{ My Saturday }

It's been a busy day, getting things done inside and outside the house. 

Well, the outside was mainly Curt, he had to get an oil change, an inspection and his registration renewed. 

 

I on the other hand spent the day inside, getting things done that really needed doing, but had been put off for a bit. 

Before I continue though, I just have to show you one of our does and her baby.  This is the baby that mama kept leaving on our property, for hours, a few weeks back.  I didn't understand, and at first even though the baby was abandoned, but after looking it up, this is normal behavior.

 

This is how mama teaches the baby to forage for food and spend longer periods of time on their own.  They will leave their babies up to 12 hours at a time and then come back and pick them up.  And sure enough, that happened for about 3 days.

 

We would wake up to baby on our front yard, or back fence line, just laying under the trees.  He/she would stay there all day, and then mama would show up at night, eat, then take the baby with her for the night.

 

Next morning, the same thing.  Nature really is amazing isn't it?

 

Baby is much bigger now.  But this morning, we had another doe just show up on our front lawn with a tiny, tiny baby in tow.  I mean this little one wasn't even strong on it's legs yet.  Not sure how old it is, but it looked like it may be but a day or two old.  Wow!!!

 

I'll definitely be keeping my camera nearby in case I see it again.

Last night, I got apples into the crockpot, and then left them overnight, cooking away with cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and vanilla.  They were just perfect this morning, and after blitzing them with the immersion blender, I put them in jars and processed them.

I only had enough for 2 jars, but that's ok, every little bit counts.

And this batch of apple butter came out so good, so thick and dark, just like I like it.  I already have a recipe for it on the food blog, but I basically did 6 cups of apples (cored, I didn't peel them), 3 cups of sugar, and then I added cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and vanilla to taste.  So good!

 

After the apple butter was done, and was cooling on the counter, I got busy with our pecans.  We still have a ton to get through.  I have 2 big boxes, plus a plastic tub filled with pecans.  I need to get them either in the freezer whole (which will last about 2 years), or I need to get them cracked, processed somehow and also into the freezer or used.

My plan is to freeze as much as I can.  I do want to crack as many as I can, put them in ziplocs and freeze them as well, to use for pies, desserts, cakes and milk.  I did two big gallon ziploc bags of boiled pecans earlier and will pop those in the freezer in the morning.

I just wish there was an easier and quicker way to just crack them all at once, but, alas, there isn't and after a big batch, my poor thumbs are killing me.

Thankfully we harvest every 2 years, and since our last harvest was last year, we won't be having one this year, which gives me time to sort through this one.

 

 

The next job that Curt and I worked on together, was replacing my coolant reservoir.  I started noticing that my car was going through a lot of coolant, and then recently, I noticed some coolant on the driveway and when I checked the reservoir, it was wet underneath.  I couldn't see an actual crack anywhere, but it's definitely leaking.

Thankfully the job is quite easy to do, so in no time, we had the old one out and the new one in.  Hoping this makes my car run smoother.

I did take a break in the afternoon, to get my Bible reading done.  I'm continuing reading in Isaiah and I must say it is one of my favorite books, in the Bible.  

While I read, both Kaia and Elliott took their afternoon naps, next to me.  It's so funny that they both have their routines and schedules during the day.  They always take a morning nap, of about two hours, then they play and eat, and then in the afternoon, they're back on the bed for another 2 or 3 hour naps.  

I just think it's sweet how our pets develop their own routines.

 

While Curt worked in the front yard, feeding the animals, Kaia watched him. She always does this. She loves sitting at the front door watching the yard, or whatever is going on.  Elliott either lays by her too, or he is nearby, relaxing. 

 

 

This time, I joined them and grabbed my zoom lens.  The birds were so happy out front, because rain had just started falling.

They kept flying back and forth, making lots of noise and happily chirping back and forth.  It was like the rain started falling and the yard came alive.

And just like that, our Saturday has come to an end, with a good productive day, and rain blessing us after this horrid drought we've been under.

We even got a flood warning, just a few moments ago.  Haven't seen one of those in months.

The rain is continuing all through Monday night.  I think the garden is going to be very happy.

Tomorrow I have church in the morning, then I'll be coming home to make us a batch of Million Dollar Spaghetti.  It will be our lunch/dinner.  Weekends tend to be quite relaxed when it comes to meals, either I don't cook, like tonight, because no one wanted dinner......or I make the meal earlier in the day, and everyone eats when they're hungry.

Weekdays is different, we have a set dinner time, and we all sit down at the table to eat.  It's just a tradition that we've kept since the children were little, and it's pretty much the only thing I ask of them all.  To share a meal, to sit, to chat about our days, and enjoy a home cooked meal together.

So, that is what is on the plan for tomorrow.  I hope you've had a wonderful Saturday and an equally good Sunday.

Have a blessed night friends.

xoxoxo

{ Canning and fresh cut flowers }

“I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.” 

— L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables 

 

Oh beautiful October, beautiful fall, beautiful leaves and warm morning glow.  This time of the year brings so much peace to my soul.

It's started to get darker earlier, by 7pm the sun is already dipping below the horizon, and yesterday we had to turn on the car lights while driving home.  And I love every second of this transformation from warm to cold.

I wanted to come in and just share a bit of what I was up to the past few days.  

#1 - I would love to say that I got the recipes on the food blog.  Truth is, I didn't.  I haven't had the time, and the little downtime that I have, I end up just wanting to sit for a bit and don't have the motivation to do anything that requires me using brain.  You understand, I'm sure.

#2 -  I have so many projects that chores, tasks that need doing before the cold weather truly arrives, and I'm so hoping to get them going this week.  They need to happen and soon.

 

Okay, now that we got that out of the way, let me show what I've been up to.

 

 

 

My slow cookers have been working overtime.  They're either making dinner, or a side dish, or something that I need to process to be able to can for the winter time.

 

Last week's slow cooker meals, were not only delicious, but they saved me so much time, and ensured that we had a home cooked meal on the table after a day of running around.

I also made a delicious Pumpkin Spice Apple Butter, and canned two of them for the pantry, and left one out in the fridge.  It is soooo good, so so delicious.  It's one of the recipes on the list to be posted.

I also canned some of my nectarine brown sugar jam, and some pecans as well.  Forgot how much I enjoyed canning and am determined to get back to it, as soon as possible.

We are slowly filling our cellar with canned goods and all sorts of canned food.  I will be getting some big buckets soon for flour and sugar too. 

I mentioned last week how I made this Immune Booster drink.  I've been taking a tablespoon every day, especially going into the cold and flu season.  It packs quite a punch and I'm sure it is going to be wonderful especially with such ingredients as grapefruit, lemon, ginger, cinnamon and tonic water.

As our gardens come to a crawl and put out the last of their beautiful blooms, I've been trying to make the most of them by bringing them in, and adding pops of color to different rooms of the house.

 

Walking into a room, smelling the outdoors and seeing the beautiful flowers, is sure to brighten your day, at least it does mine.

I also brought out more of my candles, and placed them in different rooms.  Not just for those nights when we lose power due to strong storms (which happen more often than we would like), but even though I light candles all year long, there is something magical about candlelight.  

It invokes a feeling of cozy and warm, of soft blankets, cups of coffee or tea, a cheeky cookie or a slice of cake.  Crackling fires, and the sound of rain or a winter storm blasting outside.

I've started gathering wood and getting the fireplace ready, and can't quite wait for the first fire of the season to be lit.  

As I type this post, a storm has moved in, and is howling outside, trees are dancing to and fro, and our lights are starting to flicker.  

I had no sooner finished typing that line, and we lost power.  It would go on to last from 7pm to 3am.  I think one of the longest we've lost power due to a storm.  There is a lot of damage outside, a neighbor's trampoline from across the field, is in our front yard.  A mangled mess of bent iron and torn fabric.

Trees have come down, huge branches have broken off and toppled to the ground and we have a lot to clean up.

I just wanted to come in and quickly finish this post so that I could post it for you all.  Thankfully, we were ok, and aside from losing power, we were kept safe by the Lord.

Picking Wildflowers and Canning

One of the joys of living in the country, is that we're surrounded by beautiful wildflowers.  They are everywhere, bringing pops of color here and there.

So when I want to bring some of that prettiness inside, all I need to do is step outside with a basket and some scissors.

As I gather flowers here and there, I watch the butterflies fluttering around, the bees buzzing around and the birds chirping as they fly from tree to tree, curious as to what I'm doing.

"Each flower is a soul opening out to nature."

- Gerald De Nerval

I now have various jars with the pretties pink, purple and yellow flowers, sitting on windowsills, coffee tables and shelves.

"To pick a flower is so much more satisfying than just observing it, or photographing it ... So in later years, I have grown in my garden as many flowers as possible for children to pick."

- Anne Scott-James 

Aside from the wildflower picking, I've also been in my kitchen, canning quite a bit.  I was blessed to find tomatoes at a very good price and since I was completely out of my tomato jam, I rolled up my sleeves and go to canning.

By the way, I've been asked a few times what the jam is like as I know it's not exactly something very common here in the States.  I think the closest I can maybe compare it too would be an Apple Butter kind of taste.  So if you like apple butter, you will most certainly enjoy it.

My daughter's boyfriend absolutely loves my tomato jam and goes through jars of it, like crazy.  I had promised him I would send him some next time I made it, so I made a few extra jars for him.  Or rather, I didn't, because Jasmine has been asking to learn and this was the perfect opportunity to kill two birds with one stone.

She made a whole batch by herself and it came out beautiful and delicious too.  She was so proud of her jam, and I was proud of her for showing incentive and learning. I've often said that I want my children to learn my recipes, especially family ones that have been passed down from generation to generation.

It's so incredibly delicious, especially on toast with butter. 

I've also been busy with meal planning and bill paying and life in general.

As we get closer to Fall, life seems to take on a whole new routine.  Isn't it funny how there are season specific activities and chores?

For us, we're getting ready to harvest our pecans, which are pretty close to being completely ready.  We didn't get a harvest last year, but this year the 5 trees are filled, so I'm quite eager to get in there and harvest as much as we can before the squirrels and birds get to them.

One thing I plan on making this year, aside from the obligatory Pecan Pies for Thanksgiving, is Pecan Butter.  It is so good and I don't think it gets the attention and recognition it truly deserves.

We've also been chopping wood and getting our wood pile ready for the cold months ahead, I plan on using my central heating as little as possible, without freezing of course, but being in Texas that is not likely to happen anyway.

School is going well for Nicholas.  He is taking Sign Language this year and is loving every minute of it, I am too, to be honest.  It's fascinating and so interesting.  One of his first projects was to make a video of himself saying hello, fingerspelling his first and last name, saying that he is Hearing and then ending with Nice to Meet You.

We had some good laughs because he kept getting confused, or mixing up letters.  But it was such a cool project to do and we had a great time learning together.

Jasmine is still looking for work, she's put in for a lot of different places, but so far nothing has come up, which she is finding extremely frustrating.  She's decided to take a year off before going to college, as well as moving to Arkansas.

Curt is doing great at his work, he has his first class and is loving it too.  He really was born to teach, I believe.

I'm doing well, I'm just living and homemaking and caring for my husband and children.  Time goes by so fast and I honestly thought that as school started things would slow down a bit, but it's never the case is it?  There's always something to be done and before you know it, a whole week has whizzed by in the blink of an eye.

Yesterday we went to watch my nephew's first Freshman Football Game.  He is doing so well, and it's a big achievement coming from South Africa and now playing Football in High School.  So proud of him :)

You see my friends, even though I say that everything is so busy and time is going too fast, I try to live life to the absolute fullest, soaking in every second of every day, and making it all count.  It really is the only way to live.

I'm going to end this post by leaving you my grocery haul.  I've been asked quite a few times the past few months, to please continue with the grocery haul videos, and even though I usually don't have the time to do it because I basically get home and quickly need to get things put away before running back out for one thing or another......I had a pretty quiet morning today, so was able to record it for you.



If you enjoy it and would like to watch future hauls, be sure to subscribe to my Youtube channel.

Have a beautiful, restful blessed Friday night :)

{ Canning Tomato Jam }

I had such a busy day yesterday that I didn't even get a chance to come in and put up a post.  I'm so sorry, I fully intended to do so but time just got away from me.

My day today was equally full and busy and very productive as well.  Oh my goodness, I love a productive day.

I started my morning by stripping my bed, making a whole new fresh one, cleaning and organizing the bedroom, vacuumed and then carpet cleaned the whole room.  Love a clean and fresh bedroom, and lately I had been neglecting it a bit.  It's so important to have a little space for ourselves that we can retreat to, relax, and feel completely at ease, and for that to happen, I need my bedroom to be a soothing environment and not a chaos.

Ok it wasn't that bad, just needed to give my side tables some attention, needed a good vacuum and carpet clean and some dusting.  It's not like I had a royal mess in there, but it felt messy to me and it was getting on my last nerve, if truth be told.

After the bedroom, I made some phone calls, got the kids schooling taken care of, put in a refill for my birth control, then vacuumed both living rooms, unloaded and reloaded the dishwasher, started some laundry and straightened my hair......and all before 11am.  Pretty darn good if you ask me.

Once all of that was out of the way I was able to finally get down to what I really wanted to do, which was make some jam.

I had been wanting some of my greatgrandma's Tomato Jam, and had bought tomatoes last time I went grocery shopping, almost 2 weeks ago, but never got around to making it.

Love jam, love making jam, love canning in general so this was the perfect few hours for me.

Not only do I enjoy the whole process of canning and I am getting pretty excited just thinking about all the canning I want to do this spring and summer, but I also enjoy making family recipes and using tricks that have been passed on to me. 

Like peeling the tomatoes.  My greatgrandma always did it this way and that's how I learned.  She would make an X on the bottom of the tomatoes, place them all in a bowl and then pour boiling water over them and let them sit for a few minutes.  I would sit and watch her and she would let me peel them when they were cool enough to touch.

Doing this simple process today made me think of her and wish that she was with me at this moment, making jam.

Tomato and Apple Jam is one of my favorites.  Weird in a way, because growing up I absolutely detested tomatoes in any shape or form.  It wasn't until a few years ago that I started enjoying them.

But like I was saying, growing up I couldn't stand them, the only way I would go anywhere near them would be through the tomato jam.  My greatgrandma would slice me up two thick slices of bread, slather them with butter and them a good heaping of this jam, and I would lick my lips and go to town.

If you've never tried Tomato Jam, you may be surprised just how good it is.  It may sound a little strange but it's delicious.  If you want to try it for yourself, I do have a recipe on the food blog.

Canning is one of those things that may seem intimidating at first, and Lord knows I avoided it for such a long time.  I was terrified that I would mess things up....I had visions of exploding jars, and jam dripping off kitchen walls. 

Truth is, it's so easy to do if you just follow some simple directions and precautions, and the rewards are amazing.

Now my visions are more of a huge cellar room with wall to wall shelving filled with mason jars, filled with all sorts of bounty yumminess.  I may still do that one day, I mean we do have a cellar, or storm shelter, which would double up as a great larder.  One day....maybe.

I spent most of the afternoon between jars and funnels and the delicious aroma of cinnamon and apples and tomatoes. 

Late afternoon, we had a therapy appointment for Jasmine.  It was just a maintenance appointment, like a check up to see how she is doing, and she is doing extremely well.  It's been a huge change, like night and day from a few months ago where I honestly felt so lost and helpless. 

She has just one more appointment right before her graduation and then she's done completely.  So proud of my daughter for overcoming this huge obstacle in her life.  She still struggles with depression and anxiety, but she's learned to manage it without medication, and using the tools that her therapist instilled in her.

Anyway, because the appointment was late in the day, we picked up Little Caesars Pizza on the way home.  It had been years since I had it, there was never one near by in Arizona or second time around in Idaho.  Just glad there's a few in our area now, it's good pizza and it's inexpensive.

Now I'm going to finish up this post real quick and start on the Scheepjes CAL 2017.  Like I need another crochet project or CAL right?  Hahah 

But I can't help it, and I've been waiting for this project for a while so now that it's finally here, I am super excited to get going with it.