Friday, October 28, 2011

Plenty of Garden Squash....

I am loaded with spaghetti garden squash...so when the Grandcritters came over we dove into a squash craft... I saw the idea at http://familyfun.go.com/halloween/halloween-crafts/halloween-decorations/frank-n-friends-674614/ though we did not follow all the directions like using limes for the nose and ears...I used craft foam and what other materials I could gather up. Because of the remodeling we have left over sheet rock tape...worked pretty good on our mummies!!!


Hayden, Jaxson, Maya and Crew......

Monday, October 24, 2011

The before and after results tis far!!! Loving it......!!!

So I am so in love with my Kitchen....I think My Gardner Guy may be a tiny bit jealous....Here are the after pics so far...still working on painting, lights underneath some cabinets, and decorating a huge wall in the new dining area...little things, molding, window treatments..it's coming, and I'm cooking!!!

(From a July post) This is a before shot of my existing kitchen and dining area...Today I meet with a contractor and hopefully in a week or so we will be able to start.


Below are some pictures I used to get the feel of what I was going for...do you think I got close?


Do you want to see what I'm going for...well it's a work in process but I have a few pics that will give you a general idea...Tell me which look you like...
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Tuesday, October 4, 2011

MAN FOOD...Or let's say approved always from My Gardner Guy...

Your Guy will love stuffed peppers, jalapenos, anaheims, chili peppers...most any pepper taste delicious stuffed with a mixture of cream cheese and grated cheddar cheese. For a little extra treat wrap with bacon...roast under the broiler on the lowest rack in the oven and serve with a tomato jam...(Tomato Jam, watch for this gourmet specialty).
Leaving the stems on makes it easy to handle these tasty treats as an appetizer...or cut the stem end off and slice in half, either way they will get eaten...TRUST ME!!!
These peppers are great even without the bacon...


My Gardner Guy left these on my counter...I think it's time to make some chili...he loves peppers in his chili. While I'm into the peppers I think I will do somemore of our Black bean and Corn salsa...fall is here, winter is soon approaching and this stuff adds so much to many cold winter meals!!! See the following link for the recipe...You'll love it!!!
My Gardner Guy...Grow, Create, Cook and Eat...: Tasty....Black Bean and Corn Salsa....this is a keeper just like My Gardner Guy!!!





Chili Con Carne

Notes: drain the meat once it browns to minimize the amount of fat in the jars, make sure to cook the beans a half hour before adding them to the chili, and be very consistent with your 1" inch head space....the beans need it as they will expand while pressure canning....

3 cups dried pinto or red kidney beans
5 1/2 cups water
5 t. salt (2 t. for salting beans when they cook & 3 t. for the chili)
3 lbs. ground beef
1 1/2 cups chopped onions
1 cup chopped red bell peppers (you could use jalapenos for a spicier version. I used a mixture of peppers from our garden...he likes it that way!!!)
1 t. black pepper
3 to 6 T. Chili powder (I used 4T.)
2 quarts crushed or whole tomatoes (8 cups)(I used 8 cups of tomatoes that I had cooked down to a thicker sauce...)

Wash beans thoroughly and put them in a 2 qt. saucepan. Add cold water to a level of 3 inches above the beans and soak for 10 to 12 hours. Drain and discard water. Combine beans with 5 1/2 cups fresh water and 2 t. kosher salt. Bring to a boil, reduce and cook 30 minutes. Soaking time really depends on how old the beans are. The older the beans mean more soaking time...

Mean while, brown ground beef, onions, and peppers, in a skillet. Drain off fat by spooning into a colander in the sink. Shake out the excess fat. Pour into large pot and add 3t. salt, pepper, chili powder, tomatoes. Drain beans after 30 minutes and add to meat. Simmer chili for 5 minutes.

Using sterilized jars fill leaving 1" headspace. Remove air bubbles and adjust headspace if needed. Wipe rims of jars with dampened clean paper towel. Adjust lids and process in pressure canner. Process pints at 11lbs of pressure for 75 minutes for a dial gauge and 10 lbs of pressure for a weighted gauge. This recipe makes between 9 to 10 pints....

So what's for dinner....Gardner Guy approved Chili Dogs....he loves them!!!

Monday, October 3, 2011

Fall flowers from "My Gardner Guy"...Thank you Hon!!! Pumpkins...Pumpkins...and Pumpkins




   
Once again my Great Gardner Guy has a huge load of Pumpkins for the family to enjoy this 2012 fall season. This particular year we had some extra help....David, Shelley, Little Ella and Osmond were here to help...
This is a really big event at our home, we grow them, harvest them, wash them off, display outside, hand them out to the grandcritters....paint them, decorate with them, carve them, cook them, eat them....we love our fall pumpkins!!!

 
 Ella and Osmond fall 2012



 
 
 
Past years of our pumpkin hoildays....
 
 



 
 
 
Jaxson
 
above...Jaxson      below... Hayden
 
 
 
Hayden, Crew, Jaxson and Maya
 
Madelyn
 
 
Avery Mae
 


 
 
 
 
 
Here are some great pumpkin treats to try....

Homemade Pumpkin Yogurt
http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=3456120515502881405&postID=2368475626433558755

Easy Pumpkin Cookies
http://mygardnerguy.blogspot.com/2012/01/easy-quick-pumpkin-cookies.html

Mini Pumpkin Bundt Cakes
http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3456120515502881405#editor/target=post;postID=6358033011481229671

Roasted Pumpkin and Garlic Soup
http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3456120515502881405#editor/target=post;postID=2350856946239702021

Pumpkin Seeds you'll love them....http://mygardnerguy.blogspot.com/2012/01/pumpkin-seeds-roasted-and-caramelized.html

Loving mashed potatoes the Irish Way!!!

You can use kale instead of cabbage, but I personally prefer the softer and sweeter taste of cabbage. Colcannon is traditionally topped with...