Monday, July 29, 2013

Excuse Me, Is That A Cucumber in Your Pocket?


I am trying a different type of cucumber this year and totally loving the results!  These are a Japanese kind and they grow reallllllllly long!  At first, I was picking them when they were about 6 inches long and really skinny.

Then I went away for a few days and when I got back, I had these bad boys!

They are great tasting and thin skinned.  Sometimes, when things grow big and heavy like this, they are full of seeds and tasteless but not these!

They look like English cucumbers but they have seeds, so they are not quite the same thing.  They have grown so easily for me and without any fuss.  Cucumbers usually take a long time around here to get going but these got right down to business!

I want to pickle them but I am really afraid to can pickles.  I've been giving them away to everyone I can.  Last year, I made some awesome refrigerator pickles and I plan to do that with the next bunch that come through.

Linking here:
http://www.cherishedhandmadetreasures.com
http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2013/07/clever-chicks-blog-hop-45-with-three.html
http://www.lovebakesgoodcakes.com/
http://www.skiptomylou.org/2013/07/29/made-by-you-monday-163/
http://www.2justbyou.com/?utm_source=Meet 
http://mommifried.com/ladies-only-blog-share/

Thursday, July 25, 2013

Auntiesparkling Goes Visiting

I went to my sister a-ster's house for a few days last week.  I like to go and do nothing, as I might have mentioned before.  It's the laziest 4-5 days I can ever come up with and I revel in it.

Usually, we do some errands on a day or two and the only major thing we do is a trip to the National Zoo.  We all like it and now that l-ster is big enough to walk around, she can really enjoy it.  We went in April and actually saw the pandas eating and never was a child as fascinated as l-ster.  She has more than a little passion for pandas.

Thanks to the scorching weather we're stuck in for the rest of our lives here on the east coast, the zoo was the last place I wanted to be last week.  95 degrees and hot animals just don't appeal to me.  Add in walking around, lots of other hot screaming people, the smells of zoo food, the drive into the city.  UGH.  Anyone else think that sounds like pure hell?

So, other than the library and grocery stores, we didn't do much.  My sister did a lot of catching up on her sewing while I watched l-ster and we tried to play outside with the kiddie pool one afternoon but the mosquitoes put a rapid end to that.  

The one big thing we did was a couple of hours at a park that had a carousel and train.  The train was fun and much more of a train than I expected.  It went for about 15-20 minutes and you actually felt like you were on a small train.  It was on tracks and there was train bridge and a tunnel.  My niece thought she had died and gone to heaven and if her panda had been allowed on the train?  Well, I can't even imagine the joy.

Not having concrete plans and the weather being rather unpleasant for outside play, we spent a lot of time playing in the house.  At one point, l-ster got out some exercise bands that she likes to play with and started making a hat for me and a hat for her.

One thing lead to another.

I wish she looked as happy here as she was.  This is what she does when you tell her to smile. She was laughing, cackling and played with them for a while.  She thought these "hats" were the best thing since sliced bread and when she suggested we put one on panda and I actually did, well.  That was pure bliss.

Is anyone else hearing "Kung Foo Fighting" playing in their heads right now?

Wednesday, July 24, 2013

I Was Featured Somewhere

I wrote this post about Guacamole burgers that I whipped up the other night.  I linked around the interwebs and Debi over at Adorned From Above liked the idea and featured it this week!  I've never been featured anywhere, so this is a very big deal to me.  Go see and be sure to read some of the others who linked up as well!


Sunday, July 21, 2013

Not Such A Jackass

A few months ago, I told you about how I had strayed from Tucker and found a new man. 

Well, it turns out Danny is an ass and I haven't ridden him much since then.  He's pulled a few nutties when people have actually asked things of him.  Not with me, but I'm sure if had he more chances he would.   He's great when a kid is on him and you're just leading them around, but get an experienced rider on him and he's like "hmmm, what can I do to avoid doing what she's asking".

I don't have time for that kind of nonsense.

So, since school got out, I've been riding Jackson.

I used to be afraid of Jackson.  For years, he would give me the evil eye and if I had to bring him in, he was always edgy and on high alert.  At barn #1, he hated to actually go in the barn and I had to resort to bribery with grain.  He was disgusted that he had to give in and come in for the grain and I was annoyed that I couldn't convince him that there were no ghosts at the door.

Over time, I saw a few people ride him and realized maybe he's not so evil.  I have no legitimate reason why I thought he was evil.

A long time ago, r-ster suggested maybe I should ride him, but she was sick and I was sure she was hallucinating.  Since she never suggested it again, I let it go and thought he might be a little more than I could handle.

When Tucker became in super high demand last month, she said I might need to think about riding Jackson.  After one hell of a wild canter around the ring the first time, where nothing I could do was going to stop him, we've had a great time. 

He is not evil. 

He actually seems to like what I do with him and he doesn't do much resisting. 

He hasn't done that maniac racing like he did the first time.  I would love to have seen that on video.  I didn't fall or jump off because I knew we were going too fast and he's too tall for me to safely get off.  I just kept racing around saying "I don't know what to do, he won't stop!" 

I had visions of him being so high that he'd just start jumping all the jumps and going bananas.  I have no idea why he finally stopped but he did and we started over and he's been fine.  I must have been doing something that said "yeeeee haaaw".

He is pretty nervous and so am I but we must cancel each other out because r-ster keeps telling me how much I relax him and how great he responds to me.  He's a horse who doesn't want to do something wrong, so if he does, he doesn't repeat his mistake.  This also means he tries to anticipate what I'm going to ask him, so he gets a little upset sometimes.  Somehow, I am able to calm him down and we do well together.

He really likes having a specific plan.  When we're warming up and it seems vague, he is on alert.  Once we start doing a pattern or something specific, he relaxes into it and is like "oh, I know how to do this".

I jumped him a few times the other day and it wasn't as crazy as I thought it was going to be.  They are going to have little jumping shows at the barn on Wednesdays this summer, so I wanted to see if Jackson would jump with me.  He will, but I chickened out for this past Wednesday because we had only done it once.   I didn't know what I was getting into and needed to be an observer once to see what it's like.

Before the summer is over, I am quite sure I will do one of the jumping shows.  Since it's at my "home barn" I can't turn down the opportunity!  I'd never trailer him and go somewhere because that would ratchet us both up to such a point we wouldn't be able to function, but if it's just something we can do right here, I think I'll do it!

Or maybe not. I'm kind of a chicken.

Linking here :
Www.mommifried.com
http://www.lovebakesgoodcakes.com/
http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/

Friday, July 19, 2013

How Do You Fondue?

I went to a French teacher's conference in Providence last weekend.  The hotel was good, a name brand that really tries.  It's a conference type hotel and they had lots of things going on.  The on site restaurant is pretty big and then they have a bar and restaurant service out at the pool area.

I spent both evenings out at the pool area because it was a decent temperature and the furniture was pretty nice.  I took some pictures but that's another post for another day.

The first evening, I was crazy enough to want dessert.  I asked the girl for the dessert menu and she said they only have two, so there was no menu.  I guess the pool service is different from the restaurant service because I had seen other stuff on a different menu.

Whatever.   I wanted a chocolate dessert.

My choices were something to do with caramel, which I don't love, and a chocolate fondue.  As she described the fondue, I was trying to imagine just what they would do.  She said there was fruit and marshmallows.  I imagined them mixing it all together in a warm melange which would have been gross, but I wanted chocolate, so I said "fondue, s'il vous plait".

I didn't really say that because she is American and most likely doesn't speak French.  Although it is New England and we do still teach French here, so that's a terrible assumption to make.

Shame on me.

She came right back with this.

Do you think that's fondue?  Because it's not.  It's Hershey's syrup.  COLD Hershey's syrup.  I kid you not.  Well, it might have been a generic chocolate syrup which would have made it even more deplorable.

Yes, that's one banana cut into large chunks, marshmallows, strawberries with their tops still on and yep, graham crackers.  Because graham crackers and marshmallows are soooooooo French.  Everyone puts them in fondue, right?

Oh, no, I guess they put them in Hershey's syrup.

It was pretty gross, actually.  And it was humid, so the graham crackers were limp.

You know when you lick Hershey's syrup off of something (like your finger) and it kind of catches in your throat because it's not really chocolate and it's just sugar syrup?  That's what it was, with banana, strawberry and marshmallow mixed in.  Very high class.

It was truly the saddest, most bargain basement version of fondue I have ever seen.

And served where there was a conference of FRENCH teachers, no less! 

FONDUE.

HAH!!!

Linking here:

http://thegrantlife.com/link-party-financial-friday-718/

Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Guac Burgers Without the Buns

I had something similar to this in a restaurant recently and was really impressed with the flavors.  I think the original had salsa but I don't always like salsa, so I skipped it.





Basically, it's a turkey burger with mozzarella and guacamole.  Here's how I made the guacamole.  I didn't have any tomatoes and I don't know that I always love it with tomatoes anyway.

Guacamole My Way:

1 avocado
half an onion
a generous amount of cumin
half a lime, juiced
a clove of garlic
salt
pepper

Blend it all with a food processor and blitz it to the smoothness you like.  I like to use my Pampered Chef Manual Food Processor but you could do it however you'd like.


For the burgers:

Make turkey burgers however you like.  I added a little cumin to them too.

Top with mozzarella and let it melt.

Spread on a generous amount of guacamole.  K-ster said my amount was too generous but since it's got such good ingredients, I had to slather it on!

I served it with garlic bread because we're classy around here.


And because we didn't have any actual buns, so I used bread I had made for sandwiches.  Delicious!

Linking here:
http://www.adornedfromabove.com/2013/07/wednesdays-adorned-from-above-blog-hop_16.html
http://thefrugalgirls.com/2013/07/chic-and-crafty-party-718.html
http://www.myturnforus.com/
http://apeekintomyparadise.blogspot.com/
http://thefrugalgirls.com/2013/07/chic-and-crafty-party-718.html#more-136955
Http://www.skiptomylou.orgo

Monday, July 15, 2013

I Was the Opposite of Robbed!

I think someone broke into  my house.

They didn't touch anything.

They didn't break anything.

They didn't steal anything.

They didn't clean anything (not those super clean cat burglars, I guess).

I came home and found this on my counter.

I will go to my grave from encephalitis before I will use any of these sprays.  I know that's a ridiculous statement, but I just can't use any of the sprays.  Not even the natural kind.

We are having particularly outrageous mosquitoes this year, as I think much of the east coast is, and I am shocked that during the day, in broad sunlight, I am slapping mosquitoes.  That's something I don't think I've ever done.  It's so unpleasant, we aren't eating supper outside, which we usually do all summer.

There are even mosquitoes coming in the house.  I'm slapping them at all hours.

But these sprays and their fake smells are just too much for me. All the poison.  The residue.  The stink in the clothing that never comes out.  I can't do it.

I hope the robber will come back tomorrow and take it away.  Maybe I'll leave the door open, just in case.

Linking here:
http://www.2justbyou.com/?utm_source=Meet

Sunday, July 14, 2013

How Do You Spell Discrimination?

As always, I am on a quest for the perfect shoe.  Something I very rarely find.

I found a pair of flats a while back and instantly loved it but thought it was too pricey.  I've been stalking the shoe ever since and now that it appears to be rare, I really want it and must have it at almost any cost.

If found them at a DSW and when I went to DSW online (to get them through ebates and save a buck or two), they don't carry my size, so after much deliberating, I went back to the store and bought them.  And I think I'm pretty happy with them, by the way.  Very soft leather, comfortable.

Immediately upon exiting the store, I went into a very swanky anchor store for the first time.  It was a 3 floor wonder, and I happened to enter right where the shoes were, so that's the only place I went.  And I can probably say with almost 99% assurance, it was the first and last time I will ever visit this store. 

As I walked into the shoe section, I immediately found another pair of the same brand of flats that look great and are probably the new version of what I just bought, so they probably will be around for a while for me to stalk.  A young lady came right over and wanted to help and I felt like letting someone help, so here is what transpired.

Hi, how are you today, can I help you?

Yes, can I please try these on in a 7 and 7.5?  

Sure, no problem.  She walks a few steps.  Now, that was a 6 and a 7.5?

Does that even make sense?  My feet could  be either a 6 OR a whole size and a half bigger?

No, 7 and 7.5.

Ok, sure, I'll be right back.

I sat down and surveyed the swankiness that is place and awaited what would probably be a 5 and a 9.5 to try on.

She came back with 4 boxes of shoes.  I never found out what the other 2 had in them.

As she put them down, she said:

Now, are you a member of our club?

No.  I now have one shoe on.

Well, just so you know, you can't buy these shoes today, if you aren't a member of the club.

Wait, what?  I have one toe in the other shoe.  I can't buy these shoes today?

No, you can try them on, but you can't buy them until July 19th.  It was July 13th.  You can join our club and buy them today.  When you join you have to blah bla blaablablabla and attach it to your debit account and blablablablablabla  di blah bla blah and then you can have our exclusive offers.

I have both shoes on and I'm walking around the shoe area, loving the shoes.

So, you are telling me I can't buy these shoes today?  Not even at this "post anniversary celebration price"?  There were two prices, one for the anniversary celebration and one for afterward.  I had no intention of buying them at the post anniversary price, but I was incredulous that I couldn't have them at any price, even if I wanted them.

No, ma'am, you can't buy these until July 19th.  Unless you join our club.  It's called the Early blablablablabla bla blah Club and you can look at them, but you can't buy them.

So, if I wait until July 19th, I can buy them at the anniversary price, not the higher one?  

Oh, yes ma'am, you can still buy them at the celebration price.

Ok, I am done.  Thank you. 

Oh, did you want to try on the other size?  Join our club?  Try on more things you can't buy today?

What century are we in?  I am all about savings, joining clubs, earning points.  I'll pretty much do anything to save a few pennies, even if it means I have to get it online and wait a few extra days for it to arrive.

But how can this store put out merchandise for all to see and then tell everyone they can't buy it until a week later if they aren't part of the special club?

Where I live, if you find an item with a price tag on it and that tag is less than it's supposed to be, they have to honor that price anyway.  If an employee forgets to take down a sign that says something is on sale, they have to let you buy one at that sale price.  It's a law here.

I've spent the past day wondering how this is at all legal.  And how it's not discrimination.  I won't give them access to link a card to my debit account, so they won't let me buy a pair of shoes for one whole week.  Aren't they discriminating against me because  I won't give them access to my bank account?  Shouldn't I be allowed to buy them at a higher price if I don't belong to their special club?

Imagine if the grocery stores did this:  Today, members pay $1 for a bunch of bananas.  Want bananas?  Not part of the club?  Sorry, no bananas for you.  Nope, not even if you give me $5 for the bunch.

Most stores have those member savings clubs, but if you don't have a card, you can still buy the item at a higher price.  That's what normal stores do.  Bring the card and pay this much, don't bring the card and pay a higher price.  And no one has to access your bank account.

I am pretty disgusted and if this super swanky store calls me tomorrow to tell me I can have those shoes for free right now, I don't think I'll take them.

Linking here:
http://www.lovebakesgoodcakes.com/
http://www.myturnforus.com/ 

Friday, July 12, 2013

Working the Night Shift

Have you ever read a book of historical fiction where they talk about women wearing shifts?  They were like the undergarments under those crazy dresses they wore back then.

And they had night shifts which I imagine were nightgowns.

That's what I'm talking about.  Not working somewhere at night.

In the cooler months, I wear big t-shirts to bed.  There was a time when I would keep the window open a little, even in the cold winter, and wear those big flannel nightgowns to bed but I think if I did that nowadays, I would actually burst into flames.  I think I gave them all to Good Will when I stopped leaving my window open in the winter.

In this kind of weather, forget about t-shirts, it's all I can do to even wear a nightgown like this.

I love them because they are thin, cool and most of the time I don't feel like I shouldn't be running out to get the paper or water the garden if I'm wearing it.  I know, I probably shouldn't but sometimes, they kind of look like summer dresses, so I think I get away with it.

The problem is that no one makes them anymore, from what I can tell.  Everyone now makes those knit kind, softer and drapier than a t-shirt, but just as hot as one, from what I can tell.

So, I took matter into my own hands and tried making my own.

I used the one above for a sort of template and cut out this material that I LOVED.  It's gauzy and so lightweight but not sheer, so I could totally wear it in public.

Sadly, it didn't turn out the way I wanted because in order to make it look presentable in the tank area, I had to try to make pretty edging but I didn't leave myself enough room.  There's a reason that dresses have facings in the arm and neck holes.  Putting one in a nightgown would just be too heavy.  And too much work.

There's also a reason that there's usually lots of detail around the top of a nightgown.  To district one from the braless boobolas.  THis didn't occur to me either.  I always thought it was just so they could charge more for an item.  Useless buttons, ribbons, etc.

So, I wear it, but it's not fit for a picture.  Sad.  I really like the fabric.

So then, I had another idea.  Instead of trying to make nice edges, I'd make a ruffle from the fabric and sew it on.  There would the some detail, it would edge it nicely and made sense to me.

Oh, Victorian isn't in?  I thought it was.  There's nothing like a high collar at bed time.

I know what I did wrong.  I used a sheet.  I have had these sheets since college and loved the top sheet, so I kept it in hopes I could use it in something.

DING, why not a nightgown?  If sheets are cool enough to sleep in, they must be fine for a nightgown, right?  And there's a nice patter on there.  My favorite part was that there was a nice big hem at the top of the sheet, so I strategically cut it so I wouldn't have to make a hem.

And then I used the other end for the ruffle.  Too stiff.  But I wear it because some day, it might be washed enough times that it totally lays down.

So, I'm back to the drawing board.  I am determined to get this right without adding facings.  I have another plan cooking.  I will have to get back to you.

Linking here:
http://www.acatlikecuriosity.blogspot.co.uk/
http://thefrugalgirls.com/2013/07/linkup-party-the-frugal-girls.html
http://www.myturnforus.com/
http://www.the-chicken-chick.com

Wednesday, July 10, 2013

Shirt to Dress In Minutes

I've had 2 of these shirts, one blue and this green one, since leggings came back in style and I wear them with capri leggings.  Every time I wear them,  I think they are slightly too short for leggings and I should do something about that.
They come to just below my butt, like if I were to wear no leggings it would be very inappropriate and I think that even with leggings, tops should come to like 2 inches below the butt.

Otherwise, you're just wearing a shirt with tights and you might have read how I feel about that.

This shirt also didn't really have a finished hem.  It's serged but not even a rolled hem.  Every time I wore it, I thought it was strange and would think that I should do something about it.

So, I found this material.

It has a lot more green than you can see in this picture.  I thought it would be cute at the bottom of the shirt and kind of give it a finished look.

I cut a pretty wide strip of it and wanted to do a rolled hem.  I have a rolled hem foot but I've never really been sure how to use it properly.  The directions have never made much sense to me and it seems like it's a lot of work to get something that should be so easy with the ease of the rolled hem foot.  Since this was a straight piece of fabric, it wasn't too awful to deal with making a rolled hem.

I purposely cut it a lot longer than the circumference of the shirt because I wanted it to flow and ripple.  Now it's long enough to wear as a dress and I could probably hem it up a little so it looks finished for real.  I kind of think it looks like I just stuck this material on there.  A 2 inch length of material would have been just fine for what I was looking for!
But I spent so much time on that rolled hem..... and now I can wear it with or without leggings!  If I get my act together, I might have enough material for a scarf. 

Linking here:
http://www.skiptomylou.org/2013/07/08/made-by-you-monday-160/
http://www.cherishedhandmadetreasures.com/
http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/ 

Tuesday, July 9, 2013

The Case of the Missing Sprinkler

Let me start by saying that I know I am the easiest person on earth to mess with.  I know how little it takes to get me all worked up.  And I know that weird people take the strangest satisfaction in watching that happen.

But yesterday was truly a case for Encyclopedia Brown.  Remember him?  I loved those books!  LOVED every single one of them!

And I found myself right in the middle of a humdinger that I don't even think he could have solved.

In garden #2, I don't have the drip irrigation that I have in garden #1, so I have to use a sprinkler.


Yes, that is some astonishingly high quality lawn you're looking at.  I'm working on it!

Yesterday morning, I went out early to get the garden watered before I went to ride.  When I got there, a whole 100 feet from the back door, the sprinkler was GONE!  Impossible!  First, who would even see that sprinkler in the lawn in the first place?  Second, it's a very quiet one, not the tsk-tsk-tsk-pllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll kind that rock back and forth.  And third, who in a trailer even needs a sprinkler?

I came back, accusing k-ster of putting it somewhere when he pressure washed the patio.  That's a post I'm coming to very soon, but here's a teaser.


So, I came storming in fussing about where he put my sprinkler.

You had already taken it off and put the hose on the patio because you watered your plants before I got home.

Oh yeah.

So, I went back out and tore the place up.  It was gone.  Really gone.  Not in the greenhouse, not anywhere on the back 40, not under his boat, not on the patio, not on any of the stuff we moved off the patio.  It was gone.

GONE!

I asked my father.

I asked my mother.

I asked k-ster again.

I asked myself quite a few times.

I asked Gwenstopher.

I almost called the police.

And had to make do with my fake sprinkler that I make by taking the nozzle, clamping it down and laying it on the ground so it sprays up.  And then I have to move it a few times.  Which I didn't have time to be doing and thus, wanted my effing sprinkler.

I guess someone took it.

Who takes a $3 sprinkler???  One that can barely be seen?  It's not like the garden is on a street with people passing by.  Someone had to deliberately go get it!  But first, they had to find it!

All day, I puzzled over this.  I was so irritated.  Who the eff takes a sprinkler?  And if someone was playing with me, how is this funny?  It's not like there was a crowd of people watching me self destruct, hooting and hollering over my foolishness.

Just before supper last night, I was taking the clothes off the line, clothes that no one stole, mind you, and I turned around to see that my sprinkler was back.  I was apoplectic.  Someone really had taken it!  And someone really had returned it!

Now, I know it's easy to assume I just overlooked it.  But how do I know it wasn't there earlier?  Because in order to start the whole ordeal, I had to drag the hose out to the garden.  When the sprinkler was returned, the perpetrator put it ON TOP OF the hose in my garden.  ON TOP of a hose that wasn't there when he/she stole the sprinkler in the first place.

So, we have a neat, tidy thief.  One who wants to make me feel better about my things be stolen.   And then returned.   One who also made the mistake of being too neat.  Had the thief simply thrown it back on the ground in the approximate location in which it was found, I would have declared myself blind and assume I just hadn't seen it.  This would have all blown over with me coming up with a master plan to put things where they belong so they don't disappear.  But to put it back so blatantly out in the open.....

And this brings us back to the question:  why would someone in a trailer need a sprinkler?  It's the only solution I have.  There were some people staying in the campground kind of near the garden.  They saw me water the garden the other day.  They were close enough to just borrow it and put it back.  BUT WHY?  A hose?  This I can understand.  There are many reasons to need a hose while camping.  But a sprinkler?  We don't allow open fires.  No one washes their pets with a sprinkler.  Where they were camped was actually pretty lush so they didn't need to "help" by watering the lawn.

And I also wonder if they stole a can of cat food out of my refrigerator.  I'm only sort of kidding.  Because not 5 minutes before I went out to start the sprinkler episode, I had opened the refrigerator to feed the cat and the can of food that I had put in the night before was gone.  I know, you say "well, it was night, you were on your way to bed, maybe you imagined it" except I remember 2 things.  One, that I got a green cover to put on the can and 2 when I went to put said cover on the can, I got gravy all over myself and had to wash it off and worried that I'd smell like beef-entrails-n-gravy all night.

I've checked the trash, the cabinets, the freezer.  No can.

Of course I don't really think they came in and took only a half used can of cat food.  But two things disappearing over night and only one being returned?  Definitely a project for a super sleuth.

Linking here:
http://www.2justbyou.com/?utm_source=Meet
http://www.cherishedhandmadetreasures.com/ 

Saturday, July 6, 2013

Living In A Swamp

We don't have central air and I don't really care about that.  If we did, we'd always be arguing about him wanting it on and me wanting it off.  I only really want air conditioning at night.  And really, only when it's humid and the sheets feel wet.

I expect that when I walk into a store they will have the air conditioning on full blast, but in my house, not really.  My parents have it in their house and while it's nice to be able to take a shower and dry off and get dressed and stay dry (luxuries one cannot have in a house without A/C) for a while, I don't have to pay a high electric bill for the summer months and I get to hear the great outdoors.

And most of the time, we have a really great breeze around here and it's fine.

For those awful days of 100% humidity, which used to only come in August and now see to come as early as May, we have a window unit that we put in and it cools the bedroom and the living room.

Or should I say cooled.

Because the other day, k-ster turned it on, left the house and when he came back, it was 100% off and will not come back on.  It's not the outlet, we've tried others.  I'm afraid it's dead.

So, with some pretty wildly hot days this week, it turns out, we're living in a swamp.   A week of rain  made everything quite damp and now it's super hot and sunny so we're all steaming.  There are places that still have standing water that I haven't ever seen that wet. 

My house is already smelling moldy and I don't normally actually smell mold, I just see it when it starts growing on the walls.  I know that's gross but it's mostly in the bathroom.  It's not like all of our walls are green and furry.  That I know of.  I'm sure behind them it's just a forest of mold, but I only care about what I see.  This one of the many reasons the outdoor shower is essential!
  
It's only early July and I fear for the rest of the summer.

In the west, they have swamp coolers which blow air across water or ice to make it cool.  It's pretty smart when you're in the dry, hot desert.  Having water blowing around isn't much of a big deal and probably feels pretty good when skin is about to crack from the dry heat.

Here, this would just add to our humidity issues, I'm afraid and I think we would actually grow mold on ourselves!

Luckily, k-ster has found a solution that will probably work for us.


We have fans, we have styrofoam coolers and I know there are pieces of gutters around here that aren't being used.  It will sure be a lot cheaper than buying a new air conditioner at the height of the summer heat!  And no freon to ruin the atmosphere.

Thursday, July 4, 2013

Ummm, I Carried A Watermelon

Remember when Baby walked into the dirty dancing scene in, well, Dirty Dancing, and she said "I carried a watermelon!"  Classic.

I always thought it was Molly Ringwald in 16 Candles, but whatever.

My point is that she felt completely stupid after she said it and totally lost any face she might have had with the rough crowd.

I currently feel as stupid as Baby.  Not because I carried a watermelon.  Or because I'm trying to get in good with the rough crowd.

But because I "earned" this.


Yes, that's a flyswatter you're looking at.  And I earned it because I submitted at least 2 Pampered Chef shows in June.

It's a "classic".  A wild hit in the 80s, it seems.  Not only does it hit the fly.  It has a special sweeper on the fat part.

And that pink thing?  That's a mini dustpan that comes off for the handy sweeping. 

And the pink thing at the top?  A pair of tweezers that handily comes out for you to pull the insect out of the swatter, should it not fall dead and need sweeping up.

This, from the Pampered Chef.  The company that brought you stoneware, bakeware, pantry products, my favorite Manual Food Processor.

And now, folks, the flyswatter.  Because that is exactly what I think of when I think of food and cooking products.

I'm embarrassed to say that I won it !  But I'm even more embarrassed to tell July customers that when they order $60 in products, they win themselves one of these flyswatters for themselves.

Seriously, I feel as dumb as if I said "I carried a watermelon!"

Linking here:
http://mommifried.com/ladies-only-blog-share-link-party-red-white-bbq/
http://www.acatlikecuriosity.blogspot.co.uk/
http://www.myturnforus.com/
http://www.whatjeanlikes.com/2013/06/aloha60.html
http://www.lovebakesgoodcakes.com/

Wednesday, July 3, 2013

Easy Supper For Hot Summer Night

I made a crockpot chicken which is a great way to  cook a chicken and not have to turn on the oven in the summer heat.  The only thing k-ster and I don't like about it is that it stinks up the whole house like chicken, even with the windows open.  I'm thinking of doing it on the patio next time.

Once it cooled enough to take off all the meat, I chopped up some of it and mixed it with barbeque sauce.  I didn't heat it because I thought it might taste pretty good cold.  And it did. If that grosses you out, heat it before you put it on the buns.

I put it on one of these amazing rolls and then made a broccoli slaw to go with it.

(I get zero points for style here because I know nothing about how to present food for photos!)

It was one of those meals that taste good because they are cold and it's really hot out!

Broccoli Slaw:
(I use the Manual Food Processor for all of this except the carrots)
one head of broccoli, chopped 
1/2 can of pineapple, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
about a cup of dried cranberries
one container of plain, greek yogurt
about 2 T of mayonnaise
1/3 c. of sugar

Mix and enjoy!

Linking here:
http://www.cherishedhandmadetreasures.com/
http://www.adornedfromabove.com/2013/07/wednesdays-adorned-from-above-blog-hop.html
http://www.2justbyou.com
http://www.skiptomylou.org/2013/07/01/made-by-you-monday-159/
http://mommifried.com/ladies-only-blog-share-link-party-red-white-bbq/
http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2013/07/clever-chicks-blog-hop-42-with-two.html 

Tuesday, July 2, 2013

Don't You Dare Tell Anyone About This

I can't stop doing this.


We fired the maid last month, so the laundry never makes it from the clean basket into the drawers in a timely fashion.

Now, I've heard that kids believe it's totally fine to wear mismatched socks and I've see it with my very own eyes.

If there's one thing I will not tolerate, it's wearing mismatched socks.  That everyone can see.  I can't stand it.  Different colors, different heights, different textures.  It's enough to make me lose my mind. 

But lately, when I go to the clean basket to get socks so I can ride, I'm in a hurry and don't have time to be looking for matches.  So, I grab a color and if the next one of that style is the same color, yippee, but if not, I put it on anyway and put my boots on and go.

It's not ok.  This is not therapeutic.  This does not show that I am making great progress in coming to terms with my undiagnosed OCD. 

I just means that when no one can see, I give in and wear mismatched socks because it's easier than continuing to look and waste precious time. 

And then I think about it the whole time I'm driving to the barn:  I'm wearing a lime and a purple sock.  That's gross.  What is wrong with  me.  Do they feel different?  No, I think they feel the same.  In fact, they are really soft and nice.  They feel great in these boots, actually.  Thank God no one can see them.  They'd think there was something wrong with me.

There's nothing wrong with me, really.  I just like my socks to match.  And I like yours to match too.  And I especially like it when the heel part is on your heel and not just wrapped around your foot, all twisted.

That gives me great pain to see.  The colored part for the heel is meant to be on the heel. 

Another story for another day, I guess.

Monday, July 1, 2013

There's A Sidewalk Sale Going On!

This is unheard of in the land of Pampered Chef, but they are having an online sidewalk sale for this week only!

I have to get this griddle because it's a crazy steal and k-ster just mentioned it the other day, so it's like it was meant to be!  My electric griddle has seen better days.  Like the day before it broke in my sister's luggage when she brought it back from Seattle. 


The leg broke and I've used a very sophisticated system of propping it up with a torn off paper cup when I use it.  Very safe, I'm sure!  It's looking kind of worn in the teflon area too, so it's time!

Click here to see what it's all about and join if you'd like!  I'll post some great recipes on the event this week, you'll save ridiculous amounts of money and everyone will be happy!