Give Peas a Chance!

Well.....today I snuck away to Davis to have lunch with Molly. It's been so cold, cloudy and wet up here that when she said it was sunny down there I couldn't resist. I hung out at the rock climbing gym where she works most of the time......and watched her work! She was training some people outside so I basked in the warm sun. We did manage to squeeze in some Thai food for lunch........I guess I'll have to learn to live with the guilt!!

When I finish writing here I'll head for the porch to shuck some peas for dinner.......they're loving the cool weather. I think we'll just have the fresh peas and some little potatoes.....maybe in a cream sauce. Lots of lettuce to use so a big salad too, with some freshly made blue cheese dressing....so easy and so good!

Farmhouse Blue Cheese Dressing

Mix in blender: 1/2 cup olive oil

1/4 cup wine vinegar

1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese

2 heaping teaspoons sugar

1 teaspoon garlic salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

Mix until well blended. Will keep in refridgerator for up to 2

weeks.

Tess' Not Really Birthday!

Next Saturday, the 31st, Tess-Megan will turn 26.......however she's a bridesmaid in her friend's wedding that weekend.....so we had a party yesterday!! The usual group was here..[see It Was a Blast!]....and we had a great time , even though it felt more like Christmas than May....we had a fire going all day! Jim and Denny played some great bluegrass..they get better each time they play together. We ate and then we ate some more! Tess got some great gifts, but I think her boyfriend Ryan's gift of an iPod was the winner! Now she can't borrow mine anymore!

We tried to solve the oil crisis over the dinner table, but to no avail! The only conclusion we came to is that we shouldn't buy so much crap!...ultimately the reason for this whole mess!

Tess' choice for her B Day cake was homemade strawberry......soooooo yummy! Here's the recipe:

Mix 1 box white cake mix with 1/2 cup oil, 1/2 cup water and 1 package strawberry Jello......beat 2 minutes. Add 4 eggs and beat 1 minute. Add 1/2 package frozen, thawed strawberries. Bake 350' oven----30-35 minutes.

Frosting_____ Cream together 1 cube butter and 1 box powered sugar. Add pinch of salt and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Add 1/2 package frozen, thawed strawberries. Add a little milk if needed.

Just like that .....a beautiful pink birthday cake!

A Day in the Woods!

It was a really lovely cool day so we started out to one of our favorite wood cutting spots......by the time we got up there a storm was threatening! We got about a 1/4 of a cord and then decided to call it quits. Kind of disappointing.....I much prefer to get wood on a cool day...but not in the rain!

Well...I made the most of the day anyhow........I drove down to Auburn and got groceries.....and put some gas in the car.......at $4.15 a gallon!!!!!!! What is going on?? It really cramps my style!! Good thing I 'm so good about staying oblivious about all things having to do with money!

I also picked up some Chinese food for dinner tonight......one of our little indulgences! So tonight we have a NBA playoff game to watch, a great dinner to enjoy and a snug house on a cold night.......life doesn't get any better!

Spring Eggs!

It's that time of year again.......eggs running out our ears! As you can see in the photo we have a wide variety of size...Henny Penny as always laying the smallest.......which I love when I'm halving recipes, I consider her eggs as 1/2 an egg! Having chickens make all down sides of rural living worth the hassles. We feed them all our food scrapes and get in return chicken manure, which in turn fertilizes the vegetable garden. Much better then a garbage disposal!

I'm always on the lookout for recipes that use a lot of eggs ........since the kids aren't around as much we can't quite keep up with the chickens. Tonight, however, a tried and true week night dinner.......bacon, eggs and hash browns. It's much cooler today than it's been....thank goodness!..... high today was around 70......perfect kind of evening for "breakfast for dinner"!

102 in the Valley!

Yup!! It's been around 102 degrees down in the valley the last couple of days ........which means it's in the 90's up here!! and it's only May! This global warming thing really sucks! Anyone who knows me knows how I hate HOT weather.........well I just have to get through the next couple of months and then by the end of July I can usually fool myself that Fall is just around the corner.

Yesterday Jim and I went down to the dreaded valley for Uncle Ken's 80th birthday. Uncle Ken is my Mom's "baby" brother. His kids were there...my cousins.....who I don't get a chance to see very often, so it was a fun afternoon.

Tess and Seth have been up here all weekend. Seth to work on his Senior thesis...Tess to investigate different grad programs at universities.......things they no doubt could have done at their homes, but, hey, a little home cookin' never hurts!

Well...I'm sure it's time to go out and water something........everything looks pretty thirsty.

It Was A Blast!

Well, I got a little sidetracked the last few days! I had a dream several nights ago that I was at a craft show and after about 5 minutes I ran out of things to sell...and everyone around me were selling things like crazy.........sooooo....I've been sewing like crazy the last few days and I think I'll have enough to last at least through the next couple shows. It's hard to get inspired when I won't really start the busiest part of my season until late summer......but then along about October I'm staying up all night trying to get more things made.......I vowed I wasn't going to do that this year...that I'd have a huge inventory built up by then,but....IT'S SO HARD!!!

We had a great Mother's Day...in the photo are Jim, Molly, Granny, Tess, Ryan [Tess' boyfriend], Seth and my brother, Denny. It was a beautiful day and we sat out on the deck and played our favorite game, Catch Phrase.........we're such a nerdy family!! Tess made mimosas....so it was a jolly time indeed! We came inside to eat as it got kind of chilly...dinner was kebobs, pilaf, salad and banana cream pie.....no one went home hungry!

Happy Mother's Day!

It's that time of year..time to celebrate Mother's....big and small....sweet and sour! I thought I'd get this post out today since I'll plan on a busy day tomorrow and I really want to wish the wonderful mothers I know a very Happy Mother's Day!

To my longtime friend Jan, she lived on the property next to me in Bend, Or. Our kids...her Jill and Joey, my Jill and Josh....were the best of friends......they were always together and made the most of livin' in the country! Jan is an awesome, most capable woman....as well as fun loving. We pretty much made the most of living in the country also and Jan was always there for me.


Happy day to Terry......my wonderful friend from Idaho. Too many adventures to recount, too many laughs to remember.....Terry is the best! Besides being the best teacher my kids ever had ...or will have......Terry has been a large part of my life since we met.......many years ago!


Pam .......my sister mother......she and I shared great fun and talks on our walks around the wilderness of Todd Valley. We share the joy of having big families.....as well as the frustrations! Pam lives in Oregon now and I miss her most on these beautiful Spring mornings.......perfect walking weater.


My Jilly.......Mom to 3 wild and crazy boys!! She just completed 4 additional years of college.....after 4 previous years in Utah.........and during it all she gave her all to her boys....and Norway now knows what a "soccer Mom" is........sometimes 3 games a day! I love you, Sweetie and can't wait 'til you get here!


Melanie, my wonderful daughter-in-law......she's a dream daughter-in-law and such a great Mom to Taige and Tia......patient, loving and sweet.......so happy she's part of my family......can't wait to see you this Summer too!


Last, but not least.......my Mom who at 85 continues to amaze.......you all know my Mom so you know what I mean! She does it all with style and flair and is always there for her "brood".


So...........Happy Mother's Day all you amazing women........I love and salute you all.

Soon to be Grads!

Granny and I drove over to Davis today......it's such a cool little town, especially on a beautiful day like today. We met Seth and Molly at their apartment and then proceeded to our favorite Thai restaurant, Sophia's. Much to their embarrassment I snapped a photo outside! The blog must thrive!

After lunch we went to a great little nursery in Davis.....well it used to be nice when I lived there........not so great anymore. But......the owner did have a really cool old dog that was hanging around [should have gotten a pic!] so......I didn't consider the stop a total waste.

Also went to a store and Seth and Molly picked out some graduation card announcements.......although Seth thought he might just send copies of his student loans and ask people to contribute...Seth is so sentimental!!

Glad to be home...away from the hustle and bustle......bacon, eggs, and biscuits for dinner......along with a fruit salad.

Thunder and Lightning!

The first summer type storm has just rolled in!! I was watching the clouds build all day over the high mountains and as the day went on they kept coming closer and closer....and then.......a whole lot of wind and much cooler air. This photo I took doesn't begin to capture the electricity and tension in the air...........it's just so forceful. I rushed out to get the clothes off the clothesline and only encountered a few drops. At this point we need all the drops we can get........I fear a horrible fire season.

Before all the excitement I was making bran muffins for Jim's breakfasts. He leaves so early....4:45 am.....and so he takes tea and muffins to eat on the way down to his office. Now I suppose it's time to start dinner.......lemon chicken, brown rice and artichokes [from our garden!].

I've got CNN on watching the Indiana and North Carolina primary results come in. Looks good in North Carolina...so so in Indiana.

Lettuce Bowl of California!

It's beginning to be "harvest time" around here.......from now until around January there'll be fresh grown veggies and fruit from the garden.....not to mention the fresh eggs from our faithful little chickens. Right now it's salad days....lettuce, snow peas, arugula, and green onions. Soon the summer veggies will be starting....tomatoes,squash,eggplant, raspberries, blackberries...followed by apples,peaches and nectarines. All this ...and then a supply of winter squash that keep for most of the winter. With food prices being what they are.......pesticides being what they are!...it's wonderful to always being able to plan a dinner around our garden.

Girls Day on the Deck!

Yesterday was another beautiful Spring day and so i talked granny into coming up here for the day.......mostly to check out the wildflowers...and since both Tess and Molly were here for the day......a good old girl talkfest! We started the day by running up to Worton's for sandwich makings...first things first! After securing a delicious lunch we moved out to the deck! We covered all topics.....most interesting topic being Granny's support of Obama for President...quite a change from previous years and music to my ears! Other topics covered included graduation party plans for Seth and Molly......of course, all 5 of my awesome grandkids .......Tess and Molly's love life, of great interest to Granny and me!!.....and lastly the dry, dry weather we've been having.

All in all, a pretty average get-together, still, one that I would love to capture in a bottle for future review.

The Sims!

Tess came home this afternoon for the weekend and already she's deeply immersed the virtual life of "THE SIMS"! I have no ides what she finds so fascinating, but it consumes her when she plays. She rations out her "play" time....and a weekend at home is always a prime time for Sims! Maybe because all that's on tv this time of year at our house is NBA playoff game!

Thursday evening ...Jim's always late getting home.......he's making sure he gets everything done so he doesn't have to go in tomorrow. Dinner willl be a little late...we're having grilled chicken and corn on the cob.....because the propane is out on the barbecue and I can't get it off to replace it with the full one. One of life's frustrations!