The Corral

TODAY'S VERSE from HEARTLIGHT

Free Potholder Patterns...TipNut

Here’s a fun freebie download, it’s a set of six different panhol potholders.

Free Potholder Patterns...TipNut

Todays Quote...Our Nation needs to heed this quote

Blogging break...

I will be taking a break from blogging for a while.

Salsa!

Good Morning my friends, I am up and feeling froggy today!  I look forward to all that the day holds around here... I have a lot to do and we have VBS tonight so I have to get moving... Have a GREAT one! God's blessings to each and all... (((hugs)))

I have had a few requests for my Hot and Spicy Salsa Recipe.  If you have visited my blog before then you know most of 'my' recipes are more of an approximation instead of exactness.  But I am happy to share and you can add, take away, whatever you like!

Ok, I had peppers, whatever kind, how many you like... cayenne, jalapeno, habanero, bell, cherry hot, Thai hot...
I took about 3 overflowing hand-fulls.  I cut off the stem, and tossed em into the food processor, yes seeds and all!

I took a HUGE onion and chopped it in the food processor as well.

Cilantro... SO good! Chop up several sprigs... this is a beautiful thing so be sure you use it.

Now as I take this out of the food processor I am putting it all into a big 8 quart stock pot. 

I now began adding tomatoes.  I would take my tomatoes and if there was any blemish I would cut that off and then quarter them and toss them in the food processor.  I really do not know how many I ended up using, I just kept processing until I had enough to fill my stock pot.  Sorry this is not more precise... but this doesn't have to be!  If I had to guess how many I would say it took about 20 tomatoes.  Remember that is a GUESS!!!

Ok, I have an almost full stock pot, I would say we are about 3 inches from the top!

Add about 1/3 cup vinegar, doesn't matter what kind.
Add about 1/4 cup sugar
Now this is a big guess because you just need to taste and see.... 4-5 Tbsp of Salt
SEVERAL-MANY grinds of freshly ground black pepper
1- 6 oz can of tomato paste
(I did not add these in previous batches and my salsa was a bit on the juicy side, these helped to add a bit more RED and to thicken things up a little!)

At this point taste... if it needs more salt, add it, if it is too sweet, add a little lemon juice, if it needs some more heat throw in some Texas Pete or maybe some horseradish... ooooooh that gives me a good idea!

I let that simmer for a good 30 min or a little longer if you need.  Get it good and hot, but not necessarily boiling.

Have your jars hot and clean and have your lids ready.

When you have it in your jars have your hot water bath ready... you want to process this for a good 15 min, in really hot water.  You  want to make sure you are getting a good seal.

Tomato Net aka Butterfly Net

The grandkids brought their butterfly nets over to catch some of granny's butterflies :(. I have been working on a butterfly garden to look at not catch the winged beauties. So I steered them to the many little blue butterflies in the field to catch. At their dismay they could not catch any. Tiring of that they wanted to go pick tomatoes. So off they went to the grape tomato patch, picked and ate , and picked some more.

Now wanting some salt we needed to take their harvest up to the house, and with no buckets in the garden the girls started filling up their butterfly nets, it was so cute. They held hands as they went down the garden path talking about getting some salt and eating the tomatoes out on the porch.

Gdaughter is showing baby brother how its done, just the right amount of salt will do . Nothing like a nice juicy mater on a hot summer day.

Notice the warped steps, nails coming out and needs a paint job. Oh the projects on the homestead. Some people pay big bucks for the "Distressed Look" around here it comes free : ).

Chickens:

Oh the chicks are growing and a couple are crowing, well tryin anyways. Its funny to hear them give it  a shot.
Weekend was spent fixing up the outside pen so they can go out and get some fresh air, eat grass, catch a bug or two.

Theres now 103 Plymouth Barred Rock. I lost two the other day and I think one of the older hens laid into them. They are bigger now and learning to leave the old gals alone.

I sit out in the morning with a cup of coffee and watch them come out the Hen Den doorway. They look around first before they step out to make sure its safe. I keep a fan going on 24/7 in the coop, the days get mighty toasty. They started roosting very young. This helps with the amount of chicks and floor space. Opening up the outside pen for them has really helped too. I hope to get eggs this year and culling out the roos this fall will bring the size down quite a bit.

Flowers:

The Hibiscus are blooming good again this year. They are not the really big ones, like the Dinner Plates but still a good size. I have no names for these.

This is something that I do from now on, make sure when I plant I have the name and botanical name for each plant and keep records. A really must if one saves seeds.

I showed some other pictures of my Caladiums, this is a grouping of them and I am just awed by there growth.

Plans for many more of these bulbs. Critters seem to leave them alone.

Harvest:

Greenbeans, this is my second batch with more to pick. I still need to get my fall beans planted and I best get snappin at it. You know the days , months are flyin by and we will be in a frost before we know it. Ahhhhh frost, sounds good on these hot muggy days.

Homestead thoughts:

Busy week again , thoughts of canning, stocking up for the winter months. That being firewood too. I don't think we should hoard food items and other things, this tends to put a stress in the markets if we all rush out and buy ,buy, buy. But buy a little at a time when you can. The more you can grow and raise yourself also frees up food and such to others that can't or just plain don't like to do it. Supporting the Farmers Market and buying local is the call of today.

The "what if's" can come any old time and with the real truth is that its tight out there for many, stocking up seems the best plan so far. Knowing where your food comes from is such a good feeling that your feeding your family the best foods you can.

This has been used before by many, Plan for the worst and pray for the best.

Out here in the country you just can't get up and go to the store when you have a cravin for something. Having things on hand sure beats running and using up gas. The cravins over by the time you get and go and come back. To pooped to eat.

So these things I'm going to be working on in the next few weeks. Nature gives us signs of weather conditions. The trees are full of nuts and fruits, this could be a sign of a strong cold winter. The gardens harvest too. Canning, freezing, dehydrating foods, fermenting, making your own yeast. Gosh just making a lot of things on your own. Cutting back on things that you really don't need. Oh have I cut back on colas big time. Its Ice tea these days and I like it so much better. Pepsi really makes me thirstier. So cutting back on that not only saves on money, but health too. All that sugar. But I still like my sweet tea : )

Then you get things, I'm talkin bargin things. Stuff that comes to ya out of the blue. Maybe your at the right place at the right time, maybe you check the paper for coupons, maybe the garage sale down the street has something for a song and a dance that you have been wanting for a time and now its yours. Those kind of finds that makes your mouth fall south.

Having just the exact amount of money for something that you need , or the money is there when you need it.

I like to call these such things Blessings, coming from a higher being of Love, whom I call God. Miracles , oh ya, little, big doesn't matter, they are all around us and for all of us.

A little story:

When we were kids,sis and I, K and first grade. We had deep snow back when we went to school. And this one time Mom carried us to school cuz she did not have enough money for boots for us. I remember this to this day. As she was walking with us in each arm she notice green money under the snow. It was a 5 dollar bill, and right in front of a small clothes store. Sis and I walked out of the store with new boots on.
I don't remember the look on my Moms face b/c I was so happy with my new boots but as a mother and grandmother I know it had to be the happiest type of look.
Right time, right place, maybe, or !!!!!!!!

I think most of us have a story or two tucked away in our hearts.

And on tucks,I gotta go tuck the chicks in for the evening, and go over and have a cup of coffee over at Moms. Sis will be over there and we'll sit outside and talk of old times when we first moved to the sticks and talk of our many fishing trips. Maybe Mom will pop some popcorn for us, she makes the best popcorn. : )

All take good care
and Blessings many
linda

Wednesday's list of things to do....

Tomorrow will be Wednesday so that means Roger will be working from home and that it is a light cleaning day. Wednesday's are also my baking day.

Wednesday's to do list~

*Clean toilets in hallway and master bathrooms

*Clean sink and counters in hallway and Master bathrooms

*Clean tub/shower in hallway and Master bathrooms

*Windex mirror/windows in hallway and Master bathrooms

*Check supplies in hallway and Master bathrooms

*Sweep/mop hallway and master bathrooms

Point of Grace.........

I am messing around on the computer right now, taking a break from cleaning and I was visiting some blogs, one of my favorites Amy Jo's   I had to go over and bother her about her curtains that she was making. She finally posted pictures, they turned out real cute...Now I am listening to my Point of Grace CD, I  just love their voices they are so pretty, right now this song is playing and the words are so true~

Heal the wound~

I used to wish that I could rewrite history

I used to dream that each mistake could be erased

Then I could just pretend

I never knew me back then

I used to pray that You would take this shame away

Hide all the eveidence of who I've been

But it's the memory of

The place You brought me from

That keeps me on my knees

And even though I'm free

Heal the wound but leave the scar

A reminder of how merciful You are

I am broken, torn apart

Take the pieces of this heart

and heal the wound but leave the scar

I have not lived a life that boasts of anything

I don't take pride in what I bring

But I'll build an altar with

the rubble that you found me in

And every stone will sing

of what You can redeem

Heal the wound but leave the scar

A reminder of how merciful You are

I am broken, torn apart

Take the pieces of this heart

And heal the wound but leave the scar

don't let me forget

Everything You've done for me

Don't let me forget

The beauty in the suffering

Heal the wound but leave the scar

A reminder of how merciful You are

I am broken, torn apart

Take the pieces of this heart

Heal the wound but leave the scar

A reminder of how merciful, how merciful You are

I am broken, torn apart

Take the pieces of this heart

Heal the wound but leave the scar

Have a great Tuesday...

Blessings, Joann

To Carlie Jean for her belated birthday...

A tribute to my Sweet One's birthday that we missed...
Carlie Jean, we missed your birthday this year because Daddy was in the hospital.  July 6th was such a special day, when you were born.  You were so precious and  you had so much hair, just what I wanted... we adorned you with a bow almost immediately.
Such a good baby.  You slept well, you ate well, you loved to cuddle.
You grew so quickly, becoming such a little beauty.
As quickly as you could you wanted to do everything you saw Moma do.
Washing dishes...

Making saurkraut...

Wearing your baby, or Dora...

Singing at church...
You are my big girl now, 4 years old... learning, growing and becoming more special to me every day. 
I love you Carlie Jean, my precious... and I am so thankful God blessed me with you.
My Cup Runneth Over...Chas

Tuesday's list of things to do...

I did get my menu made today, also the grocery shopping done and things put away. We had Pizza for dinner and now I am ready to go for our evening walk with the dog and then home to put my jammies on and kick back for the rest of the evening... Tuesday is one of my major cleaning days, it is one of the two days Roger works in Livermore all day so I have the house to myself and seem to get a lot more done. 

Tuesday's to do list~

*Dust Roger's office

*Windex window in Roger's office

*Check/empty garbage in Roger's office

*Vacuum Roger's office

*Dust in my craft room

*Windex window in my craft room

*Check/empty garbagein my craft room

*Vacuum my craft room

*Dust living room

*Windex windows in living room

*Dust blinds in living room

*Wipe down T.V. and electronic equipment

*Vacuum living room

*Febreeze furniture in living room