LOOK CLOSELY!!!

This weekend was the LeClarie Market Days craft show. I was invited to go with Piper at Friends Candle Shed and her mom. So we all worked pretty hard to have enough stuff ready to take. I posted about the show on FRIENDS CANDLE SHED blog... read all about it there!!!

I was walking back to my SUV (the black one in the picture, with the hatch up) and spotted this...

LOOK CLOSELY....

There were 3 boxers in this vehicle and they were taking turns popping their bodies out of the open sun roof.... taking a look around..... hilarious!!! (you can click the pic for a better look)!!

TWO, TWO, TWO POSTS IN ONE......

SINCE I AM GOING TO BE GONE ALL WEEKEND I THOUGHT I WOULD JUST COMBINE TWO POSTS....

POST ONE

Stained Glass Pictures

I just finished another 5 pictures for this weekend's show I am participating in with Friends Candle Shed. We are going to be in LeClaire, IA at Grasshopper's, a place where Sharon has an indoor space. It is Autumn Market Days.

October 9-11 - Seasons of LeClaire, Autumn Market Days beginning at 9:00 amWhen the leaves start turning to fall colors, it's time for Autumn Market Days in LeClaire. Scarecrows line the main street as street musicians entertain. There are live demonstrations, a library book sale and fun for the whole family. Stroll back in time, dining and shopping in LeClaire's historic downtown filled our unique shops.
Activities: Sidewalk sales, kids activities, lunch venues, Left Bank Art League Art Fait, Mississippi Cottage Antiques Art Fair, QC Greyhound Adoption Meet and Greet at River Pup, and live music festival

I kinda got into the fall colors,,,, because it actually is my most favorite season and the colors of nature are screaming this year!! So I have been burning the midnight oil for the past week. Ideas are swirling so fast, the other day as I was gluing one picture, I was sketching another idea so I didn't lose it in the mental confusion....

So here are pics of the latest 5 I did.

I have been having a blast, but have had way too many late nights. I just get so busy and then I look at the clock and am amazed how fast time flys!!!

Monday, I'll have pics of the show to share,,,,

POST TWO

MUMS THE WORD...

Yesterday I got a call from Maria to come and get some mums if I wanted. SO I DID!!!! I love, love mums and asters (as you know from previous post) and these needed a home. I AM A FLOWER RESCURER! If they need a home, I have one to share. I also like passing plants/flowers on to others. I tell people that come to visit, If you see some flower or plant in my yard, and you want a start, let me know.... I'm sure a few people must think I am nuts!!

So when I got over to Maria's at Hilltop Greenhouse, I just could not help myself!!! This is what I brought home. DH (dear hubby) just smiled and shook his head.... Actually, I think he likes them too... his only words, "oh, those are nice!" He is so kind... I guess that's what 32 years does for me, he just goes along with most things...

The colors are just magnicifient!!!

Oh wait til next year!!! It is going to be colorful around here!!!

PUMPKINS FOR PUREE Part 2

This food processor has been my best friend for the past 18+ years (I really think it has been 20, but my son corrected me and he has this really odd memory that remembers things like when I got my food processor).

ANYWAY..... We have been through a lot together because I used to cook like a maniac when kids were home. I not only cooked and baked for the immediate family, but for everyone and anyone who would visit, be sick, needed a helping hand, kids' friends over, slumber parties, birthday parties and then there is the whole canning and freezing thing.

You can kinda say I loved people with food!

So this puppy really got a workout.

Well, the other day I started doing pumpkin puree and my true friend was struggling.......

I mean, it took 3 hours to do a simple job, but we hung in there together...

Sunday, when d-i-l (daughter in love) and son came over, we were going to do another batch of pumpkins that we had cooked. So we got out the ole' friend food processor and she just couldn't do it. Tired and worn, she finally gave up. I heard her whisper... I want to, I just can't. So I turned her off and told d-i-l I will have to replace fp with a new one the next day, put the pumpkin in the frig, and moved on to another project.

Monday morning bright and early, I hit town running and checked out every store that would carry a food processor and came home with this beauty.

Isn't she a beauty!!!! 14 cup capacity, 500 watt motor, 3 speeds, 3 blades, big wide mouth, a timer and a 2 year warranty..... she has everything!!!!

So I sadly put the other one by the back door, ready to recycle and fired up that new beauty. She just purred through that pumpkin like nobody's business....

20 minutes later I had the puree project done.... 20 MINUTES!!! Can you believe it...

I think we are going to get along just fine!!!

I ditched the freezing 1/2 cups in muffin tins (see previous post) and tried d-i-l's suggestion, the way her mom did it. Use freezer bags and put 1 cup of puree in each bag. IT WAS ALOT FASTER!!


I ended up with 18 cups of puree, that's 18 pies! or 12 pies and 6 loaves of bread, or ....... you get the picture!!!

THE TOUCH, THE FEEL OF COTTON......

I buy a pack of these shirts for my husband every so often to replace the ones that have become so thin that they no longer can be called a shirt! Several years ago, I found out how wonderfully soft these shirts are. They are so very comfortable for just kicking around the house, the more you wash them, the softer they get; great for cleaning day or painting day or just lazy day.
My problem came when DH (dear hubby) and I were both grabbing for the same shirts (I know, I shouldn't be sharing my wardrobe with him or visa versa!)





So I got this great idea!!!!


I bought my own pack of shirts and a packet of RIT dye and now I have my very own soft comfortable cotton T-Shirts.... AND at $2.00 per shirt.... I can wear these for any purpose; yard work day, paint day, glass cutting day.



If you have this same desire for a soft, cuddly, cotton shirt to wear for whatever, just follow the instructions on the box of RIT. I actually mix the color and shirts in a bucket and then wash them in my washer with vinegar in the water to set the color even better. My next batch I put in the washer is either jeans or towels, full load, to make sure there is no dye left over from the shirts!!!

THE TOUCH, THE FEEL OF COTTON.... LOVE IT!!!!

PUMPKINS FOR PUREE

Last Spring when I was planning my garden, I decided to do this pumpkin patch plus gourds. Well, I have been blessed with more than I could have ever imagined. So yesterday, I got out in the weeds (garden) and picked the pumpkins (a small, more sugary inside) that were supposed to be for pies. I called my d-i-l (daughter in love) because I knew they were thinking on coming out to the farm on Sunday and asked her if she would like to help make pumpkin puree for pies.

She has the best recipe for pumpkin pie!!! Her mom used to freeze pumpkin puree and so d-i-l is a pro at pumpkin pie.

Well, I thought I would get a jump on things and started cooking the pumpkins. I read through several articles online and came up with this:

*Use pie pumpkins or smaller pumpkins for better flavor (mine were 3-5 lbs. each)

* First wash pumpkins thoroughly, no soap, just scrub them with water.

*cut the pumpkins in half and put in 9 x 13 pan, cut side down.

*put 1/2" water in pan. Don't let the pan dry out. I did and my oven started smoking.

*put in 400 degree oven for 40 min.

*test with knife, pierce skin for tenderness. You want tender, not mushy.

*pour off water and let cool

This is what you end up with...

I scraped out all the meat of the pumpkin, discarding the rind. Then I started running it through my food processor to puree it. This took a while and I tried not to add any water to it as it was processing. I just did it in small batches. When finished with processing, I strained it to get out any lumps left. Then I processed it all a second time. (my food processor is OLD, you might not have to do it twice)

D-i-l told me her recipe calls for 1 cup of puree so I decided to portion out the puree in 1/2 cup portions.

THEN I GOT THIS GREAT IDEA!!!

I decided to put 1/2 cup portions in a muffin tin, freeze it and THEN seal them in bags!!!

DING, DING, DING..... this worked really slick!!! Then I put the muffin tins in the freezer overnight.

This morning, I took out the muffin tins and of course, they didn't want to come out right off the bat, so I put a big strainer in the sink and ran a little warm water over the back of the tin and they popped right out.

I didn't want the puree to thaw out so I already had my sealer out, ready to go and bags sealed on one end. I put 2- 1/2 cup frozen puree cups in each bag and sealed them up...

Out of those 4 pumpkins, I ended up with 16 cups of puree. Wow! That's like 16 pies or 10 pies and 6 loaves of pumpkin bread or........

you get the point!

I decided to not put any spices in the puree because I will use it for different things other than just pie.

So.... grab a few pumpkins, small pie pumpkins (you can even buy them at your local store), start cooking, freezing, and when you hear on the news that there is a shortage of pumpkin pie filling, you can smile because yours is already in the freezer just waiting for you to use.

SATURDAY SHOUT OUT... COMMON GROUND

Well, I haven't done a Saturday Shout Out for a while so when I went over to Debra at Common Ground and she is having a 100th Follower Give Away, I left her a message that I would feature her today... WOO HOO,,,,, check out her Give Away.

Debra has been leaving kind words on my blog for quite some time now. No, we have not physically met, but ya know when you seem to have a lot in common with someone and ya just know it, that's Debra to me.
She is a wife of 37 years and mom to two girls, both married. Family, God, Antiques and Vintage Goods are all important in her life. Her blog reflects a very warm person, genuine person by her comments she has left me.
Did I mention she is an excellent photographer too... She includes alot of pictures in her posts. I love the decorating ideas she shares. We kinda have the same taste.
Please take time to visit with Debra at Common Ground. Get to know her blog. You will love it, just like I do...

CROWS AND PUMPKINS

I just finished two more pictures and have three more to go. I have been so into doing these that everything else is not getting done. Do I care? NOOOOOOO!

This one is little, 4"x 4" square.

Shining in the window...

This one is 8"x 10". This is just laying on my table, much prettier hanging.

Shining in the window....

I think that is what I like about these, when you put them in a window, the design lights up the colors so bright!!!