Just a little bit of spare time

Nathan had just a bit of spare time last week and got his old cad running. The second shot is just after he floored it and the greenery is whizzing by. Of course, he is making some kind of mishievous laugh.

We encourage our children to be anxiously engaged in working hard and finding something productive to do. B & J fixed up a roller creeper and painted it for one of their projects. Good job, boys! I love Jed's smile-he is a happy boy when he gets to go to the shop. SOOOOOOOO many things to explore!

mid July in the garden

I've never had corn grow well before, but now I'm wishing we would have planted more! The tomatoes and peppers in the tires seem to be doing well, but not necessarily any better than the ones in the garden. I filled the tires with homemade compost, peat moss, and vermiculite, according to the "Square Foot Gardening" guy's suggestion. They are easy to water and weed.




The melons are finally starting to take off. HOpefully it's not too late. The pumpkins are putting out some blossoms and I think we're going to have plenty of them! What I'm waiting for is my first bite of sun-ripened homegrown tomato!

mid July

Happy Birthday, again!

Blondie turned 10! She is a huge help to me. She plays with Jed and helps in the kitchen and enjoys learning to make new things. We are so glad she is in our family!

Easy Granola

We love granola! But it has to be just right-no nuts, seeds, or any of that stuff. And preferrably no big clumps. So, here is my recipe for plain granola. My kids love to eat it warm, especially if there is yogurt to put on top.

12 cups rolled oats (I prefer the old fashioned)
1 cup of oil
1 cup water (sometimes I substitute some mapeline syrup for some of the water)
1 Tbl. vanilla
3 cups brown sugar
2 Tbl. cinnamon
I put the oats in my mixer bowl. Then I combine the oil, water, and vanilla and drizzle it over the oats while the mixer is on low. Then I slowly put in the brown sugar and cinnamon, mixing as little as possible to avoid clumping. Put in greased pan(s) and bake in preheated overn at 425 degrees, for about 25 min. stirring after about 15 min.