A gift!

So, my husband was out in the backyard grilling the other day and our neighbor shouts over the fence...

"Hey, would you all enjoy some peppers?"

My husband responded quickly,
"Well, sure. Jennifer loves to put peppers in food, we would enjoy that."


He continued by asking,
"What kind of peppers are they?"

Our retired, generous neighbor gave a hearty chuckle and said,

"Well, I can tell you that they are not banana peppers as I thought!"

"I pulled one of these ripe peppers off and took a nice bite of it ready to enjoy!"

He was able to put out another hearty chuckle before continuing...

"My mouth caught on fire fast and I ran into the house to slug down some milk...and I don't even like milk."

Yes my friends, our neighbor passed over the fence these peppers.


Funny, I thought immediately of what a fun photo they would make.
It never occurred to me to actually cook with them!

Why? Well, I will tell ya why (in case you can't tell by looking at them).

These are habanero peppers. It is reported that they are at least 50 times hotter than a jalapeno pepper.
Supposedly, they have a distinctively sweet, tropical fruity flavor and an apricot aroma...I guess that is if you can get past the heat to taste that!!!
Do you need another fun fact??
Okay!
The smaller and thinner the pepper the hotter it will be. Fascinating!

We are having company for dinner so I will be doing some extra cooking today.
I think maybe lasagna and some of my famous chocolate chocolate chip cookies.
Or Gumbo and my famous chocolate chocolate chip cookies.
Or I could make Beef Stew and my famous chocolate chocolate chip cookies.
Either way, I am having some cookies!

Gingerbread Cookies

Shhhh, I am up early, again! It is just me, the dog with her nose neatly tucked into her new blanket, my latest cooking adventure, and my camera.

My oldest son has been requesting Gingerbread men cookies. I find that when I cook something desirous for this child, he comes out of his room more. He unhooks from all things teenagerish and is just my kid begging to be the taste tester.
I stall him off as long as possible...it keeps him coming back often you see!

I have always been a little gun shy about making gingerbread cookies. First of all, I haven't always had a great affinity for ginger...or molasses for that matter.
Oh, and there was that time when I made some from a box mix and no one would eat them, not even the dog we had at the time.
I do cringe at the memory, as do the other two people who were alive in this house for that event.

Well, we no longer feed our dog anything but dog items, so she wasn't going to be a good gauge for yumminess or not.
I had to go to a place I trusted to find a recipe.
( I really wasn't up for trial and error on this one.)
However before I could do that, I opened up a blog I read called Smitten Kitchen, and right there for that day was a recipe for Spicy Gingerbread cookies. She had gone to the go to source as well!
Come on you know who I am talking about right?
Why, Martha.
Martha Stewart of course.

Since Deb at SK already took the time to type out all of the instructions on this cookie, I am not going to go to that effort. I will just use my time to comment on the process and outcome.

The dough was super easy to make. Just like almost every other cookie you start by creaming the butter and sugar, then adding the egg.
Well, that is how I start anyway.
I like the instant gratification of beating the butter!
The amount of spice in this cookie is a tiny bit off putting, but I went ahead and put my trust in Martha and Deb, and ask that you do the same with me.
They are oh so spicy, but in such a smooth and wonderful way, you won't regret it I promise.

I did not have my camera out yesterday so I cannot put a photo of this next move up, but I have confidence in your ability to comprehend what I am telling you.
The original recipe tells you to make up the dough then separate it into three parts, wrap them in plastic wrap and put them in the fridge to chill; which is what I did despite the fact that I had halved the recipe and had ridiculously small balls of dough to refrigerate.
Sometimes I am just running on auto pilot, which frankly is not a very safe setting!!

Here is my opinion on cold cookie dough rolling.
It is a hassle!
It takes the fun out of cookie making!
Something must be done to make it a more acceptable task.
As I worked with this dough I remembered a technique I had used in the past, but had forgotten since I have been making so many drop cookies.

Place the freshly made dough between 2 pieces of plastic wrap and gently roll the dough into a sheet of appropriate thickness. This must be done when the dough is room temp or it will tear your plastic wrap, making this an abject waste of time.
Place this into the fridge to chill on a sheet pan, then when it comes to cutting time just take this baby out and cut away.
As you cut out the shapes, the dough will come to room temp again and you can then take the scraps, join them all together, roll them between the wrap again and put 'em in the fridge again.
Repeat until you are sick of it and just decide to put the fun shaped scraps on the pan for cooking.
I cannot imagine dealing with a full recipe of this dough, whoa! Half was plenty for me!

I decided that I would go the Royal Icing route for the first time in my life.
Ohhhh the gorgeous cookies outlined with a pristine edge and filled to perfection with the flow icing.
The artist in me just can't get enough of the beauty of a royal iced cookie.
The lame weak wristed old woman in me says forget it, the gorgeousness is not gonna happen.

I mean, I thought it was gonna happen.
In my minds eye, I saw it happening!

Something in me must have known this was going to flop and that is why I chose to make the colors I did.
I am in serious need of food color replenishing because all I had to work with were turquoise, red and yellow.
So I chose to make coral with the red and yellow and stuck with the turquoise as it came out of the bottle.
Mmmmmm turquoise and coral.
That is such a lovely color combination...
...on say a chunky bold necklace, or an outfit for a cruise, or leaf and acorn shaped cookies because I couldn't find the gingerbread men shapes!!!

Watch out Martha!

(I skipped reading the part that said to separate them with wax paper so my cookies have crumbs on them this morning.)

Everyone in my house is awake now and is seeing the difference between the previous picture and what is on the plate now!

Every person in this house has approached the desk, reached a hand out while simultaneously saying, "Can I have a cookie?"
When I tell them "NO!"
They all immediately came up with the same comment.
"Why do YOU get to have cookies for breakfast??"
I firmly state that I am not eating cookies for breakfast which has consistently elicited the response of...
"Then why are there only one and a half cookies left on the plate?"

I am outraged!
I am being accused of eating cookies for breakfast!
Is it not obvious that I am working on a blog post here???
I would never, ever eat cookies for breakfast!

Sorry I got distracted there, back to the cookies.
Piping is not easy! I feel that with practice I will certainly get better at it, but I don't have a great desire to do it again anytime soon. (have I told you about my weak wrists that don't take well to overworking?)
The cookies beneath the crazy icing are supremely good!!
They are soft and chewy and full of bold spicy goodness.
This recipe is a keeper for sure.
The icing color combo and skill level...not so much!

Obviously everyone in my family approves and would eat these cookies for breakfast if I let them.

But, I am a good Mom!
I denied them all and sent them away to eat oats or something while I finished my blog post!

Yup, almost done!

Groupon.com

Good Morning blog world!!

I was thinking...

as I lay snuggled in my warm bed this morning under 6 layers of covers because my room reaches arctic temperatures despite the heat blowing, because you know there is that one room in every house that is just always hot or always cold and you can't do nothing about it...

that I haven't written in awhile.

We have been enjoying a lot of relaxing family time around here and since I choose not to specifically write about my family it takes a whole chunk from my pool of inspiration.
Remember, that is why you hear so much about the dog.

Who by the way, is doing great!
She got a new blankie for Christmas, and she loves it!

She has spent the last two nights upstairs snuggled neatly upon it instead of sleeping in her bed.
Which is her crate...in my arctic room.
I think she is making a good choice there.

Well, I didn't come today to write about my puppy, but she does provide inspiration!
I came today to give you a tip!
I am pretty sure one of my Tennessee Sister in Laws emailed this tip to me about 5 months ago. Sorry that I haven't thought to share it with you until now.

Groupon is what I am referring to. Collective buying power is their tagline.
Here is where you can read more about how it works, but I will give you the skinny as well.
Each day I receive an email stating what the deal of the day is. It is commonly 40-60% off of services or products.
For instance, today's deal for the Houston area is:

$20 for $40 Worth of Upscale New American Fare at SouthStreet Dining in Tomball

The business of the day sets a minimum of how many of their deal they want to sell for that day and that day only, and once that minimum is met then the deal is on!
Usually by the time I check in each morning the deal has already gotten to this point.
Some things may not interest you in the least...like spray on tanning sessions or bootcamp exercise classes.
Others like gourmet food stores or your favorite clothing store might be worth your money and time.
So go check out the Groupon website, choose your appropriate city and see if it is something you would enjoy.

Gotta run!

Bokeh practice

I was sitting at a Christmas party the other day and a friend of mine and I were admiring the tree of our host family. It was probably 8 feet tall, covered with assorted ornaments and gently twinkling lights.

My friend asked..."Do you have a theme tree?"

I immediately and strongly said no.
I don't have one of those trees with all matchey matchey ornaments, or ribbon swirling around, or purple turkey feathers sprouting from the top like a fountain.

I enjoy those types of trees, very much!
I just don't have the energy to make one happen at my place.

Later as I thought back to our conversation I decided that I did indeed have a themed tree.

It is kind of a story of my life tree.
It has always been a tradition in my family for each child to get a new ornament each year, so I have things from way back in the 70's and on. What a treasure!
I just love seeing my own children as we carry on this tradition pull their ornaments from their boxes and think about being 2 or 3 or 6 or 10.
This year the boys got rocket ships and my girl a painted pony. I try to find something about the ornament that suits that child and where they are that year in some way.

After putting all of the ornaments on the tree this year I decided that next year I was going to keep some of my childhood ornaments in the boxes next year so that the current ornaments of my children could carry a stronger weight.

I got my camera out to try to practice a technique called bokeh and used some of my ornaments as the subjects.
Me and my camera...we still have issues that we are working out.

Here is a tiny little tour for ya even so!

This one here is from the 80's!

I always like to put it deep in the branches, so it looks like it is gliding away.


Always put the name and date on the ornaments!


If you don't put the name and date it is just a perpetual mystery!

I suppose I did this little number when I was about the age my daughter is now. There is no date on it but I know it is mine!
It is bric brac, cotton fabric, and lined paper, and it is big people!! I would say about 5x3 or so. rather large for an ornament.



I still have to get the lighting figured out...and this next picture is dreaded proof of that.
I had to include it though cause it is one of my favorite ornaments!
I made these when my oldest was 2! His hand is ginormous now, and I am glad I have this for comparison.



We have this petite Noah's Ark group which my girl hung all together very carefully this year.

Again with the lighting...arrrgghhhh, too little or too much!

Okay no more complaining!

I imagine my oldest son took to task the writing on this ornament for this year.
He would have been 6 1/2.

So cute, big fat letters!


Somewhere in the world there is a program to aid my bad photos!
Santa...Help!!


Oh...BTW to explain a bit...
The software that came with my new camera made my computer crash!!
(I am once again typing away on my kids computer while they breathe down my neck in anticipation of getting on.)
Who knew such a thing could happen! I hope to get a version of photoshop soon, but until then we just have to take the photos as they come out of the camera, cause there is no way my dear husband is letting me anywhere near our computer with any type of editing program..after making it crash TWICE!!!!
Sorry honey!!

Still busy II

Hello!
In honor of reader C.D. having a new baby, I have kept my writing to a minimum since he has so little time for reading.

I am just that kind of blogger!

That is a great excuse, right!?!

I suppose I have just been super busy like the rest of you trying to get so many, many things accomplished.

I wanted to share a couple of photos with you and then I have got to get back to being busy!

I really
really
really
really
really
really love my new camera, except when I hate my lack of knowledge on how to use it!
I know so much of it is going to be trial and error with a few great pictures mixed in with a overly large number of terrible shots.
I will try to share the good ones with you!

With that thought in mind...
I was transfixed by this Japanese Maple which is around the back of our church building.
I hurriedly took a few shots of it last Sunday before bible class.


Then, knowing I hadn't captured all of it I wanted to, I went back after services and shot a few more.



This one....oooo la la, love it!!!





I got distracted along the way by this fellow...


and by the sun shining thru the trees.



I read and read for quite awhile on Friday (with little comprehension I must add) about how to take good action shots and set about to do just that at my sons black belt testing.

Yes, I set about to do it.

Yes I did.

Instead, I got this...

It is an action shot alright, but I got a little too much foot action!
Lesson learned...take way way more photos than you think necessary or else all you get is foot and blurry shots!

Have a great week!
I think I will be back here before Christmas but just in case...
Merry Christmas all.

PS
I have been working with the program that came with my camera to adjust the colors in photos.
Not sure that it made much difference, but here are a few.

Still busy, but here!

I know you have been missing your Shelby updates right?

Well, princess Shelby is doing just fine.

She found this sheet on the floor yesterday.
It was hastily thrown there by my husband as he was heading out the door for work, as it was a... please don't freeze beautiful new flowering plant which I can't remember the name of right now...covering.
She managed to contort her body to fit it so that she was lying on something special, not just the same old carpet.



Do you realize you have to lay full out flat on the floor to get a photo like this??

My sacrifice for your pleasure!!

She is such a happy subject, so ready to jump right in there when the camera comes out.

I really like a good sparkling in the lights christmas ornament picture don't you??


And, these non traditional colors...I like that too!

Have a great Friday friends.

Please forgive my absence.
I see no end in sight of my busy-ness.

I am way overdue for a visit to the grocery store.
Way!!

I had to put cannellini beans in my pasta sauce to get a vegetable in my families life today.

Cannellini beans are rather large.
There is no hiding them.
I am just gonna have to fess up right off the bat.
No subterfuge.

I actually think it will be kinda great, beans in my pasta sauce on a whim.

Well, it isn't actually a whim, now is it when it is the only vegetable type thing in my house.
Well, that is not counting the whole package of floppy celery which I never got wrapped up.

Floppy celery is not a good thing...ever!!

I did make homemade beer bread.
It is all wrong though.
All I had was my pumpkin ale.
So wrong with pasta.

Pasta with random beans and pumpkin ale beer bread.
Not a combination on any menu in any fine restaurant!

But here, tonight...

...that is what we got!!

Sigh, off to feed my family!

Later!

Look, look!

Woo Hoo!!!! Success!!

Now that is a bear paw!!

Lots to do today, gotta run!

I am in my blue phase.


I like how it looks cold and icy!


I have always really liked snowmen, but this blue thing is pretty recent.




A dash of red every so often to keep my family happy!


Christmas decorating time is upon us!
Go!

Thanksgiving Day 2010

Happy Thanksgiving blog world!

I have no recollection of ever reading the official "Thanksgiving day proclamation" given so very long ago. I don't remember it being presented in school, or driven home in history class. I bet you remember the same things as I do....Pilgrims and Indians, maize and vegetables, cornucopias and large crowds gathered 'round tables.
Now, I realize those things are all a part of it, going way back into our nations history, but....

Apparently Pilgrim Edward Winslow was present at the first Thanksgiving Festival and had this to say after listing out the sparse bounty that they had in those days of celebration.
"And although it be not always so plentiful as it was at this time with us, yet BY THE GOODNESS OF GOD WE ARE... FAR FROM WANT." December 1621

Here is a little history lesson which gets us from that December to the holiday becoming national.
from the Christian Answers network.

"Much of the credit for the adoption of a later ANNUAL national Thanksgiving Day may be attributed to Mrs. Sarah Joseph Hale, the editor of Godey's Lady's Book. For thirty years, she promoted the idea of a national Thanksgiving Day, contacting President after President until President Abraham Lincoln responded in 1863 by setting aside the last Thursday of November as a national Day of Thanksgiving. Over the next seventy-five years, Presidents followed Lincoln's precedent, annually declaring a national Thanksgiving Day. Then, in 1941, Congress permanently established the fourth Thursday of each November as a national holiday."

Stick with me just a little while longer I know this is a wordy post.

Please take time to read this short proclamation put forth by Washington in the year 1789. It is so heartfelt and beautiful.

By the President of the United States of America, a Proclamation.


Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor-- and whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee requested me to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness.

Now therefore I do recommend and assign Thursday the 26th day of November next to be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be-- That we may then all unite in rendering unto him our sincere and humble thanks--for his kind care and protection of the People of this Country previous to their becoming a Nation--for the signal and manifold mercies, and the favorable interposition's of his Providence which we experienced in the course and conclusion of the late war--for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty, which we have since enjoyed--for the peaceable and rational manner, in which we have been enabled to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national One now lately instituted--for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed; and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and in general for all the great and various favors which he hath been pleased to confer upon us.

And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech him to pardon our national and other transgressions-- to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually--to render our national government a blessing to all the people, by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed--to protect and guide all Sovereigns and Nations (especially such as have shewn kindness unto us) and to bless them with good government, peace, and concord--To promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increase of science among them and us--and generally to grant unto all Mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as he alone knows to be best.


I have for all these years missed the significance of this day.
I am a grateful person.
I am a thankful person...and by default this thankfulness always goes to my God.
Who else am I gonna thank for all the wonder in my life?

But the default button was not pushed when it came to setting up this day.
It was pure and true acknowledgment of God and being thankful to Him that this day is to be about.
Specifically setting aside time for thanks to God.
I know for me....in the past I have spent my thanksgiving days trying to be thankful, have a thankful spirit, say thankful words etc.
Having a spirit of thankfulness but not directing that thankfulness to God, just being thankful generally...not specifically. There have been times in my life when there was a certain hollowness to my thankful attitude, a shallowness because that thankfulness did not intentionally go to God.

Maybe having that default is a strength and not a weakness, but I want my acknowledgment of God to be more than just one of those things I do because it is what I have always done.

This my 40th year of life is where I raise my Ebenezer.

This is the year when I say with intention and purpose,
God...it is all about you and how you bless my life and my country and my family.
It is you who controls the ebb and flow of my life and in you I wholly trust in all of those times.

This is the year I mark this spot and say "here by thy great help I have come".

Take time today to raise your Ebenezer, your open dedication and thankfulness for God's faithfulness in your life.

The insanity of the bead!

Beads, beads, beads!
Wow, this bead making thing has taken up a huge portion of my days lately.

I am hoping to make lots and lots of earrings and pendants which can be sold to people who will enjoy them...and in the process make some spending money.

I began this process with the abject failure of my first bead.
It was supposed to be a bear claw but looked more like some foreign cryptogram word.

I feel okay sharing this image with you again though I do feel shame at the results I know they were made in ignorance! (Please notice also...photo taken with old camera...
I was feeling pretty down about that and sat back down at the computer with some time for reading with my trusty google friend.
There is so much information out there, that we can get within seconds...how amazing is that?

I found a polymer clay cane making professional who was kind enough to photograph her cane making process.
I made another go at it and had mild success, but know I have quite away to go before being truly skilled at this process.
There are few things in my life that I feel pressure to be a perfectionist about, my artwork is one of them.
So, of course I am harder on myself than you would be.
...photo taken with new camera!!!)

My first, 2nd attempt was to try to make a cute little gift box. FAIL!!!
I turned this into what I hope is a mildly successful "plaid."
See all the tiny sideways gift boxes? Ughhh!

Next attempt was a snowflake.

I wish I had taken the time to make this more intricate.
Next time!
Forget that, there will be no next time, only other designs.

I took a huge portion of the FAIL gift boxes and squished them in my hands.
I was frustrated and just wanted them to go away!
They made this fun swirly design which I decided looked a bit like some of that mixed up yarn people work with.



I am not sure what people would wear this with, but I have lots of 'em to work with.
Blue jeans, everyone wears blue jeans, right?

Since I felt a little success with those mittens I decided I would step up my game.
I approached my next project with boldness that can only be born out of ignorance.

Ha!

This is my oldest sons taekwondo school patch.

Each school has their own patch designed especially for their school, so that it is unique.
I asked the school owners if I could pursue the idea of a bead with this design on it and got an enthusiastic go ahead.

I learned from the cane making lady to work on top of a design filling in the pieces with clay as you build the design. I finally broke out my camera to record the action about 2 hours into the process.

Yes, my friends this is 2 hours of work. Cutting every piece to the exact(ish) size and shape needed and placing it with its friends in such a way that they get along.
This is about an inch and a half tall.
Can you tell I am working on a color copy of the jacket patch? I think it looks a bit confusing.

It doesn't get any taller until later, but does get wider and wider as I fill in the design.
There was NO WAY I was even going to attempt those letters, no way no how!!!

At this point I was finally starting to breath a bit, but got immediately nervous again because I knew what had to come eventually!!

Ahhhhh, finally I finished the overall design.

Next up, reducing it.
It is a good idea to run screaming 'round the room waving your arms wildly in the air. This will cause the children to come running and the dog to start barking and chasing you, but it will relieve some of the tension associated with the next painful part of this process.
The part I so totally need more practice on!!!!

You must take the design that you have poured hours into and squish it.

Squish it and squish it and squish it down to a "cane".
There are people who have been doing this process for sometime and can actually keep the ends from going all crazy wonky!


I am not one of those people. YET!!!
This creates a LOT of waste!

I began cutting here, and still didn't come across the intact design.


Oh, see...not there yet. No red square.


I cut and cut and cut until finally I came across the design as it was meant to be!!!

It is a good idea at this point to again run screaming 'round the room waving your arms wildly in the air, this will cause the children to come running and the dog to start barking and chasing you, but it will let everyone know how excited you are that all your effort has paid off!!!
Be careful if you decide to do this...remember I still don't have any furniture in my living room and can do this freely.

The next step is to slice pieces off in the desired thickness.


Next, put them in the oven to bake per the instructions on the package.


And, then there you have it...a days worth of work for a bead.


I supposes I will still put another hour or more into these when I put the wire on and hang them on a necklace for wearing. So, an investment of about 6 hours time total. I think that is kind of insane.

But will I let that insanity stop me???
Of course not.
Right now in my little pea brain is a steaming mug of cocoa begging to be squished into a bead.
A tiny turquoise mug with hot cocoa and marshmallows (homemade of course).
See ya later world, beads I must make!

First photos!

Woo hoo, I had a few moments to take some pictures today!

Man oh man do I have a lot to learn!

But, just for fun I will share some with ya.
In case you haven't noticed...I don't post pictures of my kids on this blog, (just don't want it to be that kind of blog), so pictures of my dog is what you will get!

Oh, and of my fish.
Let's start with this yuck shot this morning when there was no light and I didn't know how to take a picture without the flash. I still don't know how to take a picture without the flash. I have too much else to do right now though to read the manual. Ha!

Look at those awesome tail fins though!!
MMMmmmmm such possibility!

Oh, yes and the hamster, we must have photos of the hamster.

This is storm, he is well loved!
And will be oft photographed, mark my words.


And now on to the puppy pictures.

Shelby loves her green blanket which she snuggles with in her crate starting at like....7 o'clock at night. She really goes to bed early. We call it her nap before bedtime.

From this point on she got very wary of me and that black thing that shines bright lights in her eyes!


She here she is innocently looking out the window....

Notice her ears are back. She is refusing to look at me because she knows I have that "thing".

Come on Shelby, I just want to take your picture over and over and over and over again.
Why does she have such an issue with this??










She is quite patient. But has got a few disgusted looks down pat.





Yes, disgust mixed with disbelief I think.
This is my favorite.
It says...really?
Sigh, really.







Seriously Mom, please put that thing away, sigh!
Sorry Shelbster, we are just getting started!