Monday Kitchen Production...

Monday was a perfect day for a little pressure canning. We had taken three big round steaks out of the freezer for just this purpose over the weekend. After they'd refrigerator thawed they were ready to prep. 

I pulled out my pressure canning book and made a chili spice blend while handsome trimmed the meat. It didn't take long after that to heat up the meat, add spice to each of our prepared jars, and then fill ll with meat and the broth it created. 

We ate dinner while we tended the canner to be sure it maintained the correct pressure, and now we have five lovely pints of chili meat, ready for a quick fall or winter meal. 

We've picked more ripe tomatoes, so they'll be on the agenda again very soon. Don't you just love this time of year? I sure do. 

New In My Shop...

 

Nothing better than to have a little love potion to brighten your day. 

 

Amortentia is the name used in a particular wizarding movie series of which I'm quite fond. You know the one.

 

 

 

Add a little sparkle here and...

 

there to make you smile. 

 

The swirling liquid is actually more pink than peach, and when you shake it, there's a lovely gold tint to the entire mixture. Of course, you know it isn't meant to be ingested. The bottle is sealed and isn't meant as a child's toy. For decorative purposes only.

Already listed in my Etsy shop. Buyer will receive this exact piece.

New designs coming soon!

Tuesdays With Tag - So Disappointed...

Hi, Everybody!

Can you see the disappointment in my eyes? Things just didn't go as we'd planned. Here's the deal. Last week, Mom promised us that we'd all go to Lake Michigan to swim in the surf at the dog beach. Up until Friday it had been pretty toasty around here and she and Dad wanted to give us a break from the hot weather. That's when Mom suggested swimmin' dogs in the lake, and believe me, we were all on board.

Saturday, she made the cat house for those stoopid felines, and it had already started coolin' off. By Sunday, it was fairly chilly. Dad said he thought the water might be too cold for us, so we got put on hold. Truthfully, they didn't say a thing to us guys, and nobody asked how we felt about it. All I know is that I had my swim trunks packed, only to find out our big adventure to one of the big inland seas was cancelled. Caplooey!

 

To tell the truth, unless Mom has food in her mitts, I don't even want to look at her right now. All it took was for her to say, "Hey, Tag. Ya wanna go swimmin'?" and I was there! Instead, I got to spend the day listenin' to some bull ticky excuse. 

So, while everybody is hopin' the weather stays cool like this, I'm wonderin' if we can have just one more week of dog-kickin' heat so we can take our little road trip. One more week. Is that too much for a guy to ask? Well, is it?

I'll see you again in seven. 'til then... 

"Be A Good Dog."

I Made A Cat Condo...

I'm feeling pretty chuffed about now. I had this dresser with really dodgy drawer runners. They were plastic and all broken, so whenever I tried to use a drawer, it wanted to drop out. This dresser was a Marketplace purchase (cheap), but the owners loaded it into my Explorer before I could even test the drawers. It's all on me, as I should have given it a thorough check prior to purchase. At any rate, it really stunk as a clothes dresser, but I had an idea, so it's been sitting in our garage waiting for me to get to it.

It's been getting cooler at night - and was pleasantly cooler yesterday - so I decided I needed to get to this now. I made a little list and ran over to Home Depot to get what I needed. When I got back home, I got out Handsome's power tools and the parts I purchased, and got to work. Handsome only helped hold some of the plywood while I cut it, but I did everything else. It still needs paint, but this is what I did. I made a cat house condo for my girls!

 

I removed all the lower drawers, reinforced the dividers between levels, and then insulated the entire piece with sheet styrofoam. There are no gaps in the insulation, and during the winter, the entire condo will be moved to the compass barn so they'll have the building to protect it, too. I even insulated the insides of the upper drawers, which I kept for their supplies. They'll be snug little bugs in this when the winds blow.

I measured all my components and attached a swinging door to the front so I can access the inside should I need to add more bedding or clean out the interior. I even insulated the front panels!

 

I was a little concerned about whether or not the girls would be interested in this, but Claudette was immediately curious. Then, I wasn't sure the opening I cut between the levels would be big enough, but I worried for naught.

Before bed last night, I went out to see whether or not the ladies had moved in. I wanted to add one of their current beds to the padded lower section, and when I opened the door, Claudette was already tucked in her bed in the upper level. Seems she had no issues entering the front door and heading "upstairs" for the night. Once I put the second bed in the lower level and closed the front door, Crystal went right inside and tucked herself in, too.

I went to bed smiling last night, knowing both my girls were safely sleeping in the beds in their new condo. Now I'm assured that as the days get cooler, they have a warm, safe place to be, and once the weather turns toward winter, we'll move them out to the Compass Barn for more protection. 

 

I'm also planning to add a small cut in the side wall of the dresser so I can add a fixture to hold an oven or refrigerator light for a little extra warmth when it's freezing outside. I'm not thinking of anything bright or strong. Just enough to take the chill out of their condo. 

The only thing I have left to do for now is apply a coat of paint to the front panels...and I'm thinking I'll paint a garden scene with faces of my girls peeking out of the grasses and flowers. Of course, they'll need their names above the door, too, along with a little "eyebrow" over the entry. Nothing is too good for my girls, and if I can't have them indoors (at least while Handsome is home), then I'll make sure they have the best in the meantime. What do you think?

Sunday Scripture...

 

II Corinthians 3:17-18

I'm Taking Another Class...

I've learned many techniques from my friend, Clara Warschauer already, but I really wanted to take this class from her. I'll be learning more of her tricks during a two session Zoom class in September. 

These are Clara's goldwork fish in the photo, but we'll only be doing one. Hers shown here are finished as a framed piece, however what we'll do in the class will be to create a brooch. I'm really looking forward to the class, as well as showing you my finished Koi fish brooch at the end of the class.

I baked and canned yesterday, and will finish up pears today. The weather has cooled down so it's comfortable for working in the kitchen, and the warmer weather has helped ripen more tomatoes. What I didn't turn into salsa yesterday, I froze to make pizza sauce at a later date.

It's going to be a busy, busy week next week, so I'm trying to get ahead while I can. I'll tell you more about all that very soon. Have a great weekend!

Party of Fourteen...

Last night was our wrap-up dinner to close out our work as a committee for the class reunion. We all agreed that we've renewed old friendships, and that we'll continue to gather from time to time just to enjoy each other's company. Two members couldn't make it, but I'm sure they'll join us again in the future.

We only have a few loose ends that couldn't be tied into a neat, little bow, but those things will be taken care of very soon. Our classmates pictured l-r (front row) Julie, Dan and Pat. (second row) Mary, Janet, Brad, Max, Karen S., Cal, Deb B., Karen C., Al, Me, and Deb O. Missing are Rem and Mickey.

This is the most dedicated, hard working, fun committee I've ever had the pleasure of being associated with, and I'm truly honored to have been their leader for the past fourteen months. I almost wish we could do it all over again! Almost. Thanks to all that, together, we could help create wonderful new memories for us and all our classmates.

Concert Night...

 

Concert night was especially fun last night. I sat where I could see all of the percussionists, and especially Handsome. I actually recorded video from two of their numbers. My husband had told me how much fun they had in rehearsals with these concert numbers, and last night I understood why. They were busy and so much fun to watch. Handsome was playing the kit for a number from the movie Zorro in this image. 

 

I was so tickled when my sister, Diana, her son, Dan and most of his family also came to the concert. One son had other plans for the evening. It was so wonderful to see their reaction to seeing Uncle Handsome playing in the band, and they want me to let them know when the concerts in the park start up again next year so they can come, too.

Now for the sad news. Tag couldn't come with me. He was heartbroken that he couldn't see his fans, but we had an after party for this last concert of the season and it was still going to be too hot outside to leave him in the car while we were in the restaurant. I've promised him something special this weekend, and he'll be able to tell you all about that instead. Besides, it's going to be much more fun for him - and you to read! He's looking forward to telling you all about it next Tuesday.

More tomatoes to pick this morning, and I'll probably make salsa this afternoon if it's cool enough. We need more bread, but it's too hot to turn on 400º ovens. That will have to wait another day or two. I'm off to have a cuppa and then run a couple errands. Have a great day and see you tomorrow!

 

No Canning Today...

 

My sister, Diana surprised us with a visit yesterday. She arrived right after Handsome helped me unload nearly two bushels of pears from the tractor to carry them into the farmhouse. I had already started setting up my canning supplies, and washed the pears for peeling and cutting.

After watching me hand peel the pears for about three pounds-worth, Di asked why I wasn't using my Pampered Chef tool called the "apple peeler, corer, slicer". Handsome calls it my potato lathe. When I explained that I didn't want to use it to core the pears because of their sometimes irregular shape, she informed me that that feature can be disengaged. (She's my Pampered Chef consultant, too.) Knowing that I, too, store seldom used appliances and tools in the basement - just as she does - she said, "Go downstairs and bring it back up. I'll show you how to do it." 

Well, I fairly pranced downstairs to get it, and after turning one screw, and turning the corer out of the way, I loaded up my first pear, peeled it and was perfectly giddy. This was going to save me a lot of time and sore thumbs. So, I got to cranking the pears. Di peeled off anything that was left from the "lathe", and Handsome cut up the pears and tossed them into a bowl with citric acid and water to keep the pears from turning brown. We got our system going and before we knew it, we'd prepared twenty pounds for canning.

Di had to leave shortly after we got all those pears peeled, but I kept going by making the light syrup and adding pears in small loads. Once they were cooked in the syrup for five minutes, I filled the jars and then put them into my electric water bath canner. I could only get eight or nine jars in at a time, but they only needed to process for twenty five minutes, so I just ran two loads in the canner.

The result is this beautiful array of finished pears for the pantry...and I still have 3/4 of a bushel yet to do. As it's supposed to get into the high 90s today, canning will not be on my agenda. As Tag told you, he and I will be attending Handsome's last concert this evening. Di is going to join us, along with some of my nieces and nephews. We're all looking forward to it. You'll read all about it next week when you get to see it from his ground level point of view. (hee hee, Tag. I saw your 'old people' joke yesterday!)

Time to check the garden, take care of the kitties, and then figure out how to keep cool if it's really going to be that hot today. I may need to spend some of that time in the studio, enjoying a little craft therapy. What are you doing today?

 

Tuesdays With Tag - A Date With Mom...

 

 

Hi, Everybody!!

 

Here's a picture of me wearin' my bowtie from (more than) a few years ago. In fact, we were still livin' in Florida when I posed for this, so you might say I was still a puppersnapper! Well, I'm gettin' out my ol' bow tie, 'cuz I've got a date with Mom!!!

 

Dad's last concert of the season is tomorrow. Dad told Mom last night - and I just happened to overhear them - that it's supposed to be 96° tomorrow, so they're gonna have the concert inside instead of outside. Not the best of conditions for me to show off, but I'm goin' anyway. I'm sure if there aren't many kids, there will be lots of old people (Mom and Dad's age heehee) who would love to pet my silky fur! 

Dad's had a lot of fun playin' this summer and tomorrow night they're doin' a whole concert of favorites that were voted on by the audience over the whole season. It's gonna be fun. (I wonder if they'll play "How Much Is That Doggie In The Window"?)

People always love seein' Corgis - even though WMBBD and her pretty (nuts) daughter come in a close second - so I'm expectin' to get a lot of attention. It's about time (again), too!

I'm gonna close for now. I've got one more sleep until my Dad's show, so I'd better get my beauty rest. I'm gonna ask Mom to give me a good brushin' and spray some girly smell on me, too. Gotta look my best for my fans, you know! Pictures and stories next week!

I'll see you again in seven. 'til then... 

"Be A Good Dog."

Monday, Monday...

 

This is just a wee portion of my plans for today. I'd carved out time to can pears yesterday, but it was so bloody hot in the farmhouse that I chose to spend much of the day in the cool basement, doing laundry. I swear I'm going to move my ironing board down there, too! Wet clothes were hung on the line to dry, as I wanted to avoid turning on the dryer if I could.

 

Some time before we purchased the homestead that we lovingly dubbed Hickory Hill Farm, our dear neighbors, Andy and Shelly planted a pear tree along their lot line with this property. As Shelly is not a fan of pears, and there are only so many Andy can eat fresh, they've graciously shared them with us. In years past, there have been bountiful harvests from this tree, but this year the branches are so full of fruit that they're bending under the weight. I've noted in my canning diary that I usually put them up in early September, but have been keeping track of them this past week, hoping to take some weight off the tree. 

It's supposed to be cooler today, so my first order of business is to pick pears. Then I'll bring them back here, wash them, and sit down to peel and slice them all. After that's done, I'll make up a simple syrup - not too sweet - and give the pears a hot bath prior to canning them. I suspect I'll be doing this for a few days this week. We'll have to see.

I canned six and a half half-pint jars of pizza sauce from our current crop of ripe Roma tomatoes on Saturday. It takes so long to cook them down to thicken the sauce, but it will be so worth it to be able to enjoy in the coming months. I still have tomatoes ripening, so there will be more made soon. I'd planned to make salsa, but didn't have enough of the Early Girls to do that yet. I imagine they'll ripen this week along with the Romas.

As much as I'd like to be playing in the studio right now, when Mother Nature says it's time to pick ripe vegetables, I have to pick and process them. Needlework and other crafty pursuits will have to wait a while. I think I'll pull together supplies so that after I finish working in the kitchen, I'll be able to put my feet up in the evening and do a little needle dancing. If I can stay awake, that is. 

Sunday Scripture...

Zephaniah 3:17

 

Gardening and A New Endeavor...

 

 

It was a beautiful day yesterday, and I spent a little time in the garden. I'm learning a lot this year. First of all, I learned that I planted my tomatoes much to close together this time. I won't make that mistake again. I also learned that my plants got much larger than I anticipated (larger than they every got in the past), and I can't add cages or more trellises after they're this big. I'll do better with that next season, too.

 

Straw Bale Gardening 

In my quest to improve my garden next year, I purchased a book I've been reading about a lot on social media from other gardeners. Straw bale gardening is a method for creating a raised garden without having to invest a tremendous amount of money. It's efficient, and the straw eventually breaks down to use as mulch to put back into the garden. 

Straw bale gardens are perfect for urban dwellers, too. They can be set up on hard surfaces, or on top of the soil in a yard. The book has a wealth of information, and under $15 for the paperback, it was very affordable. The title of the book (under the photo above) is a link in case you'd like to purchase your own copy.

 

Disclosure: I've recently become an Amazon Associate, so as such, I will earn a small commission on any purchases made through my links. I don't want to have distracting advertising banners on my blog, so I'll post such direct links from time to time to promote products I have purchased myself and personally endorse. Your support is greatly appreciated. 

Handsome and I will be purchasing the straw bales from a local farmer and will set them up yet this fall so they're ready to go in the spring. This year has been so successful that we're going to move our garden over to the north side of our property and expand its size. We'll have a really impressive garden next year!

 

I'll be canning pizza sauce today using this beautiful large bowl full of Roma tomatoes. I'll add today's ripe harvest to these for about ten pounds in weight. If I collect more Early Girls this morning, I'll make salsa, too.  

Canning and Crafting. How's a girl to choose? That's easy. The veggies tell me what gets priority these days. Guess canning will come first today. Hopefully, I can get my work done early and still have time for the "crafting" part. I'm heading outside now. The garden is calling. 

Another Element...

 

Now that my pigments have arrived, I'll have lots of choices for potion colors when I start making more. It's hard to convey just how wonderful and saturated the colors are, but I know they're going to create some wonderful, swirling potions once I start playing with them!

I have an entire list written out so I don't forget one I want to make. Handsome and I are having a great time coming up with potions to make, and references to use on the labels taken from quotes in the movies. I can't help but laugh at some of them. After all, these are meant to be fun.

I'll be working on label designs today and will share some of those with you tomorrow. Hard to believe it's the weekend again - so soon. Where does the time go?

My garden continues to produce beautiful vegetables, so I'll likely be canning pizza sauce and/or salsa this weekend. I'm sure I'll sleep well every night, and will probably add afternoon "power naps" when I can. I love this time of year. How about you?

Ready To Play...

My studio is clean again, so now I can play. I pulled an assortment of charms that I'll be using soon on my latest artsy endeavor...the potions bottles. I'll have everything from Phoenix Tears to Acromantula Venom, and Love Potions and Giggle Juice to Liquid Sunshine. Of course, none of them are meant to be ingested - or even opened. I seal the bottles well before I start playing around with the exterior design of the bottle.

I have a little time to play before the pears and my tomatoes are ripe enough to can, so this will be something I can complete or come back to as time permits. I'm waiting for a few supplies to arrive yet, but as soon as they're here, you'll find me playing with bottles and trims, and I'll definitely debut the bottles soon.

Off To A Running Start...

 

It was a very good way to start the week. On Sunday, I put up nineteen pint jars of sweet corn, bought at the local market while I was in Portage. Then I put up ten pint jars of Corn & Black Bean Salsa. In between batches, I ran out to a housewarming party for my nephew and his fiance', being first time homeowners.

I cleaned all the jars, removed the canning rings, labeled and placed the fruits of our labor onto the pantry shelves. That's always the most satisfying part - seeing the pantry shelves filling up.

Yesterday was baking day as Handsome was out of sandwich bread, and I knew I needed to bake a couple other things. Farmhouse bread, seed-topped hamburger buns, and a batch of peanut butter and milk chocolate chips almost closed out my day.

For dinner last night, I made a lovely meatloaf, topped with my home canned Smokey Tomato Jam. It was fabulous (according to Handsome). When I was in the garden yesterday morning, I was trying to move a large tomato "branch" and in the process, it broke off taking about 6 tomatoes with him. Rather than toss them, I thought this was as good a time as any to learn how to make fried green tomatoes. Needless to say, Handsome (and I agreed) that the tomatoes was tasty.

I'll be in the studio today. I have to clean up to even get to the cutting table. More projects, by the way. See you soon!

Tuesdays With Tag - I Was There, Too...

 

 

Hi, Everybody!

 

Another week has flown by, and I'm back to share this week's highlight(s). First of all, I was almost wettin' my fur when Mom told me I could ride shotgun last Saturday. I love ridin' along with Mom. You never know when she'll pull into a drive-in and grab a cone or somethin' equally tantalizin' to share with me. The chance of that alone is enough to make me wanna go.

 

I got to go with her to Craft Day. When we got there, she parked in the shade and opened windows for my benefit. It wasn't that hot, but a guy likes the cool breeze rustlin' through his fur, you know.

 

Once Mom's friend, Miss Linda heard I was in the car, she had to come out and smooch on me. Mom lifted me out of the Explorer and I got to say "hi" to everyone there. But Miss Linda's special. She's a really good friend of Mom's, plus she adores me. sigh

 

Once Linda was finished huggin' me, I turned my attention to the photo shoot in another part of the yard. These girls memorialize everythin' in pictures. I don't get it, but I don't get to craft either. The no thumbs thing strikes again.

 

When it was time for Mom to leave, she snapped the lead back on me, and lifted me into her vehicle. She buckled me into the passenger seat and we waved (*or wagged) "bye" to everyone. In no time at all, we were back on the road and drivin' for the barn. I dreamed of pretty girls the entire trip. Have you seen pictures of these ladies? They're all beautiful - inside and out.

I'm lookin' forward to seein' more of them this fall. Miss Linda wants me around, so I just can't be expected to turn my back on her kind of attention. I'll get back there in no time.

 

I'll see you again in seven. 'til then... 

"Be A Good Dog."

August Craft Day...

 

 

Saturday was our August Craft Day, so I ran over to Portage to play with my girlfriends. This month was led by Marie (in the striped top) and Kim (on the right end of this lineup). We started with 8" tall wooden letters that we then embellished.

 

Some of the ladies used flowers, some used paint or decoupaged fancy papers to the front, some used vintage jewelry pieces to add a little bling. I think they all turned out great!

 

It was nice to take our photographs outdoors for a change. The ladies just laid these all out on the grass for a nice arrangement. They're all so different, reflecting the personalities of their creators.

 

This was mine...music paper background which I then embellished with pretty flowers. This was a simple, easy project that I completed in less than an hour (thanks to a blow dryer to hurry the ModPodge™ drying time).

 

I presented Miss Belle with her dragon brooch, too. She's a low key kinda gal, but she tell me how much she loved it, and I even got a hug! It was really fun to present it to her. I may make another someday just for fun.

Sunday was a busy day, but I'll save that for a post later this week. Tomorrow is Tag's turn. He can't wait to see you.

Sunday Scripture...

I originally wrote this post in March, 2011 when we lived in Florida. My star jasmine were magnificent, creating a bower over the small courtyard outside my studio window. It was always a joyful sight. I hope you enjoy my reprise of that post.

"And the peace of God,

which surpasses all comprehension,

will guard your hearts and your minds
in Jesus Christ."

-Philippians 4:7

 
"The light shines through the darkness, and

the darkness can never extinguish it."

- John 1:5

The profusion of star jasmine blossoms are just one of God's
blessings showered upon us - year-round - in our backyard.

I also wanted to share my photographs of the Super (perigee) Moon
taken in our yard last night. It was a truly incredible sight.

May your Sunday be showered with His love and His light.