luscious biscuits

Be informed

2012-01-24T20:00:00.001-05:00

Forbes published a great article called Girls For Sale. (click on Girls for Sale to read the article)Or go look it up!

It is about how our girls in America are being sexually exploited, what that means, and how you can make a difference. They interviewed Rachel Lloyd. I had the opportunity to attend a training that she lead on the Commercial Exploitation of Children a couple of years ago. It was very informative and life changing. She is an amazingly brave and articulate woman with a huge heart. Please take the time to read it! Then go watch the documentary that is mentioned in the article. It is worth your time!

Bear with me....

2012-01-02T12:47:00.000-05:00

Bear with me while there is a short hiatus on my blog. That bad cold followed by the busyness of the holidays left me with little time or energy to blog. But I have lots to blog about;

The chickens have finally picked up on egg production. We got six eggs yesterday! Woohoo!! Six eggs are way more fun to collect than one!

Our winter garden harvest! Swiss chard, tat soi, carrots, Chinese cabbage and sugar snap peas. Oh my! Currently much of that goodness is turning into Kim chee. I will let you know how that goes!

In January I am going to makeover my office/ guestroom. I am excited about it! I can't wait to fix it all up and have a nice simple space.

And this weekend we are going on a cruise!! Woohoo!! I am sure that there will be lots to share from that! Before we leave I have to deal with all of those vegetables, clean house, cook a ton, undecorate from Christmas and pack my bag. I can do it!

Happy New Year friends! Let's make this a good one!

Homemade Chicken Soup

2011-12-17T09:24:00.005-05:00

I can't imagine anything better on a cold Winter's day or when I am sick than homemade chicken soup. Since becoming gluten free, I rarely have the luxury of opening a can of soup or picking some up pre-made. I used to love Chik-fil-a's chicken noodle soup. No more noodles for me! Now I usually make my own.

What you will need:
Onion
Carrot
Celery
Garlic
One Quart of homemade chicken stock
Cooked chicken meat
Your favorite soup addition.... mine is rice!

I always begin with chopped up onion, celery and carrots. This combination is called mirepoix. I usually use:
one whole onion-red, yellow or white
two stalks of celery
one handful of baby carrots or two full size carrots

This combination can usually be found in the produce section at the grocery store already chopped or in the freezer section. After a recent cold when I didn't feel like chopping vegetables, I think that I will always have some frozen on hand. This is a great beginning to many dishes. You can also include parsnips and parsley if you like. And if you can't decide what to make for dinner this is a great start..... throw it in the pan- the house starts to smell wonderful and you can make so many things with this as the beginning!

Place the chopped mirepoix into a large pot. Add some minced garlic, approximately 2 cloves. Cook until soft. Add one quart of homemade chicken stock. Homemade makes all of the difference here.This is usually still frozen when I add it. Once it is thawed I add the chicken meat. It can be leftover rotisserie or roasted chicken that is fresh or frozen. Chop it up and toss it in.

Heat through and add some cooked rice. I would say 2-3 cups of rice. At this point you could also add noodles instead of rice. I don't think that gluten free noodles would hold up in soup though. I like to change it up by using brown rice, white rice, or wild rice. Each gives the soup a different flavor. So far, wild rice tastes the most hearty, white rice the most simple. Let the soup simmer for a few minutes. Ladle into bowls and enjoy! I hope you enjoy this easy, delicious homemade soup.

Dave loves this soup and so do I. I get sad when there is only one bowl left. Time to make some more!

Homemade Chicken Stock

2011-12-13T08:39:00.003-05:00

Well, cold season had continued to plague our home. That means lots of chicken soup. That means lots of homemade chicken stock! Making your own chicken stock is quite easy and not very time consuming. I prefer to make mine in a pot on the stove, but it can easily be done in the crock-pot left unattended. Many recipes call for a whole chicken, but I find this unnecessary and not my favorite flavor.

I start by saving chicken parts and pieces. Bought a rotisserie chicken last night? Save those bones after you pick the meat off. If you don't intend to make stock within a few days throw them in a ziplock bag and into the freezer. I do this all of the time. Did you cut up a chicken and don't know what to do with the spine or neck or have been wondering what to do with that turkey neck from Thanksgiving? Turn them into stock! Turkey stock is one of my favorites as it is a bit more rich than chicken stock. I also save these parts in the freezer until I have time to make stock.

Making stock is just this simple. Take your chicken parts and bones and put them in a big pot on the stove. Cover them with water. You may add an onion chopped up, some garlic, or some celery. I often find that the spices of the rotisserie chicken add enough flavor. But if you like, you can add some thyme, rosemary or sage. Use the seasonings sparingly. That way your stock can be used in almost any recipe. I do find that having some bones is necessary to having a good flavor. It is also very good for you!

Bring the pot to a boil and then turn down the burner so that you have a slow simmer. I like for the pot to slowly simmer uncovered for a long time, 4 hours or more. This sounds like a long time, but that lets all of the goodness come out of those old bones. It also isn't a lot of work as it is literally sitting and simmering on the stove.

When you are tired of stock simmering on the stove, let it cool a bit. Strain out the bones and meat. Pour stock into quart size ziplock bags and lay flat in your freezer. Once frozen you can stack the bags. I find this the perfect size for making soups. If you want smaller amounts, try using an ice cube tray.

I find that I can't buy chicken stock anymore. The flavor is lacking. It often contains gluten, corn or sugar. Why these ingredients are necessary in chicken stock, I have no idea. I like to have 4 quarts of homemade stock frozen on hand at all times. When illness strikes, this makes homemade soup easy to make. It also makes for a quick meal.

Also, try making this with bones that have been cooked and bones that have not been cooked. It creates different flavors. See which one you like best. I prefer bones that have been cooked, like from a roasted or rotisserie chicken.

I also have a disclaimer to make. I never taste my stock before I freeze it. This goes for my vegetable stock and my chicken stock. Someone told me that their vegetable stock turned out bitter, but they used potato peels (which I have never done) and no greens. And honestly, I have never tasted my vegetable stock plain! That being said, I have never had a dish turn out poorly in which it was used. So, mine may be bitter and I wouldn't be surprised. It isn't meant to be eaten on it's own, but used to enhance the flavor of soups and dishes and be used as a base for them.

Let me know how yours turns out! I would really like to know. Hopefully cold season doesn't strike you down this year, but you can be prepared!

Precious Memories

2011-12-10T09:58:00.000-05:00

Precious Memories, how they linger....

Last month we made some precious memories. We attended a dedication service for our friends' son Grant. His mommy and daddy are some of our dearest friends and Grant is our nephew by urban family.

I was at the hospital shortly after he was born:

And I love him so!!

At the dedication Mandy and Chris told us how they want to raise Grant to have faith in the Lord and how we can help them do that. It was special to have that time together and to be considered important in Grant's life. We prayed for him and it was moving to be able, with these ones that I love so dearly, to talk to our heavenly Father. What a gift.

It was also special because my parents were there. Mandy has been in our lives since we were in high school and is a part of the family. It made me long for and imagine the day when my parents will pray for and uplift OUR children. What a blessing! I got all teary eyed with my dad as a song was played about little girls growing up. I love our friends and family and I love that we can share God together as well.

You are a cutie Grant!

We love you and look forward to watching you grow up. You bring us and your family great joy!!

More Flowers!!

2011-12-07T12:49:00.000-05:00

Our front flower bed is maturing nicely! I am loving the plant choices that I made.

I will admit that the collards are getting a little bit crazy, but I like it.

The violas are absolutely stunning this year!! I can't remember the last time I had this many blooms on them before spring!

My ornamental kale is finally getting it's pink center. So pretty!

How are your fall planted flowers doing?

Family Time

2011-12-04T07:37:00.002-05:00

Thanksgiving week we made the trip up to North Carolina to see Dave's Mom, sister and their families. I just thought that I would share some of our pictures with you.

Olivia and her chickens! She loves them. I guess owning chickens runs in the family!

Our newest nephew, Sebastian. He is so big! This was our first time meeting him.

Walter and Olivia in their new jammies!

They love Uncie Dave's gadgets and gizmos!

Mezmerized

Serious Sebastian

I caught a smile!! What a cutie!!

We love you guys! Can't wait to see you at Christmas!

Garden Party

2011-12-01T08:10:00.002-05:00

I have had requests to post pictures of my garden this year. Here they are!!! We worked hard this summer to prepare for a fall garden. The pictures don't do it justice. I have had hard time capturing an image of the garden as a whole.

The garden plot

I have six or so rectangular plots about 4' x 8'. We don't have a whole lot of sun in our yard and this spot makes the most of the sun. I planned the rectangular plots so that I have easy access the each bed in it's entirety. I can also rotate crops easily this way by planning my planting in successions.

Here is some of what was planted in my garden this fall:

Swiss Chard.... Yummy!!!

Arugula, also known as Rocket Salad or Roquette greens. A spicy, delicious salad green. It is my favorite, with a peppery bite.

Tat Soi, in the Bok Choy family. A delicious Chinese green.

Peas please!!!

Carrots and Collards

This is my first true attempt at a fall garden. So far it has produced well. I have been busy enjoying the local farmer's market and have not depended excessively on our garden goodies. Now that the market is closed, I am looking forward to eating more from our little plot. My overgrown radishes have fed our chickens well. They love the greens!

The carrots are about ready for harvest and I will harvest them through the early winter. They are protected by being in the ground. The chard also needs to start being used. I love me some chard! I may try my hand at freezing some. I will let you know how it goes. It does not like temperatures below 30 degrees. So I am harvesting and putting some away now! The arugula, collards and kale should overwinter until we get a hard freeze, or dip well below 30 degrees. The collards and kale actually improve their flavor after some chilly weather.

I will be whipping up some of these garden goodies soon and plan on sharing my favorite recipes!

What is your favorite Fall vegetable?

More chicken pictures!!!

2011-11-27T08:04:00.000-05:00

I love to show off my girls. More chicken photos for your viewing pleasure.

Sweetie, looking as sweet as ever.

Honey, looking pretty serious.

The newly named, Bock Choy. Yes the Bok spelled Bock is intentional. My friend's son named her.

Jacoline named this girl Goldie. It fits her well.

Rachel showing off and the rest of the girls hanging out.

Fall Flowers

2011-11-23T19:57:00.006-05:00

Here are some snapshots of my fall annual bed and some of the plants in it. I hope you enjoy!

My garlic chives in bloom

Who can resist that face? I love violas!

My front flower bed as seen from the front stoop.

front flower bed from the front walk

Front flower bed from human height! Upper left to lower right:Garlic chives, Swiss Chard, Fancy flowering Kale, violas, Collards, Swiss Chard, Dusty Miller, Snap Dragons

I will take more photos as these plants mature and fill in. What I love about them is that almost this entire bed is edible and should make it through the winter. Hooray for edible plants!

What did you plant this fall?

Chicken soup, with a Mexican flair

2011-11-20T07:53:00.000-05:00

I love the chicken soup at my local Mexican restaurant. I have been eating there every Friday night for over 18 years now. It wasn't until a year or two ago that I tried their soup. They make it from scratch. It is gluten free. And the owner, who I call Uncle Juve, makes it just right!

One day at Trader Joe's they were making chicken tortilla soup. I liked their take on it, but there is always room for improvements. It isn't as good as Uncle Juve's, but it does the tummy well on a cold day.

Here is the most important ingredient.

keep a couple of these in your pantry

I use the following ingredients:
1 quart of frozen homemade chicken stock(oh, I need to blog about that!)
one jar of Trader Joe's garlic chipotle salsa
one onion, chopped
cooked chicken, cut up into chucks(rotisserie works great for this)
cooked Rice, white or brown
additions to soup: cooked beans- red or black, corn
Sides: avocado , limes

This is basically a dump into the pot kind of soup. First saute the onion until soft. Then add the chicken stock. It is ok if it is still frozen. Add the jar of salsa and heat until the stock is thawed if using frozen. Add the cooked rice, the cooked beans or corn, and cut up cooked chicken. I dont' measure these amounts. I add some and then see if I like the consistency. then I add more rice or beans or chicken. I would start with a cup of each, but you will want more than that if you like a chunky soup. Heat the soup through. Dish into bowls and enjoy!

I mean, look at this soup!!!

Yummy chicken soup!

Serve hot with your favorite sides. Avocado and squeezed lime juice are so delicious in this soup. It might sound weird, but you have to try it. Sour cream, cheese, or pico de gallo are also great additions to this soup. I just like mine simple.

my favorite condiments for this soup, limes and avocado

Tell me how you like it. It is an easy, simple soup treat!

Elderberry Syrup

2011-11-17T17:39:00.001-05:00

It's that time of year again, cold and flu season. Working in a school for the past few years I have relied on elderberry syrup to keep my immune system strong. Now that I spend many days with new mothers and newborns, getting sick is a no no. Supposedly elderberry syrup has anti-viral properties. I do say that when I take it my colds do not last as long and I have less of them.

I used to buy it like this in a bottle already made for $10 or more.

Then I got wise. I thought, "Why couldn't I make this myself?" Do you see a pattern with me there? I ordered some dried elderberries online for a very reasonable price. I keep them in sealed glass jars in the pantry.

When I get ready to make syrup, here is what I use:
One Cup of dried elderberries
2 cinnamon sticks
some fresh ginger cut into chunks
honey to taste

ingredients for elderberry syrup

Place the elderberries, cinnamon sticks and ginger into a small pot with 2-3 cups of water. You want to simmer it slowly until it reduces by about half. Stir occasionally and smash up some of the berries while stirring.

elderberries simmering on the stove

Once this has cooked down by half you want to strain the mixture. I use a fine sieve. It takes a bit of muscle and patience. Add honey to taste.

You end up with this beautiful liquid.

elderberry syrup ready for use

Syrup should be stored in the refrigerator and can be kept for some time. During cold and flu season most labels say to take 1-2 teaspoons per day for an adult. If symptoms of a cold or flu arise, you simply up your dosage up to 1 tablespoon per hour. I just take it when I think of it when I am not feeling well.

Make sure to check with your doctor before taking herbal remedies. Elderberry is usually considered safe. My midwife approves of its use, even if pregnant or if you may become pregnant. I am in the category of "may become pregnant".

I just used up a bunch of this. I came down with symptoms of a bad cold last night. I started upping my elderberry syrup intake and using some herbal teas. Today I am much better! I didn't expect this as those type of symptoms usually knock me down for 3-5 days. I always try to keep elderberries on hand!!! Hooray for herbal remedies!

What kinds of natural remedies do you use during cold and flu season?

Mmmmmm..... Brownies!

2011-11-07T09:30:00.003-05:00

Nothing like a glass of something cold and a nice big brownie! These brownies are from a recipe at www.elanaspantry.com. Lots of great recipes over there! I am tweaking this recipe. I will let you know when I get it just how I want it.... a little bit fudgey but oh, so yummy! My friend Mandy achieved it. I just want to perfect it before I tell you how we did it.

What gluten free goodies are you baking up?

And Then They Grew Up

2011-11-03T09:03:00.003-04:00

And with the magic of the internet, the baby chickens grew up fast!

This chicken ended up sick. We had to put her down. She was really sweet though!

This girl is almost buff colored, but not quite. She needs a name! Isn't she so pretty?

This is Honey. She is a super sweet and is always curious about what I am doing.

More curious chickens! She wanted to be right in the camera!

We finally got ourselves a bearded lady! I think we will call her Iris. I had an Iris before but she turned into a he. This one is for sure a female. She does like to talk though. She can be quite the chatter box!

Chicken Feet!! See those feathers on the legs and toes? We have a couple of feathered footed gals. They are really fun to watch run around!

The old hens. Atta Girl and Daisy still aren't huge fans of the younger folk. But, they get along for the most part.

Lleulu the large white chicken, I mean cat. She doesn't know that she is a cat. I couldn't leave her out.

Chicken Babies!

2011-10-28T10:02:00.001-04:00

Ok, I am way behind on keeping you up to date on the chickens. We hatched again this spring. I just found the pictures of them. So, here you go. Cute baby chickens!

I don't know if you remember or not, but Atta Girl, the Mama hatched. She loved her yellow fluffy chicks!

She didn't like the black ones or the red ones! They came to live inside for awhile with us.

I mean, how can resist that face?

More chicken pictures to come!

Homemade Vegetable Stock

2011-10-25T09:33:00.000-04:00

First up on back to blogging is getting back to cooking. I love to cook. With cooler weather I love to make soups. I have found that in some recipes, not limited to soups, I prefer to use vegetable stock rather than chicken stock or water. I became disgruntled with vegetable stock once I went gluten free and corn free. That combo is hard to find in a vegetable stock! Not to mention, have you opened a can or box of vegetable stock or broth lately? Boring!!! No flavor and no appeal.

It got me thinking...... why can't I make my own vegetable stock? It can't be that hard! I started saving my scraps from cutting up vegetables and fruits. That means onion peels and ends, carrot tops, pepper tops and seeds, apple cores, celery pieces, kale stalks, winter squash rinds....... anything that I would usually feed to my chickens or that you might put on your compost pile(minus the coffee grounds, of course!). I find that a few of the green elements are essential. The kale or collard stalks or leaves add a very rich flavor. I keep a gallon ziplock bag in the fridge and add to it over a week or so.

Put all of this into a large pot, fill it almost to the brim with water, throw in a bay leaf or two and cook it for a long time. Your kitchen will smell like Mama just came over with the best vegetable soup that ever touched your tongue. The aroma will make you salivate. Perfect to put on the stove on a chilly fall afternoon.

You want to cook it until it looks like mush. Then let it cool. Slowly dip off the beautiful liquid into containers to freeze. When you get to just vegetables, pour them into a colander over a pan. Let the stock settle out and then dip out the rest. I usually leave a little bit of liquid in the bottom of the bowl, because no matter how hard I wash my veggies there is always some silt or sediment in the bottom that I don't want in my soups!

Here is a look at the mushy cooked vegetables. They can now be thrown on the compost heap or fed to your chickens.

And the stock ready to go into the freezer. I find that from a 1 gallon ziplock of vegetable scraps and a decent size stock pot I usually get about 4 quarts of stock. I seal it in quart freezer bags after cooling and lay them flat in the freezer. That way I can stack them later.

Yummy!! Look at the color of that stock! I love doing this. I have control over the ingredients. I have the ingredients anyway. I know exactly what is in my stock. I do not add salt. I add that when I cook the main dish later. There are no additives or preservatives. Try it. I think you will never buy vegetable stock again!

I am back!!!!!

2011-10-22T09:33:00.000-04:00

Really, two months since a post? I am going to try to remedy that! The past two moths hasn't been busy so much as I have been enjoying life. I am learning not to rush. Ok, most of the time! I am learning to enjoy the moments, not stress out and to pace myself. If you know me, you know that I have a history of overcommitting. Dave would say that I am on the go more now that I am not working full time, but I would say that I am enjoying time doing what I want to do! That means lunch dates with friends, joining a women's Bible study that meet weekly, and crafting!!!

So, here come the blog posts!! I hope that you enjoy watching Kara come back to life. Here we go.......

Coming Back To Life

2011-08-23T13:12:00.000-04:00

This morning is amazing..... Well, it isn't morning anymore. Doors and windows thrown open. A breeze blows the curtains aside. The birds are chirping and the bugs are singing. We got a beautiful dark chocolatey brown shelled egg this morning. One of the little chickens followed me around this morning very "are you my mother?" style. Lleulu purred while I brushed her this morning.

I am charging the camera battery. I need to take pictures of life going on. I have been missing it. I pulled out the sewing machine today. Fabric, color, rhythm, sound. I haven't sewn in ages.

Seeds I planted in cups are sprouting. The ground calls to be tilled and sewn. Carrots, kale, collards, peas, radishes, chard and lettuce awaiting to grow.

I think maybe, just maybe, I am coming back to life. I didn't know it had been stilled so very still. But today I feel a breath of newness, of desire to create in the earth with plants and to create beautiful things with fabric. Mmmm... Life. I am breathing it in.

And Life Goes On

2011-08-20T11:08:00.000-04:00

Well, in case you have been wondering, I took the three remaining chickens to the poultry lab. I got the results yesterday. They had signs of Marecks and apparently had little cartiledge in their joints, or something like that. And they were all boys!! I can't keep crowing roosters, so not having to find a home for them is somewhat of a relief.

I was really sad after dropping them off. Mourning my three chicken babies. I got home and planned on a quiet evening with more of that chocolate cake and wine. Then I heard that a friend couldn't care for his chickens anymore and needed them to be house immediately. I put on my overalls, grabbed a brooder and headed out the door.

When I got to his house the pigs had been loaded and most of the chickens. I wrangled some babies out of the front yard and then loaded some hens in. I had no clue how many chickens I had in my car. Turned out there were also two rabbits that needed a home, so I loaded them into the car as well.

I dropped the bunnies off at my sister's house. They are so cute! They are white with black spots. They gave them baths and loved on them. They are so happy in their new home.

Second stop, my uncle's. He has had a lonely rooster, Rudy, for a while now. I thought he could use some company. I dropped six hens off at his house. They are so happy there! Rudy protected them right away and introduced them to the goats. Now they are a happy little farm flock.

I got to our house about dark and started unloading the rest of the chickens. I brought our rooster, Ponce, into the coop first. He knew exactly where he was!!! He walked right downstairs in the coop and got some water. Including Ponce, I added nine to our flock. One pretty red girl went to live at a friend's house. She is now named Annie.

So, we have 18 chickens now of varying ages. Everyone stopped laying eggs due to the heat and stress of blending a flock. I am waiting the eggs! Come one girls! So far everyone gets along for the most part. I might end up having to give more away, but I want to know how many roosters I have before I start getting rid of chickens. I want the girls around for their egg laying abilities.

It was a trying day. All in one day we went from 13 chickens, down to ten, then to 19!!! Of course, now we have 18, since Annie went to her new home. I mean, I had 15 chickens in my car at one time!! I think that God gave me peace to let the three sick ones go because He knew there were other chickens that needed a happy home. Here is hoping that most of the young ones are girls and good egg layers!!!

Writing Will Help, Right?

2011-08-09T18:50:00.000-04:00

I am sittting down to write tonight, because writing will help, right? I am anxious. I am worried. About what? Silly little feathered things- our chickens!! We have had four of the young ones fall ill lately and I am trying to decide what to do about them. The runt passed away last week. I think one of them, Iris ( named after a bearded Iris because she has a beard), has Marecks. That is what Pickle died from a year ago. It got me thinking how much
I miss that Chicken who thought she was a dog. She was an awesome chicken.

Part of me wants to take the chickens to the Georgia Poultry lab for a necropsy( chicken autopsy). They peacefully put them down and then figure out what made them sick. This could help save the rest of the flock if there is a contagion.

The other part of me wants to do everything I can to save them. I started them on a homeopathic remedy to see if there is any change. I bought them some hypericum and me some gluten free chocolate cake. Chicken Momma needs some medicine too! We'll see if there is a change. It could take days or weeks.

And yet, another part of me wants to crawl into bed with my chocolate cake and glass of wine and watch stupid teenage dramas on Netflix and forget that I have any chickens that need me to take care of them. I mean, I could do that right? They have food and water. They are good.

I don't know what I will do. I have had my cake. I have had my wine. I find myself remembering the One who is in control of it all. He knows my heart. He knows my little chickens. He knows that I am trying my best to care for them. That I love them. But more than that He knows that I love Him. He takes care of me. That is really what I am worried and anxious about, isn't it? If I made the right decision to be a Doula. To quit my job and head out into the great unknown. Wondering if we will make it. If I will have the amount of clients that I would like to have to make what I would like to make. Wondering if I can't get my chickens better, how can I care for a family with a new baby? But I can. They are different. They are separate. And yet, I have to trust God with both of them. Give both of these things over to the One who knows.

It's called surrender isn't it? Yeah. That word is hard to live. But I am trying, I am willing, willing to give my all and when there is nothing left in my all to surrender. I wish I could learn to surrender before my all is all gone. But that is how we are, isn't it? Wanting to spill ourselves out until we are empty. Thinking we can do it on our own. I can't do it on my own. I need God. I need Jesus. I need the Holy Spirit. I need grace and mercy. I need the friends that He has put in my life to uplift and encourage me, to challenge me and love me. Yeah, I am working toward surrender.

And writing does help.......

The Fight to Keep Backyard Chickens Hits Close to Home

2011-08-01T23:28:00.001-04:00

Well, the fight to keep chickens in your own backyard has finally reached my county. And you better believe that I am going to support the Pond family in this fight! I am asking you, my friends and readers to help out. Please take a minute to read the article in the MDJ. I encourage you to leave a positive comment about owning pet chickens. You have read my blog. You can go back on my blog and read again( or for the first time) about my journey into having pet chickens. I love my girls and I can't imagine not having them. We have to educate people about chickens as pets. Get ready for lots of posts about chickens coming soon!!!

Now, click below and start reading!!

East Cobb man campaigns to keep his backyard chickens

Praying

2011-07-11T11:11:00.001-04:00

Praying this morning. Praying for surgeons to have agile hands. For the assistants to be attentive. For careful eyes watching. For mom to come out of surgery with less pain than going into it. For a speedy recovery.

P.s. My grandmother's surgery went well. She is settling in at a rehab facility. Praying she will stay there until they give her a green light to go home...

P.P.s. Everything went well. Praying now for a speedy recovery.

Family

2011-06-27T08:06:00.000-04:00

I am up early today. I decided to drive my grandmother up to Chattanooga to visit her sisters and their families. It is a day trip. It will exhaust me. But it is worth it.

My grandmother is having a total knee replacement on Wednesday. The whole family chips in time at the hospital and aftercare facility. Her recovery will probably be long. This is her second knee to be replaced. They say it is a harder recovery.

So, we are making this trip knowing that it will be awhile before she can get back up there. He brother in law is quite sick. I haven't seen him in a while. This could be our last time to visit with him. The heaviness of this fact weighs on me as I prepare for today. He is a man that I respect a lot. More like an uncle than a great uncle. One of my great aunts passed unexpectedly earlier this year. She was one of the youngest and oh, how her boys mourned. I will never forget their mourning cries and how they loved their Mama. That was the last time I was up there.

I just thought of a visit that I had with her quite a few years back. We were looking through old photo albums. There were four sisters in their family. She had some pictures of them sunbathing. I had never seem them! Let me tell you, my grandma and her sisters turned some heads in their day. They certainly were lookers!!!

Think of us today as we drive through the green hills. As I do my best to listen to my grandma tell the same stories over and over. As we visit with loved ones. As we mourn a little bit. And as we celebrate life a little bit.

Going to Get Back in the Saddle

2011-06-23T14:14:00.000-04:00

I have to get back to blogging! I miss my blog friends and keeping a record of what is going on. First an update:

As my grandmother would say, I have been feeing lazy lately. Just starting to feel rested. Not interested in the go, go, go. I want to take it a little easy. I am learning to say no to things that will wear me out or aren't necessary. I am learning to manage my energy.

My Postpartum Doula website is up and running. I am sure that there will be some changes to come, but you will get the idea. You can find me at www.karasutton.com I am so excited about this new venture. A new baby was born today! I can't wait to meet her and to support her family as they welcome her a whole month early. She just had to come! I am looking forward to meeting families and their new little ones. I was born to do this!

The baby chicks are growing. They are still a bit on the small side. I promise to work on some photos of them soon. They are almost out of their ugly stage. I am so glad! They are starting to show a bit of personality and what their colors are going to look like. I can't wait until fall. I am hoping for lots of eggs to sell. I mean share. Of course, share.

I got to spend some amazing time with some of my best friends in the whole wide world this month. They feed my soul. We will all be together again in September for a wedding and I can hardly wait! In the meantime though, a few of us might go see Dolly Parton on tour. Eeeeeeekkkkk! I think it will be a blast and we'll make more memories together. Yes, I am jumping up and down in my mind.

Ok, I am just rambling now. Here are some thoughts for posts to come.

my morning smoothie recipe
raising chickens
what's in my pantry
my search for water
the Marietta Farmer's Market
how to make applesauce
gluten free brownie recipes and mixes
natural household cleaners
why I switched to stainless steel pots and pans
throwing out the plastic
budgeting
homemade coconut milk ice cream
how to make an amazing salad

What do you want to read about?

Summertime!!!

2011-06-03T08:40:00.000-04:00

Boy, the time has just flown by! I can hardly believe that it is summer already. The 90 degree temps have convinced me though. Summer is here, baby!

Let's do a little catch up:
School is out! Woohoo. And drum roll please...... It was my last year there. I am moving on to my doula career. Website for that coming soon, I promise! I will miss the kids and some of my co- workers, but overall I am really happy to move on.

We have thirteen, yes I said thirteen, baby chickens! Lord helpl us!!! Atta Girl hatched two, we added to hers from some that a friend hatched in an incubator. She seemed to take them well....until the next day. My chicken is racist. All of the white chickens she loved and cared for. All of the black chickens she scared silly and injured. So, either she is really smart or really mean. She accepted the new baby chickens that looked like her original two and shunned the rest. So, we have had six babies in the house!!! Today we are moving them outside to learn the sights and sounds of the rest of the flock. Hopefully it will go well. Oh, and I can't find the camera, so no pictures for now.

Instead of a garden this year we are working on growing a lawn. In the past we have grown weeds where a lawn would be, so we decided it was high time for some grass. A month or more of work on Dave's part prepping and planting seed, a palet of sod and lots of water later we are growing a grass lawn!!! It will take it a while to get established, but I really am looking forward to walking around barefoot out there next summer.

I have been doing a cleanse the past month and really found it refreshing. I went vegan for eleven days, then slowly added back lean protein, watched my rice and lentil intake, and made a point of eating twice as many vegetables as fruit and most of that raw. I have had more energy and felt generally better. I can start to add back nuts and seeds this weekend. I am just a little bit excited. Ok, I want some beef too! But I learned that I can have lots more veggies in my diet and be really happy. I love my smoothies even more than I used to. I plan to write more about all of this. And with summer upon us, I should have some time.

We are off to Charlotte for a week of fun with family. It will be fun to spend some time with the little niece and nephew, and everyone that we don't see very often. I see lots of time at the pool in my near future and I can't wait!

Ok, I need to go spend some time with the chickens and turn off one of the many sprinklers helping our lawn become lush and green. Happy summer ya'll!

P.s. Excuse my typos as I was lazy and wrote this on the iPad instead of the laptop.

Hey!

2011-05-08T10:23:00.000-04:00

Ok, I should be cooking, or shopping, but since I just swept the house, and changed the sheets I will take a moment to blog! There is so much going on.... I feel like I hardly have a moment to catch my breath or do things that I need to do!

First off, baby chickens are hatching today!!!!! Happy Mother's day to Atta Girl who decided to speed up our plans of hatching again by going broody. So far I think that we have at least two little ones. We are trying not to disturb her too much but my curiosity is about to make me pick her up to see under her. I will take the risk of getting hen pecked!

I am still working on my postpartum doula certification and have worked with one client so far. I am so pleased by my new career choice! I can't wait to be able to devote more time to it. Soon I will have my website up and business cards. Those things have been taking up a lot of time, but it is a good thing.

Dave has settled into a new position at work and my school year is drawing to a close. I am SO looking forward to Summer! The tomato plants are beginning to bloom so I know that summer is near.

Ok, enough time sitting down. I have salad to make, fruit to cut up and an errand to run before Mother's Day lunch! Happy Mother's day everyone. I am constantly in awe of all of you moms. You have amazing, life changing jobs!

More blogging soon.......

Praying....

2011-05-03T21:00:00.001-04:00

I am praying for an old friend and his wife. They have a new baby boy that might not be around for long. My heart aches..... Will you pray with me for Ben, Brooke and baby Wolfie?

You can read their story here.

The Changing of Seasons

2011-03-13T09:30:00.000-04:00

Wow, it is hard to believe that Spring officially arrives soon. I mean, it isn't hard to believe with everything sprouting and blooming outside, but more difficult to acknowledge the passing of time. Does that even make sense?

I have been meaning to blog and the days have gotten away from me and turned into a month! I relate to the seasons changing because of how life is changing. I am happily persuing a career as a postpartum doula. I attended and completed a wonderful training last month. I can now work as a postpartum doula but am still working on my certification. It is exciting and I love learning and helping people. The next month or so could get busy as one of my best friends is due with her first child and I am starting to make contacts. Oh yeah, and I am still working full time. Just under three months left in the school year...... I am looking ahead to summer already!

Another one of my best friends had her first baby a month ago. He is SO stinking cute and I already love him to pieces. It was a joy to encourage her with the things that I am learning. She and her hubby are super awesome parents.

We lost yet another chicken. I will have to write her dedicated post soon. That leaves us with three lovely ladies. They are laying up a storm. I love them so much! We have decided to increase our little flock and will be getting some pullets soon. That means a girl chicken about three to six months old. Not a baby, but almost mature. And then maybe this summer we will hatch again. I do miss holding little baby chickens!

I did something to my neck and shoulder about a week ago. I could hardly move! The Dr said that I was having muscle spasms. Can I tell you that it was the worst pain that I have ever experienced? It is still a little sore, a little tight, but praise the Lord, I can move freely, type without pain and go about daily life. Dave took great care of me and the house for the three days that I was incapacitated. I love that man!

This week was a really rough work week. Let's just say that I am really glad to be persuing a new career. But God has been faithful. He has reminded me of His love, that the Enemy lies, that His mercy is new every morning, that I am His child, that He has given me gifts that He has taught me to use well, that He has surrounded me with family and friends who are super encouraging and love me lots! I really feel like this Spring and Summer will be full of new life, death in leaving other areas of my life behind and an adventure along the way. I am excited. I am still learning to rely on the One who made me. And I know that good things are ahead!

I Am Still Here!!

2011-02-12T19:35:00.000-05:00

Wow, has it been a while since I posted, or what? Things have been kind of busy around here. I got a new schedule at school and I am all over the place! The day goes by fast squeezing seven or eight classes into four blocks but the day sure does go by quickly. I like the change of pace at work. New classes for me, new teachers, new students. This semester will fly by.

I also have news! I am studying to become a post partum doula. This is a very recent decision and I am very excited about. I have a ton of books to read, some classes to attend and some Mommas and babies to spend some time with. I will go into more depth about this soon. I am so excited about this!

Right now, I am wiped out after a long day with friends, a breast feeding class(a requirement for my diula training), friends on their way over and meal planning for the week running through my head. Thanks to the teachers that I work with, Dave's lunch is packed for the week. They sent me home with a lasagna. Now to figure out dinner for the week and stick my head into some books.

I will try to catch up on here soon...... Promise!

The Woodstove

2011-01-21T09:04:00.000-05:00

My friend Jen told me that I never put up a picture of the wood stove once it was completed. I left you with the hole in the ceiling barely covered up. Sorry about that. I talk about it all of the time and forgot to share! Oh, I just looked it up and found that I did post a picture.

Here are a couple more just in case you wanted to see it again:

I LOVE my wood stove. I am spoiled by the heat that it puts out and the heat that it retains. It is so much better than a fireplace in that respect. The concrete slab that we built it on absorbs heat and then after the fire has gone out slowly releases it just like rocks in the sun. Of course the wood stove itself holds in heat too. I hope that one day, when we build our own place in the country, we can have a couple of these to heat the majority of the house. I do love it that much!

So far our bills have been much lower by using the wood stove for heat. We have been fortunate to get our firewood for free. But calculating the costs for firewood, we would still come out on top using the wood stove. I think it was a great investment.

What I would change: in the future we would get a front loading wood stove. Ours loads from the side which can be a pain when a fire doesn't want to light. This also makes it difficult to clean the ashes out.

As far as cooking on the wood stove, I haven't. It isn't a true stove. We do keep a pot of water on the top to keep some moisture in the air. I suppose I could cook a pot of beans or a slow, not so simmering soup. If we lost power I could definitely heat something up!

How are you staying warm this winter?

The Holidays

2011-01-18T08:00:00.000-05:00

We did a lot of running around before, during and after the holidays! Here are some highlights of our time away and at home......

Dave and his dad while we were helping Dave's grandmother pack up to move from Macon to Florida.

My old neighbor came for a visit at her daughters house. I spent every moment that I could with her! She is only 97 or so now.

Our cutest 3 year old niece.

Our Tree!!!

Lleulu's idea of hiding from me.

Other than chewing on the tree, Lleulu's favorite thing to do with it is sleep under it.

Showing Grandma how to use the iPad. She might get one!

Me and Dave with Grandma, his dad and stepmom. I love it!!

And Then There Were Four

2011-01-15T08:46:00.000-05:00

We lost our baby chicken, Little Jerry last week. It looked like she just fell asleep. We think that she was egg bound. This is when an egg doesn't pass and can cause many complications. She didn't show any symptoms ahead of time. Poor girl. We will miss her.

The last photo I took of Little Jerry. She had gotten taller and her feathers had filled out a lot after this.

Her spots were lovely....

We decided to set her aflame. Don't judge. We didn't know if she had a disease or not and didn't want such a large bird buried after Jemima got carried off. I really didn't want to deal with a bird being dug up. Dave prepared the fire.

We held watch until there was nothing left of her.

This is how I will remember you Little Jerry!!! I miss your funny little spiky feathers and your skittish ways!

wow....

2011-01-12T15:50:00.000-05:00

I find myself sitting here stunned. The phone rang. No school tomorrow again. That makes four days in a row. I almost wept as I listened to the recorded message. No, not because I am sad about missing work or mad about missing the pay. But because I feel like God knew that I needed a break. "But Kara, we just had Christmas break!" you say. Yes, but it was short. Barely a week for us this year and filled with loads of running around. When school started back I left my Christmas decorations up just to cheer me at the end of the day. I have just been so tired. I felt my heart crying out to God, " I need more time, God! I don't know if I can do this. I am so tired."

I think He heard me. He didn't just still my mind and heart. He stilled the whole town with a blanket of snow and a sparkly sheet of ice. It has been SO quiet for days. My mind and body have rested. I have been warmed by the fire. I have had no desire to leave the house or feel the need to see friends. I haven't even picked up the phone to call a friend for conversation. I am content. I know that God knows me. And sometimes I have to be slowed down to be reminded of that.

I know that people are getting frustrated by being stuck at home, the natives are getting restless. Maybe we need to slow down sometimes. It is a hard thing to do voluntarily. So, when we are made to, sometimes it seems unfair. Not this go round for me. I have embraced it. Another afternoon snuggled up by the fire is coming right up! My heart is pretty full right now. And I am ok with that.

Some Snow Pictures

2011-01-11T16:46:00.000-05:00

I thought that I would add some pictures of our snow and ice to the others out on the internet. We have missed two days of school so far. We did get about 6" of snow and then it iced over. The ice is what keeps things closed down. I don't doubt it if we are shut down for another day as things have thawed today and then will refreeze tonight.

Anyway, the views have been stunning....

The front yard looking across the street shortly after Dave left for work.

The backyard and chicken palace

The chickens were plenty warm. Loved the icicles on the coop!

The hill where I used to sled. No sledding for me this day. Just a cold walk!

After much hesitation, Edith decides to venture out.

Edith, Daisy and Lydia doing a little bit of ice crunching. They were really unsure and had a hard time getting their footing on the ice.

Atta Girl tagging along behind.

My buddy by the fire, Lleulu.

I am still curled up by the fire, enjoying the views! Happy wintertime!

Happy Anniversary

2010-12-27T08:47:00.001-05:00

Our 5th anniversary was in October, but due to a death in the family we pushed our anniversary trip to December. This turned out to be really cool since we had planned to go to Pigeon Forge. In December this means snow in the Smoky Mountain National Park. It was so beautiful!!! Here are some of my favorites.

I love the way the needles held the snow.

Who doesn't love a snow covered tunnel?

Walking in a Winter Wonderland

This scene looks fake to me.... so beautiful!

I love the snow clinging to the rocks.

Snow underfoot and over head.

We had such a great time! We are thinking that we might have to make a trip every December to Pigeon Forge!

Merry Christmas

2010-12-25T00:40:00.002-05:00

But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

“Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

Luke 2:10-14

In Honor of My Girls

2010-12-21T08:54:00.002-05:00

Finally getting to upload some pictures of the girls that I have lost this year. First Pickle due to illness earlier this year. Then, this last weekend Jemima got carried off by something. I hope it had a good meal. We will miss our sweet girls!

Pickle hanging out on the couch.

Pickle watching Antiques Roadshow with me on the couch.

Pickle Taking her final car ride.

Saying goodbye to my girl. I miss you Pickle!

Jemima and her sister Atta Girl. Atta Girl misses her.

Holding Jemima when she was sick last year.

I miss you sweet girl!!

Organic?

2010-12-18T08:47:00.001-05:00

You know you are eating organic when you find this in your broccoli.

I pulled my broccoli out of the refrigerator, laid it on the cutting board and quickly put my knife down. I found this little spider!!! It must have been hibernating in the cold of our ice box. I think it may have been a black widow. I quickly washed it down the drain. So, I have no doubt that my local farmers haven't sprayed their crops! Do you know your local farmer?

Oh.....

2010-12-16T06:36:00.000-05:00

Wishing for some of this, but instead I will take the two hour school delay. Hopefully I will have time to get some pictures up soon and get some blogging going again. Until then, enjoy these photos of our time in the Smoky Mountain National Park.

Power down

2010-12-04T07:07:00.000-05:00

So, do you remember when I posted that my energy levels have been up and down? Let's just say that they have been down since that post. Another month of stress has left me feeling like
I am in a ditch. We had a death on each side of our families within a month of each other, company in from out of town twice, short trips out of town and more stress at work. I have also had the realization that even good stress is stress. My body reacts the same way to an awesome day out with girlfriends as it does to a funeral. You don't think about it, but your endorphines and adrenaline rushes, the emotional highs and lows make your adrenals work baby!! And mine don't work well right now. So even my good time visits with friends have been tiring. If you have been wondering why I have become a hermit, maybe that tidbit of info will help you understand. I found a good article here that may help if you want to know more about adrenal fatigue.

I have also found out that I am really low with vitamin D and DHEA. If you follow the link to the other article and search DHEA there is am article on DHEA as well. It is pretty interesting. I am getting some new supplements for both of these issues soon and I expect that to make a huge difference in my energy levels. I cant wait! I am really excited about two little bottles full of liquids that should help my body do what it is supposed to do.

On the bright side, I am at the end of me. That is where God can use me the most, right? I had a good long, tired cry last night with Dave acknowledging that. It felt good. You know, to know that you have done everything you can and the rest is in Gods hands? Relying on Him daily for my every care and need. That may not sound like a bright side to some, but for me it is. I think powered down and at the end of me is just where I am supposed to be right now. Life goes on. We still have a busy couple of weeks ahead before the winter holiday break from school. I have lots of plans. I am trying to stick with them and believing by God's grace I will make it through. Today we are off to Macon to see Dave's grandma moved out of her house and down to FL. Don't worry, we are only going to Macon. Oh, and it is Dave's birthday. One more busy day ahead......

Giving Thanks

2010-11-25T09:18:00.000-05:00

I am thankful for my family. And I am proud to be a part of such an amazing extended family!!
I am thankful for my husband.
I am thankful for my awesome friends who are like family.
I am thankful for a roof over our heads and food on our table.
I am thankful for the animals that we care for and how they enhance our lives.
I am thankful for our God who loves me enough that he came to earth, died and rose again.
I am thankful for the travels that I have had in life and the memories of them that I visit often.
I am thankful for the leaves on the ground that are brilliant red.
I am thankful .......

Turkey Time!!

2010-11-15T06:51:00.005-05:00

Thanksgiving is just around the corner. Can you believe it? Where has the time gone? I love Fall. The leaves, the chilly air, the fire in the wood stove!! Can't wait to see how that brings our heating bill down... Woohoo!!

Anyway, Thanksgiving is soon upon us and that makes me think about food. I decided this year to buy a turkey fresh from the farm. I missed the cutoff dates for that, and anything local was already paid for. Drat. Where else is a girl to go? I ended up at the butchers counter at my local Whole Foods. I love those meat slingers. They always take good care of me. I decided to order my turkeys, yes plural, from them. They carry a regular ol broad breasted turkey and many other variations. I settled on a regular ol turkey and an heirloom variety turkey. I have heard people rave about the flavor of an heirloom turkey and I can't wait to try it.

Here's the catch..... I don't even cook Thanksgiving dinner!! I am buying these turkeys to process and freeze for later use. I plan on slicing these up into cutlets, breast pieces, ground meat, turkey legs, stock and whatever else I can think of!! It is turkey season, so they are fresh and the prices are good. Hopefully my Mom is going to help me cut them up. I have cut up chickens but for some reason, turkey seems intimidating. I am borrowing her meat grinder too. What am I getting myself into? Delicious meat to be on hand. Actually, I am looking forward to this adventure. I will let you know how it goes!

Well, I Tried

2010-11-12T06:37:00.000-05:00

Well, I tried something the other day that I have missed for awhile. Yes, it was food related. I have been missing oatmeal since the chilly mornings arrived. I have cautiously stayed away from it because oats are often cross contaminated with gluten. This can happen a few ways. Often the fields that they grow in used to be fields where gluten containing grains were grown, or they are grown in close proximity of these grains. The machinery that they are processed on are usually used for other grains and this causes cross contamination as well. So, to be on the safe side, I have stayed away from oats in any shape or form.

This weekend I decided to spend the money on gluten free oats. These oats are grown and tested for gluten along the process. Oh, the smell, the taste!!!! Divine! I didn't realize how much I missed a little grain. I piled it up with walnuts and raisins. Yummy! My taste buds were satisfied. I waited for a reaction from my gut. I went all day just fine, until the next morning. Bummer. I guess I need to try a smaller quantity of oats or not making it a main meal. Oats do naturally obtain a small amount of gluten, but many gluten sensitive people can tolerate small amounts of oats.

I won't give up yet!! I will they it in small amounts, maybe in cookies, or the oh so missed meatloaf! I used to make a killer meatloaf. Maybe I can resurrect it. I will keep you posted on my progress.

Have any of you had an experience with oats? I often wonder how other people are affected by food.......

My Sweet Tooth Kicked In

2010-11-09T09:03:00.008-05:00

My sweet tooth kicked in and now I want some chocolate. What is a gluten free, sugar free, dairy free girl to do? Well, there is always some Coconut Bliss to be had. I never get tired of ice cream and Coconut Bliss fits my bill every time. But my birthday rolled around and I wanted something cake like. I wanted chocolate. I hadn't really had anything cake like since starting my healthy eating plan. I am not a girl that LOVES frosting, so I didn't need a traditional cake. I searched recipe sites far and wide. I dreamed of the chocolate ganache that I had at Sunflower Cafe. I found nothing close to it.

Then I remembered a brownie recipe that I found, guess where? At Elana's Pantry of course. You can find it here.

I LOVE these brownies. I hadn't made them before for a few reasons. 1) it makes a big pan of brownies 2)the ingredients are expensive, around $10 total 3)I didn't want a huge pan of brownies in the house because I would eat them!!!

So, when my friend Jen asked if she could make something for my birthday I jumped on this recipe. I supplied the ingredients and Jen whipped them up. They are SO good. Everyone agreed. These are a hit!!

What I LOVE about these brownies 1) anyone can make them. No special ingredients needed. Everything can be found at the local grocery. Get baking for your gluten free friends!!! 2)they are high in protein and low in natural sugar. No guilt in these babies! 3) they keep well 4) I could take these to a potluck or friends house and everyone would be satisfied 5) it makes a big pan of brownies so I don't get mad when Dave eats three or four in a day

Have you had your brownies today??? Maybe you should make some.......

Pumpkin Bread That is Gluten free, Sugar free AND Delicious?

2010-11-06T08:52:00.004-04:00

Yes, that is right!!! Thanks to my new favorite website I have made delicious pumpkin bread that meets all of my dietary requirements. It is super moist, easy, and high in protein. Are you as excited as I am?

The recipe is from Elana's Pantry. You can find it here. It is super amazing. You have to check out her recipes. I want to make so many of them. The only thing that I changed in this recipe was that I made mini loaves instead of muffins. I hate cleaning muffin tins. I also doubled the recipe since it is for only 8 muffins. I think next time I am going to add a bit more spice as well. I like my spiced breads spicy!!

I am off to make some more pumpkin bread.... Enjoy!!!

Healthy Eating Update

2010-11-03T08:24:00.012-04:00

You may be wondering how my healthy eating is going. Just for a reminder I am gluten free, sugar free, dairy free, yeast free, and corn free. It was difficult at first figuring out how to eat, but I am pretty used to it now. I really don't get tempted often and even then, saying no is easy when you know that thing will make you feel yucky later.

Meals really aren't that hard or different. We just stick to meat and vegetables with an occasional side of rice. I can still have Dave's amazing grilled steak which gets better every time he makes it. So far I am not missing too many foods either. I will admit, Thanksgiving might be tough. I love cornbread dressing. sigh. That will be missed.

As a result of all of this healthy eating, I have become the incredible shrinking woman. Do you remember that movie? I need to look it up. Anyway, without trying to, nor did I expect it, I have dropped almost thirty pounds. This side affect of losing weight wasn't on my horizon. I was quite happy with my weight and size. I didn't look in the mirror and wish that I was smaller. Now I am faced with getting a whole new wardrobe. Almost nothing fits that did before. I think that most women would love this- losing weight and having to buy new clothes. Have I mentioned that I hate shopping? Especially when I can no longer judge what will fit me just by looking at it on the rack. To set out an outfit only to have it hang off of you when you put it on is no fun. And when you decide that you will try to wear it anyway and your friend tells you that it looks like you have a load in your pants, you decide to go shopping.

I bought my first pair of skinny jeans. What!!! Dave is thrilled of course. One bonus of all of this, I actually have normal sized calves!! My fluid retention has gone way down. I am so thrilled about that. I have shopped here and there for bits and pieces, but I need to get some more work clothes soon.

My energy levels are up and down. I had been doing pretty well, but a month of stress at work knocked me down. I am trying to get back to where I was. Oh, my creative juices are flowing again though!! I have been hand stitching up a storm and loving it!! I haven't really sewn in two years. I am so glad to have that creative energy back. Be in the look out for pictures of my creations.

Ok, now that I have written a short book, I am going to enjoy my day.... I hope that you are enjoying yours too!

Happy Halloween!!!

2010-10-31T08:23:00.000-04:00

For some reason, getting back to blogging has been hard for me. Not being able to post pictures took my zeal away I suppose. And now that I have an iPad instead of a regular ol computer, it doesn't want to post pictures either. I will have to coordinate some time to post pictures. It will happen!!!

So, I am going blog more often. Are you ready? Recipes, stories and fun times for all are just around the corner.

Today though, I am headed to my friends house. Dave has to work tonight so I am going to spend the evening with friends carving pumpkins( my favorite!!), watch our traditional Hocus
Pocus, share a meal together and the watch the kiddos streaming down the lane for the candy. Their neighborhood goes bonkers for Halloween. The kids have so much fun.

What are you doing today?

I'll be blogging soon!!!!

So much...

2010-10-03T09:48:00.000-04:00

There is so much to write about, blog about and share. For some reason I can't get pictures to load on blogger anymore. It is a bit annoying and is keeping me from posting. It has been a very busy month or so- my mom had a total hip replacement, I had a horrible cold, and we lost our sweet chicken Pickle to illness. I have such great pictures to share. For now, you will have to wait until I can get pictures loaded.

Little Jerry is growing super fast! The colors outside are changing. The woodstove will be keeping us warm soon. I made a gluten free dairy free "pumpkin" pie. We celebrate our fifth anniversary this week. Time is flying by......

I am going to enjoy the crisp morning air, spend some time worshiping our Creator and let the birthday celebrations begin a full 2 weeks early. Happy Sunday!!

Fall is Here

2010-09-23T16:46:00.000-04:00

It feels nothing like it with a ninety degree day, but Fall is upon us. This is my favorite season of all. I love the changing leaves, well when that happens. It is anniversary season for my parents. For Dave and I as well. It is birthday season. Woohoo!!! I love the warmish days and cool nights. I can't wait to build a fire in the woodstove! Come on chilly nights!

Even though the weather isn't cooperating I got out my decorations: candy corn garland, my painted quail, the pumpkin and acorn candy dishes, the Thanksgiving salt and pepper shakers(it is never too early to be thankful), a wreath for the door and pumpkins galore!! Ah. It is a full moon tonight. I love that too. Now..... I will have to wait for the cool air to arrive. Happy waiting. Happy Fall!!

Pretty.....

2010-09-11T08:44:00.000-04:00

I found these in the yard last week.

I think that they are lovely.

I can imagine little fairies and gnomes hiding out under there.

I just had to capture their images. They reminded me my favorite Beatrix Potter image.

If anyone can find a print of this I will be indebted to you forever. It is just stunning to me. The ferns. The leaves. The fungi detail. Sigh. Thanks Beatrix.

Daisy

2010-09-07T08:33:00.002-04:00

I love Daisy. When she first hatched I didn't want a "blue" chicken. Blue means gray in chicken talk. But as she grew her coloring became one of my favorites. She has her quirks. Sometimes she sounds like a duck. She is the one that got the hole broody hen club started. She doesn't like to be held and is spunky!!!

I love seeing her in the basket by the back door. I think it is a stunning sight. And when she leaves, I fetch my breakfast. Thanks Daisy.

Where's Little Jerry?

2010-09-04T08:24:00.002-04:00

Well, Little Jerry and Momma are finally integrating with the rest of the flock. They run around together and spend lots of time under cover. I thought we could play a little game of "Where's Little Jerry?" kind of like "Where's Waldo?".

Where's Little Jerry? By her momma, perfectly camouflaged, beside the hydrangeas.

Where's Little Jerry? Poking her head out from the hydrangea leaves!

Where's Little Jerry? Looking for Momma!!! Can you see her here? Her coloring hides her so well!

Little Jerry Goes Outside

2010-09-01T09:07:00.001-04:00

Well, it had to happen. Momma and baby had to move outside one day. I would miss Little Jerry's baby peeps, but not the smell of chicken in a confined space!!

Before the move


One unhappy Momma on the move

My first time holding Little Jerry. She was showing off her wing feathers.

Little Jerry's first glimpse of the outside world

The cutest little chicken face in the whole wide world

Little Jerry's first glimpse of her new home

Look how tiny!!!

Checking in with Momma

And it's hard to see, but a proper ride on Mom's back makes the day complete.

Mom and baby are doing great!!! More pictures to come!!!

Not Fried Okra

2010-08-29T08:15:00.000-04:00

Ok, so on my my healthy eating plan I can't have corn meal. Corn meal is an essential ingredient in fried okra. Fried okra is one of my favorite foods. Sad sigh. So this summer I was determined to find a way to get that scrumptious okra flavor into my mouth. And I have eaten okra many ways this summer. I have tried it raw(It's better than I expected!), love it pickled, slimy boiled, crunchy dried and now I have two new ways to cook it.

The first way is oven roasted. I simply cut the tops off of the okra, tossed them in some olive oil, salt and pepper and baked them at 350 degrees. I turned them after 15-20 minutes and let them cook until a bit browned or blackened. Oh. So. Yummy!! Really. The flavor is so similar to fried okra I almost screamed with joy!

The oven roasted okra. It was even good left over!!

The second way I fixed okra was pan roasted. The procedure is pretty similar to oven roasted, except that I was working with large okra, so I cut it into 2 inch segments. I heated oil in a large skillet, the one that broke my foot actually, and tossed the oil coated seasoned okra into the hot oiled skillet. I turned them frequently and cooked them on high. They took a while to get nice and dark. Dave really liked it. We ate the whole pan full between us in one sitting!

Now we need to try grilling okra while the okra picking is still good. Go enjoy summer eating while it lasts!!!!

Monster Vegetables!!!

2010-08-26T08:47:00.002-04:00

Last week at the market I happened upon a monster vegetable. Seriously huge!!! Craig at Two Mule Farms grew some Cushaw squash or Cushaw melon, as it is also known. His lovely lady thought of me as she cooked some up the night before. They know how much I love winter squash. So I lugged this baby home.


Well, don't know that I could call it a baby. Maybe it is a toddler.


There. Pretty big huh?

The neck alone.

I started cutting. And cutting. And cutting!!! The neck alone yielded 6 quart bags full of cubed Cushaw!! Whao Nelly!!! I was in shock. I kept cutting.

One half of the bowl of the squash

The inside flesh. Very similar to a pumpkin.


seven quarts of Cushaw

Whew!!! One nasty blister and seven quarts later I was finished cubing my Cushaw. Isn't that fun to say? I love the sound of it. But I wasn't done. I still had half of a Cushaw to roast!! Yes, this thing was a monster!!! I ended up eating about 1/4 of what I roasted and freezing the rest for soup or something like that.

This week I roasted my first batch of cubed Cushaw. I had read that some people treat it like potatoes. So I whipped up my spice blend for potatoes, mixed it all together and popped it into the oven. The result might have been better than potatoes. No lie!!! I can't wait to make more. Maybe some pie too!

Oh, and don't forget about the seeds!!! I used my same spice blend on the seeds and roasted them as one would roast pumpkin seeds. They were SO delicious! I think that they tasted even better than roasted pumpkin seeds. They are a little more crunchy. I want some more.

I might be crazy enough to buy another one if Craig shows up with more at the market. I will try not to get a blister next time!! Do you know of any unusually large or just unusual vegetables in your neck of the woods?

More Photos From Way Down South

2010-08-23T09:34:00.001-04:00

Pretty much my own private pool. I only shared it a few times.

Yep. No one else around and the marsh is just that way.

Even at sunset, all mine!!

Part of the marina

I mean, can you beat this view?

Savannah, can't wait to see you again!!!

Way Down South

2010-08-20T08:25:00.001-04:00

I am finally getting around to uploading some pictures of our trip to Savannah. We had a great time fishing and relaxing. A few big ones got away, the sharks made an appearance and the sunsets were gorgeous. I can't wait to get back down there!!!


A crab in the crab trap

Oops. A blowfish in the crab trap.

Dave with one of the sharks he caught and let go. It was shark week after all.

What's in Dave's tackle box?

This is where we were fishing. Gorgeous!!

A ray. One of the many things swimming out there.


Going towards the marina. I was trying to get a photo of the dolphins but they didn't cooperate.

Dave's goal was to catch dinner. Here is some whiting cooked up along with fried okra and green beans. Yum yum.

Joel with some kind of fish that I can't remember the name of

More to come!!!

Aww.... How Cute!

2010-08-17T08:09:00.001-04:00

Are you ready for some cuteness?


momma and baby


Baby peeking out from under momma's wing. You have to look really closely!

And are you ready for the cutest ever? I couldn't believe my eyes when I walked up on this sight. Are you really ready? Ok.


Oh my lands, the cuteness!!!


And another restful trip on Momma's back.


And one more for good measure. Mercy!

Ok. I think that I have met my cute quota for about ten years! I love watching these two together. It will be so hard to put them outside where I can't watch their antics all of the time. I will try to take some more video soon. The baby is growing fast. She is starting to grow wing feathers and hop all over the place. She even knocked over her food. Silly girl!

There is more cuteness to come I am sure!

Cute Baby Chicken!!!

2010-08-14T08:30:00.009-04:00

It isn't the best video, but you get to hear the baby peeping and Edith talking to her. Edith was showing her a piece of cantaloupe. I could watch them all day long!

Here is the baby chick!

2010-08-11T20:29:00.000-04:00

We ended up with only one baby chick. Here she is with Momma Edith. That is right. Daisy didn't turn out to be a good mom. Edith is great!!!!


Lleulu checking on Edith and her baby


The fluffy blob is the baby. I was trying no to scare her with a flash!


Edith teaching the baby how to eat. Absolutely precious!!


A little better view of the baby. She is so tiny next to her mommy. She was either coming out from under Edith or about to go back under her.

Well, I have to go get ready for bed. Students start at school tomorrow. That means I will be awake well before the sun! I will post more chicken cuteness soon!

Chickens Hatching.....

2010-08-09T20:58:00.000-04:00

So the chicks are hatching. We lost four. One hatched successfully so far. We have a momma hen and the eggs and one chick separated into the house. A chicken in the kitchen again!! I will tell you more later....

Yummy!!

2010-08-05T09:35:00.000-04:00

My peach this last Saturday:

I just had to share. It was as delicious as it looks. Thanks Pearson Farms for growing such delicious Georgia peaches!! I look forward to purchasing them every Saturday at the Marietta Square Farmer's Market.

Dairy Free, Sugar Free, Gluten Free Baking

2010-08-02T09:23:00.000-04:00

I tried baking for the fist time on my new healthy eating plan a couple of weeks ago. I found some recipes on a fantastic website called Elana's Pantry. She actually has a coconut milk ice cream recipe on the home page right now. I might have to try that one!!

Anyway, she does her baking with coconut flour or almond flour and calls for very few ingredients compared to most gluten free baking recipes. So, I gave the blueberry muffins and lemon poppy seed muffins a whirl.

I forgot to take a picture of the blueberry ones. But these look pretty good, huh? I think they tasted pretty good too. I will definitely make them again.

What I learned? I don't miss baked good as much as I expected. I ate a couple of muffins and didn't want any more. Weird. Coconut flour makes a different texture of baked goods. It is noticeable but not bad. It is high in fiber and protein. I think that makes you eat less. Maybe not.

I can't wait to get some almond flour to make some more recipes!! Thanks Elana!

Chicken development......

2010-07-30T09:01:00.001-04:00

Just in case you are wondering what is going on inside of the eggs that Daisy is sitting on, here is a little pictorial. It is a little bit graphic. But, I think it is really amazing!!

I can't wait to see our little babies! Keep on growing.

In other news, I can wear shoes!! Hooray!! My foot is still broken, but is healing like it is supposed to. It is amazing how good wearing shoes can feel. I am off to enjoy a bit of summertime!

Dairy Free, Sugar Free, Gluten Free Ice Cream?

2010-07-28T09:55:00.007-04:00

Is there such a thing that tastes good? Yes!! There is. I have had the pleasure to try two different brands of coconut milk ice cream. They are both very good. The first one is by Purely Decadent.

It is creamy and delicious. Some of their flavors do contain sugar, so be on the look out. My main draw to this product- it is available at Kroger! That means I can feed a craving in the middle of the night!

The second brand is Coconut Bliss.

When I have time to plan for ice cream this is my choice. I found it at Whole Foods and Life Grocery near me. I find Coconut Bliss to be creamier than the Purely Decadent brand. I like that!!

Both of these brands are sweetened with agave nectar. Both of these brands have been eaten by dairy lover friends of mine and they liked them!

What I love about these- I can have ice cream that is tasty and delicious!! Shoot. My Dr. even asked me if I had tried Coconut Bliss. YES! was my emphatic reply. Thank you Purely Decadent and Coconut Bliss for making such wonderful products for those of us who have limited diets or food allergies. Keep them coming!!

Eggciting News!!

2010-07-25T12:55:00.000-04:00

We have some eggciting news around here! We are going to have grandchickens! "But Kara, you don't have roosters. How are you having grandchickens?", you ask. I know, I know. I will tell you our story. Before I broke my foot Daisy had starting sitting in a nest box a lot. She started out just sleeping there, which is odd. The girls usually sleep on a roost. She slowly started spending more and more time sitting in a nest box on a little lonely egg of her own or borrowing an egg that someone else laid. We would always gather the eggs so that she didn't have anything to sit on, but she insisted on staying in a nest box. Thus, we had a broody chicken. You call them broody when they start behaving like this, wanting to have chicken babies and sitting on a nest.

We tried to deter her. I put ice packs under her to start with. When going broody a hen raises her body temperature to incubate the eggs. So I essentially was trying to cool her down. She didn't take notice. Then I broke my foot. Edith took that as her clue to start sitting in the nest box too. Two broody hens? No way. Dave locked them out of their nesting area so that they couldn't get to a nest box. The two hens didn't want to give it up!! They waited for the door to be opened. Edith eventually gave, but Daisy started making a nest on the ground. We opened the door and she took back to the nest.

Once I was able to walk I started thinking that we needed to do something for our insistent momma. She didn't know that her eggs wouldn't make babies since there was no rooster to fertilize them. I talked to my relative James that I help out at the Marietta Square Farmer's Market. He has chickens. Many more than I do. I asked him if he could provide me with fertilized eggs and sure enough he did.

Here are the fertilized eggs in the nest. I marked them with pencil. Some other chickens like to lay eggs in the nest with each other. I needed to be able to tell them apart. Dave placed the eggs on Tuesday night this last week. So, we should have baby chickens on August 10th or 11th!

Here is Daisy all fluffed up trying to distract me from her nest.

And here she is all fluffed up on the nest. She fluffs up to make herself look bigger and distract you from her nest. She also squeals at you. It is kind of funny. Some chickens get really mean while they are on a nest. Daisy still lets me reach under her, although she squeals at me and fluffs up like this. I think she ultimately knows that I am not going to hurt her or her nest.

I candled some eggs last night. This is when you look at an egg in the dark with a very bright small light to to see inside the egg. There are babies growing!! Good job Daisy.

Our eggs look something like this right now when candled. You can see the veins. The small red blob is the embryo! I will try to find more photos to post and will keep you updated! The time is going to fly by!

Worth The Read

2010-07-21T12:41:00.000-04:00

Change exploited kid laws | ajc.com

Most of you know that ending the commercial sexual exploitation of children is near and dear to my heart. Atlanta, depending on who you talk to, is in the top 3 in the nation with this problem! That is our own backyard!

Please take a few minutes to educate yourself on this matter. This article in the AJC is a great place to start. It puts things in a perspective that you might not of thought about before. Let me know what your thoughts on the matter!

A Quick Little Post

2010-07-16T12:06:00.000-04:00

Boy, the time if flying by!! I wanted to blog a bit before the weekend comes. My foot is a bit better every day, or so it seems. I have over done it cooking in the kitchen and going to the store. I am learning my limits and getting more energy and brain power back every day. I man I changed the sheets, folded laundry and didn't turn the t.v. on for a whole day. Oh yea! I am on the way back.

I have really enjoyed my Bible study groups this summer. I still meet with some former high school girls every Tuesday afternoon. I love our time together, talking about life and God. It refreshes my soul. I think these girls will do great things for God and already are. I also meet with my adult girls, who I guess are technically former high school girls, every other Tuesday night. We are studying Ruth. I am enjoying the Bible study, but I enjoy my fellowship time with these lovely ladies more and more. They keep me grounded and sane, while pushing me toward God.

God. Been thinking about God a lot lately, well, once my brain decided not to be lethargic. I love God. I can not imagine my life without my belief in Him. He is so good. SO good. I feel it to my very core. The way he cares for us, provides for us, saves us and extends grace and mercy. Whoa. Yeah. So I am trying to spend more time on my knees and in the Word. Less time with the t.v. on. This will be good.

Alright, busy day ahead and maybe a busy weekend. I have to go listen to some music Dave just came up with then get ready for a quick road trip. Come on foot. We can do this!

Time is passing...

2010-07-10T11:39:00.000-04:00

I really thought that I would blog a bit more while I was down with my foot. I thought I would do a lot of things but the days have flown by. I really planned to read a lot, maybe catch up with some friends. I have mostly watched t.v. and rested. Oh well.

My foot is still quite painful. It is really frustrating. Most nights I haven't slept very well. I am walking without crutches now. That frees up my hands which is really nice. Walking is tough though. It wears me out and makes my foot hurt. Oh well. What do you do?

Let's see, Atta Girl has been outside for a couple of weeks now and doing great!!! We are so glad. Daisy however has taken to making a nest. Poor thing doesn't know her eggs have no chance of becoming baby chicks. We have tried everything!!! We kicked her out of the nest boxes for days, put ice under her to try and cool her down and she insists on sitting tight. So I have put out a request for fertilized eggs. We'll see if someone can help us out. I am not thrilled about this prospect, but we don't have many options. She isn't getting up much to eat or drink and her health can decline. We're trying to help you Daisy!!

I am still moving really slowly. I should be getting out to the store today, but I am not quite confident about getting out on my own. Sigh. Time will help.

What are you doing this summer?

A Bit of Summer's Bounty

2010-07-06T13:19:00.000-04:00

Red, White and

2010-07-04T15:28:00.000-04:00

Well, two out of three isn't bad. Here's my new high class car decoration. I haven't used it much. Heck, I have hardly been out of the house!! Breaking a foot is no fun. The worst of it is that I haven't been sleeping very well. That really wears on me.

Today I am getting out of the house! We are going to my sister's to swim and eat with the family. I can't wait to get my foot out of this boot for a bit, cool off in the pool and get some sun on my toes. Happy Fourth of July ya'll!! Thank you to all of you who have served and are serving in our armed forces.

Wheat Where?

2010-06-29T09:00:00.000-04:00

On this whole gluten free journey I have been surprised where wheat or gluten products might turn up. You might be surprised too.

Soy sauce- it's not all soy. Go to the pantry and pick up your bottle. See- wheat. Bummer. There is wheat free soy sauce. However, I am only allowed to have sea salt, so soy sauce is staying away from my pantry. Actually many sauces contain wheat products- teriyaki sauce, Worchestershire, and most steak sauces.

Spice blends- this can be a sad one for me. Many of the steak seasonings or seasonings with "smoke flavor" have some form of gluten. And of course the ever present MSG- the G stands for glutemate = gluten. So I make most of my own spice blends. There plenty out there that are gluten free, but I am wary of "natural flavor". Shiver down my spine!

Salad dressing and marinades- I stay away from these especially when eating out. Gluten products are often used as thickeners. Again it can be as small as that "natural flavor" or it can be all out labeled. Some products are labeled gluten free. I can breathe a sigh of relief when I see that! I also stay away from anything marinated at restaurants because of this.

Communion wafers or crackers- I had forgotten about this until I went to church on Sunday. Some churches are starting to have a gluten free tray or allow people to bring in their own. I will say that I broke mine into a tiny piece but it had me concerned all day! Next time I will plan ahead. This does however make visiting churches a bit interesting.

Shampoo and soap- Wheat derivatives are often used in hair care. On my very nice Jason's shampoo bottle it was listed clearly- hydrolyzed wheat protein. And I have been wondering why my scalp issues haven't cleared up!! I have switched brands now. Sorry Jason's. I also changed my facial cleanser, and it has made a difference. It is amazing how it is the small things that have a big impact.

Lotion, sunscreen and beauty products- Yep. Lotion. Often same as the shampoo. Or have you ever seen tocopherol listed on an ingredients list? It is vitamin E, but is often derived from wheat. And there are lots of other words like that to look for. Gotta check your source and that can be time consuming. My eyes have been much less irritated since I stopped wearing makeup. There is gluten free makeup out there, but again, you have to do a lot of research.

Ok, my brain is tired. I am sure that there is something else out there that I will remember later. We'll just add to the list then. Until then I encourage you to do some label reading and start noticing where wheat turns up or gluten. Once you learn to recognize it you won't wonder why people are starting to get sensitive to it. It is everywhere!!!

Breaking in Summer

2010-06-24T11:56:00.000-04:00

Well, I have two new best friends.

Oops. Hold on I can get a better picture than that. It'll take me a minute. Camera over the shoulder..... There.

Meet my crutches. They definitely need names. They will be my constant companion for a couple of weeks. I mean it has been six years since I have been on crutches. I had to say hello to them again.

Here is how the story goes: A few months ago I won a gift card from my insurance company for filling out a silly survey. Yay! $50 for free!!! Well, when it came in the mail it was to Wal-mart. I loathe shopping at Wal-mart, so I sat on it for a while while I dreamed about what to purchase. A new blender? A covered dutch oven? It had to be something that I wasn't going to run out and buy, something that I really wanted. On Tuesday I finally made up my mind. Iron skillets! Into the car I went early in the day, because we all know that Wal-mart isn't quite as crazy in the early morning hours. I found the skillets. I pondered the sizes. I roamed the store and pondered some more. Then went back and loaded two iron skillets into my cart.

Being early morning, the self checkout lines were really the only things open. I hate them, but ok. I scanned my things and my skillets. I even had to get help with my gift card. All was well and bam. The skillets, which were nested in each other landed on my feet. Yes both feet. I didn't feel a thing. Shock I guess. I picked them up, put them into the buggy and headed to the car. No one noticed. Ok. Walking to the car kind of hurt. My pants leg rubbing on my foot kind of hurt. Uh oh.

So, being the stubborn person that I am I ran one more errand. I actually had a long list of them to run. But while picking out some tomatoes at Burger's I decided not to run any more errands. Pushing the gas pedal on the car hurt, too. Oh no. I decided to go to the Dr.

I got X-rayed and went home. I iced both of my poor feet. Yes, both. The skillets landed squarely on the tops of my feet. I waited for the Dr. to call with the reading from radiology. And he called. Fractured left foot. Great. I made it to the orthopedist yesterday and got this beauty.

I look like a transformer coming to life, or dying. Just call me Re-boot, bootleg, whatever else you can come up with. The good news is that my right foot is just badly bruised and will hurt for a few months. Excuse me? Yes, a few months and my left foot of course will hurt for a while. So, I am on crutches for 16 days and then can walk in the boot. Being on crutches is reminding me of when I broke my ankle. I actually had some great times visiting with friends then. I hope this break will be as enjoyable. Of course, now I have Dave that I usually shop for and feed. This should be interesting. Oh yeah, and my limited diet that I have to cook everything on. Hmmmmm..... hello crock pot, salads and loads of fresh veggies. Perhaps some smoothies shall be my BFF. Oh wait, can't carry a cup on crutches. Crap. Backpack to the rescue! Maybe I can talk Dave into grilling some too, and shopping, and dishes. One more look at the foot.

I will be right here on the couch for a while. You know where to find me.

Re-boot signing out

Update on Sick Chick

2010-06-23T09:41:00.000-04:00

Atta Girl has done really well being in the house. She is a bit restless, and who wouldn't be when you are used to being outside all day. She likes to listen to Cocteau Twins with me and watches T.V. She likes big moving things on T.V. or lots of action. Not surprisingly she is not a Jeopardy fan. She can't answer the questions. For your viewing pleasure a few photos.

Sisters...... sisters...... the sisters have been checking each other out a lot.

Here, they meet eye to eye.

And my poor Lleulu looks a little ashamed that there is a chicken in the house. I can't say that I blame her. It is a bit unusual.

Don't worry Lleulu, the house will be all yours again soon. Have patience!

A Summer Wedding

2010-06-21T09:51:00.010-04:00

Here are some pictures from our short trip to Boone. Gotta enjoy those memories with family!

The beautiful bride Jessica, Dave's cousin.

Grandma with her Great grandbabies

Dave and his sister Katherine

Our niece getting kisses from her great grandmother. You don't get those everyday!

Katherine's husband Michael and their smiley boy

It was a really short trip. We were worn out when we got home! It was so great to see everyone.

My Silly Girls

2010-06-19T09:38:00.000-04:00

My chickens are silly. They like to get into a basket at the same time. I tried to capture the moment for you, but Pickle moved. Lydia kicked her out. I would too. There just isn't room for two!
Silly chickens!! They crack me up all of the time.

What's Growing in the Garden

2010-06-16T09:41:00.001-04:00

I should say, what's growing in the front yard since I mixed veggies in everywhere. Here you go.

Bell peppers

Spicy Basil

Green beans

Juliette tomatoes

The Adventures of a Sick Chick

2010-06-14T12:34:00.000-04:00

Caution: this is about a sick chicken. It may contain graphic descriptions that may not be pleasant.

A few days ago I discovered that we had a sick chicken. I could tell that Atta Girl had a yucky poop covered behind, but didn't think much of it. That is until I saw that flies were following her around and seemed to be swarming her. Flies do not normally follow the chickens around. So, I caught her to get a good look at her. I could tell that her backside was not well, but being only me as Dave was at work, I couldn't get a good look at her.

Friday night two of my friends from college came over and I forced Hunter to help me get a good look at her. I caught her, he held her and I hosed her down and saw that her rear side was covered in maggots. My poor girl!!! Rebecca got a photo of us in this process that is probably somewhere on the internet. I coated her rear in diotemaceous eath- it helps prevent larvae from hatching, but I now know doesn't do much once they are present. I called my friend Laura who is an avian biologist and waited to hear what she had to say. She said that we did well and to keep an eye on her.

Saturday morning came around and we were getting ready to go to Dave's cousin's wedding in Boone NC. When I went out to check on my girl she wouldn't leave the roost and her backside was absolutely covered in maggots. (Note that when I say backside, I don't mean her vent-where she poops from. I mean the area below her vent.) We went into action to try to do something for her. A fellow chicken owner said that flea and tick spray would kill the maggots. He also had a prescription for antibiotics for his chickens that he called a refill in for near me. He figured that she had an infection that drew the flies to her in the first place. Off I went to the store while Dave packed. When I returned, we got to work.

Dave and I hosed her off again then sprayed down her rear side with flea and tick spray. As the maggots fell off we could see just how many there were. My poor baby! Of course, I got no photos of this process, but it is probably for the better. After a couple of dousings she seemed pretty maggot free. I used a hair dryer to get her feathers nice and dry. We didn't want her body temperature to drop. We then poured hydrogen peroxide all over her backside to kill whatever we could. And then I dried her off again. Most of her feathers were missing from her backside. I felt like a really bad mom that should have done something sooner. But, I didn't know!! And I keep thinking if she wasn't a pet she would have been killed. We gave her antibiotics and Dave drove her over to my mom and dad's while I got ready to go out of town.

I think that I worried the whole time that we were gone. My mom assured me that she was resting and even a little bit feisty. We picked her up on Sunday afternoon. She seemed happy to see us. Ok, not happy, but we were familiar to her.

Dave fashioned her a cage in the dining room. She can't go outside for awhile. She needs to be in a clean environment while she is healing. Here she is getting adjusted to her new surroundings.

She has a roost, room for food and water and enough room to walk around a bit. She mostly sleeps on the roost. I know that she misses her sisters. You might also be wondering why put her in your kitchen/dining room? Chickens get lonely if they are isolated. Sure we could put her away in a room, but she wouldn't see us very much. Many times when they are isolated that is when they give up. Not Atta Girl!! She will be seeing a lot of us. And Lleulu.

Lleulu still thinks that it is all about her. Can't you tell? Look at the look that she is giving me! I got out the camera and she wanted her picture to be taken. Silly kitty. She isn't quite sure what to think about a chicken in the house. She knows them from when they were little and looks at them from the back door all of the time. This is a little different though!

What cute sisters!! I'll be keeping you posted on Atta Girls progress. And if you want to see a chicken in the kitchen that isn't in the freezer or a pan come on over!! We love company!

Pastured Chicken

2010-06-12T09:43:00.001-04:00

A couple of weeks ago I loaded up my big old cooler with ice and drove about thirty minutes away to a farm in Powder Springs. I think that I have mentioned them before~ Bray Family Farms. They grow delicious produce, grass fed beef, pastured pork and pastured chicken. I ordered five chickens from them. I went to the farm to pick them up. It was a great experience.

There were people waiting when I got there, so I got my cooler out and mosied on over to scope the scene. The chickens had been caught and contained in small crates. They were removed one my one and slipped peacefully into cones. Shortly there after, to spare you the details, they were cleaned and put on ice. When you were next in line your chickens are brought to you and you put them into your own bags and into your own cooler.

This was my first time ordering and picking up chickens processed straight from the farm. Let me tell you, I will always buy my chicken this way if I have any choice. The chickens lead a happy life on a pasture in a chicken tractor. Their end is peaceful, no commotion. Seriously I saw their eyes in the end and they were content. This is how we should all view our food sometime. Don't worry, my girls never saw the cooler!

So I brought my chicken filled cooler home, cut my chickens in half and put them into the freezer before we went out of town. They lay nice and flat if you cut them in half. I couldn't wait to cook one though. Here she is:

Oh my lands!!!! Isn't she a beauty? I have never seen skin so crispy and golden. I made my potato rub and exchanged the dill for marjoram. I also tucked some Thai basil under the skin. Mercy! It was divine. I did nothing to this beautiful bird after I put her into the oven. I think that the secret to the pretty skin is starting off at a high heat, around 425, for twenty minutes or so, then turning down the heat to 375. Let's have one more look:

I cooked some asparagus to go along with this beauty.

I like my asparagus with lemon pepper and dill. Yum yum.

Dave devoured his meal. So did I. In between bites of chicken he said, "So... tell me about this chicken.... was is raised like ours?" The taste in flavor is so different from store bought chicken. This was the most delicious chicken that I have ever cooked. Dave agreed.

The Bray's have another round of chickens ready to come to the table on July 7th. If you are interested in ordering some, check out this page. You put a deposit down and then pay the rest when you pick them up. Also, it might seem like a high price for one chicken, but think about it. The Bray's get them when they are a day old and care for them in every way until they are ready to go to your table. That means many hours of care as baby chicks, lots of feed, moving the chicken tractors every 2-3 days, catching them and butchering them. And I mean butchering in the nicest way possible because they were the best dressed birds that I have ever seen. Also, these birds eat grass and bugs and they run around! The typical chicken bought from the supermarket may have never seen the sun, ate only grains and most likely barely had room to walk around.

Ok, I'll get off of my soap box now. If you have the chance to try a pastured chicken you'll be hooked. I am going to cook another one soon. My mouth is watering thinking about it.

A Bit of Bragging

2010-06-09T09:53:00.001-04:00

I don't brag often. Really. Except about my delicious cooking. Ok. I do brag about that. I was thinking today that I need to brag on Dave more. He is a pretty fantastic husband. He doesn't shop or cook, but generally I enjoy doing those things. He does clean the house and mow our lawn and our neighbor's lawns. He also tends to the chickens and loves them and our cat Lleulu. I think that is pretty special.

But that isn't what I want to brag on him about. He is an amazing musician. I mean it. A-m-a-z-i-n-g! Every time I hear something that he has written I get a proud smile on my face. I love to walk in the door and hear him playing his guitar, especially something that I don't recognize!

Lately he has been working on building an amp. This is the second one that he has built. I don't understand how it works, but I do know that it has tubes and resistors and wires. I also recognize that this one has an incredible sound!! Way to go Dave!! He has been carrying different guitars through the house to hear how they sound on this new amp. Wowzers! I am one lucky lady to have such rich beautiful sounds flowing through my house.

Keep up the good work Dave! Thanks for filling our home with music.

Well.....

2010-06-06T08:47:00.002-04:00

It is official. I had my one month check up. My healthy eating plan isn't a temporary thing. My Doc says I should continue on this path for the rest of my life. I kind of knew that in my gut. It makes me feel like I wasn't silly for completely cleaning out the pantry, going gangbusters looking for cookbooks, and sticking to it.

My body is changing. A few people have commented lately, "Have you lost weight?". My reply, "Uhm, maybe. I have no idea, but my clothes are baggier." I have told you all that the swelling in my legs has gone down and it has continued to do so. My ankles are probably the smallest that I have seen them since I was 16 or so. So crazy!!! I don't recognize my own legs. And..... I have lost ten pounds. I had no idea that I lost that much. Most of it was probably inflammation. My healthy eating plan and homeopathic meds have helped flush out the bad stuff and reduce the inflammation. My energy levels are still low, but I do have a good amount of energy in the morning. I am trying to plan things around that, but it is difficult.

I found out that I can have all fruits and vegetables. Yay!! That is so exciting. Funny how joyous eating a watermelon or cantaloupe sounds. No dairy. Ever. I will try to stay away from sugar and yeast. And gluten is not my friend. I will probably be spending a lot of time talking about gluten from here on out. Eating gluten-free, dairy-free, brown rice-free and sugar free is a challenge. I really want to share any information that I can. Especially good eats and treats.

The challenge will be to eat like a hippy but not be one. I mean I might start sprouting, fermenting and eating raw. Ok, only fermenting a couple of things. I hate the smell. Sprouting is easy and delicious. But we will get into that another time.

So, my friends ask, "What does that mean when we eat together?". Most likely if we are eating in a home I will bring along a big salad or some hummus and veggies to share. I am not going to die if I eat off my my plan. I just might not feel good. I will be cautious. I will be careful. But treating me to a teaspoon of sugar here and there might make me smile! I am learning how to be prepared for eating out, weddings and get togethers. There are some good restaurants that have a gluten free menu. And many others have a list of gluten free items. Don't worry, I will be writing some about that too.

Actually I am excited. This is a challenge that I am fully capable of accepting. I will feel better, Dave and I are eating healthier and maybe you will be too if I find some stellar recipes. Alright, gotta go search out some more good eats!

Summer Blooms

2010-06-03T09:31:00.001-04:00

Amaryllis. I think that it is a Red Lion.

Daisy gardenia~ these things bloom profusely and their fragrance is intoxicating.

Marietta Red marigolds. Beautiful!!

What I Gave Up

2010-05-31T09:23:00.001-04:00

When I cleaned out the pantry this was the loot that my mom got. I had to take a picture to remember.

There is canola oit, vegetable oil, all kinds of wheat flour, cornmeal, pasta, orzo, rice mixes, brown sugar, and oh, let's get another view.

Yep, I think that covers it. Goodbye food!! Amazingly, I don't miss you. I just miss your convenience.

Gluten Free Bread?

2010-05-28T09:14:00.001-04:00

On my gluten free adventure, I haven't had very many options for bread. I picked up a couple of mixes from Chebe. They are gluten free, dairy free, soy free, rice free, pretty much everything free!! I was skeptical.

I made my first mix this weekend. It was for a flat bread. Oh yum!!

I topped it with sauteed onions, garlic and chard. It was so delicious!! I will definitely be making this again. It does require 2 eggs, but I have those!

Even Dave approved. His comment was, "How is this not bread?". Ha! I had to tell him that it is bread, just no gluten.

Bonus: I even messed up on the directions and it worked out! I think that the key to this bread is to knead the dough really well.

I can't wait to try my next mix from Chebe!

Happy Clucking Birthday!!

2010-05-25T12:01:00.001-04:00

Happy Birthday Girls!!

I can hardly believe that my girls are a year old! It seems like yesterday they were just eggs. What an adventure they have taken us on and oh, how we love them! We hatched Atta Girl, Daisy, Edith and Jemima. They are such lovely ladies. Live it up today girls. It's all yours.

It's Summertime...

2010-05-24T09:38:00.001-04:00

It's Summertime....... (sung by The Flaming Lips) Oh yes, indeed. School is out. No more students dirty looks! I am SO excited. This is the first summer break that I am going to have a break! What are my plans? you ask. Relaxation, vacation, and catching up.

I can't wait to sleep in. That means 7am to me. It is much later than 5am. We are going to Savannah to visit some friends and relax this weekend. I am so excited! We always have a good time down there.

I have checked out tons of books from the library on whole foods cooking, raw recipes and a gluten free diet. I have so many recipes that I want to try. Soon I will have the time. Flax seed crackers, gluten-free cupcakes and sprouted seeds and beans, I am quite enthusiastic about trying you.

On Tuesdays I am leading a graduating senior girls book club/ Bible study at my house. Bible study sounded too daunting for them. I am so excited about this!! A chance to finally go deeper in God with some students. I have been waiting three long years. They graduated Saturday. So crazy. Such a big day for them now. I wonder how big it will seem in ten years. Hopefully we'll still be in touch so that I can find out!

Oh, and with all of my lack of energy, I hope to have enough to do some projects around the house. You know, repaint a room or two, tidy up in the yard, plant a tree, work in the garden. I will have time to do these things, I just need the energy to go along with it. Come on energy!

I also want to visit some friends that I don't often see. It has been so long since I have had time for road trips to see my bestest girlfriends that have moved away. I am going to see what I can fit in. Look out road!I might be driving down you.

And on any given day, you might find me with a book or by my sister's pool basking in the sun. Hooray for summertime!!

Snacking

2010-05-21T09:14:00.000-04:00

Since starting on my healthy eating plan I haven't had very many snacks. If you know me you know that I l-o-v-e salty snacks. Corn chips, popcorn and roasted seeds and nuts were always within reach. Well, all of those have left the building. So what is a girl to do? Make kale chips. A friend recommended them. I googled it and here is how I ended up making them.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Take about a half of a bunch of kale and cut out them stems. Cut it into strips and wash it, then put it trough the salad spinner to get extra water off. I let it sit for a few minutes to make sure that it was good and dry. Next place the kale in a bowl and drizzle olive oil over them. Toss them to coat and sprinkle salt and red pepper flakes pretty generously, giving them another toss.

Lay them out on a baking sheet flat and not touching. Bake for around 10 minutes. It depends on your oven. They will start to bubble a bit and just turn brown. I could smell that they were done.

Carefully remove the kale chips from the pan and enjoy!!

I tried two different kinds of kale. Red Russian kale cooked up flat. Regular curly kale cooked up a bit more crispy. Both were delicious. I think they taste kind of like a zesty roasted pumpkin seed. However, I found that they did not store well. I had read that in an airtight container they would store ok. Not so here. Oh well.

I think that you should try them. Even Dave approved of this new snack! Woohoo!

Ahem...

2010-05-18T06:59:00.001-04:00

Have I mentioned that changing everything about how you eat is hard? The pantry shelves have been cleaned out. So has the refrigerator and my baking containers. Flour is out, beans are in. Rice, buckwheat and lentils sure do look nice on the shelf! But it is a lot of work. There is not much besides a salad that comes together quickly!

Not only do I have to cook all of the time, but there really aren't many good options for eating out. I am doing my research, believe me! And parties or get togethers~ very difficult places to be. Sugar, corn and wheat are everywhere!! I am learning to pack things or bring things for myself. It is an adjustment. Some advice for folks who don't have food issues: when you do throw a shin dig or have a get together always have a veggie tray and fruit tray. It isn't much work, it is good for you and people will eat it!

Oh yeah, and have I mentioned that my body feels like it has been put through the ringer? I have been terribly exhausted. Detoxing the body is hard work on itself. I have had small spurts of energy, but I can't wait for some sustained energy. In the detox process my skin is freaking out. I think that I have broken out all over my face, scalp, neck, arms, back and now hands and legs. Good grief!! It can be incredibly itchy and quite unattractive, God help me. Hopefully this phase will pass quickly. I guess I should be thankful that my breaking out just looks like a rash of tiny blisters and not big ugly things.

I know that this will be worth it. I am hanging in there. Any other people who have suffered through and made it have words of encouragement? I could use some.

Breakfast

2010-05-15T18:23:00.026-04:00

So, you might be wondering how my new healthy eating plan is going. I was scolded for calling it a diet. I only use the word diet to refer to all of the food that I eat. I think that it is going well. This, however, was my second clue. The other morning I wanted this for breakfast.

This would be a poached egg with sauteed bok choy and rice.

I know that this sounds odd, but is actually a pretty common breakfast in many parts of the world. I thought that I was crazy for wanting this at first, but it was SO satisfying. I just needed to think outside of the box. Why do we limit ourselves foods that we are used to for breakfast? I think that we are just conditioned that way.

I encourage you~think outside of your food box! That could be literally!

Taking Time To Smell The Roses

2010-05-12T18:23:00.012-04:00

Comfort Food

2010-05-09T08:39:00.012-04:00

Sometimes you just want a handful of french fries, you know? Well, that is out for me now on this new diet. At least fast food fries. I can still have potatoes. One of my favorite dishes is oven cooked potatoes. They are super delicious and I didn't have to change my recipe! This one will knock your socks off and bring you back for more. That is, if you love potatoes. The spice blend makes the recipe. I was tired of spice blends at the store. You had no clue what was really in them and no control over the salt. I like this because I can use sea salt or real salt.

You will need:
some potatoes of your choice
real salt or sea salt
dried dill
cayenne pepper powder
garlic powder
onion powder
dried mustard
high heat oil

Step one: Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Start with the potatoes of your choice. I have used small red potatoes, yukon gold, baking potatoes. All work well. I like mine cut up in to fairly small bite size pieces. Try to cut them so that they are pretty uniform in size. Now cover them in water then dry them off. Yes, you heard me right. This keeps them from sticking to the pan something awful. Weird huh?

Step two: Coat the potatoes with an oil that can take high heat. I prefer grape seed oil for this. It is light and browns food beautifully.

Step three: Make the seasoning blend. I like to do this in a tiny bowl. You can make this for a big batch or a small batch. I usually make enough for about 3-4 helpings of potatoes.
1tblsp sea salt or real salt
2 tsp dill
2 dashes of cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp dry mustard.
1tsp garlic powder
1tsp onion powder

More cayenne will give you more kick. I wouldn't leave it out though. It is just enough to add some flavor. Mix together well. Sprinkle on potatoes covered in oil and stir.

Step four: Spread on a baking sheet with a lip. Trust me. You don't want oil spilling into the bottom of your oven. Cook for 15-20 minutes then turn the potatoes carefully. Some may be stuck to the pan. Scrape up the good stuck on stuff. That is the best! Then cook then them for another 10 minutes or so, until desired brownness.

Step five: Enjoy! These are even good as left overs.

Maybe this will inspire you to make your own seasoning blend with spices that you love. If you do, please share!!

Changes

2010-05-06T09:48:00.021-04:00

I am making some changes in my life. They are life altering and kind of scary. Don't worry, it only deals with food!

Some of you know but some of you don't know the story of why I am making these changes. My whole life I have had one illness, affliction or something stressing my physical health. I was a miracle baby that the Doctor said shouldn't be here. I am so glad that Mom and Dad took the risk to have me! Anyway, that being said, I have had a long road with many doctors. The last decade or so has been pretty uneventful health wise. I has been a nice break, but I have never taken my health for granted.

The past few months have been rough. It started out with nausea. No, I am not, nor was I pregnant. I could manage through the day and could eat fine. But it was annoying. A month or two into it, fatigue set in and refused to leave. My doctors ran a jillion tests. Everything came back saying that all was in good working order.

Well, after a couple of days of debilitating fatigue I found another doctor. Within five minutes of looking at me he told me that my adrenal glands are shot. I had suspected this, but no other doctor was willing to go there. I asked him if we should run any tests. He said that would cost a lot of money and would only tell him what he already knows. Did I mention that he is an M.D. that also studied Chinese medicine? I am so glad to have someone on this road with me! He said I have probably had adrenal issues my whole life. Wow! And I have other issues going on, but we start with the adrenals.

So, what do we do about it? He gave me some homeopathic remedies, a list of stretches/movements to do, an order to do NO exercise and a strict diet. And I mean strict! No gluten, corn, sugar, yeast, table salt, soda, brown rice, no tap water, tea, coffee, alcohol and limited other things. So, I started this diet last week and am seeing results already. Swelling, which I have always had in my extremities, is going down. I ate some foods on my "naughty" list the other day to say my goodbyes. My histamines were of control! You would have thought that I walked through a pollen storm. Not to mention that my favorite "do not eat" foods don't taste like favorites should anymore. It is so strange, but it will help me stay my course.

Here is a list of what I am eating a lot of right now. You could call it an elimination diet:
Basmati or Jasmine rice
broccoli
kale
romaine
sugar snap peas
carrots
potatoes
raw walnuts
raw sunflower seeds
raw almonds
raw pumpkin seeds
cauliflower
grapes
pears
grapefruit
kiwi
spinach
poached eggs

Like I said, limited. It does have plenty of variety. Thank God that I have free range chickens so that I have free range eggs. I can not eat store bought eggs poached. No way! Free range are a totally different experience. Thank you chickens.

Ok, I am sure that I have bored you enough. I just wanted to let you know what is going around here. I will probably be posting a bit more frequently about food. I will have to be doing all of my cooking. Eating out really isn't an option. I might find some pretty cool products and recipes along the way or places where I can eat, other than my kitchen! Oh, and I will try to post on why some of these foods have been eliminated or are allowed or encouraged.

Thanks for taking this journey with me!! I am hoping for great results. Like a Kara full of energy in a year or so. I can't even imagine it!! And so the great experiment begins...

More Chicken Photos

2010-05-03T09:55:00.006-04:00

Above: Pickle, her usual curious self.

Right: Edith being her usual uncooperative self with the camera. Atta Girl is in the background.

This is Lydia's new laying spot, a bushel basket on the back porch. She found it and claimed it even though it was full of my small garden shovels and gloves. Silly chicken!!

She cracked me up hiding under the towel hanging from the hand rail. Now she lays here regularly. Dave cleared out the basket and put some straw in there for her. The other girls are curious about the basket. Now they take turns laying their eggs there.It is fun to look out the back door and see a chicken laying your breakfast!

Happy May Day

2010-05-01T06:53:00.000-04:00

I love spring!! I love the plants that bloom in my yard and how they brighten up my world.

Here is an old fashioned azalea.

Above: another azalea

To the right: star of bethlehem

Below: flowering quince

Below right: flowering dogwood

Above top: azalea

Above right: pink lady apple blossom

Above: zinnia

Right: strawberry blooms and small fruits

Thinking About Old Friends

2010-04-28T09:22:00.000-04:00

I have recently reconnected with some old friends. I guess that happens a lot these days with the internet, Facebook and all. Most of the people I have reconnected with are some really good guy friends from a million years ago. I have been thinking a lot about them and our friendships. What spurred my contemplation of these friendships was talking to a student at work who honestly asked if I believed that a guy could treat her well and respect her. Heck yes!!!! was my reponse. I realized that part of my believing that were the good relationships that I had with my guy friends. Shoot, even my husband was once one of those big brother figures back in the day. Thank God!!

So I realized that through these good friendships with guys that God taught me so much about relationships, the opposite sex, myself, and how a girl should be treated in a godly way. It kind of formed the foundation for what I wanted and expected in a husband- mostly friendship, respect, compassion, fix it skills, musical abilities and utmost a love of God. God placed these guys in my life at different times to encourage me in my low places, to sing sweet songs to me on the phone before falling sleep, to encourage me through illness, to accompany me to dances, to teach me to have fun, to lead me closer to God, to listen to my tears and walk with me as brothers through life. None of them were romantic relationships, just pure friendship. They saw me through some crazy times in life. I am SO very thankful for them.

I have been contemplating so many special moments in those friendships lately. I have found myself with tears in my eyes. God knew that I needed a brother in life and I was/am blessed with so many!! I am so blessed to have reconnected with some of these guys. We have grown up, gotten married, divorced, experienced death, births, success and hardship. Somehow, it seems that we are all still walking with the Lord. This blesses my heart so deeply. God was a big factor in all of these friendships. I am so glad that He still is.

Ok, I could get all mushy, but I am going to stop here and try not to. I just really wanted to publicly say Thank You Friends. Thank you for treating a girl with respect, caring for her, encouraging her and praying for her. It has meant the world to me. I am looking forward to catching up and many more years of friendship!

Spring Break 2010: Part 2

2010-04-25T09:05:00.001-04:00

And the party started!! Here are my great aunt and uncle, two classy people who know how to throw a party! Can you believe that they have been married for 50 years? I hope that Dave and I can have as much fun and energy as they have when we make our 50th anniversary.

All of the family that made it in for the celebration. I hope that someone got a better picture!!

Sisters!

Cousins: Ok, it is sideways, but I am not savvy enough to change it and I kind of like it!

My camera was on a funky setting, but I love this one of Mom and Dad.

Dave and I with my favorite Colorado cousins.

Me and my Momma

My grandmother and her two brothers.

Boy, what a night. Not calling them old, but all of those old people can party harder than I can. Dave and I headed out about 10:30 and the party was just getting going!! Thanks so much for all of the fun and allowing us to celebrate with you. We had so much fun. We are so blessed by our family and that they are our friends!!

Spring Break 2010

2010-04-23T09:44:00.001-04:00

We had a busy and fun spring break this year! We started out our week with a trip to North Carolina for our nephew's first birthday. Somehow we managed not to get any pictures of him. We did however get a super cute picture of Dave and our niece!

We came home for a few days and then headed down to Florida. We stopped in Orlando for a night and visited with a friend that I have had for a seriously long time. It helps that Dave gets along well with her husband. We had a really nice picnic dinner and then headed to their kickball game. Here we are picnicking.

Next stop, Tampa! We drove from Orlando to Tampa for my great aunt and uncle's 50th wedding anniversary. It was two days of food, family and fun. Our whole gang from Georgia went down minus my sister and her family. We got to their house for lunch and it was so great to see everyone!!

Here is myself, my mom and my Nana

Part two coming up: The anniversary party!!

Bloggity, Bloggity

2010-04-20T17:14:00.000-04:00

I am so behind on blogging!!! I feel like I let myself down. We have been super busy and I have been super tired. The two don't mix very well together. Spring break has come and gone. I have a few vegetable plants in the ground and a few trays of planted seeds waiting to sprout.

But tonight it is a bit chilly outside. I built a fire, made a cup of tea and I am resting. Rest is a good thing. My friend sent me a Bible verse about resting today. I needed it.

From Hebrews Chapter 4:

9There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; 10for anyone who

enters God's rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from his.

I am off to rest. I hope that you can find some time to rest too.

I Have Been Thinking

2010-04-07T08:40:00.004-04:00

I have been thinking about Mrs. Williams a lot lately. She is my now 95(?) year old former neighbor. She moved in with her daughter last fall after she fell and broke her arm. I talk to her every now and then on the phone. She doesn't really like talking on the phone. Her congestive heart failure makes it difficult to catch a breath sometimes. I also do my best to remember to drop a card in the mail to her every so often. I know that it means the world to her.

I spoke with her this last week. I had called to ask her daughter something about the house and ended the conversation talking to Mrs. Williams. Oh, how I miss her. I know that she misses us too. She asked about the chickens, the yard, the house, Lleulu and my mom and dad. She seems to be doing well there. Thank you God.

Her great grandson never did move in next door. That leaves us to take care of the yard again this summer and it is almost grass cutting season. But right now, spring has sprung. Her forsythia has bloomed it's little heart out. The flowering quince is beautiful and her daffodil bed which my momma planted many moons ago is a sight to behold. This is when I miss Mrs. Williams so. She loves to work outside in the yard. And she loves when everything is in bloom. I know that she is missing her house.

Her other daughter has decided to renovate the house and move in. The renovation has begun. I am kind of nervous again about someone else living there. Mrs. Williams oldest daughter is nothing like her. We'll see how this goes!!

I printed out the above picture of us this week so that I can hang it in our house and send one to her. She is so dear to my heart. Hopefully this summer I can make the trip to Mobile to go visit her. It will be a blessing to sit and rock with her again. To speak of the Lord and the good things that He has done. To see her Bible open on the table beside her. To enjoy silent moments together. I can hardly wait!

Happy Easter!!

2010-04-03T09:21:00.002-04:00

Happy Easter!!!! We made it. Well almost. We are off to today NC to celebrate our nephew's first birthday and celebrate one of my favorite holidays! Hallelujah! He is risen. He is risen indeed!

A week ago I wasn't sure if one of my girls was going to make it to Easter. Do you realize we are getting close to their first birthday? We might have to have a big chicken celebration. Anyway, Jemima had been moving slow for a few days. Last sunday we noticed that she had an unusual amount of poo on her hind side. On closer inspection Dave pulled out something unusual from her vent. We kind of freaked out.

We gave her a quick bath to get the poo off her and then I wrapped her up and held her tight.

Who could resist this face? I was scared. She hadn't been walking around much and I wasn't sure if she had been eating. I hatched Jemima from a little egg!!! She had to stick around.

I held her for awhile, hoping that she was drying off, giving her a chance to rest and know that she was cared for. Not going to lie- I prayed for her too. She started snuggling. I about lost it. Tears were about to fall. My chickens are my pets. They make darn good ones too.

She kept sticking her beak up my shirt sleeve. Her eye kept closing cause she was so comfy. She kept making sweet little chicken sounds. We finally took her back outside. I talked to a friend who specializes in birds and we determined that she should be ok. She probably had a shell-less egg that was hard to pass or burst inside and made it difficult for her. (~more chicken biology lessons to come~) She moved around slowly for a couple of days, sitting down a lot and not very interested in anyone else. Now she is back to her perky bossy self!! Thank you God! I don't know how I would have handled losing one of my precious girls.

And now for your viewing pleasure, some of the other girls eating yogurt:

From left to right-Pickle with yogurt on her beak, Edith and Daisy digging in.

I love this one of Edith!!! She has no idea that she has a white beak and yogurt sprinkled all over her feathers.

And Edith and Daisy showing off their yogurt covered beaks.

Happy Easter everyone! I hope that you have a great weekend. And I just have to add~ Welcome spring break. I have been waiting for you for a long time!!