Sweet Friday
The bougainvillea running along our fence at the front gate...
gives me a sweet pleasure to look at when I walk along it
it stays blooming most times since it started to flower...
and there is nothing like having something blooming in the yard to brighten a day
the crops down by the river are doing fine...
and we have been harvesting sweet corn which we enjoy in the evening times
we love to roast the corn on it's cob, and while my husband likes his just as it is...
I slather butter and sprinkle sea salt on mine
the corn growing in the garden behind the cottage is growing ears also...
and the honey bees have been busy collecting from the corn flowers
my anise hyssop seems to be struggling a bit...
but, I'm guessing it may be stressed from too much rain
since they are potted, I will be putting them in a drier spot and hand watering for now...
and giving them a little extra feeding to boost them a bit
when a plant is potted, it really does need a bit more attention
someday, I will be planting my anise hyssop into the ground in my future herb garden
but, the butterflies tell me they still find nectar in the blooms of the anise hyssop
the picture of butterflies feeding on the flowers delight me
I cut back my rose bushes a month ago...
and already they are blooming with new roses
now that our sweet and creamy avocados are ready to take from the trees...
we have been dining quite well on them and adding them to our green salads from the garden
is there anything fresher tasting than that?
every so often, I enjoy a warm cup of vanilla milk sweetened with raw honey
very simple to make, it just takes a cup of milk, about a 1/4 tsp of vanilla...
and the amount of honey to satisfy one's own sweet taste
a nice break from regular tea or coffee to sit and enjoy a preening chicken at the door...
for reading by...
or just to enjoy the new day with
how thankful I am that...
His anger endureth but a moment;
in His favour is life:
weeping may endure for a night,
but joy cometh in the morning.
Psalm 30:5
May your day or night find joy in the Lord's gracious favour.
When the Beach Calls
Sometimes, when I snap pictures...
they often sit somewhere in the computer and do nothing
so, just for fun again, thought I'd put these from our beach excursion with the dogs...
into a little video with some relaxing music
this is a favorite spot to take the dogs because it is quiet and peaceful...
with the beauty of the Lord's natural creation all around
it was early morning and the sun had just risen not long ago when we got there
I hope you get a bit of enjoyment from it
And the work of righteousness shall be peace;
and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance forever.
And my people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation,
and in sure dwellings,
and in quiet resting places;
Isaiah 32:17-18
May your day or night be quiet and peaceful in the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Mango Preserves at Pilgrim's Cottage
Making fruit preserves was something I've been wanting to learn to do
and since we've been harvesting more mangoes than we can eat...
and selling what we couldn't eat to the market...
and still have plenty left over...
it seemed the right time to hunker down and be brave
because, you see...
I have never canned preserves in my life before
and in fact, I have never canned anything before...
and it seemed such a daunting task
canning is something that has piqued my interest lately and after watching this...
I just had to figure canning can't be so hard, after all
so, grabbing a lime for the added acidic ingredient for my mango recipe...
since water bath canning can call for it...
I eagerly made my way back up the hill to the cottage with my bucket of fresh picked mangoes
because this is my first experience at canning...
I won't post the process steps this time
but perhaps, when there is more experience and confidence under my belt...
you can come with me in a later post
I just did 3 pints for my first to get the feel of the task...
and I think it came out all right
as soon as the jars were taken out of the water bath, the lids started to pop shut
I was relieved
heh...at least, that seemed to have gone well enough
and as far as the "daunting" task itself?
it wasn't as nearly so hard as I thought
hopefully, in the next week, as the fun in canning gets into my system...
the shelf in the pantry cupboard will fill up a little more with bona-fide homemade preserves
Thou hast granted me life and favour,
and Thy visitation hath preserved my spirit.
Job 10:12
May your day or night be sweetly preserved in the grace of the Lord.
I Will Sing the Wondrous Story!
I just wanted to share with you the joy of the Lord in my heart and why
it doesn't matter what comes along, my Saviour is always with me
it doesn't matter what comes along, my Saviour is always with me
this song says it for me quite well
May the Lord shine His grace on you.
Refrigerator Duty and a Casserole Dish
If I could live without a refrigerator...
I would
some people do
some by no choice and some by choice
always, there seems to be too much stuff in the fridge...
and when cleaning-it-out-time comes around...
it is an eager chore for me to clean out what isn't usable anymore...
and using up any leftovers from the day before
and using up any leftovers from the day before
because once that refrigerator duty is done...
I get the same feeling as when at the end of the day and all the dirty work is done...
after-shower time feels clean and good, once again
this time around, I let it go a little too long...
and there wasn't much hiding in the back nor did I find any mold...
not that it hasn't happened in the past, mind you
I did find two tamarinds that had fallen down to the bottom beneath the veggie drawer
they are still good and will be used in my cooking
then there was the question of this thing found at the bottom with the tamarinds
at first, I could only ask myself...
"what isthis??"
then, I remembered that some time ago, we had long narrow eggplants...
picked from the garden...
and evidently this one managed to burrow itself down below
I thought it was quite interesting that it curved as it dried over time...
into a question mark, as if to ask...
"what am I?"
this dried up "question mark" now hangs over the knob of my grandfather clock...
as a good reminder the refrigerator needs cleaning out every so often...
and my cleaning skills are not so perfect
supper consisted of leftover mac and ground beef casserole and a salad with yogurt dressing
our neighbor butchered one of his bulls not long ago...
and I minced some of the meat we bought from him...
to use in the casserole making enough for more than one meal
it's an easy casserole to make and this recipe is gluten free:
if you are not gluten free, you can just use regular macaroni elbows
if you want to make enough for the freezer for another meal, just double or triple the recipe
it all depends on how many will be eating
this recipe made one 8 by 3 inch deep casserole dish
*cook a 16 oz. package of brown rice macaroni elbows in salted water till just aldente (not quite soft)
*brown 2 pounds of minced meat with 1 large chopped onion in a saucepan with a little oil
*add some salt, black pepper, minced garlic, chili pepper; all to your taste
*in a casserole dish, layer 1/3 cup of spaghetti sauce on the bottom
*layer half the sauteed minced meat mix on top
*layer half the cooked brown rice macaroni elbows
*spread some grated cheese on top with as much of whatever cheese you like
*layer again with spaghetti sauce
*layer with the remaining minced meat
*layer with the remaining macaroni and spaghetti sauce
*generously sprinkle with cheese
*optional: you can top with some crumbled corn chips (or bread crumbs) if you'd like
*bake in the oven on 350* for 45 minutes
and enjoy
May your day or night find grace in the Lord.
Just For Fun Video
This cute finch wasn't about to let anyone else take away his bath
May your day or night be blessed in God's grace.
Monday Morning
All during the night, the skies were filled with thunder, lightening, and rain
and although it woke me up several times from my sleep...
I didn't mind
I do love me a storm during the night
this morning, although still overcast...
it was good cool weather for a second cup of coffee
today is a good day for indoor work
and the Lord said...
Give ear, O ye heavens, and I will speak;
and hear, O earth, the words of my mouth.
My doctrine shall drop as the rain,
my speech shall distill as the dew,
as the small rain upon the tender herb,
and as the showers upon the grass:
because I will publish the name of the Lord:
ascribe ye greatness unto our God.
He is the Rock,
His work is perfect:
for all His ways are judgment:
a God of truth and without iniquity,
just and right is He.
Deuteronomy 32:1-4
May your day or night be a blessed day in God's grace.
Elusive Time
Blog posting time has become quite the elusive thing for me, lately
many other priorities take precedent when it comes to duties
and with a new project homestead in the works...
even our doe goats kidding times are, "when it happens, it will happen"
and we must go on with our other duties
but, we have taken time to look into our sugar apple trees and they are bearing
my husband picked a couple that were calling my name, or rather...
my taste buds
and when the chickens don't bother to look high enough...
my roses on the taller branches manage to avoid their pecking skills...
and then, I am able to enjoy those few surviving roses
May your day or night be filled with the blessings of the Lord's grace.
Saturday Homestead Postcard
Where the young cattle get their own training lessons with leashes
May your day or night be blessed in God's grace.
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