FREE 4th of July Coloring Pages

By Heidi on June 29, 2011

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The 4th of July is almost here… so here are some Free printable 4th of July coloring pages for your little ones to enjoy!
These fun pages come from Crayola, and can be printed here…

• Happy 4th of July
• Let Freedom Ring
• Signing for Independence
• Happy Independence Day
• Patriotic Picnic Place Cards

This post was obtained from www.thefrugalgirls.com. 
For similar posts, visit cjrlkidszone.blogspot.com.

Best light mayonnaise

Duke's Mayonnaise is the best. I grew up with Blue Plate and Kraft Mayo but over time I have found that you just can't beat Duke's Mayonnaise for flavor.

I had always been one to turn my nose up at low-fat versions of mayonnaise because I felt that giving up the calories was not worth what I sacrificed in flavor. My choice was just to use less. That worked sometimes.

But, I recently tried Duke's Light Mayonnaise and I can honestly say for the first time, that I just can't tell the difference. I am shocked and a little freaked out by my discovery but I use this light mayonnaise in everything and I like it just as well! When I have the choice between the regular Duke's and the light, I will use the light every time -- half the calories and all the flavor? There is no decision. I reach for the light.




Why is it so important to me right now? It is the season for tomato sandwiches. A few days ago I tried the light mayo on a home-grown tomato sandwich (from my garden) and it was wonderful. Thanks Duke's. You have made my summer lunchtimes treats healthier and every bit as good.

My Revue on Led Zeppelin Album Led Zeppelin III!

The way I came up with writing about this album is really funny. I am reading one of there books called Hammer Of The Gods. Then over the weekend my boyfriend and I went out for a drive and we were listening to this CD. I couldn't believe how much I really missed listening to this CD. The music on it is so awesome I was just sitting in the car moving my foot and looking out the window listening to it. It was so nice to just go out for a drive and listen to this album.

This album on the professional ratings all the way down got five stars. It also went double platinum in 1990 then went six time platinum in 1999. This album also was always in the top ten through the world. There are two singles from the album the Immagrant Song and Hey Hey What Can I Do that went to number sixteen on the charts.

In the mid 1970's is when the songs were recorded for this album. This album was released October 5, 1970.The songs were mainly written by Robert Plant and Jimmy Page. But there are a couple that John Bonham and John Paul Jones did help with. The last song on this album was not written by them it was written by Charles Obscure. The place that they would go to write and record the songs is Bron-Yr-Aru  Gwynedd Wales. This place is a 18th Century Cottage up on a hill top.

Well I  guess it is time to tell you what I think of each of the songs from the album-

Immigrant Song- I really love the beat of this music. In the beginning with Robert screaming like that is awesome. Then hearing Bonzo with the drums. This makes me start moving my feet while I am writing this. This is one of my favorites.

Friends- This is more of a mellow song for them. It is really good I do like this song by them.

Celebration Day- Listen to John Paul Jones at the beginning is awesome. Then they all join in that is great. I just really like it.

Since I've Been Loving You- This is one of my favorites on the album and the longest one on the album. The beginning is so awesome and I know it is a ballad by them. But an awesome song.

Out On The Tiles- This is a really good song. I love how you can move to the music.

Gallows Pole- I really like this song it is really good.

Tangerine- This is another ballad but it is really good. I really like this song.

That's The Way- This is really good I really like this one.

Bron-Y- Aur Stomp- This is about there place in Wales. I Love the beginning of this song I am sitting here moving my foot. This is another one of my favorites. I just love the music on this song it is so awesome.

Hats Off To (Roy) Harper- This song is alright not one of my favorites. The music is really good on it but that is about it.

I Love the cover for the album to that is awesome something really different. If you are a true Led Zeppelin fan this is a must have album for your collection. I remember when I first heard this album I had to have it. My parents told me that if I wanted it I would have to pay for it myself and I did. I just love this album. I will be writing about the book I am reading about them. So be watching for that on here. I am leaving you with one of my favorite songs from this album!

Decadent, gluten-free brownie cupcakes

Last weekend, we made a great discovery. We decided to make cupcakes for our 6-year-old's pirate birthday party. My daughter shopped for a gluten-free cake mix but could only find a Bob's Red Mill Gluten-free Brownie Mix. Since we had used it before for brownies, we decided it could work to make cupcakes. There really weren't too many alternatives. They were out of the regular cake mix and we didn't have a really good gluten-free scratch cake recipe so we used the brownie mix instead.

It turned out even better than we had expected. We expected they would at least be OK but they were moist, rich and SO delicious. In addition to being easy to make they were amazingly good. With the addition of a dairy-free frosting, we made a dessert that was very good yummy and gluten-free.

It even "fooled" our guests who were probably not expecting us to serve them a gluten-free treat. (Of course, we didn't tell anyone. When you tell people that the food is gluten-free, you always get a few who don't like it just because they know it is different!) All the kids liked the cupcakes and the adults raved over them.

It was a very nice pirate birthday party. My husband liked them so much that he decided he wanted the same recipe for his upcoming birthday.

Here's the recipe. We made 24 cupcakes which took two brownie mixes.

Decadent Gluten-free, Dairy-free Chocolate Cupcakes

2 Bob's Red Mill Gluten-free Brownie Mixes
Follow the directions on the back of the package, but substitute 3/4 cup of vegetable oil for the butter or margarine. You will also add an egg and water.
Spoon batter into 24 cupcake liners placed into muffin pans.
Bake at 350 degrees for 18 to 20 minutes or until cupcakes are done. They need to be firm when pressed but not overcooked. Allow to cool fully before frosting. With a decorator's bag, pipe frosting onto the top of cupcakes. The finished cupcakes don't have to be refrigerated.

Dairy-free Chocolate Frosting

3/4 cup vegan margarine
2 pounds Confectioner's sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla flavoring
Approximately 1/2 cup almond milk

Cream margarine in a mixer. Add Confectioner's sugar and mix (mixture will be crumbly). Add 2 teaspoons vanilla flavoring. Add 1/4 cup almond milk and mix in almond milk, 1 tablespoon at a time until creamy and stiff enough to set up but thin enough to spoon into a decorator's bag and pipe onto the tops of the cupcakes. All of the almond milk doesn't have to be used. Serves 24.

The Crowd at the Beach!

My boyfriend and I went out for drive this weekend and I decided to take some pictures of North Beach. I just couldn't believe how crowded it was not only on shore but out on the water too. Also just trying to drive through there was unbelievable. They finally but the fence up on the left side so no one can park on the grass now.

This is a picture by the beach you can see a lot of people on the sand. There are some people out in the water also.

This picture is a couple of boats lined up by the shore. There was so many lined up there I couldn't get more than this. There was also a lot of sailboats out on the water.

This is a jet ski with someone on the inner-tube in back. I thought this was really neat and I wanted to get this picture.

I just thought I would share with you how it looked down by the beach this weekend. The traffic there was horrible and I am glad we didn't stay that day. I hope everyone enjoys the pictures.

A recommendation: A gluten-free brownie mix

Bob's Red Mill products are generally very good, especailly for health- and diet-conscious people. They make a number of whole grain products that are available at most local grocery stores.

One Bob's Red Mill product I would like to recommend is the Gluten-free Brownie Mix. It has a rich chocolate and moist cake texture and the ingredients include Ghirardelli cocoa which definitely makes it a good choice for chocoholics. The quick and easy recipe calls for butter or margarine but we use oil which I think makes the recipe even better. It also calls for an egg but I am sure even this ingredient could be substituted if eggs are a problem.

For a gluten-free product, this is the best we have found and we use it often.

Tomorrow I will tell you how we used it to make a decadent, unbelievably good gluten-free dessert.

My Parents 56th Anniversary!

This would have been my Mom and Dad's 56th Anniversary today. My Dad passed away about thirteen years ago. We all miss him very much. My Parents got married in 1955.

It was funny because my Mom told me that my Dad's Mom and her Mom knew each other before my parents started going out together. I thought that was really weird. 

I remember when my Dad would tell me to go shopping for him for something for my Mom for there Anniversary and the Holidays. He never like to go and do his own shopping. My Dad would give me the money and say this is what your Mom keeps telling me that she needs. I was like ok and is that what you want me to go and get her. He said yes and a card too. So  I went and did the shopping for my Dad. I would have to wrap it for him too. My Dad worked third shift at the Chicago Tribune and he was a machinest. He fixed all the presses so that the paper could go out. He started out at the tribune towers and went to the freedom center. My Dad likes to joke around with people but he also had a  very serious side to him. I remember one time at a restaurant my dad was teasing the waitress and my Mom just sat there. There was certain places I would go and the people would go are you Bill Stewart's daughter and I would say yes and they would now what I was there for.  My Mom says I am just like my Dad in that way. When my Dad retired from the Chicago Tribune he would call me for the craziest things like asking me if I was watching Jeopardy for a real good question or asking me for the name of his favorite movie Lonesome Dove. My Dad was the baby of his family he had two older brothers and two older sisters. He never graduated school he dropped out to help his Mom with bills. His Dad died when my dad was six months old. My Grandma was a single Mom to all the children and raised them all with the help of her family. My Dad would give the shirt of his back to help anyone out.

Now my Mom she is the oldest and she had a younger brother. She was raised by both of her parents. My Mom would not know what to get Dad for there Anniversary. What do you get someone that has everything he needs. But some how we all knew  what to get him. My Mom never graduated school but she did later go for her GED. I was so proud of her when she did that. When she was younger she had to get a job to help her family out. I remember when I was younger and living in Chicago my mom didn't work because of us kids. Then when we moved out to Woodridge Ill. then my Mom was working. She was working in the lunch room at the school, dry cleaners, Ponderosa and Speigel. She retired from Speigel. My Mom would go out with her friends and my Dad wouldn't care. He would tell her go and have a good time. My Mom is still here for us kids. Anytime we need to talk to her she is always there to talk to. My Mom never remarried she said she didn't need no one. She took care of her Mom until she passed away. My Mom has her swimming exercising class, homemakers and church. She goes on different trips with her homemakers. I was taking her to her meeting with homemakers for awhile and the lady's are really nice. About four years ago my Mom was in a bad car accident and I was driving her around were she needed to go.

My parents loved each other very much even though yes they did have the share of arguments. Just like any couple have them. My parents had four children my oldest sister passed away very young, my older sister, myself and my younger sister. Yes they had all girls. They have nine grandchildren and one great grandchild and two great grandchildren on the way. My son was suppose to get married today but they called it off. He promised my Mom when he got married he would do it on my parents Anniversary. My daughter picked out this Betty Boop picture for my Mom so I had to put it on here. I will always consider this day my Parents Anniversary. I Love Both of you very much!♥

FREE e-Book Download: Summer Crafts for Kids

By Heidi on June 23, 2011

On the hunt for some fun Summer Crafts for Kids?  

Go get your FREE e-book Download: 22 Summer Craft Projects for Kids!   {this will be a pdf file}

This post was obtained from www.thefrugalgirls.com. 

Truth On The Little House The Books VS The Shows!

I have read all the books on Little House On The Prairie. I can tell you the shows one episode that goes with the books is the first two hour movie. That one is titled The Big Woods. I am going to explain what I am talking about by letting you know what is different in the books and the shows.

Laura's family did a lot of traveling while she was growing up. When they made it out to DeSmet, South Dakota that is were they stayed.

The Truth In The Books-

Mary, Laura and Carrie were born in the big woods in Wisconsin. Grace was born in DeSmet.
They only lived in Walnut Grove, Minnesota for one or two years. Then an Aunt came and talked Pa into working for the railroad. Pa would take care of the paper work and run the store.

The Olesons- Mr and Mrs Oleson did own the store in Walnut Grove. But that did not last long because they had to move to New York. Then after awhile they did move to DeSmet and Mr Oleson was a farmer there. His crops did not do good at all and he decided to move back to New York by Mr Oleson's family. So that is the only times Laura knew Nellie.

There are a lot of people that are on the show not even in the books. I am not going to put all the names on here but I will put some: Albert, James, Cassandra, Doc Baker, Grace Edwards, John Jr, Carl, Alicia, Jonathan, Alice, Andy, Miss Beadle, Nancy Oleson, Adam Kendall, and Jenny Wilder. These are just some of the people not in the books.

Mr. Hanson- He sold the land in Walnut Grove to the Ingalls and then he moved out of town. He never owned the mill.

Mary did go blind and she did go to college in Iowa. But she never became a teacher for a blind school. Also she never was a teacher at all. The one that was a teacher was Laura and became a teacher at the age of 15 years old. She did give the money to her Ma and Pa so Mary could go to the blind college. When Laura wasn't teaching she was working in town doing sewing to earn the money. This was all in DeSmet.

Mary never got married and never taught the blind. After college she moved back home with Ma and Pa.

Reverend Alden- He was in Walnut Grove and then he tried to get the church out in DeSmet. But he was not able to get that one. He did keep in touch with the Ingalls.

Almanzo's family lived in New York and then his family moved to Minnesota. Almanzo and his oldest brother Royal moved to DeSmet to by land. Royal had a feed store in town and Almanzo had a farm. This is how Laura and Almanzo met. They got married in DeSmet and later moved to the Ozarks in Minnesota also called the Big Red Apple.

Ma and the girls took a train to DeSmet South Dakota to meet up with Pa. That is because Mary was to sick still to travel at the time. But Pa had to leave with there Aunt. 

The Extra They Put In The Show-

That the Ingalls lived all the time in Walnut Grove.

The extra people in the show that is not in the book.

Charles never worked for the mill in Walnut Grove.

Laura was never a teacher after her and Almanzo got married. She was a housewife.

The only one that saw Mr. Edwards after in the Indian Territory was Charles. That was in South Dakota when Charles went to buy the homestead.

Ma and Pa never had a baby boy.

No Nellie's restaurant. Laura was never at Nellie's wedding.

There was never anything about Charles moving the family to go gold mining.

Laura never had her own horse until her and Almanzo got married. That is because her Pa thought that was to dangerous for Laura.

Rose was born in DeSmet, South Dakota.

The house in Walnut Grove was not that big. It was one floor and two big rooms with a kitchen.

Laura and Almanzo never had a Bed and Breakfast Place. Almanzo was a farmer growing wheat and oats. He also raised horses, cows, sheep and chickens.

No Little House The New Beginning books. 

There was never the Carter family in the books.

Nellie was never in a wheelchair around Laura.

Laura was never around when Willie got married.

The arguments that Laura and Almanzo got into. In the books Laura and Almanzo loved each other so much. 

This is just some of it. I was thinking about this last night and I was talking it over with my boyfriend while watching the show. I told him I would really like to write this to let people know. He said to write it on paper and the write about it. With reading the books I just couldn't believe how different the show is to the books.
I am really sorry this is long again but wanted to point out the main differences. I hope to hear your comments on this.

A Fried Green Tomato Dish

We enjoy using green tomatoes this time of year. It is so hard to wait for them to ripen. They are very good when used  in a pan-fried dish like this one. Green tomatoes are a southern favorite and are especially good when you cook them up in an iron skillet. The skillet aids in browning. I usually serve mine in the iron skillet, too because it holds the heat quite well.

Normally I use flour and cornmeal to dredge the vegetables but this works well without the wheat. You can use only cornmeal but I think millet is a great addition to a vegetable medley. The flavors of green tomatoes and zucchini go very well together.

Gluten-free Fried Green Tomato Veggie Medley

2 medium zucchini squashes, sliced and chopped into quarters
1 shallot, chopped
2 green tomatoes, chopped
2 cups potatoes, with peels, chopped into cubes
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 cup pure cornmeal (no flour) and 1/2 cup millet
1/8 cup olive oil

Chop vegetables and mix together. Salt and pepper vegetables. Dredge in cornmeal and millet mixture. Add oil to a large iron skillet and heat on medium high until a small amount of vegetable mixture sizzles in the pan. Pour dredged vegetables into the pan and allow to brown and turn periodically until browned and tender. Serves 6.

My Revue on Little House on the Prairie!

Yes I am done with the next book. The last three are smaller books about a hundred pages long. So it did not take me as long to read them. This is the last book of Laura Ingalls Wilder.

This book is basically a diary of letters from Laura to Almanzo. It is during a Trip Laura took to see Rose in San Fransisco, California. Laura took the train from Mansfield, Missouri to San Fransisco, California.  Laura left on August 21, 1915 - October 22, 1915. With them living in Missouri and by Almanzo's family Laura was called Bess this is a nickname Almanzo gave Laura while they were courting. The reason for her being called Bess is because of Almanzo's oldest sister Laura to not confuse the two of them.

Rose was really homesick to see her Ma. Rose wanted to see her Ma so bad that she paid for Laura to take the trip there. Laura didn't need any money except for her food on the train. Rose told Laura that she would give her Ma spending money for out there. Rose really wanted Ma and Pa out there but she knew one of them had to stay home with the farm. So Almanzo stayed home with the farm.

Laura met some really nice people on the train on the way there. The first night on the train she sat next to a German man he was really nice. He layed his coat on her while she was sleeping because it had gotten cold in the train. The first train went from St. Louis, Missouri to Kansas City. Laura's next stop is in Denver and with the rain there was a wash out of four hundred feet. So the train is four hours late into Denver. Then the next morning she went from Denver to Salt Lake City Utah. Then the next train is from Salt Lake City to San Fransisco.

Laura's letters on the way there basically tell Almanzo what she was seeing while on the train. She said the lands out west was brown and dry. Then all the hills and the flat lands. All the animals she is seeing and the trees and there was a dust storm. There was one farm she seen on the way that must have had two hundred or more of cattle.

Laura got to San Fransisco on August 29, 1915. When Laura was walking from the train to the ferry Rose was there. Then Laura and Rose got on the ferry it was really foggy that night. When they got off the ferry Rose's husband Gillette was there and he took Laura's suitcase. They had to take the streetcar from the ferry home. Between the train, ferry and the streetcar it took a whole day to get the motion of all that out of Laura.

Then the start of going and seeing everything for Laura. She went to the beach and went wading in the ocean, then they saw the ship named Gjos that came from Norway, they saw Niles flying a plane, the Tower of Jewels, the fireworks from the fair, the forbidden gardens, Chinatown, Little Italy, from the beach she seen the prison Alcatraz,California's Fruit Cannery,The Palace of fine Arts, Muir Woods, Rose's work the Bulletin and the Exposition.

The Exposition Laura went and had a great time. There was so many different things in there to go and see. Like people making different kinds of foods from different countries and they are making different things that they make. Laura bought a wood carved chest to take home with her. There was a lot more that she had seen in there.

Laura wrote to her newspaper back home about the Exposition. The paper was called The Ruralist. They asked her to write about it while she was there and send it to her and they would pay her for it. So Laura started to do that while she was there. But one thing happened and slowed Laura down. She fell getting off the streetcar and hurt herself. She was with Gillette and he rushed her to the hospital she had to stay there for a couple of days. She was fine in a few days.

In the back of the book is some recipes that Laura had gotten from the people at the Exposition. Here are the names of them Russian Forrest (Like a deep fried cake), Mexican Tamale Loaf, German Honey Cake, Italian White Tagliarini ( It's a noodle), Croissants ( French Crescents), Chinese Almond Cakes. I did write these down for myself if you would like any of them let me know and I can send the recipes to you.

Sorry this is long but there is still a lot more information in the book to read. This was really nice to see how much they really loved on another. I hope to hear your comments about this one.

Gluten Free Loaf Bread

When the doctor said our 6 year old grandson might have a wheat allergy, we went out and bought a loaf of gluten-free bread at the grocery store and it was SO terrible. It was made mostly from tapioca flour and honestly it had a slimy feel in my mouth. It was inedible, especially by our 6-year-old. Later we tried some decent looking buns for hamburgers and they were equally bad. We couldn't find anything he would eat. Honestly we couldn't blame him. The bread was terrible!

My daughter set out to make something he could eat. It was hard to get something that worked. After a couple of tries, she found a recipe he loved -- and something that would hold together to make a sandwich. 

Gluten is one of those things that gives the bread that lovely texture most of us love. Potato starch can give a pretty good texture but it is not as healthy as most whole-grain flours. One grain that my daughter has used for tender muffins that rise well and seemed to be a promising candidate for yeast bread was garbanzo bean or chick pea flour. It has an exceptional texture, so a loaf made mostly from garbanzo bean flour with a smaller amount of potato flour was something she thought would make a healthier yeast bread loaf.

And it was very successful. It is good for toast and for sandwiches. Most of the other recipes were too brittle or flaky for sandwich bread. Our 6-years-old loves it. It has really helped since she found this recipe because giving up regular bread was very discouraging for him until she came up with this bread recipe

Gluten-Free Loaf Bread

Yeast mixture:

1/2 cup warm water

1 tablespoon yeast

2 tablespoons honey

1-1/2 cup garbanzo bean flour

1/2 cup potato starch/flour

1/4 cup tapioca flour

1 teaspoon xanthan gum

1-1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup warm water

3 tablespoons olive oil

Mix 1/2 cup warm water with yeast and honey in a glass measuring cup. Stir until dissolved, and let sit for around 10 minutes. Allow this yeast mixture to sit until it "bubbles." Meanwhile, stir or sift the next five ingredients in a mixing bowl. 

Add the yeast-honey-water mixture into the dry ingredients along with the remaining water and oil. Stir with a spoon until all ingredients are well mixed and there are no clumps (3-5 minutes). Cover with a cloth and place in warm location to rise -- about 1 hour. 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. After an hour has passed, pour the batter into a loaf pan that is greased or coated with cooking spray. Stir just a little, and allow one more rising for 15-20 minutes, or until the loaf reaches the desired size. 

Place in the oven and bake approximately 25 minutes until the top is a nice golden brown.

A couple of nights ago my husband asked if I would like for him to make a cucumber and tomato salad and I will admit that I was little surprised. Even though he is a great grill-cook and sometimes a good baker, he hasn't really been one to try new recipes of the vegetable variety. That is usually my domain.

Of course I immediately said yes and he made a wonderful salad with cucumbers from our garden. He actually got this simple recipe from our daughter-in-law last week while I was out of town. If you like balsamic vinegar like I do, you will love this salad. It is a little different and adds a more complex flavor, but if you don't like balsamic vinegar, try apple cider vinegar. Both will be good, but I think the balsamic vinegar adds a little extra punch to the flavors of the tomatoes and cukes. This would be even better if more of our garden tomatoes had been ripe.


This is a very simple recipe and took only minutes to prepare. My husband peeled some of the cucumbers and didn't peel others. I asked him why and he said he really didn't have an answer. He kind of likes them peeled. I guess you should prepare them the way you like, as he did!


Easy Cucumber and Tomato Salad

2 cup cucumbers, cut into cubes
1 cup tomatoes, cut into cubes
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil

Cut cucumbers and tomatoes into cubes. Put in a bowl or serving dish. Add salt and pepper, then pour vinegar and oil over ingredients. This recipe tastes good the next day, too.

The balsamic vinegar will make the vegetables turn a bit dark over time. I am not bothered by this but it might not look as pretty if serving to guests.

Free Summer of Fun Printable Kit

by Crystal on June 20, 2011

Download a free Summer of Fun Printable Kit from Plucko Mom.

This post was obtained from www.moneysavingmom.com. 

My Revue on Little House on the Prairie!

Yes I am done with the next book. Actually this one should have been done after These Happy Golden Years. But they didn't find the papers until after she had died.

This one starts of the first year Laura and Almanzo were married. She didn't want to live on a farm she wanted to live in the city. But Almanzo said to give it a four years and if she still felt the same way they would move to the city. Almanzo built a house on the tree claim to were the house would have some shade for Laura. There was a pantry that he made a lot of shelves and draws. This pantry was a labor of love for him. It was right off the kitchen. Almanzo had fifty acres of wheat and he was raising horses for money. Laura thought that having your own business was better than farming. But Almanzo let her know that farming you are your own boss. The next day that they had moved into the house Laura was cleaning and unpacking her things. Almanzo had gone to the neighbors to help with the wheat threshing. Then the neighbor would come and help him with his. Laura didn't like the idea of having to cook for all of the men. She remembered when her Ma had to do that and Laura and Mary had to help Ma make all the food for the men. They still went for there buggy rides too. One day Almanzo came home from town with a big plow he said he could get more land plowed to have more wheat next season. But he had to hitch all four horses to it. Then another day Almanzo came home with a small gray pony and said this is yours Laura. You and her can learn to ride together. So Laura ordered a real pretty saddle for the horse and she named her Trixy. There first Christmas present was one together they ordered some glassware that they needed. On the bread plate it said " Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread". One day Laura was feeling sick for about a week until the doctor told her she was pregnant. She would faint when she got out of bed. This was at planting time. Then that fall when it was about time to harvest the wheat a hail storm came and ruined all the wheat.

The second year Almanzo wanted to get a mortgage on the homestead but he would have to live on the homestead in order to get it. So he had to build more rooms on the homestead shanty before moving in there. This is not the same as the home on the tree farm but the acres are connected. So on there first Anniversary they moved into the new home on the homestead. Then Almanzo found some people to rent the house on the tree farm. They had lost a lot of money to were he could not get all of his notes paid off in town and this was the only way to get them paid off. After breakfast the day after moving in Almanzo when to cut the hay for the animals for the winter. On the fifth of December after they had there afternoon dinner Laura just wanted to sit by the stove and that worried Almanzo so he went and hitched up the team and went to get Laura's Ma. Then they came back and he had to go to town to get the doctor. Laura was having Rose. Rose weighed eight pounds when she was born. Her Ma stayed to help Laura for a few days because Laura had to stay in bed. Then when Ma went home it was just the three of them at home. That Christmas Laura said the best present was a Rose in December. The day before Christmas Almanzo went to town and came back with a clock that stood two feet high and it would chime. There was a blizzard in April and Almanzo couldn't see his way back to the house. But he made his way some how to the door. This Summer was really dry and the wheat and oats didn't give them as much as they thought. But would pay some of the bills for them.

The third year Almanzo went to town and came home with a hardcoal heater for the sitting room. Instead of moving the cook stove this heater would work longer. Rose was crawling around now and they had to keep the floor warmer for her. This took different coal then the cooking coal. Almanzo couldn't get enough warm clothes to keep him warm when he is working outside. Laura made him a shetland wool undershirt for Christmas. They went to see her family for Christmas that year. On the way back home it started to snow and Almanzo had to stop the horses and get out to try to find the road and then he had to walk the horses the rest of the way home. For a surprise for Almanzo's birthday Laura invited her cousin Peter and the Whiteheads to dinner. Then the day after Laura came down with a cold her Ma came to see  how she was and her Ma took Rose home with her so she would not get sick. The cold got worse and settled in Laura's throat then the doctor came out and said that she had diphtheria. It was a good thing that Rose was by Laura's family so she would not get sick. Almanzo took care of Laura then he came down with it so they had to find someone to care for both of them and Almanzo's brother Royal came and took care of both of them. Laura's attack was very dangerous and Almanso's was light. On the last day they were both up and around and the doctor told them not to overexertion themselves. They had to fumigate the house before Rose could come home. Almanzo didn't go by the doctors orders and he was having problems with his legs and he found out he had a slight stroke. He had good days and bad days after that. But it never stopped him from doing his farming with the help of Laura. He had planted his fields and then one Sunday cousin Peter came to talk to Laura and Almanzo about owning some sheep to make some money. So what they did was went half in on that and moved back to the house on the tree farm.The only way they would take the sheep is if Peter moved in and he took care of them. Peter agreed to that and they shared the money.  Almanzo and Peter made a barn for the sheep and it was built right on with the other barn. Now they had cows, horses, hens and the sheep now. They had another bad summer with the wheat it all dried up on them.

The fourth year was called A Year of Grace. The plowing begun with the haying it took all four of the horses to do it. Laura had to help Almanzo hitch up the horses and also watch Rose at the same time. She lost sight of Rose and asked Almanzo if he sees her and all of a sudden she says here I am hiding behind one of the horses tails. Then Almanzo said they would try one more crop and see what happens next year with it. All the bills just kept worrying Laura because she didn't like to owe money to people. The horses were so tired that they could not break the ground no more so Almanzo bought two oxen to do the work. Oxen are slower to get the work done but they can do more work. Now there was more work for Almanzo and Peter in the barn with the horses, colts, cows, calves, oxen chickens, hens and the sheep. One winter day it started to snow really bad while Almanzo and Peter were in town and they heard wolf howl and then another. Laura heard it to and she was at home Rose was asleep in bed. The wolves go after sheep and Almanzo was worried about them getting into the barn after the sheep. Laura took the dog and she went to the barn grabbed the pitchfork and check out the barn and everything was alright. When Almanzo and Peter got home Almanzo yelled at Laura for going out there to check on the stock. They made $250 in wool from the sheep that year. Then you have some new babies from them for next year. Some of the lambs had to be bottled fed because the moms didn't want to feed them so Laura took them in the house to take care of them and Rose played with them. This was another bad summer very hot and everything just dried up on them again. This is the year that they had the baby boy that suddenly died on them. Laura got so depressed about that but then she knew she had to take care of things in the house. She also had Rose to take care of. They had horses, cows and sheep to sell for money plus the wool.

I know I made this a long one again but there is still a lot more in the book. I always tell myself to make it short but so much information in the books.  I am sorry this is so long and I hope to hear your comments. Thank you for taking your time to read this!♥

Happy Fathers Day!

I just want to wish all the Dad's a Happy Fathers Day. I hope they all have a wonderful day.

My dad has been gone for about thirteen years now. I miss him so much on the Holidays. He was very strict with us but I know how he just wanted the best for us. There was only my older sister, myself and my younger sister he had no boys. My son was his his boy and sometimes my son could do no wrong with Grandpa. I know my Dad is watching over all of us and right now I know he would really like my boyfriend very much. I know how much my Dad loves us. My Dad would give the shirt of his back to help someone out. That was just how he was. He would do anything to help his kids out or his Grandkids out. He was a very special man I miss him and I love him very much.

My ex father in law is a very nice man. Even though I am divorced from his son he still considers me part of his family. I am so thankful for that because I still consider him a father to me. I know he loves his kids and his grandkids very much. He had just met my boyfriend last month and he has excepted him into the family also. He sees how much my boyfriend cares and loves my kids too and knows he is there for my kids and he really likes that.

My boyfriend's Dad is a very nice man. I can see when I am at his parents house that yes he was a strict dad but he loves his kids very much. I also can see he would do anything he can to help them out. I remember at Easter I was sitting there and joking around with his dad. I really like my boyfriends dad he is really nice. When my boyfriend and I started  seeing each other his Dad was always really nice to me.

Now for my boyfriend he loves his son and daughter very much and he would do anything he could to help them out. He told me he made on promise to God that is he would always be there for his kids. He is also there for my kids too and I love him for that. When we first met he told me he would never push my kids away and he has never did that. We have been together for a year and he is a wonderful father to his kids and mine. I could not have asked for a better man to be with I love him so much for everything. When my kids call me the first thing he asks me are they alright. I can tell you this he worries, cares and loves both of our kids very much.

I want to wish all four Dads a Very Happy Fathers Day and  I love all four of you Very Much!♥

My Revue on Little House on the Prairie!

Yes I finished the next book. I told you these are really short books. This one was written by Rose Wilder Lane. She used Laura's diary about moving to Mansfield Missouri.

For seven years there had been very little rain almost none. They could not grow a crop on the fields in DeSmet South Dakatoa. The grass was really brown and hardly had money for food. Laura was working in the dress shop making dresses and Almanzo was doing side jobs to make money.

Mr Sherwin had sent Almanzo and Laura of the land of the big apple. Under the picture it said The Gem City of the Ozarks this was in Mansfield Missouri.

So Almanzo and Laura decided that they were going to go there and start a new life. They saved up one hundred dollars to buy land out there. Laura put the money in a sewing box that Almanzo made her out of cigar boxes. Before they left they were living with Laura's Ma and Pa. So they packed everything up into the wagon said good bye to everyone and they left for the land of the big apple.

They left on July 17, 1894 at 8:40 am. It was Laura, Almanzo and Rose. The land that they were crossing was real brown and the crops were really bad. The weather was anywhere from 90- 120 degrees in the shade. They would camp at night and tried to get by a creek or river. I was usually cooler there and so the horses could get something to drink.

The Cooley's went with them and they had two wagon's and the oldest boy drove the second wagon. Almanzo and Mr. Cooley would take turns being in the front.

On Sunday's they would stay at the campsite. Because that is the Lord's day and not to be doing anything.

One the way they ran into wagon's going both ways. Some people that they talked to said there is nothing in Missouri. Some people lost there crops there. The places were they camped they talked to Russians, Germans and all sorts of different people. Almanzo traded things so he could get water and food for the family.

They went through Nebraska, Kansas and finally got to Missouri. When they got into Missouri the water was so clear there like glass. Finally on August 30, 1894 they made it to Mansfield Missouri. They made camp and Almanzo went to the bank the next day to see about land. This took about four days until he found just the right piece of land that he wanted.

Then the next day he took Laura to the land so that she could see it and make sure this is what she wanted too. They both loved the piece of land and they bought it. Then the next day they moved to the land and there was a log home there. There was no window but a cut out in the logs for windows. The floor was an earth floor no wood.

Almanzo promised Laura that the next Spring he would start building her home she wanted. The way that he built it is using the wood and stones on there land. Nothing was bought to build the house.

I was going to try to get the map out of the book to put on here. If I get it I will still put it on here. I am trying to get it to download. Like I said this is a very short book so not really much to tell you. This one is a have to read book. She really goes into details about on the road.

I would really like to hear your comments. Thank you for reading this!♥

Free ebook: God & Kings by Lynn Austin

by Crystal on June 15, 2011

Download a free copy of Gods & Kings by Lynn Austin.

Please note that the price is currently $0.00, but that could change at any time. Be sure to check the price before checking out to verify that it is still free.

This ebook is specifically for Kindles, but you can go here to download a free application which enables you to read Kindle ebooks on your PC.

Find more free ebooks here.

This post was obtained from www.moneysavingmom.com. 

My Revue on Aerosmith!

Last night I was sitting here thinking what I was going to write about today. Then I thought I have not written about a band for awhile. So I thought I would write about Aerosmith.

The band is from Boston. The type of music they play is Hard Rock, Blues Rock and Heavy Metal. The Band Members are- Joe Perry Guitar, Tom Hamilton Bass, Steven Tyler Lead Vocals, Joey Kramer Drums and Brad Whitford Guitar.

1964 Steven Tyler had his own band called "Strangeus" later they changed the name to "Chain Reaction". Joe Perry and Brad Hamilton had a "Jam Band". Joe and Brad moved to Boston and met up with Joey Kramer the drummer.

In 1970 "Chain Reaction and the Jam Band" played the same gig. Steven immediately loved the Jam Band's sound. In October they met up again and considered a proposition to combine the two bands. But Steven did not want to play drums anymore he wanted to be lead vocals. They agreed on that. The only other thing was they had no name for the band then. The was they got the name was Joey Kramer wrote the word Aerosmith all over his notebook in high school.

In 1972 the band signed a record deal with Columbia Records for $125,000 and released there debut album in 1973 called Aerosmith. This album sold over two million copies and certified double platinum. They also had a string of multi platinum album 1974 Get Your Wings On, 1975 Toys In The Attic and in 1976 Rocks.

In 1975 "Toys In The Attic" sold over eight million copies. This was the bands best selling album with "Sweet Emotion" became the bands first top 40 hit. In 1976 the band released " Rocks" and this album captured the bands raw rock talent. It went platinum quick with " Last Child" and " Back In The Saddle". This album sold over four million copies. Then in 1979 and 1981 Joe Perry and Brad Whitford left the band and replaced by Jimmy Crespo and Rick Dufay.They are competing with Led Zeppelin and The Rolling Stones.

In 1984 Joe and Brad came back to the  band. In 1985 the band signed a record deal with Geffen Records. The album "Done With Mirrors" in 1985 did not do so good. The whole band had a bad drug problem.  1986 Steven Tyler had to go into drug rehabilitation program. This was at he direction of the band members and the manager Tim Collins. The rest of the band members wet to drub rehab also for the next couple of years. This said he could make the band the biggest band by 1990 if they completed drug rehab. In 1987 they released " Permanent Vacation was there best selling album and three singles hitting the top ten, 1989 " Pump" had three top ten singels and sold over seven million copies, 1993 " Get A Grip" and 1997 " Nine Lives". They finally had a great come back with these albums. The Pump Tour went into most of 1990.

In 1992 the band took a brief break before recording the next album. In 1993 " Get a Grip" was a real success becoming their first debut album going to number one. It sold over seven million copies with in two years.

In 2001 the band performed for Superbowl XXXV with 'N Sync, Britney Spears, Mary J Blige and Nelly. All the stars collaborated with Aerosmith to end the show with " Walk This Way". In 2002 Covered the theme from Spiderman for the soundtrack. In 2003 The band co-head lined with KISS on the Rocksimus Maximus Tour. In 2005the band planned to tour with Cheap Trick in the Spring. On March 22, 2006 it was announced that Steven Tyler had to undergo throat surgery. We are very thankful it was a success.

In 2010 Steven Tyler told the band that he could handle the tour dates and also be a judge on American Idol. He was great on that show. He knows when to be funny and when to be serious. He made me laugh every night the show was on. I just hope he is back on the show next season.

Current Members of the band-
Steven Tyler- Lead Vocals
Joe Perry- Lead Guitar, Six String Bass, Lead Vocals and Backing Vocals
Brad Whitford- Rythm Guitar and Lead Guitar
Tom Hamilton- Bass, Guitar and Backing Vocals
Joey Kramer- Drums and Percussions

There is only three band members that stayed with the band from day one they are Steven Tyler, Joey Kramer and Tom Hamilton.

The band is going strong and still doing tours. I grew up listening to this band I love there music and if they ever came around here I would really like to go and see them in concert. To me there music is awesome it is something about there music that i really like. It is really hard to explain.

Sorry this is another long one but I wanted to get as much information on here as I could. I would really like to hear what you have to say about Aerosmith. I am leaving you with a video of one of my favorite songs!♥

A few garden views

This week I haven't been able to go to the garden at all so my sister sent me these very nice photos via cell phone. I will admit that I have been a bit worried about the garden since we haven't had enough rain and the temperatures have been higher than normal.

Our pole beans are doing well and our bok choy has gone to seed. That is good since we planted this from seed from last year. It's so nice to be able to grow some of our own seeds. We will try to do this with our tomatoes this year and will hope it works as well.

These tomatoes are from our Jubilee tomato plants and I am really surprised because the last time I was in the garden we only had blooms. These will be nice and yellow -- a variety we haven't tried.

My sister does have help when I'm not there. Two of her helpers are Tia, at left and Todd, right. Their help is mostly of the "keeping her company" variety. They are very good for that but I don't think they work overly hard in the garden. I do think Todd has helped out by chasing away geese.

This is another look at the corn and some of the squash. My sister has done a great job keeping the garden watered and debugged while I was away. Thanks sis. I love you!

My Revue on Little House on the Prairie!

Yes another book finished. There are three more books left. The next three are smaller books. One is going to be like a diary from Laura and another is going to be letters that she had written to Almanzo. But first about this book.

Pa was taking Laura to the Brewster's claim. Mr. Brewster is the one that came with Mr. Boaster to talk to Laura about teaching the school in his town. Mr. Brewster's was twelve miles south of town. When they got there Mr. Brewster opened the door came outside and got Laura's things. Then Pa went back to town. He introduced Laura to his wife and his little boy. Then Mr. Brewster went to do his chores before Supper.

Mrs. Brewster was very mean and told Laura her bed was behind the curtain. Behind the curtain was a narrow couch with a blanket and sheet on it. Mrs. Brewster never said another word to Laura the three months she would be there. Laura tried to help her but she just always gave Laura an evil look. When Laura would go to bed Mrs. Brewster would start yelling at Mr. Brewster about Laura being there. Asking him why they had to board the teacher why couldn't anyone else do it. All Mrs. Brewster wanted to do was go back East to her family.

Then on Friday's Almanzo would come with his sled and pick up Laura and take her back home for the weekend. Then on Sunday afternoon's he would pick Laura up at home and take her back to the Brewter's. He did this for three months so Laura would not get homesick. Laura was only fifteen when she got her first teaching job. All Laura could do on Fridays while she was at school teaching was listen for the sleigh bells then she knew Almanzo was there to pick her up. Then when her three months were done Almanzo asked her if she would still like to go for sled rides on Sunday afternoons and Laura said yes.

The superintendent came to visit the school and seen the good job that Laura was doing teaching the kids. Laura asked if he would like to say anything to the kids and he told them to make sure they stay real warm.

So on Sunday afternoon all the boys would be out in town on there sleds. They all had a great time. Laura did go back to school after she was done teaching the three months.

Laura gave all her money to her Ma and Pa so that Mary could come home for the summer. They all missed Mary very much. Her Ma wanted her to keep some of the money so she could get material to make herself some clothes and she said that she could work on Saturday at the dress shop to make money to get the material for her dresses. The lady at the dress shop also made Laura a hat to go with her dress.

Laura helped Mr and Mrs Mckee out. They had a claim but Mr. McKee had to stay at the lumberyard to save enough money to get tools and seed to make a crop on the claim. But he wanted Mrs. McKee and there daughter to go out to the claim to live on it to hold the claim. But Mrs. McKee would not go out there alone she wanted Laura to go with her. They paid Laura a dollar a week to stay with her as one of the family. Mr. McKee came out there on Friday and went back on Sunday. Then one weekend he gave Laura a letter from her Ma it said Mary was coming home. Then at supper Mrs. McKee seen something was wrong with Laura  and she asked her. So Laura told her and Mr. Mckee said that she was going home and he would get someone else to help out. Mrs. Mckee said she didn't want anyone else she would be fine now.

One Spring day Almanzo came to the house and asked Laura if she would like to go for a ride in his new buggy. She said yes and she went to get her new hat and went with Almanzo. They went for buggy rides every Sunday afternoon. Then one day he came there with Nellie Oleson and Laura was very upset. This happened for about three weeks. Then Laura told him if he was going to be bringing Nellie with not to come and get her. So the next Sunday he came by himself with two new horses. He was breaking two horses and wanted to know if Laura would like to go with him to break them. She said yes and went with but Ma and Pa didn't like that she was going.

Then in the fall Laura had another teaching job at the Perry school. This one you could see the building from the house. So it was walking distance for Laura. Laura was a little upset about it because it only had three children in the school. But she did real good. She made twenty five dollars a month teaching this school. She gave the money to Ma and Pa and then Pa asked her if she minded getting a piano for Mary when she came home. Laura said to do it.

Then one Sunday Almanzo asked Laura if she would like to go to singing classes and she said yes. So on Friday nights they went to singing classes.

Then on a Sunday buggy ride Almanzo asked Laura if she would except a ring. She said depends on who it was from and how it looked. So the next Sunday Almanzo gave her a ring and Laura liked it and he asked her to marry him and Laura said yes. Then in the Fall Almanzo and Royal went back to Minnesota to see his family for the winter. Then on Christmas Eve there was a knock at the door and Laura opened the door and it was Almanzo.

Then in the Spring there was another teachers examination and Laura had to take it. This would be the last time she would take the test and be able to teach. Then the school year ended and Laura told the teacher this would be the last time he would see her. So she never did graduate school because the teacher never gave her the test to graduate.

So Laura taught another school for the last time and with that money she asked her Ma to help her make some clothes and sheets and pillow cases. So her and Ma did that.

Then one Tuesday Almanzo came and asked Laura if she wanted a big wedding or not. Laura said no but Almanzo's Ma and sister were planning a big wedding. But Laura and Almanzo didn't want a big wedding so the next week they went to the reverends house to get married.

Sorry this is long but like always there is a lot of information in the book. But there is still a lot more than I had written. I hope you do enjoy this and I hope you do get the book to see what more is in there. Please let me know how you like this revue. Thank you for reading this!♥

Garden surprises

When we first started planting a garden several years ago, we just thought everything would grow just like the photo on the seed pack, but that just didn't happen. We had immediate success with some things like green beans, and then there were other things, like broccoli that just never seemed to mature and grow for us. It just immediately went to seed and produced a few little loose tops -- never enough to eat.

Later, we found that things like broccoli and Brussels sprouts had to be planted in the fall (in Georgia) if you wanted to produce a harvest. We didn't find out about that until this year. We did plant some Brussels sprouts and we just gave up on them. I haven't even looked at them for awhile. I don't think I have fertilized them or sprayed for worms or anything for some time. I just assumed we wouldn't have them this year. Good try but it just wasn't our year. We planned to plant more this fall and baby them through the winter for a good spring crop.

That is why I was totally surprised when my husband sent me this photo of our Brussels sprouts. I guess even though the conditions aren't perfect, you just can't stop some things from growing, if they want to grow. I don't think we are "supposed" to have them. We did plant plants, rather than seed in the early spring and I know they do take a long time to mature. I was just shocked that after the very warm weather, that we had anything like this at all.

I don't think we will have as many as if we had planted them earlier and I also don't think they will be as large before they seed, but I am very encouraged. What do I know? From what I have read, they aren't supposed to produce in a heat wave. Perhaps we are doing some things right to have something we aren't supposed to have. I am very thankful for this little surprise.

My Revue on Bruce Springsteen's Album Born To Run!

This morning I was trying to figure out what album to do a revue about. So I decided to do one on this album. This is one of Bruce Springsteen's early albums. This is a really good album and I really like this one. It is something about his voice that I really like his music.

This album went to number three on the charts and it sold over six million copies in the United States alone. On the professional charts this album has five stars. This album was remaster in 2005 as a box set with a concert DVD and a production diary DVD.

This is what I think of each of the songs:

Thunder Road- I love the piano in the beginning and the harmonica. This song I really like.

Tenth Avenue Freeze Out- This is a good song but I think it is to slow of a song for him. I like his voice in it and the music.

Night- This song sounds more like him. The sax at the beginning with the drums I love it. This makes me want to dance to the song.

Backstreets- I really like this song with all the instrumental. Just sitting here listening to it I can't believe how much I am getting into it.

Born To Run- This song is my favorite on the album. The title track and it makes my leg move while I am listening to it. If you can't get into this song with the music.

She's The One- The drums start this song out then you hear the piano. This song you can get into but it is not one I really like.

Meeting Across The River- This song on the album just flows right into Jungleland. It is a good song but it more of a ballad.

Jungleland- This is a good song but really not one of my favorites.

That is my revue on this album and I am going to leave you with a video.

Strange House in Cudahy!

I seen this house on the way to Milwaukee Friday. I just couldn't help but get a picture of this. I know some people would say this looks trashy but I think this it is really neat for someone to do with an old car. The strange things you can see when you are going for a car ride.

Why life should be like T-Ball

I had the opportunity of going to a number of my little grandsons T-ball games this year. While I was sitting in the stands, cheering him on, I thought how nice it would be -- just occasionally, if life was a little more like T-ball.

Here are the reasons why.

1) You always get to play. No one gets out and you run the bases every time.

2) No one loses in T-ball. No one is there to keep score. It really does only matter that you play the game and not if you win.

3) If you get nervous about batting or fielding, a parent or adult will stand beside you all the way to tell you how to hit the ball or when to pick the ball up and throw it to first base.
 

4) If you get distracted by an airplane or want to throw your glove up in the air and catch it, no one yells at you. In fact they just think you are cute.

5) If you fall down, you don't get anything worse than a carpet burn because the field is carpeted and padded.

6) If you do get a boo-boo, either your mom or the coach will kiss it and make it feel better. Even if it is between home and first base.

7) Everyone, on both sides is cheering you on. People don't yell at you just because you aren't on their team. You regularly hear those encouraging words, "Good job."

8) Every player gets to keep their uniforms and wear them wherever they go until they outgrow them.

9) At the end of each game, you get a snack.

10) Everyone gets a trophy.

My Boyfriends Birthday!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY BOYFRIEND! 

I LOVE YOU WITH ALL OF MY HEART!

Chicken & Sun-Dried Tomato Orzo

INGREDIENTS
8 ounces  orzo, preferably whole-wheat
1 cup  water
1/2 cup  chopped sun-dried tomatoes, (not oil-packed), divided
1   plum tomato, diced
1 clove  garlic, peeled
3 teaspoons  chopped fresh marjoram, divided
1 tablespoon  red-wine vinegar
2 teaspoons plus 1 tablespoon  extra-virgin olive oil, divided
4   boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed (1-1 1/4 pounds)
1/4 teaspoon  salt
1/4 teaspoon  freshly ground pepper
1 9-ounce package  frozen artichoke hearts, thawed
1/2 cup  finely shredded Romano cheese, divided


DIRECTIONS
1. Cook orzo in a large saucepan of boiling water until just tender, 8 to 10 minutes or according to package directions. Drain and rinse.
2. Meanwhile, place 1 cup water, 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, plum tomato, garlic, 2 teaspoons marjoram, vinegar and 2 teaspoons oil in a blender. Blend until just a few chunks remain.
3. Season chicken with salt and pepper on both sides. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook, adjusting the heat as necessary to prevent burning, until golden outside and no longer pink in the middle, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate; tent with foil to keep warm.
4. Pour the tomato sauce into the pan and bring to a boil. Measure out 1/2 cup sauce to a small bowl. Add the remaining 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes to the pan along with the orzo, artichoke hearts and 6 tablespoons cheese. Cook, stirring, until heated through, 1 to 2 minutes. Divide among 4 plates.
5. Slice the chicken. Top each portion of pasta with sliced chicken, 2 tablespoons of the reserved tomato sauce and a sprinkling of the remaining cheese and marjoram.


SOURCE

Chicken Breast

The East Washington Street Garden

Every day when I go to work, I drive down East Washington Street. Very recently, I noticed that alongside the road there is a small corn, watermelon and pepper garden. It is just off the pavement and along the side of the road beside an embankment. It is very simple -- just a row of corn with some melons and peppers planted here and there.

What I noticed the last couple of days, besides the fact that the corn looks very healthy in this hot weather, is a "Corn" Santa is guarding the little garden. It looks like an old Santa, or at least an elf standing guard over the corn, protecting it from critters, I suppose.

He might be a Santa that has fulfilled his purpose in December and is looking out for children the rest of the year by saying "Eat your vegetables, please." He hasn't chosen a very hard task because corn and melons are pretty popular with the young (and young at heart).

The watermelon vines certainly do look good. I think a good harvest is very likely.

I am just amazed by someone who isn't limited by space. No room for a traditional garden? You, too could make it happen in a little strip of sunlight along a busy road. That is ingenuity, determination and ...

should be an inspiration for anyone who doesn't have the space, or the time ... but does have imagination.