Accidentally "Crunchyish"

I believe that over the past 5 years or so, I have accidentally become a more "crunchy mom."  I suppose it could be augured the crunchy journey began when I started homeschooling 14 years ago.  Don't get me wrong, I'm not completely crunchy, I took a quiz & rated me at "pretty crunchy."   Some of the questions really don't apply to me anymore since my kids are WAY beyond the baby phase & some decisions are way past made!  I may make some different decisions if I were making them now.   There are also so many different decisions to make now than there were 20 years ago, particularly pertaining to how vaccinations are administered!  

On my kitchen counter today is one of my crunchiest endevours yet. We bought a PIG! Not a live pig. A farm raised butchered pig!  I've been interested in buying a cow for a while now, and the opportunity presented itself to buy a pig a few weeks ago.  It seemed like a good place to start, so we started small with about 40 lbs of pork now in our freezer.  Today, I'm preparing the first of our piggy, which my youngest son has posthumously named "Bacon."  A Boston butt roast is creating a lovely aroma throughout my house.  

I look forward to sharing my pork adventure here over the next few weeks & months!  Just wait till I try wet curing a ham!

 

Ahhhhh... Refreshment!!!

I am by no means, what one would call a coffee drinker!  The fact is there is no coffee maker on my kitchen counter, and there hasn't been one in at least 20 years!  We did receive, not one, but TWO as wedding gifts 23 years ago, but I can only remember using the one that we kept a handful of times for company.  All of this is quite ironic considering, for a very brief period of time, we owned a dessert & coffee shop!  If I do have a coffee, I need it "candied up."  Occasionally,  usually at Christmas time, I'll order a Peppermint Mocha at a Starbucks.  It's more like hot chocolate than coffee.  Usually, if I'm up for a hot drink I'll get a Caramel Apple Cider.  I don't drink much caffeine, so when I have a real coffee just ONE keeps me up for hours!

The fact that I'm not into coffee, by all means, does not mean that I don't have a most favorite indulgence at my local Starbucks.  I LOVE a Venti Green Tea Lemonade, sweet with light ice!!! It's a special treat for me! I do not drive past a Starbucks daily.  I do, however, visit my local Target on a fairly regular basis.  When I do, the Starbucks cafe calls to me.  So, when the budget allows, you'll find one sitting on the counter as I unload groceries!

 

Quail Eggs

On Monday morning atop my kitchen counter I had quail eggs!   Did you even ever think about eating a quail egg omelet?  My husband hadn't, but he said he found the one I made him on Monday quite tasty!  

 A friend of mine has started a little farm, complete with chickens and quail.  While the chickens won't be laying eggs for a couple of months now, the quail are laying!  I'm looking forward to fresh chicken eggs soon, but while I'm waiting I decided to try some of the quail eggs!  They are really tiny and cute, but nutritionally, they pack a punch!  In my research I found that their nutritional value is three to four times that of a chicken egg, and they contain about 2% more protein per egg!  They also aren't known to cause allergies like chicken eggs!  I have been truly amazed at the health benefits these tiny little packages hold! I pretty sure that they'll bee seen on my kitchen counter again!!!

Cute little quail eggs!

I cooked up six.

Okay, so it's probably more like scrambled eggs that an omelet, but I like them to look nice! 

My Weekend "Wilderness" Camping Kitchen Counter!

This is my "kitchen counter" for this weekend! 

I know it's still a bit disorganized, but we were just unloading our gear for our Mother's Day group camping at Ft. Wilderness Resort & Campground.  We've had an annual October trip for many year, but this is the first time we've organized a Mother's Day weekend trip.  

We just love our trips to Ft. Wilderness! There truely is something for everyone at this resort!  This time around I'm banking on lots of pool time!  There will be also there will also be dinner cookouts, evening movies,  and watching Magic Kingdom fireworks on the beach!  "Roughing it" at the primative group site is something every family should try at least once!!

 

Zellwood Sweet Corn!

Last night Zellwood Sweet Corn, one of my seasonal favorites, was on my kitchen counter!  For those up north, Fall is the time for corn, but in Florida this treat is purely a Spring time pleasure!  I get almost giggly when I see it in the local supermarket!  Yesterday I bought my first corn of 2013!  It was great & I look forward to many more dinners with some yummy sweet corn!!!  In fact, I might take some on our weekend camping trip!!!

 

Pineapple Upside-down Cake!

Did you ever just want, no NEED something sweet to eat?  I did on Friday night!  The catch: As much as I wanted a sweet treat, I wanted just as much not to leave the house!  My husband was working late, the older boys were at a movie, and it had been raining all day!  What's a mom to do?  Well, if you have a a stockpile from couponing, you raid it!  Had there been a bag of chocolate chips on my shelves it would have been GONE!

  I actually had to survey my stockpile for a while before I came up with my sweet treat solution.  In my little stash I found a box of cake mix & a can of pineapple!  Just what I needed to for pineapple upside down cake!  But wait, I'd never made one before!  Hello google!  I searched easy pineapple upside down cake & found a simple recipe for my first attempt!  It turned out pretty yummy, but it still wasn't as good as my Papa Roberts makes!

Butter & brown sugar on the bottom

Pineapple slices

Maraschino Cherries

Out of the oven & flipped!

Line Drying Laundry

Today I'm going to go "off the kitchen counter" and a little to the left.  In fact, I'm going outside to my "dryer."  Yep, outside!  I'm part of a growing population that has reverted to line drying my laundry!  "Why?" you might ask.  "Why would you line dry your laundry?  That sounds SO archaic".  Maybe, but I LOVE line drying!  Seriously, why wouldn't I?  I live in a perfect (most of the time) climate to line dry year round, it saves money, it's better for the environment, and it saves wear & tear on my family's clothes!  Plus, most Spring & Summer days it's even faster than using my dryer.  Yes, I DO have an electric dryer for emergencies!

Like most of my domestic endeavors, I didn't start off singing the praises of the clothes line!  This activity started more out of frustration than anything!  My dryer BROKE!  For the second time tin the TWO years that we had had it, it BROKE!  I was frustrated & stubborn!  There was NO way that I was buying another dryer OR paying to have it fixed once it was out of warranty.  Off I went to Wal-Mart to buy a clothes line & clothes pins!  I made the decision to try the line dry thing for at least a month before I fixed the dryer.  Here I am 5 or more years later & our household hangs out about 95% of our laundry to dry!  I've even converted my husband who does his own loads & hangs them out!  One of the few exceptions I make is my youngest son's clothes during allergy season-orange blossom pollen for him.  It doesn't make much sense for me to clothe him in pollen!

There are a few keys to line drying!

• Not everyplace guarantees the "right to dry."  Happily, I live in one of the Right to Dry states!  Many HOAs restrict or prohibit the use of clothes lines.
•  Watching the local radar is a MUST!  I have had a few times when I forgot to check before hanging out & found myself running through that rain to pull clothed off the line ! LOL
• Your towels will turn out scratchier than you're used to.  I actually kinda like them that way, but a little white vinegar in your laundry load will help.
• You can learn more at Project Laundry List's website!  They have some great statistic, facts, & tips on line drying! 

We did eventually fix the dryer.  My husband googled & YouTubed, and ordered the part.  It's still not as fast as drying outside, but it'll do in a pinch!  You know, those panicked nights when you realize the soccer uniform hasn't been washed for tomorrow's game, or on the rare occasion when we have DAYS of rain & for decency reasons something, anything HAS to be washed!

  As happy as I am with this old fashioned way of drying my laundry,  I'd gladly accept a futuristic way of  folding it & putting it away!  Any suggestions?

Friends, Fellowship, Living Lockets, & Snacks!

  Yesterday afternoon I spent some time straightening up my house & getting things ready to host an Origami Owl Jewelry Bar.  Have you seen these yet?  They're called "Living Lockets" and you get to design them yourself to tell your own story!  You choose your chain & locket size and style, then you fill your locket with adorable charms to tell something about life.  One of my favorite features is that you can open your locket & change out charms to fit your mood, an occasion. The most amazing thing about the company is that the founder, Bella, was just 14 when she started the company!  Her goal was to be able to buy a jeep when she was 16, and she DID!  Now, that's GIRL POWER! 

  My sister, Tammy, just became an Origami Owl Independent Designer  a couple of months ago, and last night I had the opportunity to host a Jewelry Bar.  I can't wait to see the "Faith, Love, Hope" Living Locket that I designed!

Of course, when I'm having a group of girlfriends over, there will be snacks on my kitchen counter!  I didn't go ALL out.  I just served some fruits, veggies, and corn chips along with my favorite EASY layered dip! 

Here's a quick recipe:
Layer
1 8oz. pkg Cream Cheese (softened)
1  small can Hormel Chili
2c Cheddar cheese
 Pop in a 350 oven until the cheddar melt & enjoy!

 

Snacks!

Lovely Living Lockets

Charming Chains

Tiny Little Charms