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May 2012
bits + pieces. 1. farm animal collection. hello and happy thursday to you! today i am excited to share something that is a part of me and a part of my parents. my old childhood bedroom, is now my parents’ dining room. it’s pretty special to me and holds a sweet place in my heart… bringing back all of my wonderful childhood memories. i truly love the way it has all turned out. i love the way the lighting has such a warm tone and the mood that is present at night…. as well as the bright natural light mixed with some subtle shadows during the day. i love the mirrors on the wall.. a mixture of old framed mirrors — all shapes and sizes. they make such a statement and reflect the light in the most beautiful way.. bringing out all of the details in the room.
i love everything they have done to the room.. from the mirrors on the wall to the details on the ceiling… along with the bright and colorful light in the sunporch. i love it all! every time we eat with them, i am reminded of how sweet my childhood was. i loved the room then, and i love what they have done with it now. thanks for taking a look. xo! It looks really pretty. Your Mom is a superb decorator!
we have had so many cucumbers from our garden that we just cannot eat them fast enough, so it was time to make some pickles. it was my very first time making pickles, and surprising to me – it was really easy. these pickles have a yummy taste — a perfect blend of zing and zang. so good.
here’s what you’ll need to make sweet lime pickles:
cut the cucumbers into 1/2-inch-thick slices.
put them in a large pot. mix the pickling lime with 8 cups of water. pour it into the pot with the cucumbers. cover the pot and refrigerate the cucumbers for several hours. the longer they refrigerate, the better… the crisper they’ll be.
rinse the cucumbers really good to remove the lime solution. clean and rinse the pot too, if you’re going to use the same pot to make the pickles. then put the cucumbers back into the pot.
to the pot of cucumbers, add the vinegar, sugar, picking spices, turmeric, salt, and cayenne.
bring the mixture almost to a boil… then turn off the heat, stir, and cover the pot. place in the fridge for another 3-4 hours. then pull the pickles back out of the fridge and boil them over medium-high heat for 40-45 minutes stirring occasionally. fill the jars with pickle slices and liquid. after all my jars were full, i screwed on the lids and tightened them all really good, then soaked the jars in boiling hot water for a few hours. that always worked for me in sealing the lids with blackberry jelly, so i figured it would work with the pickles, and it did! they turned out really good. they’re tasty by themselves.. and they’re also yummy on sandwiches and hamburgers!
next i am going to try dill pickles. my dad bought all the ingredients and brought them to me this morning. and we have a slew of cucumbers, so i guess i better get busy. i would like to learn how to can and preserve other vegetables and fruits in our garden this summer. i have my eye on a book i found on amazon – Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving
1. my little chef. 2. post-bath hair.
3. mama and baby watching brother play. 4. mother’s day gift from my boys.
5. getting directions to a new thrift store. 6. brotherly love.
7. the best french toast ever. 8. tractor driver.
9. “kiss the bear”. 10. mama and her babies.
11. bubble bath. 12. early morning coo-ing. {some recent snap shots from the hill.} all of these photos were taken with my iphone. xo! Lauren you are wonderful. I love you ! Barbara Ann |
.jpg "horses and cows")
.jpg "making cookies")
.jpg "baby swinging")
happiness…. :)
Love this little glimpse into your life :) your work is so natural and beautiful. Happy to hear you use my actions! You clearly use them very well! x