Dewey was looking through last week's Advertiser paper and came across an ad for an antique wood stove.  I figured, being 3 days late, if it was worth anything at all, it was gone, but I called.  They still had it, I went Friday to look at it, then Dewey went after work.

Here's what we have -- now this isn't actually my stove, but it's what ours looks like.  I don't have a camera to take a photo and upload it.  The difference between this one and ours is my oven door is solid...no dial or wording on it, just clean porcelain.  I found this one on EBay...

My stove is in better condition than this as far as rust.  My stove is still very black and pretty looking, well maintained, though a good coat of stove black would shine it up and make it prettier I'm sure.  I can fit my 9x13 pan in the oven box, as well as 2 loaf pans, so I'm good to go.  We're getting the stove pipe this week and hopefully will have it up and running this weekend.  It's going on the front porch, pipe and all, for the summer, then it will move inside.  The local hardware store doesn't sell triple-walled stove pipe, so we have to go to Home Depot and such to get what we need. 

Ok...so now all I need is to learn how to bake in this beauty!!!  Start sharing thoughts and tips for me before I begin burning everything

Jacob received an all clear from his plastic surgeons yesterday and won't need any more visits unless we believe there is a problem.  They checked him out thoroughly and don't believe his initial skin growth set up any scar tissue internally on his hands, so he's free from more visits. 

Miss Emily also was told she is healing very nicely.  IT was just a good day all around.

Of course, my local weather lady....ahem, Leighann...sort of dropped the ball on weather notification and I drove headlong into the remnants of a storm.  Really, it was such a pretty deep steel blue sky...just not the kind of sky you want to be out driving in.  LOL  Some folks just get lost in their canning efforts of the day, I suppose

I'm gathering canning jars so we are prepared for a full pantry this year.  I know...why did I move down here and leave some 300 quart jars back north?  A serious lapse in my mind, I know.  Everybody does something stupid from time to time is all I can say.  That decision is most certainly not one of my more shiny moments.

Either way, I am now beginning to restock again.  I have a growing list of foods to get canned up, and I found a great recipe page online for large batch items...Ellen's Kitchen.  I'll  be checking out the recipes shared there for the big pots and putting my list of pantry goodies together.  So far, I've already figured on a batch or two of the Beef Tomato & Vegetable Soup variations, and some Sloppy Joes mix, and I have 4 50# bags of potatoes needing processing here, so we might try some of the potato recipes here, instead of just canning them up.  There's a host of Chili recipes as well.  I might even make up a bunch of pie crusts and tuck them away for later.  And these beans sound delicious!  I love this recipe simply because it's my kind of size...Lasagna for an 18qt roaster!  There is even a spaghetti sauce recipe on that page that makes up about 70 gallons (for 1000 people!)  Can't get more bulk than that one!  She shares a Pantry Listing of homemade mixes and the like as well.

I even came across a recipe for homemade marshmellow cream today.  Hmmm....wonder if I could can that for the pantry myself? 

If you are looking for a particular recipe, you might check out Uncle Phaedrus and his archives...wonderful gathering of recipes of all kids!
Some other goodies, not canning really, just delicious:

Chicken & Cheese Flautas

6 each, flour tortilla 8"
3/4 cup cooked diced chicken
4 oz. cheddar cheese
4 oz. jack cheese
3/4/ tsp. ground cumin
1/3 cup salsa
4 tsp. vegetable oil

Combine the chicken, cheese, salsa and cumin in a bowl.
Place about 1/4 of the chicken mixture on each tortilla.
Roll tightly and brush with olive oil.
Bake tortillas in the oven at 350 for 15 - 25 minutes until 
tortillas are a little crispy and golden brown.
Provide sour cream, guacamole, and salsa on the side.

Half Moons Cookies

3 3/4 cups flour
3/4 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. baking soda
2 1/4 cups sugar
2 sticks margarine, cut in pieces
3/4 cup sifted unsweetened cocoa
1/4 tsp. salt
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 cups milk
Fudge Icing:
3 1/2 ounces bittersweet chocolate
3 1/2 ounces semisweet chocolate
1 Tbls. butter
4 1/3 cups sifted confectioner's sugar
2 Tbls. corn syrup
1 tsp. vanilla
Pinch of salt
Buttercream Icing:
7 cups confectioner's sugar
2 sticks softened butter, cut in pieces
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
7 Tbls. milk
1 Tbls. vanilla
Pinch of salt

For the cookies: sift together first 3 ingredients and
set aside. Combine next 4 ingredients in large bowl and beat
at medium speed until fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla and continue
to beat. Add half the milk, then half the flour mixture, beating
well. Repeat with remaining milk and flour mixture. Spoon onto
parchment- lined baking sheets, making 3-inch rounds about 2
inches apart. Bake at 350 degrees until cookies are set - about
12 minutes. Allow to cool, then remove from parchment.

For fudge icing: melt both chocolates with butter in top of
double boiler over simmering water. Add remaining ingredients
along with 6 Tbls. of boiling water; mix to a smooth, stiff paste.
Thin icing with up to 8 more Tbls. of boiling water. Icing should
fall from a spoon in thick ribbons. Keep icing warm in double
boiler over low heat.

For buttercream icing: with mixer on low, combine all ingredients
in large bowl; then beat at medium speed until light and fluffy.
Using a metal spatula, spread about 1 Tbls. of warm fudge icing
on half of the flat side of each cookie. Spread other half with
1 heaping Tbls. of buttercream icing.
Makes about 2 1/2 dozen cookies.