Trimming petunias

You may recall that last year I wrote a blog about my flower pots. The petunias came back from seed again this year and looked beautiful.  About July the flowers were getting gangly looking so I trimmed them back.  They looked great again for about two months and then they were getting gangly again.  So in mid-September, my little helper and I trimmed them once again.  And once again they came back and look beautiful. I know there are other ways to keep the flowers looking nice but this is a quick fix and it works great.  It takes about ten days for the petunias to begin blooming again. 

Zucchini Bars - another favorite recipe

 This recipe for Zucchini Bars is one I have had for years that I got from my sister, Cindi.  Some of my favorite recipes are from her! It makes two pans of dessert.  I often freeze one and have some dessert ready to pull out of the freezer when I need one.

Zucchini Bars

Mix:

3 eggs, 1 c. oil, 2 c. sugar, 2 c. grated zucchini (does not need to be peeled first), 3 Tablespoon vanilla

Add:

2 1/3 c. flour, 1/4 tsp. baking powder, 1 tsp. salt, 2 tsp. soda, 1 cup walnuts

Bake in 2- 9 x 13 greased and floured cake pans at 350 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes

FROSTING

1 stick oleo or butter, 3 oz. softened cream cheese, 2 tsp. vanilla, 2 1/2 c. powdered sugar

Beat until fluffy and put on baked and cooled bars.  The frosting and nuts really make this yummy!

Rancher junk

 

Just a thought to say: every job we have has some good parts we enjoy and some 'other jobs'! Those other jobs are also important, though not very romantic!

One of those jobs got done this summer...It seems every place has a pile of old metal and equipment that needs to be hauled off and discarded.  Gail had such a pile and decided he had a little time and could get our pile hauled into town to the scrap metal yard. Such a blessing to get the pile cleaned up and hauled off.   

We try to keep our place looking nice. We feel it is an important part of our Christian witness.  It honors the Lord to be a good steward of what He has given us - to take care of what we have.  

There are jobs we like to do like branding and riding to move the cattle.  And there are jobs we don't like to do like scooping out the old, dry, dusty manure in the stock trailer.  But they are all necessary. We MUST do them all!

Don't procrastinate....do all the jobs....give thanks.....glorify God!

Beets - a thing our grandmothers served!!!

 Beets - have you ever cooked them?  They are sort of a food of the past.  I remember one of my grandmothers serving them often. Yet they are delicious and easy to fix.  Let me share with you how to do that now that they are available at the farmer's markets nearby. 

You take the beets and rinse them well.  The tops should be cut off as in the above picture.  Then put them in a pot of water and boil them until they are tender.  Pour off the water and let them cool.  The beets will stain your hands when you work with them, so I put on a pair of disposable gloves. With your gloves on, rub the beets to remove the skins which will come off easily. You are ready to then cut your beets in bite-size pieces. Put a little butter and vinegar on them and warm them and enjoy them. They are a healthy vegetable for you to enjoy!

May the Lord find us faithful.....

 A small miracle happened in August, we were able to get all 23 grandchildren and their parents together for a family picture! It is so special to have these photos and memories.  Many of you commented on the photos that were on Facebook.  Thank you for the kind comments.  

I have given some thought to this event and these pictures.  Here are a few of my thoughts:

We are blessed beyond measure to have these grandchildren in our lives.  They are EACH special and unique. They are each so very loved and prayed for. 

We are not a perfect family.  We are a Godly family striving to live Godly lives.  We have made mistakes and will probably make more of them.  But we are seeking God and trying to live by His Word. We are thankful for His gift of forgiveness when we confess our sins and ask for it.  ( I John 1:9)

 I remember my growing up years.  I didn't do everything right.  I loved the Lord but failed miserably at times to honor and glorify Him.  I am thankful God and my family didn't give up on me.  Half of our grandchildren are in their teens or up.  These years can define their future depending on the choices they make.  Please pray for them that they may hear from God and obey the promptings of the Holy Spirit. We covet your prayers.

I am so thankful to be able to pray for them.  I have recently been reading and praying through a book called A Grandmother's Prayers by Kay Swatkowski that I purchased from Our Daily Bread Publishing.  It is so helpful as I pray for the grandkids almost daily. 

May we all do as:

   -Philippians 3:14 says and ..." press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in          Jesus Christ." 

   -Hebrews 12:1 says and ... "since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus...

May the Lord find us faithful

May His Word be our banner held high

May the Lord find us faithful

Ev'ry day though we live though we die.

Big batch of zucchini bread

 

This is a recipe I got from a cousin of my dads years ago.  It uses six cups of zucchini and makes a big batch.  This recipe can make four big loaves of bread or a bundt cake and two big loaves of bread.  It calls for 4 cups of cooked shredded peeled zucchini.  To get 4 cups of cooked zucchini, use about 6 cups of raw shredded zucchini cooked until it is tender in a pan on the stove. Drain off any water that is on the cooked zuchinni.  This is a fun version of zucchini bread as it also has bananas, pineapple, dates/raisins/or chocolate chips in it. 

Zucchini Bread

4 cups flour

4 teasp. baking soda

4 teasp. cinnamon

1 teasp. salt

3 cup sugar

1 cup dates, raisins, or chocolate chips - your choice

1 cup chopped nuts

Mix these ingredients together....................then

Make a deep well in the center of  the dry ingredients and add in order:

6 eggs

1 cup cooking oil

1 teasp. vanilla

1 cup bananas

1/4 cup crushed pineapple or applesauce

4 cups cooked shredded peeled zucchini

Mix all together well, pour in pans, let sit for 20 minutes, then bake at 350 degrees for 45 to 1 hour. After the bread is cooled it may be wrapped and frozen. 

Vacuum advice from a wise friend....

A short blog about vacuums.....

A few years ago one of the older, wiser men at our church told me about vacuums and caring for them.  I have found what he told me to be true and useful. He was always annoyed that the church vacuum would be left unemptied.  

My friend said that it is best to empty the vacuum after each use.  This will prolong the life of the vacuum.

I have found that not only does one need to empty the bag but be sure to also clean the dust out of the filter or filters.  I recently emptied the canister but I didn't clean the filter. I began vacuuming but realized the vacuum was not picking up and it didn't have much suction strength. This was because I hadn't taken the time to also clean the filter.

Another thing that needs to be done is to inspect your vacuum before and after you use it.  I have found that several times my vacuums have been plugged up either at the canister or the brush head.  Sometimes you need to take the head apart and cut the hair out of it. Keep an eye on it to make sure it is turning.  Who wants to vacuum and not have the floor cleaned?

Our time is precious and we want to accomplish what we set out to do.  We also want to be good stewards of our tools. So, if you want to get the benefit of vacuuming and removing the debris from your floor be sure to start with a cleaned, inspected vacuum.