Thought for the Day...

Since this post is basically to remind myself not to take myself to seriously, I guess that it doesn't matter that I can't get the pictures to load in the order I wanted them to be in. You'll get the jest. You can pick your friends....and
You can pick your nose.....

BUTTTTTTTTTTT....

You can't pick your friends nose!!!!!!

You could pet it though if you both agree!!!

Blessings Sue

Fiddlin Around

I wanted to see what different settings on my camera would do. This is Sassy contemplating a treat.

As I was walking around the living room I realized that my coleus had bloomed. Man, I try to stay on top of it, and pinch off all blooms so the leaves will stay full and luscious.

This is one of the first times I haven't noticed it for this long and I must say the blossoms are quite lovely.

I was shooting for the droplet of water. Not to bad.

Again the droplets intrigued me. Coleus is definitely a favorite house plant of mine. They come in so many beautiful colors. Brightens up the room!!!

This is Baby Paige. I have the privilege of taking care of her a few days every week. She has brought me so much joy. There have been days of late that having her here has made it all worth while!!!

Her daddy is a Marine, her Mommy is a Vet Tech. We are happy to have them as our "adopted" children.

Is this not adorable!!!! This is also the treat that Sassy was anticipating earlier. The cookie, not the baby toes!!!!

Blessings, Sue

Cinnamon Bread recipe

This recipe makes a really great basic sweet dough. If you like sweet dinner rolls, (kinds like the Hawaiian kind) cinnamon rolls, cinnamon bread. Just about anything you want to use a sweet dough for.

6 cups all purpose flour
2/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
4 Tablespoons oil - I have used melted butter, olive oil, even vegetable oil, what ever you have.
2 cups warm water
2 Tablespoons yeast- or 2 packages

Dissolve the sugar in the warm water and whisk in the yeast. Let it stand for about 3 minutes or so until you see the yeast starting to work.

Add oil, and start mixing. Add the salt and then start adding the flour one cup at a time until a dough is formed. It should start coming off the sides of your bowl and lumping together. If not add flour a Tablespoon at a time until it does. Not too much more only go as much as a 1/4 cup over the 6 cups, or your bread will be dry and flaky.

Spray another big bowl with cooking spray and transfer your dough. Spray the top of the dough lightly with the cooking spray and cover with a dish towel and place in a warm spot to rise for about an hour or until it is about double. ( I put it on top of the oven)

Punch down your dough, 1/2 it and plop 1/2 on a sprayed cutting board.
Working with one half at a time roll your dough into a rectangle, about 1/4 inch thick, with one side as long as your loaf pan. Make it as long as necessary to get it thin, otherwise your swirls will be to thick.

Slather the rectangle with melted butter, sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. You can melt the butter first but sometimes its just as easy to rub it on at room temperature. Use as much cinnamon as you like for your taste. I use quite alot maybe about 3 Tablespoons and about that much sugar as well. Its up to you.

Begin rolling your rectangle( tight) from the short end and pinch it together. Place it in a loaf pan with the seam side down and the ends tucked under. Repeat with second 1/2 of dough.

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees and cover each loaf to let rise for about 20 minutes or until your oven is hot. Don't let it rise to much above the pan. Brush each loaf with egg white, or milk.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes. It will be beautifully browned and hollow when you thump it. Remove immediately from bread pans and cool on a wire rack. Try your best to let it get all the way cool before slicing off a huge piece and enjoying it!!!!

If you have questions feel free to call or leave me a note in the comments. Let me know if you like this bread.

Blessings, Sue ( Carlye, does this mean no more store bought when I come to visit??? hahahahaha You are the best daughter to always have cinnamon bread there for me when I come. I love you!!!!!!!!! Store bought is just fine with me, especially at your table!!!) Momma :)

A Few of My Favorite Things!

I often find that the simple things in my life make me the most content!! I LOVE cinnamon bread. I love cinnamon bread toast!!!!!

Yummmmmmmmmmmm. This is an easy recipe and if your interested I will write it out for you. Just let me know in the comments!!!

blessings, Sue

The Pelican

These pictures were taken by Jennifer and Angel.
When I was a little girl, growing up in Morro Bay, seeing pelicans was a common occurrence. My Mom used to say this little poem to me and my brother and sister. I honestly looked it up to find the entire version and now I know that she only said the first part to us for a reason. I have revised it a bit my self. I said it to my girls the way my momma said it to me. The Pelican

A wonderful bird is the pelican,

His bill can hold more than his belly can,

He can take in his beak,

Enough food for a week,

But I'm darned if I see how the heck he can.

Pelicans are one of the heaviest birds still capable of flight. Because of their short little legs they are much better swimmers than walkers. They don't dive for their food from the air but eat leisurely while swimming.

They used to sit on the piers and watch us as we walked. and I have seen them eat an entire fish in one gulp. I was always amazed by how blubbery and waddley the bottom of their bill is as it is really a flap of loose skin.

Walking on the pier was always a nightmare for me. I was completely convinced that I was going to slip through the cracks and be washed away forever from my mom and dad, out into the big blue sea. It took a long time for me to get over that. Hmmmmmmmmm.

Hope you enjoyed... Blessings, Sue Oh yes, you can google "pelican poem" and find out what the last line in the poem is if you want, and as always if you click on the picture it will be made larger so you can see the pelican better!!!

Pulled Pork Dinner

This was a first at our house. Daddy bought me a new pressure cooker so I thought I would try a pork roast. I looked on line for a pulled pork recipe and found about a million. They all had in common brown sugar and paprika. Then I consulted my oldest daughter who had eaten the "real" southern pulled pork sandwiches and she confirmed the main ingredients for the rub. I used simply brown sugar, paprika, garlic powder and pepper. Rubbed down the roast well and seared it in a HOT frying pan with HOT olive oil on all sides. Then I popped it in the cooker, quatered a yellow onion and set it for 99 minutes and propped up my knees for a while.

About 30 minutes before it was done I whipped up these rolls. Shredded the meat into a serving dish, added some masterpiece BBQ sauce to the dripping water, not to much just a little bit.

And........ We ate almost the entire roast. Served with green salad and milk. Yummy.
I wish Carlye and Matt were here, but don't worry I'm going to write down this recipe and I'll make it again for you!!!!

Blessings, Sue

Pendulum Clock

Pendulum Clock: "Keep track of the time with this stylish pendulum clock. Edit the settings of the clock to change the color and to make it tick and play Westminster Chimes."

A canned story for sure!!!

I have had this book for just about ever. I have been helping and processing canned foods for just about ever. I grew up in a harbor town( Morro Bay) and my Dad was like almost every other man I knew growing up, an avid deep sea fisherman. He would come home on a weekend evening and our front yard would be littered with just about every kind of sea creature he could bring in. Shark, cod, abalone. Of course I grew up HATING the stuff. The only tuna I knew was albacore/ home canned in a jar. I remember being confused at seeing store bought tuna in an actual can. hahahha Now I covet the stuff. We canned all summer during my high school years. We would drive up to Salinas after the harvests and bring back car full of tomatoes and cucumbers and this is not to mention the enormous garden of vegis and fruit trees my mom cultivated. So I guess it's in my blood. I didn't have much time when my girls were little but now I do and sooooooo here goes.

Brining the cucumbers, you can't see that there is also a head of cauliflower underneath.

Sterilizing the jars!!!!

I LOVE GARLIC!!!!! My fingers still smell I believe. hahah

Packing the jars.

The extra cauliflower that I just couldn't cram into the jar. It was really good just like that!!!!

Soaking in the jacuzzi!!!! Waiting for the boil. Note: a watched pot does eventually boil, regardless of the rumors.

Ahhhhhhh and the finished product. Three quarts spicy dill pickles and....

One quart spicy cauliflower...

In the last week or so I have also put up some spicy okra pickles, spicy carrots and one of our all time favorites....

Pickled beets....

Pretty little jars of love. Even daddy,who hates beets, tasted them and said they had a "very good flavor" I love you, Seth. Always my encourager!!!!!!

So I found out that my surgery is not until November or December and even though I am on a waiting list for possible cancellations, and that is hopeful, it is still hard to be patient. I have decided that I WILL keep living my life, I have access to pain medication and a very supportive family. And I'm looking forward to next year and all the years after to keep on living my life...ONLY WITH NO PAIN.

PRAISE BE TO GOD!!!!!!!

Blessings, Sue

Past trip to Julian

I decided to go through the pictures that we have on "the family" computer and download them onto my computer. I found a real treasure trove. I found these from one of our family trips to Julian. It was in September about 2 years ago. We usually take a few day trips to Julian every year. October is "apple" month so we usually try to hit it in September before the "rush" We have our favorite shops and treats we like.

This is the old jail. I honestly can't imagine how horrible it would have been to have been incarcerated here. (or anywhere for that matter)

One of our favorite places for treats is The Cider Mill. They have candies and nuts and cider. Jams, jellies and the best pumpkin butter ever. Tastes just like pie. So good on toast with coffee. We usually get a caramel apple and some honey sticks as well.

I thought this was a cool shot. This is Carlye. Her hair is in a ponytail.

Julian is famous for it's apple pie. Thankfully my family is partial to mine.... at least that's the claim...hahaha

More jars in the Cider Mill.

The infamous...

Along the side of the road by the jail are the wild blackberries. Funny how the girls have gone from wanting to pick and eat them, when they were little, to photographing them now!!! They really are fairly inedible. Tart little buggers, but I could see them in a cobbler or pie.

This is just a cool plant that had these berries. The birds were enjoying them. I'm not sure if we will make the trek up this Fall. Maybe around Christmas. We'll have to see how things go.

Wow... not to change the subject or anything but I looked up from my computer just in time to see Sassy's pink tongue frantically lapping up the last of my milk. Silly Kitty.. She going to have to finish it now.
Blessings, Sue

Great Day!!!

Today I sat with an old, dear friend. She has been sitting alone for quite awhile, sharing her corner of the living room with the curio cabinet, fan and The Weens toy basket. She hasn't minded. She is very patient. She was placed lovingly on the kitchen counter, where she got a good dusting and a rub down with some furniture polish. She received oil to remove the kinks and get back in the groove of things and we spent a part of the afternoon together....

We've missed each other...

I caught myself humming.........

I felt so at peace and so content. Our time together was short. But we made an agreement to meet again tomorrow and the next day, and hopefully for quite a few more days.....

Teensy steps.... My new knee was WONDERFUL.... the knee that needs replacing didn't complain...too much!!!!!

Even buster and Bailey were content. They got into their favorite spots for the duration of our visit and didn't move a muscle.

Silly, happy, Weens. What a blessed day!!!!

I hope yours was the same!!! Blessing, Sue
Ok edited for Carlye and Jennifer... Better you silly heads?