When There's No Power

Yesterday, our power was out most of the day due to the ice storm. When that happens, just break out the camp stove! Thank you, Hubby, for a delicious breakfast.

Thankfully, we have gas heat, so we were able to eat and stay warm. The power came back on later in the afternoon, thankful to the linemen and crews who work on our power and on our roads in these conditions!

Thanksgiving

Yesterday was Thanksgiving, and we enjoyed traditional eats here at home. It rained all day, well over an inch. Here is what we enjoyed to eat:

Cajun-seasoned Turkey Breast Roast
Mashed Potatoes and Gravy
Dressing
Green Beans
Biscuits
Cranberry Fluff
Pumpkin Pie with Topping

Thankful to God for all blessings.

Apples

We've been on an apple kick through the summer and fall, enjoying a few different kinds. First it was "gala" apples. Then a couple of weeks ago I was able to get some "honey crisp." Today, I got some "ambrosia" apples, eager to try them.

I like how you can see the "shadow" of where leaves used to hang over the apple when they were on the tree.

Apples are a good source of vitamins and fiber. They make a good, quick snack. They can be served with dips, too, such as honey-peanut butter or cream cheese-type dips. Or caramel. YUM.

Pumpkin-flavored Pie

Last night, Older Son and Younger Son worked together in the kitchen and made a couple of easy "cheesecake" pies. All it is, is an 8-oz. package of cream cheese (room temperature) mixed with 1 cup powdered sugar, then an 8 oz. tub of whipped topping folded in. Then put it in a graham cracker pie crust.

Older Son has had a lot of fun making different flavors. Last night they made a plain one, and then in the other one, they added a dab of "pumpkin pie"-flavored extract. Then he topped it with a sprinkling of spice (cinnamon, I think).

Very good! You can make endless variations. I may have posted about this before, but here it is again anyway. Enjoy!

Late Bloomer

I've had two pots with marigolds planted in them. They each came up with thick greenery right away. But so far, only the one pot had bloomed. But now .... the second pot is finally starting to get some buds! I'm curious what they will look like.

I am just LOVING the rich colors in these blooms.

Garden Pot Harvest

Here well into October, am finally having some "fruit" come forth in the garden pots out front.

Tomatillos, though I'm not sure what to do with them. But they're neat to look at, with their interesting papery husks.

And .... there are now some green beans! Yay!

Golden Closeups

Cheerful Marigolds

Really enjoying the marigolds as they continue blooming. Very cheerful!

Late Summer Corn

We got some fresh corn, so I fixed it for Hubby and sons and I to enjoy this evening for supper. It was actually nice to sit in the shade in the yard, and shuck the ears.

Then I came inside and started water to boiling. Trimmed and rinsed the ears, then cooked them up.

We enjoyed them in the traditional way, with butter, salt and pepper. Yummm!!!

I Love Laundry

I just love folding and stacking towels. Especially when they're warm and fresh-smelling from the late-summer breezes on the clothesline.

Line-dried

My stack of kitchen towels, line-dried in the warm breezes today.

Glad I'm Old-fashioned

We had a storm yesterday evening that blew over some power poles in the area, and our town was out of power for over 5 hours. So now you know why I'm old-fashioned, and like to keep oil lamps on hand.

One in the kitchen ....

.... and one in the living room on the desk.

Bearing Flowers and Fruit ...... Finally!

A week ago, one of my two pots of marigolds started to have blooms. Yay!

Yesterday, there was another bloom, plus more buds coming on. More yay! Now if the other pot of marigolds will get with it. ha ha

Also, I noticed yesterday, one of the pepper plants had some kind of fruit finally growing on it. They've had blooms, but the blooms wouldn't set. Not sure, but to me this looks like a tomatillo!

Of course, I could be wrong, it could be a habanero, the way it's shaped, but sure resembles a tomatillo at this point. All I knew about the pepper plants when I got them was just that .... they were pepper plants, no idea exactly what kind. But you know, surprises are kind of fun when you're gardening!

Nature's Dryer

Laundry on the line before I go to work. Put this sizzling Oklahoma heat to good use. Those red and white dishcloths on the right are from a variety store in my hometown in Kansas, a "taste of home."

Strawberry Pie

Recently, I saw a recipe come across facebook for strawberry pie. I had had some at a restaurant a week or so ago, and liked it, but had never made one on my own. So this recipe looked simple enough, and a few evenings ago, I tried it out. Strawberries were at a good price at Walmart, so I got a couple of containers. Sliced them all up, and fixed some to freeze and then bag later for the freezer.

The rest, I made into the pie, and it turned out great. For the crust, I used my usual pat-in-pan recipe.

PAT-IN-PAN PIE CRUST

1 c. flour
1/3 c. vegetable oil
3 Tbsp. milk
Dash salt

Put flour and salt directly in pie pan (9" or 10"). Combine a bit with fork. Sometimes I also add a dab of sugar. Combine oil and milk, stir with fork, then drizzle over flour mixture. Work together with fork, then finish with hands. "Pat" into sides and bottom of pie pan, finishing with desired crimped edge.

For a shell, bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes. (Watch in case your oven runs hotter.)

Otherwise, fill and bake as directed on recipe.

STRAWBERRY PIE

3 Tbsp. cornstarch
1 c. sugar
1 1/2 c. water
3 oz. box strawberry Jell-O
2 c. sliced strawberries
Pre-baked 10" pie shell

Line bottom of pie shell with sliced strawberries. Combine cornstarch, sugar and water in small saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer, stirring constantly, until thickened. Add the Jell-O and stir until dissolved. Pour over the strawberries and refrigerate until set. Serve with whipped cream.

Lovin' Laundry

Have barely used the clothesline at all anymore, but for the first time in a long time, I put some out yesterday afternoon. Then this morning, I was actually able to get a load of towels out to catch the fresh breeze. Thankful for warm, sunny days to be able to do this. I LOVE hanging laundry on the line, and the fresh smell the laundry has from it. And, it keeps the house cooler and saves a little electricity to boot.

Green Bean and Marigold Farmer

Beans, pepper, beans, pepper, pepper, tomato, marigold, marigold.

The beans at the far left, more recently planted than the beans in the middle, after the pepper that was in it bit the dust.

As all these plants progress, it seems I maybe should be a green bean and marigold farmer.

Sprouting and Blooming

Despite my "no-green-thumb," I'm determined to try to grow SOMETHING this summer. And though stuff got started awfully late, here's part of the recent things that got planted/transplanted (photos today, except marigolds from yesterday):

Marigolds.

Green beans - JUST sprouted.

Blooms on one of the pepper plants. Still have no idea exactly what kind of pepper. I have never been successful with peppers, so even blooms are an achievement. ha ha

Garden Plants

Most of this just got transplanted or planted. Front to back - marigold, marigold, tomato, pepper, pepper, green bean, pepper, pepper. We'll see how it all goes. It'll be fun to try, anyway.

Farmer's Market Treats

Hubby and I went with a friend of ours this morning to the farmers market in the nearby town. I hadn't had the chance to check it out yet here in recent times (in their new place), so was glad to go. It's a little early in the season, but there were several good vendors with lots of different items. Produce, honey, nuts, soaps, baked goods, etc. There'll be more as the season gets in full swing.

I got some lettuce and apricots. (Hubby got some good peanut brittle - it was delicious.)

Do you know how long it's been since I've had an apricot right from the tree?

Drying Out the Salt

With all the rain we've had, it's super-humid, both indoors and out. Our salt shaker got plumb clogged. I emptied it, washed it, dried it, and filled it with fresh salt. Except you could tell the salt in the bigger container was suffering the effects of humidity, and clumping a little.

I remembered a couple of remedies I've heard in times past. 1. Put a few grains of uncooked rice in the salt shaker. 2. Put pieces of soda cracker in the salt shaker. So I put a bit of saltine cracker in ours, to hopefully absorb the moisture and the salt will flow freely.

It might be a difference that this current salt I have is an "off" brand from a discount grocery store. I think I'll go back to Morton brand, which has as its motto, "When it rains, it pours."

(Internet Photo)

Plant Life

Last Tuesday at work, someone brought more plant starts for people to take home if they wanted. He said he wasn't going to take any back home, so if any were left later, take them. So when I got off of work, there were still seven pepper plants sitting out on the table in the dining room. So, I took them home. You have to understand that (1) I DO NOT HAVE A GREEN THUMB, and (2) I have NEVER done well with pepper plants.

With the threat of heavy rains moving in Friday and Saturday, I got busy Thursday evening and put the tomatoes I had started out in a pot (right,) and put a couple of the pepper plants in some bigger containers I had (left).

Tomatoes (front) and peppers (back). One pepper plant even has a bloom! Now I know that those tomato starts are pretty tiny and pathetic, compared to the lush, nice ones you will find in the stores. But for me, "Miss No-Green-Thumb," to start them from seed and get anything at all is quite a feat!

Then I put some starts of "assorted flowers" and sweet peas in an old basin. (Later I also put the other five pepper plants out with these, as they were, so they could catch the upcoming rain, too.)

Sure enough. This is the rain yesterday (Saturday), of which this round we received 2.84". That jug is catching rainwater off the roof so that I can use it later to water plants.

Whipped Cream in a Jar

I saw this method on Facebook, and just had to give it a try.

Pint mason jar, small carton (1 cup) whipping cream, dab of vanilla, 2 Tbsp. powdered sugar.

Put lid on, shake vigorously. Some claim 45 seconds, some say 5-6 minutes. I shook this a few minutes. Ta-daaa .... it works!

I put mine over a simple pie of a prepared graham cracker crust and instant chocolate pudding.

This would be good if you don't feel like using a mixer, or if you're in a place where there is no mixer, or for something fun for kids (of any age - ha ha) to do. Creamy goodness, very simply!

Green Things Growing

I repeat, I do NOT have a "green thumb." Though, I do like plants and gardening. At any rate, the above photo shows some seeds I started recently - L to R: tomato, "garden mix" flowers, and sweet pea flowers. We'll see how this all turns out! At least it's exciting to see that the seeds actually sprouted!

More Bread

Hubby made some more "herbed Italian stone bread" today. It's been really cold and windy, and a bit of snow on the ground from last night. Hard to stay warm today - this bread really hit the spot! "Delicioso!"