Early Morning, Early Fall

I was enjoying an early fall morning recently. It was hovering between mist and fog. The outdoors isn't looking like fall yet, but the summer look is fading. The transition from summer to fall can be seen in the fields as the farmers finish up their harvests. I've seen some tobacco fields that haven't even begun to be "cropped". I would think the farmers are feeling a sense of urgency to get all the crops out of the fields before the temperatures begin to dip lower in October.

It'll only be a couple of months before this Thanksgiving Cactus that has been spending the summer outside will be blooming.



Before first frost I will cut back this Mandevilla and overwinter it in the house.



Our one lone pine tree with the mailbox in the background.



We have been regularly seeing deer gleaning the corn in this recently harvested cornfield.



A few Crape Myrtle blooms are lingering on these trees.



I hope to be observant of the changes that will be occurring in the upcoming months outdoors.

The Joys of Being Stocked Up

Having a well stocked pantry makes me happy. Its so nice to make a grocery list and realize you need very little. I check off in my mind.... sugar, no...coffee, no....flour, no...., rice or pasta, no... toilet paper, no....



Any time there is a god sale of toilet paper I pick up a couple. Last week Food Lion had Charmin Basic on sale and I picked one up. BUT, when I got home there was no toilet paper in my car. I checked the receipt and I paid for it, but it just didn't make it home with me.

On my next trip to the store, I asked the cashier what I should do about it and she said to just go get another pack, which I did.

The following Monday, one of my coworkers brought me a big pile of toilet paper that her family didn't like. I gladly accepted it.

Even toilet paper can be a blessing!

A Slice of My Life

Here is a little bit of fall. The Purple Fountain Grass bought for a dollar each on the clearance rack at the garden center have taken off. My hubby brought me two pumpkins recently. I like the way this one is tucked into this little nook.



Our Okra are doing well. I planted them from seed in cups mid-summer and then we transplanted them here. Hubby cuts them every couple of days or so and stores them in the refrigerator. When we accumulate enough to cook, I usually fry them. Yesterday he cooked lunch and fried 2 pans full. I have to admit that his were better than mine!



This is my current project. I finished all 72 blocks yesterday and started sewing the blocks together into rows. I have been posting about it and some other quilting projects on my other blog, ANGEL SCRAPS QUILTING.



I had to laugh when I saw how tall these Lantana bushes had grown in front of the drive through menu at McDonalds. Anyone who needs to order from the bottom will have a hard time. I've totally kicked my sweet tea habit. Drinking Diet Cokes isn't the healthiest alternative, but at least its better for watching my calories. I need to switch to water, I know, I know!



This picture was taken out the back door of our home. The cotton is very sparse in this field, as we did not have much rain the entire summer. In fact, I've seen fields that have already been picked with this much cotton left over.

I have to tell you this story. My hubby was mowing grass a week ago, when a car stopped on the side of the road. Three young people got out and proceeded to take pictures of each other in the cotton field while pulling their shirts up and revealing their bare chests. They were far enough away from him so that he didn't see the "details", but he could tell what they were doing. OK, whoever you are, that was kind of weird!



Well, that's a slice of my life for this week. Fall begins later this week. YAY!

Morning Glory

Bittersweet

Its time to say goodbye to the Zinnia bed......





One last look......

Sign of Fall

While sewing this on Saturday....



...I kept hearing a rumbling noise....

When I checked to see what it was, this is what I found:

Okra Fritters

We planted a late row of okra and they are finally beginning to bear. This means we will be eating okra until first frost.




My mother often talks about how her mother could cook such delicious meals and made use of everything in delicious dishes. One thing she reminisces about is her mother's okra fritters. Evidently, when there were only a few okra, she would make okra fritters. I'm sure feeding 11 children was a challenge, but my grandmother rose to the challenge and excelled in the kitchen.

I don't know the recipe Grandma used, but I came up with my own. Basically, I made my fried cornbread recipe and just added some okra that I partially cooked in the microwave. I added a small amount of chopped onion, but I don't think it added anything to the taste of the fritters.

The batter:



Frying in the pan:



The fritters:



The verdict: We like them a lot. I made too many! I think they will be good reheated on a cookie sheet in the oven on a low temperature.

I also put away in the freezer one bag of mashed potatoes for a side dish to a future meal.



Happy Tuesday!

Friday Sewing Report

Happy Labor Day Weekend!

I'm looking forward to the three day weekend. I hope to do some sewing and housekeeping.

I've set up some sewing projects in the sewing room to work on beginning now and during the fall and winter. I posted about this yesterday on my quilting blog. Click HERE to read that post.

I would also like to restock my Etsy Shop and so last night I made the above clothespin bag. Click HERE to visit. I looked back through the items I have sold and this is the 8th bag I've made using this fabric.

Another item I plan to make for my Etsy Shop is a Thomas the Train quilted play mat. I found enough of the fabric to make 2 more mats. I've had some interest in these, so hopefully someone will want one for their little boy. Christmas is coming, you know!

My grandson enjoying his mat last summer:



I hope you enjoy your weekend!

Spiderman Fabric Basket

I'm on a mission to finish some UFOs, aka WIPs. What ever you want to call them, I hate to have them hanging around.

I cut out this fabric basket quite a while back and finally got down to the business of finishing it up earlier this week.



I'm going to fill it up with books and other little boy goodies for a surprise for my grandson.

Its nice to finish something, even if its something small!

Photos of the week

My grandson is four!!!



This is an old Southern home that has been turned into an accountant's office, and is located right beside the CVS where I shop. Imagine the sound this huge old tree made when being uprooted during Hurricane Irene. The city workers had quite a job cleaning up the portion of the tree blocking a major street in town, but this part of the tree hasn't been removed yet.





Cat on a hot tin mailbox!

Freezer Inventory

The thing about freezer cooking is that you must continue to put more food in the freezer consistently in order to keep the inventory up. You also have to keep a list of what is in there in order to know what you have and make sure you use what you have. I've really been enjoying having a variety of meals and meal starters in the freezer.

Sunday, after the power came back on, I did some batch cooking of chicken breasts that were on sale this week for 99 cents a pound.

Here's a list of what is in the freezer now:

Browned ground beef and onion (1)
Individually wrapped baked chicken breasts (5)
Shredded BBQ chicken for burritos (1 bag)
Baked cubed chicken (1 bag)
Great Northern beans (3 bags)
Chicken Broth (several bags)
Oatmeal muffins
Slices of banana bread
Brownies
Shredded boiled chicken (1 bag)
Vegetable beef soup (3 bags)
Hamburger Patties (4)

These are the freezer foods we've eaten since I began seriously putting them away:

Chicken pot pie and dressing
Italian chicken
Chicken Tetrazinni
Meatballs
Meatloaf
Hamburger stroganoff
Hamburgers
Chicken Pastry using a bag of broth
brownies
oatmeal muffins
banana bread

Most of my freezer inventory is made up of meal starters. During my next batch cooking session I hope to freeze some side dishes and possibly complete meals. I think some bags of rice would be handy.