Monthly Archives: July 2017

2017
07/31

Category:
Life

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August challenges and Elm Street’s OMG

  1. Patchwork times:   I will be trying to finish another one of the Sunbonnet Sue quilts.
  2. Washington State Quilters – this is the third month, I’m working on this small snowman quilt.  The number chosen was #2, but I’m a bit behind with this one.
  3. I’m linking up to ELM street’s one monthly goal with the winter Woodland pair of paper pieced cardinals.
  4. For the Hatched in Africa challenge, I am considering the “Scrappy hedgehogs”.  https://hatchedinafrica.com/detail.aspx?id=2686&c=&sc=  They are absolutely darling.  Now what do I want to put them on?
  5. Finish the shell socks I have on the needles.

What challenges or goals have you made for August?   Or maybe you plan to just enjoy the last of summer?

2017
07/30

Category:
Garden
Knitting
Life

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End of July Garden and sock progress

This week, the garden has to catch up.   Our  youngest and her DH came over and I turned them loose in the hoop house.  So I will not have to deal with zucchini or cucumbers unless these missed some.   And that is okay with me.   It appears there are enough tomatoes to keep me making paste and sauce all week and there are still cucumbers and zucchini in the refrigerator.   So my plan this week is to catch up with using the produce.   And we have planted more lettuce this weekend.   The weather is promising 90-102 degree temperatures.   So we probably won’t be moving much mid to late in the day.   But we will be doing a lot of watering.

This morning (forgot to take photo)   I picked 9# of blueberries.   5# will fill a gallon Ziploc bag FULL.   I’m not as fast as I’d like to be as that took 2 hours.   My mind and body are not on the same page.   My mind has not connected with the fact that my body thinks it is older than 50.  So it often times runs way ahead of what the body is willing to do.  Next year maybe the blueberries will be higher on the plants and there won’t be so many at ground level.

Sock Progress has been slow, however, this afternoon I sat and knitted for a bit and turned the heel corner.  I like this particular pattern which is a 7 stitch repeat.  It is “Little Shell Socks” at http://www.knitting-and.com/knitlistgifts/2000/little-shell-socks.htmMy goal is to finish them before the end of August, maybe while enjoying the sun.

 

 

 

2017
07/28

Category:
Life

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Day off

Have a marvelous weekend

2017
07/27

Category:
food
Garden
Life

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1 Comment »

Relish making, watering, summer produce

The relish I started last night turned into a lovely product.   I made a double batch and canned 11 cups of relish.  DH can’t have sugar, but can have honey.   So I substituted 1 cup honey for the cup and a half of sugar.  Next time, I may go down to 3/4 cup of honey.  It does have salt, but I’m hoping that if he eats a little once in awhile and we aren’t using salt other places, he can get by with it.   If he gets swelling in the legs again, I’ll be sharing it with the children instead.  If you are interested in the recipe, let me know and I will share.    Thank you so much Dar for sharing with me.

Harvest today, included more blueberries, tomatoes, onions, zucchini, basil, and potatoes.   The summer produces so much bounty that it keeps me  busy.   That’s why you see very little creative work then.  In the winter, we live off the summer’s bounty and I have more time for the fiber arts.   Maybe some of you can send me some photos of your work and I can help you enjoy your creative arts.

Even so I need to use fiber just to stay sane.   I thought the month was nearly over, but I just looked at the calendar and I still have most of a week.   Maybe I can sneak in another finish this month.

 

2017
07/26

Category:
Bees
food
Life
quilts

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2 Comments »

July monthly goal link up + cooking

 

I am linking to http://www.elmstreetquilts.com/2017/07/one-monthly-goal-july-goal-setting-link.html with this little fox.

I won’t make all my goals this month, but that seems to be the new normal.

Today, after going to the gym and picking blueberries, I tackled Lasagna from scratch, making a double recipe of marinara sauce.  It took two hours to chop and prepare everything for the marinara and “cheese”, then an hour in the oven.   It will be gone in two meals.   Something seems wrong with that, however, that’s goes to show how much being able to buy preassembled items affects our lives.  And I do have enough of the marinara sauce for another meal.

Dar, one of the readers here, sent me a relish recipe to try.   This is as far as I am.   Everything is cut and salted and spending the night in the refrigerator.   At least when I tackle that tomorrow, it will be half done, so it won’t seem like it is taking so long.  I am nearly caught up on the cucumber issue.   Next I’ll tackle the zucchini.  I can grate that and put it in the freezer to make items during the winter.

And I did get a chance to check on the bees who are doing just fine.   One hive received another box today.

 

2017
07/25

Category:
machine embroidery

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Tribal cat Felix

This is the “Tribal Cat Felix” from Hatched in Africa.   It was fun making it come to life.  Their designs are so well done and make one look so good.   It took about 40 minutes to stitch out after I had decided to put it on this shirt and then the time to choose threads – so perhaps it was about 2 hours to alter the looks of this shirt.  And I love it on this little denim to;p.   I wish HIA had a small version with much less detail to put on the front and maybe in time, they will.

2017
07/24

Category:
Garden
Life

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2 Comments »

No free fats, no sugar, low salt = blueberry muffins

Since DH is now on a no refined oils, no sugar, low salt diet, I am using my PLANTPURE NATION cookbook by Kim Campbell.   I have not been disappointed.   the recipes have been good.   Here is today’s trial.

Colin’s blueberry muffins;

1 T flax meal in 3 T warm water – set aside until thick

3/4 cup non dairy milk

1/2 cup applesauce

3 T agave or honey

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour

1 T baking powder

1/2 teas sea salt

Mix dry ingredients together in one bowl and wet ingredients together in another bowl

Mix two items together only until moistened.   Then gently fold in blueberries and walnuts.

1 cup blueberries

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

I used parchment paper cup cake holders.   Bake 400 for 20 minutes.

We picked about 18# of blueberries today – they take a long time to pick, but the taste is so worth it.   There were also more tomatoes, zucchini, cucumbers and a single bell pepper to pick.

 

2017
07/23

Category:
food
Life
quilts

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1 Comment »

Paper pieced fox; dogs, cucumbers

I used both ends of the day to be able to complete this little fox.   The pattern comes with two sheets to paper piece, one facing each direction.   I decided with this month’s intrusions, one will have to do.

This is the way the cucumbers looked going into the dehydrator and here they are finished.    Then I crumbled some in the blender for sauce or soup  so you could see how that looks.

This is a quart of dried basil.   Growing and dehydrating basil takes so little time and is really cost effective.

The rest of the day was spent trying to outsmart the 2 dogs who live here, but would rather be off checking out the entire neighborhood.    They are in escape mode once again.   So I erected some electric netting in one place and am hoping it stays hot.   In another place, I put a 2 x 12 x 8.   Let’s see if they can chew their way out of that! They can be challenging.   DH says it is because they have the coyotes trained to not enter and they have nothing else to do but think up escape plans.

And we did get a visit from youngest grandson  who turned 12 yesterday  – (along with his mother who is tad older).  It was terrific to have a normal day.

 

2017
07/21

Category:
food
Life
quilts

COMMENTS:
2 Comments »

The little fox and cucumbers

I’m currently working on this little fox, but progress is slow right now, and there are many small pieces.

The garden also beckons me and there are now 9 trays of cucumbers on the dehydrator.  These will be great for sauces, dips, and flavoring.   Although there are still many cucumbers to share.  I am only making a very few pickles this year, because there are still some from last year.   I am also looking for a great relish recipe if anyone has one and is willing to share.

The current plan is rest and relax tomorrow.   I hope you will join with us in enjoying the day.

 

2017
07/20

Category:
Garden

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Mid July garden update

I am delighted with the netting that has finally been installed over the blueberry bushes on the left and in the middle.   Grapes on the right were not properly pruned, so will get netting next year.   So far in addition to eating about 5# of berries, I have also put 15# in the freezer.   For an idea of volume, I can get 5# in a gallon freezer bag and it barely zips.   There are many more berries out there and the birds (who got them all last year) lose this year.

In the hoop house starting at the left, the celery, Swiss chard, and walking onions are doing great.   At the end, are planted one of the carrots, I think.   I don’t remember now which is where.  But they were planted today.  On the right nearest is watermelon, with no fruits set yet, cantaloupe are next down the line with zucchini at the end.

On the left are basil, and bits of this and that, including kale and parsley at the far end.   The right is tomatoes from one end to the other.  The far end consists of the second planting of potatoes.

Another full row of tomatoes, mostly volunteers plus 6 cucumber plants.   On the right , the rest of the lettuce which bolted in the heat has become chicken food and lettuce and beets have been replanted.   There are a few beets half way down the row, which were too crowded by the lettuce.    Winter cauliflower,  broccoli, and Brussel sprouts seeds were started today as well.

The garden on the hillside did not fair so well this year, with all the rain that we had this spring.   Even though we have to water the hoop house frequently, it is nice to be able to have some control over the amount of water.