winknasmile

Hot here too and yet I love it. Wouldn't love it if we didn't have air-conditioning but knowing I can come in and cool off makes the greens of summer, along with the blue sky and the summer heat one of the best times of year. I sooooooooo would rather have the heat than the black and white dreary bitter cold days of winter. Like you AH, I was outside working at 5:30 this morning. Beautiful time of day to work outside. I also got a ice cream bucket of black raspberries picked but was just too tired to deal with them. So, we ate our fill and the rest are in the freezer. Next picking I hope to get some pies made and into the freezer for winter eating. Oh man, I hate those fly that buzz around my head. Hope you've gotten him taken care of by now Jeepers.

DH brought in a 4 qt. ice cream bucket 1/3 full of black raspberries this morning. They aren't very big nor are they as flavorful with the drought this year but it's nice having them all the same. With as many bushes as we have we should have plenty for ourselves but sure won't have enough to share with many like we did last year. I'm on my way out to see if more are ready!

DD has just now informed me that she and her fiance are planning on getting married at the end of October. This girl has been changing her date for a year now so who knows if this one will stick. I've decided, JUST AN OBSERVATION OF AN OLD WOMAN, SO DON'T GET UPSET, that when couples live together they don't seem to be in a big rush or as excited to get married as my generation. So, if they stay with this date we'll be headed to San Francisco in October.

We're having such a dry unusual year that things may just be early IF there's anything to harvest. Darlene, you and I have known each other since what 1998 and never met. Very strange! Stephanie I'd like to meet in person to apologize to and all the others would just be downright fun to meet!!! Here's hoping to see everyone in October!!!

I've never made one but swear I'm going to try and make it this year. As always, it depends if we're through harvesting.

By gum, my hands are sore and a mess, my nails are a mess too. My knees and legs are tired BUT my gardens are CLEAN of weeds. Well, that's the veggies, the flowers we won't talk about! Even though we're so dry and need rain so badly those weeds just keep on coming and growing so big. To heck with the flowers, I'm going to enjoy a few days off my knees and do some pampering of my hands and nails. Off to the shower I go, a happy woman!

There's no chance of sweet corn being ready here before July 4th and the 4th is rushing it. Oh how my mouth watered when I read your post.

Yes, they'll be fine. Might turn a little sugary sooner than normal but they're fine.

I was going to buy some English walnuts last week. 5 oz. package of chopped walnuts $7.99. That's $25 lb. Must have had a short crop somewhere with them too.

Good morning Jori and everyone, It sounds like you have a full day. I have DGS for the day so we're busy playing games. He likes tic tac toe, which I am tired of so I've taught him the one with dots where you get to put your initial in the square when it's completed. I'm sure it has a name, I just don't know it. Right now he's watching Dr. Doolittle as he eats cinnamon/sugar toast so I'm taking a break and reading here. I've got a beef roast in the oven for supper for DH while I am eating very little today as I have to weigh tonight. NOT good after a long weekend. Here comes DGS with Chutes and Ladders so you all have a great day!

How about buying frozen crusts, keep them frozen until ready to fill with berry mixture and then freeze the whole shebang. Mulberries really need another berry or rhubarb to make pies as there's not alot of flavor BUT they make delicious pies when added to another fruit. Actually the mulberries I'm using are some I froze last year. The rhubarbs ready, the mulberries aren't. Yesterday I made another 4 pies to put in the freezer. This time rhubarb/mulberry/strawberry. The strawberries aren't quite ready either so I used frozen from last year. A hint about the stems on the mulberries....leave them on. When they're cooked you don't even know they're there. Sure makes it alot easier to use them that way. My DH didn't like squash either Annarchy but I put butter, brown sugar and marshmallows (like candied sweet potatoes) and he ate it fine. Have you tried that with your DH?

Squash sounds delicious Momo. Wish I could grab a few from you. My squash plants have about 3 leaves on them soooooo, it'll be a long time before we have any ready....usually about September.

I put them in foil pie pan uncooked and freeze. After they're frozen I wrap them, pan and all, in plastic wrap and put in zip lock bags and back to the freezer until I'm ready to bake one. Some people bake first and then freeze but I find it a pain. You have to practically cook it again to get it to thaw or sit it on the counter for hours and hours to defrost so I simply freeze uncooked. I have lots of foil pie pans I wash and reuse. I don't have nearly as many baking dishes for the cobblers. I use a casserole dish, corning wear baking dish, loaf pans, whatever can be used to bake in lined with plastic wrap. Place the cobbler ingredients inside the plastic wrap and freeze. I make 4 or 5 cobblers at a time, using whatever baking dishes are available. When they're frozen solid I remove it from the baking dish, wrap good with the plastic wrap and put back in the freezer. When I'm ready to bake it I get the original baking dish out, butter or spray it, REMOVE the plastic wrap, place in the dish and bake. Some people use tin foil instead of plastic and they can just put the foil lined cobbler right back in the same dish. I used to do that, it's slick with no dirty dish to wash BUT once I didn't realize I'd gotten a little bit of tin foil in my cobbler. Went to a filling in my tooth with an instant tooth ache. The next day when I went to the dentist he found it. It sure made it an expensive cobbler just because I didn't want to wash a dish. Since it's just DH and I (and I'm not supposed to eat it) I usually use baking dishes that will make 2-4 servings. I also make some larger ones for when company comes. Just experiment and you'll enjoy them next winter...I can guarantee it! Also, being the tight person I am, I save the storage bags to use again another time. They are not in the least dirty when all the food is wrapped in plastic wrap or foil.

Nice to see you back Kim.

This morning I put 4 mulberry/rhubarb pies and 1 mulberry/rhubarb cobbler in the freezer for winter eating. Yum, they'll be good with a little vanilla ice cream and a cup of coffee on a cold winter day. I just love knowing they're there! The mulberries are from last year but the rhubarb is fresh. Going to look for more recipes and keep going but I'm taking a break first. Anyone else started? Let us know. I love reading what others are doing.

It's cheaper here also in 4 lb. bags than 25 lbs. I buy the 4 lb bags and wrap them in double bagged grocery bags. I put them in a cupboard and it keeps for years that way. Once my father in law told a store manager of a store that was closing out that he'd buy all they had if they'd sell it for $.15 lb. This was back in the late 70's early 80's. He was shocked when they brought out over 500 lbs. in 1 lb. boxes. It was super fine, reg. etc. I did baking as a business back then and he bought it for me. What to do with over 500+ lbs. of 1 lb. boxes of sugar that were covered with sugar was the question. I took a black garbage bag, back before we knew they should be food grade, lined a new huge Rubbermade garbage can and started dumping. I folded the bag back down on top of the sugar and put the lid on. It lasted a long time and never ad any problems with it.

I'm reading a free kindle book, Flash Crash by Ruby Andrews. It got 4 stars and I'm 64% finished. It's ho hum and doesn't seem to go anywhere. I'll give it a bit longer but am afraid I'll be giving up soon! I hate giving up but..........

My son had a teacher that was ridiculously tough too Cat. He was NOT a good student and everyone said, "oh, she'll straighten him out". Wrong, he just disliked school more than ever. He made it, I made it and you will too Mom. It's tough seeing your kids go through these difficult times but you'll both be ok. When I'm upset DH says, "and what was your major problem last year". He's right, I usually have no idea, so just keep on truckin' and this will be in your past before you know it. (((((Cat)))))

Oh my, isn't that pretty. Congratulations again!!!

We had a winter with the least precipitation and warmest temps. in forever, or close to it. Our spring has been too dry also. We did have 4 or 5 days of drizzle but we NEED more than drizzle. We don't irrigate, Mother Nature does her thing but this year she's taking time off or something. The pond in the picture should be full at this time of year. I think you can see the banks in the following picture. How about the rest of you...normal, wet or dry? Every year, at least once, this whole pasture that you see in this picture, plus way more that's not in the picture floods. Last year it didn't flood once, not even close, nor has it this year. It's really rather scary!

It's time for the 1st cutting. We usually do it the 1st weekend in June but this year is early. Have you ever smelled a freshly mown hay field? Have you ever walked into a barn in the winter and smelled the summers hay up in the haymow? Actually, we make the big round bales now so the smell isn't in the haymow but I can remember the days!!! No? Oh, I wish you could!!! It's one of my very favorite smells. Yep, haying on the farm.....it's a lot of hard, hot, dirty work but the livestock love it all winter long and I love the smell of it for months and months.

Nice work SK. I took cake decorating classes way back in the early 70's. I loved it but finally got tired of the mess. I always thought if I had a 2nd kitchen where I could keep my supplies I'd enjoy going back to it. Maybe you'll inspire me!!!

Good morning everyone It's a beautiful morning here. We've had winds, winds, winds for the last 4 or 5 days but today it's to just be a light breeze. Tomorrow the winds start in again though..... So far this morning I've been watering, watering, watering. The winds do dry things out. I can just see the plants returning to life as they get their drink of water. DGS will be here in a few mins. so I'm going to stop for now and give myself a chance to read my book and drink my coffee before the peace and quiet of the morning ends! What's going on in your world today? Hope it's good whatever you have planned!

That's happened to me too TurtleMama and I was told it often happens because you've got your burner too hot or when you lower the heat a little once it really gets going. I now set my burner about 3/4 and then let her go and not mess with it again. It may take a little longer to get up to pressure but at least the jars don't bubble over as often. Does that make sense to you Violet?

The first thing I thought when I read yeast infection was Monistat also. We use it on ourselves in such personal places that it surely wouldn't hurt your dogs ear, would it??? However, I am no vet so I could be completely wrong BUT if it were me I'd give it a try.