literally

These titles are literally on the library hold shelf for me.  As I was putting this collage together, and after I swiped the picture of Boogie Nights from Amazon.com, I thought to myself... this library list collage, in a way, sums me up.  The Libra balance... the music with possibly a bit of trash from the seventies, the tidbits of autobiographies from strong women, the interest in nature, witchery of sorts and old wive's tales from the people of the mountains, and my interest in animals and morbidly wanting to learn how to remove their skin and stuff them with whatever to make them hold their shape forever.  On that note... I plan to begin with a simple dove on September 1st and only mounting it's wings and tail.  I think it would be beautiful and simple to do because I watched a video on youtube... which I am also hooked on these days because you can find how to do anything.  Seriously... last weekend I removed the starter off of Black Rose and took it to the auto parts store and got a new one.  Youtube video confidence... it's dangerous and it will sometimes cause grease to get under your already short nails that won't come out.  My mind goes in so many impossible directions at the same time that it is really hard to keep up.  Most people wouldn't let others in to see their odd interests... or maybe not everybody has odd interests.  I love it and this list sums it up.

  

powder puff girl

So, I tried an experiment this summer.  Since I work, or play rather, outside quite a lot, I have found that the hot summer sun causes me to glisten like a pig and sometimes causes breakouts on the back of my neck and upper back.  Even though I wash these areas very well I can't seem to stop it.  At the same time, because of dry skin, I lotion these areas also which in turn causes more oils and junk to seep into pores causing the problem there again.  So this summer I had the idea to revert to using baby powder on my chest, neck and back.  I use the cucumber scented kind... not a big fan of baby powder smell.  It has worked very well and my skin has gotten used to it and doesn't feel dry at all but actually a kind of nourished feel and the breakouts have stopped.  So it's more of keeping the area dry and oil free than anything... duh. 

As I shake the bottle of powder and it lightly drapes down my back each morning I think back to my Grandmother Covington's little bathroom.  Her tub was to the right when you walked in the door and at the end of the tub was a linen closet.  When you opened it, there hanging on the door was a long handled, pink powder puff just perfect for patting powder evenly on your hard to reach places.  And believe me I used it many, many times.  I think of this powder puff every morning in my closet thinking of how much easier it would be than picking up some article of clothing off the floor to help spread the powder around my back.  

So, needless to say, I remembered what I wanted when I got to work this morning and started looking online, figuring it would be no problem to find something similar.  I am wrong.  Oh I found the exact same powder puff that she had, which was apparently Avon, on ebay for pretty steep prices.  If Grammaw, which is how Grandma came out of our mouths, only knew that her refillable powder puff would have an asking price of $59.95 back then she may have willed it to one of us!  I have found other types of powder puffs but they are either hideously tacky with little roses and ribbons or come with a silverware length handle which will probably cause a visit to my chiropractor eventually.  All that said, I am on the hunt for a long handled, refillable powder puff.  I may never find it.  I would love to settle and buy one off ebay but I am afraid it might have the old Avon smell which is never good in an antique sense.  

Here is an old picture of the Avon one.  My memory thinks it was a little longer than it looks here.  Ofcourse my back wasn't near as long then as it is now... hmmm.

And the ones that are a touch on the tacky side for me.  Seriously.

And the ones that are a touch little girl for me.  Maybe it's the lollipop name that hinders me.  It could actually work for what I want.  It would at least save dirty shirt from a powdery haze.  

I am going to the Wal-Mart tomorrow to see what I can find although their website provided no comfort to my search.  Maybe I should just call Avon and beg them to bring them back into their line.  

Florida Vacation

Just a few more pictures from my trip to Florida with my family.  Some of them are just too dreamy to not share.

 Our daily set up.  We loved the semi circle they laid out for us.

I even feed birds on the beach.

To precious not to sneak a pic.

 My sweet Ma.

A storm blew most of us in.  Three of us hid under the umbrellas from the rain.

My dearest Pa.

Three nieces and I ate breakfast on Tuesday at the place where my Baked Brie obsession was born... Another Broken Egg Cafe in Baytowne Wharf, Sandestin.  Here is my recipe for Beautiful Baked Brie.

I actually like my recipe better now.

Great Green Beans

Holy Moly!  After such a horrible garden experience last year, which produced absolutely no canning possibilities, this year we have been blessed!  We actually decided to cut down the size of our garden and cut out several items that we usually grow like cucumbers, cantaloupes, watermelon and corn.  We planted two rows of green beans; one row of flat Italian and one row of tenderette bush beans.  On the Thursday evening before I left for Florida, my friend Melia, sister Tracy, niece Kristen and my hubby Shaun all picked, washed and broke the row of Italian beans and the afternoon before we left was spent canning beans.  The row had a good yield of 48 pints!

I returned home the following Saturday and on Sunday morning, Shaun and I headed to the garden early to pull the plants in the second row of beans.  Instead of picking beans off of the plants we decided both times to pull the plants and pick the beans.  That way, on one hand you only get one batch to can, but on the other you are done... and sometimes that is a plus!  Shaun and I picked, washed, broke and I canned most of the afternoon on Sunday.  I have to say I did miss the additional hands in the picking and breaking but together we got it done.  Shaun's dad also came by to chat and broke a few beans with us. We'll put you to work!  Out of the tenderette row we wound up with 39 pints and 5 quarts of delicious green beans.  Enough to last the two of us a good long time.  I shudder to think of yet another and another afternoon spent picking and canning beans.... now on to the tomatoes!!!  I have already put up twelve half pints of salsa and plan on putting up some pasta sauce tonight.  Even though our garden this year is smaller it is still keeping us busy!  Oh... I didn't mention how wonderful our green bell peppers are doing!  I chopped and froze nine very large peppers last night too.  Whew!

Maybe it was due to our very cold winter maybe not but the bugs don't seem as bad this year so we opted to not use any bug killer at all.  We've had a little problems here and there and I've already seen a huge horn worm on my tomatoes... blick!  I hate those.

The beans actually got a little bigger than we usually like them to but they will still be divine!

Can you spot the okra?

A tip or two when using a pressure canner.  Note: my canners are old... I have no idea if newer pressure cookers leak or are any different but I can't imagine how they would be.

First, when building up pressure, I like to wait to put the weight on until I see puffs or a light steady stream of steam coming out of the top.  Then I put the weight on.

Be sure you know what weight of pressure you need.  Green beans take 10 pounds of pressure.

This is going to happen... water spewing or dripping out from around the lid while the canner is trying to build pressure to seal.  Wipe it up quickly and maybe hold a kitchen towel around the leaks until they stop.

For more pressure canning tips please visit my Pressure Canning Tips page and do ask questions if you want to!

And speaking of canning tomatoes... here's my recipe for Tomato Basil Sauce which is a great base for soups and pasta sauces.

Have a lot of cucumbers?  Here's my recipe and instructions for Dill Pickle Spears.

And if you come across any good potatoes or have grown them yourself and not dug them up yet or even if you have grown them yourself and want something else to do with them besides let them sit and wait you can check out my Potato Madness post from 2009.

Have a good weekend and get busy canning people!!!

Oh hey... I just can't hush can I, I found a few posts of mine on drying herbs.  You just have to get your plants and produce while you can... unfortunately Autumn is coming.

Saving Herbs

What to do with all those herbs

Drying Parsley

and Garden Friend or Foe