My color theme was mostly purple and green, but I could

not pass up these very SPRINGY daffodils since they

were 2 bunches for $3!!!!!

The tables were drapped with a sheer green cloth in the

middle topped with purple pansies......

The little bag is actually a bath bag. That was the take-
home gift for the ladies. Filled with luscious smells
and lavender......
My....there is that beautiful cabinet that my
dear sweet husband made for me.....
it just keeps showing up in the pics :D

Touches of spring all around......

Love this little butterfly candle holder. There is a

set of 3...each table got one. They were a gift

to me several years ago and I have had fun

using them....especially at Spring Teas!!

Oh, yes,....and there was food.....

Spring Greens with Strawberry Vinegrette

Boysenberry Whole Wheat Scones

Cucumber on Dilled Whole Wheat Canape

Yogurt Cheese and Sprouts on Wheat
Pepper Roses

(instead of more bread for a healthy tea :) I

found these cute little roses, filled

with cream cheese

and parsley.

Mmmmmm, then dessert!!

Carob Confections

Apple Carrot Cake

Honey Pound Cake

Whole Wheat Shortbread

Strawberries

And the finale...

Rhubarb Sweetie

(all of the desserts were made with either honey

or Stevia or Turbinado)

One of the ladies brought me this sweet gift,

it is actually a salt and pepper shaker.

Happy workers!!

Next to me in the purple is my daughter and then

her friend who both helped serve at tea. And then

her friends sister stayed to help clean up.

Thank you girls!! Your the best!!

This was one of my favorite teas, this is how we eat

anyway, so it was all very good to us!! LOL.

New Background

2009-03-26T11:12:00.000-07:00

Well.....there you have it!! I will try this for awhile.

I could not find ANYTHING "springy" that suited

me or that I liked.......so here it is,

just thought it would be a fun one for awhile

since I will be sharing some recipes, canning and such.

Winter Preserving

2009-03-26T08:15:00.000-07:00

Well, I guess technically it is Spring!! But it is still very

cold here like winter!!

I enjoy canning in the winter when it is not so hot.

Here is my recipe for some easy Spaghetti Sauce to can

and have on hand. Very nice to open a jar for spaghetti or

pizza or chili or soup or.........whatever you like!!

Spaghetti Sauce
1 can Tomatoe Paste

(the large almost gallon size, I get this at

Costco for around $3)

2 cans of water

1/4 C Italian Seasoning (to taste)

(I buy this in bulk from my food co-op, so

it is not very expensive)

2+ T Salt (to taste)

(also in bulk from food co-op)

Mix all together and warm in pan on top of stove,

stirring occasionally to keep from scorching.

Warm your jars and lids.

Fill jars, wipe rims, put lids on.

Cook in boiling water bath for 20 minutes.

This makes 8 or 9 quarts.

I have not calculated the cost of my seasonings exactly,

but this comes out to be right around 30-40 cents

for a quart. I do not know about your area

but we do not ever see a sale like that!!

TIP: When you bake your bread, roll out a couple

pizza crusts for the freezer, nice to be able to just take

those out, use this sauce, do some toppings, have

grated cheese in the freezer and VOILA! Easy Pizza!

Other things that are fun to can in the winter are

soups, beans and meats and things that you do not

have to do something with right now because it

is ready in the garden.

Yummy Muffin Recipe

2009-03-25T10:48:00.000-07:00

This is a Chocolate Chip Bread recipe that can be changed

to use whatever you have and you can make bread

or muffins. It calls for mashed banana, I keep "old" dark

bananas in the freezer. If I am thinking ahead, I peel them

and stick them in ziplocs or I just toss them in the freezer

peel and all, then zap them in the microwave about

20 seconds and can peel them and mash them for

the recipe. Never throw away an old banana!!

Recipe: Just About Anything Bread/Muffins

(Makes 1 Loaf or 1 dozen muffins)

1. Set aside 1/2 - 1 C Chocolate Chips or Raisins or Nuts or

Berries or "just about anything"

2. Blend and set aside:

1/2 C plain yogurt

1 tsp baking soda

3. Blend in order:

1/4 C oil

3/4 C honey

2 eggs

1 C mashed banana

1 tsp vanilla

4. Blend in another bowl:

2 C whole wheat flour

1 tsp salt

5. Alternately blend dry and yogurt mix into liquid, fold

in chocolate chips or raisins, etc. last

6. Fill pan, bake, til knife comes out clean in center

7. Cool 10 minutes, remove from pan, if bread, lay on

side to cool.

These are with raisins, because that is
what I had on hand. :D
Yummy for a Sunday Morning!!

Also, just a side note: Slightly sweet muffins arevery good with some soups or macaroni andcheese for lunch or dinner.

Valentines Tea

2009-03-24T10:05:00.000-07:00

During the daytime tea everything was "PINK"...even the

food was pink.

Our daytime menu consisted of.....

Cranberry Whip (pink*)

Heart Shaped Scones

Heart Shaped Cucumber Sandwiches

Strawberry Cream Cheese Sandwiches (pink*)

Broiled Salmon & Chedder on Canape (pinkish*)

Linzer Hearts (pink*)

Chocolate Truffles

Berry Tarts (pink*)

and the finale....

Black Forrest Torte (oozing with pink*)

The ladies enjoyed themselves, lingered and slowly filtered
out as we began preparations for our next
group, the couples.......who were greeted
by twilight glows in the yard as the arrived....
Hurricanes along the walkway in the snow :)........

I was sooooo EXCITED to find these roses!!

I found them at the Dollar Store!! They were a dollar

each, but that is less than half of what that normally cost.

The Couples menu was almost the same, only they

had Greens with Strawberry Poppy Seed Vinegrette and

with the sandwiches they had beef or chicken pasties

and with the finale....they had choices,

Black Forrest Torte or Apple Upside Down

Torte with Caramel Sauce or Cheesecake with

Rhubarb Sauce. :) Yum!

For the couples, I added these table toppers to give

them a more "elegant" feeling......

I was happy to be able to use something I had on hand,

my sister-in-law gave me a whole roll of this decoraters

fabric, I also plan to make curtains out of it!! :) But I

thought it went well and was fun to dress up the

tea tables for a "Candlight Tea".

And those "little bit bigger" red teacups I bought for

the gentlemen...well, they worked very well.

Happy couples!!

Happy Tea Time!!

We all had fun, none of my helpers were available, so my daughter served as usual, but my husband had to help us, especially with pouring tea!! It was funnyat first, but he was AWESOME!! It actually added a touch of class having agentleman serve tea. The ladies especially loved it.

I'm Back...........

2009-03-23T17:33:00.000-07:00

Although, I am not sure where I have been!! LOL.

Just busy, living life and taking care of the family!!

Anyway, I am sorry for those of you who are so kind to

check in regularly that there has been nothing new since

Valentines Day.....but I will take the next few

days to catch up, I promise. :)

I loved this winter cheer in my kitchen window.......

It bloomed just in time for the Valentines tea,

gave us a touch of fresh red.....

So, where have I been, what have I been up to??

On Valentines day I did two teas....

one for the ladies at noon.

and one for couples that evening......

I am still canning.....I am trying to stock up on some meals
and have a back up if I should not be able to use my
freezer or the electricity would go out or something.......

This is, from the left, kidney beans, spaghetti sauce
and chili without beans.
I am thinking I could use one of each and have a pretty good chili.

In this time some where we had another Titus 2 meeting.
We talked some about gardens, brought healthy, easy kids snacks
to share and had "Gramma Belle" come to help with
our crocheting. She loved it so much, we are
going to her house next time. :)

We have also been keeping our daughters dog for a bit, she can
not have animals where she is renting.....our only grandchild..... :)
Oh me, then since I talked to you last....I have done another tea!!
Spring Fling, Health Nut Tea
and of course, I keep on baking.....
Sunday morning Banana Raisin Muffins.

My husband has been very slow for work but he has just enough
to keep us going mostly. And we are very thankful and
Praising God for providing work in May that will help us alot.
We are looking forward to that. In the meantime,
we keep going, keep busy, and most of all keep our
eyes on Jesus the only one who can work all this out.

I am planning on getting some recipes on here soon, as well as
more canning info. Right now, though, I am "home alone".... :),
so I think I shall go spread all my stuff out on the table and make
a plan for my garden!! Just bought seeds and want to try some
early covered with plastic, so I need to make a plan.

I will show you all these things as they happen, as well as
catch up on some of what has already happened.

Hope your still with me....are you enjoying spring weather where
you are? We will have a "spring" day, then a snow day....
that is why I am not too worried about changing my background

yet...it looks "springy" to me :) our joke is for the rest of the world

April showers bring May flowers....i

n our part of the world April (snow) showers
might bring a few May flowers. :D

Happy Valentines Day!!!!

2009-02-11T14:35:00.000-08:00

"A friend LOVETH at ALL times".

Proverbs 17:17

Enjoy those you love today!!!! Share God's Love with

those around you and may He Bless

you with His LOVE!!

Just Dreaming and Keeping Busy......

2009-02-11T13:44:00.000-08:00

Dreaming.......

Gathering a few seeds, reading up to see what can be planted early.

I am determined to try this year to grow some things in

a cold frame type structure......planning it out.......

More Dreaming.......

Have you ever seen these books?!?!?

I just got these three from the library. I had run across the

name awhile back when one book was part of a give

away over at "Warm Pie, Happy Home".

I have NEVER had so much enjoyment from

reading a cookbook. I am sure we are related, when

I browse through these books I just

feel a connection with this woman!! :)

Between my garden books, "The Pioneer Lady", reading

"Granny Miller's" blog and some of her links.....

I am anxious to grow more this year, trying to

supply us with our years food. I am excited,

we will see how it goes.

My husband built this new addition to our back

sunroom/dining room.....I love it, there will be doors later.

It is all from scraps off a job he did. It is right in the corner as

a built in....someday off the side of it will be

a bench that goes to the corner and around

for seating at a table. All built in...like an old

farmhouse breakfast nook. :)

Besides dreaming, I have been

Busy..........
Made some Nutty Coconut Granola.....

Bought a 25 pound bag of carrots to freeze or can....
and a large box of apples....
so....how about Apple Carrot Cake!!

Our food co-op had some end of season apples for a

very LOW price....when they came,

they were actually free!!

So, I am also drying a few for winter snacks and lunches.

And then, yes, it is time for yet another Tea!!

Valentines Tea in the waiting......

I am doing two Teas on Valentines Day!!

Ladies Victorian Pink Tea

and

Couples Candlelight Tea

in the evening. 21 ladies at noon and 7 couples that night.

In the above picture are some teacups I found for the

men, a bit bigger and a bigger handle that they

can hold on to. Can you believe they were 50 cents!!

Not my usual choice for a teacup, but they are red

and will go very well with the decos and I think

look quite elegant once on the table.

Best get busy....making Cornish Chicken Pasties today,

made the Cornish Beef Pasties yesterday. These are for the couples

since there will be men with heartier appetites.

Which, by the way, I was beyond excited when in

one of the "Pioneer Lady" cookbooks, I found

the recipe for Cornish Pasties.....and they

sounded EXACTLY like what we had in Cornwall.

I made some to try for lunch yesterday and

they are just the same.

Now, if I could just get down that

Cornish Clotted Cream recipe. There is

nothing here or a recipe for "mock" creams that

comes even close. But a friend found one on line

that looks and sounds just like the real

thing. Tried it the other day with store bought

cream and it does not work, you need unpasturized

cream for it to work properly. Alas, I shall search!!

Probably won't be back until after Tea....lot's to do!!

In the meantime, have a WONDERFUL

VALENTINES DAY!!

"Greater LOVE hath no man than this, that a

man lay down his life for his friends".

John 15:13

"We LOVE, because He first LOVED us".

I John 4:19

Titus 2 Day

2009-02-01T09:56:00.000-08:00

I am sad to have no pictures of our day together....

but we just started up our meetings again now that the

holidays are over. We are only going to

meet once a month, that way we can meet just

a little longer and do more.

This month we focused on:

"Peace in Perilous Times"

Everything we did was in an effort to help

bring peace to our own hearts as well as

our families and in our home.

As they arrived I had bread dough ready to go and

each rolled out Cinnamon Bread. The point was, when you

make a batch of bread, once in awhile do a cinnamon one for

a treat, nothing like Cinnamon Toast with a bowl of

hot cereal on a cold winters morning. Sounds

peaceful right?? Making our families happy and

contented brings PEACE.

Then I had our soup done to a point, meat browned, veggies

chopped, and it had to be boiled for just 5 minutes

before you could can it in the pressure canner.

Food ready to go in the pantry keeps us at PEACE.

So, we enjoyed lunch together and then had a short devotional

about peace in our lives. Peace comes when we draw

closer and closer to God. When we are close to

Him, we will be able to trust Him more

and that brings PEACE to our whole household.

Then we did a project that is fun to use with homeschool

curriculum or just for a fun scrapbook project idea. We made

a Lap Booklet with Minit Books inside.

Lap books are a file folder folded to the center so it

opens like shutters and you put different bits of

information or pictures or whatever on the little

booklets that you glue inside. Fun for all

ages. Once the older kids master the little

books, they can help the younger ones.

Busy children on a cold winters day

is very PEACEFUL indeed. :)

Then I showed them how to use a fabric pen

and write a verse on a piece of fabric to

embroider. Scripture on your walls is a

very good thing.....it reminds us of God and

who He is and keeps our minds focused

on Him throughout the day. Which brings

more PEACE to our homes.

The verse I chose is one that has ministered to

me ALOT lately.....

"Thou wilt keep him in perfect PEACE,

whose mind is stayed on thee."

Isaiah 26:3

So, some knew embroidery and some learned that day

as we moved on and learned how to do a granny

square. Some knew crochet and some had to

learn. So, at that point we just spent the next

bit of our time crocheting or embroidering

and encouraging one another. :)

All in all it was a very PEACEFUL day. :D

Next month, we will do two more embroidery stitches

and possibly work on crocheting a bit more. And

some other fun things I have up my sleeve. :) Our

theme next time is PREPAREDNESS.

(But not to an extreme, just some things we

can easily do).....which also brings PEACE!!

If you are ever interested in doing your own Titus 2 group,

Lisa at New Harvest Homestead

on my side bar will send you a free meeting

guide. It has some fun ideas and encouragement

for how to start a group.

A "Winter White Tea"

2009-02-01T09:13:00.001-08:00

Lot's of preparations........

Snowflake cookies in the making!! I like to cut out these stars,

when bakedput a squiggle of white frosting from

point to point, at the tips add a little

silver candy ball and.....voila......snowflakes!!

I actually accomplished making ALL the bread for this tea!!

I always get at least one of them made, but this time

I got them all done. :)
For a "Winter White Tea" everything is white and snowy!!

The Menu

1. Frozen Lime Mousse

2. Apple-Walnut Scones with

Honey Butter and Peach Jam

3. Cucumber with herbed butter on

white, topped with a slice of wheat

Cream Cheese with pineapple on white

Herbed Chicken on herb bread
4. Snowflakes

Snowballs (Russian Tea Cakes)

White Chocolate Rocky Road

5. More Snowballs

(Vanilla Ice Cream rolled in Coconut)

Before the ladies came.......

I always try to keep everything as white as I can

with touches of gold......

This is our back sunroom/dining room. This is the

first time I have offered seating here.....and the

ladies loved it!! It worked out

very well.

The centerpiece is fun!! I saw this in a little tiny

photo down on the corner of the page

in Victoria magazine years ago....

It is a pear, sprayed gold, hollowed

out and filled with a small bouquet.

I found these gold sprays of acorns and berries

at an after Christmas clearance for pennies!! Then

added a silk rose to each one from my collection.

Sometimes if I feel I can it is fun

to put a real rose in there. :)

There was white hanging around everywhere.......

This is an old dress we found years ago at a second

hand store. My youngest daughter was about 10 and loved

dressing up. For around $3 I was able to get this

and surprise her for Christmas that year. Along with

a little white tea pot. Fun days gone by......

This little dress is actually mine!! I really wore it!!

I actually saw the idea for this wreath on a blog I looked at one

day.....I think she was using something a bit nicer....I just

used some batting I had and wrapped it around a straw

wreath and added some white flowers and gold and white bow!!

Oh......and if you know me......I couldn't stop inside......(lol)

See the wonderful frost on the wire!!

The day before tea was quite warm, I was thinking......

Lord, it is a bit warm in this back room for a

Winter Tea........

The next morning, my husband got up and peeked out the

window and said, "you are not going to believe this"....

We were having a frosty fog!!!!! It was awesome

and the perfect backdrop for a

"Winter White Tea".

All the ladies thought so as well, no one

minded that we had two days of frosty fog, all because

of my tea I am sure. ;)

After a couple days the fog left and I was left with the

wonderful afterglow of a lovely winter event........

Lovely Tea Collages.....

2009-01-27T15:42:00.000-08:00

One of the ladies who attends my Teas quite often took some very

nice pictures of my Winter White Tea and had her husband

make a collage......I think he did a very nice job!!

He did the same with her pictures from the Christmas Tea!!

Thank you JoRene!! What a lovely gift to share with me!!

See you at the Valentines Tea!!

Celebrating Friendship!!

2009-01-05T10:40:00.000-08:00

Before Christmas I attended a very special Christmas

Party. It is a group of ladies I meet with once a month.

It started out as just a group of ladies meeting that

did Civil War re-enacting together and has become

a group of near and dear friends.....

It was just decided that we shall continue meeting until

we are very old and when we cannot get around ourselves,

we will commission one of the daughters to collect us

all and get us to our meeting place! How fun is that!

We all brought cookies and had a cookie exchange.

We also drew names and exchanged gifts. My friend gave
me twolovely white aprons for the girls to
wear who serve at my teas.
Look at all our LOVELY daughters!! What is really
wonderful.....not only are they all beautiful as you see
them in this picture!! They all love Jesus with all
their hearts, soooo, they are beautiful on the inside
as well and such a BLESSING to all of us mums!
As we began one of the ladies read to us the
"Cup of Christmas Tea" then we settled in
and watched Tasha Tudor's Christmas video.
So peaceful, so relaxing.......

Some worked as we watched and visited....
Oh, see that cute little scarf on the young lady
holding the doll? That is what my daughter
made for her gift to exchange......
And then, I have to tell you about these dolls.
One of the young ladies made these doll dresses
for I think two or three of the girls who
collect these dolls. She does awesome work,
don't you think?? She takes after her mum. :)
Well, sorry that was a late post, we have really
had troubles lately with our computer, so
has been hard to do anything.

I best get off and do "Tea things"...that
will be here before I know it!!

Catching up.......

2009-01-05T09:43:00.000-08:00

WOW! Sorry to be gone so long! Lot's going on here on the farm! :)

Seems I am in a whirl again, "undoing" Christmas and "doing" Tea!

In less than two weeks I am having a "Winter White Tea"

in my home, I am so happy to be doing this one in my

home, it is so much easier for decorating and such.

But more on that later......let me catch up......

We had a wonderful Christmas with all our children here

Christmas Eve. We had lot's of snacks and a nice dinner together,

then we opened gifts and spent time together. Such a blessing.
My husband has been out of work and this Christmas we had no

money. It was such a blessing to see God provide....just like above

in the picture, we were able to have fruit and peanuts among

our snacks to ad a touch of "goodness" to that menu... :)

Dinner was lovely as well and God made it possible for us

to have a very nice feast, from what we had

in our pantry and even my children pitched

in buying things.....

Christmas Eve Dinner Menu

Shrimp Cocktail

Yummy Cabbage Pea Salad

Bean Sprout Almond Salad

Oven Roasted Salmon

Oven Roasted Root Veggies

(yams, carrots, turnips, rutabaga, etc)

Rice & Bread Stuffing in an Acorn Squash

(you slice this and it is really pretty)

Pumpkin Pie

and of course Plum Punch again! :)

My son is the only one not living here, so he slept on the couch

as a special Christmas morning breakfast was to come!

Christmas Morning Breakfast Menu

Shrimp/Salmon Quiche

(made an extra crust when doing pies)

Butterscotch Rolls

Morning Star Sausage Links

(we have a vegetarian and we all like these)

Fresh Pineapple

Have you ever made these Butterscotch rolls or "Monkey Bread"

some call it???? It is awesome for holidays as you do all the

work the night before and in the morning all you do is

stick it in the oven! Wonderful!

Monkey Bread Recipe
1 pkg frozen dinner rolls (24)

1 box Butterscotch Pudding Mix

Cinnamon & Sugar

Nuts

1/4 to 1/2 Cup melted butter

You let the rolls unthaw enough to cut them in half

or quarters (I have used a pkg of 36 and that works, or use 24 of

them and have the rest for dinner :) Then you layer the rolls

with the other ingredients (but not the butter) in a bundt pan.

I usually only do the pudding mix and skip the cinn/sug and

nuts....and that works too. When layered you pour the

melted butter over the whole thing, cover with wax paper and

let sit on the counter overnight. In the morning you pop it

in the oven and you have a huge bread ring. It rises up

and over the pan during the night.

After breakfast we all packed up and went to my husbands

Aunt and Uncle's for Christmas dinner. My whole family

went along....it was soooo nice. I have not had a feeling

at Christmas like that since my parents were still

here. We always had Christmas dinner at Grandma's or

them with us and we just hung out all day, each doing

different things and all enjoying the company of the

other. This time most were enjoying basketball and my

daughter and I who do not enjoy that so much, just sat off

to the side, by the fire :), and did handwork. I had some

stitches to take out on my sons quilt and then I

helped her with her quilt. Very, LOVELY day.

God is so good in our very "leanest" of times to fill

our days with such JOY and PEACE.

So, my son is a Portland Trailblazers fan (understatement).

I have always wanted to make him a Blazer quilt and this

year I did it!! It is just a small lap size, but he

probably will not use it anyway, he is just using it

to look at!! lol. Above is their symbol and their colors

are red, white and black. So, I was able to buy just a few

"fat quarters" on sale for 99 cents to make it all work.

He loves it!!!
For my husband I found some fabric that I had bought
awhile back for something else and made him
some much needed and wanted pj pants.
I also had in my pantry everything I needed for his
all time favorite...."Rocky Road Candy"......well,
we did have to buy marshmallows, and I did have
to tell a little lie.......when he asked what they
were for......"ummmm, I think those
go in a salad........" :{ He was surprised :).
My oldest daughter had spotted some animal print
fabric once in my stash and loved it, so I made
her a lap quilt out of that.....pics later, I still have
to do the binding on that one.
My other daughter who sews up a storm and does
wonderful work......I cheated, I bought her fabric
to sew herself! lol. Actually, she had pointed out
some fabric on sale one day that she wanted
for a skirt, so when she wasn't looking I ran and
bought it, since it was on sale for $1 / yd. !!!

Hope you all enjoyed your Christmas and are
having a good start on the New Year.

Merry Christmas!!!!!

2008-12-24T10:28:00.000-08:00

"Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings

of great joy, which shall be to all people.

For unto you is born this day in the city

of David a Saviour, which is

Christ the Lord.

Luke 2:10-11

Christmas Blessings........

2008-12-23T11:41:00.000-08:00

"What do you do? You're just a housewife and slave, aren't you?

A nursemaid to a bunch of kids?" ~ "NO. I have a

fantastic job, a terrific career! I am a curator in a

museum ~ a museum of memories!!"

~Edith Schaeffer, What is Family. (Very good book by the way:)

That is what I have been up to....a very, very busy

week creating memories!!

Even though my children are all grown, it is fun to still
make memories. I have been sewing up a storm!! Making a
couple lap quilts, PJ pants and I am about done. :) We
basically have no money this year for gifts...so it has been
such a BLESSING to see God provide just what I needed out in
my "stash" of fabric. God is so Good and I feel richly Blessed!
I will show you some pictures of what I have done after
Christmas, just in case anyone "peeks" at this blog before
tonight. :) Our children are all here tonight for a very healthy
fish dinner....mmmm, can't wait!!..... and gifts and tomorrow we
go to my hubbies Uncle's house for Christmas dinner. We were
just going to hang out here at home and not do a big dinner
Christmas day, but with the snow and the storms, his aunt
and uncle will be alone since they cannot get anywhere and
their family cannot get to them. :( So, we are happy to spend
the day with them, they are the only "aged" family we have left
that are like my children's grandparents, we
have many happy memories with them.

Hope and pray for you all today.....Peace to you as you

go about your preparations....May Love and

Joy and Peace abound in your homes

tonight and tomorrow and always!!

Jesus is the Reason for the Season!!!

2008-12-19T10:18:00.000-08:00

May your days be filled with the Glory that shines around us

because Jesus came, He died and

He Lives Today to bring us that Peace

and Joy that passes ALL understanding!!!

Christmas Kitchen

2008-12-16T11:06:00.000-08:00

I love how that little light reflects a star on the wall!!
The last few years I have not had a place for my little houses.

So this year I put them in the kitchen!! Most
people collect beautiful Vicotorian house. Not Me!! Mine is this
very fun barn and look at the little lady feeding her chickens
and behind her there is a chicken coop!! Oh yeah!! Love that!!

And MY beautiful house is made of LOGS!!

One other thing I always want to do is have a Christmas tree in

the kitchen.....to decorate with popcorn and cranberries and

gingerbread.....well this year I decided to put this tiny tree in

my kitchen and adorn her with cookie cutters, dried orange

slices and my wooden garland that is sliced

apples and gingerbread men.

And of course....no Christmas kitchen is complete without the

wonderful smells of baking sifting through the air,

warming and cheering the whole household!!

Hope you are all enjoying these days leading up to

the celebration of our Saviour's birth!!

My Lazy Afternoon.....

2008-12-12T12:27:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday a friend and I went to Lark Gardens......

it was the Grand Opening of their little store!

There chef (who, by the way, had a very ENGLISH accent:)...

was tossing things around in the kitchen and

giving us samples in order to taste

the vinegars made at Lark Gardens.

I bought one small bottle to try. He had it on kale with shallots

and garlic (also available in the store).

We tried it the other night and it was GOOD!! You just splash some

vinegar in a couple times during sauteing....

YUMMY!!
They had different vinegars on plums, potatoes, strawberries.....

WONDERFUL!!

They also have little starts in there greenhouses and in the

winter will have fresh greens for sale in the store.

And speaking of greenhouses!!! One of them had citrus

trees!! There was a lemon just about the size of a football!!

We all decided we needed a greenhouse like that attached to our

house that we could just leisurely wander in to, but with glass

ceilings in order to see the sky......maybe your hottub could be in

there or just a spot for tea and reading!!

I also brought home Organic lollipops for those who

stayed home that day. :D

The Store......

2008-12-12T12:07:00.001-08:00

At the Nutcracker Tea.....

All my ornaments that didn't sell are soon to be in my Etsy shop.

I LOVE this paper!! It is from a grocery bag!!!!

Soon I will have my daughter's link on my sidebar.

She has been busy making some very fun things for winter!!

The Ballet.....

2008-12-12T11:57:00.000-08:00

The Nutcracker Tea.....

2008-12-12T11:47:00.001-08:00

Each table with a cup of mini candy canes for stirring!

Wonderful young ladies serving....aren't they adorable??

The Finale'......Frozen Cranberry Raspberry Mousse.

A Rather Quiet Day........

2008-12-06T08:51:00.000-08:00

Just a peek......

OK, I am back......I made it through the week, but today will

be a very "hardly do anything at all day"!!!!

The Tea went well. I ended up having 27. I am always happy

that Iam back in the kitchen and that the ladies have NO

idea what is going on back there, so many things were going

wrong, but on their sideit remained calm and enjoyable.

Praise God for that!!

When I do teas at the Hall, I bring most of the dishes home

dirty :( so have to spend the next couple of days cleaning

up at home. We werehome about 10:30 or 11:00 last night,

and sat up even later, AND I was up until 1 a.m. two

nights before Tea........so I for one

am very tired today, and doing Tea just does

me in for a couple days anyway. I am not

as young as I once was. :(

For today, I am still relaxing with my cup of coffee

and later this afternoon a friend will pick me up and

we are going to Lark Gardens new store Grand Opening.

It is a Lavender farm!! In the summer they

do Tea outside and in the winter you can arrange a

Tea inside and they have had their store inside their

home. They just built a new store!! The actually

sell Lavender Jelly!?!?! I must

experiment with that some day. :)

I am anxious to see this place....this is sooooo much

what I want to do!! Have a store and Tea

at home on my own property!! Maybe

some day........I will keep dreaming!!

I must go......thank you for all your wonderful,

encouraging comments lately.....

see you soon with wonderful pictures of Tea!!

Tea Time!!

2008-12-01T10:40:00.001-08:00

Turns out I do get to do the Nutcracker Tea

this Friday......sooooo much to do!! Food to prepare....

Crafts to finish for sale......soooo, I must disappear

for a few days and I will see you after Tea with

pictures of Tea, finished crafting projects

and so on. But, until it is over I must stick to

the task of being ready!!

But first....I just have to share my menu! ;)

A Nutcracker Tea

Scene 1

Stahlbaum's Christmas Party

~Sparkling Cider

~Savory Refreshment

Red and White Christmas Rounds

(Sundried Tomatoe and Basil)

Turkey Relish on Wheat

Saurbraten Tartlets

Then off to dreamland......

Scene 2

Nutcracker battles the Mouse King!!

~Potatoe Cheese Soup

~Sliced Pears

Scene 3

The Land of Snow

~Fluffy Snowy Cream

~Cranberry Relish

~Served with Orange Scones

Scene 4

The Land of Sweets

~Sugar Plum Fairy Tarts (plum jam)

~Spanish Chocolate Truffles

~Arian Coffee Crisps

~Russian Wedding Cakes

~Mother Ginger Stars

~Chinese Almond Cookies

Scene 5

Back Home Christmas Morning!!

~Frozen Cranberry Mousse

See you after Tea....hey....want to join us?!?!? :)

Over the River.....

2008-12-01T10:03:00.001-08:00

and through the woods.......

but not to grandmother's house (very sad to say :( )
But only to arrive at the coziest spot I know on

this particular Saturday.....
Camp Sherman Christmas Bazaar!!

A stroll through this very fun sale and then off
for the "Christmas tree hunt!!"
We searched and searched......then it was time for a break....
and turkey sandwiches!!!

It was one of the most beautiful days ever for tree hunting!!

I only remember snow and cold......

My daughter did quite a photo shoot of her own, there

were so many fun things to see. On her blog she

has a very fun display of mushrooms. :)

I thought the needles on this tree were really pretty, although

theyare hard to see here. I would have brought this

tree home,but it was too tall.

Manzanita!!! These branches make a beautiful wreath!!

Finally....we found it!! Trouble is we were getting two trees....

so we had a bit more looking to do.

Wow...a bit scarry if you ask me!!

On home again for some hot potatoe cheese soup with our

leftover veggies from Thanksgiving added....garlic roasted

asparagus and brussel sprouts and

a fun Christmas movie.....

Good Bye Autumn!!

2008-12-01T09:29:00.000-08:00

Hello December!!

I Love Autumn and all it's colors and all the Fall dishes there

are to enjoy with squash and nuts and putting things up from the

garden or locally bought produce, I love it all.But I am always

happy to enter December. December is full of so much.

Celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ!!

That He came, only to give His life for me!!

Without Him I am nothing!!

Giving to those we love and care about as an expression of Him

giving Hislife for me. His coming to earth was a gift

for anyone willing to take it.

Taking time to find those people that may be without or not have

loved ones to share with and blessing them in some way.

This of course always depends on how we are doing, this year it

will be homebaked goodsor something handmade. We do have a

neighbor that keeps to himself out here and we take him a plate

of Christmas dinner at the end of the day. He is always

happy aboutthat. He prefers that to sitting at our table. :)

Everything is so beautiful in December, I love all the lights!! I wish it could look like that all winter long. In some parts of our town, they do keep lights up through the winter. :)

I love the smells December brings, cinnamon

and spices, pine, cedar....mmmmm!!

Every year, I try to slow down and focus on why we do what we do. This year that is even easier because we really have $0 to spend.....so I am having fun thinking of things to make

for my family with what I have. I am so happy that

I have a stash to build from.

I love creating memories, still today with grown children.....I have so many happy memories from Christmas with my Mom and Dad, I will cherish them always.

It is my prayer for you all to enjoy this season and remember to take time to reflect on Christmas's past and the present and how we can share the love of Jesus to those around us.

Bless You All!!

Blessings.....

2008-11-28T10:27:00.000-08:00

Blessings of the fruits of our labor....

dilly beans and dill pickles.....

Blessings of simplicity........
I made my rolls the day before, let them rise once, made into balls put in the
pan and put them directly into the refrigerator. They raised a bit, I put them in the
oven straight from the refrigerator............
Mixed and matched my dishes so that I could use

my two apple plates above :) .......

Blessings of more preparedness.......
Plum Juice Punch......

Not even attempting sales today!!! Staying home, taking down Autumn decos to make room for Christmas decos. Tomorrow, we will go to a quaint little place in the woods where there is a Christmas Bazaar and tree permits. We will cut down a tree, and peek at the Bazaar. Usually, we have a cup of soup at the Bazaar, but this year we will take a picnic. Turkey sandwiches perhaps..... :) We cannot put the tree up yet, it will be at my tea first then we can bring it home to decorate next weekend. I might do some of that today with what I do not need for my tea.

There is a chance I will not get to do my really fun and lovely Nutcracker Tea!! Have not had very many calls.....and today is the deadline.....it is a very busy weekend in our town, too much going on. If that is the case, I will quickly switch gears to put some of these things I have been making into my Etsy shop. As much as I just love doing teas and do them for others enjoyment, this one was going to help with our house payment.....that is why I would quick do Etsy. If you feel prompted, please pray about that......Bless you all on this day after Thanksgiving!!

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

2008-11-27T20:32:00.000-08:00

I am thankful for family, friends, a home and that

God is Good and Loves me very much!! :D
Hope you all enjoyed your day!

Welcome Home.......

2008-11-25T13:34:00.000-08:00

Lydia!!!

Look, she is even smiling!!

When we thought we were moving to England last January, we got rid of all our animals. Well, the people who took Lydia here can not keep her anymore so wondered if we would like her back. After consulting with my son who works at the feed and seed store and having him assure me he would be sure we had hay for her, I asked my dear sweet husband and he said YES!! Since she is a good weedeater and will basically be no cost to us. :)

She has even made friends with the horse next door, they keep each other company.
I am pretty sure they stand at the fence and have an
occasional neighborly chat......or so it appears.

Still going............

2008-11-25T10:47:00.000-08:00

Making more ornaments.....the hand sewing is all done, now I just have to sew backs

on them and put in a bit of stuffing. (Those are "reclaimed" holy socks cut out in

those cute little hearts:)

At the end of the day.........

2008-11-25T10:39:00.000-08:00

Beautiful high desert sunset!

Good Intentions Gone Right............

2008-11-21T11:03:00.000-08:00

For my Anne Tea I had cut out over 30 little silky mice. I was going to give them to the ladies as their take home gift. Probably serving it on the plate with their plum pudding. :)

Good intentions.

Well, I did not get very far with that idea.......after the tea, I got 5 done and put a little bit of lavender in them to give to the girls who helped me serve.
So, since I have so many little silky funnels sitting here needing stuffed and crafted into something, I looked at them and came up with this........

Added little pearly beads and velvet ribbon and made them into Christmas ornaments.....

They hang in pairs from velvet ribbon attached with beads......

I am also working on these star ornaments.....

Calico on felt with calico on the back and a

blanket stitch.....in three patterns.....

All for the Christmas Boutique at my

Nutcracker Tea!!!

Take Joy.....

2008-11-20T15:15:00.001-08:00

Yesterday, our Sewing Circle met at another ladies house and it is her birthday next week!! I made her this little hanging pillow.......with what I think is a very appropriate message for the times in which we live......

Little beads and velvet ribbon........

Another Year Older..........

2008-11-20T14:48:00.000-08:00

The end of last month was my birthday. I had our Sewing Circle over to my house for our meeting that month and served them a Birthday Lunch!! The month before we had gone to another gals house for her birthday and had cheesecake.

I made pumpkin stew that you serve in the pumpkin, pumpkin rolls, pumpkin cheesecake, that glorius salad you saw back a ways with the butternut squash and spinach.....yep, I love pumpkin, and it was my day!!

One gift was this table runner, which I love drapped over my trunk that sits in front of my couch. This lady is affectionatley known as the "quilting machine", we are amazed at the quilts she can put out. She has something new to share with us every month.

This fun little tea ball was on the package of this next gift. I love it because it reminds me of tin punch.....so it hangs on a knob so

I can see it all the time. :)

This was inside........it matches my couch perfectly and has found a home perched on

the back of my couch!!

About the same time, my husband finished a cupboard for me that he had started years ago and had set aside. One day he brought home extra glass shelves from work. Another time he brought home plywood that had quarter sawn oak on one side.....seemed like a match to me! All he had to buy was the front face frame wood.......
Now I can get my tea cups out of boxes and onto shelves.....it will get a door some day with glass, but we must wait as
glass is not a priority at this moment....

Lovely tea cups all in a row......

When I began doing tea parties.....about 7 years ago....a friend had a "tea cup shower" for my birthday!! How fun is that!!!!

More Anne Tea :) ........

2008-11-12T11:50:00.000-08:00

If you want to do your own Anne of Green Gables Tea event, you could check out the Anne Cookbook and the Anne Treasury from the library, full of wonderful ideas and recipes.

Our menu included:

1. Raspberry Cordial

2. Pear Scones with Plum and Peach Jelly

and since it was Fall, I made

Honey/Maple Butter

3. Chicken Cresents

Orange Cream Cheese on Pumpkin Bread

Cucumber on Dill/"Carrot" Bread

4. Mrs. Irvings Shortbread

Fruitcake

Gingersnaps

Jellied Tart Cookies

5. Plum Pudding

(as the girls served this, they set a little felt mouse on each table:)

That was alot of food, but my teas are always five courses,

so that is what I do.

Our very own Anne.........

At the beginning of tea, she wandered through the room reading "The Lady of Chalot", as her sister played the piano.......very nice

Her eldest sister graced us with readings from the book.......
Tables and such before ladies arrived......

The little brown booklet by each plate is the menu with "Anne" quotes for each food item, as well as a collection of "Household Tips" from the Treasury book which were quite entertaining.

Anne again.......how cute is she!!!!

Our little tea guests......

I cannot believe my head is already spinning for the next tea....

A Nutcracker Tea

Our Anne girl and her sister are doing a ballet number and our menu goes along with each scene in the Nutcracker Ballet. Stahlbaum's Christmas Party, Nutcracker Battles the Mouse King, Land of Snow, Land of Sweets and Back Home Again. Five courses, I am having soooo much fun, I will share it with you as I go.

Must go, lot's of work to do, we are also

making more lovelies to sell at the tea:)

Proverbs......

2008-11-07T10:44:00.000-08:00

Why, WHY, do I know so many "Christians" like this....

Proverbs 6:12-14

A worthless, wicked man:

1. constant liar (gossip, slander, etc.)

2. rebellious (towards God's ways)

3. stirring up discontent (among us!)

Proverbs 6:16-19

7 things God HATES!!!:

1. Hautiness...........try being HUMBLE in our views, opinions

2. Lying......tell the TRUTH, stop making things up

3. Murdering.......in any FORM!! Replace this with LOVE.

4. Plotting evil........plot how to be HOLY instead

5. Eagerness to do wrong......be EAGER to do what is RIGHT

6. A false witness......again, TRUTH

7. Sowing discord/strife among brothers.......try PEACE for a change, maybe agree to disagree!!

We must strive to please God and be more like him, and in doing so, we will gain these positive attributes, rather than being the

kind of person God hates.....

Moving on......

2008-11-05T09:30:00.000-08:00

Here are some more pictures of the Anne of Green Gables Tea........

another peek at our store.....

Look at these young ladies all dressed up!!

Look at those "puffed sleeves"!! She made that dress just for this tea...... More decos.......

Encouragement Today.......

2008-11-05T08:37:00.000-08:00

"For the Lord is our judge,

the Lord is our lawgiver,

the Lord is our King;

He WILL save us!"

Isaiah 33:22

"Therefore since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumberance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the JOY set before Him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you

will not grow weary and lose heart."

Hebrews 12:1-3

Jesus looked at His suffering in His future not as suffereing but as the JOY that would follow after the suffereing. Keep our eyes upon Jesus!!

Election Day......

2008-11-04T16:41:00.000-08:00

Praying today.....

Praying for the elections.....

Praying and being oh so THANKFUL

that GOD is

AWESOME

ALL POWERFUL

ALWAYS, ALWAYS IN CONTROL

AND ESPECIALLY

that God is

STILL ON THE THRONE!!

We as Christians can REST in KNOWING without a doubt no matter what happens after today....

GOD KNOWS EXACTLY

WHAT HE IS DOING!!

PRAISE GOD FROM

WHOM ALL

BLESSINGS FLOW!!

Ohhhh Sweet Fallness........

2008-11-04T14:00:00.000-08:00

I just cannot stop decorating.......

Miss Harvest Bunny with her

little quilted pumpkin....

Little pumpkins, sunflowers and leaves everywhere......

Happy to have chrysanthemums leftover from tea....
Favorite Apple plates.....

Mmmmm......the colors.......

Even a Fall Salad.......

I tried the Rice Salad in the October/November issue of Mary Jane's Farm....it is amazing!! I just added some spinach. Served with a Pumpkin

Roll and Dilly Beans.

For Pumpkin Rolls I replaced the mashed potatoes in my

Potatoe Roll recipe...it worked!

Plums!!!

2008-11-04T13:22:00.000-08:00

Awhile back, one of the girls in our Titus 2 group

brought lots of plums from her tree!!

Have you ever used a steam juicer?? I LOVE mine!! All you do is rinse the fruit and put it into the top basket there, it steams and juice comes out the little hose, right into the jar. It is sooo hot, you can

just put a lid on and it will seal.
Beautiful Plum Juice!!
Beautiful Plum Jelly from the Plum Juice!!

However, I do have a confession to make....I could not find a recipe for Plum Jelly anywhere. After making plum jam that came out realllly thick, I decided plums have alot of natural pectin, so should not need pectin for jelly. So, I decided we would follow directions for Grape Jelly. Similar shape and color, riggghhhhtt??? This was for our Titus 2 meeting. I, the older woman, was showing them how to make jelly. Directions said to boil until it reached the stage where the juice is clinging to the spoon and drips off twice....2 drips. We stirred and boiled and stirred and boiled. Finally, we decided to take a break from that, have our lunch and come back to it. After lunch, it had hardened soooo hard, I almost broke the wooden spoon trying to remove it from the pan!! It was quite amazing and we laughed very much!!!

So, later I followed the pectin directions, using pectin, still for Grape Jelly. You only boil that for 2 minutes. :) It made the above jelly, which is very thick, but it is jelly!! So, we had a fun class that day....

learning how NOT to make Plum Jelly!!

Autumn Anne Tea..........

2008-11-03T15:15:00.000-08:00

As you entered...............

A "plain brown" teapot and "chrysanthEmums"..........

The tables........pumpkin spice votives in glass teacups, fall colored leaves tied around a napkin with raffia for place cards........Centerpieces were fall colored cocktail napkins and on some tables plaid napkins with a tall pumpkin spice candle sprinkled with leaves, cinnamon sticks and dried sunflowers.....

Mmmmm, we served "plum pudding" for our last course.

Lot's of pumpkins, sunflowers, leaves, doilies......all to ad an old fashioned harvest feeling.

Our little store....breads and pies, pincushions and bunnies......

pillows and gloves, jams and jellies, homemade soap......

Then the tea was done....ladies went home......and it was time for a Harvest Party with friends!!

We just left the decorations, moved things around a little and enjoyed!

Later some special music and then some good ol' dancing!!

Just having fun......

some favorite faces....one of us couldn't hold still!! :)

My most favorite face....my very own sweetie!!

I will have more tea pics later.....from friends....some shots of the girls serving hopefully!! I cannot believe I missed them!! One was dressed as Anne and they all were dressed for the time.....also, one of the girls did readings and one played songs from the soundtrack...all and all it was a lovely time!!

Class today...........

2008-10-17T15:22:00.000-07:00

The girls in my Home-Making class

finished their pillowcases......aren't

they ADORABLE!!!