Let it snow!

That's a phrase I used to say on the farm after getting back from the grocery store and having a full larder after canning, "putting by" and having staples to last at least a month.  Except for milk...we really needed a cow for those kids considering all the milk they drank.  I still say it every time the supplies are replenished and I have more than enough for the next month.   It's a wonderful feeling and a blessing all in one.  So, as you can guess, I went to Wal-mart yesterday.

  

They're carrying more and more organic foods these days which I love to see.  I keep a few cans of ready to eat soup on hand in case there's a power outage.  I plan on cooking up my own beans and freezing them as it is cheaper than canned.

They also had a local (to Arkansas) wine that I'm going to try.

 I bought some herbs for my garden and a few plastic containers as I am replacing all cardboard boxes with plastic bins little by little.  It also forces me to go through the boxes and see if I can get rid of a lot of it.

A few cans of spray paint....a gal can never have too many cans of this stuff!  Stay tuned for more "adventures in spraying"!

I also received some items from Amazon yesterday...........some biodegradable Keurig coffee.
 This is San Francisco Bay coffee and they are doing their part to not add to all the plastic waste from the Keurig K-cups..........I like that!

Once I open a bag I put them in a Lock-n-Lock container so they stay fresh as you can see there is just a "netting" material holding the coffee instead of a plastic cup.  Brilliant, I say, brilliant!

It's been cloudy and rainy here on and off but it's also kept it cooler than normal which is great for the walking.

I found some new tree specimens too.........pines which I haven't seen many of here in my area except cedars

This was a long needle pine all by itself in the woods.........

 

These are the type of needles that baskets can be crafted from....hmmm.....I'd like to try that one day.  I so admire those that can take raw materials and make functional and beautiful items from them. It's a lost art.

I'm not sure what these pines are but they were very tall and there was an entire family of them.

Oh, look what else I got in the mail.............I've wanted this for quite a while now....love that gal!

This book hopefully will teach me how to make any "person" I can dream up.  It doesn't have directions for a specific, individual doll but rather different parts that you can put together.  I want to make the Frida Kahlo doll (the last doll on the right) for my daughter who is an art teacher and Frida is one of her favorite artists.  If I can master this I could make custom dolls for people.  Maybe I could even make a  Farmgirl Sam doll although I doubt it would sell! LOL!  Stay tuned for more on this as it will be one of my first projects for YOP (Year of Projects) 2014/15 starting in July.  BTW, please feel free to join this group as we are always loving new contributors.  The people are so encouraging and talented and very inspiring.  Just go on Ravelry and if you're not already a member it is free to join.  If you are a knitter, or crocheter, or spinner or love anything and everything about fiber arts, you will love Ravelry.  There are thousands, and I mean thousands, of patterns for free and many designers are out there also.  There are patterns you can buy, yarn shops, your own place to keep track of your 'stash', your own library, projects.....it's just marvelous!  You won't regret it!  The group that has the YOP is called Come Blog Along and is specifically for bloggers but there are many, many other groups out there also....one to fit every interest.

 

One last picture and I'll stop...I know this has been a long post!

One giraffe leg done!  I'm off to mow the yard today before it rains....again.  I'll be by later to check on y'all. Happy Trails!

Pasta Recipe and shop talk......

Here is the Roasted Broccoli and Goat Cheese Pasta recipe I promised.   I just love this and I hope you do too.  This is from PBS foods which I follow on Pinterest. 
 

Linguine with Roasted Broccoli, Pine Nuts and Goat Cheese

You will love the way the roasted broccoli plays with a creamy goat cheese sauce. Food blogger Jenna Weber shares why she loves to roast her broccoli in a full post on the Fresh Tastes blog.

Ingredients

·         8 oz dry linguine pasta

·         12 oz broccoli florets (about 4 cups)

·         5 oz soft goat cheese

·         ¼ cup toasted pine nuts

·         2 garlic cloves, minced

·         1 ½ tbsp olive oil, divided

·         salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1.     Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with tin foil and place the broccoli florets on top. Drizzle with a half tablespoon of olive oil and toss to coat. Roast broccoli for about 25 minutes, tossing occasionally.

2.     Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add a big pinch of salt and the linguine. Cook until pasta is al dente. Drain, reserving 1 cup of pasta cooking water.

3.     In a large skillet, heat up the remaining tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and sauté for about 30 seconds until fragrant and toasty. Add the goat cheese and stir to melt, drizzling in some pasta water to create a smooth sauce. Add the hot linguine and roasted garlic. Toss well, adding more pasta water if dish seems dry. Season with salt and pepper and scatter pine nuts on top.

4.     Enjoy immediately.

Yield: 4 servings

 
I can't get goat cheese around here so I use feta instead and you could replace the pine nuts with walnuts or another nut I'm sure although I haven't tried that yet.

Remember my bathroom I was working on?  Well, I took all the hardware down and spray painted it after I saw the cost of replacing it, lol!
This is a "before" picture....I should've taken  more but you know how that goes...you're half way through the project when you remember to do it.

Here's the "after" ........

This is the paint I used and this nifty gripper/sprayer attachment that fits on any spray paint can and is worth every penny (I got it at Walmart but it is also on Amazon...I think it's called "Sure Grip")!  I used Krylon's Satin Nickle and it went on very nicely with about 3 very thin coats so it wouldn't "run" or have drip marks. It dries in about an hour.  I also used a piece of styrofoam to push the screws into so they would stand up and then I sprayed the tops of them.

I also removed my faucets so I could give them a good cleaning........

I also removed the light switch plates and took a "slightly" damp toothbrush to them so I wouldn't electrocute myself......

I washed the plates themselves and they're back up and looking much better.  You'd be amazed at what a difference that makes although I know you can't really see it here.  I'm sure they hadn't been removed or cleaned since the house was built 40 or so years ago...maybe 50 now.
 One of the best tools around!  An old toothbrush.

 Looking for a GREAT Father's Day present for someone?  Look no "father"!  LOL!  This is the best household screwdriver around......

All the tips are enclosed so they never get lost and are always available......you pull up and there they all are.............

You turn until the red marker sits below the tip you want, push it back into the handle and VOILA!  The screwdriver is ready to go.....straight and Phillips head are included.  I have had this for several years now and love it.

 I gave one to my son-in-law and he's a "tool guy" and he loved it and had never see one.  He was telling everyone about it.  I felt pretty "puffed" about that.....it's so nice when you give a gift that someone really loves.
I forgot to show you this the other day with my rummage sale stuff.....a gorgeous, super soft pale yellow (my favorite color) blanket.  It is so soft I almost thought it was cashmere but I washed it and dried it and it didn't shrink so I have a really nice, new to me, blanket for next Winter.  I think it might have been $1.00?  The binding is all on.  It might need replacing down the road as you can see it is starting to wear in places but that's a cheap fix compared to the cost of a brand new blanket. 

Well, I'd better get going as "I have miles to go before I sleep".   HappyTrails!

Muggy and Meatless Monday

I cannot imagine how hot and humid it is going to be when all this rain moves out and the sun appears.  Whoa Nellie....get ready to suffocate! LOL!  Meanwhile, I've been frantically busily working on giraffe #1 and I made some more progress today............

 The ears and lining got made......

 and sewed together...........

 and sewed on the giraffe!  YAY!

 I made a broccoli, garlic and feta pasta dish for supper.  I roasted the broccoli...........

 and used whole wheat pasta............

 I'll post the recipe tomorrow.  This is the second time I've made it and it is delicious, healthy, fairly easy, and budget friendly.  I'm trying "meatless Monday" and eating more vegan dishes.
Oh, yesterday, even though my Sunday's are RnR days, I did clean my Keurig and wow what a difference it made!  I used to clean my Mr. Coffee monthly but hadn't cleaned my Keurig since I got it last year.  It was starting to get real sluggish.  I had pinned instructions on Pinterest and it's on my cleaning board if anyone wants it.  I had about 3 but only kept the best one.  I did have to run the water through twice though which on mine was 2 fill ups of the water reservoir.  Just an F.Y.I in case you have a Keurig and you haven't cleaned yours either.  It's well worth it.....it's like having a brand new Keurig! 

Lots to blog about..........

On my walk the other day I found this dead in the middle of the street about a block from my house....

I'm thinking it was a diamond back rattlesnake.  I did a lot of 'cropping" so I didn't gross anyone out as it had been run over several times.  The city has been mowing parkways and I think it stirred them up.  I've been here 10 years and it's the first time I've seen one.  I know there are a lot of snakes in Arkansas but usually if they hear you coming they get out of your way.
On a brighter note, storms rolled through yesterday and washed it all away....it was totally gone today.  The storms were pretty severe but no damage here that I could see other than tree limbs.

  It was pretty humid this morning on our walk and there are more storms coming....

I got treasures in the mail too.....these are books that have been on my list all year for next year's Year of Projects 2014/15 which starts in July!  So, project planning is in the works and the supplies will need to be ordered also. 
I pretty much want to make everything in this book..........

The blanket on the cover of this book is a definite project............

This book has the pattern "Lacy Blocks" which you have probably seen in some of my photos....it's a yellow crocheted blanket that looks like it is blocks but it is really all one piece.
 It is a wonderful blanket and the best t.v. watching project ever!  I've made several and never tire of making them but I lost my pattern thus I had to order the book.

I also ordered this little pamphlet as it contains a pattern for a baby size "Lacy Blocks".

And last but not least...........I've wanted this one for ages now........

This is a story book AND it contains the knitting patterns for Spud (the lamb) and Chloe (the girl) and more farm accessories and animals.  Aren't they just the cutest?  Have any of you made Susan B. Anderson's toys?  I'm making her giraffe and also her sock pattern and taking a craftsy class from her about the giraffe.  She has a website, Susan B. Anderson that is such a great blog with lots of drawings and links to other great sites.  If you're a knitter or a spinner you should really check her out!  She's talented, very nice and she has podcasts.
I got all these books used except for the Mollie Makes book so it wasn't as costly as it looks...thank goodness!
The thunder is starting to rumble so I better get off of here!  Happy Trails!

My bi-annual trip to Mountain Home and I won the lottery!

I wish I could've taken pictures on the way because it is beautiful and they have a huge lake with a huge bridge across it that I white-knuckle every time.  But alas, I am alone, so I keep both hands on the wheel!  I had to have lab work done and see the rheumatologist or insurance won't pay for my prescriptions.  I'm happy  to say I am in fine health and while I was there I won the lottery!

Not the Arkansas lottery but I was able to "try" the new "auto-gen" delivery method for Enbrel, the RA drug I've taken for years now.  These are worth about $500.00 per shot....so that was $500.00 worth right there and then they gave me 3 more to take home!  That is $2000.00 worth of medicine I got for free!  So, now you see why I felt like I won the lottery?  I am SO blessed!

I also got to visit The Truck Patch, my favorite natural and organic food store.  I was able to pick up some items I've been wanting for awhile now like my favorite shampoo and soap.

I also picked up some local honey........

I stopped at a fabric store and got some fabric to make my project bags that I've been talking about...

and I also got this rug kit.  I need new rugs so why not learn how to make them myself?  Unfortunately when I opened it up at home there were no instructions in it so I called them today and they're mailing them to me.  It comes "pre-started" for you evidently to give you a leg up.  It has a wooden needle that is threaded with the fabric and all the fabric you need already pre-cut.  I love the red.  I'll let you know how it goes when I get the instructions.

 I had an absolutely wonderful day and the weather was perfect.  It's a beautiful drive but a long one and on the way home I stopped at a Sonic for supper.  I never eat out but I had nothing cooked at home and I knew I was too tired to make anything once I got there.  Since my health report was so good I splurged....I had a double bacon cheeseburger, fries and a salted caramel shake.  YUMMO!  I ate it all and I was stuffed but what a treat that meal was!  I hope your week is going great.  Happy Trails!