Ice Cream

Sometimes Mama just needs some ice cream. Who's with me? 

In The Kitchen...

*Yes, It's okay to drool a little.

Slushies!

Summertime is upon us and I've been making slushies! These slushies are so tasty and they require very little work. I didn't measure anything (as usual), but it's all pretty basic.

:: Water+Ice+Fruit+organic sugar+Secret Ingredient = Yummy!

Now yes, I did say sugar (organic)...it's an ingredient that you could use or just use the natural sweetness of the fruit to do the job. I however was using a lot of sour lemons in my recipes, so they required the extra sweetness in my opinion.

 First up, we have the ever so yummy tropical slushie! Pineapple, strawberry, blueberry, and lemon! (a bit of coconut water/milk would be lovely in this!)

 This was more simply a mixture of lemon (about 3 plus the zest of 1 or 2) and a handful off blueberries!

 (Don't you just love that pale pink color?) Again, a very simple blend of strawberry and lemon! It was a toss up between the lemon-strawberry and the lemon-blueberry. They were both soooo good it was hard to decide which one was my favorite.

Oh yes, I almost forgot! My "secret ingredient" for all of these drinks are pure vanilla extract! *shhhhhhhh about 1.5 teaspoons for each recipe. Sooooo good! It really gives it a good balance and makes these slushies extra special. I hope you all are enjoying your summer and if you want, experiment with your own slushie recipes! Different fruits, using honey instead of sugar, coconut milk! I'm sure I'll be enjoying a few different ones this summer.


God Bless!

What's my age again?

               Gift certificate to Stick Boy. Thanks to my little sis.

                                       Mmmmm....

      My new beautiful sterling silver wedding band. (I'm not much for the flashy stuff. This is Perfect!!)

                               Beer from Natty Greene's

                      The best cheesecake EVER!

                                   I love her!

                                My chamomile brew.

                                  Enough said.

Well, another year older, another year wiser. It's strange. On every single one of my birthdays, I know...okay. I'm an entire year older. Today should feel different. I spend the whole day thinking it should feel different and I feel as though it doesn't, but because of that...it actually does feel different. (okay, that may not have made sense to you, but it does in my own mind...lol). It seems it takes me awhile to adjust to a new age. I'm embracing it. So yesterday I spend the whole day indulging. It felt good I must admit. The day started off with my absolute FAVORITE spot to grab a coffee and a muffin. Stick Boy Bread Company. Mmmmm....... Seriously. Then my sweetie pie husband took me out on a (kid-free) date to Natty Greene's Pub & Brewing Co. It was REALLY good. I had a lovely brew...made with chamomile! We then headed over to another one of our favorite local spots in town. Aviator Brewing Co. The place has such a good atmosphere. The weather was gorgeous for such a day. I had a truly wonderful 23rd birthday.

Summer's End...

Ah, Just feast your eyes on that! Summer is almost over and even though the days of outdoor grilling will continue around here, looking at these photos just reminds me of how summer is coming to an end. (And yes, it was a chance for me to share with you my food photography obsession...lol). I am very much looking foward to the cooler weather and days spent inside baking, crafting, cooking, learning, and so much more. And hopefully even more time spent outside as well. At the end of the week, my family and I will be taking a trip to Old Salem here in NC for their Homeschool Days. I am very excited and hope to share many pictures with you. Stay tuned!

http://www.oldsalem.org/homeschool-days.html

Kudzu Blossom Jelly...

This Summer has brough many wonderful things. I'm thankful to God for everthing he has created for us. That being said, Summer is almost over with and I'm glad I got the chance to make this lovely little jar of goodness. (actually it was 3 jars : )  Anywho....for those who have never heard of Kudzu, its often referred to as "the plant/vine that ate the south". Sounds kind of funny, but its true...it grows everywhere here. Ever since I moved here I have seen this plant. Taking over buildings and woods. Anything thats in it's path. However, I have never got close enough to it to realize that it has the most beautiful flowers on it. They grow in a cluster. Beautiful shades of violet. My SIL informed me that she had a bunch of Kudzu behind her house and that it was coverd in blossoms. That made me think..... My husband had told me of Kudzu jelly. I decided to look up a recipe! We spend an evening at my SIL and I spent a good amount of time hand gathering all of these wonderful blossoms. The first thing I noticed was the smell! It smelled of grapes and blueberries, but unique at the same time. I was very excited to say the least. I went home, immediately washed the flowers and began the jelly making process. (mind you, this was my first attempt at making jelly in my whole life!)  The results were amazing! Its the most unique flavor. Very delicious!

~*Kudzu Blossom Jelly*~

*4 Cups of Kudzu blossoms (make sure they haven't been sprayed with chemicals)

*4 Cups of boiling water

*1 Tbs lemon juice

*1 (1 3/4 oz) Package of powdered fruit pectin

*5 Cups of sugar

Wash blossoms in cold water, strain and place in a clean bowl

Pour 4 cups of boiling water over blossoms and refrigerate for at least 6 hours

Strain liquid through a colander into a Dutch oven, discarding flowers

Add lemon juice and pectin. Bring to a full rolling boil over high heat stirring constantly

Stir in sugar, return to a full rolling boil. Boil stirring constantly for 1 minute.

Remove from heat, skim off foam with a spoon

At this point you can pour the jelly into jars to store regularly (like I did) or you can choose to can them like you normally would for preserving them for long periods of time.

Store jelly in the fridge.

**Note: The liquid will appear gray and dull before you add the lemon juice, then it will be the most amazing shade of pink!!

Enjoy!

I love Wild Crafting!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Springy-Dingy...

Wishing you happy spring days!!

Fresh...

Oh the joys of spring time cooking. Enjoy!

A quick lunch...

Being pregnant and NOT wanting to wait long for food...lol. I came up with a quick fix for todays' lunch. Basically its "Flat Bread Pizza". Its really yummy, super quick, and pretty healthy as well. Here is what I used: (makes 2 pizzas)
*2 Store bought Naan (Indian flatbread)
*4 Tablespoons of sundried tomato pesto (divided)
*1 cup of organic spinach (divided)
*1 cup of shredded mozzarella (divided)
*drizzle of olive oil
*I popped it in the oven at 400 degrees for about 7 minutes and then turned on the broiler for about 3 minutes, just to get the top nice and brown.
*Enjoy!!
This was super yummy and its also turned out to be a great quick lunch for my 2 year old as well!!

Ahh Autumn...baking, sewing, & an update.

So Its been forever since I've made it on here to post. It seems now its always an "update" because I'm never on. Oh well, I'm trying. : ) Well I'm almost 26 weeks now and I'm feeling pretty good, well, it is getting harder to move around these days. lol. I just can't believe i'm over half way through this pregnancy. I can't wait for my little Rowan Briar to get here!! Yep, we are naming him Rowan Briar!! Don't you just LOVE that name?? Well, because I am a cold weather type of person...you can imagine that this is one of my favorite times of year. I love everything about fall and winter!! The holidays that occure this time of year, the smells, just the look of it all and one of my favorite things to do is to bake. I love to cook in general, but baking this time of year really makes things special. I found a really awesome recipe lately for the most soft, chewy cookie you'll ever eat!! (the secret ingredient is ........................ pudding!!) I used chocolate pudding for this batch and I really, really liked it. So did everyone else!!

Also during this time of year I love to sew. I have been trying my hand at embroidery and its fun!! I sewed this little tree to the back of one of Liam's P.J's and I am so pleased how it came out. (My first embroidery project).

Well, I'm sure I'll be posting a whole lot more this coming season, especially with the Fair and Halloween coming up. Have a wonderful day!!

Summer Time and the Livin' is Easy...

Ahh...the sweet, simple joys of summer. This summer is especially sweet so far because I recently found out that I am pregnant. : ) I am just so thankful that by the time I am huge, it wont be so darn hot outside. (Like the last pregnancy)....Anywho... I have just been busy sleeping (thanks to the first trimester...haha) and making yummy food and sweet summer drinks. Thank goodness so far (knock on wood) that I havent really had bad morning sickness...I do get a tiny bit queasy here and there, but its nothing like last time. So here below I have posted some pictures of my super yummy "Masonades" I got the recipe from www.coldantlerfarm.blogspot.com I was so inspired that I had to make my own. I give all the credit to her!! Its now my mothers favorite lemonade...Its the only kind that doesn't give her heartburn.... Its so simple and easy and just plain yummy and perfect for summer. (making "Masonade")

Here is my mother and my nephew sporting the new "Sleepy Wrap" she got me for the new baby on the way.

It came in this really awesome carrying bag.

The fabric is so soft and I just love the chocolate brown color I picked out.

Mmm...Lemons!!!! My favorite citrus.

Okay so here is the South Eastern North Carolina BBQ sauce (vinegar based) my husband and I made for our pulled pork. Everyone just loved it... I however had some of the "queasies" kick in and really didn't enjoy it. Haha.

Well I hope everyone is having a lovely weekend!!

Busy Week.......*phew...

Okay so this week has been a busy one. My Older sister Heather came for a visit. She stayed for 6 days and she is the best!! Since she is so much older than I am I didnt really get to see much of her when I was growing up so its nice for her to come and visit every once in awhile. She is an awesome Hair Stylist and so when she comes for a visit my mom, younger sister, and myself always get our hair done. (Its about time....mine was looking like a mop). haha. Also today I scored some sweet stuff at our local thrift store. My husband found a really neat little wooden truck and I found some material to sew with...along with some books and buttons...oh oh and this really neat little wooden step stool with a cow and a chicken painted on it for Liam. I tell ya....I could take all day shopping in a thrift store. Also This evening I made a wonderful California Waldorf Salad ( You can find the recipe at www.earthboundfarm.com ) and I made a really nice, very simple focaccia with some caramelized onions on top... Mmmm.... ( You can find the focaccia recipe I made and other wonderful versions at www.recipezaar.com The one I made was the highest rated focaccia recipe ). Oh and before I forget to tell you I also made some natural citrus candy using the peels of different citrus fruits. I made mine from orange and lemon peels. Oh so gooooood. (Above) My super awesome and very healthy California Waldorf Salad w/ ginger-lime dressing!!

Some sweet little books I found at the thrift store.

Mmm...Orange/Lemon peel candy.

My older sis Heather w/ Seamus

Some sewing and craft books.

Pretty ribbon.

Liam's new toy truck.

Sweet fabric I found. I love the nice summer colors.