Pickles & Relish

I made Dill Pickles, Squash Pickles, and Hellish Sweet Relish so far. I know I'll be making more Squash Pickles as I LOVE them. I could eat them as a side dish in the winter and I'm always sad when they're gone.


Happy July 4th to everyone. Prayers for safety and a good time.

Blessings,

Making Jelly

I've been making plum jelly and jam.

The plums were on the small side with deep red skins that produced a very deep red jelly.







Next I'll be making pickles. What are your favorite pickle recipes?

Blessings,

Exploding Pineapples

Sorry I have taken so long to post. It has been busy around here. As promised--exploding pineapples! Karin Hellaby has simplified pineapple blocks and it is so fast and easy. She has easy to follow instructions and there is no waste! Ingenius! Check with your local quilt shop because many are offering quilt classes using this technique.







If you've been following my blog for any length of time you know that I am in love  addicted  with/to  stacked four patches. I wanted to try a different fabric. I usually use florals. I have this paisley in stock. Stacked it and Voila! What do you think? I was looking for something more masculine. Did I accomplish it?

Click on the pictures to enlarge.

Then I used the smaller stacked four patches in the center of these two color exploding pineapple blocks. Sorry for the wrinkles. I carried these to Post Oat last Thursday to show them. They loved them! It's so easy and very fast.





 This is the focus fabric used for the stack.

This the aftermath. We had to have a new septic system put in. A lot of our backyard has been dug up to put in the new line to the tank. Most of the rock patio had to be dug up as well. It was needing to be redone--the cement had crumbled between the rocks but that was a project for the future. Well the future is now. But we also may choose to move it to a shaded area where the summer breezes blow.

This is my DD Amanda holding her niece and our DGD Paisley. Aren't they beautiful? We had a wonderful family gathering at our house Sunday. We hadn't gathered as a whole since before DDIL went in the hospital in November. Schedules didn't work, etc. The house was wonderfully noisy and full and we enjoyed some good food together--blackeyed peas from our garden, squash fresh from the garden, ditto on the cucumbers, tomatoes, fried okra and with a chicken casserole followed by homemade ice cream for dessert furnished by DD. And then they all scattered to their own homes. This photo courtesy of DS#1's I-phone. Thanks, son. I was too busy to take pictures.






I then went out Sunday evening and picked more blackeyed peas and shelled them. I slept well. Amen.

Blessings,

Wanna see pictures of the grands?

Grandkids that is. I knew you would! DGS Mason and DGD Paisley came to see us this weekend. Boy were we busy making bottles, changing diapers, digging in the dirt, going to see the piggies, playing with the puppy (yes, we are down to one) and yes they sure are sweet when they are sleeping. Mommy and Daddy had a date weekend.

Big brother is giving little sister a kiss. He is so good with her.

We had our very own concert in our living room by none other than the very talented and might I add loud DGS Mason. LOL Poor Papaw! Mason still drags out my old baby doll. See her in the foreground.

And a dolly for sister. She was enthralled with the doll! She wanted to give it kisses.

And of course you must see this baby in all her glorious cuteness! It was an experience let me tell ya.

How safe do you think my pot plants are? NOT! This is the last puppy. The little female went to a family with a nine year girl who took her home and they slept together the first night. The other male went to a family with a five year little girl and grandparents who love dogs. We don't know what to name this one. He has a white face with black ears and a black spot like a crown on the top of  his head. Any suggestions?  I've been calling him Prince but I don't think DH is satisfied with that name. We will keep him for awhile and see if a new dog is what we need for right now. I could be satisfied with Max, Ruby, and Sissy. VERY easily.

And these are the little pigs from a previous post. They were weaned this weekend. They are four weeks old now.  All fourteen of them.  The little boys will soon well how do I say it? Not be boys much longer. All but two that is. DH is going to watch how they develop and keep them for boars. You needed to know that. Trust me. Oh can I tell you about our experience of getting the mother out of the pen so the piglets could be weaned? Man ya'll are so good. I seriously know why DH wants to do this by himself most of the time. LOL You see I was trying to help. Well we don't communicate real well sometimes. Mostly because I think men in general forget that women in general don't read minds. Or understand what they are saying. Can I get a witness? The sow did come out of the pen. Things were progressing well after that. We moved her to an outside pen for her to dry up and get near the boar so naturally she would come in heat so we can make more babies. Well things were progressing well like I said until she decided she didn't want to go in the pen we were coaxing her into. Note: I can't say I blame her. What female wants to repeat a pregnancy of delivering sixteen babies and nursing fourteen (might I add round the clock) and go do it all over again? Anyway--to make a long story short when she didn't want to go in the pen she wanted to go over the top of Marilyn to get out the way she had come. One minute I was standing the next I have been tackled and thank God it was soft sand.  DH is concerned and frustrated all at the same time. I was not hurt. Just felt slammed and a couple of bruises.

Next post--Exploding pineapples! Has nothing to do with national security. LOL

That oughta keep you wondering. LOL

Blessings,

It's May in Texas

And that means humidity and warmer temperatures. We need the rain. It is thundering right now and hopefully it will rain tonight. We have our garden planted and it is coming up nicely. Tomatoes, jalapeno peppers, bell peppers, cucumbers, green beans, blackeyed peas, yellow squash, zucchini squash, and okra and I can hardly wait for the first vegetable. I spent several days clipping hedges and helping DH cut vines and stuff out of the fences. The puppies are weaned and are so big. I will post new pictures soon.

Last Wednesday the Kraz-z Quilters came to my house. DH barbecued chicken breast and pork sausage and the ladies brought side dishes and dessert. Oh my it was good. Everyone brought a project to work on. And they shopped. Boy did they shop. Thanks, ladies for a wonderful day. It was so fun.

For the last several Thursdays some of us from Wise Co. Quilt Guild have been working on our raffle quilt. This Saturday we will work on it as well. And hopefully very soon it will be a quilt top. I will post pictures as soon as it is done.

I've gotten more fabric in so I've been busy with that. I have a rash that I think is related to working in the yard. I'm thinking I must have gotten into some poison oak or something. I just know I'm ready for it to go away.  We traveled to Ballinger/San Angelo area to see our mothers this past weekend. I am happy to say they are doing well. We stopped on the way home on Monday and watched the grandkids play ball. There was a rain shower and bit of hail that came up toward the end of their games.

Hope all you mothers had a nice Mother's Day. Not much personal quiltey stuff going on at MY house. I did play tonight for a little bit. I was having 4 Patch Stacked Posies withdrawal and stacked a paisley fabric just to see what it would look like.

Blessings,

Piglets and Puppies

We have a new litter of pigs. She gave birth to sixteen. Sixteen! First litter. The two smallest did not make it so we are down to fourteen. Aren't they cute?

The heat lamp was a popular gathering place. Half the litter were nursing and half warming.

This a close up so you can see their ears. See how they are sorta pinned up and against their head? They come down in a day or so after birth. They look pink because of the glow of the heat lamp.

Okay now for the puppies.

Sis, I don't think it's a good idea to jump out.

There's a big world to explore. You stay here and you're going to miss out.

And the first place I'm checking out is the food dish! Hey, where are you going, Brother?

All this for your viewing pleasure.
Blessings,

Piglets and Wildflowers (what a combination!)

These are the Hereford's litter. They have a Hamp dad.

These have a Hamp mother and Hamp/Bluebutt cross dad.

These pictures were taken a couple of weeks ago.  We have another litter due the end of this week. I will try to take pictures of the sow. Her tummy is so low it is nearly dragging.

I took this picture on the way to Weatherford today. 

The Bluebonnets are so pretty this year.

Indian paint brushes.

Blessings,

Grandbabies and puppies

Little Miss Snaggle-Tooth

Perfectly happy in Mommy's arms

Mason loves the puppies!

They are two weeks old and GROWING.

Stay tuned for quiltey pictures.

Blessings,

The Puppies

Two boys and one girl. They were born Saturday around noon. Aren't they precious? Not sure if Ruby was thrilled about her babies being photographed or not.

We have three litters of pigs in the barn and we are to take pictures today. Yesterday DH brought home some wonderful composted cow manure from a neighbor. We're going to grow our tomatoes and peppers in containers this year and used the compost to fill the containers. There's plenty more to spread on our garden too. Yay! Then DH tilled the garden and I hoed weeds in the yard. With all the nice rain we've had we have lots of weeds. Today we hope to get everything planted. I need to machine quilt. I have two here to do for customers with three waiting. There just doesn't seem like enough hours in the day to get it all done. 

I got two shipments in. Yesterday was bolts of fabric. I got in a couple that I want to see how they work up in a four patch stack and some pretty batiks. Saturday I finally got the batting for our quilt club for our C.A.S.A. quilts  It had been on back order a couple of months.  DS#1 is getting started quilting and wanted his own rotary cutter, mat, and ruler. In a few weeks we will get started on his quilt. DS#1 spent the weekend with us and we enjoyed that. DH barbequed pork chops, chicken breast, country style pork ribs, and hamburger patties. He likes to do a bunch up when the grill is hot and then we freeze and warm up when we are busy. Like we are now!

Blessings,