HAPPY PUMPKIN DAY

TANA'S TIPS on Celebrating Pumpkin Day:

1. Buy baking pumpkins @ a local Pumpkin Patch.

2. Bake them for about an hour. Scoop out. Puree.

3. Save seeds. Season. Bake. Enjoy.

4. Use puree to make pumpkin butter.

5. Using puree to make pumpkin muffins and sprinkle with pumpkin seeds.

6. Enjoy.

.Cran.Grape.RedCabbage.Carrot.

.JUICE.

Big.Beautiful.Seed.Sale.Grapes

Red.Vibrant.Cranberries

Garden.Fresh.Red.Cabbage

Crinkle.Cut.Carrots

Brand.New.2nd.Time.Use.Juicer.On.Sale
Sunshine.Day.Pretty.Fun.To.Drink.Fushia.Juice

fall.family.fun

Pumpkin Patch 2009

Lilah loading up her loot. She seemed to like every pumpkin withOUT a stem...however they did work good for baking. Don't you just love how she is helping her Mama push the cart? (I still don't know why the pregnant lady was pushing/pulling the cart?)

Lilah was wound up. It was so CUTE how she would jump up and down in excitement and run like CRAZY in the fresh fall air. Here she fell down and said "woh".

Grandpa Dan, Lilah and Grandma Sue enjoying the beautiful day.Looking at the "ba ba's".

I think that is what she called them? Her Mama will have to clarify.

Heath, Di, Lilah, Me, and Jason. After we left the patch mom had chili waiting at home in the crock pot. YUM-O! And of course she had ALL the fixings! I am blessed!

Tuesday the 20ths-20 Random Thoughts

1. The beauty in this picture reminds me why I rake up the smashed, icky, sticky apples and pears at the end of the season.
2. Freshly mowed lawn, all ready for winter!
3. Newly built dog house, thanks to Jason and his oldest brother Lon.
4. Sun-shiny day still fresh in my mind from yesterday...ahhh
5. My ability to knit...wow my creativity is running WILD!
6. Laundry almost done.
7. New flannel sheets....(we haven't turned out heat on yet...)
8. Pumpkins on my table waiting to be made in to pumpkin puree.
9. My new juicer I tried out this A.M. (Yeah I am a Martha wanna be.)
10. The hot apple cider I am drinking.
11. My dad for helping us with our well and tractor.
12. Hoping my uncle recovers from surgery and is healthy!
13. Excited about the birthday gifts for Jason.
14. Speaking of which, I better get them wrapped.
15. Don't you just LOVE birthdays?
16. Went to the pumpkin patch with my whole family! (More later)
17. Football game tonight and Thursday night.
18. I won the football picks last week, and lost by the game last night...grrr
19. Trying to decide what to make for supper....
20.Oh yeah I think we will have tacos.

Happy Tuesday!

Winter??? In October???

Is this why the Squirrels have been frantically storing up all the wall nuts they can get their little paws (do squirrels have paws?) on because we are having winter in October? Look at the pill they made under this tree.

They decided storing them in EVERY nook and cranny in Jason's truck would be a good idea.
However, Jas wasn't impressed...

It only took Jas 45 mins to clean out all of the wall nuts!


Yesterday we put away the patio furniture, grill, pots, tomato cages, I cleaned up the yard a little. Jas cleaned the dog kennel and pulled a gazillion nails out of boards for the dog house him and his brother are going to build. It was a very productive evening. And we ended the evening with a yummy hamburger and rice hot dish....mmmm soooo good! Who ever invented hot dishes is my favorite because they are so EASY!

What are you doing to get ready for winter?

A Burst of SUNSHINE

ENJOYED BY ALL.

Look at that BLUE sky, don't you want to put it in a jar and keep it over winter? I do.
We have a gazillion apples...therefore apple pies, bars, cider are in the near future.

The boys soaking up the sun-shiny day.

We spent the evening walking around the yard, looking at the apple trees, garden, pumpkin patch, taking in plants, playing with the dogs, organizing gourds, and taking advantage of the gorgeous day!

My arrangement of gourds we harvested from the patch...I had to put most of them on the table because the "boys" want to eat them...play with them...

I ended the evening with hot apple cider and a cinnamon stick for stirring and or sipping through it as if it was a straw, and the new DIY magazine I got in the mail and couldn't wait to get my hands on! As the sun went down we migrated into the house and I continued knitting...ohhhh man it is soooooo amazing! That is a-whole-nother post.

Sweet Sunday...

As the weather is getting cooler I like to look back at pictures from bright sunny days. This one makes me giggle because these 3 dogs of ours are full of energy and love their master. When one gets attention all 3 must get attention!

So many things to be Thankful for:
-The yum-o chili Jas made...on this chilly Sunday.
-The clean refrigerator.
-The abundance of food in our house.
-The acorn squash sitting on the vintage fall table cloth.
-The cut up lettus and veggies in the fridge.
-My husband and our relationship.
-The candles that are glowing through out the house.
-The laundry that is all folded.
-My ability to be able to put the laundry away, as much as I complain...
-The new tires on my car.
-A clean house.
-The finished product of organizing my gift wrapping supplies.
-The nice people at church.
-The sermon today...I am so thankful I don't have to deal with divorce on such a personal level and pray for those that are dealing with such a hard situation.
-My new friend Ariel who bought me lunch the other day.
-My warm scarves, gloves and hats.
-My chalk board.
-Lazy afternoons spent doing nothing but hanging out with Jas.
-Simply orange Juice.
-My iron pills.
-That my head ache is gone
-Wool socks.
-My bath tub.
-And snuggling on cool fall nights!

What are you thankful for?

Basil 101

Basil Drying:

1. Go to the local Farmers Market with your favorite person. (My favorite person was Jason)
2. Pick out the freshest bunches of basil from your favorite little stand.
3. Pay.
4. Go out for breakfast with your favorite person. (Preferably to somewhere you can use a coupon like I did...)
5. After you are done eating run errands and comment on the smell of the basil each time you get back into the car.
6. Go to the grocery store with your favorite person.
7. Laugh so much and carry on about who really knows what.
8. Hope you don't get kicked out of the grocery store because you are having so much fun with your favorite person!
9. Bag your groceries.
10. Continue home.
11. Get out dehydrator. (My fun-to-be-around aunt and uncle let me borrow 2 of theirs while they are on vacation).
12. Place fresh basil on trays.
13. Plug in.
14. Wait patiently for basil to dry.
15. Check and rotate trays.
16. When completely dry remove from trays.
17. Crumble up with food processor, coffee grinder etc.
18. Find a cutesy jar.
19. Place dried, crumbled, fragrant basil in jar.
20 Stare at it in the jar because you like the way it looks in the jar you picked. (ok so maybe I have a thing for cutesy jars, ok...)
21. Enjoy basil on cuisine of choice.

(Woops this is from) Flower Arranging 101

-How did that get in here?
-Ok so maybe I can't stop looking at the arrangement I made this A.M.
-Yes I planted this picture here!
-But isn't it the cutest?
-All flowers from my very own garden.

09-09-09

-I couldn't let today go by without a post.
-Even though I have nothing interesting to say.
-I left the oven on (with an apple pie warming up) when I went to work.
-My brother in-law (the one that ALWAYS bails me out) came over turned the oven off,
-and took the pie. (I told him to!)
-I got my hair cut tonight.
-I cleaned out the freezers today and made an itemization sheet for both of them.
-My new favorite treat is frozen sliced apples.
-I stopped to see my niece after work, did I ever tell you how much I love her?
-I didn't think I had ever mentioned that.
-I have a really bad sinus head ache, but life goes on right?
-Life is good that's all I can say.

Happy 09-09-09

Oh Happy Tuesday!

My NEW favorite photos:

(Above) Jason and I on our 3rd Anniversary. Jason met me at my parents after work and showed up wearing a brown shirt and I was wearing brown as well...we must think alike huh...

(Below) My brother Heath his wife Di and their little sweety Lilah joined Jason and I and my parents for supper. I love the fact Lilah is trying to get down so she can RUN! And we can't forget about the little one in Di's tummy, baby Reindal.
Do you have favorite photos?
Or
A Niece as cute as mine?

Freezing Sweet Corn

For some reason this picture cracks me up! I don't know if it is the little stools they are sitting on, the enthusiasm, or just what it is, but it sure makes me laugh.

Jason and Adam picked sweet corn for me & husked it:I blanched and cooled it:

Jason labled the bags:

Jason & Adam cut it off (thanks to a friend for the secret to cutting it off the cob):

I put it in bags and froze it:

The goats ate the cobs:

Who wants to help eat it?

Happy 3rd Anniversary my LOVE

I still cannot believe I am married to the

"CUTIE that drove by school in that blue dodge".

I am so in LOVE with you! I can't believe it has been 3 years since that rainy, beautiful, special day! I couldn't stop smiling the whole day and I especially loved the time when the photographer photographed just "us" it seemed as though we were in our own little world, just in love with each other!

You give me so many reasons to fall more and more in LOVE with you every day:
-the walks with you outside looking at our garden, trees, yard
-the funny remarks you make about "eating healthy"...
-the dancing in the kitchen
-the homemade pizza nights (with your special touch (and lots of butter) crust)
-the hug/kiss in the morning before you go to work
-your touch, I just can't explain it
-your humor...you truly make me laugh ALL the time!
-"OUR" shows you DVR so we can watch them together and fast forward commercials so I don't fall asleep.
-your cool when I fall asleep while watching any movie, you just stop it and let me sleep :)
-how you help me out to the garage in the winter when I am wearing high (slippery) heels, and you always tell me "but hey, they look good"

-and the list goes on and on...

I hope you understand what you mean to me! Thanks for making it easy to create this book "What you mean to me...My LOVE" I enjoyed reminiscing about when I knew you loved me, the first time I knew I loved you, one of my very favorite things about you, one of the most fun times I have ever had with you, and our biggest hope for our future! I love you so much Jas!

Thanks for being the husband you are, for forgiving me and for

being my best friend.

On this Rainy Day...

....I am posting this picture I recently took of my blooming in all their "glory" Morning Glories! I tried to get the sunrise in the background. Perhaps another A.M. I will get up before 6:30A.M. to get a really good one.

....I am deciding what to do with all this basil, dry it, make salsa, spaghetti sauce or.....

....I am loving this picture of the bucket loads of tomatoes I picked the last couple of days which are sitting by the window waiting to be made into spaghetti sauce and salsa.

....I am smelling the onions Jason and I harvested last night....I had to keep going back to get more buckets to put them in. I set up a card table, laid down newspaper and I am letting them dry good before storing some of them, and putting some into the sauce and salsa, eaten on pizza, in taco salads, and pretty much everything else, because onion goes with everything right?
....thinking about how I only have a jar of salsa left, therefore, I better get the food processor out and start chopping away at all the veggies over flowing in my kitchen/house/fridge.

.....So much to do: Salsa, spaghetti sauce, label pantry, (which I have been organizing) go through clothes in my closet and organize/get rid of, individually wrap the granola/energy bars Jason made with my last night, fold the last load of laundry, balance the checkbook, run to the bank, get the sweet corn from the neighbor and freeze, print notes off for school, (starts Monday) prepare for our camping trip, ohy....I just had to get that all out in the open...

breathe...ok.....much better.

Don't you just love being busy? I do.

This is how you do it...

when you and your sister In-law have the same birthday!

Your sweet little Mom/Mother n-Law takes you to buy a new pair of jeans...and then pedicures! Can you tell we are enjoying the pampering, good company, and a relaxing night with each other?
And then you all wear the matching flip flops mom bought and attached an invite for the night to. Look close and you will see our matching toe rings too....awww so cute! But the cutest thing the whole night was the pictures my brother sent my sister in-law of their little girl...he took Lilah out for supper, a bike ride, and a bath, don't you think he is a pretty sweet dad? And I am pretty sure Lilah has everyone wrapped around her cute little finger! But there wouldn't be any other way.

Do you share a Birthday with anyone?

It pays to GARDEN...

Last evening when Jas was mowing the lawn (which takes 4 hours) and after I cut up the watermelon and took the rind out to the woods to compost I headed over to the garden...even though during my A&P class got a little out of control, it is still producing. I took my two buckets and pretty much filled them....mmmm...don't you just love all those colors!!!! We had taco salads last night with all the fixins from the garden, another night this week we will have a homemade fully loaded veggie pizza and this A.M. I am going to whip up some salsa that I can perhaps share with some special people. And I am thinking about trying some sun dried tomatoes...we will see if it works, BLT anyone?

What has your garden produced?

Millions of peaches....

and scrump-shish- peaches & cream pie...

I spent the day with my mom and we baked 2 peach pies, went grocery shopping (I saved $15.95 with my coupons) went to my Grandpa Ralph's 85th Birthday party, laughed at my little niece dancing a the pizza place, did some shopping, and had a good time!

Doesn't this look delish?

Letting the pies cool...

Going for a walk (except I couldn't walk because I didn't have any walking shoes with) I rode my Aunts "old blue" bike that is a two speed, it shifts gears when you push the peddles backwards, pretty dang amazing!

Paulette, mom and Behle on their nightly walk around town.

Have you baked lately?

Thursday the 30ths-30 Random Thoughts

1. This is me in the grove, picking ginormous red berries.
2. The dogs try to help.
3. I got so far in I didn't know if I could find my way out.
4. Some fell into my pocket of my bibs, now they are red...
5. I gave some away,
6. I froze some,
7. I ate some on my cereal.

8. I am making coffee with cinnamon sprinkled on top of the grounds.

9. I bought a new straw purse with a big ole flower for $6.

10. I haven't been feeling the best.

11. I stopped to see Lilah after work, she ran over and gave me a hug and MADE my day!

12. I love that little girl more than anything!

13. I tried to spray Jas with the sprayer on the sink...

14. It backfired on me...

15. We made homemade pizza, and I put left over sweet corn on it...

16. I have 2 loads of clothes to fold.

17. I am sewing a dress...

18. It rained last night.

19. I love listening to the rain gently hit the roof.

20. I accidentally locked one of the dogs in the garage and he ate the birds suet cakes...woops

21. We have lots of peppers and tomatoes in the garden.

22. My morning glories will be blooming soon.

23. My zinnias are blooming.

24. I rearranged the living room.

25. I think its cute how every time I do that Jas complains, but then gets used to it.

26. My mom bought me a new dress! Love it!

27. I wear skirts/dresses most of the time!

28. I really should paint my toe nails.

29. My grandpa's 85th birthday is on Sunday!

30. Life is good, and God is great!

What are your random thoughts?

Monday Monday...

Reflections of all the goodness God created:



-Apricots, freshly picked from our tree.
-Sermon on marriage, so sweet and so true.
-Garden produce to fill our tummies.
-Newly brightly colored blooming zinnias.
-Rest for my hard working, not many days off husband.
-Chickpeas soaked overnight, turning them into a nibble with fresh herbs, in bounty in our sill.
-Good friends, some that are having a baby :)
-Happiness.
-A wonderful content, can't get any better than this kinda life!
-God is GOOD!