Nothing much better then summer sundays....

We have been blessed with the most amazing weather for the last week.  Open-window nights and enjoying- the -back- porch days.  I've managed to keep the garden weeded and the flowers dead-headed without too much complaining.  My tomatoes are just starting to ripen and finally, I'm beginning to get cucumbers and zucchini......life is good.

Yesterday, Phoebe was with me and we made peach jelly.  She loves helping me and there's never a task she won't tackle.  She's a delight!

Just read this quote on Susan Branch's wonderful blog and love it.....

  We made up some of my bread so she could take bread and jelly home with her.



I've been without a sewing machine for over 2 weeks now and I've felt a little lost.  Since the weather was nice enough to work in the garage, decided to paint this wicker table for Leola's....

 

I painted the bottom but left the top natural wood but put a finish on it so you actually use it.  Love the way it turned out even though this isn't the greatest picture.

 

I still have a garage and basement to clean out.  The garage sale got rid of a lot of "stuff" but didn't put out many clothes.  My goal at the first of the summer was to bag the things that I never wear and see if I missed them.  Well, I didn't so they're all going....someplace.  Love that I have drawer space and closet space again.  "Things" really do slow you down.

 

Hope everyone has a wonderful week.

 



Beautiful Fall Monday....

It's just been a gorgeous fall day in the Ozarks and I managed to get so much accomplished (about time).  Spent so much time in the garage this weekend and not only did I work on and mark merchandise, I also got the garage kind of cleaned out.  If I could find the time, I'd have a garage sale but doesn't seem to fit in my schedule.  Just hate to go into winter with a full garage.  Oh, well, guess there are worse things!

I bought this table at an auction but it had been badly repaired.  It's a great primitive (I think walnut) table and loved it as a drop leaf but it was just in too bad of condition to repair.  Sooooooo, I took it apart.....

Picked the pieces on the top that were in the best condition and glued them together to, hopefully, make a solid top.

 Thanks to my nice neighbor, Dave, I had strips to glue and screw in the spaces where the boards that held the drop-leaves were.  After staining those I turned the table upside-down on the top and glued and put screws in the base and top.  It was flipped over and this is what it looked like.  It needed a little staining and a light finish.

This is how it turned out......wonderful.  I feel so good about what I was able to do.  Now, I'm taking it to Leola's.  It was a busy weekend and I need furniture.  Dave also finished another table for me that looks more like a desk but I have to put a stain on some of the wood we had to use.  We had an old table top and some old legs.  He took them and made a table.  It's going to be so cool when I'm finished with it.  Can't wait!

This is my favorite lunch.   It's tomatoes, basil, garlic, olive oil, and Parmesan cheese on my home made bread that was toasted under the broiler with a little olive oil and Parmesan cheese.

 My tomatoes are still producing and my basil is going crazy.  I've already used all my garlic so next year will make sure I have lots more.  I plant my garlic bulbs in late fall and it comes up in the spring.

This is part of my "living simply" life style.  When I make pesto then I take all the leftover bruschetta mixture and pour it over my pasta too.  It's so yummy!  What's really good is to crumble cooked bacon over the pasta.

Hope everyone has a great week.  So many things to do....so little time!

What to do on a snowy weekend.....

It was another snowy weekend in Missouri so just tried to make the best of it.  It just continues to be cold, windy and snowy.  Hopefully, this is the week the cycle ends.

Here are some of my little tomato plants.  I transplanted them in these cups so as they grow, I can continue to add soil. 

 

My house is dark under the best of circumstances but with so many dismal days, I decided to buy a grow light.  Then the starts were placed under the grow light but I didn't check for the safest distance for them not to burn.  Well, apparently I let them get too close because I lost several tomatoes and basil plants.  Felt so bad but decided to just plant a few more.....they have plenty of time to grow.

 

The basil is on the left.

 

 

 

I ordered my seeds from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds http://rareseeds.com/ and they offer so much assistance on their webpage and their Facebook page.  One of their farms is near here in Mansfield, MO and it's an amazing place.  If you're ever in this part of the country, you should definitely try to visit.  This is their photograph.

 

Last summer and fall I tried saving some seeds.  I always save my purple hyacinth bean seeds because my original plant came from my uncle Ivin who is now deceased.  He was quite a gardener and had brought the seeds from his parents farm.  He would be so pleased to know I still had them.  I'm giving some to Allison this year so she can keep the tradition going.

 

 

The grandkids came on Friday night and stayed through part of Saturday.  They love to be in the kitchen and they all love chocolate covered anything.  We started with strawberries and then added bananas, pretzels and cookies.  Sage and I loved the new Girl Scout cookie that is shortbread with chocolate icing so we decided to try Lorne Doone cookies and dipped the bottoms in chocolate.....so good.  Pretty darn close to the Girl Scouts' cookies.

 





 

We had chocolate all over everything but they helped clean up.

 

 

They received Kindle Fires for Christmas and they get more good out of them.  Mom and Dad are sticklers for limiting their time on electronics but we all enjoyed probably too much time on our Kindle's.  It was just one of those weekends.

 

 

 

If you look close, you can see the snow out my back window.

 

Hope everyone has a wonderful week and let's all pray for spring.







My niece told me I might have too much time on my hands if I'm taking pictures of my meals, but this was just too good to pass up.

Pesto is one of my favorite things about summer.  Since I didn't have spaghetti pasta  (which is what I usually use) I used some large shells.  So good!!!!  It's especially yummy with some roasted chicken added to it.

My other favorite thing about summer is fresh bruschetta.  I had my own homegrown tomatoes, green onions, garlic and basil.  This is Panera's asiago cheese bread toasted with olive oil and a little Parmesan cheese.  You should see my sweet Phoebe eat this....she loves it. 

My garden is so beautiful right now.  Even with the dry weather, it's looking so good.  The green beans are blooming as are the squash and cucumbers.  There are little peppers hanging and the herbs are going crazy.  My neighbor has given me zucchini and I've been making the zucchini chips that are on my Pinterest.  You just slice them really thin, put a little olive oil on them with salt & a little pepper and bake them until they're brown (I use a high temp).  Sometimes I don't let them get very brown but take them off the cookie sheet and put them on a paper towel and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.  Really watch them closely because they brown in a flash. This is definitely one way to get your kids to eat zucchini.

My sisters and I are going antiquing for a few days.  We're hitting our favorite haunts in Iowa and plan to stay in Bonaparte for a few days.

This is where we stay......Bonaparte B & B.  It was an old glove factory that they have made into a B & B and they take such good care of their guests.

Bonaparte's Retreat is the restaurant across the street.  It's a cute little Amish community where everything is home-owned.  Sits on the DesMoines River.

Anyway, as always, I'll take lots of pictures and hopefully, find lots of treasures.

Dinner from the garden.....

The garden is so productive right now -- thanks to all the rain.  Of course, the weeds are loving it too.  I have 3 different kinds of green beans.  One is the yard long variety.  Some of these had dried up so I popped the beans out & threw them in.  They were so good.

My mom used to cook green beans all day on the stove but we've found the flavor and nutrition is so much better if you don't cook them to death.  She used to also put in a ton of bacon grease which I don't do.  First of all, I saute about 3 of my garden onions (they're not very large) in a little butter and olive oil.  They I add a couple cloves of garlic & salt & pepper.  They cook slowly (so they won't burn) until translucent.  Then I throw in my green beans & add a box of low sodium chicken broth and enough water to cover.  I cook them for probably 30 min. & turn them off & let them set for at least an hour on the stove.  It's like they soak up all those great flavors.  Then reheat when ready to serve. 

Since I had cut herbs (sage, thyme, basil) I tied a bunch together & let it lay on the top of this pot.

I think my favorite thing to eat in the summertime is bruschetta.  We have Panera Bread in Springfield & they make an asiago cheese bread that is so good.  I toast it in the oven with olive oil & a little garlic then after it toasts I sprinkle it with an Italian cheese.  You chop your tomatoes, garlic and a little onion then mix with olive oil, a little balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper & chopped basil.  Serve on top of the bread & serve with your green beans.  What a great dinner!

It appears the Japanese beetles have left town.  They have really been bad this year so next year I'm going to try treating my yard since they come up out of the earth.  We'll see what happens.  I'll probably then get all my neighbors.

Have a great weekend & don't forget the garage sale at Linda's farm.  The address is in the post from last week.  They should have tons of good stuff at great prices. 

Another day at Leola’s…

Monday is my workday at Leola’s and I was more then ready to be creative.  Judy and Brenda came in to work in their separate shops so we got a lot accomplished. 

The shop is looking incredible and fun.  We’ve stripped out the holiday merchandise and are thinking Spring (even though we have a winter storm watch).  It’s going to be here before we  know it. 




It’s a cold but sunshiny day today so think I’ll get out before the snow flies.  Maybe I’ll fix stew for dinner and homemade bread.

Yea!!! My garden rat has left the premises.

My garden rat is finally dead -- I smell his rotting carcass. Can't believe I feel such glee over something dieing (especially at my hands) but I do -- can't help myself. I just stand in my window and look out on those beautiful ripening tomatoes and know that I get to eat them. Not those free-loading rats. I fixed dinner out of my garden tonight and it made me feel so good. I had tomatoes, basil, garlic & mozzarella salad (didn't grow the mozzarella). Also, the sweet potato was not mine but the zucchini and green beans were. I picked lemon cucumber, several varieties of peppers and onions today. Stella planted carrots and I think she'll be able to harvest some this weekend. She goes out & picks a few every time she comes over but they've been really small. I've heard the small ones are really good roasted but haven't tried them.

We've had lots of rain lately so haven't had to do much watering. It's amazing how much faster the garden grows from rain then it does from watering from the faucet. This weekend is suppose to be record-breaking cool. Maybe we'll be able to open the windows and doors and air out the house. I love that.

On Saturday we're having a baby shower for my friend Jane's daughter Amanda. This is Jane's first grandchild and I can't wait. She's always laughed at me for being so silly about my grandchildren. Just wait!

Have a good Friday!