Wednesday, July 22, 2020

A couple of days ago,
I decided that 
Facebook 
was creating too much strife
in my life.

I decided to
deactivate my account—
at least until 
after the election.
Even though I miss it,
I don’t miss all
of the hatefulness going on. 


I decided that it was time
to devote some of my energy 
to myself!! 

Caring for an invalid Aunt
takes up a lot of my time.
I’d be the first to recommend 
to anyone in this situation 
to care for themself first.

But we rarely 
take our own advice.

Last night,
with my husband’s encouragement,
I decided it was time 
for a nice luxurious soak.

Ahh!!
The soothing properties 
of lavender and hot water
are just what the doctor ordered.

My best advice to you is to
take good care of yourself 
before you commit to caring for others!!

Blessings to all who visit here.

Lynn

Tuesday, July 21, 2020

Lucky me!!
I received a text
last Friday
from a lifelong friend
who lives in South Carolina.

She said she was coming
to visit her parents 
and asked if I’d like some
PEACHES!!

I responded,
“I’d love a bushel”. 

On Sunday,
she pulled up
in my yard...



with not one, 
but two
baskets of fresh peaches.
There were 
TWO
five gallon buckets full!!


Yesterday morning,
I picked out the ripest peaches,
got a pot of water boiling
and scalded my peaches 
to make them easier to peel.
To scald peaches,
just drop 6 or 8 peaches
in boiling water
for approximately a minute.
I use a slotted spoon to remove
them from the water 
and let them drain
a few minutes before I peel them.
The peels just slide right off.

Next I use a cabbage chopper
to chop the peaches
into a coarse chop.



Before you start cooking your peaches,
you should prepare all
of your ingredients 
because you have to
stir the peaches
the whole time 
you are cooking them.


You should also
have your jars sterilized. 
To do this,
I wash my jars
in the dishwasher,
then place them in my oven
at 220 degrees 
for 10 minutes.
I leave them in the oven
until I am ready 
to fill them.

I put my can  flats (lids)
and rings
in a sauce pan,
covered with water
and boil 
for approximately 10 minutes.
I leave them in the hot water
until I’m ready to use them.

You will need:
4 cups of chopped/diced peaches 
1 package SureJell 
2 Tablespoons Real Lemon Juice
1 teaspoon butter
5 1/2 cups sugar.


Place peaches, lemon juice and SureJell
in a large pot.
A six quart Dutch oven
works well for this.

Bring to a boil,
stirring constantly,
that will not stir down,
on high heat.
Then,
add all of your sugar,
along with the butter,
at one time.

Continue stirring 
until mixture boils again.
Once you get a
full, rolling boil,
keep on boiling and stirring 
for one to two minutes.
Be careful,
and reduce your heat as needed,
because this mixture 
is extremely hot
and will boil over.

Remove from heat
and let sit about
3 minutes.
Then skim off any 
foam that is floating 
around the sides 
and on top of your peaches.

Fill your jars,
leaving a headspace.
I generally fill mine
to the bottom of the ring threads.
Be sure to wipe 
any excess jam off 
the top of your jars
before
putting on your flat 
and your ring.

Process in a boiling water bath
for 15 minutes.



When your jars have finished processing,
remove and place on dry towel.
Do not touch the flats 
or tighten the rings. 

Soon you’ll be rewarded 
with the sound of “pings”
and you’ll know your lids are sealed!!


Today, I’m already ready 
to do it again.

Thank you for visiting me.
Have a blessed day!!

Lynn

Tuesday, July 16, 2013

NOTHING VENTURED, NOTHING GAINED

Ever since I was a child,
I was interested in hand-crafts.
I learned to knit and quilt 
almost before I learned to read.
Even then, 
it seemed important to me
for artisans to be able to 
ply their trade.

 My sweet daughter
had taught me some of the basics
of making jewelry - 
but then I decided 
I wanted to learn more....


That led me 
to use
my camera and computer
as an artistic outlet.
I now make
custom made necklaces 
and offer them in my Etsy Store.
They are unique and affordable.
Stop by and see me sometime.

Blessings to all who visit here,
Lynn

Thursday, January 17, 2013

A GLUTEN FREE DELIGHT

For quite some time,
I had been looking at
the Magic Bullet.
 Since I like to have 
smoothies for breakfast,
I thought it would
be a great tool 
to have in my kitchen.

I just couldn't justify
the space and money
when my blender 
would do the same jobs.

About two weeks ago,
my husband and I were 
shopping at Costco
and the Magic Bullet
was on sale for $39.00.
I put it in the cart
and have never looked back.

It is a great kitchen tool
and do I ever enjoy it
for making my smooties -
much easier clean up
since you can drink 
right out of the same canister
that you mix your drink in.

            
 I still haven't figured out
where to put all of these pieces,
but the base and
two of the canisters
are on my counter
because I use them daily.
  
 This morning,
I started with a 
one serving
of 
Greek Coconut Yogurt.

 
 Next I added
a package of 
Classic French Vanilla
Instant Breakfast.
 
 About 3/4 cup of frozen pineapple.


 One cup of skim milk.


It only took about 30 seconds
for it to be mixed
into one of the best smoothies
I've ever had -
In fact it was so good
that I would consider
it a milkshake!!
And to top it all off,
it is gluten free.  

Blessings to all who visit here,
Lynn

***all pictures downloaded from 
Google Images.

      

Monday, December 10, 2012

WHITE PIZZA DIP

As I am ever
on the lookout
for new gluten free recipes
to try,
I stumbled over this one.
I can't say it's "tried and true" 
because I haven't tried it yet,
but it sure does sound delish!!



White Pizza Dip
serves about 6-8
1 pint grape tomatoes, tomatoes cut in half
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 (12 ounces) blocks cream cheese, softened
8 ounces mozzarella cheese, freshly grated
8 ounces provolone cheese, freshly grated
1/4 cup finely grated parmesan cheese + more for garnish
4 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1/4 cup freshly chopped basil leaves
2 tablespoons freshly chopped thyme leaves
1/2 tablespoon freshly chopped oregano leaves
Gluten free crackers, bread or chips for serving
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil then place tomatoes on top. Sprinkle with olive oil and salt, then roast for 20-25 minutes, until bursting. Set aside.
While tomatoes are roasting, mix softened cream cheese with about 7 ounces each of provolone and mozzarella, then and parmesan. Stir in fresh herbs, garlic and roasted tomatoes, mixing well to combine. Transfer mixture to an oven-safe baking dish (mine was 6 x 4 round). Sprinkle with remaining provolone and mozzarella. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until top is golden and bubbly. Serve immediately with crackers, chip or toasted bread.
     
I plan on giving this a try
over the holidays -
when I do,
I'll let you know how it was.
If you try it first,
please let me know.

Blessings to all who visit here,
Lynn

Friday, December 7, 2012

CHRISTMAS IS COMING!!

My husband and his co-workers
exchange 
Christmas cards every year.

Instead of sending just a card,
I try to jazz it up a bit
and send a little treat.  

 Some years,
I wrap individual bags of 
microwave popcorn
and attach a card that says,
"We're just poppin' in to say
Merry Christmas".

 
 One year I sent ingredients for 
"Snowman Soup"


 This year,
I found cute little bags at
The Dollar tree

  
 I scanned one of the bags
into my computer
and made 
cards that had snowmen
and snowflakes on them
with the greeting,
"Don't snicker,
at least you got something".

 
 Put a fun size 
Snicker
in the bag
and attach the business size card.

 
It's always a greeting that 
they look forward to every year.

Blessings to all who visit here,
Lynn