Wishing For Pine Needles

Flour Sack Monday: Waiting

I so enjoyed participating in {this moment} on Friday that I think I will continue them and make Mondays the new day for the Flour Sack!  (Yes, I know 'Flour Sack Monday' doesn't have quite the same flowy alliteration as 'Flour Sack Friday', but I also suppose that it doesn't really matter, does it?)

This week I'd like to focus on the concept of waiting.  This concept, which is seemingly forgeign to my generation, was quite normal for our grandparents.  If they didn't have money for it, they didn't buy it.  Instant credit was not a way of life for my grandma, who recalls not being able to participate in Girl Scouts because her parents didn't have the money to buy her the uniform. She accepted that.  It was all she knew.

And do you know what?  She survived.

So waiting is something we strive to practice a little more around here.  We try to make the distinction between what we really need and what we really want.  (Sometimes this line gets quite fuzzy!)  Sure, we buy what we need.  But we have found that sometimes, if we wait long enough, even things we want just happen to show up! Take these canning supplies, example....

When a friend mentioned her grandfather was looking for a new home for his canning supplies,  I jumped at the chance.  I have always wanted to invest more in canning equipment, but it's never been  the right time for our budget.  I was hopeful that if I waited long enough some supplies would turn up.....at a yard sale, thrift store, Craig's list or in some other buget-concious way.

And low and behold, along with all of these jars and lids, this grandfather gave me a beautiful pressure cooker!

Finally, I have one...thanks to a generous man who wanted to see his canning supplies in a home where they are appreciated.   And this was well worth the wait.

(Now...I just need to figure out how to use it.....)

Happy Monday to You!

 

{this moment}

Taking a break from Flour Sack Friday today to join Soulemama in.....

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. ~Amanda Soule

Happy Weekend to You!

Summer Cooking: Homemade Salsa

Joining up again today with Ellen and her Summer Cooking series!

I tried something this week that made my husband very happy......

Homemade Salsa.

The recipe, which was given to me by a co-worker of Dan's more than a year ago calls for all canned tomatoes.  This actually makes it very simple and attainable year-round.  I think next time, though, I will try replacing the canned tomatoes with ones from our garden, since we seem to have an abundance right now!  I still have lots of jalapenos left from our CSA last year, so those are conveniently on hand...at least for now.

Homemade Salsa

14 1/2 oz. can tomatoes and green chiles

14 1/2 oz. can whole peeled tomatoes plus the juice

1 Tbsp. jalapenos, diced (about a whole pepper)

1/4 c. diced onion

3/4 t. garlic salt, to taste

1/2 t. cumin, to taste

1/4 t. sugar, to taste

Place jalapenos and onions in a food processor and pulse for a few seconds.  Add both cans of tomatoes, salt, sugar and cumin.  Process all ingredients until well blended...do not puree.  Place in covered container and chill. (**I doubled this and have plenty of salsa for our family for the next week to two**)

Happy Summer Cooking to You!

Yarn Along ~ August 10

I've decided to take the plunge into something new......

Knitting!

Well, truth be told, knitting is not all that new to me.  In fact, I taught myself over ten years ago in a Chicago apartment from a magazine article.  I ended up with a nice size swatch, nothing more.  And then, in the mix of having a baby, relocating, and then having another baby, my knitting supplies were packed away indefinitely.

Since then, every couple of years or so I have gotten out my needles and some yarn and knit a scarf.  In fact, I've knit lots of scarves.  (I can make a really mean scarf.)  But scarf-knitting gets boring.  So I finally decided to try this baby hat for our new one on the way.  The main challenge for me was following the pattern.  YO, st, tog, what????  

After consulting with knitting friends and websites, I finished the hat. Not without mistakes, for sure.  But it was DONE!

But then something happened.  I couldn't wait to knit something else.  Anything.  But I was through with the self-taught stuff.  I wanted lessons.  I wanted to learn how to really knit.  So I signed up for a class at this local yarn store and fell in love. 

My weekly knitting circle is quickly becomming something I can't wait for, because each time I go I learn something new and meet someone new.  (Knitters might possibly be the world's nicest and most helpful group of people!)  The days in between are filled with getting to a certain point in the pattern, and then waiting until I can go back the next week to learn another part of the pattern.

I am excited to say that I finished another hat....this time for me!  (I can't remember the last time I've made anything for me!)  I used a free pattern for this hat from Plymouth Yarns found here.  The pattern calls for 5 and 7 needles, but I used 6 and 8 since I knit a bit tight.  And only knit 7" until decreasing instead of 8"...it's a slouch hat but I didn't want it to be too slouchy.  The wool is gorgeous...soft...100% baby alpaca.

Modeled by Marianne.....

So in honor of my finished hat, I've decided to join Ginny's Yarn Along.  Because now I'm onto something else.......

So far, I'm still working on getting the gauge right.  The pattern is adorable....not free or online, but can be found at Spud & Chloe.  Stay tuned!

In addition to what we're knitting, Ginny has asked us to comment on what we're reading while we're knitting.  (For me, this is not completely simultaneous....I am not nearly talented enough to sit with a book in one hand and knitting needles in the other....)

The book I'm reading now is none other than John Steinbeck's East of Eden....brilliant....but long.....and I'm almost finished.  I think I will actually missed Adam Trask and good old Lee. (They've been with me for most of the summer.)

Happy Wednesday to You!

 

 

 

Handmade Gifts for Special Gals

Somehow I managed to get a little sewing time in before attending two recent showers.  So I was able to give my favorite kind of gifts....the handmade kind!  (If you've been reading for a while you may remember my sentiment regarding handmade gifts from this post...)

First, I made some easy kitchen towels for a special bride-to-be from Lotta Jansdotter's Simple Sewing. 

This couple is getting married in September, so I went for some appropriate Fall-ish looking fabric.  I always use a homespun cotton when sewing kitchen towels because I find it to be slightly more absorbent.

These towels, when packaged with some new cleaning supplies make a nice little gift for a newlywed kitchen!

The next shower was for a sweet new baby boy who is the son of Rylen's beloved teacher, so I had the chance to make a set of one of my all-time favorite baby gifts to both give and receive.  It's amazing how a simple yet colorful ribbon can transform a thin cloth diaper into an adorable and useful gift...a set of fresh burp clothes!

(And, yes, sewing these burp clothes really put me in the mood to make a batch for our new little bundle who will be here soon!)

 

Flour Sack Friday: Snack Foods

One thing that I truly cannot stand to buy at the grocery store is high-priced, nutrition-less junk food.  For one, I am not a huge snacker myself, so bags of chips and boxes of crackers really do not appeal to me.  And if, say, a bag of Doritos is $4 and I have $100 to spend on groceries, that bag of Doritos is taking up 4% of my grocery budget for the week.  (I think not!)  I would much rather spend that $4 on something that adds nutritional value to our diet.

Occasionally, if I have a great coupon or there is a hefty sale, I will buy a couple bags of chips.  But even then, this is not a type of food I like to "stock up" on.  They just generally aren't very good for us! 

But because my kids do like snacks and because I'm not a complete stick in the mud, I try to have a variety of healthy things on hand to munch on.  These are typically cheese, yogurt, fruit, vegetables and dip, and applesauce.  But for those times when we just want something crunchy, our new frugal favorite is......

 

Popcorn!

Easy to make, easy to pack, and fairly healthy.

And about as inexpensive as you can get.  I can buy a 1 lb. bag of kernels for $1.99.  This works out to be 12¢ per ounce.  We make 1/2 cup at a time (4 ounces) so we get 3 quarts of fresh popcorn for about 48¢!  

 

Also, popcorn can be dressed up quite nicely.  Caramel corn and kettle corn are two of our less-healthy favorites :)

As we head into school lunch-packing season, I will be on the look-out for more healthy and inexpensive snack foods ideas to vary it up a little.  So.....

What kinds of healthy snacks do you like to have around???

 

Summer Cooking: Mexican Corn Salad

Thursdays has not been a regular "posting" day for me, but I couldn't resist joining Hurrayic's Summer Cooking series that started today.

One of our favorites this summer has been Mexican corn salad.  We are corn lovers around here, and while it certainly is not the most nutritious vegetable by itself, it still seems to be a hit even after adding fresh red and green peppers and some other summery flavors!

I love it for it's versatility.  It is delicious by itself......

or with a flank steak....

or on top of some spinach!

Mexican Corn Salad

2 cups corn kernels

1/4 cup red pepper, diced

1/4 cup green pepper, diced

1 tomato, diced

2 Tbsp. red onion, diced

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1 tsp. lime juice

1 Tbsp. cilantro, chopped

1/4 tsp. ground cumin

1/4 tsp. each salt and pepper

Combine all ingredients and serve immediately.  Or refrigerate if you would rather serve chilled.  Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Harvesting

As you can tell, our wee vegetable garden is a group effort.

Happy Harvesting to you and your own little gardeners!

 

the Final Stretch of Summer

Here is when we realize that our beloved summer is on borrowed time......

Let's enjoy it!  (What are some ways you'll spend this last stretch of summer?)

Happy August to You!