Can you here that...

 You ever just sit and listen to the quiet.... for me it is the lack of electronics.... The birds songs and the humming of appliances which means they are working.... autos driving means people have places to go.. These things do not bother me what does is all the lies on the news channels, and the blatant entitlement cause by reality TV. 

I remember when I was a child TV taught wholesome values and respect. Today it is all about sex, drugs and  expectations. Sometime I wonder if I was born in the wrong era. I do enjoy the modern amenities but I do not like what it brought.

I often wonder if humanity can survive this great infusion of entitlement. Are we really entitled to just take from a person who has more just because we want it. I always found pride in earning what I needed or wanted... It gave me a reason to work hard and save... I would love to see the core values of life returned to schools, Home Economics, shop, and all similar classes. Reinstate history as it was not as it has been re-written. I am working with my grandson and yes I get frustrated with the beliefs these kids were taught to hold on to.  Life is hard but you have to live it as if someone is try to take it away.. True growth comes from challenges and failures... But they have to choose the path and walk it daily.  I tell my grandson daily I can't walk it for you, you have to get up and just do it. It is his life and it is his effort that will shape his future. God help his generation... 

May you all have a wonderful day.

Words to live by

This is a quote from Sam Calloway and inspirational writer who has lived some not so fun moments. He now shares his thoughts and wisdom with anyone who need a bit of reassurance. I know Sam typically writes for a different purpose, but our young endure loss as they fly from the nest... Their friends, daily routines, their safety net. They enter a new chapter of their lives and sink or swim they feel alone.  

"There is something no body tells you about the long road.


 It gets heavy.

Not because you're weak. Not because you made the wrong choice. Not because the thing you're working toward isn't worth it. But simply because carrying something meaningful for a long time. Without guarantees, without a finish line you can see, it will tire even the strongest person out.
And that's okay.

Being tired is not a sign that you should stop. It's a sign that you've been showing up. It's a sign that you've been carrying something real. People who never get tired are usually people who never tried hard enough to feel the weight of something worth having.

So if you're exhausted right now, I want you to hear this clearly. Tired is not the same thing as finished.

The person who rests and comes back is not a quitter. The person who slows down to catch their breath is not falling behind. The person who sits quietly with their struggle instead of running from it is doing some of the bravest work there is.

What breaks people is not the weight. It's the belief that feeling the weight means something is wrong. It doesn't. It means you're human. It means you care. It means the thing you're carrying actually matters to you.

Rest if you need to. Take the day. Take the week if that's what your body and your spirit are asking for. You are allowed to pause without it meaning you gave up.

But don't let the tiredness convince you that you're finished. Because you're not.

The chapter you're in right now, the hard one, the slow one, the one that doesn't seem to be moving fast enough, it is not a detour. It is the road. And every step you take through it, tired or not, is building something in you that easier seasons never could.

Keep going. Not because it's easy. But because you've already come too far to stop now."

You can grab his here.   Peace On The Other Side

I hope Sam's words help you, Have a great day.

Ok back at it

 In the smoker goes 4 turkey breast for lunch meat. This is my kinda day. Not sure what dinner will be last night was shredded beef enchiladas.. I love cooking meals the keep giving. Last Sunday was a big ole Chuck roast with mashed potatoes and gravy. I made enough to send some home with Kens dad, make a lunch for ken and have a left over. Well we ate the left over and still had enough to have shredded beef enchiladas. My restaurant  past has taught me to annualize food cost and make exact cost budget.  

Tonight will be Taco Bell Knock off Pizza's. I have always loved them but since they brought them back they just aren't the same... So I learned to make them for my family. It is like the enchirito..not sure if you remembered that it was basically an ground beef enchilada and they used to be good when they brought them back they were not the same at all. so I learned to make enchiladas and I make my own sauce that taste like what that yummy red goodness used to taste like. I have fond that the world has added so much crap to our foods and changed the flavors of what we used to love but no one complains they just eat the crap. 

OK, I am off to play in my garden and have a bowl of frosted flakes... Lets get this day started.

Have a Good Day!

Missed a day of the story of my life...

 Today I am busy, it helps to keep the mind busy. My husband is facing some health issues and we are in the testing part. I am ready to meet with his doc's and put a game plan together. But I must be patient. God has this though we do not know his plan I must trust him. 

Ok on to better stuff... I am out to water the garden. I think I saw life in my new potato tower, yea us. The rest is doing well my peppers are growing and producing, my onions ans tomato plant are coming along as spring progresses.  

lost in thought

 Not sure what each day will bring, days like this I have to lean on the lord pretty hard and beg for understanding. Typically I am pretty good under pressure, but right now that pressure is very heavy... I do understand there is a time for every season under heaven, and we are in the late seasons of our lives, but it does not make the what if of day to day any easier to digest. 

My advice on days like today... Love your spouse, hug your kids and find solace for yourself... life gets hard, we must remember it is all about the lord.. Trust in his guidance. 

My life is fixing to change in a big way weather it be in 5 minutes or 5 years I do not know.. I would prefer the 5 years... 

Sorry for the vagueness of this post... I just needed to vent.

This is a cooking kinda day...

 With the temp down in the 70's today I decided to freeze dry a full load of sliced strawberries.. They are so good for snacks, to add to baked good or just throw a handful in your frosted flakes... :) 

But the fun part was using up the last of the holiday Ham. I decided to can a batch of 9 bean and ham soup. I had ham broth left from cooking down last years bone with a few ham hocks so it will have a great smokey flavor. I chopped and sauteed some carrots with some onion and a bit of garlic to give the soup a rich flavor... I will serve it with corn bread... I made 12 jars that will last all year. Funny how during the holidays when the meat is cheap more people do not do a little prep and make some cheap meals... I but two hams at .85 a lb. We had a wonderful dinner, two left over meals. leaving us with two beautiful bones for ham and beans dinner, 6 packages for breakfast or dinners. I made a large batch of ham salad and shared some and now I am canning 12 jars of soup. That is 23 meals for just over 17.00 for the meat. The freeze dried strawberries are so good I sent my grandson to pick me up another flat that is 8 lbs for $4.00. To buy freeze dried berries they are about 35.00 for a #10 can on amazon. I am making them for 2.00 a can... I ended up freeze drying 10 lbs of strawberries for the cost of 5.00 (four lbs filled the jars in the photo), the best part is I donate my time... hahahaha.. I do love my freeze dryer it does all the work all I do is set it up and wait... Some loads are done in 17 hours some in 30 it just depends on the density of what is being processed.

For dinner we will have our go to ground beef tacos followed by a fresh strawberry pie... Yep this is my kinda day... give me a kitchen and let me do what I do.... 

Update, 4/15 Wow the soup is so good we had it with corn Bread.  

Busy Day

 Started to day on the run... took care of the garden. harvested a bit of veggie.. not a lot but a nice little haul. I then went to visit Jennifer, she is a fairly new friend met her when I was giving away a bunch of organic rosemary from my yard. She has been fun, we have a lot in common. So we trade canned foods seed and some time left overs.... Like to day she made a big ole chicken pot pie but her husband can't eat it he is at the end stage for prostate cancer. So he list of palatable foods is very limited.

I did how ever make some pineapple ice cream topping. I can't find any at the stores I frequent. So I grabbed 2 pineapples on sale and made my own with the help of Youtube. It is so yummy. I want a banana split and it has to have pineapple topping. Guess what I am having for dessert. 

I ended the day with putting 4 lbs Strawberries in the freeze dryer... I love to snack on freeze dried fruits.

Pineapple Topping

5 cups crushed pineapple fresh or canned
4 cups sugar

Mix in a 3 quart pan cook on med high heat till the sugar dissolves.
Once the sugar is dissolved turn heat to medium high and bring to a rolling boil.
Cook for 30 minutes and 220 degrees on the candy thermometer.

Fill 1/2 pint (1 cup) Jars to 1/2 inch head space. wipe rims with a clean wet cloth. Put on warm lids and rings to hand tight.

Water bath can for 15 minutes... when finished let the jars sit in the water 5 min then remove to a towel and let cool over night. Remove the rings, check to make sure they sealed then wash jars the store in a dark place up to 1 year.

Note: 
You must sterilize the jars for the syrup... fill the water bath pan with about 4 inches of water. Then fill each jar and place then in the canner heat the water to a boil and leave the jars in the canner and reduce the heat to medium to maintain the heat. remove the jars as you fill them. 

The water needs to be 1 inch minimum below the water line when water bath canning. 

This totally satisfied my craving....

Have a wonderful day!!