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Thursday, June 11, 2015

May Garden


Here's what's growing in south-central Kansas in the beginning of May...

Lettuce! first harvest
65 tomato plants are planted. 

A few got bug riddled, some got wind beaten, and others were trampled. Hopefully we can still get enough tomatoes to can some juice and sauce.




Spinach


Onions



Peas. They still have a long way up to grow!


Green Beans.


2nd harvest of lettuce. Plus spinach.
A couple of weeks later, in late May...

The spinach is a bit taller.




Pineapple Mint


Pumpkin seeds sprouted! 
I saved these from an unusual pumpkin given to me from my mom's sunshine box.


The green beans are still hanging on. 


Despite no rain, then heavy rain, at least three kinds of worms, various bugs, grasshoppers, heavy gusts of wind, continuous wind, and intense sun, the soil is starting to be filled in with green!
1 pound of greens harvested from the May garden.

Hallelujah, Praise Jehovah!

Tuesday, June 9, 2015

Mother's Day


The day began with a hot breakfast of blueberry pancakes prepared by hubby and the children.



We visited Pratt Bible Church where the sermon focused on mothers from scripture and stories. In Sunday school, the littles colored a picture and cut out coupons for picking up toys, obeying happily, hugs & kisses, etc. 

For lunch, frozen meatballs and butterhorn rolls that my oldest daughter made were quickly heated while the younger three made a salad and set the table.




We drove to the lake in the evening and met with friends where the fish continuously bit. 
Sweet C reeled in eight, lickety split! 







 It was fun, though the fish were a bit small...or even as tiny as a chapstick tube.


We walked the nature trail then headed home to sweet gift packages that wrapped up a very nice day!


Saturday, June 6, 2015

Garage Remodel

Hello! Welcome to my garage.

In these pictures it is actually swept and tidy, ready for a group of friends to come watch a Bible DVD one spring Sunday morning.

My hubs & son had previously put up OSB on the walls, so it is already looking neater yet.


Let me tell you, it is a wonderful-good feeling to have your living space thoroughly cleaned and tidy!


Prepping for company is a lot of work, but the end result is so fulfilling. 
Have you figured out that...
I. love. tidy.


Well then, improvements usually come with a big mess ahead of them.


So now we are sanding black stamped lettering off the OSB walls and putting up ceiling.

However...
First the wiring needs adjusted. 
And insulation needs installed. 
Then the finish work can begin!




Don't forget to caulk the seams before you begin to paint!

Ladders can be rather cumbersome, so improvise with a rad truck bed cover.




Phew! 
It's a lot of work, but now the area is so bright and fresh!


Garage doors replaced.

Just need to go through that clutter against the wall. 
Except those are supplies for the new bathroom that's in construction. 
Sigh. The work continues.



Improvements abound!


A peek at the original garage - June 2013...

...to the spiffed garage - June 2015.

All it takes is a little time...

Friday, May 29, 2015

Burgers, Casseroles, Breakfast, and Stir Fry (New Recipes of the Week ~6)

My daughter is home from a 3 week trip and back to typing for me. Her 50 wpm speed far surpasses my looking at the keys as I type pace! Therefore you can read the full and properly written recipes rather than my shortened versions in posts past.

Dilly Turkey Burgers
Flavored with garlic, oregano, lemon juice, and dill, these burgers are tasty, though not scrumptious. The turkey flavor just isn't the same as red meat hamburgers.



Creamy Chicken and Rice Casserole
I thought this sounded so good combining jalapenos, cheese, and chicken with rice, but my family barely ate it! However, the leftovers were good with added salt and I had plenty to enjoy!



Scrambled Egg Brunch Braid
2 tubes (8 oz each) refrigerated crescent rolls
4 oz thinly sliced deli ham, diced
4 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 c. milk
8 eggs
1/4 tsp. salt
Dash pepper
1/4 c. chopped sweet red pepper 
2 T. chopped green onion
1 tsp. butter
1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese
Unroll each tube of crescent dough (do not separate rectangles). Place side by side on a greased baking sheet with long sides touching; seal seams and perforations. Arrange ham lengthwise down center third of rectangle. In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and milk. Separate one egg; set egg white aside. Add the egg yolk, remaining eggs, salt and pepper to cream cheese mixture; mix well. Add red pepper and onion. In a large skillet, melt butter; add egg mixture. Cook and stir over medium heat just until set. Remove from the heat. Spoon scrambled eggs over ham. Sprinkle with cheese. On each long side of dough, cut 1-in. -wide strips to the center with 1/2 inch of filling. Starting at one end, fold alternating strips at an angle across filling. Pinch ends to seal and tuck under. Beat reserved egg white; brush over dough. Bake at 375* for 25-28 minutes or until golden brown. Yield: 6 servings

To simplify this recipe, I skipped filling crescent rolls, because we make ours from scratch, and omitted the ham. Instead, I cooked up the filling and served along side bread. Delicious creamy scrambled eggs sprinkled with peppers and onions! 



Crunchy Cashew Pork
Stir fry meals are some of my favorites! This sauce was a little too vinegary, so we will stick with our other stir fry favorites, like Flavorful Beef and Mongolian Beef.




Middle Eastern Lentil Soup
 1 1/2 c. lentils
 6 c. water or chicken broth
1 medium onion, chopped
1 large or 2 medium celery ribs, chopped
1 large or 2 medium carrots, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
6 T. Liquid Aminos or soy sauce
juice of 1 lemon or 4 teaspoons
1 tsp. ground cumin seed
1 T. butter optional
1/2 c. minced fresh parsley
grated cheddar, jack or Parmesan cheese, optional
Bring lentils, water or chicken broth, onion, celery, carrots, and garlic to a boil for 3 minutes, reduce heat and simmer at very gentle boil until lentils are tender, between 30-45 minutes. Blend in soy sauce, lemon juice, ground cumin seed, and butter and simmer 15 minutes longer. Add the parsley and cheese 5-10 minutes before serving. 10 oz chopped spinach is good added in.

In authentic Mid Eastern flavor, I served tomatoes, cucumber, and mint on the side. I love lentils!



Somehow I can't locate this particular recipe in the pictures. I have substituted with a recipe we really do like, though it has no rice as the photos show.