In This Kitchen
today–if you just happened by, you would have been greeted by the lovely scent of peaches.
As you may know, we’ve had one heck of a time getting any of these pretty things in jars or bags or–well, anywhere, for that matter, besides our tummies.
But after buying our third box–a big one this time–we finally had the self discipline (or the box was big enough- ha!) to squirrel some away for the winter. With applesauce and pears and tomato sauce ahead of me, I just didn’t have the “umph” to bottle the peaches–kitchen is still too warm.
So Miss Chompy and I blanched and peeled and sliced and counted pitts…ahem…
and packed away 9 lovely bags into the freezer. There’s just something soothing to a woman’s heart about piling up food for the family for another day. Don’t you agree?
Oooh, I see Autumn smoothies and peach shakes and fruit crepes and peachy applesauce in my crystal ball.
Guess heading back to the Farmer’s Market for more peaches is also in my future.
Are you canning something this year?
:} 519
Fresh Peach Popsicles
Can’t think of much that beats a fresh, juicy peach. We have, however, come up with a close second with this lovely little Peach Smoothie on a stick. Cold, crisp, and slow to drip–as if it would ever have the chance!
Ingredients:
8 fresh peaches–peeled, pitted and cut up
1 cup hot water
1/2 cup Peach Jello powder
1/2 cup milk
Directions:
Dissolve jello powder in hot water–completely. Place all ingredients in the blender and whirl until smooth.
Pour into popsicle molds.
Freeze for at least 4 hours–overnight works great.
Feed to the popsicle wolves.
Or share with someone you love.
Either way–we know you’ll love them!
*Because you asked…
Click HERE for Shooting Star Popsicle Mold info!
Click HERE for Rocket Pop Popsicle Mold info!
Click HERE for Norepro Ice Pop Maker info!
Neighborhood Spooks
Let’s just say…
that you made a fabulous treat…
and you actually had enough to share…
…with the sweet neighbor who fed your cat while you were in Yellowstone last month. Here, my friends–is a lovely way to do it and spread the joy all over the neighborhood.
We showed this last year, but it bear repeating. It’s always fun to get spooked around Halloween time—especially when it’s with something sweet! The idea of this easy neighborhood game is to leave a treat on the porch of a friend–along with this SPOOKED sign for their door. Try to be sneaky about it–don’t get caught. It used to be fun to keep your identity a secret, but these days you just can’t feed your family anything unless you know where it came from. So be sure to sign the ghost picture–tape it lightly to their door and run. Then, they take a treat to another friend or neighbor–if they’d like to and so on. This can keep the fun going until Halloween night.
Note: I always send along 5 or 6 copies of the Ghost door sign– to save them the trouble of having to copy more for their neighbors. Be sure to click on the word “spooked” to print the ghost sign.
Happy Haunting!
Simple. Fancy. Frames.
Simple? Fancy?
Simple? Fancy? Sounds like somebody needs to pick a lane here.
But wait.
You start with some pretty simple stuff…like basic, blank, boring wooden frames.
Choose some scrapbook paper that you really like.
Find scissors and dig out the Mod Podge.
You can trace around the frame if that floats your boat…
or you can just cut out enough to fit the frame, generally. Either way.
Paint on the Mod Podge. Have you noticed that it’s actually so much more fun to say, “Modge Podge?” I try very hard to say it just like that whenever the Bald Kid is around. It makes his eye twitch. That’s the goal.
Even out the gluey stuff. Press the paper onto the sticky surface–right side up…of course. Smooth it out so that there are no bubbles under the paper. We used the end of the paintbrush and a baking scrapper… but you could use a bone folder if you’re really prepared. Now this is important—be sure to let the glue dry.
Poke a hole in the middle and cut out the excess paper.
Cut just a bit closer to the frame than silly Lyndi…keep cutting you nut!
Now, take a file or emery board and sand the edges. It will cut the excess paper off in the process. If your paper and glue isn’t dry you run the risk of tearing the paper with the file. So again–be sure it’s all dry before you sand it.
Keep going.
Make sure to get all the edges…
inside and out.
Top coat it with another dose of “Modge Podge”… ha ha. There are eyes twitching behind me. Heh.
Let them dry. Let them dry. Let them dry.
Now—add the sparkly little doo-dads that make it fancy. Oh, I think this generation calls them “embellishments.” La-tee-da.
Whatever.
Now then–is this the cutest thing you’ve ever seen?
Simple? Check. Fancy? Check. Fabulous? Check.
Bingo.
Or–if you just want someone to do it all for you–check out Somebody’s Stuff. You’ll love it!
Happy Birthday my sweet Lyndi!
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Week # 25 Food Storage Prompt is: 100 lbs. of wheat.
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Blink–The Graduate
I suppose I’ve been driving this route for some time now.
Ooooh-whoo. Seven fifteen a.m. every morning for the past one hundred years.
Perhaps I exaggerate just a tad–but you get the point.
I’ve taken this road in the pouring rain…
thick and spooky fog……
and slippery, blinding, icy snow.
Driven it before daylight savings time when it was so dark outside the streetlights were still on.
With all the windows down in the summer when the cooler wouldn’t work.
In the winter with blankets wrapped around our shoulders and heads and feet because the heater wouldn’t kick in.
Attended every football game, track event, and choir concert humanly possible.
Grumbled now and then about the caffeine-induced erratic drivers or teenage pedestrians with a “you-know-you-won’t-hit-me death wish, and the ridiculous youngsters that really shouldn’t have a license in the first place—as we all converged here in this very parking lot—before any decent human being should even be out of bed.
Sat, crocheting in this holding space for hours at a time, doing that mama thing we call waiting, sometimes alone and sometimes while my beloved cargo spent some needed time…with their mom.
Sat, idling along with the car, staring at this tinted glass door–that far away one between the cars–looking for any sign of Daney boy, or the bald kid.
Oh, the laughing and talking and listening and teasing and heartbreaks and secrets and real earth life we’ve had at this place.
All to end up here. One. Very. Last. Time.
The bald kid thinks that I’ll be so glad to sleep in. He thinks that I’ll be relieved to save so much gas in the car. He’s sure I’m happy to see it all be finally–after 24 years and 5 kids—over.
I’m afraid he’s very…
very….
wrong.
And when that alarm clock doesn’t go off at 6:30 am any more, it won’t matter…
because I’ll already be awake…
wishing that it would…
just one more time.
Off to school—1996
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Week 11 Food storage prompt:
10 lbs. sugar, 1 lb salt
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