Canning

I've completed my first canning project with some help from my mom.

PICKLES!!!

And a few with some red peppers thrown in!  Now the next 8 weeks have to fly by!

I also did my first batch of freezer jam in raspberry.  So super easy and yummy.

Now I want to do some fruit and also my Grandmother's soup.  I'll do a post about that soon.

Turkey & Zucchini Pasta

Dinner recipe from last night:

1 lb ground turkey
3 cloves garlic
1 shallot (prolly could use more)
Zucchini (I used one large abt 3 cups) - from my garden!!
1 can Rotel Hot tomatoes, with juice (very spicy, may use regular next time, or could use a can of diced italian tomatoes)
1 can campbells tomato soup
Italian Seasoning to taste, I used about 2 Tablespoons
salt & pepper

Brown turkey, garlic & onions until turkey is cooked, flavor with salt & pepper.
Add in zucchini and can of tomatoes, cook a couple of minutes to let the flavors meld.
Add in soup and Itallian seasoning and mix.

Once the soup bubbles turn down to simmer.

Meanwhile cook 1 pound of pasta (I used corkscrew).

Once pasta is done put in a serving dish and cover with sauce, top with parmesan cheese (or whatever you prefer) and eat with some yummy bread.

I took a picture of the finished product, will upload tonight and post

Backyard Suprise

To the side of my patio I have a burning bush with a plant on either side. When these were planted last summer I thought they would just be pretty and green. This summer I got a lovely suprise, they are beautiful and yellow (the other is orange).

New Addition

I am a dog person.  I love dogs, I've had them my entire life, I want one of my own.  So when my Mom & I stopped by Petco last Saturday to see what the humane society had there for adoptions, I went to look at dogs.

This is what I brought home:



Two 11 week old kittens. It has been a rough week because I got them spur of the moment and my life kinda went all wonky. But it's been 7 days and we are bonding. I mean, who doesn't love kittens? (Well, I am partial to these two).

Meet Belle:



And Coalie:



And a welcome addition to my little family.

Puffing Billy

I haven't written a lot about my adventures in Australia, mainly because I got quite tired of retelling everything again and again. It's been a couple of months so I'm ready to revisit my trip.

On our last day in Melbourne we went on a day trip that took us up into the Yarra Valley & Dandenong Range.  It was a lovely ride up there from downtown Melbourne.  Of course our day started off waiting for the wrong bus, but eventually we found the right one.  There were a couple ladies from Australia on our tour and they were hilarious.  They take these trips often and knew the tour guide, I do wish I could remember their names, but they did add some humor to the day!

One of the days activities was to ride Puffing Billy, a steam train that is currently run entirely by volunteers.  It was about a 20 minute ride and the scenery was beautiful.  There were open carriages and as you can see from the picture below everyone was leaning out taking pictures.



I sat on the side with my legs hanging out just enjoying the ride and the company of the two Australian ladies.  This train has been around for a very long time and it's something that they'd taken their kids on when they were little.  And funny enough my Aunt who lived in Australia growing up has never ridden on Puffing Billy!  So I can say I've done something she hasn't in her homeland!  :-)

Rewarding Good Behavior

I am currently trying to get some things set straight in my life in regards to money & health. After a conversation with my Dad a couple of weeks ago I decided to set two goals for myself each week and my reward would be to knit on a new project. I can only knit on the shawl if I meet my goals. I did last week, so I got to start on the shawl this weekend.

The shawl is from and I think it's going to be a great motivator to get my goals met!

Finished Baby Bunting

I knit this for a cousin who is expecting a girl. The pattern was written to knit the back, up over the shoulders, and down the front. I converted it to knit in the round so my stripes would match all the way around.

Knit from Debbie Bliss: Essential Baby