National Heirloom Exposition

We (me, my mom, and nephew) attended the National Heirloom Exposition yesterday.

It was amazing. We planned to go last year, but just didn't end up making it. There were so many things to look at, it was almost overwhelming. 7500 people attended! It was the first day of the three day event.

I have learned to control my seed addiction : ) So I restrained myself, and only bought 1 packet of seeds while I was there. My selection was the Large Barred Boar tomato from Wild Boar Farm .They were sold out of the Indigo Apple tomato seeds : (
My mom bought a very informative cookbook called Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon at the Weston A. Price Foundation Booth.

I enjoyed some coconut, and Mexican chocolate ice cream while walking around and looking at all the heritage breed animals they had on display.

We definitely will be going back next year, but I think we will be leaving my nephew at home. It just wasn't his cup of tea.

My mom with the creature.

 I loved how this picture turned out. They had placed the tomatoes on top of the picture, but it looks like it is joined.

 Apples.

The giant squash. Some of them were hooked up to water. Had to keep there water weight up.

 These little pigs were soooooo cute!

A really cool bee hive.

The Monsanto Man (the devil) at the dunk tank. Support Prop 37 to label GMO's

Kimberly

Busy August

How do you exercise without getting hot?

We have been so busy around here this past month. My dad was given a used above ground pool. So we have been clearing an area for our new-used 13'x25' pool. Spreading sand, making repairs, setting up, and filling.

After all our work we all enjoy a nice swim most evenings.

I don't know about you, but I think it's the most enjoyable form of exercise out there.

 This might not be a very good picture, but I had to crop the people out of it.

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My mom and I tackled the job of shearing Bogart.

For those of you that don't know, angora goats have to be sheared twice a year, because there fiber grows really fast and is really heavy.

 A few hours and several pairs of dull scissors later and here is our finished product.

We also had to pen him and his son up since we don't want babies in February.

Here is his son that we are keeping, because Bogart is getting old. He is 1/4 LaMancha and 3/4 Angora. I call the crosses llama goats because they look allot like a llama. This cross produces very soft fiber like the Pygora goats.

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 I finally got my first embroidery project complete. I saw in a craft movie, a lady who made embroidered portraits of famous people like Elvis. They looked pretty neat, so I decided to give it a try.

I printed off a picture of Julie London (I like her music), used tracing paper and traced all the main lines in the photo with a hot iron transfer pencil. Then ironed the picture onto the fabric.

Then it was time to practice embroidering. Here is my finished project.

It's not great, but it's a start. There was a lot of stitches that I just didn't like and had to re-do, or I just couldn't get to look right, so I removed it all together. The shading on the neck I couldn't get to look right. It was definitely a good practice. I was thinking it would be nice to do family portraits.

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Seed saving.

Canary Melon, one of my most favorite melons.

Some lovely Rosa Bianca Eggplant. I got my seeds here.  I picked all the seeds out of the over ripe fruit with my fingers and it stain my fingers brown. Very Brown. It was also very time consuming. If you know of a better way of getting the seeds out of eggplant please let me know.

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My brother brought his twin boys over to visit a couple days ago. Of all the things on our place to play with the rope hanging from the tree seems to be the most entertaining thing of all.

As soon as they found out I was going to take there picture they started posing.

OK, I'll admit it.... I have some of the cutest nephews ever.

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I awoke this morning to the noise of hot air balloons flying over. I grabbed the camera and ran out the door.

I don't think I have seen so many fly over so close together before.

Well, that's just a little bit of whats been going on around here lately. Just to much to put in one post.

All for now.

Kimberly

Mistake

I made a boo boo in my previous post. I forgot the green onions in the recipe. The mistake has been corrected.

Kimberly

Recipe? What Recipe?

I think that the best recipes you will find, are the ones that are nothing but a list of ingredients.
My mom has never been big on cooking from recipes. Most meals are from memory or concoctions of her own creation. Most times her concoctions are loved, but occasionally one is loved by the dogs.
One of my moms best dishes is her potato salad. It's the only potato salad I will eat. Why? Because no other potato salad can compare. I am sad for the people that have been raised thinking that potato salad comes from a carton. Yuck!
The best thing of all. This recipe is not a recipe, just a list of ingredients and instructions. I was taught to make it many years back and have been making it for our holiday meals ever since. It is also not for those on a diet. It is very fattening, that's what makes it taste so good.

Maggi seasoning is the special ingredient in the recipe. It can be found in most grocery stores in a tiny little bottle that you will pay through the nose for. It's best to find it at your local Asian food market. They sell it in big bottles at a reasonable price. We buy the one that doesn't contain MSG. It is sold with and without MSG.

So lets get on to the recipe that's not.
What you need:
Bacon fried till very crisp then cooled and crumbled. Reserve the bacon drippings for later.
Potatoes of course. cooked cooled then diced.
mayo
milk
Maggi Seasoning
Vlasic Kosher Dill Pickles, diced
green olives with red pimentos, sliced
green onions, sliced, You can sub. sweet onion if you don't have any on hand
celery, diced (optional)

Instructions: Put all the diced potatoes in a bowl add the bacon, pickles, green olives, green onion, and celery.
In a jar or glass, add the amount of mayo you will need for the size of salad you are making. Add the reserved bacon dripping and mix well. That's right, I said it is fattening. Then add the milk to the right consistency. Add Maggi  to taste (you want to get it salty enough that you don't have to add salt). Mix it up and pour on salad. Stir salad, cover and refrigerate till ready to serve.

My warning to all, this salad is very addictive. You will not want to stick with that little portion on your plate. You will keep going back for more and more.

Kimberly

Happenings

"How dreadfully Old I am getting! "

Elizabeth Prentiss

It was my birthday last week.

My perents gave me this lovely pendant watch. I love it! It is so perfectly me.

It has a very long chain, which I love, but have to be very careful not to knock it into anything.

Pressing some flowers for future crafts.

Some new pictures from the garden.

The Armenian Cucumbers have really taken off. The are growing all the way up the back of the tree now. I think I am going to need a ladder pretty soon.

Im not the only one filling my baskets in the garden.

Flying Saucers Morning Glories

Picotee Cosmo

 Rosa Bianca Eggplant flower

Can anyone please identify this plant in the three following pictures?

It is a very pretty reed like plant that is growing wild in my neighbors pasture. I transplanted a piece into my garden and it has gotten this big.

My brother brought me over this present for my garden. He even welded the honeycomb into the center. Isn't he sweet?



Kimberly

Canning Jam and Recipes

Canning Time

It's canning time and my kitchen is sweet

With the fragrance of cinnamon, mace and clove

As sweet, spiced syrup furiously boils

In a granite kettle on top the stove.

And the pears beneath the russet foam

Are clear as honey within the comb.

Packed in jars, on racks to cool,

Are the amber of peach and apricot's gold,

And wine-red plums, all ready to eat

When winter days are short and cold.

Tomorrow they will be stored away...

But my kitchen is fragrant with spices today.

by Luella Bender Carr

The peaches and apricots are ripe. I have been very busy picking fruit and making jam. We didn't have any pectin, so I canned without. I like my jam runny with chunks of fruit, so if it doesn't set thick I am fine with that.

Over the winter I made a list of things to can. One of those was Lavender Peach Jam. It sounded yummy to me, but my mom was a little worried about me using our wonderful peaches to try something that she thought was going to taste like perfume. Well she was in for quite the suprise. Not only did she like it, she loved it. When I was all done, she said "Are you going to make another batch now?" So I headed off to the kitchen to make more.

I dicided that if lavender tasted good with peaches, than Tazo Passion Tea must too. So I tried making a batch. It turned out delicious. Then I made a batch of Vanilla Apricot Jam and well.... It turned out wonderful.

I gathered fresh spikes of lavender from our yard to make the jam.

It smelled wonderful steeping on the stove top. In fact the whole house smelled lovely... And well, I think the neighbors might have gotten a whiff.

I love these little jars.

Lavender Peach Jam

makes 6 half pints

• 2 Tablespoons fresh lavender *
• 1/2 Cup boiling water
• 4 Cups peaches: peeled, pitted and diced
• 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
• 6 Cups granulated sugar

1. Steep lavender in boiling water. Prepare peaches and then strain lavender.

2. Combine lavender tea, peaches, lemon juice and sugar.

3. Bring to boil over medium heat, stirring constantly to dissolve sugar. Continue to boil for 2 minutes while stirring.

4. Ladle into jars leaving 1/4 inch headspace. process half pint size jars for 10 minutes in a hot water bath.

*To make Passion Tea Peach Jam subtitute 1 Tazo Passion Tea bag for lavender.

Vanilla Apricot Jam

makes 6 pints

• 10 Cups apricots: pitted and diced
• 6 Tablespoons lemon juice
• 6 Cups granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 Tablespoons vanilla extract

1. Combine apricots, lemon juice and sugar.
2. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly to dissolve sugar. Continue to boil stirring till mixture thickens.
3. Stir in Vanilla extract.
4. Ladle hot jam into jars leaving 1/4 inch headspace.
5. Process pint size jars for 15 minutes in a hot water bath.

Enjoy

Kimberly