Winter Has Come

Winter has shown up in our area.  The first snows are always so pretty and peaceful looking.  I am enjoying the snow and not thinking about how long before I can be in the garden again.  This is the season for baking, cooking, and sewing.

Hope you are having a wonderful day...This is the day that the Lord has given us let us rejoice and be glad in it. 

~Cheryl~

School Days

Once again summer is almost done and school has started.
I am slowly getting back in to the routine of being back at school.  It is always good to see the children that you have worked with and meet the new ones you will be working with. 

I am looking forward to a great school year and seeing how the Lord can use me in the lives of the children that I will be working with this year.

~Cheryl~

Oven Roasted Tomato Sauce

With my first picking of tomatoes I am making Oven Roasted Tomato Sauce.  First batch is finished and the second one in the oven roasting.  The house smells very good right now.  Perfect almost fall day for canning.   Here is how I do the tomato sauce in the oven.

First cutting up the tomatoes and squeezing out the juice and seeds.

After they are all cut up I add a couple of green peppers to each pan along with a large onion, small handful of fresh basil, few parsley sprigs, 3 garlic cloves, and a couple of bay leaves.

 

Pour some olive oil in the bottom of a glass cake pan, add the tomatoes with some salt to the pan, then pour a little oil over the top again.   Put in the oven to roast at 425 for about 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes you may want to remove some of the liquid they have produced.

Roast for another 30 minutes or until the vegetables are soft and getting some nice charred spots, this adds flavor to the sauce.

 

After the tomatoes have cooled down put them into a food processor and process until smooth.

I put mine into pint jars and processed them for 20 minutes at 10 pounds pressure.  Ended up with 9 pints from the first batch.  

I will use the sauce for chili, spaghetti sauce, for any recipe that calls for tomato sauce.  This does need to have oregano added depending on what it is used for.  You can add what ever herbs and spices your family likes to make it work for you.  I am always adding things to the jar depending on what it is going to be used for.

This week has been exciting one grandson got his drivers license and the other one played his first football came for the freshman team.  Very happy times!

Time goes by so fast, what a blessing both of these boys are to our lives.

~Cheryl~

Summer, where have you gone?

Summer is coming to and end way to fast for me.  It seems that school just gets done for the year and it's time to start again.   Where has the summer went!   I have enjoyed my time home and finding it very hard to think about going back to work next week.

This summer was filled with gardening, veggies and flowers, lots of baking, freezing, canning... 

 

 

We went to the county fair this past weekend, always enjoy seeing the animals, loved this little green and yellow chicken.  

Counting down the days until next Tuesday morning...ready or not...school will be starting!

~Cheryl~

Garden Fresh

We are enjoying garden fresh veggies.  Have been eating a lettuce from the garden for a while now, the radishes are done, also have had a couple of small zucchini...the plants are loaded so will soon be over whelmed with them.

So far from the raspberries I have made two batches of freezer jam, freezing some of them today, eating fresh and still have about 4 quarts in the refrigerator. They need to be picked again!  Will be making another batch of jam to use as gifts this Christmas for coworkers.

Had my first picking of the cucumbers yesterday.  They are just getting started, was able to can 2 quarts of dill pickles.

The rest I am saving for eating.  Tonight I cut some up and put them in white vinegar with a little water added and some sugar.

They will be good with the couple of red potatoes that I dug carefully from under a potato plant.

I am sure the garden will be ripening faster now, our temperatures have been on the cool side, but this week we are to reach 90's.  To day we had 95.  The canning and freezing will be getting busy!  It is a blessing to have a garden that provides for us in the summer and plenty to put up for winter.

Enjoy your week.

~Cheryl~

Baby Baltimore Oriole

The other day we heard a loud bang on the patio door and new a bird must of flown into it.

When Bob went to check there was a baby Oreo sitting a ways from the door looking very dazed.

We watched it for a bit and things weren't looking to good,  the little bird was starting to tip over so Bob went out to see if he could do anything for it.  He carefully picked the little bird up.

The bird just sat in his hands and kind of settled in like it was in the nest.

 The little Oreo didn't seem to be at all afraid.  It was so neat being able to be this close to the little bird.

 

 I got a box and put some grass into it so we would have a place to put the little guy so we could keep and eye on it.  It was so funny it would not get off the glove.  We new that he was doing better when Bob would take the other gloved hand and try to get it to move it would peck at it.  It was like the hand he was sitting on was safe, the other one not so sure about it.

That little fellow was not getting off that glove, so Bob carefully pulled his hand out and let him have the glove.  Happy to report all ended well, the little Oreo left his glove and the box!

This is the first summer that we have had Baltimore Orioles stay around.  Usually they show up in the spring for a few days and then leave.  This year I got some grape jelly out right away.  I love to watch them at the feeders they are so bright and pretty.   Glad this little fellow made it, hope he stays away from our patio door!

  Watching this little bird made me think of the song..

His Eye Is On The Sparrow

Why should I feel discouraged, why should the shadows come,
Why should my heart be lonely, and long for heaven and home,
When Jesus is my portion? My constant friend is He:
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.

Refrain

I sing because I’m happy,
I sing because I’m free,
For His eye is on the sparrow,
And I know He watches me.

“Let not your heart be troubled,” His tender word I hear,
And resting on His goodness, I lose my doubts and fears;
Though by the path He leadeth, but one step I may see;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.

Whenever I am tempted, whenever clouds arise,
When songs give place to sighing, when hope within me dies,
I draw the closer to Him, from care He sets me free;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.

What a blessing to know that we have a loving God who watches over us.

  But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.

~Cheryl~

Matthew 10:30,31

Enjoying Summer

I have been enjoying the summer days!  The garden is coming along great, will soon be into the canning and freezing...so until then I have been having a little fun in my sewing room.

A sweet little tag blanket for a friend, I enjoy making these,they are fast and easy.

Lots of tags for baby, her nursery is a jungle theme.

 

This pattern is called Taco Salad.

A veggie Taco Salad in the works.

 

                                            

 While visiting a dear friend the two of us went to a quilt shop in her town and saw these cute panels with the recipes on them.  She had extra of all of the material that is in between and around them, that she shared with me.  Needs to have the backing and binding yet, every time I use this it will be a reminder of the friendship that Connie and I have shared for almost 25 years.

I have been wanting to make the sausage roll pillow cases and finally looked on you tube to see how they are done.  They were so much fun to make, all of the grandkids will be getting them for Christmas this year!

Made mug rugs for a friend that I will be visiting next week.

This summer seems to be flying by, but it has been relaxing and fun.  

I am thankful that the Lord gave me a job where I can spend my summer days at home!

Looking forward to our daughter coming home tonight for some of her dad's home made pizza, and spending the night and tomorrow with us.  Always so fun to have her home.

Have a great weekend!

In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

1 Thessalonians 5:18

~Cheryl~ 

Daisys and a quilt shop

The month of June we did not have a chance to get to our house that is for sale up north.  Well we finally made it up.  This is what part of our yard looked like. Daises everywhere,  I kind of hated to see DH cut them down.

While my sweet husband cut and trimmed the grass I went to a quilt shop about 15 miles from the house just into Michigan.   It was a fun time to look around and found a couple of pieces for a quilt that I needed.

Jeri's Quilt Patch

 

 

These two guys greet you when you go up stairs.

Realized that I did not get a picture of any of the fabric, there are four rooms with material.

She has a lot of demos and also sells a few neat items.

I have seen this quilt at other shops, it is on my wish list...maybe some day!!

Also celebrated a special little granddaughters birthday.

Our first celebration since the adoption. She had to slip her new dress on over her clothes and get her picture taken :0)  I love that smile!  God is so good these children went through some very ruff times but now they have a loving christian mom and dad and the bad times are behind them.

Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things which thou knowest not.

Jeremiah 33:3

~Cheryl~

Garden

With the rains that we have gotten this past week the garden has really grown.  It won't be long before we will have cucumbers, beans, zucchini... and I can't wait!  We have been enjoying lettuce, onions, and radishes.

I am trying my sweet potatoes in big containers this year.  Have two of them so will see how it goes.

It looks like it will be a good year for the raspberries.

This morning before breakfast I went out and put straw around the cucumbers, potatoes, and tomatoes.  

When I came in enjoyed a tasty strawberry smoothie!

It is nice to have some fresh flowers in the house again.  This is a little bouquet that I picked for the kitchen table.

One of the roses on my mini rosebush this morning.  It started to sprinkle just as I was finishing up in the garden.

I will praise thee, O Lord, with my whole heart; I will show forth all thy marvelous works.

Psalm 9:1 

~Cheryl~