The Slow, Sweltering Days of Summer~

I have been doing very little in the garden lately.  Even in the early morning and late afternoon to evening, it is still very warm and, most days, uncomfortably humid. I prefer to take refuge in the cool of our home.  Those times when I simply must get out to run errands can leave me feeling a bit on the faint and queasy side.  I'm beginning to think it's age but I'm not really sure, as I've never been a fan of the heat. I'm fairly certain that I should be living in an area that is mainly rainy and cool, sheltered by the shade of a thousand trees in the spring and summer. And chilled by brisk autumn winds and icy cold snow in the winter. But...God in His wisdom, that is much greater than mine, saw fit to plant me in an area hot & steamy enough to cook up a mess o' crawdads.  It is well...

I mentioned last week that I took some cuttings from the one & only chartreuse colored coleus that I have, in hopes of making more. That is it pictured above^^^. I love it and think it is just beautiful! It is rooting nicely and is just about ready to spread it's little toes in some soil.  There I will let it grow some before putting it in the ground.

I also transplanted some mina lobata, some well established sage & the big mama chartreuse coleus.  The sage and coleus had been sharing a pot for far too many seasons and were desperately in need of repotting.  It was originally the sage's home and the coleus just popped up out of nowhere, as most of my coleus plants have.  (I may have told this story before, but I tried and tried and tried again to grow coleus from a package of seeds with no luck for the longest time.  I had all but given up when, suddenly, coleus was popping up everywhere!  In spaces between concrete slabs, in craggy rocks...here, there and everywhere!) 

Back to the transplanting business...I always do my transplanting in the cooler temps of the evening, but I always wait with bated breath until I am sure that they are going to manage in their new home.  This has been especially so with the mina lobata since they were very tender new seedlings (a few didn't make it, despite my efforts to baby them by shading them from the harshest rays of the midday sun and keeping them well watered).

I reseeded some things that didn't germinate.  I experimenting with sowing seeds inside this time around.  I still think the seeds may be too old to be viable but hey, it doesn't hurt to try!

my plant haul! (rosemary plants not pictured)

I set out one day on a mission to buy a new rosemary plant since I have really missed having one.  Their scent reminds me of Christmas trees and winter, and because of that, it is probably my favorite herb.  (I love them but apparently they don't love me, as I've never successfully been able to keep one alive.)  Anyway, four stores later, I finally found some! The store also happened to have many plants on a major sale, some as low as fifty cents each! So...two rosemary plants and six other plants later😶, I made my way home, happy as a clam.

I'm going to take a cue from our public library and plant one of the rosemary in a sunny spot on our property that is reminiscent of a tiny Tuscan hillside micro climate. The library has had some swoon worthy rosemary plants out front for as long as I can remember, so they must be doing something right.  I think I may have been loving mine to death...ya know, to mush watering and whatnot.  Wish me luck!

Even though I'm pretty sure it's not the correct time to prune my grapevines, like Edward Scissorhands, I took to snipping "the freeloader".  After doing some reading on grapevine care, I'm thinking that maybe I had let him run amock and take advantage of my good graces for far too long. "It is for the best", I whispered soothingly, "I will use your beautiful vines to make a wreath so that your beauty will be admired for years to come.  Just think!  You will be making a contribution to the home!  And next season, hopefully you will also contribute to our bellies."🍇 He wasn't convinced. I took away all his glorious, flourishing leaves.  He's now embarrassed.  He feels naked.  He'll live.

still pretty skimpy. i will add to it as i get more vines

I hope you had some lovely garden adventures this past week!  I would love to hear about them.  And if you have any rosemary growing tips, PLEASE send them my way!

Thanks for stopping by! ~TJ

Making Home and the Freezer Queen Strikes Again~

This past week was a pleasant one!  Many days started with the comforting, yet economical breakfast of oatmeal and toast made from homemade cinnamon raisin bread...

After adding the vanilla to the porridge, there always seems to be some that is running down the side of the little brown bottle.  I swipe my wrist across the bottle to catch the drip of vanille "perfume".  That keeps the drip from staining the lazy Susan where the bottle lives, in between times of being called into the service of making something delicious.

After breakfast, and before beginning my day, I like to get some simmering potpourri going.

I vary the scents according to my mood, the season, and the ingredients I have on hand.

Today I decided to use some very fragrant loose tea.  I only used a couple of spoonfuls.

I tuck it into a nook in our dining room, right around the corner from our front door, so that the fragrance du jour greets our visitors with its subtle, natural scent.

At this point, I usually set about doing kitchen cleanup and other necessary chores for the day. This week I had some items I wanted to put up in the freezer to keep them from going bad.  I don't like to throw our money away in the form of spoiled food!

I had an almost full big bottle of V8 juice, that I got for free when Randall's was having their Monopoly promotion, that wasn't being drunk.  I decided that it would make a delicious addition to soups come this fall!

I also froze the leftover cranberries from making cranberry water.  I like to add them to smoothies and to my dog's homemade food.  They also make pretty little "ice"  

cubes to add to a tall glass of water on a hot summer's day.

Throughout the day, I am usually being observed from afar by a kitty or two...

And after the chores are finished and the day is done, I have been enjoying a little ambiance...

Who says the fireplace has to be reserved for the cooler months (especially if it doesn't put out heat)?!

A little surprise my daughter and I had when we were out shopping late one evening...

Fireworks!  It's always nice when there's a little something that causes us to stop and savor the moment.  

I hope you had a wonderful week and many moments to savor!

Thanks for stopping by!~ TJ

Puttering and Watching the Gulf~

 

As I sit here typing in the darkness of the kitchen, caused by the rain clouds that were blown in by sudden winds,  I hear the heavy raindrops beating out of sync with the satisfying "pop...POP's!" of the cranberries that I have heating on the stove.  I am making some cranberry juice from cranberries I bought on deep discount last winter and froze, while hubby is intently watching the Weather Channel and the latest breaking news on tropical storm Barry.  Such is life on the gulf coast.

Tropical storms can be devastating, and although they are not predicting Barry to hit our area, it never hurts to keep an eye on the Gulf when storms are a'brewin'.  All in the path of the storm will be in our constant watch, thoughts and prayers.

This past week was a quiet one as my daughter had a four day weekend for the fourth of July holiday.  She didn't make any plans other than r&r-ing to recover from working many days straight the couple of weeks before.  Since she was home, we got to spend some mother daughter time together just hanging out, giggling and girl talking. We also went to a nearby Hispanic grocery store looking for some vanilla.  They didn't have what I was looking for so we decided to stop in at the Indian grocery store since it was on our way home, just to see their offerings.  Just walking in them, with their sights and smells, instantly brought back fond memories.  I left each of them with a mental wish list of herbs, spices and other products (this is one♡) that I can't wait to go back and purchase.  But first, I want to think a bit more and make a proper list before I go back.

the coleus that has self seeded everywhere, lol

I took some cuttings of plants (coleus, pothos ivy, english ivy) that I wanted to propagate in water. Honestly, I have self seeded coleus popping up all over our property but the one I took a cutting of is a white/chartreuse variegated variety that I would love to have more of.  I'm thinking of doing the same with my grape vine (the one that has actually been producing grapes, not the freeloader!).  I have propagated cuttings from our turkey fig tree as well and they have taken off nicely.  What a wonderful way to have more plants without spending money!

I spent a little time mending one of our couch pillows by hand, the project of which had been on my to-do list for quite awhile.  I had not done any hand sewing in a long time and had forgotten what a beautiful type of meditation it could be.  It really was a welcome task that caused me to slow down from my usual flitting and fluttering from one project or job to another.  

In the kitchen, along with all the other necessary meals and snacks, I made up some refreshing cold brewed coffee.  We love having it in our beverage rotation to enjoy on those sweltering, dog days of summer!

And before I go...look what I found out in the garden while trimming branches!  I believe they are creeping cucumber but they look like Lilliputian watermelons!  

The garden is always full of surprises!

I would love to hear how you spent your time this last week!

Have a great week ahead and thanks for stopping by!~TJ

Still Eatin' on the Cheap~ And Other Tales of Tightwadery this Past Week

When it rains, it pours, they say.
I can attest to that! Both literally and figuratively.

We have had some glorious, soil soaking rains this past week that have allowed me a break from having to water the garden on a daily basis.

On the "figurative hand", our gate needs replacing and our television has decided it doesn't want to entertain us anymore.  Replacing the television can wait.  The HOA is not as forgiving, which leaves us even less wiggle room in our budget than normal.

It is during these times that I look for ways to tighten up on spending even more than I usually do.  The first two areas I look to to save money are groceries and the second is "wants".

I've been very vigilant about making my shopping lists and sticking to them.  I usually very easily get distracted and tempted by items when I browse during my shopping trips. So, I've been extra mindful to remain focused on my list while shopping.  I put my "blinders" on, so to speak, make a beeline from item to item on my list, put them in my basket and get the heck out of the store!  NO SIGHTSEEING WHILE SHOPPING!

I've also tightened up on electricity monitoring around the house, making sure that if we aren't using lights or fans etc., they get turned off.  I'm beginning to love the romance of candlelight when the sun goes down!

I had also become lax about dishwasher and laundry loads, running both at times when they weren't at a maximum load.  I am aiming to become more efficient at loading the dishwasher and doing loads only when both are truly full.

Another small thing I have begun doing again is requesting samples that interest me and are useful to me or one of my family members.  This week I received samples of a packet of emergency prepared food from the Wise Company, a Vichy skincare product sample and a sample of Dermablend face makeup.  We are especially excited to try the pasta as we have been thinking of researching options for emergency food supplies.

Of course, there is always the offerings, however small,  that the garden gives.  I've gathered some grapes from our grapevine, some sage and a small bunch of celery that grew from a planting of the rooty stalk of store bought celery.  The celery was an experiment that surprised us with a new bunch!

In the kitchen this past week, along with the usual fare, I decided to dust off my old stovetop waffle maker (there's a similar one here) one morning and whip up a rare treat for breakfast.  It's been so long since we've all had waffles the family was pleasantly surprised!  I love honey on mine, hubby loves maple syrup~opposites attract!

I also made an easy cinnamon roll cake that always hits the spot, day or night, with ingredients I had on hand in the pantry.

Of course, I spent a little time in my studio preparing a new apron pattern for future offerings in my Etsy shop.

All in all, I had a productive, wonderful week doing what I love most, making our house a sweet home!  I hope you all have had a happy week and are looking forward to special moments in the week ahead!

Thanks for stopping by!~ TJ

This Past Week's Doin's~

This past week kept me busy around the house.  I try to stay home as much as possible for many different reasons.  The main one is to be available to care for my hubby, who, as I've mentioned before, is disabled due to a stroke. The secondmost important reason is that, the more often I go out to run errands or grocery shop, the more temptation there is to spend money.  We have several different big ticket items that need to be taken care of so I'm trying to save in every area I can.

I simmered a big ol' pot of chicken broth for 36 hours, using a whole chicken, some carrots, celery, a bit of apple cider vinegar and assorted herbs and spices.  I portioned out and froze the resulting liquid gold and will use the broth in several different recipes.  I purposely don't add onion to my brother so that I can add the Nourishing broth to my dog's food as well.  The resulting cooked and cooled chicken meat was also portioned out and frozen for use in future recipes.

I spent some time working on listing items in my Etsy shop.

I collected some basil and snow pea seeds from plants that I purposely let go to seed this past season.  (I posted a quick video of my basil seed collecting on my TJ's Sweet Home instagram account .)

I also sowed several varieties of seeds in the garden: mina lobata (Spanish flag), snapdagons, salvia, forget-me-nots, zinnia, shasta daisy, dill, cucumber, summer squash, jalapeno, oregano, basil and tomato.  Being what I feel is still very much a novice gardener, I do a lot of experimenting with when and where I sow seeds.  I have not had great success following seed packet instructions always, so I figure, what have I got to lose by "breaking the rules"?  I plan on using up the seeds I have on hand and if I never succeed in growing certain veggies or flowers, I won't be buying those particular ones again.  In the meantime, I am going to vary the times and ways I sow the seeds that I already have.  

A few things that we have enjoyed from the garden's offerings have been: lemon balm (for delicious tea!), kale, green onions and tiny johnny jump ups.

I hope you have had an enjoyable week!

Thanks for stopping by! ~TJ

Daddy's Favorite Cake~

This is how I made the devil's food cake for my husband (Pawpaw as our grandson calls him) for Father's day weekend.  It's very simple and I like to post the recipes I make so that my children and grandchildren can refer back to this blog in the future for any of their favorite recipes and kitchen tips.  If anyone else reading my little blog gets anything useful out of the things I post, well...that's a bonus.

Daddy's Favorite Cake

you will need:

•1 boxed devil's food cake mix (I used one from Aldi but feel free to use your favorite)

•1/4 cup of real mayonnaise  (again I used an Aldi product, but use your favorite)

Prepare the cake according to the directions on the box, blending in the mayonnaise. 

(tip:  I used cold, strong coffee in place of the water that the directions called for on the box)

Bake according to the directions on the cake mix box. 

When the cake is completely cool, add the cream cheese frosting

Cream Cheese Frosting 

you will need:
•8 ounces cream cheese, softened to room temperature 
•1 stick (8 ounces) butter
•1 pound confectioners sugar, sifted
•1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

Blend the cream cheese and the butter with an electric until well blended and fluffy.  Add the powdered sugar and vanilla.  Combine well with the mixer on low speed.  If frosting is too soft, it may be refrigerated for 10-15 minutes to firm up slightly before using.

If you make this cake, I hope you enjoy it!

Thanks for stopping by! ~TJ

Weekend Puttering~

This past Father's Day weekend was so pleasant!  The weather was nice, as the humidity wasn't very high.  I did some baking, sewing for my Etsy shop, sowed some seeds in the garden, did a little reading and enjoyed the company of my family.

the studio guard cat

I baked some peanut butter cookies using the only recipe that I have used for years, some of which I made into thumbprint cookies, using some strawberry jam that I had in the pantry.

On Father's Day, I made a quick and easy devils food cake with cream cheese frosting, because that is my husband's favorite type of cake.  I did cheat a bit by using a cake mix, but I added my own twist to it to make it a bit...extra, as the kids say nowadays.😃

I hope your Father's day weekend was enjoyable and spent with those you love!

Thanks for stopping by! ~TJ

Summertime Backyard Sittin'

the view from my patio chair at dusk

This past Saturday, the weather was so delightful, what with it's low humidity and all, I couldn't help but harness up our kitty Galahad, and head out back for some sky gazing.

The soft, warm breezes delicately caressed my face as I cuddled up in the gently descending blanket of dusk.  Galahad lay in the grass nearby, taking in the wonders that the dreams of indoor kitties are made of.  Cicada song, toads chirping and seeing sights that only his keen feline vision could detect in the inky atmosphere. 

And then, after a little while, when the darkness had descended full on, the buzzing began.  Surrounding us.  I tried to be brave, as whatever it was flew from plant to plant.  But then I could take it no more.  I unleashed Galahad and scurried inside, much to his dismay.  I'm OUT!

You see, we have palmetto bugs in these here parts, which for the uninitiated, are basically big ol' roach-y bugs that can be over an inch long.  And can fly (I'm getting heebie jeeebie goosebumps just thinking about the times I have been chased by them).  And they tend to live in palm trees.  There's their condo right there...

It was nice while it lasted.

I hope you had a weekend full of adventure as well!

Thanks for stopping by! ~TJ

Coming Out of Hibernation, Going into Hibernation~

self seeded Johnny jump ups

It has been a long winter.  Yes, I realize winter is long over and we are now heading into summer.  Some seasons in our lives feel cold and desolate no matter what the temperature is outside.  I am just now feeling the warmth in my heart again to reflect the rising mercury on the thermometer.  Coming out of hibernation.  

My dad went into the hospital a couple of weeks before Christmas last year, due to his ongoing health battle.  In March, shortly before what would have been his birthday, we had to say goodbye.  Being the introvert that I am, it's times like these that I tend to turn inward. To reflect, regroup and recharge.  But time marches on, carrying healing with it.  And life is for the living.  I know he would want nothing but the best for each of us.  And so, since this little online journal of mine brings me joy, journal I must.

self seeded coleus and four o'clocks 

As much as has changed, many things remain the same.  The "dailies" that must be done to keep the family and home well nourished and loved.  And then there's the puttering in the garden, sewing, and the myriad other things I do, just because.  These are the things that have gotten me through the past half year.

And as the temperature rises, I go back into hibernation~ of a different sort.  Yes, as the heat rises and the humidity blankets us, I am hibernating indoors again in the cool of the air conditioning.  I know I've mentioned my aversion to the heat and humidity before so I will try not to bore you with it again, lol.

For now, I will sign off.  I have a few outdoor chores this evening that I have to take care of now that the sun is not high in the sky.  But I'll be back...

As always, thanks for stopping by! ~TJ

"where flowers bloom, so does hope."~ lady bird johnson