Lazy Days

I didn't think it possible.

Fresh squeezed lemonade.

Improved.

For all my fellow lemon sippers, I present to you:

Chile Blackberry Syrup

From Gourmet, slightly adapted

2 dried pasilla chiles (1/2 oz.)* 

2 cups sugar

1 and 1/2 cups water

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

3/4 cup blackberries (3.5 oz.) **

Remove stems from chiles. Break chiles, with seeds, into a medium saucepan. Add sugar, water and lemon juice. Bring to a boil and reduce to about 2 cups.

t

triple batch

Puree blackberries in a blender, then force through a fine mesh sieve into a heat proof bowl. Discard seeds. DO NOT clean blender.

Puree reduced chile mixture in blender (Be careful blending hot liquids!). Strain this mixture through sieve into the heatproof bowl. Discard solids. Whisk mixture and cool to room temperature.

Cover and refrigerate until ready to use. May be kept in fridge for 1 month.

*I just use the ones that come in a bag in the Mexican grocery section. Not sure if they are pasillas since the kind I get doesn't say what they are!
**Frozen thawed blackberries work great. I actually haven't even tried fresh ones yet in this recipe!

Try a tablespoon or two in your lemonade. 

The syrup adds a taste of fruit-iness combined with a hint of zing.

Delish!

I Lost

We did some burning on our property today. 

The tumbleweeds are absolutely terrible. 

It is guaranteed discomfort for anyone who must deal with the buggars. 

Long sleeves, jeans and gloves don't seem to matter.

Those cute tumbly balls aren't so cute when you have to touch them. 

They won today: 

Dual Purpose

Have you ever seen a new food 

and couldn't decide if you should try it 

because even though all the ingredients in it are things that you love 

but put all together, just seems a little weird?

So it was with me and Keebler 'Salad'. 

I'm sure it's been around for ages, but for whatever reason, I've never heard of, seen, or tasted a Keebler salad  until this past week.

Is it a salad? Or really a dessert in disguise?
Who cares?

Consider me a convert!

Keebler Salad

1 small package instant vanilla pudding

1 cup buttermilk

1 tub Cool Whip, 10 oz size

1 package Keebler fudge striped cookies, broken into small pieces*

2 cans mandarin oranges, drained*

Mix pudding and buttermilk together until smooth. Add Cool Whip. Mix in cookies, then fold in mandarin oranges. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

*If you want to make a lovely presentation, set aside a few uncrushed cookies and mandarin oranges. Place pudding mixture in a clear glass trifle dish and top with the remaining cookies and oranges.

YUM!

 

Dr Daddy...

Talmage was pretty happy while we were waiting at the hospital. He liked hanging out with Daddy before surgery. One on one time with Mom and Dad. What's not to like about that?

Having your tonsils and adenoids out isn't so fun after all...

The kid was a champ though.

Will Work For Pennies

I'm always up for a new challenge. 

This is my latest.

 

It's penny tile.

Don't ask me where I am going to put it. 

I don't know yet. 

I've been gluing pennies to tile mesh in my spare time.

About 225 to each square.

Pretty cheap tile when you think about it.

Yeah, I'm crazy.

Spring

For those who have seen the dreadful mess of the upstairs back room, I am providing proof of today's cleaning job. Funny how when you are getting a house ready for sale, all the things you've wanted to do but have never gotten around to are finally finished. I officially have my craft room.

And for my lovely sisters, here's the next batch of clothes coming your way!

I had kind of forgotten about the three HUGE boxes that were in the back room.

Oops.

 

Wishful

The baby clothes stash.

By the amount of cute pinks we've got going on here,

it would appear that a baby girl is around to keep me company amongst all these boys.

But we don't have a baby in our house. 

Nor do we know when or even IF we will have another baby.

Here's to hoping one we can have one through the blessing of adoption...