The Porch Swing @ Shady Creek Hollow

Getting Back on Track

 
I had a wonderful weekend, but it was time to get back on track today. The house was a wreck after all the festivities this weekend. I had loads of wash and tons of housework to get accomplished. I just came in from the garden finishing up a few chores I had to complete out there as well. The roses needed pruning and the mint was in desperate need of trimming. I gathered some of the first seeds from my 4 O'Clocks. I'm hoping to be able to get a big packet of these together to give Allie and Josh for their new garden.

I planted the pumpkin & peppers that Allie started for me. Sure hope they do well. I need to dig up a little 7 Sisters rose bush that I've been pampering along for Allie. Hopefully she'll be stopping by some time this week to visit with me.

I am really tired! But I needed to get the house in shape because we're having the landscapers this week and we're also moving the TV up to one of our old guest rooms. Since Allie and Josh got their furniture, I now have a place to make a media room. We aren't going to buy any new furniture right now, we're just going to re-purpose some of the chairs and lamps we already have. I think it will work out well. I'm going to cover the lamp shade in a mattress ticking material that I already have. Hopefully that will sort of pull everything together. It's got all the colors- cream, blue, & soft buttery yellow. I haven't decided on the art to go in there yet. But I'll be looking at my walls to see what can be moved & used.

My computer is having problems early in the day....I think it's a network glitch. So I'll probably be blogging later in the day for a little while.

I made Hutch a Trail Dinner today. He was so happy. It doesn't take much to please him for dinner. And that old Boy Scout standby was perfect for a busy day like today. A couple of weeks ago we were in a Cracker Barrel and I noticed they had Trail Dinners on the menu! Must be the nostagia.  

Hope wherever you are, your day was warm and breezy. 

    

Wilmington Island's Easiest Cocktail Sauce

I like this recipe because it is easily made with items I have in the pantry all the time. Hope you try it. It's very yummy on shrimp! Or as Bubba Gump & most Savannah natives would say....swimp.

Ingredients:

1 cup ketchup
1 tbsp prepared horseradish [only use the type in the dairy section- the creamy kind on the condiment shelves is nasty!!!]
2 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp hot sauce
1 tsp grated onion [Vidalia preferred]

Just whisk this all together and put in a container that can be sealed like Gladware. Let it sit overnight, or at least a couple of hours in the frig. This makes about 1 & 1/2 cups cocktail sauce. I always make a double batch- its that good!

     

Getting Ready for the BIG Weekend

I don't know why it is that during the weekdays life can plug along nice and quiet, but once a month we invariably will have a super busy weekend. I mean much busier than our normal busy, church, kids, etc weekend. This weekend is going to be one of those hyper speed weekends for me. I have written here before that I really don't think God has given me a gift of hospitality....but I guess He's trying to teach me in that area LOL.

This weekend actually started off yesterday!! Allie, Josh, and Jason [Josh's big brother from Oklahoma] met here to unload some furniture that we've been storing for them. They are doing a big move this weekend to a much larger apartment and they now have room for all Allie's inherited furniture. Sooo....that was the way the weekend started. A lot of sweaty lifting and packing. Oh and Allie brought me some hot pepper and pumpkins seedling that I can't wait to get in the ground. She has a remarkable green thumb.

Tonight we are hosting relatives. Hutch is running a race with an out of town cousin's teenaged son [did you follow that???]. That son [John Dean] is spending the night with us so they can get an early start to get to the race site in the morning. Then tomorrow our kids start showing up for a big Father's Day sleepover.

That's what we like to do to celebrate- hold a family pajama party. We'll probably start on the porches- swinging, talking, playing guitars, & watching the lightning bugs staccato sparkles. Then we'll end up staying awake most of the night watching movies together and of course there will be talking....lots of talking & catching up. We have a unique way of picking what movies to watch as well....but that's another post.

Because this is Hutch's day [Father's Day] he got to pick all the foods. He chose Low Country Boil, Homemade Peach Ice Cream, & Boiled Peanuts. I know....it's an....hmmmm.... eclectic menu....but its his day and he gets to choose. I've got the peanuts boiling already, they take a long time to cook. I've made the cocktail sauce too. And later today I'll need to make the custard for the ice cream so it can sit over night in the frig. Tomorrow I'll make refrigerator dough for cinnamon rolls Sunday morning. I think everybody has to leave by early Sunday afternoon to get back to their own lives, so I want to make sure breakfast is big.

We lived in Savannah [Wilmington Island really, where Paula Dean lives] for several years, I still miss it! There I learned rather quickly that you don't buy bottled cocktail sauce- ever. Inviting somebody to your home and serving bottled cocktail sauce will start nasty rumors circulating about you at church. You may think I'm joking, but I assure you- I'm dead serious. Most of our Sunday School get togethers started with the guys spending the day out on their boats crabbing and shrimping. Then we'd either meet at somebody's house or all go to a State Park and have Low Country Boil and Crab Boil with the day's catch. For Christmas we'd all get together for an Oyster Roast on the marsh...but that's another post too. 

I'll post my quick and easy cocktail sauce today, if I get a chance. I'll look and make sure Low Country Boil is posted here too as well as boiled peanuts.

Got to run, I've still got loads to do before things really heat up around here. Hope you and yours have a great Father's Day!      

     

Kid Easy Oatmeal Cookies

I just made a batch of these and even though I'm far from being a child I will attest to the fact that they were incredibly easy to throw together. I believe kids could make these with minimal adult supervision.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cup self rising flour...if you don't have self rising just add 1 tsp baking powder & 1/4 tsp salt to regular flour
1 tsp soda
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 cup oatmeal [rolled oats] uncooked
1 cup oil   
1 egg beaten
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup chopped nuts or other add-ins [chocolate chips, coconut, raisins, I used snipped dried apricots]

Mix this all together in a big bowl. Drop by tablespoon onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake ten minutes at 325. Let sit on pan a few minutes to set up before removing from pan.

These would make a good first cookie for little bakers. And they are very yummy!! 

Remember Me?

If you read here often, you probably wondered if I fell off the edge of the world.... No, I didn't. Since I try to blog several times a week and I haven't written anything in the last couple of weeks, you might be right in wondering what's going on with me.Honestly my computer has been really sick. It's made several overnight trips to Best Buy for help and finally Hutch had to do a serious wipe on it himself to get it back in working order.

And then the weather has been so nice I've wanted to be outside instead of cooped up at the computer. And....Hutch and I took a trip to West Virginia...life has just gotten really busy lately. So that means I've got lots to tell.

One thing is, I ran 4 miles yesterday!!! That is a milestone for me. The rest of my family run half marathons with ease, but I've been the hold out. Over the weekend I decided to bump my running up to five milers. Yesterday wasn't as hard as I thought it'd be, although I'm a little sore today. Hutch is running a race with one of his cousin's kids this weekend. He's been helping the boy train for distance running and this Saturday is their first 'big' race.

The trip we took this weekend was to a half marathon Hutch ran, 'The Hatfield & McCoy Reunion Race'. We had a blast and the scenery was incredible. Hutch took a photo of me with the two guys who were playing Hatfield and McCoy. That's the photo with this post. These men did a marvelous job of presenting a dramatic history of the feud. Of course I enjoyed both the natural beauty of Kentucky and West Virginia and the history.

Ernie [our dog] spent the weekend with our son Jon and came home with fleas. I spent a good part of the day yesterday getting rid of those pesky little creatures.On a different topic, the garden is blooming wonderfully and we accepted a bid on getting the landscaping done in the front yard. Hopefully soon it will look nice as well.

We have had an explosion in the local rabbit population! I have taken to naming the regulars that I see which Hutch finds hilarious. The bunnies are quite bold and will only stop to look at you if you catch sight of them, then they get back to the serious business of eating clover. They come in many sizes from tiny babies to fully  grown adults. They are all brown with cotton tails that shine brightly in the streetlight at twilight. They have become such a common sight that even Ernie pretty much just sighs and ignores them. 

Allie and Josh [our other children] are moving into a new place this weekend. They are very busy packing etc. They are giving Jon their piano as they bought a new one recently. He is very excited about having a piano again. He and his roommates recently rebuilt an old upright grand that was left in their house, but it's so old it doesn't hold its pitch very well.

Well that's a short and very edited version of what's been happening the last couple of weeks. I hope to be back here with more regularity now that my computer is feeling up to snuff. Hope your days have been fruitful.   

A Whale of a Ham!!!

Yes, for the first time in my life I baked a whole ham last night. Hutch got finished slicing it for me a little while ago. We are having church tomorrow here and since we're hosting the fellowship meal I wanted to make sure we had enough food. Oh My!!! We'll surely have enough!! Probably enough to send home with the kids and for us to still be eating ham alllllll week! Whew! A twenty pound ham makes alot of meat.

My really cheap grocery store had hams on sale Friday and for the price, I just couldn't pass it up. Ernie is chowing down on one of the big bones on the back porch right now. He thinks he's in dog heaven I'm sure.

We have a sort of busy day planned around here at Shady Creek Hollow. Hutch is down in his office doing some work on the neighborhood website. He helps in that endeavor.  I've got a four mile walk scheduled today as well as preparing some of the food for tomorrow- macaroni and cheese & pinto beans. Every thing else has to be made at the last minute to taste nice. 

Hutch is going to help me with my weight lifting today. I want to kick my workout up again and I need his expertise to show me what to do and how to do it. I sure don't want to hurt myself by doing something wrong.

Everything is blooming in the gardens. It smells so great in the yard these days. Speaking of the yard, we've got several sod/landscaping companies coming out to give us estimates in the next couple of weeks. I can't wait to get all that work done and see the finished product!

The topic for chruch tomorrow is even more interactive than usual. We will each be sharing about what God is doing in our lives. Can't wait to hear from everybody. God has certainly been teaching us all to trust in Him more lately. Hearing everyone's insights should be interesting & inspiring.

Hope wherever you are the sun is shining and that you are intent on doing something you really love today.   

The Library

              

It may strike you as odd that I have listed this post on the Library under the frugality category....But I find that folks who are truly into saving their money make great use of their local library. I am a huge fan of libraries. Reading opened the world for me when I was in third grade. Until then I couldn't read, I even had to repeat the 2nd grade. By the third grade for some reason I 'go it' and reading became my most avid hobby. I could never understand the phonics of reading, and since that's the way it was exclusively taught back then I failed over and over again.

Then in the 3rd grade I had to spend a few weeks in the hospital. Back in those days hospital rooms had no TVs and I couldn't read so it was stupefyingly boring until someone, I can't recall who, came to visit me and brought a stack of comic books. Oh my.....it just all fell into place. I could read!

Anyhoo, I volunteer at our local library and this week we've been signing kids up for the Summer Reading Program. So far we've got about 600 hundred children involved. It's a great deal for parents as well because the library not only gives them[the children] prizes to inspire reading, it offers many story times and programs in its big community room several times a week.

I get books at the library [of course] but I also get documentary DVDs to use while I run. Folks come in and just sit and read the magazines and enjoy the quiet. And then there's the ability to go online for free. There are also Cds galore in every music style. One of my favorite sections is the Large Print shelves. Our library also has a wonderful collection of art....some of the best folk art I've seen outside of a gallery. Right now the library is even offering job seekers a limited amount of free copies of their resume.

Outside is a lovely garden maintained by our local Master Gardeners. It has shady places to sit and enjoy the flowers. All in all the library is a great place. And the best thing about it is that its FREE!

Pesto Grilled Cheese

              

It feels weird to even post this as a recipe.....but since my husband adores these sandwiches, I guess I'll post this super easy method for kicking your standard grilled cheese sandwich up a notch. If you have a nice big batch of basil in your garden you've probably already learned how to make homemade pesto. It is so easy especially using a blender or food processor. We first ate fresh pesto after going to a local farmers' market and buying a pint from a lady who specializes in herbs and their products. We were hooked! Saying that, there are tons of good quality pestos in the grocery store as well. 

As for this sandwich, just spread a generous layer of pesto on one slice of bread them top with very sharp cheddar cheese. Grill as you'd normally do. I guarantee you will enjoy the results. If you are a purist, you could use an Italian cheese instead of the cheddar.....but we like cheddar.

Hope you give this simple sandwich recipe a try! 

Gorgeous Day!!

It's a really gorgeous day here in the Deep South. Sunny & warm. I've got plans to do loads of outside type chores. One of them is to wash the dog. I usually do this around the 13th of every month but with the warmer weather & his rambles in the woods Ernie [my mutt] has taken on a, shall we say, pungent aroma. I'll be getting him spruced up today. If you want to learn how to groom your dog at home, I have written about it here at Patty's Pen.  

Speaking of Ernie, my son Jon is asking me to lend Ernie to him for the weekend. It seems that the last time Jon had Ernie to visit he found out Ernie is the perfect 'jeep' dog. He loves to sit shotgun in Jon's jeep and ride forever. Jon has said Ernie makes a really good ice breaker.....I think he means girls take to Ernie and therefore Jon gets to meet them LOL.

Anyhoo, Ernie's spa treatment is just a small portion of my day. I also want to get to the Goodwill Store. I'm hoping to get some books on Anthropology. I've always been interested in this topic and have decided to give it serious study. I figure Goodwill is the perfect place to start. I've noticed they have a fine selection of textbooks there for under 2.50 each. Can't go wrong with that.

Allie and Josh [my daughter & son in law] are going to my mother's home this week for a visit. Mom is giving them a lot of older family furniture [one piece is a hundred year old rocking chair] for their new place. They are all very excited. Allie is excited to get the furniture & Mom is excited to get rid of it!

I need to get some writing done as well today. And there are the typical daily chores to attend to...and my 4 mile walk must be completed. It's going to be a busy day. Hope wherever you are, your day is shaping up nicely as well.     

       

Easiest & Cheapest Homemade Stir-Fry Sauce

Just made a batch of this for our supper [stir fried chicken and veggies]. It is made with ingredients you'll have in your pantry and it is super fast to put together. Hope you give it a try.

Ingredients:

1 tbsp each water & cornstarch stirred together

1/4 cup cider vinegar

1/2 cup each soy sauce & sugar

1 tsp minced garlic

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp black pepper

Put it all in a saucepan and bring to a boil. That's it. Now you're ready to stir fry. I'll mix sliced green peppers, sliced vidalia onion, sliced celery, & chicken strips for the stir fry. This will be served on top of a bed of rice. Old fashioned homemade tapioca for dessert will round out the meal.    

Making a 'To Do' List

I'm about to sit at my kitchen table and make my daily 'to do' list. I find that without one of these pesky little lists I get distracted and don't accomplish all the things I'd like. Somehow just writing the tasks down holds me more accountable. I love the feeling of checking off each chore as it is finished.  

I had a great weekend. Lots of down time, it was very relaxing. I spent yesterday afternoon on the lower deck reading on the porch swing down there.

Over the weekend I decided to really amp up my schedule for the coming week. I need to run three miles today as well as get all my housework and gardening chores done. I'll be making all my calls tonight as well. I check in with my mother and daughter three or four times a week. And Monday night is a good time for us to touch base with each other. 

Hutch got me started on Twitter this weekend. He explained it to me as a type of cyber bulletin board. It is really neat and I have enjoyed learning to 'tweet'. I once had a boss who told me that we could never imagine the jobs we were equipping our elementary students for because technology was changing so rapidly. After all the technological advances I've seen in my lifetime, I sure believe him now. 

We finally had to to turn on the air conditioner this weekend. Oh well.....it feels nice and cool around here. The yards look great after Hutch did so much work in them over the weekend. Although he disturbed a bunny in the process. That little  brown rabbit jumped three feet in the air trying to get away from the lawnmower. I can't wait until we get our landscaping finished. Hopefully it will all be complete by the end of the Summer.

The library called earlier and asked me to come in to help register kids for their summer reading program on Thursday. I was glad to do that, so my week is already becoming pretty busy. Well, I'm starting to ramble so I'll close and try to get back here towards the end of the day. Hope your day is starting off well.