This & That Dec. 10, 2019

My phone here in NW Indiana said it felt like 3 degrees!  This is what I picked from the cold frame this morning.  My cheeks were so cold.

I garden in a winter jacket and ear muffs.

Kind of blurry but Coco got her grooming haircut with a Christmas scarf!  She doesn't look too happy.

Mike got the tree down from the attic and Melissa and Cali decorated it for us.  We are so grateful for the help of family.

Love the expression on this one of Cali.

Cali put out some of our manger scenes.  Bob made this one years ago.  One of my favorites.  She also set up our nutcrackers in front of the fireplace.

How many of you can eat lunch with your leg behind your head!  Gracie can but not me for sure!!

I tried to make these scrunchies.  Sewing the elastic together tries my patience!

I made these chocolate banana muffins using a regular recipe and substituting a gluten free flour.  They turned out really yummy.

My seeds came this week!  Time for armchair gardening for me.  Christmas will be here before we know it and then spring.  I hope you have a wonderful Christmas season and a healthy New Year.  Thanks for visiting!  Nancy 

Nov. 4, 2019 Misc.

We received more snow than this! 

 Winter and frosts have started!

Trying to have plants last as long as possible so this is my little indoor garden.  I haul them in and out!  Have put some plants in the garage and have a few greens growing in the cold frame.

Aren't these just the cutest little goblins!  Great Grandkids are the best!

Two of these funny looking mushrooms were under one of my perennial leaves.  What are they????

A pot of homemade hamburg/veggie soup tastes good on these cold nights!  So what is everyone doing in my part of the woods to help keep warm?  Have a good week and keep smiling!  Nice weather will arrive again in a few months!   Nancy

A Dreary Day Oct. 28,2019

Dreary here today in SW Indiana.  Yesterday was brisk and sunny.  The day before rainy.  A little bit of each!  No frost yet and I hope it holds off for awhile!  Don't you just hate to pull out flowers that are still blooming!   

I just love picking fresh greens from my garden every day for my salad!

Being adventurous and trying recipes from my new cookbook!

I tried the recipe from the Gluten Free Namaste flour site.  This is how it came out of the oven.  It is moist in the center but tastes good toasted.  Next time I will cover with tin foil at the end and bake longer.

I am trying to learn to wrap presents pretty like Annabelle does in the Bluebirds are Nesting blog.  This was a small hostess gift.

 Getting back to knitting dish cloths again!   All for now! Till next time have a safe and fun halloween!  Thanks for visiting!  Nancy  

Brrrr Oct. 22

I am still picking a few raspberries and strawberries but it has gotten cold here so that will soon stop.  It has been wonderful enjoying them fresh from the garden.  No frost yet.  Hope it holds off awhile longer.

I bought a pie crust and made hubby a raspberry pie from berries gifted to me.

More of our breakfast egg, sausage, cheese "lumps" made up and frozen ready to warm for breakfast!  We really like these.

Finally got fall decorations up!  The next two pictures are of the mantle.  Nothing new added this year to it.

Guess I need to get busy and take more pictures!  Where does every one store their things they take down to put the seasonal decorations up?  Stay warm and cozy and thanks for visiting!  Nancy

Oct. 6th 2019 Happenings

Feeding my gluten free sourdough.  About once a month I get it out of the refrigerator and feed it with gluten free flour and water and make muffins and pancakes.  Then I put it back in the refrigerator till the next time.  A box of six gluten free donuts can cost $5 so this helps out with the cost of eating gluten free.

The Lord is still blessing us with a few strawberries and raspberries!  When there are too many to eat I slice and freeze them and then put in a bag.  They can be eaten frozen for a snack, put in smoothies or on cereal.

My poor lettuce got beaten down in a hard rainstorm!  That is not a snake in the corner but the cord to my camera!

Sungold tomatoes still producing on the front porch.  We had some days in the 80's but in the 60's now so probably won't be ripening for much longer.  I guess fall has arrived!

Isn't this the most beautiful rose!  It was just a little different color pink and has opened up even larger than in this picture.  I had a tooth extracted but hubby got this a day or two before just because he is glad we can grow old together.  I second that!





I have a small raspberry patch but put a couple in five gallon pots to try.  I also planted strawberry plants around it that I started from runners.  Don't know if they will live through the winter but thought I would try.  Next spring I want to get a blackberry or black raspberry plant to try in a pot.  Gardeners are always planning for next year!  Thanks for visiting and enjoy your week!  Nancy 

Misc. Sept. 19th 2019

Here we are again still plodding along.  Me with my chronic fatigue and hubby spent a few days in the hospital with a blocked small intestine.  Home and doing good now!  Thank the Lord.  Here is one of Coco's favorite spots to lay now.  Under the bedskirt on the bed.  She is 13 and 1/2 half years old and goes about the speed we do.  LOL

I read that it is time to plant my fall/winter garden in the cold frame.  We have had lots of warm days in the 80's but they seem to be doing okay even though the temperature in the cold frame reaches over a 100 degrees.  I do cover with a cloth quite often to help shade them.  Hoping for things to eat at least until December!

This is an 8 ball zucchini.  First year I have grown one.  Don't think I will order seeds again but may try to use up what I have.  I planted regular zucchini too but no luck this year.

Finally getting a few raspberries every day!  Makes me happy.  My friend brought me some she picked for the freezer.  That makes me happy too!

More lettuce I planted in another bed hoping to eat soon.

Trying to figure out how to make a kleenex box cover!  Wish me luck!

I had so many of these last year but have only seen one this year.  It is on my parsley.  Thanks for visiting!  I need to try to go out and plant a few carrot seeds now.  Hope you are enjoying these nice days!  Nancy

Sept. 4th update

Oops! 

My roasted broccoli.  It is roasted alright and went into the trash can.  Better luck next time!

My Raspberry bushes were spilling over into the path!  They have been cut and pulled back and a couple wires put on stakes to hold them back.

I planted celery seed in this pot.  Do I cut them now and dry them or how do I use them?

Christmas cards are so pretty and I hate to just throw them away.  I used this punch to cut out gift tags to be used at Christmas time from a bunch of mine.

I thought this pepper plant was done so I sat it by the door to be thrown out.  It didn't get tossed right away and then I saw some peppers growing so have kept it.  Who knew!

I missed using my hand lotion bars.  I really like them so used my energy one morning to make more.  Guess I kinda forgot how to do it!  Next time I won't fill them so full.  They will be easier to handle and I will probably have enough to fill the forth container.  Till next time enjoy each day!  Nancy  

Another Setback!! 8/22/19

Isn't this just the prettiest little bouquet!  The pot says Bee Well Soon.  I had a toothache start Friday.  By Monday my chin and jaw were badly swollen.  Had it fixed but by the third day I was red down into my chest with blood infection so was admitted to the hospital for five days on an IV and home on oral antibiotic for 10 days. Many prayers were sent up on my behalf.

Sue also brought me a half dozen beautiful pink roses after I was home.  She knows I love PINK!

Got my gluten free sourdough starter out of the refrigerator and started feeding it again and made up sourdough pancakes for a month and froze and the last batch of gf sourdough muffins will come out of the oven soon.  Then back into the refrigerator the gf sourdough starter will go for another month!

Not the best looking cucumbers but I wondered at one point if I would get any.  So far no zucchini and I doubt I will.  I thought zucchini was suppose to be easy to grow!

I am not too impressed with growing Amaranth so will probably plant fewer next year.  As you can guess not much accomplished around my little homestead lately!  Thank you for visiting and please come back again!  Nancy