Monday, July 21, 2008

Summer's Bounty!


You know summer is in full swing when you walk out the door in the morning and there is a sack FULL of produce hanging on the doorknob outside! We are blessed with lots of gardeners in our congregation and they always share their fresh veggies. My friend Kathleen gave me pounds and pounds of cucumbers last week and being the smart woman that she is, also gave me her recipe for easy pickles. She even brought little zip-locs with tumeric and pickling salt, because she knew I probably wouldn't have those ingredients on hand. Some of you know that I have never canned but have always wanted to try it. Here was my first attempt (although, not "true" canning because these weren't sealing jars...)

A collander full of sliced cucumbers.

I still had a bowlful of cuc's left!

I used Kathleen's recipe but blended it with a Martha Stewart recipe that I found on-line. It was cool to see the bright green cucumbers turn a perfect pickle-green as soon as they boiled! I must admit, I got so caught up in the experience that I didn't measure the stuff in the zip-locs that Kathleen gave me. I thought they were pre-measured so I dumped the entire contents into the "soup". Not until I started coughing from the red cloud of tumeric (what IS that anyway?) did I realize that there was about a 2 tablespoons in the baggie, when I should have used 1/3 t. Whoops.

SEE? Don't they look "professional?" They taste great, too! We've already eaten one jar and we've started on the second. Just today while Pete was making his lunch, he said, "Pickles make the sandwich." I'll become a farmgirl yet! Now if I can only figure out what to do with 10 lbs of zuchini.

Thursday, July 3, 2008

The Cloud has a SILVER Lining!

Things are looking Up (on the ROOF)!

Yes! The rain continues BUT we DO have new roof, praise the Lord!

From THIS...


to THIS! :)


Isn't it lovely! Click on it for a larger view. After three months of rain and waiting, I hired someone else to finish the job that Brian the roofer refused to do. (The house is less than 900 square feet... 3 months? Please!) The second roofer did the job in 2 days, one in the pouring rain! Brian badgered me with phone calls accusing me of stealing his tools (none were left at the job) and making a multitude of threats including one of personal injury..."A guy did this to me last year and...well...he's still in the hospital." We have hired a lawyer to set our minds at ease and have since found out that Brian is a criminal with a laundry list of felonies....Thank God we haven't heard back from him in a while!

Well, this week the kids and I did some more painting, fixed a little of the CRAPPY drywall jobs done by the previous owner and worked in the kitchen. Here is Eva pulling up yucky "peel 'n stick" tiles in the kitchen. STICKY!





Here is Ben working on pulling our staples along the perimeter. Also, here he is working to remove the old stainless steel sink.


While pulling of the old flooring we found an old newspaper shoved into a crack dated 1943.


Yesterday, my fix-it guy laid new subfloor which I am planning to paint over as soon a we finish more of the demo. So things ARE looking up! Plus, my POPPIES are in bloom!