Tuesday, August 20, 2013

Way to go Loretta! ;-)


I submitted this picture last month of Loretta in the cutting garden to a photo contest at The Old Farmer's Almanac.  I just got an email informing me that it was chosen as one of the top five entries!  I'm so excited!  It's funny, this photo was actually an after thought.  I entered the butterfly below first and the rules said you could enter more than one so I entered the one of Loretta.  So glad that I did! :-)

Sunday, August 18, 2013

Menu Plan

Supper Menus
August 18th-24th

Sunday
out to eat

Monday
mexican frito salad

























Tuesday
old fashioned chicken and dumplings

























Wednesday
spicy crock pot spaghetti


















Thursday
cheese enchiladas, refried beans, spanish rice

Friday
leftovers

Saturday
out of town


Saturday, August 17, 2013

~everyday blessings~


"As the years pass, I am coming more and more to understand that it is the common, everyday blessings of our common everyday lives for which we should be particularly grateful. They are the things that fill our lives with comfort and our hearts with gladness - just the pure air to breathe and the strength to breath it; just warmth and shelter and home folks; just plain food that gives us strength; the bright sunshine on a cold day; and a cool breeze when the day is warm." 

~ Laura Ingalls Wilder
Writings to Young Women from Laura Ingalls Wilder - Volume One: On Wisdom and Virtues

From The Farm Blog Hop

Sunday, August 11, 2013

Menu Plan

Supper Menus
August 11th-17th

Sunday
leftovers

Monday
spaghetti, tossed salad

Tuesday
take out pizza

Wednesday
sliders, baked beans, french fries

Thursday
out for supper

Friday
leftovers

Saturday



















stuffed bell peppers

Saturday, August 10, 2013

Creamy Coleslaw


Ah, that cool, creamy perfect bbq side dish...


Creamy Coleslaw
8 servings

1 bag classic coleslaw
1 cup mayonaise
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon celery seed

Combine mayonnaise, sugar, vinegar, and seasonings.
Toss with coleslaw.
Refrigerate several hours before serving.
Enjoy!


Friday, August 9, 2013

Favorite Apps!



For me to even be linking up today at Kelly's Korner for this week's topic on Show Us Your Life Friday shows what a long way I have come in accepting technology in my everyday life.  I usually drag my feet regarding the latest techno gadgets, but my husband happens to be pretty much the opposite.  I've had a smart phone for quite awhile and really do enjoy it, but I'm not the type to go seeking out the latest games and apps.  I usually stumble upon something that others have been using for quite some time and realize - hey that's kinda handy. ;-)  My love of all things organizational has helped me to how usefulness apps can be to organize my home, work and activities.

So, with that said, here are my top 10 favorite apps!  

1. Social Media 
Of course!  Facebook and Instagram are my favorites.
Cannot figure out Twitter to save my life, so I rarely tweet. ;-)

2. Kindle
I have a free Kindle app that I download free books to.
I even read an entire book ("Sparkly Green Earrings" by Melody Shankle - The Big Mamma blog)
in less than a week's time simply because I had it with me constantly.
I often don't remember to grab a book on my way out the door to an appointment
but I ALWAYS have my phone.
I read on my lunch break, in the car rider pick up line, etc. 

3. Google Latitude
My husband and I have this on each others phones and it tracks your location.
I like it.  It's just comforting to me to know he can check where I am at.
And, I use it often to see how long it might be until he's home
without having to bother him by calling to check.
It's great to have it on your kid's phones, too, for obvious reasons. 

4. Evernote
THIS IS AWESOME
As I said above, I usually stumble on new apps.
One day I was typing a list of things I needed from the store onto my note apps on my phone.
I just pondered out loud to my husband that I much prefer typing my shopping lists on the computer, but I hate to waste ink and paper printing them out.  I wished that I could type on my computer and then easily send the list to my phone.  He said, "Oh honey, you need Evernote!" :-)

5. BooksApp
This is awesome to catalog your books.
It's especially useful to teachers.  
You can scan your books in with your phone using the book's barcode
and then categorize by series, collections, authors, subject, etc.

6. MapMyRun
I love this app to track routes, milage, and calories burned
and to keep a log of all exercise. 

7. AroundMe
Most anyone with a smart phone uses this I'm sure.
It basically tells you what is "around you" - restaurants, gas stations, etc.  
Great for travel.
And, it makes me an awesome co-pilot to Mr. H. ;-)

8. Camera+
My favorite phone photo editing app - simple and easy.

9. Olive Tree Bible
Now, I still carry my paper Bible with me to worship,
but Mr. H. uses his ipad and my kids use their iPhones.
I got such a giggle the first time Mr. H. was using his ipad and he nudged me 
to show me how fancy he was that he was
able to split screen it and have one passage up while he was reading from another passage.
I simply grinned at him and showed him how I put my Bible ribbon marker in one place
and turned to another.  Haha - the old fashioned way.
And, by the way, I can almost always find book, chapter, and verse
in my paper Bible more quickly than Mr. H. can with his thumbs and his ipad. ;-)

10. Words with Friends!
My favorite game.  You wanna play me??  Mrs. H 1994 

Sunday, August 4, 2013

Miss Daisy is 6!


Happy birthday to my sweet, sweet Daisy.
Best little doggie ever. :-)

Menu Plan


Supper Menus
August 4th-10th

Sunday
hamburgers, baked beans, french fries

Monday


red beans and rice, cheese quick bread

Tuesday


jalapeƱo chicken enchiladas, corn and black bean salsa

Wednesday
leftovers

Thursday
sandwiches

Friday
out for supper

Saturday
company over for bbq supper - bbq chicken and sausage, ranch style beans, potato salad, creamy coleslaw, macaroni salad, white bread, bbq sauce, pickles, onions, cheddar cheese, peach pie, bluebell ice cream


Saturday, August 3, 2013

August Daybook

FOR TODAY
August 3, 2013


Outside my window...

it's HOT!  Hot, hot, hot.  The kind of hot where when you go outside, 
you instantly break a sweat,  you do only what absolutely has to be done 
and then you decide that everything else can wait until the sun starts to set. :-)

I am thinking...

about back to school.  As soon as the calendar page changed to August 
I had to accept the fact that summer is winding down. ;-)  
I have two weeks left before I start back to work 
and the kids have three weeks.  


I am thankful...


that we've had such a nice summer - full to the brim
with family, friends, fun busy days, and lazy relaxing days. :-)

In the kitchen...

I've cooked and baked to my heart's content while I've had the time.

I am wearing...

a t-shirt, shorts, and flip flips

I am creating...

a calendar/schedule/plan for the school year.

I am going...

to Six Flags next weekend!  Woohoo!

I am wondering...

what the school year will hold.

I am reading...

Chicken and Egg - a memoir of suburban homesteading by Janice Cole
Hidden Places by Lynn Austin
Wagons West Independence! by Dana Fuller Ross
Thinking in Pictures - My Life with Autism by Temple Grandin

I am hoping...

to do a better job of being organized and staying on top of
my work at home than I did last school year.

I am looking forward to...

spending the afternoon doing some shopping
with my girl when she gets off of work.

I am learning...

more about working with special needs children.

Around the house...

I'm washing sheets and towels.
My daughter is at work.
And Mr. H., my son, and some of his friends are out working
in our shop that they are turning into a hangout/game room.  

I am pondering...

whether or not to clip the chickens wings again.
I love for them to free range,
but they have started to become a nuisance 
getting in the garden and eating tomatoes
and thinking the only place to poop is on our back porch!

A favorite quote for today...

"Summer afternoon, summer afternoon; to me those have always  been
the two most beautiful words in the English language."
Henry James

One of my favorite things...

right now are snow cones with cream added at

A few plans for the rest of the week:

spend as much time in the pool as possible ;-)
hopefully get to a few more little projects around the house
probably do some back to school shopping
maybe one last trip to the library and farm patch 

A peek into my day...


Friday, August 2, 2013

Cake Mix Cookies


Still lovin' the cake mix cookies over here!


They are so quick and easy.


And so festive! :-)

Oreo Trifle


I also made an Oreo Trifle for our company this evening.
I adapted a recipe from Baking Away.

For the trifle you will need -

2 small boxes of instant chocolate pudding
4 cups milk
1 can sweetened condensed milk
2 small containers cool whip, divided
1 package of Oreo cookies

Combine pudding mix with milk.
Add sweetened condensed milk to pudding and stir until combined.
Blend 1 container of cool whip into pudding mix.
Take out 12 Oreos and set aside.
Crush the rest of the Oreos.

To assemble trifle -
Layer half the pudding mixture
half the Oreo crumbs
the rest of the pudding mixture
the rest of the oreo crumbs
top with the second container of cool whip
and the whole Oreos

Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Enjoy!

More the Merrier Monday

Strawberry Delight


We are having several families visit this evening at our house for pizza and games.
Having company over is always a fun time to try out new dessert recipes.
This time I'm trying Strawberry Delight from Mommy's Kitchen.


It starts with a pecan shortbread type crust.


Then a layer of sweetened cream cheese.


And topped with strawberry pie filling.


Quick and easy.  I hope it tastes as good as it looks. ;-)

Thursday, August 1, 2013

Sunflower Seeds!


Wow!


Hundreds of seeds in each sunflower blossom.


I just watched a youtube video on how to harvest and roast them.


I learned that you know they are ready to harvest 
when they are striped black and white.


These are ready!

I've learned a lot this year about growing sunflowers.
I planted 12 seeds in April and 6 plants survived.
The ones I lost were from a combination of not staking them from the beginning
(which I should have done and will next year)
and also what I thought at first 
was heavy rains beating them down and breaking the stalks.
But it actually wasn't the rain.  I discovered some bugs on the them 
and we sent a picture to my husband's awesome entomologist friend.


He told us they were agricultural termites
and that either fire ants or a little spectracide would kill them.
And sure enough, after they were gone,
none of the other stalks broke even after heavy rain!

From The Farm Blog Hop



More the Merrier Monday


National Peach Month

August is national peach month!
I thought I'd share some of our favorite recipes that use
delicious, fresh peaches.

Here they are, in no particular order. :-)

















From The Farm Blog Hop



More the Merrier Monday