Canning Count 2010

I decided to start a "Canning Count" for this season to keep an inventory of how much I've put away for the year. You can find it on the right side of this page.

Two reasons for doing this:
(1)I think this will be helpful next year to see how much we've used, given away, etc. to help me decide if I need to change the amount I can for next year.
(2)When I looked at my "inventory" from last summer, I was AMAZED at how much I'd actually canned. I just love to see how much was actually put up - it's good to know all that hard work over a hot stove in the summertime pays off!

As you can see, I've already done quite a bit of canning, which is why there has been so little posting. My house currently smells like Dill Pickles (my hub's preference), but tomorrow it should smell like Bread & Butter (my fav!!).

When we're 80...

My best friend sent me an email Saturday evening with the subject line, "When we're 80". I had no idea what to expect from this email, but this is what I hilariously found:

I was at a wedding reception this afternoon and overheard 2 little old ladies in the bathroom stalls. 

"Mary?" 
"Yes, Ruth?" 
"Do you think you'll be able to get off that short toilet over there?"

I didn't hear the rest of the conversation - I was so tickled I had to make a quick exit!!  That will be us one day when we are out our grandchildrens weddings :-)  

And that is reason #3508 why it is essential to have great girlfriends!!

Friday Night Lights

Have you watched this show? I love it! High school football, a little bit of love & drama, likeable characters...what's not to enjoy!?!?! I actually watched some of the first season when it started coming on a few years ago, but stopped. I can't remember why but it probably had something to do with my husband ridiculing me for my TV choices...he always thinks I choose lame shows to watch (Tori & Dean Home Sweet Hollywood is definitely not lame - ha!).

I caught a few of the new episodes and decided to ignore my husbands ridiculing. I had to catch up to see what had happened since I tuned in several seasons ago, so I'm doing a 1-month free trial on Netflix. I had intended to go longer than a month, but at the (shameful) rate I'm watching these shows, I may not need to.

Check it out!

National Donut Day!

National Donut Day is the first Friday in June, which is TODAY!

Don't forget to get a free donut at Krispy Kreme or Dunkin' Donuts (w/ beverage purchase) on National Donut Day! I'll be taking Little Man and his future wife tomorrow ;-)

Here's my Little Man last year celebrating at the KK!

Canning Season

Canning season is here. We've already finished up with strawberries and soon we'll be moving on to green beans, pickles, tomatoes, and maybe more. I'm ready. 

My canned good shelves are pretty bare...

And I have lots of empty jars!

But that probably still won't be enough...

So thankful my husband got everything organized for me!

Favorite Things - KITCHEN EDITION (part 3)

I've already told you about my favorite appliances, as well as my favorite gadgets. I'm going to round out my "Favorite Things - Kitchen Edition" posts by talking about what we actually eat on (& drink from).

1. Turvis Tumblers - I generally hate all plastic cups and much prefer glasses, but these are the best insulated cups! Just say no to cup sweat & yes to drinks that stay cold. They are a bit pricey (more so than many other insulated cups), but they work so much better, last longer, and are CUTE! We only have 4, but they are constantly being run through the dishwasher and are always on my gift wish list. We currently have NC State cups, because we love the Wolfpack! But I'd love to have some with sequin confetti or our monogram!

 

2. Vietri Dishes - Have you heard of Vietri? I love it! It's so unique. It's technically our "everyday" dishes, but we don't use them every day. They are really pretty, but I don't trust my toddler with them and I've had an issue with it chipping in the dishwasher sometimes. I'm not sure if that's because some of it has come from the outlet (I live semi-close to the ONLY one!!) or if it's just a bit fragile since it's Italian Pottery. Either case, I like to use it for nicer dinners at home or when we're entertaining. I have a place setting for 6 in the "Rosso Vecchio" color, as well as 6 of the "Bianco" dinner plates. In a dream world, I'll finish out my place setting for 6 in the "Bianco" because it is SO pretty to mix&match. See what I mean??

3. Corelle Plates - It has taken me a while to come to grips with this. I fought the Corelle for quite some time, but they are just so stinkin' handy! Resistant to breaking and chipping, which means I can give this to my toddler and don't need silly kiddy plates. Completely dishwasher safe. A better alternative to paper plates. We've been using a set handed down to us from my in-laws (that my hubby used as a bachelor), but I'm finally setting it free since it's not really my style (blue & gray ring around the edge - definitely not my colors). It's older than my husband, so I don't feel too bad about getting rid of it. I ordered a set of plain white Corelle dishes, setting for 6. (I'd actually love to order another set or at least more plates, but I think I'll just add that and some of the serving plates to my "gift wish list".)  I think this gives me a very functional everyday dish, but still looks nice and will go with all kinds of colors in a tablescape (you know - when I actually set a tablescape - ha!).

Decorating Bug - More Pictures!

I've already told you how I love to decorate with pictures. This love led to a small DIY project recently. 

A bunch of castoff frames

couple of cans of cheap, white spray paint

and my hubby's good spray painting skills (oh how I love him!).

We turned this plain set of steps to our basement,

into a walk down memory lane!

LOVE-LOVE-LOVE!!!

Meal Plan Monday - Garden Fresh!

Yummy! 

It's that time of year...where a lot of our food is going to come straight from the garden. I LOVE IT!!!

So far we've been enjoying lettuce, spinach, broccoli, and carrots. I'm getting rather impatient with our brussel sprouts. I'm ready for them to start producing something we can eat! If you're turning your nose up at brussel sprouts, then you need to give Kelly's Roasted Brussel Sprouts recipe a try. It's delicious!

Our first beef should be ready this Friday. I'm pumped!

So, here's what we're eating this week...

Monday: Memorial Day Cookout with my in-laws, which should include our first fresh squash of the season!

Tuesday: Chicken Pie (we never got around to this last week)

Wednesday: Sausage, Peppers, & Pasta (we're in a rut & eat this often, but it's SO good!)

Thursday: BBQ Pork Sandwiches

Friday: Pizza Night!

Check out lots of other meal plans at OrgJunkie. 

Decorating Bug - Decorating with Pictures

I planned to follow up my first "Decorating Bug" post by writing about our bedroom updates. They are taking longer than I expected (due to my sewing laziness), so I'm moving on to some things I've actually finished.

I am not really into art. In fact, we have no "art" up in our house with the exception of three prints in our kitchen to coordinate with our orange walls. They're cute & funky, but I made them from a gift bag I found at Home Goods. Cheap art - just my style!

Even though I don't decorate with art, I do decorate with photos. I LOVE pictures of people. Each time I look at a picture, I think of who is in the picture, the love I have for them, the fun times we've had, etc. All those happy feelings come to me. Also, it's pretty cheap to decorate with pictures. That definitely makes me happy!

When decorating with pictures, I (sort of) follow two rules: 

(1) Monochromatic frames. Almost all the frames in my house are black. If all the frames are the same color, then they all coordinate, no matter the size or style. 

(2) Black & White prints. Don't get me wrong, we have some color prints in our house, but I love B&W. They seem to capture the emotion so much better than color. It's also easier to group B&W (in my opinion) because there are no competing colors to distract you. 

Above the couch in our living room was a huge blank wall. I had a hard time figuring out what to put there, but after finding some inspiration on a blog and following the two rules above, I came up with this.

 Our room is a bit wonky because that wall is opposite the fireplace, but it's not centered with the fireplace, so my couch & fireplace don't line up. That drives my anal-retentive self batty, so I have to follow The Nester's mantra, "it doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful." These frames aren't centered on the wall, but they are centered (mostly) over the couch. They are also a bit too high, but that's because a certain toddler would stand on the couch and destroy them if they were any lower. Even with all the imperfections, I still LOVE them!

That should be the point of all home decorating - use what makes you happy!

Favorite Things - KITCHEN EDITION (part 2)

More of my favorite kitchen stuff...I'm not sure how I would function without Pampered Chef or Tupperware products. Before you even have a chance to ask....No, I don't sell either of these. Yes, I know they can be pricey. They are worth every penny!

I must admit that even though my kitchen if FILLED with many of these wonderful products, I've gotten most either for FREE or a big discount by hosting parties. Some people find these gatherings obnoxious and pushy, but I love having my friends over for a girls night and with both of these, we always get to eat! It's also vital to have good consultants to work with, so make sure you find someone you like, trust, and will host a good, interactive show. 

I'll start with my favorite 5 Pampered Chef Products, in no particular order.
(1) Batter Bowls - I have both sizes. They are strong and have withstood much abuse by my toddler and me. They have a spout for pouring, a handle, and a lid - all quite useful. Super easy to clean.

(2) Mix & Scrape - These are great for mixing, but so are many similar products. What sells me on this every time is that is will scrape a bowl of batter clean. I'm talking about NOTHING left in the bowl. I must admit sometimes I don't use this to its full potential...like when dumping brownie batter. Yum! They also don't stain, even though it's completely white. Trust me, I've used this with tomato sauce, saffron, pickle mix...basically anything that should stain. It always comes out completely clean. I have 2 of the small sizes, but I want a big one.

(3) Mix & Chop - Seriously, how did I ever brown hamburger or sausage before this product came into my life? This will break up meat faster and better than just using a regular spatula or wooden spoon. When we're out of town & I have to cook without one, I get extremely frustrated.

(4) Salad Chopper- Well, I actually don't use these for salads. I use these for meat, mainly chicken. They will chop up chicken in no time! I'm a sucker for kitchen shears anyway, so these double-bladed scissors do the job in a hurry with no mess on my hands.

(5) Non-stick cookware (TPC Executive Cookware) - Maybe I saved the best for last. This cookware has changed my life! Well, sort of. Their non-stick cookware is actually double dipped in the non-stick material, where most non-stick is just sprayed on (sort of like hairspray). This makes it last a lot long and cook a lot more evenly than other. I never have to soak & scrub dishes anymore because everything just slides right off. The rims are dripless, so if I have to pour something out into another dish, it doesn't drip down the side and make a mess! I am fortunate enough to have the 5 & 7-piece sets. I got these at an amazing price (60% off!) by hosting a show during a month when they were the host special. Then my parents actually paid for them and gave them to me for my birthday - wahoo!

 

I could probably add another 10-15 items, but I wouldn't want to bore you. =)

I have discovered a recent love for Tupperware. I'll just share my top three favorite Tupperware items, because I have a feeling I'm starting to lose you (if you even made it this far!).
1) Modular Mates - I cannot say ENOUGH about these. They make my kitchen cabinets so pretty & organized. I got a set half-off last time I hosted a party. But I need more! I mainly store my baking items in them, but I have a bag of whole wheat flour that is very sad not to be in an air-tight container.

I got these spice holders off Craigslist! Obviously I could use some more of these too.

On the left is a Potato holder. I'm not sure if this is actually considered a MM, but I love it & had to share. I've heard of people using it as a snack container too - little hands would LOVE to pull out their treat through that hole. And that's the Super Cereal Storer...I was very sad they ran out of red lids. :(

2) Marinating Dish (Season-Serv Container) - This is one cool product that I discovered at my MIL's house. It's liquid-tight, so marinades don't spill out. It has ridges on the bottom & top so you can flip and the marinade can still get under your meat.

3) Midets - These little containers have had many uses over the years. When I used to work and I had to take my lunch to school (former teacher), I would put any extras like dips, dressings, toppings in these. Now, they are the perfect holder for raisins/Craisins for my Little Man.

Again, I could add a ton more products that I love, but I doubt too many of you actually made it this far! 

Please feel free to share what you love in your kitchen! I'm always on the lookout for new products to help me out!