Birthday blessings

While yesterday was truly hard with losing Ruby and all that entailed. I still can count my blessings. Without the obvious I have a house to live in kind of stuff I will get to the meat or cake of the matter.
My husband woke up early and made me a cake. It stayed uniced most of the day, as he was at work, but he came home, frosted it and used chocolate chips for words.
I also received several cards. My hubby's sister and her family sent those adorable little bear cards. My grandmother sent me one I forgot to photograph along with a check. I put the check in my savings account and I intend to use that money for my downpayment. Along with money my other grandma (deceased) kept for me for YEARS. I will feel as if they had a part in buying my home.

I got call after call and I think I may have used up all my cell phone minutes in one day? :D


I had to reschedule dinner with my dad and his wife until Thursday, b/c DH was working and I didn't want him to miss Pork Chops and Gravy. My dad makes the best gravy EVER and I asked that for my b'day he teach me to take mine up a notch. Mine is good, his is the stuff of legend...and I am not sucking up he has no internet access! LOL


When my day was over and I was exhausted my neighbor Karen came across the road with a gift from Randy and her. What a lovely pitcher, I can't wait to put it in my dining room in my new home.
Last, but actually first to get here was a gift from my pal D'Gaye. Along with the pumpkin and doily she sent me the following picture is all the wonderful things she sent me. I love you too, girl! She is also the one who got me drinking that wonderful Godiva Dark Chocolate hot cocoa....mmmmmmmmmm!
So her package included those really cool candleholders, silver colored coasters, a potato baking bag (for micro), an adorable sign, a cookbook and some really fun summer napkins for lunches on my back deck next year! I am still amazed at the pals I have made in my grooming world!
My good friend Daryl, who is as postally challenged as me....sent me a card, we are always sending late! LOL She knows me so well, so she is sending me money to go buy BULBS for my front yard. I intend to put in some Daffs, Crocus and maybe Tulips. I love this as a gift, b/c I will be able to enjoy it now and then again when they bloom in the Spring.
Last but not least...I tried my hand at making a tassle last night. I used a little bird I got at Goodwill and I don't think it is bad for my first attempt! I will never be a pro, but sure was fun! Thanks for being a part of my day!


EDITED: to add, D'Gaye says coasters are aluminum!

Abundance!

Wow, this is really the time of year where things feel ABUNDANT!

This is after a trip to the grocery last night. I decided that my hanging basket where I put fruit couldn't hold all the 'nanas' so I used my repurposed 'treat tray' for them. Those HUGE green peppers atop the taters came from MY garden. WOO HOO!

The next photo is a box o' blueberries from the grocery.

Here is what we did with them this morning.

I know I know....I need to polish my butter dish.

The following picture is of the carrots and tomatoes from my garden today.

also a few black beans....the rest are
.....right here...wanna come shell them?

I am excited to share my 'bounty' with you. Tonight I am making Tilapia so no goodies from my garden for that. However, I plan to make a crockpot roast tonight with all my usual goodies and it will be more special that the carrots are from my garden. I will also put a few dices of gr. pepper for flavor.

Then Monday I am going to make Taco Soup with my tomatoes, green peppers and black beans. Oddly, buying them might have been cheaper than the time I have spent shelling etc... but it WILL taste better. I think I might some day be 'self sufficient' if I can pull it off. Don't know if I could drink full-fat milk from goats, though, as I am a SKIM drinker. ;D

For those that have never made an easy crock pot roast here is the SECRET!

Get crock pot out and on. Get a regular skillet(preferaby NOT nonstick) nearly screaming hot. Coarse salt and pepper both sides of your roast. (I also add ground red pepper and miscellanious seasoning of the day). Listen to the sizzle. Start dicing your onions/peppers (your choice but I say ONION for sure, cut big and remove if you don't like THEM, but like the flavor). When roast is SEARED on bottom it will come loose EASY. Flip do other side. The INSTANT it is out shove in crock pot, put on lid. Now take about 3 cups of water and "Deglaze" your pan. I will often put a few ounces of soy sauce in to caramlize first, but YOUR call. Scrape up all carmalized meat and add in your onions, garlic, peppers and seasoning to taste. (I use ALOT of garlic).

Dump hot liquid over roast, put lid on. Put on high for about an hour then low for all night/day if you can. Add taters and carrots about 2hrs before dinner time. (the larger you cut them the longer they need to cook).

You can cook a really cheap cut of roast like this and put it all in fridge for a few hours and skim off the fat or use leaner/better meat. No matter what meat it will be FORK tender and tasty.

If you have leftovers. Add a few cans of tomatoes (homegrown if you can :D) and random veggies (canned/fresh/frozen) and cook for awhile and you have a heap of GREAT beef stew/soup. I have made one roast and keep adding vegs and had a weeks worth of food, when we were having 'lean' times.

ENJOY friends and be sure to be Thankful for all you have today!