My MSU Girl

This week is homecoming at my daughters high school.  They have been dressing silly all week.  Today was team spirit day.  Could be any team.  She chose Michigan State.  Our sweet neighbor is a HUGE Michigan State fan.  She had all these things that she let my girl borrow for the big day at school today.  My sister is especially fond of the flip flops with socks.  :)  I am proud of my girl for having fun in school.  I bet this is a fun week for all the kids who participate.

Garden Patch Relish

 I have several (and I do mean several) Gooseberry Patch Cookbooks.  I love them!  I can always find something fun in them.  Recipes, gifts to make, ideas for my home and stories from other women that make me cry!  I saw this relish recipe and thought I would make some for gifts this Christmas.  Yes, I said it.  Christmas.  :)

 Here are all my veggies chopped up and taking a bath in the salt water.

 Of course I HAD to watch my most favorite movie in the entire universe (You've Got Mail) while chopping up all the vegetables.  Right?

And for the record, I think Meg Ryan is a doll in this movie.

Ta Da!!  Here they are all finished.  Once again, there was music to my ears coming out of the kitchen.  Ping...Pong...Ping as the jars sealed.  The recipe said it would make 10 1/2 pint jars....but I got 11 out of it. 
I am excited to give some of these away as gifts and to eat some myself.  :)

I Have Been Boo'd!

I woke up this morning to find a sweet little bag hanging on the door knob.  What could it be?  :)

I have been boo'd?  How fun!  :)

These are all the goodies that I found inside the bag.  (And of course, Simon had to be there to check it out with me.)  There were dishtowels, Halloween sprinkles for cupcakes, little ghost baking cups, Halloween pencils, two pairs of Halloween socks, a very cute pumpkin notepad and snack size Snickers.  Oh yum!  :)  Someone knows us pretty well.  Wonder who is up to no good in my life???? Well, actually it was VERY good and fun as well.  The kids were all a buzz this morning trying to figure out who left this for us.   Hummmmmm........

A Little Project

While rearranging the furniture last night, I thought I would create a little look out for the kitty.  When I came downstairs this morning, he was enjoying his little spot.  :)

I thought my kitchen table needed a little more fall for the little arrangement I made in the antique colander that sits on my table.  I got out some fall fabrics from my stash and began my little project.  I always have a furry helper with me when I sew.  Guaranteed. 

Has to sit on the chair with me.  At least until he finds his favorite place.

A little appliqued pumpkin.

All finished....

His favorite place.

My girls are dressed up for the big game with Michigan vs Michigan State.  Shelby's boy friend is a Michigan fan.  So, she wanted a little rivalry so she decorated with green just to get his goat.  That a girl.  :)

(Now that I am looking at these pictures...who's kids are those anyway?  Mine certainly are not that old.  No way...no how.)

Fall Has Come To My House

I made a list last week when I began my first day not working anymore.  I don't think I mentioned yet that I gave my notice at my last employer.  It was just not working out for me working there.  I do miss the girls that worked there something awful though!  They became very dear to me.  Anyway, I decided to make a list of "Things To Do While I Am Not Working."  The first thing I put on my list was to decorate the house for fall.  Since we were moving last fall, I decided not to get all that stuff out.  I missed it since fall is my most favorite time of the year.

 I bought some $1.00 silk leaves in the dollar bins at Target.  I strung them onto some kitchen twine and created a long banner of leaves for above my windows.  It looks pretty cute and it was cheap to boot!  Thought I would share some of my little decorations with you.

Have you read the book "If You Give A Mouse A Cookie?"  Well, I told my sister that was me yesterday.  I was the little mouse.  Except my story went like this...."If you give Shann a list.....she will get out her fall decorations from the basement.  Then she will decide her living room needs rearranged.  Then she will decide the baseboards need wiped down.  Then she will decide the curtains are dusty and she will wash them.  Then she will decide the blinds need cleaned.  Then she will think the windows need washed.  Then she will put the furniture back in place.  Then she will dust and make everything sparkle with cleaner and smell so very good.  Then she will decorate for fall.  The End.

Apple Pie Filling

 A year ago or possibly longer,  I came upon a recipe for homemade apple pie filling.  I have been wanting to make it since I found it on her blog.  Today was the day because I do love apple pie.  The thought of canning was a bit scary for me since I have never done it solo without my dear mama.  But, I felt up for the challenge and off I went to purchase my supplies for the goodness that was about to unfold.

Ever wonder what 10 pounds of apple peels looks like?  Now you know.  :)

All the apples peeled, cored and sliced soaking in a nice cool bath of lemon water.

Clean jars ready to be filled.

 

This was the yummy carmel sauce that was ready to be poured over the apples in the jars.  Oh my was this stuff sticky and yummy.

When my parents came up last time to visit I had them bring up a big pot so I could make something yummy with all this fruit and veggies from Michigan.  Maybe I should share a jar with them since they let me borrow it?  Want some mom?  :)

 

And lastly, here are a couple jars all finished.  It was a lot of work.  But, it was something fun to do last night.  And, the sound of ping ping when the lids sealed was music to my ears!  That means it worked!  Yippee!!  It will be nice to have something yummy when the snow is flying again.  And, there is something satisfying knowing that I made it myself.  Even if it does make me feel a wee bit like this gal........

Beautiful!

 The other night we had the most fantastic rainbow in Michigan.  It was the most vibrant rainbow I have ever seen.  The colors were so deep and dark and clear.  And, you could see it from one side to the next.  And then it became a double rainbow!  My daughter and I were "chasing" it around town.  I just happened to have my camera in the car and got some pictures out my window.  These are nothing compared to what we saw with our own eyes.  There were people stopping on the side of the road taking pictures of it.  I have never seen that before.  Wonder if they were remembering God promise with the rainbow just like my daughter and I were......

 

Genesis 9: 8-17  Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him:  "I now establish my covenant with you and with your descendants after you and with every living creature that was with you—the birds, the livestock and all the wild animals, all those that came out of the ark with you—every living creature on earth.  I establish my covenant with you: Never again will all life be cut off by the waters of a flood; never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth."      And God said, "This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come:  I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth.  Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds,  I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life.  Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth."
     So God said to Noah, "This is the sign of the covenant I have established between me and all life on the earth."