Homesteading With katlupe

It will soon be green bean season here

My green beans are blooming so you know what that means I will soon be up to my elbows in green beans! Nothing tastes like fresh green beans straight from the garden to the table in the same day.  One of our family favorites is to cook fresh green bens in a pot with a piece of ham and some new potatoes, serve it up with a hot pan of cornbread and a fresh green salad and you have one of our favorite meals. Another way we use fresh green beans is by cooking them with fennel and feta cheese;

 1 pound fresh green beans

1 fennel bulb, cut into thin slices

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves

salt and pepper to taste

1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

Fill a saucepan half full with water and bring to a boil. Add the green beans and fennel slices; cook until just beginning to become tender, about 4 minutes. Pour into a colander to drain and run under cold water to stop the cooking process.

Return the empty pan to the stove and set heat to medium. Pour in the olive oil and let it heat for a minute. Return the green beans and fennel to the pan. Season with basil, salt, and pepper; cook and stir until coated and warm, and toss with feta cheese.

 Does anyone have any other green bean recipes they would care to share?

Preparedness, when properly pursued, is a way of life, not a sudden, spectacular program. -- Spencer W. Kimball, 1976

Happy Fourth of July!!!!!!

Happy Fourth of July to everyone, I hope all of your plans for picnics and get together’s go well today and that you take just a few moments to ponder the freedoms we enjoy here in the country and say a prayer of thanks to all the brave men and women that have served our country in the past and present.

July 4th

Asking for a few prayers, its been along week

Good Evening, it’s been another long week here and I for one am glad to see the week draw to a close and the holiday to be upon us. We have spent the last few days getting the hay baled, it is done but we only had the two of us my husband and I to do it all. Usually our son in law helps us but his father passed away on Monday night very suddenly and most unexpectedly. He was on 57 years old had a heart attack as he was sitting down to dinner. My daughter and son in law have been busy helping his mother get through the arrangements and all so my husband and I have been taking care of little Noah and trying to support all of them, while trying to beat the rain and get the hay done. They say god never gives us more than we can handle at one time, I guess that is  true but I hope our family has time to catch our breath collectively after this past week before the next thing comes along.

Preparedness, when properly pursued, is a way of life, not a sudden, spectacular program. -- Spencer W. Kimball, 1976

A song stuck in my head & new school books

There's greenbeans in the garden,

Clean clothes on the line,

There's little ole' barefoot children playing beneath the grapvine.

The sun is shining bright

And the creeks a' bubblin' too

We've got alot to be thankful for

And Lord I want to thank you.

Today is another hot one here on the little bitty homestead.  I do have my dryer running but it's just to dry the undergarmets.  The towels & the rest are out on the clothesline. 

My husband & son are gone fishing and Abigail is still sleeping.  So even though it's a little after 9:00 it is very quiet here. 

I got my package from Rainbow Resource in the mail yesterday.  It feels like a holiday when those crisp, clean schoolbooks arrive....To me anyway.  Abigail came running in from outside yesterday evening with the package the UPS just delivered.  Here was our conversation:

A- "Mama, mama, we got a package & it's got your name on it."

M- "Oh great it's from Rainbow Resource."

A- "What is that?  Is there anything for me in there?"

M- "Yes a few things & a couple for your brother."

A opens package up and pulls out a couple of books.

A-" Are these school books?"

M- "Yes aren't they neat.  Come look at this one for you all about animals."

A- looks at cover & looks back up at me not too happy.

A-"Next time can you please order something useful."

M-

Hope everyone has a good 4th of July.

A Morning Walk

Pickles, pickles, pickles

I started early this morning due to the heat.  I got 16 pints of dill pickles canned & made a double batch of the refrigerator pickles & put those in the fridge. 

We are watching my niece (the 2 year old one) today.  She was apprehensive about our swimming pool the last time she stayed.  However today I put on my suit and got in with her.  She LOVED it.  I'm watching her again on Friday & then next week too so I'm going to get some floaties and things to play on.  Our dog Carly (Should have been named "Dog that chews everything to bits") Has squeezed on the pool deck and popped every float we have. 

Well, I have a little while until she wakes up from her nap so I think I'm going to get a couple things done. ~Take care

Beating the heat with a different kind of popsicle

I got this from my Living on a Dime (linked) newsletter today and thought I'd share it. Any way of beating the heat is a good thing.

For non-traditional popsicles:

• Freeze applesauce in popsicle molds.
  
  
• Mix fruit or jam into yogurt. Freeze in small, snack sized Ziploc bags for frozen yogurt on the go. Cut a hole in the end of the bag for easy access/eating.
  
  
• Mix gelatin and freeze. Add gummie fish or worms before freezing for added fun.
  
  
• Freeze syrup from canned fruit.
  
  
• Add food coloring or sprinkles to yogurt or softened ice cream for added pizzazz. Then freeze in popsicle molds.
  
  
• When you have leftover jam or jelly, put 1/4 cup of hot water in the jar and shake well. Pour into popsicle molds and freeze.
  
  
• If jelly or jam doesn't set up well, use for popsicles or add more water, boil and make syrup.
  
  
• Make a batch of pudding. Add coconut, nuts, marshmallows, crushed cookies or sprinkles if desired. Pour into molds. Freeze several hours until firm.
  
  
• Stick a toothpick in the center of blackberries, strawberries, raspberries or sliced bananas.
  Dip in chocolate if desired. Freeze on a tray. Once frozen, store in freezer bags.
  
  
• For easy snow cones, freeze orange juice (or any other flavored juice) in ice cube trays. Store frozen juice cubes in a plastic bag. Blend 5 cubes in the blender until they have a shaved ice consistency. The shaved ice will keep its consistency if kept frozen in a container.
  
  
• For watermelon popsicles, blend one cup each watermelon chunks (seeds removed), orange juice and water. Blend well. Then pour and freeze into molds.
  
  
• For strawberry popsicles, blend 2 cups strawberries, 1 cup vanilla ice cream or yogurt, 4 cups orange juice and 2 tablespoons sugar. Blend smooth. Pour into molds and freeze.
  
  
• For banana popsicles, dissolve one 3 oz. package strawberry gelatin with one cup boiling water. In a blender, mix gelatin, 1 banana and 1 cup yogurt or ice cream. Blend well and pour into molds.

Fill in the blanks

Refrigerator Pickles

I had about 10 cucumbers to use up & made this small batch of refrigerator pickles.  They were really simple to make & taste great.  Not too sweet & not too sour.

1 cup sliced onions

1 cup sliced bell peppers and/or banana peppers (I used both)

6 cups sliced cucumbers

1 cup white vinegar

1 cup sugar

1 T. salt

Put sliced veggies in a big bowl.  Then put the sugar, vinegar & salt in a sauce pan.  Heat on low until sugar is dissolved.  Pour over vegetables & stir.  Place in jars or containers.  Cover & put in fridge.

These are to put in refrigerator.