New Dresses

We found a new dress pattern we wanted to try.

We had 2 peices of fabric ~ 4 yards each that Mom had given us.

They turned out great and the girls are very happy with them.

Katie sewed her dress~~~~~

It was great to "shop in the closet" for the fabric and zippers ~ a free project.

Now they want a trip to JoAnn's ~ ahhhhhh, the sacrifices I make for my girls!

We are.....

We are....

sewing dresses

making wedding guests lists

getting ready to visit St. Louis & the Cutlers

crocheting

getting projects ready to work on in the RV

cleaning out the RV

having a swim party tomorrow night at our house

getting James' paperwork together for college grants

working on clothes for Orphanage in Haiti

making piles of stuff Greg to take to Haiti

marking fair project entries off the list

home ec grocery budgeting & planning with Katie

 coupon shopping at Walgreen's

anticipating Amy's braces coming off in 2 days

loads of praying for my friend Rosana and her precious baby

thinking of the future and all the changes the Lord has in store for us

We've been busy and its not slowing down.  We are enjoying our long days at home with no "formal" school work.  We will start school on Aug. 1, so its just around the corner.  The kids and I are looking forward to a week at Granny's while Greg is in Haiti. 

Southern-isms

Some southern-isms to share....


GRITS has 2 meanings  1. Girls Raised in the South  (thats me)
                                       2. That wonderful breakfast food made from corn ~ I like mine smooth &                                             creamy with salt & butter

Coke ~ any soft drink in the south is a coke, not pop or soda.  A coke is usually a Coca-Cola.

Y'all ~ singular or plural it means the same "you all"

Fixin to ~ "I'm fixin to go to the grocery store"  About to, in a minute I'm going, etc.

 Snow ~ the white flakes that fall from the sky...doesn't matter how many.  Down here snow is snow.  If it covers the ground and coats the roads ~ everything stops.  When we say it didn't snow last winter, that means we never saw a flake.

Food ~ illness, surgery, death in the family, promotion, new baby, etc. is celebrated with food.   We do it all the time.

Grill ~ cookout, barbeque, whatever you call it.  We do it year round...rain, snow, extreme heat ~ we love to cook out. 

I am sure I will think of others to share....

But right now, I'm fixin to get off this computer.  Bye y'all!

Keeping Busy

Katie's 1st Extreme Couponing Trip to Walgreens ~ paid $3.40 Cash!

Katie, Amy & Emmalynn's Yummy Chocolate Marble Cake for dessert on Wednesday night!

Baby dress for my little friend Lauren! 

Another smocked dress for Lauren!

Yesterday I traveled farther down the road of pressure canning.  We now have 15 pints of canned black eyed peas.  Next I am going to can blueberries and then kidney beans for chili and casseroles.  And why can instead of freeze?  Probably the most important reason right now to me is ~ more jars to enter in the state fair and earn extra money.  I've got the jars, had the beans (frozen), and just needed a $1 box of lids.  Also, if we have a power outage from a tornado, hurricane, or tripped breaker ~ this food

won't spoil!  Its something I've wanted to do for several years, just had to work up the courage

to use the pressure canner (its always been a scary concept to me).

The Lord has richly blessed us this week with rain.  My tomato plants are tremendously happy.

The cucumber and bell pepper plants are thriving also ~ Katie and I are looking

forward to pickle making days!  Greg is thrilled that the rain has filled the pool to capacity +.  And we don't need to run the sprinklers for the trees and garden.  Bonus ~ its cooled the weather down 10-15 degrees during the day.  We've had many 100+ temp days already, and its only June.

Will has been in Memphis all week.  From the sounds of everything, the week is great.

He is part of a mission team from our church ministering to children in inner city

neighborhoods.   He loves children, so this is a perfect fit for him.  He gets home

tomorrow and I am sure we will hear many stories.

Jackson Farms Salsa Recipe

Salsa

8 cups tomato pulp (skins removed and then pulped in the food processor)
4 cups peach pulp (we used frozen peaches & pulped them in the food processor)
1 teaspoon pickled jalepeno*
1/2 cup bell pepper, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
2-6 ounce cans tomato paste
2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1 cup lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoon chopped garlic
1/4 cup brown sugar*
1 teaspoon cilantro

Combine all of the above in a large saucepan and bring to a boil ~ stirring very frequently so the bottom doesn't burn.  After it comes to a boil, cook for 5 minutes.

Ladle hot sauce into hot pint jars and follow your manufacturers direction for water bath canning.

This recipe made 6 pints and one 1/2 pint.

When processing the tomatoes and peaches ~ don't liquify the ingredients, leave some chunks.

*Jalepeno is optional.  It really made our first batch too spicy and we added the brown sugar to cut the heat ~ it worked really well.

In Greg's words ~ mmmmmmmm, I wouldn't change a thing!

Daybook

For today...

Outside my window ~ sunny, hot, possibility of rain which we really need

I am thinking ~ about all the changes that will take place in the next 18 months in our family

I am thankful for ~ Will having the opportunity to attend Street Reach in Memphis, a youth mission trip

From the Kitchen ~ more canning today...I've got tomatoes and some blackeyed peas to pressure can

From the learning rooms ~ its summertime!  Nothing formal, lots of downtime.  Katie is studying for her Western Civilization 2 clep test

I am wearing ~ denim dress

I am creating ~ crafting chaos!  Finished 2 quilt tops yesterday.  Have smocked 2 dresses in one week...now to finish the construction. Made 2 little jumpers for my twin friends.  My "to do" pile is shrinking but my "want to do" pile is growing!

I am going ~ to enjoy each day, they fly too fast

I am reading ~ too many things at once (don't know why I do this)  Book 1 of the Freedom's Holy Light Series (I read this series about once a year), "Money Secrets of the Amish" borrowed from my friend Betsy, "Already Compromised" by Ken Ham, and the Bible

I am praying ~ for the Street Reach team, for our trip to St. Louis the beginning of July, the Haiti Mission Trip, for the Lords continued guidance in our lives & our children's lives, for an abundant harvest from our garden

I am hearing ~ kitchen sounds, cars driving up & down the road

Around the house ~ crafting, gardening, watering, cooking, reading, praying, living, loving

One of my favorite things ~ closeness in family relationshps


A few plans for the rest of the week ~ girls sleepover tonight with EL, bible study, lunch with Rie, Will gets home from Memphis, a fun weekend


A picture to share ~ 

 Jars of our Tomato/Peach Salsa from Saturday....recipe will be posted tomorrow!


Please head over to ~~~~~  http://thesimplewomansdaybook.blogspot.com/
and visit with other women and read their daybooks!

The Weekend in Pictures

My Darling Hubby on Fathers Day!

mixing up the dressing

Can't have turkey without dressing!

Man, its hot in the kitchen!

My kitchen help busy at work

The Fryer Man and his Sous Chef

Greg's 1st Turkey Frying Experience

The finished Bird!

Happy Thanksgiving ~ oops I mean Fathers Day

My primary colors Log Cabin quilt top

Snoopy quilt top