Lemons & Loopholes

Well, What do you do when life gives your lemons with Funny Bumps on them? Of course Draw a funny face on it
( I think I played way to much Ink Blotz as a kid. You can take any object and I have this habit of turning it into something else....so tell me, what do you see?)

( I think I see Big Birds love child.....).....

Anyway

Christopher got up early, nope no way was he going to get stuck doing the dishes this morning. He rose at a decent hour, 8:15.

he looked at the sink, and checked on Gabby, she was still fast asleep. I went ahead and told Christopher to take the trash out and poop scoop. He did with out any lip.

At 9:15 Gabby rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. She noticed she was going to be the one stuck doing dishes.

This is where Christopher felt like he found a loophole. In his mind, he figured Gabby was the last one awake she would be stuck doing dishes, which is true. BUT HE WAS GOING TO HIT SNOOZY LAND as soon as Gabby Got up.

I told him..you have to help dry.......

Christopher was all like " I am tired"


I said 'take a nap later, but if you go to sleep now you will be the last one up and will have to dishes. '

Christopher "well, I won't be tired later......"

See, one kid may have to wash, but the other one has to dry.

Well lets just say


score
Mom 1
Kids 0

Lazy Summer days

Well, Enough is Enough all ready. After about a month of no schedule what so ever I am about to lose my ever loving mind.

the kids seem to have free rein of the house. they eat alot. Stay up late, sleep in....

So I am hoping this will start giving one of the kiddos incentive for waking up earlier.

Maters & Friends

Well, Not sure where to start, not even sure where July went.

It was turbulent time with my Mom and I think the rickety bridge that was there has fallen and perhaps it fell in the depths in the Earth and put on fire.

Its Hot!! When each day the temps have been hitting about 100, then add the heat degree index. I think the old saying has to be true, its not the HEAT, ITS THE HUMIDITY. When you walk out side it feels like a giant puppy dog breathing on you (probably Clifford). The drastic change from being in an air conditioned environment then walking outside is like Ape scent gorilla slapping you in the face. Showers don't take. Sure you shower and get rid of sticky stinky sweat and for the first 5 minutes when you walk out of the bathroom you feel so revived and fresh...then the feeling fastly fleets. I am sweating in places I did not know you could even sweat at! lol

I am sorry when I say this But I could bear winter much better then summer. Once your naked and hot..there is nothing else to take off. During winter, if you are still cold..just pile more clothes or blankets and drink something hot.

The Garden is a pooper this year. Sure, my herbs did fine. My tomatoes not so much..and maybe just not as good as I had hoped and wanted. With the wicked weather late in spring then these demanding oppressive temperatures things have just flopped. Maybe too my heart was not into as much...and maybe too that I bought some rotten producers. I thought for sure I would have had tons of tomatoes by now. But Mr. Stripey is a big deceiver. Sure he gets real big and bushy, but then most of his blooms fall and want little is producing is slowly getting eating by bugs. Then there is the German Queen...hmmm I have another select name for her.

the tomatoes that are doing the best for me is my Grape tomato plant and my Cherokee purple. oh and a tomato plant I did not even plant, it just came up all on its own. I think it a Campari Tomato.

So, Now I have been picking my tomatoes even though that they are not ripened and put them in brown paper bags to mature. At least this way I know I grew it for us and not the bugs outside.

Not to be a total whiny butt, so something positive now. the cucumber produced way above and beyond what I had hoped and expected. I found a great recipe for a Cucumber & Avocado soup. Sounds so refreshing and delightful. However, by this time last year I had already a couple batches of gazpacho and not one batch yet.

With the excessive heat appetites have slowed down. Even by the kids. I have had a loaf bread that has almost lasted a week!! Wow!!

Tonight for dinner however I am making salad Nicoise. The Heidi Way/
It is going to be such a sexy meal too!! I love taking fresh ingredients and combining the flavors.

So, I ventured over to the next town over to pick up some yellow fin tuna steaks.
came home and got to work on prepping. Now the vinaigrette is traditional, but the serving will be different plus I added in my own flare of flavors that I love.

First...
Marinated the tuna in Evvo and salt/pepper

got started on the cannellini bean salad. this is the part of course that is not traditional, but this is where my "tomato" part of the salad will be found.

Cannelllini beans
fresh maters diced
couple of table spoons of purple onion minced
Fresh Basil
Fresh Italian flat leaf parsley
Evvo
Lemon juice
crumbled Parmesan
salt
pepper


then for the Potato and Green bean part
again, made a salad like.

Fingerling red potatoes boiled briefly
green beans blanched
4 small scallions diced
then mixed with vinaigrette

Vinaigrette

Evvo
Lemon juice squeezed
Fresh thyme and Rosemary
tablespoon of minced shallots
Dijon Mustard


there will be Baby arugula and Boston lettuce dressed very lightly as they will wilt when the Hot grilled tuna is put on. A small serving of cured black olives.

Good Music...A glass of Vino.
Life is Good.

the break down of this fine and wonderful meal. I know the Meal sounded extravagant, but it came in at under 7 dollars a head. for 6 servings it cost 6.41

2.00 2 cans if Cans cannellini beans
5.00 Good Aged Parmesan cheese
2.00 4 lemons
2.50 Fingerling Potatoes
1.50 Fresh Green Beans
3.50 Arugula
2.00 French loaf
18.00 yellow Fin tuna 6 Steaks

I did not include the Olive oil or olives. Most of the time anyway these are staples we have on hand, even lemons and parmasean. Was just out this day.

Bacon Bits

Summer is in full swing and schedules completely thrown off...

to do something different Gabby illustrated a short bit by Jim Gaffigan. The bacon bit is one of our favorites. When I volunteered to do the technical work, I did not realize that a 2 minute bit would have taken 6 hours!! So, hence there will be a part 2 because my pillow is calling me to check the back of my eyelids for cracks.

Gone Fishing!

Summer Days ~~ Dollar Daze~~

Finally an ebay listing after all of these months.

I think the record breaking temps since 1811 hase made me
go in some sort of Daze....

Dollar Days listing that is...

Stay cool!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=110700039419&ssPageName=ADME:L:LCA:US:1123

Do You Hear What I Hear? `~ SICKA OF CICADAS

Well, here in the great mid west of Missouri Weather is severe
and so is the CICADAS.

FOR 'BOUT 2 WEEKS THE SOUNDS of a chirping has been going on. The Cicadas have left their 13 year hibernation from underground and have invaded.

there is a swarm.

Thank God they don't bite. (even though I scream like a little school girl when one hits me...My fear is in the midst of my horror movie scream one will go flying in my mouth)

They come out and molt, and of course mate.

if you shake a bush or take a broom or stick to a tree and hit it like a pinata they all come out.


The squirrels love it!! they pick there little molted crustacean bodies off the tree and eat them. the birds seem to be happy too, I have seen a robin flying in and picking up an exoskeleton.

they seem to be calming down. The 2 weeks is almost up, I hope all find a mate and go underground for another 13 years.

~*~ New Friends ~*~

New At The Nest

I'll Keep...........

I will Keep My Guns & My Freedom
You Can Keep the Change
(if you want)

Me shooting a .30-30 Lever action.

sohpia and a bb gun




a pistol semi automatic 22








Hoping next time we visit we can shoot the AR and the shot gun..which frankly scares me!

No, I have not been hiding out in some bunker somewhere with my food rations....

Speaking of food however the garden has been a slow go with the weather.
it really has been a whirl wind, when spring started it was going along fine and dandy...then the midwest got pelted with major storms and lots of rain.

this year my goal for my garden is to harvest alot for canning . It will be hopefully a fun adventure.

We have been teaching the kids how to respect and handle guns. We visit a family friend and shoot on their land.

I will be finishing up a new dollie this week for sure!
Hope all are doing well

Heidi

I Say Potato you Say Potatoe

You Say Usama, I say Osama....

Lets get together and celebrate.....

For our Guys and Gals Serving..for those families how have lost their dear loved ones, for those who have lost limbs...

for those in the World Trade center towers...for those on the plane....


For the brave firemen who were going in the buildings when people who worked there were tryng to leave the buildings.....

for the brave police men,

For AMERICA ....
FOR THE
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.


For the World.


lets get together and unite

hatching at the nest

Not only is tomorrow April Fools Day, it is time for the new arrivals to hatch at the prim nest. I sure do hope you hop on over to take a look at all of the newest offerings.

And She Scores....!!!

Luck Be A Lady Tonight!!

Well, this Lucky lady would have been listed a few days ago on Ebay..but I got the nasty Death Black Screen...and nothing.....called tech peeps, they could not help (after spending 50 bucks for a few brief 15 minutes....) Their adivce was, Get a new computer.....

**Sigh***

however, I do indeed feel very lucky, you see our old computer was 5 years old. And it had 5 years worth of pics and documents..files and e-patterns....

It just so happens that I backed all of that information up in the past 2 weeks!!!

so lady luck is now listed on ebay, one penny to start plus free ship...it is a 3 day auction

just take a peek ... who knows, she could be your lady luck!!

A New Nesting Spot

With out further ado, I would like to invite you to visit a new Nesting Spot
The Primitive Nest
It will update the 1st and the 15th
So fly on over and get a birds eye view