A Moment Like This

All Winter long.  We can go ahead and include Spring and Fall.  My mouth waits a long time for a moment like this... a taste like this. 

It doesn't need fancy bread or cheese shop cheese.  Good ole white bread, lightly toasted, and sandwich cheese, preferably "processed cheese food."  I like the Nice and Cheesy from the K-Rogers.  And let's not forget the bacon.  Good, greasy bacon.  I fried three extra pieces for this meal alone! 

Now, there's something special about a tomato grown in Tennessee.  Some say it is the red clay, some say it's the acid in the soil.  Whatever it is... it does it just right.  You just cannot buy this at the store, not ANY time of the year.  And those "hot house" guys, well they can keep on trying.  They'll do in February but not in July!

lightly toasted bread

           bacon

                        cheese

                                                              TN homegrown tomato

NOW, you're speakin' my language.

If y'all could only hear me singing "Some people wait a lifetime for a moment like this,"

well....you'd probably tell me to hush!

Lighter for the Mister.

 Oscar Mayer.... it's the best.

Although sometimes expensive, I have always been happy with the results.

 cheese food

 THAT'S A MONSTER!

is what i said

 Wish you were here.

But then there'd be no bacon for you.

Unless you brought your own.
p.s. All food groups are properly represented here.
fat, processed, cheap and homegrown!

 Now this is how Shaun likes his. 

Adding lettuce, mayo and the pickles I make for him.

Good boy.

I just could not resist sharing supper with you.  That's supper, not dinner.  Dinner is lunch.

Produce Coming Out of My Ears

Dear blog readers, it's been four days since my last confession... of blogging.  And I promise I will never say the phrase "coming out of my ears again."  It's become a habit and even I cringe when I say it because it just comes right out.  "I have got squash coming out of my ears."  I am not however tired of actually having that much squash, or cukes, or zuc, although the zucchini is playing out.  But the cucumbers are not!

We have two cucumber plants and thanks to the recent rain last week, amidst the terrific lightening storm that almost wiped out our corn, I have picked enough cucumbers over the last week that I am now on my fourth batch of Shaun's favorite pickles. 

I had a thought and in checking my canning journal.  It shows that in 2009 I canned nine batches of 3 day lime pickles.  In 2010, two batches.  In 2011, two batches.  The supply in the basement is beginning to get low.  The lack of canning in 2010 and 2011 was not because we had so many still in stock.  Well maybe partially, because I could have gotten the cukes from somewhere, but, I do recall in 2010 our crop of cucumbers was not so good.  It was dry and we had a lot of hollow cucumbers.  Then last year the crop again was not so good.  So my thought is, can all I can.  You never know what the next couple of year's garden may prove.  If I only put up two or three batches, housing five or six pints each, we will run out.  Not a huge big deal, but he eats these pickles on every sandwich he makes.  I don't want him to not have something he treasures so much.  So I will can all that these two plants will produce.  There's just no sense in not doing so in my eyes.  We planted it, the Lord is providing a good crop, I should do my best with it.  What is that called?

I don't even waste the bigger ones.  They would almost cover the whole hamburger.

 Cuckes soaking in lime.

 One batch down and one in the pot to go.

 A feat of beauty.... fair worthy.

 This is what the kitchen looks like after picking the garden.

And the tomatoes are on the porch.

Indian Hats - Kiddo Craft

These are more of head-dresses, at least I think that's what they are called.  But around here it has pretty much been hat week since the hats in the big kid room were discovered.  So yesterday we made our own version of a "hat" in the form of a simple head band. 

It is amazing how quickly attentions can be gathered at a small table when you sit down with colored paper and a glue stick.  Which, by the way, I got glue sticks four to a pack at WalMart for twenty five cents each the other day.  I have been waiting on school supply sales to come out since January!  Next on my list is construction paper.  Who doesn't have enough of that?!?!

So, our simple hats went like this.  Cut long strips of paper, glue them together for the headband length.  Next, cut out shapes such as feathers and circles.  It doesn't have to be elaborate or even make sense really.  Next glue the shapes on to the head band.  I put the glue on these shapes and the kids smashed them on.  They didn't have a problem with that although sometimes they do want to use the glue sticks.  Finally, wrap the head band around their kiddo heads for a good fit.   Hold the paper then glue it together and really smash the paper together with glue in between.  The good thing about glue sticks is they seem to dry quicker. 

A very satisfied dude!

Giggle Box Garden

Giggle Box garden update!  Well folks, our little garden at the day care is growing!  The corn has tousled, squash and zucchini are coming in, and the watermelon vines are out of control!  No sign of watermelons as of yet, but we haven't gone is and searched real hard either.  We do know our zinnias are getting covered up by the vines and our poor marigolds are sight unseen for all the tomato vines!  We planted Black Cherry tomatoes that we grew from seed and they do tend to vine also. 

We eat squash and zucchini for lunch that we bake in the oven.  It is so easy and oh so good!  Soon we will be able to try out the corn and tomatoes too! 

 Still more squash to come!

Thanks for the pollination little bee!

 The tops of the corn look so whimsy blowing in the wind.

 Corn silks.

 Zinnias peeking through the watermelon vines.

The whole garden.  Just our size!