summer tour - week one (wagner berry farm)

Week One was officially over.  We spent our week in TN with cousins.  SIL had a special outing planned to Wagner Berry Farm where our main focus would be strawberries and rasperries.  Unfortunately, the raspberry patch wasn't open just yet but, we still had time to seek out some tasty strawberries.

Photos for Instagram were a must.

 

And who could resist jumping the rows?

 

 

Light saber moments... 

 





 

The girls shared special time together.

 

 

And then it was time to head home.

 

 



dinner grits

Well, I've held off as long as I could.  Blogger has completely frazzled my patience for blogging.  See, I've been having this ongoing problem {meaning every single post} with posting photos.  It's a long story but, if you know me well, you know I despise a photo-less post.

Now, we spent 4 weeks on the road and are finally recovering.  We had the best time but, to be completely honest, it was exhausting.  We were so excited to see all our family and friends though.

Despite my loathing of photo-less posts, this is one on those.  Prepare yourself.  While in TN, visiting my SIL and her awesome family, I finally learned to make dinner grits. {swoon}  OK, I see the look of doubt on your face, I feel the scorn in your eyes but, for anyone skeptical of grits - dinner grits - please see this as a totally amazing sister to mashed potatoes.  And yes, I know, grits are made of corn and potatoes are, well, potatoes.  Stay with me here!  I would totally give up potatoes vs. grits any day!  Well, maybe.

{For seven people, Miss TN doubled the recipe.}

Dinner Grits
3/4 cups grits
1 1/2 cups heavy cream (or half & half)
1 1/2 cups milk
2/3 cup onion
1 clove garlic

Saute onion in butter.  Add liquids and cook on medium heat until heated and frothy but not boiling.  Pour grits into pan, stirring continuously.  Cook 5 min. or more until grits reach desired thickness.  Season as desired with salt, pepper, garlic, etc.

See how simple that was?  I've converted at least a handful of skeptical grits eaters since!  Why wasn't this one of the first things I ever learned to cook?  So easy!

be back soon

Hey there!  I'll be back soon.  We're "on tour" and loving every minute of it.  We'll catch back up this weekend.  Promise.

three on thursday.

1. I'm finding myself a little sentimental today.  Not wanting to go.  Not wanting to leave.  Handsome Husband.  The dogs.  The garden.  Who will care for them?  Who will feed them and water them?  Clean up after and love them?  I know Handsome Husband can fend for himself.  I always worry about the dogs.  I typed up a long agenda stating how to care for them, about their personalities, how their vaccinations and rabies are up-to-date.  I even ordered new dog tags because all the others have our old address.  This'll be the first time we've left them since we brought them back at Christmas and while our "caretakers" have dogs, nothing cures my worry.  And the garden, isn't it silly?  I worry that the plants will need water, that I won't be there to see the first blooms, their first fruits, that the tomatoes will go nuts before I get back.  Oh it's silly, I know.
 
2. I want to finish sewing projects, can the remaining rhubarb and strawberries into jam, make sure the house is spotless.  I am so ADHD, ADD, obsessive compulsive.  I don't know what I am, I just know I'm one of them.

3. Most of our things are packed.  Although, I'm fighting off the urge to call our vacation rental agency and ask our agent, Demetra with her lovely Carolina accent and raspy voice, ten thousand questions.  And then pack ten thousand and one more things.  I'm an avid over-packer and there are things I want to bring from home (Virginia home) when we return here to the cornfields of Illinois.  Cookbooks, muck boots.  Oh how I love, love, love muck boots.  We have a list and I'm sure we'll find more and more to pack into every little nook and cranny.  In any case, I'm just looking forward to familiar ol' faces and sinking my toes in the sand.

Father's Day ideas and printables

We'll soon be leaving for our "summer tour".  So, we needed to prepare our Father's Day gifts a couple weeks ahead of time.  I hope you fathers aren't looking!!!!

 

We found some great ideas on Pinterest and came up with a few of our own.  We didn't use some of the printables, but they are available and listed below.

 

We put Handsome Husband's pack together for under $20... 

1.  Orbit gum - $2 {for a 3-pk., Wal-Mart}

2.  Pistachios (printable from LizzeJane Baby) - $6 {Aldi}

3.  Favorite candies (printable from artsy-fartsy mama) - $4.50 {Aldi, Wal-Mart}

4. Cream Soda -  $3.50 {Wal-Mart}

5. Reese's Pieces (printables available from Nothing but Country and also Kids, Clutter, & Chaos) - $1 {Wal-Mart}  



 

 And under $10 for the infamous Pop Pop... 

1. Bucket of microwaveable popcorn - $1 {Wal-Mart} filled with goodies, of course...

2. Peanuts  (printable from LizzieJane Baby) - $ 1.50 {Wal-Mart}

3. Root Beer (with printables from iheartnaptime and Delightfully Noted) - $3.50 {Wal-Mart}

4. Cowtails (Not pictured) - You're the moooost best Pop Pop!

(I don't know why my photo with the numbers won't load up.  Grrrrr.)

 

There are still a few things left to get and some that are unmentioned.  I can't divulge all the secrets for the sake of sneaky eyes that might lurk here.  Happy father's day shopping!

six on saturday

1.  We've had storms here all week and yes, it's been crrrraaaazy!  On the other hand, the corn has taken off...(and so has our garden!)

 

2.  Handsome Husband found two bird eggs today.  One in the garden.  One along the edge of the pines.  I carried this one around for quite a while.  What for?  I'll never know.  And yes, that's a nasty cut I have there, huh?  Eeew.

 

 

3.  We I pulled weeds in 12 rows of strawberries.  The man did more talking and playing with bugs, spiders and worms than anything.  Miss K came at the end to help with a couple rows.

 

 

 

 

4.  Handsome Husband put temporary caging around our squash, cabbage and lettuce to keep out the bunnies.  I opted for all-the-way-around perimeter fencing to keep out the dogs, bunnies, squirrels, what-have-you, but he said no.  I still like my idea better.

 

 

 

5.  We have potatoes folks.  Seven glorious rows.  SEVEN.

 

 

 

6.  I'm reading this.  It's not inspiring, spiritual, or non-fiction.  I needed a summer read that wasn't serious.  This one's ok.  (I picked it up for a quarter at a thrift shop.)  It shares stories about many different couples, situations, and how they all come together in a beach house in Nantucket where one lady is threatening to lose said house and so she decides to rent out rooms.  The stories are eh...a married man who figures out he's gay; a guy who starts a romance with his boss - whose married; a woman whose husband cheated on her and so she divorces him.  See what I mean?  Not exactly what I was looking for or thought it'd turn out to be but, we'll see how it ends.

 

 



(almost) the best day (ever)

It's almost the best day ever!  Guess what arrived?!!

Cookbooks!  Not just any cookbooks.  No, The Pioneer Woman cookbooks!

I have to admit, I was surprised to see these gems.  Last week, I ordered them and have been checking daily to see when they'd arrive.  Sadly, their expected arrival date was May 30th.  So I almost hit my head on the ceiling when the post-lady rang the doorbell.  I knew exactly what those packages were and I stepped outside and yelled, "Thanks!" as she climbed back in her car.  If she would've been standing there, I believe I would've kissed her.  Honest.

Oh dear, I thought I might shriek in excitement and pass out.  But then, I couldn't look through the new one, which our library didn't seem to have.  I could've put a hold on one from another library but, I knew, I had to have these for my own personal collection and I would've renew them for the rest of my life but, they might catch on to that soon or later.  Don't ya think?

And sorry, I wasn't about to leave my perch in this warm, comfy bed on this cold rainy, perfect-for-layin'-around day just to find the perfect backdrop for this photo.  My apologies. 

Remember I told you Miss K and I made PW's Restaurant Style Salsa?  Well, it's almost gone.  Worse yet, Handsome Husband and I are the only ones eating it.  Let's just say that I ate it for breakfast two days in a row and for lunch, and that the roof of my mouth is now completely raw but that hasn't held me back any.  I'll also add that Handsome Husband claims the hottest thing he eats is mustard.  Mustard y'all!  It's sad.  But he's eaten this salsa like candy.  Like candy, I say!  We're in love.  With Pioneer Woman.

On a totally unrelated subject, Handsome Husband is out with our neighbor for some manly bonding at Sears.  Ya know, where they hang out and drool over tools for hours.  He loves that kinda stuff.  Well, I get a text with a picture of a grill.  OK, can I just say that I've been fighting every cell in my body not to run out and purchase a grill, patio set, burgers, brats and steaks because there's just something about Memorial Day that screams cookout and friends.  (Not to mention, we still have a grill and patio set in Virginia that's never made it here.  Sounds like time for another yard sale back home.)

I kindly asked him not to entice me with photos of grills because I'm weak and I'll go buy one in a second.  Don't tempt me.  He replied he was just looking at our options and so I reminded him to keep his options to himself.

OK, enough rambling.  I have cookbooks to drool over, dinners to collaborate, and grocery lists to make.  Oh the excitement!

 

Happy Memorial Day weekend!