Sunsets…

Trees and socks

This is one thirsty tree but at least it’s real, oh and it smells so good!  This year we had to decorate starting at about 4 feet, two of those feet were contributed by the table underneath.  There is little to unify this tree other than the red balls here and there but how could I refuse letting my kids help decorate?

I saw a cuter one of these on I think Martha Stewart’s sight.  My kids LOVE it!  Every morning before school, after everyone is all dressed and ready to go, we open a sock and see what surprise mommy has filled it up with.

 

Love this huge jar!  It can be filled with whatever you want for each holiday.

My Christmas decorations have gotten more and more chaotic the older and wilder my kids get.  Oh well, at least they love it and that’s why I do it.

Cinnamon Brown

Just read an article posted on one of my favorite design blogs called Design Mom.  It talks about this new surgery which can change your brown eyes blue.  People have posted a lot of great comments.

http://www.designmom.com/2011/11/dont-it-make-your-brown-eyes-blue/#comment-308759

Now, why on earth would I ever want my boy’s big, soul seeing, brown eyes turned blue?  (same color as his great grandma’s eyes)

Pomegranate Jelly

I did it again.  Yes, I canned.  This time it was pomegranate jelly.  I know, I know, don’t you have enough already?  Well, I had the jars, and the lids, and…well.  It had to be done.

Ruby Red

Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier

(The original German covers are so great!)

Here’s a book for the young and the not as young but still young (that would be everyone).  I rushed through this book like I was eating the most delicious cream cheese Danish with a gloriously ice cold diet coke at the end.  It was awesome and I’d recommend this one to all of my friends, husband included.  The trilogy is written originally in German by Kerstin Gier and the second one will be available in English in the Spring of 2012.  Why do I do this to myself?  So, if you don’t want to suffer, either learn German or start the series once all three are translated.  My German is pretty rusty, but I’m tempted to whip it into shape for this series.  So, lovers of time travel, dressing up, and mystery, enjoy!

Salsa!

If ever food should become boring or bland, I can now rely on the flavors of Jalapeño, Serrano, and Anaheim peppers to bring excitement and spice back to it all.  These four batches of salsa took two days and several diet cokes to complete.  My fingers, because of my carelessness with the peppers and thinking I’m too cool to wear latex gloves, have been burning now for 3 days.  The first night was the worst as I slept holding an icepack.  Today, my fingers are just a bit sore but much better.  I think it was the Serranos that did the worst damage, but it was so worth it and we now have a ton of delicious salsa which I may or may not share . 

Side note:  the best thing to stop the burning on the lips and tongue was whole milk.  The burning on the skin:  time.

Popcorn Balls

3.) Share a family favorite childhood recipe.  --Mama’s Losin’ It Blog

If my memory is to be reliable, which it some times isn’t according to some, we’ve been making these as a family since I was at least 9 years old.  It started with a gift of several different kinds of extracts.  I think there was a blueberry, maybe a lemon, but it was the cherry flavor that made these sweet balls of delicious-ness possible.  Now, every Christmas, the making of popcorn balls has become a tradition very much looked forward to.

Chili con yummy!

Chili yumminess!  I made this last night for my family and all of us loved it.  I rarely hear my boys ask, “can you make this every night?”  That’s just not something 9 year olds and a 6 year old will ask for unless I’m serving cookies for dinner.

Note step #2, it is not a “ground beef mixture” as I used stew meat instead.  Me no like ground beef or beans….

Blankies

Using up one’s fabric gives one the thrill and moral fortitude that comes with recycling one’s hundreds of diet Coke cans.  However, if I wasn’t such an addict of buying both of these things, I would not have to do either but, at the same time would most likely be missing out on this forced feel-good moment.  Anyway, I was glad I had the fabric so I could make these baby blankets for a friend who is now having identical twin boys.  The ironic thing is, she was one of two people who threw a baby shower for me when I was preparing to have my second set of twins.  Lesson to be learned:  don’t throw showers for twin bearers unless you have had a tubal ligation, hysterectomy, or you are male.  I jest, I think.

 

Them peaches

Before…

After.

Last night I deliriously posted in my other blog about the insanity of canning.

“Tonight I did an idiotic thing and started canning peaches. I bought a whole bushel today because I thought I might miss the season and they’d all be gone. I didn’t know it at the time, but that thought was a subliminal message piped into my little brain by the insane asylum’s testing center and I fell for it.”

Fortunately, today I believe I am ready to keep going. I’d better be because these peaches ain’t getting any younger.

Memory Board…in case you forget.

A nice alternative to the refrigerator.

 

A while ago, as a part of a church activity, we made several different crafts.  This was an idea I got from Martha Stewarts website about 5 years ago.  I adjusted it a little for my purposes and made instructions for those who wanted to make these but couldn’t finish it or do it at the activity.  Several times people who went to that activity have called for these instructions, again, and again, and   Here they are for all to see and print out.

Proof that I have been somewhat accomplished this summer.

Apricot Jam: 

I made the “less sugar” recipe this time and, wow, it was so good.  You could really taste the fruit as opposed to the regular kind where there’s so much sugar it’s overwhelming.  Thank you Erin for the fabulous fruit.  I’ll be anxiously awaiting the peach tree’s fruit.  What, you won’t be sharing those with me?

A Napping Blanket:

I made a blanket for my sister Dani’s birthday.  After seeing the finished product, I was so resisting the urge to forget her birthday this year.  She deserves it though, the lovely sister that she is.

Shelves:

“Shelves in the closet, happy thought indeed.”  Actually, these shelves went on the wall.  I was actually amazed at how easy they were to make as I am in no way a woodworker, carpenter, or an avid watcher of PBS’ Woodwright Shop.  Thanks to pre-made brackets, or whatever those things are called, the rest was a breeze.  Really, anyone could do it.

I had to put them pretty high up on the wall because of the baby-kins.

For those of you who don’t know me, I’ve got 3 boys and a little more than a year ago I had twin baby girls have gone goo-goo in Girly-land.

Hopefully more juices will flow in the months to come now that the boys are in school.  I’m working on a scrap quilt which has been a blast so far!

Till 2 am…