Six More Weeks of Winter?

      If today is any indication, that may be true! But with the warmer weather we've been experiencing lately, I doubt it holds true for us. Anyway, February is the shortest month of the year, and Spring is just around the corner. I will be planting seeds in a couple of weeks. Inside of course, unless I decide to grow cabbage or turnips. There are a lot of cooler weather crops I could plant, but we just couldn't eat all of them. Or should I say, I couldn't eat all of them unless I preserved them. I'm the only one who eats those sort of vegetables. Randy and Skylar like simple veggies such as corn, English peas, green beans, and occasionally potatoes. My main focus this year in the garden is going to be tomatoes. I haven't had good success growing them in the raised beds, so I'm planting them in the 'chicken yard'. The girls will be routed down another path so they won't eat my tomatoes and anything else I choose to plant. Green beans, squash, zucchini, and cucumbers grow easily in our garden so there will be some of those. I'll plant less this year as I had over-abundance of those last year. I'll also probably plant some peppers, but not too many. What are you planting in your garden this year?

      Today, as I was eating lunch I kept hearing something moving wood around, or knocking. It kept on as if someone were outside the door. I got a little nervous and went to investigate. To my surprise, the great big hen was at the door knocking! It was hilarious to see since I thought it could be an intruder. I opened the door and it frightened her so I quickly closed the door again. She hung around for the longest. I wonder what she's thinking. There are no bugs on the porch. I thought she might come inside out of curiosity. That wouldn't really be a good thing, especially if she got scared and I had to chase her around! It would be funny, though. Not to mention chicken poo everywhere! On second thought, I won't open the door for her again!

      My workouts are coming along very good. I do twenty-five minutes of Zumba, then my strength training. I really love it! My body has changed a lot since I started this new routine. I can hardly wait to get back into my skinny jeans! I'm not sending them to the thrift store just yet! I'm staying fuller longer with eating more protein and whole grains. I have been incorporating more beans into our meals. They provide protein and fiber, thus keeping us fuller longer. The guys aren't complaining, as I haven't really changed the evening meals. Just what I eat throughout the day.

      I haven't really been crafting much lately. I love to craft but I can't seem to find what I want to do. There are so many pretty things to make, but I can't decide which ones are for me. Randy said for me to just keep trying until I find the right thing, then perfect it. That sounds like a good idea! I just don't seem to have the same enthusiasm as I did during the holidays. Maybe I'll find my 'thing' soon! I guess right now I've been focused on following healthier recipes and working out. We did get the room up stairs more organized. I love it up there now! There's so much more room! Wished ya'll could join me in a class of Zumba! I could teach a Zumba class, but that means I'd have to be away from home. I don't really want to do that. It wouldn't be worth the drive to town and back. Oh well, I'll just stick to doing what I like.

      It's nice to see the days getting longer! I enjoy beautiful sunsets almost everyday! I just wished my camera could catch the beauty! Look outside your window tomorrow and capture the beautiful sunset. It will make you appreciate God's creation! Have a great week! Blessings from Bama!

Yummy scalloped potatoes!

My 'intruder'!

I thought I would try making my own pickled beets. I'll let ya'll know how they turn out.

I couldn't believe it when I saw these poking up the other day!

I tried making an Elsa headband. It doesn't look like the ones on the internet.

This would have been a good picture of us!

Randy smoked us some salmon in the smoker. It was delicious!

My better organized room.

The weight bench is my Valentine's gift from my 'sweetie'!

Windy weather, sourdough starter, and more sprouts!

      The weather this week is so unpredictable! It was cloudy with a chance of rain; then it rained; and now it is blustering windy! The temp fell from 60 degrees, to 49 in an hour! I did manage to get my walk in after the brief thunderstorm, however! Tomorrow 's high is only 40's, but the next day back to sixties, then even to 70! Spring has it's moments here in the South! We got some snow flurries this past weekend but no accumulation. We have to watch the weather on a daily basis, so we'll know how to dress! OK, so much about the weather! Just like for my out of state readers to know what we're experiencing!

      I did get outside yesterday as the temps were 60-ish. I emptied the wheel barrow of goat manure onto the big bed. I just need to get out there now and turn it under. I need to do that to all of the beds! Won't that be a good workout! My arms are really feeling the workouts I've been doing on the DVD! I'm actually doing better with them than I thought I would! I hope I can hang in there this summer when it's so hot! I really hate profuse sweating, and that's what happens when I workout in the summer! We'll see!

      I received my co-op order Saturday and am planning on canning some beans tomorrow! Can you believe WM didn't have pint size jars? The hubs is stopping at Winn Dixie to get some on his way home this evening. I will also be trying out my new sourdough starter come Thursday, the day it will be ready. I've been acquiring sourdough recipes not just for bread; like: English muffins, pancakes and waffles, bread, and even dumplins! All you do to start is mix 1/4 cup flour with 1/4 cup water, stir, put in a jar, put a coffee filter with rubber band around it and let it sit for twenty-four hours. Then you add the same amount of flour and water, stir and let sit. Do this for seven days, and you'll have captured wild yeast or sourdough starter! Neat isn't it! Oh, I made a delicious new recipe for the bread machine from Bob's Red Mill: New York Rye. It's on their website. It is the best rye I've ever made! The hubs said don't even look for another one!

      I've got lentils and rice in the crock-pot and it smells so good! It has southwestern spices so it will be good in tacos and such. I got that recipe from: lifecurrents.dw2.net if you're interested. Hope ya'll are having a good week! Stay safe! Blessings from Bama!

This was an experiment to see if I could make washing soda. I'm not sure if it ever did, and it's not worth the amount of time spent in the oven if it did. Better to buy it instead.

My co-op order: nuts, dried fruit, beans, oatmeal, whole wheat pastry flour, all organic of course!

The delicious rye bread!

Wonderful smoked salmon! I think this was my first time to eat it! I know it was the hubs first time to smoke it. Make sure you read the label. It may say wild caught but from what country? I ran into that at WM, so this pack came from Washington state.

Sourdough starter. See the separation? Totally natural. You can see tiny bubbles. I think my kitchen is very yeasty!

These are the English muffins I made. They turned out pretty good. My first time making them and they got a little dark. Next batch will be with the sourdough.

My delicious lunch: smoked salmon, pickled onions, pickled beets, lettuce mix with homemade vinaigrette, and Hazel nuts.