August In Pictures

The heat is starting to take its toll on the garden. My sunflowers are getting tired. Notice the small holes in the petals.

The Zinnias full of weeds and turning brown. The really beautiful thing is that this is full of next years seeds.

The tiny pumpkins that are having a hard time with the heat and the bugs.

This is a large pumpkin in the other pumpkin patch.

My roses are even growing very tired. I always think this looks pretty for some reason.

My teenagers chicks. I have two roosters, a black one and a white one. I have two little hens. They are such sweeties and this heat has been hard on them.

Here is my favorite one. He is so sweet and he has the cutest little crow. He is starting to follow me around the yard.

I hope you have a great Monday. We are having another day of 107-109 day. I am still trying to find nice things to say about the heat and about August. Here is one, my sheets and comforters dry in about 20 minutes.

I hope you have a great week!
~ Still grumpy Kim~

Rughooking Helper

I just had to share this tonight. I won't even bring up how hot it was today. It was so hot to go outside so I decided it was a good day to hook. Hobo kitty thought that it was a good day to help me hook. She sat next to me and would reach over and grab my wool strips. She was so cute I just let her.

I had to get dinner and take care of the chickens but I left my rug I was hooking because I thought I would be back sooner than I was, I went to pick up my things and it was heavier than normal. I looked down and this was what I saw

So I guess I will stop for now, she looks so cute I just don't have the heart to make her move. No wonder kitty's show up to live here.

Silly kitties,

Have a nice Sunday,
~Kim~

A Summer Salad

It has been awhile since I posted a recipe. My posts have been so boring lately. Since I can't seem to find anything to say, I thought I would share a recipe that my family asks for and fights if there is any of it left. Do you know how many years I have waited for my house hold to ask for salad? Well, lets just say I never thought in a million years it would happen. I don't have a picture because there is never anything left. I don't post many recipes because I really hate typing them out. This one is worth it though so I will.

Asian Noodle Salad

2 bags ( 10 oz )Italian blend salad greens

2 cups matchstick-cut carrots ( from a 10 oz bag)

2 cans ( 8 oz each) sliced water chestnuts, drained

2 cans (11 oz) mandarin orange segments, drained

2/3 cup sliced green onions ( 7 or 8 sliced)

2 tablespoons sesame seed, toasted if desired*

2 cups chow mein noodles

I add three cooked chicken breasts tore in small pieces. I will stir fry them in soy sauce.

Dressing

4 Tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 teaspoons red pepper sauce ( Tabasco )
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1/2 cup vegetable oil

1. In 13x9 glass baking dish, layer salad green, carrots, water chestnuts, chicken, orange segments and onions. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.

2 In small bowl, ( I just use a measuring cup) mix all dressing ingredients except oil with a wire whisk. Gradually add oil, beating until well blended. Drizzle dressing evenly over salad. Top with Chow mein noodles.

*(To toast sesame seeds, cook in ungreased heavy skillet over medium heat about 2 minutes, stirring frequently until browning begins, then stirring constantly until golden brown.)

There it is easy peasy. It just sounds hard, I have just been keeping the ingredients on hand since it got hot. I of course had to double the recipe to feed lots of people that are here for dinner. Just cut it in half for less people. The dressing is so yummy. My kids will fight over the leftovers. In fact the other night, the kids were going to a church thing and they were going to have pizza there and that night they wanted this first instead of pizza. Then when they got home they finished up what was left.

I always change recipes so here are my changes: I have never used carrots, the chicken is my idea, because no one would eat this without meat. I live in a carnivore household. I have served egg rolls with it and I have watermelon or cantaloupe too. I use what ever salad I have on hand, any kind works just fine.

Okay, here is my  recipe for awhile. I wish I had a picture.

Have a very nice weekend,
~Kim~

Just Friday

This has been a week. My husband has had to get up every morning at 4:30 so he can make his drive to the place he has been working this week. I get up and make his lunch while bleary eyed trying to see what I am doing. I always tell myself I could go back to bed but I never do, early mornings to me are still a beautiful time of day and I watch as the sun comes up over the mountains. It has been hot this week so I go out early and water the garden and take care of my chickens.

 This lack of sleep and the heat have really made my creativity go out the window. I find myself just staring out the window and not sewing. We are supposed to have a break next week, it is going to cool down to 97 degrees. I just laughed about that.

I will give a small book report. I just finished reading Killing Lincoln by Bill O'Reilly. Great book. You must know one of my hero's is Robert E. Lee. I always know I am going to sound really bad but I don't read books normally written by Yankees. :) Just kidding. I prefer books written by Southerners and for all I know Bill O'Reilly could be one, but he did do a respectful job of handling the end of the Civil War in a fair way. He presented both views so that I respected Lincoln, Robert E. Lee and U. S. Grant,  he was respectful of Mary Lincoln. I always feel that history treats her unfairly. I thought in the book he made all of the historical figures real. He even satisfied the conspiracy part of me. I have always thought there was more to it and I have a idea that Edwin Stanton was involved deeply. So he brought out things I didn't even know which made me decide to add this one to my library. Which says so much because I don't buy many books anymore.

It was worth the read if you love history as much as I do. My nephew and my sons the other day came in and we were talking about when Rome fell and what came after and the different rulers of what dynasties came next. I kind of shook myself because we talk about this stuff like we read it in the newspapers yesterday. I do enjoy history.

I need to get off now and go take care of chickens. Poor things. It is supposed to be 109 for the next few days.
Have a great Friday!
~Kim~