Tuesday Garden Party - Thinking About Fall

We have finally started to have some summer weather and here I am thinking about our fall garden!

Here's what we're thinking for now...

• carrots
• snow peas
• parsnips
• broccoli
• lettuce (towards October)
• onions
• potatoes

Any ideas or suggestions?  We're fortunate to have long growing seasons here in San Diego, but I want to make sure I am putting the right things in the garden for the season.

I'm hoping to get the seeds planted this week. Come back next week to see how I did. In the meantime, check out An Oregon Cottage for her weekly Garden Party.

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Sunday Snapshot - 13

We just finished our last weekend as parents without a teenager until 2020.  The Girl turns 13 on Tuesday!

She had her birthday party on Saturday - laser tag with her friends.  They all had a great time - a success in my book!

Though it was a dark room, and we only had cell phones...  you get the idea.

Would you be 13 again given the chance?









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On Being a Step Mom - Events

The Girl had her 13th birthday party today.

She and 8 of her friends played laser tag at a local laser tag establishment.  There was pizza and cake and presents.  Standard birthday party stuff.

Because we spend a lot of time with The Children, we always find it a bit odd when we encounter parents and kids who find our particular family situation odd.

Some parents won't really talk to us.  I've found that other moms in particular will give me the cold shoulder.  

I'm not entirely sure how to deal with it.  Mostly we just ignore it and move on.  

I feel like I should do something.  Be more involved?  Push the conversation?  Seems like there should be something.

The Girl had a great birthday party (quote from her facebook page "Most awesomest birthday party EVER!!!!!! ") so that is great.

I just hope that one day I will not feel like an outsider.  

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Plum Jelly - It's Easy!

When you have this sitting on your counter...

And you've had enough plum crumble, plum pie or plum pudding, try your hand at plum jelly! Making jelly is really easy - I'm fairly new to canning, and I have found the process to be completely painless.  I made this jelly after dinner on Sunday while entertaining my in-laws.

The recipe itself is really simple.

A short list of ingredients:

4 c. juice of plums (4 lbs. of ripe plums)
1 pouch Certo fruit pectin
6 1/2 c. sugar

To get juice of plums, pit (do not peel) and finely chop plums. Place in saucepan. Add 1 cup water. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer 10 minutes. Use strainer for clearer jelly.


While you are preparing your plum juice, you will want to make sure that you have these ready:

Have jars prepared, by washing jars with hot water, and place lids in boiling water for 10 minutes.

Now it is time to start the jelly. Stir sugar into the plum juice. Mix well. Add 1/2 teaspoon butter - this helps keep the jelly clear and free of foam. Bring mixture to full rolling boil over high heat, stirring constantly. Add Certo fruit pectin and quickly stir. Bring to full boil, and boil 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Skim off any foam. Fill jars immediately. Wipe jar rims and threads. Spoon out any bubbles in jars. Cover quickly with lids. Invert jars for 5 minutes, then turn upright. Check seals after 1 hour.

You'll end up with this:

So delicious!  I've used it on toast and as a filling for a chocolate cake for dessert.  I plan to use it on chicken this weekend on the grill.  Yum!  And really simple.

Next week I hope to show you my tomato sauce recipe. In the meantime, for more great recipes, check out The Grocery Cart Challenge Recipe Swap! If you have a recipe to share, please join in the fun!


Be sure to check out the "Canning Week Blog Party - From Garden PlOTT to Kitchen POTT" hosted by Ott, A (A Latte' with Ott, A) and Jen (From Mess Hall to Bistro)!  I've really been enjoying all of the fabulous recipes and tips this week.  I think you will enjoy them too!

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Before and After

I like this picture. I really like sunflowers, and this is a bright and cheery picture.

But, it is not very interesting. So I cropped and added some "sunshine" so that it reminds me of a hot summer day. My favorite kind!

I like it! If you like my shots, you need to visit Pixel Perfect for more before and after fun! And if you want to play along all you have to do is show us your SOOC (straight out of camera) shot and then the edited version. Link back to Pixel Perfect and link up your post below! Feel free to share with us your editing program and camera gear too!

I've been closely following "Canning Week" over at Ott, A (A Latte' with Ott, A) and Jen (From Mess Hall to Bistro) and am (kind of) going along with the theme showing how you can use your canning jars as a lovely vase. You should check them out though, for all the great recipes and tips that they have!

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Finch Lady?

We visited my family in Minnesota at Christmas two years ago.  While we were there, a photographer friend and I did a photo shoot of the famed Trumpeter Swans in Monticello.

It was a very cool experience.  Despite the terrible lighting.  Despite the temperature, which was below zero.  And the blizzard we drove through to get there.

The swans were amazing.  There were hundreds of them.  Right there in someone's neighborhood.

An amazing sight.  Probably fragrant in the summer.  ;-)

And the reason they keep going back there?  Because a neighborhood woman, nicknamed "the Swan Lady" feeds them.  Hundreds of pounds of food a day.

We saw her out there, adding food to the fairly elaborate food supply system she set up on her property.

Hundreds of pounds of swan food (corn I think) a day.

Fast forward to this week.  The Mr and I are in the yard, filling this:

Our wonderful finch feeder!  Which the finches love.  Which we also love.  The finches love to eat, we love to watch them.

The thing is, the finches eat a lot.  A lot!  Who knew such little birds ate so much.

And we?  Have to keep filling the feeder.

We have a whole new appreciation for the Swan Lady.

Thank goodness we don't have to feed the finches in a blizzard.



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Tuesday Garden Party - Lemon Jelly

Our lemon tree is incredibly prolific.  It's a dwarf Meyer Lemon tree, and we get fruit year-round - we love it!

I love lemon flavored things.  Lemon soup is one of my favorites.  I've also made lemon pasta, lemon chicken, lemon pancakes, lemonade among other lemony delights.

Because we get lots of lemons, we are always on the lookout for a good lemon recipe for when we see this on our counter:

We had such success with our first canning experience making rosemary jelly, that I just had to try making lemon jelly.

I found this recipe, from Blue Ribbon Preserves:

Meyer Lemon Jelly
4 cups filtered lemon juice, preferably Meyer lemons, or juice with an electric juicer that removes most of the pulp and seeds
7 cups sugar
2 (3 oz) pouches liquid pectin

In an 8-qt stainless steel pan, over medium high heat, heat the juice until warm. Add the sugar and heat, stirring constantly, until the sugar is completely dissolved. (This is a slow process but necessary.) Increase the heat to medium high and bring the mixture to a full rolling boil, stirring constantly. Stir in the entire contents of both pectin pouches. Return the mixture to a full rolling boil, stirring constantly for 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat.

Quickly skim off any foam and immediately ladle the hot jelly into hot jars, leaving 1/4-inch headspace. Wipe there jar rims and threads and apply screw rings. Process half-pint jars in a 200 degreeF water bath for 10 minutes, pint jars for 15 minutes.

Yield: 7 to 8 half-pint jars

I just LOVE this jelly!  It tastes great on bread fresh from the oven, would go well with crackers or could be used to baste roasted chicken or pork.

It's also pretty!

This recipe is a keeper!  Definitely worth a try if you enjoy orange marmalade.

I'm thinking we are going to start our fall seeds soon. Come back next week to see what wwe'll be planting. In the meantime, check out An Oregon Cottage for her weekly Garden Party.

Also check out "Canning Week Blog Party - From Garden PlOTT to Kitchen POTT" hosted by Ott, A (A Latte' with Ott, A) and Jen (From Mess Hall to Bistro)!  There are lots of fabulous recipes and tips this week!

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Sunday Snapshot - Summer at the Winery

We had a beautiful afternoon today.  The weather is finally summer (hot!) and wonderfully sunny.

The Mr and I headed up to Orfila Winery, where we are wine club members.  Our wine shipment was ready for us!

I love these afternoons.  We did a bit of wine tasting (their new sparkling wine was finally available and we tried some - delicious!) and then walked around the grounds for a while.

Peaceful here.

Looks like the grapes are ready to be picked!

The Mr enjoying the day...

Walking in the vineyard.

And this is a pic of The Mr taking a pic. Circular photography. ;-)

We had a great afternoon.  I look forward to going back again in the fall!








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Pasta with Jamaican Jerk Chicken and Mango Salsa

We had this for dinner on Sunday.

Extreme Habanero with Jamaican Jerk Chicken and Mango Salsa.  Tasty!  And incredibly hot.  Like so hot you can't finish it hot.  And I really like hot food.

The interesting thing was, with this recipe, all the heat was in the pasta!

I liked this recipe a lot and will make it again.  Using different pasta (or at the very least a blend of the ridiculously hot "extreme habanero radiatore" and something that is actually edible).

Now, if you are interested in super-hot, crazy pasta, Papparadelle's has your stuff!  They also have lots of other flavors.  Flavors that you can eat without permanent damage.  (have I mentioned that the habanero pasta is hot?)  We've tried the curry angel hair pasta and it was fabulous!


Here's the recipe.... enjoy!

Extreme Habanero with Jamaican Jerk Chicken and Mango Salsa

1 lb. Pappardelle's Extreme Habanero Radiatore (feel free to substitute your favorite pasta)
2 cups chopped pitted peeled mango
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
2/3 cup chopped green onions
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
4 teaspoons olive oil
Place all of the ingredients in a food processor, or blender. Process until almost smooth.
Cover and chill the salsa for 2 hours.
Rub chicken breasts lightly with oil. Dust with dry Jamaican Jerk seasoning. Marinade for one hour. Grill and slice.
Cook and toss the Extreme Habanero Radiatore with extra virgin olive oil.
Mix the sliced chicken with the radiatore. Top with the mango salsa.
Serves 4 - 6

For more great recipes, check out The Grocery Cart Challenge Recipe Swap! If you have a recipe to share, please join in the fun!



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Before and After

This is the sign at the entrance to San Diego's Little Italy. On a cloudy day. Not very interesting.

I've always thought it looked a bit old-fashioned and wondered what it would look like if I gave it a vintage look.  I think I like it... though the effect may be better if I didn't have modern cars in the background.  ;-)

If you like my shots, you need to visit Pixel Perfect for more before and after fun! And if you want to play along all you have to do is show us your SOOC (straight out of camera) shot and then the edited version. Link back to Pixel Perfect and link up your post below! Feel free to share with us your editing program and camera gear too!

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