Was it Straight Line Winds, Or a TWISTER?

      Yesterday, the weatherman predicted that we were going to have some severe weather in the afternoon. One often wonders if the weatherman is going to get it right. He did. We got the strongest winds I've experienced yet! One minute Skylar is on the back porch telling me to come look, and by the time I could get out there and look, the wind picked up, rain started blowing, and it began to hail! I barely made it back in the house before the winds gusted so strong! I couldn't even close the door by myself, Skylar had to help close it! The hail continued to peck at the windows as the wind blew ever so severe! I didn't know what to do, so I just stood there and watched it! There were no tornado sirens, so we didn't get in the closet. The county was hit really hard but thankfully no one was killed! We still don't have power, so I'm writing this with generated power. There were trees all around completely blown over from the roots! Some took down power lines with them, thus the reason we  have no power. There were even power lines across the roads, which made traveling very hazardous! There are still places around here that are like that because the power company can only be in so many places at one time! I am thankful for the generator! I was able to wash a load of clothes and bake some cookies. Now I can finish the dinner I started yesterday when this all began. The weather got cold after the storm so we had cold noses during the night, but the rest of our bodies stayed warm under the covers. They even closed the schools today since there were so many power lines across the roads. Skylar was happy! I feel for people here, and in the North, who are experiencing power outages! At least we don't have snow to go along with it! I hope everyone reading this post is safe and warm and will continue to be so! Have a nice day!

My Dad holding one of his great-grand-daughters, Riley.

They love to give the goats a snack! Lulu was having a bad day!

Something's got to give!

Loving those smiles! We need to mow!

One day, it will be the real thing!

Sorry Rubi, but you terrorize the children too much, LOL!

Riley is enjoying the sunshine!

Lulu doesn't quite have the hang of it yet, but she's trying!

Riding in the hillbilly wagon again!

Going to haul the feed to the animals.

The bees are doing great! Their pollen sacks are full!

The girls LOVE to play in the sand better than anything! That's why when the power comes back on, I've got to vacuum!

Should little girls play with guns?

Aren't these the cutest things you've ever seen?

Big tree down beside our property.

Heavy limbs damaged the fence.

Another spot where a limb fell.

Boy, am I thankful for this thing!

I was trying to save on the generator, but next time I'll use the mixer! I do NOT like using this thing! It hurts my left hand!

The sun is so bright today! The blue tarp was over the picnic table!

It's a tangled mess, probably not repairable.

The nectarine tree has the most beautiful pink blooms and the sweetest fragrance!

Peach tree in foreground, plum tree in back.

I made two sheets of these delicious Starbuck's copycat oatmeal cookies!

The irises are blooming again!

I won this cookbook! From Brandi, the country cook!

Hillbilly Wagon, Playing with the Girls, and more English Muffins!

      Most people who don't live in the South, refer to us as "Hillbillies". I embrace that with humor! Thus, I named the ride: hillbilly wagon. It is just a lawnmower with a wagon attached, used for hauling manure, kids, and whatever else I need to move. The girls L-O-V-E-D it! Except for the little one. She's not strong enough to hold herself up because it knocks her around so easily. She didn't last long in there. She had fun watching her sister and cousin, however. The girls had so much fun here this past weekend, playing outside with bubbles, running, riding cars, hillbilly wagon, you name it! I'm so glad I have a place where they can play outside without fear of traffic and such! The weather was great for them, so it was good they got to play outside. They didn't even argue when it was time to come inside for their naps! They were so TIRED! They all went to sleep in the same room without playing! That's very unusual! I usually have to separate them! They left me exhausted, but in a good way! I think they're coming back this weekend! Oh boy, more hillbilly wagon rides!

      I have been recuperating these past few days and am battling a headache as I write this. It's not too bad, or I wouldn't be able to do this. I haven't had one of these in several months. I thought I wouldn't have any more, but oh well, part of the process, I guess. I have tried another recipe for English muffins, but they are more like a roll. They don't taste like an English muffin, but they are good, none the less. I will try until I find the right one.

      The weather is supposed to continue to get warmer as we head into the weekend. It's a very windy 52 today, but warming into upper 50's tomorrow. Hope the weather is nice where you are! Got to gather my eggs! They're giving me 3-4 eggs a day; that's a good thing! Have a nice week! Blessings from Bama!

They are having a blast with the bubbles!

Randy is having fun too!

Look at her face!

Time to eat, uncle Ran!

See-sawing!

Feeding the boys.

Push me Aunt FeFe!

They love running and driving the cars on the driveway!

Some beautiful daffodils.

Run, Ran is chasing us!

Little sister pushing big sister!

Rubi would love to get over to the kids!

Hop in, I'll take you for a ride!

Want to ride in the hillbilly wagon?

They love to play in the sand!

Layla is still in at this point.

The swing is safer for me!

Giving me the OK. 

Lots of places to store things on the new shelves Randy is installing!

Frosted cauliflower, yum!

Muffins in skillet.

The done muffins. This is the cookbook I got the recipe from.

Sourdough bread, canning beans, and digging in the dirt!

      It sure does smell good in my kitchen! And it's been several hours since I baked the sourdough bread! It is so delicious! I can hardly believe I made sourdough with my own wild yeast! It's amazing! I tried this before, but it didn't taste good. This tastes wonderful! I'm glad I tried the process again! I'm almost out of sourdough starter, so I'm feeding it everyday! I have dough rising for pitas, but I'm not sure if it's going to turn out. The recipe called for water, but I didn't add all of it because it made the dough too wet. I'll let you know if it turns out.  

      I got most of the beans that came in the co-op order, canned. I had twenty pints in all. That should last us a good while. I love kidney beans so that was what most of them were. I also had five pints of baby limas, two of black beans and two of Adzuki beans. I don't know why I love to can beans, but it is very satisfying to me! I guess I feel like I've 'done something' when it's completed!

      The weather was so nice today, 62 was the predicted high, so I got my shovel and went to work! I turned under three beds before I came inside! I thought I could do more, but that is a pretty good workout! Especially after I'd already worked out upstairs! I still want to make some "Energy Bars" since the girls are coming tomorrow. They only have three ingredients: dates, nuts, and dried fruit and you process it in the food processor. I think this will be a healthy snack for me and the girls. Hope ya'll have had a good week! Looks like our temps are going to be a lot warmer next week! Spring is definitely here! Have a nice weekend! Blessings from Bama!

A canner full of beans!

A very large canner!

A work in progress.

This was after they were finished but  were still cooking. The bubbles didn't show up here.

The completion of the process!

Sourdough rising.

Finished product! Delicious!

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.

The Seeds are Sprouting!

      I am so excited, I just had to pop in and tell ya'll! It's such a great thing when you plant a seed and watch it come up and eventually produce something! You know God has to be in that! There are only a few tomato seedlings coming up, but I have faith that the rest of them will come up as well!

      I just came in from outside and boy, is it cold and damp! It hasn't rained lately, but the sky looks like it could any minute! I didn't have my camera with me to show you that the fruit trees are about to bud! They are so pretty! I just hope the cold doesn't harm them! It's cloudy, windy, and can you believe it, snow is forecast for tonight! Not much, but any would be pretty! I figured it would snow in March! We had a blizzard back in March 1993! I'll never forget it because it thundered while it was snowing. I didn't think it was snowing since it was dark out and you couldn't see anything, but when we awakened the next morning, we couldn't believe our eyes! It was phenomenal! I actually hope that never happens again because people around here don't know how to handle that much snow. It was several feet and the power was out in some areas, for weeks! We got through it fine and the snow was all gone in a couple of days. So, all that to say: March is very unpredictable for us weather wise!

      Hopefully, the weather won't be too bad where you live either! Stay warm and safe and have a good weekend! Blessings from Bama!

A simple bread made in the bread machine. Some homemade granola in the background.

I didn't know what to eat for lunch yesterday, so I looked in the fridge drawer and found all of these veggies. I stir fried them and served them over brown rice. Yum!

Some new seeds I'm trying this year: Dixie Wine tomato and Aker's West Virginia tomato. 

The top section is peppers, which take longer to germinate.

Amish Paste tomato and Schuntukski Tomato. I found these seeds at Marie Seeds.