The Yolk-less Egg

Isn't this like the oddest thing you ever saw? These are organic/home-grown eggs. Uncle Charlie keeps us well stocked on eggs from his brood of hens back home. They come in various sizes from tiny to huge and some are brown and some are white. Sometimes there are double yolks too! That's a treat! We like them all and appreciate his generosity in sharing them with us. MANY THANKS!!! We love them!

Last night I made asparagus, mushroom, parmasan quiche for dinner. In preparation, I cracked about 8 eggs. There were 2 TINY ones. Compare sizes in the photo above. Neither had a yolk! Isn't that odd?! How did that happen? According to Wikipedia,

"It is also possible for a young hen to produce an egg with no yolk at all.
Yolkless eggs are usually formed about a bit of tissue that is sloughed off the
ovary or oviduct. This tissue stimulates the secreting glands of the oviduct and
a yolkless egg results."

Interesting... huh.

Sneak-Peak Sunday

Hope ya'll had a very nice weekend. Ours was very good. Here is a sneak-peak...

SATURDAY

• Up early and into Butler for my Girls Group - was a fabulous time! Love my lady-friends! I'm so blessed by them.
• Shopped at Target in Butler. Disappointed again. They had the bed-spread I wanted, but only in a King Size and I need a Queen. Finally succumbed to the idea that I am not meant to have said bedding.
• Found some new really cheap and rather elegant place mats. That made my day and hubby approved commenting that they really accentuate our dining room decor.
• Re-organized my coupon box, purged expired coupons, planned sales shopping for the weekend.
• Shopped deals at Rite-aid as per previous post.
• Established next weeks menu plan & calendar notes
• Washed dishes... and there are still more!
• Made BBQ pork ribs in the crock-pot for dinner. Got the thumbs up from Handy-hubby. Yumm-O! I love my crock-pot!
• Went on a date with Handy-Hubby. Saw a movie.
• Fell fast-asleep in the arms of my man...

SUNDAY

• Went to church. Was a lovely worship service. I adored the hymns we sang this morning as they were tunes which I was well familiar with.
• Picked up this weeks Giant Eagle gift-card for grocery budget. Our church purchases grocery gift-cards in bulk and in advance. The stores sell them for 10% less than the value so the church can use them as a fund-raiser. Then I purchase it for face-value and use them to do my shopping. Costs me the same amount, helps me keep within my established budget, and helps the church in return! Each week I purchase a $50 gift-card for Giant Eagle and the church gets $5 of that! It's an awesome plan! Although the church has to purchase like $10,000 at one time to do this, but it is so worth it. It supports our building fund. AND... we can also use the gift-cards to purchase other gift-cards at Giant Eagle if we choose.
• Picked up this weeks groceries. Took Handy-hubby with me. I really should have learned the last time that he doesn't help the budget. He is like shopping with a child... "can I get this?... that?" UGH! But I love when we go together. Also - I don't usually shop on Sunday. It's a mad-house and I have other more important aspirations for our day of rest. In the future... I shall wait and shop on a week-night.
• Picked up this weeks newspaper with coupons. I don't read the paper. I just get it for the coupons.
• Hubby watched some of the Nascar race while I clipped those coupons and organized them.
• Took a 90 minute nap. Shared it with the kitty.... Crystal. It was quite refreshing.
• Washed some clothes. Folded some clothes. Washed some more!
• Exercised
• Tinkered with some work-related things
• Blogged

Sharing The Wealth

Wendy says she wants my recipe for Oatmeal Cinnamon Chip Cookies. My handy-hubby is wanting to eat them as fast as I'm making them! (except I have a secret stash to share with guests!)

p.s. I made a batch the other day and didn't have time to bake them all. I baked half and then wrapped the other half in waxed paper in the fridge... a few days later I sliced them and baked them and they were just as yummy!

ENJOY!!

Suzie Homemaker 101

I visited Uncle Charlie and took a tour of his garden. He's got tomatoes, squash, peppers (all kinds) pumpkins, basil, parsely, dill, even an eggplant or two. He filled my trunk with a generous helping as you can see. I have now officially canned my first solo - stewed tomatoes. I did it once before, years ago with Grandma, but she was instructing me the entire time. Mom gave me some refresher instructions and I took off with it. 10 pints and 3 quarts later I ran out of jars and Grammy would be SO PROUD!!! I still have most of the larger box to do. Mom says she has jars she is willing to share. YIPPIE!!! I'm so looking forward to sharing these with Uncle Charlie. It is the least I could do to show my thankfulness for his generosity.

We decided to keep the pumpkins in the house for fear of our "clepto-neighbors" making off with them! Ugh! Can you tell that I have been bitter ever since someone stole my treasured bird-feeder? The one that was given to me as a Christmas gift a couple years ago? Ugh!

I'm So Behind!

I have not gotten to posting pictures from this past weekend's excursions. I also have some from yesterday's trip to my parent's house where I had a walk thru Uncle Charlie's garden. I got a big box+ full of tomatoes that I will hopefully be able to stew & can. He threw in some other prizes too... a handful of green peppers, some hot peppers, a couple pie pumpkins (so cute), and a half dozen of squash (acorn and butternut). I'm so pleased. I really got more than I bargained for! I hope to have lots to share once I prepare some of it.

In other news, I saw my doctor yesterday. I was fully expecting her to tell me that I have to take Cholesterol meds. She kinda did, but for now she's just giving me Omega-3 vitamins to take. I'm so pleased with this alternative plan; however they are very expensive. A 2-mth supply is $178. YIKES. She did say that I could take a half dose (2-day instead of 4) so maybe I will ask the pharmacy if I can get half the script at a time? That would make it more affordable. Overall she is pleased with my progress since I turned the bend about a year ago. I've made changes in my eating habits and I'm exercising regularly now too. It all contributes to a healthier me!

Enough babble for now. I must WORK! I have a lot of it to accomplish! Sorry about not getting my pictures posted. I will try to get to it later this week. (oh and I have a new favorite sun picture to share!)

Calico Comments

Last week I made a pot roast for dinner. YUM and thanks to the Zombecks for giving me the roast a while back. We had Mom and Dad over for dinner and had a good portion left-over.

So the next day I chopped up a bunch of the left-overs and made a beef barley soup. First I sauted some onion and celery in butter. Then I added the beef. To this I added all the left-over gravy (about 2 cups) and a large box of low sodium beef broth. Turned up the heat... then added a bag of frozen mixed veggies and a can of cannalini beans. Simmer simmer simmer... then added 3/4 cup of quick cooking barley and in 10 minutes I had me a monster pot of soup! Why do I cook so much for just 2 people??? It's so much easier that way. Some day I hope to have a pressure cooker so I can preserve leftover soup in pint size jars. What do you think???

Anyway, after my Handy-hubby raved about my soup... the next day I packed up a quart of it and took to my Dad. (Mom and I were going shopping & out to dinner) He paid me one of the greatest compliments EVER... he said it was much like my Grandmother's soups. WAHOO!!! Now that was worth sharing for!

Today I ate the last bowl of it. So much for that... maybe I'll do it again sometime.

I'm working on a quilt. For those of you who are crafty, don't get too excited. I'm a complete beginner working with very little instruction. Please keep in mind that I have little patience for instruction anyway, so while advice is appreciated, please don't be insulted if I can't fully comprehend it. My idea is to make a country style quilt for my spare bedroom. I'm incorporating burgundy gingham, some deep green patterned fabric, with several flannels with lots of blue in them. All these colors will compliment the room nicely. I'm trying to recycle flannel shirts at the same time, which is playing into the concept for this blanket. Four simple squares will be sewn together to become one larger square. Strips of flannel will connect the larger squares to become panels. There will be at least 5 panels, which should be large enough to cover the bed. The strips will be the button strips from the shirts (I hope) and to adhere the backing to the actual quilt, I will tie buttons onto some of the button holes. It's a work in progress, but I can see it in my mind. Now again, I'm not real crafty, so bare with me if I'm a little slow in producing such work. So far I have cut over a hundred small squares and sliced one small spot on my wrist (how?). I have not yet started any sewing. I haven't even resurrected the sewing machine yet. BUT - I do have a table to work on - so that is a plus.

My Handy-hubby is working today. He called to vent his frustrations because a couple people called off work today (on a holiday!) and the line has been consistently out the door!!! The poor guy! I wish I could help him.

I had a rather lazy day to start. I lazed in my bed-clothes until noon. I surfed the net... pondered what I might do today... Then I consumed some coffee, swept the downstairs, put in a load of laundry, and stepped into my workout clothes. Since that time I have exercised... done more laundry... washed all the dishes and prepared a large bowl of fresh veggies for the family picnic later this evening.

Ok best get on with it... the day is filling up fast since it's lazy start. This is a good thing. Much to do... Later Gator!

How To Store Bed-Linens Tutorial

My blogger friend, Mrs. U, over at Making A House A Home, recently posted How To Fold Fitted Sheets. She has requested that I post a tutorial of how my Grandmother taught me to store my bed linens...

First - fold the fitted sheet. See Mrs. U's post if you haven't already mastered this task.

Next, fold the flat sheet.

Fold all but ONE of the pillow cases.

Stack them in one neat pile.

Place the pile INSIDE the one unfolded pillow case.

Fold one end in towards the pile.

And then up over the pile... look out for the kitty!

And tuck in any loose edges... It's done! Now store it neatly in your linen closet. Sorry - no pictures of my closet. At the present I'm actually storing them in a rubbermaid tub. Closets need some work... But you get the idea.

A New Treat For Us

We are really watching our budget these days. We have been wasting A LOT of money and we are certain that much of it is going to eating out. We don't eat out every day, but at least once per week and sometimes more than that depending on how lazy we are about cooking.



After a long day of work, it is a chore to come home and do more chores - dinner making included. But being budget savvy means we batten down the hatches and find a way to make it work. My solution... CROCK POT COOKING!!!! Check out my new Crock Pot. I'm so excited. We had one years ago, but must have given it away as a result of one of our moves or something. I always wanted the kind with the lift-out stoneware, and now I have it! 4 quart is just our size as we have no extra mouths to feed at the moment. Fairly priced $19.99 at Target, I believe we've found ourselves a deal. Keith consented to this purchase. I am certain he is anxious to taste the fruits of our labor in this regard. Now - if I could only get my hands on those liners that Amanda speaks so highly of... they did not have these at Target. Believe me... we looked everywhere!

My first experiment is tonight's dinner... crock pot chicken. I layered carrots, onion, and celery on the bottom and placed a whole frying size chicken on top. (after rinsing and patting dry) I sprinkled on generous amounts of coarse ground salt and pepper and some thyme. I poured a small can of chicken broth around it, slapped the lid on, set it on low and promptly forgot about it.... until NOW....




I think 8 hours would have been plenty, but I had a meeting tonight so it cooked more like 12 hours. Oh well... As soon as I got home I found myself a nice large platter. I was assessing how to lift the chicken out of the pot. With 2 forks or with a pair of tongs? I grabbed ahold of a leg with the tongs and it slipped right up out of the pot away from the body. Hmmm... TENDER... I grabbed a wing and as I layed it on the platter the bone fell out of it... REALLY TENDER!!!! I'm telling you what... I have never made a more tender, juicy, delicious whole chicken EVER! I'm so proud of myself. You know what - my biggest problem is that it is falling off it's bones so well, that even the tiniest back bones are not holding together and I'm going to have to sift them out of the veggies and broth.




This made more than one meal for us. I have indulged myself and will be fixing a plate for Keith as he is working this evening. The rest... the sky's the limit. Hmmm... chicken salad on crackers or sandwiches, chicken noodle soup, casserole, enchiladas.... What do you suggest?

Meal Planning

Inspired by a post on Julie's Blog, I'm creating a new blog "Menu's By JennyV" for menu planning. It's still in the preliminary stages, but the idea is that I will have a list of favorite recipes for each type of main ingredient (i.e. chicken, pork), and then later I will post the actual recipe and link back to the list. This will be a work in progress, but if you have recipes to share, send them my way and I'll link back to your blog.

Things That Make You Go "Mmmmm"

One of the most lovely pleasures... Something that says "You are a good wife" is when my hubby comes home after a long day of work and the first words he mutters on the way up the stairs is "Mmmmmmmm something smells REALLY good." Then comes reassurance after the taste, "Oh Wow! That's fantastic Honey." I love it when I cook and he likes it. It just makes me feel good inside, like I've done something right. It's not the taste that I personally delight in, it's his response. I suppose that I am one of those wives that hunger for positive affirmation??? I don't know.

I've experimented with soups lately. First was broccoli cheese (the Velveta recipe) YUM-O, but also a killer for the diet conscious. To the opposite extreme... dieter's delight... Homemade beef vegetable soup. (pronouced in sylables as Granny always did "VEG -E-TA-BLE") I've made it twice. YUM-O-O. One day he said to me "You know what I would really like for a snack? Another bowl of your yummy soup." Oh my heart flutters... HE LIKES IT!!! He REALLY likes it!!! How grand!!!

So this week I'm on to another soup. Don't ask me why, it's just that soup is a good choice this time of year when we are still feeling the chill of the season. This weeks pot was not entirely bad, but not as diet friendly as the vegetable variety. This week was potato soup.

First, I cleaned and chopped a whole 5 pound bag of gold potatoes and boiled them until tender. As they were draining, I sauted a ton of onion and celery (with the tops) in some butter. To that I added two pieces of lean bacon diced fine and about a half cup of diced turkey ham (left over from another night's dinner) When the bacon seemed to be well cooked, I sprinkled in some flour... then added some milk... and finally the potatoes, reserving about a quarter of them for a potato salad. (see how I do that... saves time tomorrow) It needed a pinch of salt and plenty of fresh ground black pepper. I use Sea Salt. It's supposed to be better for you. Simmer simmer simmer, and Ta-Da... my first pot of potato soup is finished. I served it with a thick slice of Olive Oil bread. Triple Yum-O-O-O.

Anyway, it's just nice to know that he appreciates it when I cook for him. It makes me feel good.

Snippets of Today

I'm still under the weather. I'm up and down. Trying to make the most of my time since I'm staying in for the day. Puffs Plus is my new best friend. The humidifier is a close second to that. Ugh!

Despite, I have attempted to be somewhat productive.

• I washed the dishes. There weren't many, but to have them all done makes me feel good. I even scrubbed the coffee pot, which was well overdue.
• I baked a batch of blueberry muffins. I bought a packet of muffin mix yesterday and much to my surprise, it was only enough for 6 muffins. Not acceptable as my muffin pan happens to hold a dozen. So I pride myself in mixing up my own, with a little help from Bisquick. It did not have a recipe for muffins, only biscuits. So I added some sugar and the end of some frozen blueberries from the freezer and poof! There you have it... enough to make another 6 muffins. This idea was inspired Keith's most recent tasting.
• I am in a clothes washing frenzy! I've probably washed 5 loads already. I can't get too crazy because I have to wait for them to dry as well. It seems that Keith should have enough work clothes for all week long.
• I'm thinking about making pecan chicken for dinner with an apricot glaze, served with smashed potatoes -- maybe Parmesan or garlic -- not sure. I will find another vegetable to serve as well. This should make hubby feel loved. (He loves pecans)

Homemaking Research

I'm not the most talented when it comes to homemaking. I can do what I need to do and maybe just a little bit more, but sometimes I like to look for new tips... things I did not know before.

In my quest I have happened upon another ladies blog, who often has recipes and interesting homemaking tips. Here I learned the right way to crack an egg. I also stumbled upon a link to a website with all sorts of tips and other stuff. I could spend all day digging into it.

I had to chuckle a little this morning when I stumbled upon this link. I thought to myself... Is this for real!?! I don't think I shall be embarking upon such a project myself anytime soon. But I couldn't help but think... this would cure any husband's issue with picking up "things" at the grocery when he shops for his wife. LOL

Goodies

Today I'm making a pot of vegetable soup that my Granny would have been proud of. She used to make it for me often as it was and is one of my very favorite kinds of soup. When she made it, it was even more special. But now I must carry on the tradition and make my own... YUMM-O

This past weekend I made another item that Granny made often, although they didn't seem to come out quite the same. She always had that criss-cross on top, but mine just flattened when I tried that. I'm certain that our recipes are not the same. Her's were way more peanut-buttery than mine. These happen to be one of Keith's favorite... Peanut Butter Cookies!

Household Tip

I keep my honey jar on the stove. The heat from cooking keeps it from turning to sugar.

Have you got a household tip to share?