What's to Love About Summer

Being a person who loves to grow things, Summer is of course the frosting on the cake of all my hard labor.

Digging  in the dirt, cheering my little plants on, protecting them from frost, too much rain, too much sun, and rotten bugs and slugs who think my main purpose was to supply them with a salad bar, has once again paid off.  It simply amazes me that beautiful flowers with hundreds of different colors come up out of dirt! And food? How wonderful we can grow our own if circumstances allow!

As many people are finally realizing, homegrown and locally grown are the way to go, our country and our kids would be in a lot better shape if we could get this into everyone's  head!

I have to admit though..the flowers are what thrill me the most, pairing plants with colors that play off each other,colors,textures, to me its  like painting in slow motion.

 (It is always nice to have extra help with the watering.)

Of course there are other favorite things in summer.

Popsicles

  

Little Plastic Pools filled with little Sunbeams 

 

Bare Tootsies

Trips to the beach

Stars from the Sea

Yes, indeed. There is much to love about summer.

However

By the time the Black eyed Susan's are in full bloom come August

I have had enough of the 90 degree heat.

My plants are now lucky if they get a bucket of water thrown on them.

 I no longer have my coffee at six a.m. while dumping salt on the doomed slugs who have not quite made it back under their rocks.

 And my joy of daily dead heading has well..died.

My sweet one hundred tomato plant is proving itself worthy of its name..my husband finds them topping salads, stir fry..everything but his Cheerios's.

The Zucchini...??  Well, it seems to be making its own Miracle Grow and does not care if I show up or not. At this point there is no stopping it!

So this time of year...what I love about summer is...

Sunrise

Sunset

Yup. I can almost smell that first loaf of Pumpkin bread. I am ready for my favorite Season of all.

Autumn!

How about all of you?

Thank you Lord, for allowing me another Season of Summer and listening to all my ramblings while tending it. I like meeting with you there!

Ecclesiastes 3:1

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven.

Happy Anniversary Justin And Brittany

HAPPY 8th ANNIVERSARY

JUSTIN AND BRITTANY

These two met at Bible College and soon announced to their families they had found their soul mate and wanted to get married!

As we all know..wedding rehearsals can be stressful..:) especially when its 103 degrees out!

But of course the wedding was beautiful and their love for one another was evident to all !

They continue to grow in their love and commitment to God, to each other and they have also grown...

a most beautiful family!

(including of course one more little angel who is not in the picture)

Congratulations!

You are loved and wished many more years of joy and adventure in your life together!

 

Quinoa Salad

Quinoa Salad

3 Tbls. olive oil

1 cup Quinoa (rinsed/drained)

1 can chicken or vegetable broth

1/4 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp salt

2 Tbls. lime juice

1/8 tsp pepper

1 can black beans rinsed/drained (Bushes brand by far the best!)

1 can cut corn (rinsed) or fresh corn cut off cob is great!

1 large Roma tomato ( diced)

11/2 cups green pepper( diced)

2 green onions (chopped)

3 Tbls. cilantro (chopped)

2 Tbls. parsley (optional)

For nights when its too darn hot to cook!

" I am NOT turning on that stove!!!"

Heat 1 Tablespoon olive oil in Skillet, add Quinoa. Cook stirring often for 5 minutes until brown.

Add broth, cumin,and salt. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat and simmer (covered) for 15 minutes, or until all liquid is absorbed. Let stand 5 minutes. Fluff with fork.

Combine in a small bowl remaining 2 Tablespoons olive oil, lime juice, pepper. Stir into Quinoa.

Add remaining ingredients. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Great to make day before!

You can add more tomato, peppers and cumin to taste!

Quinoa is Beautiful

Health benefits are amazing! If you haven't included it in your diet yet, google it!

You can buy it in bulk, I buy regular and red, mix it up and keep it in a mason jar!



Hair

 My thoughts lately, often seem to turn to hair. Umm..in all honesty… I think a LOT of a woman's time is spent thinking about hair. Even when we are little girls.. from the time our moms can capture that little sprout of wisp in a pink sparkly band and shoot it straight up off the tops of our heads (a.k.a. water fountain pony tail) or those of you who glued tiny ribbons to little girl heads who were born with as much hair as an egg ( how DO you make them stick??) Little girls and Mommies alike… we have a thing for Hair!

I was born with a ton of hair and by the time I was five it was so long I could sit on it. I remember my mom sitting me on the washing machine and twisting the long strands around her finger while it was wet, then I would bounce around with ringlets for days… just like that!

My long braids provided much entertainment as I would run across the playground lickety split, from sweaty, freckle faced little boys who like to pull them.

    In the sixth grade, I cut it to my shoulders. I wanted it to turn under just so, you know… like the girl in Teen Magazine. No matter what I did there were waves and bumps and although I slept carefully with Dippity Do and Scotch tape across my bangs… I could NOT get my hair to do what I wanted it to.

And THAT is the story of our Hair Obsession is it not? If it's blond, it's not quite the right blond, if it's dark we want it light. If it's curly, we want it straight, if it's straight we so badly wish it was curly...

This is my daughter, Hannah… her hair does this naturally but what did she do all through High School?… That's right… smoke floated out of the bathroom from the flat iron several times a day.

I would say the first half of our lives we try to make our hair to do what it is not meant to do and be colors it was never meant to be.

This hair style I forced upon my wavy feather light hair about 8 years ago. I insisted upon it I loved it.(that flat iron IS amazing!!)

And see that glow of light on the top of my head?… NO…  that is not a halo. That is God's way of highlighting the exact area of my head where I would pull out hair as I straightened it… that would never return... (at least not on my head) so began my quest to repair damage already done.

Now then, as if this isn't stressful enough knowing the phrase you used with your kids all those years ("I'm gonna PULL my HAIR out!!") has come true, at no ones fault but your own. Your focus on hair problems takes a very interesting turn...

Illustration

Sitting in the car eating hamburgers, my husband looks over at me and says.."Oh! Hold still… you have a hair." ...OUCH!! That HURT!! "Oh… I didn't know it was attached..." 

With wide eyed terror, I grabbed my chin and looked at him; I'm still not sure who was more horrified… him or me!

This memorable event was nearly 10 years ago… let's just say, things have progressed.

Now, I spend a lot of time in a love/hate relationship...

with my magnifying mirror. Talk about horrified!

One word.

TWEEZERMAN

google it. get one. grin and bear it.

 So I guess, our hair hasn't really left us… just re-located.

Love your hair..

and maybe once in awhile… let it do its thing, what ever that is.

Like our little mop-top Eli says

"Baby I was BORN this way!"

Pushcart Spaghetti

                 
                               

PUSHCART SPAGHETTI

THIS IS AN OLD FAV OF MINE. NO MEAT, EASY PREP, AND IT IS DELISH!

28 oz can tomatoes

                   

1 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped

3 large garlic cloves chopped (I just put in a couple T. jarred chopped garlic)

5 T. extra virgin olive oil             

1 pound dry spaghetti

Fresh grated Parmesan cheese

Salt and Pepper

IN A SKILLET OVER MEDIUM HEAT, BRING TOMATOES, BASIL, GARLIC, AND 3 TBLS. OLIVE OIL TO SIMMER AND COOK UNTIL THE TOMATOES REACH A SAUCE LIKE CONSISTENCY, AT LEAST 25 MINUTES. SEASON WITH SALT AND PEPPER.

COOK SPAGHETTI TO AL DENTE. DRAIN.

POUR REMAINING 2 TBLS. OLIVE OIL IN HEAT PROOF BOWL THAT HAS BEEN HEATED IN 2OO DEGREE OVEN. TOSS DRAINED PASTA IN OIL.

(I HAVE SKIPPED THIS OUT OF PURE "THIS IS COMPLETELY UNNECCESARY' ATTITUDE..IT IS MUCH BETTER WITH IT :) )

POUR THE BEAUTIFUL SAUCE OVER THE PASTA AND TOSS. PLATE UP AND SPRINKLE WITH FRESH PARM AND FRESH PARSLEY IS NICE TOO!

                             

MEATLESS MONDAY…YES WE CAN!      

            

BECAUSE SERIOUSLY…WHO DOES NOT LOVE PASGETTI??!!!

Shared at: Weekend Potluck, Melt in Your Mouth Monday, Monday Meal Plan, Mouth Watering Mondays, Better Mom Monday, Menu Plan Monday,  Homemaking Party