Rock 'n' Roll Ice Cream

When Anthony was little and his friends would come over during Summer break. They would make ice cream. They had as much fun making it as they did eating it!

Here's what you'll need:
One large (2lbs. 7oz) coffee can with lid
One 1lb. coffee can with lid
1 pint half and half or light cream
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
Crushed ice (6-7 cups)
Rock salt (about 3/4 cup)
Duct tape

In the smaller coffee can, combine half & half, sugar and vanilla. Stir well.
Put the lid on tightly and duct tape (you do not want leaks)
Place a thin layer of crushed ice on the bottom of larger coffee can, sprinkle with 1 TB. of salt. Place the smaller coffee can inside the larger can. Pack the area between the cans with crushed ice and salt using about 2 TB. rock salt for every cup of ice. Put lid tightly on large can. Roll can back and forth on the floor for about 15 to 20 minutes.
Carefully remove lid. Scrape down sides and stir. If ice cream is too soft, repack with ice & salt and roll back and forth a few more minutes until firm.
Makes about five 1/2 cup servings.
xo

Growing Up

A week ago I saw a group of baby turkeys...I didn't have my camera with me (darn)
Today I did, they are growing up so fast! They are almost as cute as the baby quail...

Bead update-Still working on special orders. But I'll try and have some new things soon!
xo

Priceless

Tomato Plant- $5.50
Potting Soil -$8.00
Fertilizer-$12.00
Tomato Cage-$3.00
String for tying it up-$2.00
Time spent watering, weeding, pruning, fertilizing (at minimum wage)-$160.00

Fresh Pico de Gallo with homegrown tomatoes-Priceless

Pico de Gallo
5-Large Tomatoes (diced)
2- Onions (diced)
6-Garlic Cloves (minced)
1 or 2 Jalapenos (seeded/minced)
1 bunch-Cilantro (chopped)
A squeeze of fresh lime juice.

Combine together, salt to taste (1 to 2 teaspoons)
Let stand at least 2 hours.
If you like it hotter, add Serrano Peppers. I'm a wimp, so I use Jalapenos.

You will find a bowl of Pico de Gallo in my frig all Summer long. There is nothing better than BBQ chicken (or any meat) with a big helping of Pico de Gallo...
xo

Weekend Plans

Weekend plans (in no particular order)

BBQ by the pool
Hiking
Eclipse (if we can get tickets)
Lounging in the pool listening to my ipod (audio book)
Wish Maureen (Anthony's girlfriend) a very Happy Birthday (on the 4th)
Fireworks at the lake
Weed the garden
Get new glasses (maybe contacts)
Get into my bee boxes to see how they are doing
Paint the potting shed/add hanging flower baskets

What fun or not so fun things do you have planned this weekend?

Sand and Sea (DOTM)

July's Design of the Month is now ready to order.
Because this month I'm a little backed up with orders, I will only be making a limited number of them. Sorry for any inconvenience...

Remember I have a few things ending tomorrow on ebay.
Plus there are a couple new things on my site.

Hope your week is going well...
xo

Our weekend

~Ansel Adams-Jeffrey Pine, Yosemite~ (taken in 1940)

This is all that is left of the Jeffrey Pine today...

7503 Feet High

Our view while we ate lunch yesterday.

The last of this seasons snow

A view of Half Dome across the canyon, which I'll be hiking in a few months (hopefully)

8117 Feet high

A refreshing view after a 5 mile hike.

What did you do this weekend?

How Sweet...

This year I tried a new variety of Sweet Peas for the garden. They said they are heat tolerant and when some days here can reach above 100 degrees, that's a good thing. So far so good...Although I didn't want to press my luck, so I also made a shade cloth for them for those extra hot days of Summer...

The best part, everyday YES everyday I get to pick a fresh bouquet of flowers that smell oh so good...
What's growing in your garden?
xo

Scuby Dooby Doo

Scuby Dooby Doo where are you?
Why I'm glad you asked...You can find Scuby with his new diving mask, over on ebay today.
Along with his friend, Max and a couple other things...

I'll be working on a few large orders over the next few weeks...and I'll try and list a few new things over on ebay when I get a chance. Starting today.

Plus, I listed the Honey Berry Necklace I made (last post) on my website. I still haven't had a chance to see all the pieces everyone came up with for the bead soup party, my internet has been acting up this week. It's like surfing on dial-up...Ruh Roh
But the ones I did see, I was blown away, there are a lot of creative people out there!

I hope your Summer is off to a good start!
xo

PaRtY pArTy PaRtY

A few weeks ago I joined Lori's Bead Soup Party.
Everyone got paired up and we exchanged our beads (A focal bead, a clasp and a few spacer beads) My partner was Lisa, she sent me this wonderful yummy selection of beads (soup mix)
Here are the goodies I received...

The rules, you have to use the focal bead and the clasp.
So now it was time to get cookin'...here is the recipe I came up with...

Chilled Honey Berry Soup
(perfect for those warm Summer days)

Ingredients-
3-Berry Colored Flowered Lampwork Beads (from Lisa)
A Pinch of Lavender Lampwork Spacers (made by me)
Honey Dyed Coral
Silver Toggle (from Lisa)
Fine Silver Bee Box with Lampwork Bee Hive (made by me)
A Dash of Fine Silver Heart (made by me)
1-Tablespoon Sterling Silver Findings
1-Freshwater Pearl (from Lisa)
A Dusting of Pollen From The Queen Bee

Place the first 7 ingredients in a blender. Blend on low for 2 minutes. Add Freshwater Pearl. Chill until ready to serve.

The Queen Bee added a little Pollen for Luck...

Bon Appetit...
xo



(Honey Berry Necklace will be available on my website later this week)

Father's Day and a PaRtY

(my sister Pam, my dad, my sister Lynette, me)
1967

On Monday, I'll be revealing what I came up with from the Bead Soup Party mix I received from my party partner.
I hope you'll stop by, it will be fun!

We'll be getting a few of the Father's in our family together this weekend.
Wishing my dad and my better half a happy dad's day!
xo

I'm looking...

for a good home...Will it be with you?
Barkley is up for adoption.
xo

Dog Days of Summer

Summer is almost here!
I just added this little guy on my website, along with another little pup...
xo

The BIG TOP comes to town

Last weekend I went into my hives to see how things are going...
Everything is looking sweet! They have been busy little bees! These are the frames I just added a few weeks ago, already drawn out comb and are filling them with honey.

We even saw a new bee emerging from her cell. Very cool.

Yesterday while out in the garden, I could here the bees buzzing (more than normal)
So I went to investigate...I saw my first bee beard. No, not this guy! I found this photo on Flickr.

I saw this...

It was a very warm day here yesterday and the bees bearded (sit on the outside of their hive) They do this when the hive gets to warm inside. It's like when people sit on their front porches on those warm Summer evenings.

Once the sun went down and cooled off, they all made their way back inside.

This morning I added more ventilation spacers to the hives and placed my easy-up over them until I get them some shade cloth for them.

It looks like the Bee Circus has come to town...
xo

Take a hike

This weekend we went hiking in our backyard (6 miles away) to Lewis Creek trail. It was a perfect day...we saw waterfalls, wildflowers, no people, migrating ladybugs (1000's of them) a fallen log bridge. It was a great day...
xo