Pots and Pins

It's Time to Say So Long...

I started this blog in 2007 as a way for my mom to see what I was up to every day, since we lived 800 miles apart.  Mom was my inspiration, not just for this blog but for everything I ever did.  Mom was my greatest cheerleader; I was so very blessed to have her as my mom.  A week ago my sweet mom passed away from complications of Covid-19.  She got sick, was hospitalized, then sent home because she was doing better and she continued to improve for a few more days before she took a turn.  To say we are heartbroken is an understatement, I just have no words to describe what a loss we are dealing with.  My mom was amazing.  Absolutely amazing.  Really, truly amazing.  

Thanks for being my blog friends for the last 13 years.  For reading, commenting, putting up with me trashing the mister and for sharing your lives with me.  So many of you have become friends and I'm so very grateful for you.  My blog will continue to be online, I just won't be posting any more.  I won't say good-bye, just a heart-felt thanks.    Love, Nan.

 

  

Caramel Apple Rice Pudding...

Before Pumpkin Season takes hold (it officially begins October 1st in my humble opinion), let's celebrate Apple Season to the hilt with this amazing caramel apple rice pudding.  This is what Fall is all about, and since the first day of Fall is tomorrow, you need to make this today!!

 

You can use any white rice, I prefer Jasmine.  You can use any apple, too, but I like Fuji.  And here's the beauty of this rice pudding, you can cook it until the rice is chewy or soft and the apple can still have a bit of a bite to them or they can be almost mushy - you get to choose!

This is serious comfort food and it really hits the spot on a cold, rainy Northwest day - or whatever kind of day you're having.  One bite of this will remind you of home and grandma and picking apples off the tree and everything you're missing.  Trust me, this one's a keeper.

 

Caramel Apple Rice Pudding - Pots and Pins

2 cups water

1 cup white rice

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup whole milk

1 stick (1/2 cup) butter

1 egg

pinch of salt

1 large apple, chopped, Fuji, Gala or Honeycrisp

1 teaspoon vanilla

Cinnamon sprinkle to garnish

In medium size saucepan bring 2 cups water to a boil, add rice, bring back to a boil then reduce heat to low and cook for 15 minutes.  Meanwhile, in another medium saucepan combine brown sugar, milk, butter, egg, and salt and whisk together over medium heat until butter and sugar are completely melted.  Stir in chopped apple, cook, stirring occasionally, over medium heat for 10 minutes.  When rice is done, remove from heat and stir into sauce, stirring until mixed well, and cook for an additional 10 minutes or until apples and rice are as tender as you like.  Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.  Serve hot or warm with a sprinkle of cinnamon on top, if desired.

Easter 2020...

The biggest concern we had this year about Easter was not the number of eggs to hide or the eggs to throw, and it wasn't whether to have ham or turkey (we had both).  No, the biggest concern was whether to have Easter at all because of 'Rona.  After taking into consideration that everyone was healthy and everyone had been in quarantine for weeks, except for the boy, we decided we would go ahead with our plans.  (The boy was doused with sanitizer and kept 6 feet away!)  The little people were so looking forward to Easter, this would be the first one they would celebrate with us in a very long time and they were desperate to get out of their house!

 

We barely had time to go over the rules before Max and Elsa took off running in opposite directions!  Max will turn 12 tomorrow, he has gotten so tall and loves everything about celebrations, of any kind, as does Elsa, who is 8.  I certainly got lucky with my grandkids because they are happy with whatever we have or do.  Max loves to come to our house when I've set a "fancy" table and Elsa told me after our feast that I was like Mary Poppins.  Oh be still my heart!  That's the 2nd time she's told me that and believe me, it's the best thing anyone could ever say to me!  In my next life I plan to BE Mary Poppins!  They hunted for 50 eggs, all filled with candy or money.  Elsa found the most cash, $11 and while Max wasn't thrilled about that he was happy to have found the most eggs!

After the egg hunt we had our egg throw.  This year there were 6 people throwing eggs at the tree across the driveway so we had 60 raw eggs and I think only about 10 of them actually hit the tree!  The mister was very gracious and offered to pick up the shells afterwards - highly suspicious I thought as he doesn't even pick up his socks but he picked up most of them and even found some whole eggs that didn't break!

 

Elsa turned out to have the best aim, maybe because she wasn't try to kill the tree like everyone else.  You'll hear the son-in-law in the background, I think he did hit the tree...once.  (After you click and watch the video other videos pop up - I didn't plan for that but didn't know how to delete them!)  After the hunt and the throwing everyone was famished and it was finally time for our feast!

I managed to snap two pictures before chaos ensued.  I feel lucky to have captured these three at all!  I tell myself to remember to get a group shot but it never happens, everyone is too busy talking and eating and even with a bonafide photographer in the family we never get a family photo!  

 

Max follows his uncle around because they are usually talking golf business.  The boy has taught Max to golf and often takes him to hit balls.  If the golf courses were open up here those two would be the happiest people on the planet!  Why is it the golf courses are closed anyway!??!  I won't get started, so much about this quarantine-crap is just ridiculous!  Pot shops and liquor stores can be open but not golf courses?!?  Okay, sorry, I'll stop...back to Easter and being Christ-like...we had a great time together, another memory made and in the name of corona virus we finished off dessert and sent everyone home via Corona Street, with masks and sanitizer! 

 

"Blessed are those who dine on Hot Cross Buns on Easter day."  The Earl of Sammamish.

Root Beer Tasting 2019...

Root Beer tastings are something we started doing back in 2012 - when Max discovered he loved root beer.  At the time we had a store just down the hill from us that sold hundreds of different kinds of root beer; Max loved going there and we would buy as many different root beers as we could carry.  Sadly, The Root Beer Store closed down, forcing us to drive all over creation to find unusual root beers to add to our list.  Just when I thought we had exhausted every supplier in the Northwest, I learned The Root Beer Store had reopened in a new location.  Not quite as convenient but since I usually drive to Utah once a year, at least I'm able to get there!  The Root Beer Store is open for business in Sandy, Utah.  Their address is 9350 South State Street but better still, you can order from them and online and have your root beer delivered to your door!  But listen up all you Utahans...please, please, please go there and buy root beer and keep them in business for us!!!    

New to our tastings this year is our official family root beer tastings folder!  Elsa said we needed one, since all of our previous notes were stapled together into one big mass...she's so good at organizing - doesn't get that from me!  Elsa hates root beer (gets that from her grandpa, who likes his beer root-less) so she is the official writer-downer and loved having all of our notes in our new folder.    

Also new this year was the taste "key" the kids came up with...when we first started writing down all of the root beers we'd tasted, we were pretty lax in how we rated them.  Max asked that we be more specific this time...so they came up with this key:

This year we were honored to have a truly experienced root beer taster join us...my dad!   Dad used to make his own root beer so he is somewhat of an expert.  We had planned to have dad make some of his for us to try but time got away from us...next year!!  Mom joined in the fun, too, but she's not nearly as passionate about root beer as dad.  The kids were very excited to have them both at our tasting table, which was a first for them.

Little glasses were passed, the bowl for "dumping" was put in the center of the table, the moderator, as Max called Elsa, had written down all of the pertinent information so the tasting could begin!

Dad and Max are very serious about their root beer...and their numbers reflected that...they were not easily impressed and didn't give out high marks easily.  I tend to like root beers that are more sweet, like cream soda, but Max, Dad and the boy like theirs to be more true root beer like.  You wouldn't think there wouldn't be big differences in the tastes...but there are!

You can see the mister, boy and me in the reflections in the window...I failed to get a picture of my mom but she was there, pretending to enjoy it.  (The dump bowl is where any root beer that was left in our glass goes.  Since we don't drink from the bottles, about half a bottle of root beer is left in each bottle and we since they don't keep and we hate throwing them out, we always offer them to our neighbors to try.)   Below is our list of the root beers we tasted - Death Valley Root Beer was the winner...the loser was Bukin' Root Beer.  I love the names of the root beers - they are clever and funny, like Dead World Root Beer, which was  actually pretty good.  You can see all of the root beers we have tasted over the last 5 years by clicking here!  Before 2014 we didn't write things down...we didn't know root beer tasting would become one of our things! 

Ordering from The Root Beer Store was not all that expensive - I think I spent $45 on 12 root beers, which included shipping and the root beers arrived within a few days.  (Only 11 are listed above because Max "accidentally" drank one before the tasting!)  We try to have a tasting at least once a year and we try to taste a dozen root beers at a time - it makes things last longer and sitting around the table laughing and talking with family, with the occasional root beer sip, is one of our favorite things to do together.  I guess that's my way of saying it's not a lot of money for all of the fun and memories it provides. 

Bottoms up!

 

DIY Tufted Headboard...

Before Christmas I was thinking about the old days when the mister and I would run around shopping for the kids, buying toys that needed to be assembled at the 11th hour so Santa could take all the credit.  Back then we didn't think about how many pieces the toys contained or how long it would take to put together - we were caught up in the frenzy of Christmas.  The mister would stay up until the wee hours, reading and rereading directions, swearing, throwing things, one tantrum after another until finally the doll house was finished or the raceway was working.  Then Christmas morning the girl and boy would wake  up at the crack of dawn and the mister would grumble as he was dragged from bed, having had only a few hours of sleep.  Ah yes, the good ol' days. 

This year when I told the mister I would need his help making a king-size tufted headboard for the boy I gave him plenty of notice, I didn't wait until Christmas Eve.  Even so, the mister grumbled and said he was done assembling Christmas presents.  I told him I just needed his strong arms and his amazing man-power, and it would be so easy he wouldn't even have time for the teensiest of tantrums.  He was finally convinced and so I set about getting everything we needed, beginning with a sheet of compressed plywood from Home Depot which they cut for me, 76-inches x 36-inches, for free.  Oh, I was wrong about the tantrums.

 I also purchased two pieces of foam from Home Depot, which was much cheaper than buying from a fabric store like Joann's.  We cut the foam with a sharp knife to fit the plywood and used a spray glue to secure it in place.

A piece of batting, staple gun, drill, wood screws and washers were also needed.  Once the foam was glued into the place, a piece of batting was pulled tightly over the foam and stapled onto the back of the board.  The 2 1/2-yards of decorator-weight fabric was then pulled tightly around the board and stapled on the back - two people are really needed for this so the fabric stays tight. 

It's super important that the screws are placed evenly, they create the tufts.  One of the videos I watched had 45 screws!!!  I didn't have the patience for that so I opted for 14...that was a much more manageable number.  I measured and measured and measured, over and over again, making sure everything was marked correctly and spaced evenly.

The power drill helped so much!  First the washer is put on, then the screw...the washer keeps the screw from poking through the fabric - we tried to find larger washers to use, but the larger the washer the larger the whole in the center of the washer and then the larger the screw...anyway, we did the best we could with the brain power we were given and it seemed to work...until we hit a snag...

Twice the drill/screw caught the batting and the batting/fabric/foam was all snagged on the screw and it ripped the fabric!!!  Tantrums ensued.  I ended up stitching the holes together with carpet thread and then I applied some super glue...we held our breaths and tried again.   It ripped again - once there is a hole it just continues to grow...so I sewed them up again, worrying it would show beyond the buttons...and after sewing/gluing twice, it worked.  Crisis averted!!

I purchased a button covering kit from Joann Fabrics, it came with exactly 14 buttons.  It was really easy to cover the buttons and then they were glued on top of the screws with E-6000 craft glue.

Here it is all finished!!  We were high-fivin' ourselves all over the place!  Can't believe we actually did it...and it should be noted that even though the mister had himself a few tantrums, not one tool was thrown and we didn't have to make a trip to urgent care either!!  He might be mellowing in his old age!  We carried the thing upstairs and hid it in our closet.  One entire roll of wrapping paper and a big bow and it was ready for Christmas morning!

The grandkids were shocked when they walked in and saw the giant wrapped present and immediately asked who it was for...when we told them it was for the boy they quickly forgot about it and moved onto their gifts.  After everything was opened we sat around for a bit and let everyone guess what the giant package could be...and no one was even close!  Finally the boy unwrapped it...he loved it, we loved it, the kids loved it!!  It was SO fun to be able to surprise the boy!

We purchased a picture-hanging kit where one strip is mounted to the wall and another to the headboard - it was super easy for the boy to put them on and to hang the headboard.  The hard part, because there is always a hard part, was making sure it was level.  We decided the headboard needed to be about 10-inches below the top of the mattress, so it would look like it was part of the bed and not just stuck on the wall - measuring and using a level was the key!  The picture-hanging kit held up to 500 lbs., and I think the headboard weighed about 50 lbs., maybe less, actually I have no idea but I could lift it so it wasn't that much!  Anyway, the boy made sure the screws were put into the studs so he wouldn't have to worry about the thing falling and hitting him in the head.

 

It looks SO great!   We are so happy with how it turned out and so is the boy.  As we were making this the mister kept asking why we didn't just buy him a headboard...and really, we could have for about the same amount of money we spent making it...I found a similar king-size tufted headboard on Wayfair.com for $176.00 that included free shipping...it was tempting.

 

We definitely would have saved ourselves some trouble but it was SO FUN to make something for the boy - we haven't done that for years!  And we did have a good time working together...well almost...and that's saying a lot!  Here's our cost breakdown:

 

compressed wood:     8

2 pieces of foam:      46

spray glue:               15 (an unnecessary expense but the people on You Tube said we should use it)

washers & screws:    12

2 1/2 yds fabric:       30

button cover kit:      10

2 1/2 yds batting:     8

E-6000 craft glue:     5

staples:                    5

wrapping paper:       5

picture hanging kit:  15

 

Total cost:            $159.00

 

 

But really, how can you put a cost on the joy of making something special for someone you love?!?!  I think I was most excited about giving this to the boy than any of the other gifts we gave this year, including the things we gave to Max and Elsa.  

 

Merry Christmas to the boy!  

The Grinch Party...

I'm lucky to have a lot of nieces and nephews, none live close to me but I get to see most of them on a regular basis when I go to SLC.  Three of my nieces are Grinch fiends...they love the movie, The Grinch, (of course they love the book, too) and everything about Who-ville.  After years of talking about it, my nieces Gabby, Callie and Gracie decided it was time they had their own Whobilation...they asked if I wanted to help...duh!  

Callie truly is Martha May Whovia and Gabby is a lot like Betty Lou Who, so they played their parts brilliantly!  Of course, no Whobilation would be complete without the very precious Cindy Lou Who...and little 4 year old Rylee was cast perfectly.  Rylee was so excited for the party - kept asking all day if it was time and she could barely contain herself when we finally said it was! 

Baby Who-Rhett oversaw everything from the safety of his Who-seat and he was so good - not a peep out of him.  Can't say that about Mayor Augustus May Who - although he did kick the party into high hear when he showed up!    

Yours truly was crowned Cheermiester, awarded a goblet, lighted necklace, a tinsel-y-pointer-thingy and a beautiful Christmas sweater that I was forced thrilled to put on.  My sister Carolynn is trying to hide behind me in the picture - but we see you!  

If I look a little tired, and I do, it's because I was!  The morning of the party my sister Carolynn and I decided we would dip chocolates...probably not the best decision but time was short.  We spent about 5 hours dipping 350 chocolates and then packaging them for gifts.  By the time we were finished we were covered in chocolate, and so was every surface in the kitchen.  We spent a good bit of time cleaning up, with the clock ticking down to the Whobilation...a nap would have been nice but there wasn't any time for that!  

My sister Joni let us trash her kitchen, she does have the perfect space for dipping chocolates...huge counter that we could completely cover with chocolate.  Carolynn is a master at packaging and each box was beautifully wrapped with darling tags.  I made the apron for my sister Joni several years ago and I used it so I wouldn't be chocolated...when she came home and saw it she thought it was ruined forever...but it washed up beautifully.  It was probably the first time it's been used...

By now I'm sure you're wondering what does one do at a Whobilation besides dress up?  Well, for starters we dined on green food...

 

We had everything from Grinch Juice, (it was actually really good - recipe can be found here) to roast-beast - sort of - and tons of sugary things...too many to mention - tons is the correct word as that's what I felt like I had gained by the time I flew home!    

We had SO much food!  (Only half of what we had is pictured above!)  I had to get a picture of my brother-in-law's homemade bread...he's now a breadmaker...Who knew???  The list of what we wanted to make shrunk considerably because of our time constraints - probably a good thing.  But our Whobilation wasn't just about dressing up and eating...oh no...we had an actual purpose!

 I love parties where there is something to do...standing around eating is boring, and besides, it's what I do all day long anyway...so when Gracie and Gabby were talking about this I asked them what the point was...I mean, besides fun, and I told them we needed to do something.  They didn't quite get it - standing around eating is not something they do all day so they were looking forward to that...but when I suggested we paint something, they were on board!  I prepped the canvasses before I flew to Salt Lake and took all of the paints, brushes and other supplies with me...my luggage was awarded the "overweight" sticker.  I'm just glad they didn't put it on me!  Everyone was given a canvas, paint, brush and a stencil of the Grinch's hand to use if they wanted - and we all painted the same picture.

  There were plenty of real Grinch's at our party who wanted nothing to do with painting...note to self:  don't have a party when everyone's favorite football team is playing on TV.  I was so proud of my little Who-Monets...they took their painting very seriously - as they should!  Painting the Grinch's hand, creating their own masterpiece...their own family heirloom, well, that's a very serious thing!

 

Can you tell which painting is little Rylee's?  Don't you just love it??  She was NOT going to be told what to paint or what colors to use but she does have the Grinch's hand in there!  I love them all so much - we had our very own Grinch Art Gallery.  We decided that next year - because this must be an annual event - these paintings need to be on display and hopefully they will all have been properly framed!

 

The best part of the entire thing was spending time with my family.  I SO wish we all lived closer to each other - I love it when I'm with them and miss them when I'm not.  We had such a good time and I hated it to end...but alas, all good things do have to end...if not we would have all grown three sizes that day!

 

Merry Grinchmas and Happy Who Year!

Valentine Quilt...

We've had plenty of snow days lately and snow days = sew days!  I've been workin' like crazy to get a few things done and this Valentine's quilt was at the top of my list.  This quilt top comes together pretty quick, I think it took me start to finish, from cutting fabric to stitching the last rows together, about 4 hours...give or take and that includes stopping every 20 minutes (necessary so I don't get a crick in my neck!)  or so to change the laundry, grab a bite and fix a mocktail so maybe 3 1/2!

Yours truly also had time to make a snowman...well, not during my sewing marathon, but before.  Isn't he great?!?!  I didn't have a proper hat, had to settle for a colander, but he was fine with that!  SO much snow!!!  Seattle doesn't get a lot of snow and when we do, it usually melts the next day but this stuff has been around for over a week and it's starting to cramp my style!  Everyone in Seattle lives on a hill, no one knows how to drive in snow and we have about 3 snow plows...so while the rest of the country laughs at us for our foot and a half of snow, it's pretty crippling here!!  

 

Every day there have been loads of kids sledding in the park behind our house - it's been so fun to watch.  Snow "forts" were built, destroyed and then built again and there were several snowmen, too...like this one Rosie is checking out...he's a bit of a leaner!

It's so pretty here when it snows...a veritable winter wonderland!

 

So here it is...my newest creation...

 

I was inspired by a pic I saw on Pinterest - turned out to be from one of my favorite quilters, Amy Smart of Diary of a Quilter - she's amazing and so talented!

Since we were snowed in I had to use what fabric I had...wish I had some different fabrics on hand but it is what it is...and I'm more than happy with how it turned out.  So thank you to Amy!!  All of those hours scrolling Pinterest finally paid off!  Now to get this beauty quilted so I can wrap up in it and watch the new Valentine Hallmark movies!!!  

 

 

Eggnog Pudding...

While you're all recovering from your MLK celebrations, I'm still thinking about one of our most yummy Christmas desserts - eggnog pudding.  If you're in need of a really creamy, special, festive dessert, this is the one.  Eggnog is still available in the stores so you have time to make this, but hurry!  Just so I don't forget about this recipe next year, I've put a copy of it in my paper desk calendar, under November...I'll be ready to make it the minute the eggnog hits the store shelves!

 

I'm really missing Christmas.  We had such a great time, mainly because I changed things up this year.  Instead of having one day where the grand-kids tore into stacks of presents that one week later they wouldn't be able to remember, I decided that in the days leading up to Christmas they would open an experience.  I bought a pretty Christmas box (Joann Fabrics) and each night after the kids went to bed I put a red envelope inside the box.  Inside the envelope was a letter to the kids telling them what to expect that day...it was a hit!

The first day they opened a letter that said they would go see the new Mary Poppins movie, and inside the box they found movie candy, and a new Christmas sweater for each of them to wear to the theater. The letter went on to say that night they would watch the original Mary Poppins and learn to sing the song Supercalifragilisticexpealidocious!  Which they loved!  (For Elsa's birthday on January 12th I gave her a pillow that said Supercalifragilisticexpealidocious on one side and on the other it said Practically Perfect In Every Way...she loooooooved it!  Both Max and Elsa are now huge Mary Poppins' fans!)

Another day the kids opened a letter that told them they we were going to start the day baking and decorating Christmas cookies and then they would go to the Reindeer Festival at the Cougar Mountain Zoo in Issaquah.  They could not have been happier - the got to feed the reindeer apples and Max saw some wolves, which is one of his latest obsessions, so he was over the moon, which is still his favorite obsession!)  (I love the reindeer's eye - he was watching me!)  Later that night, just as the letter said, we took the kids to see Snowflake Lane - in the rain - it was a circus, super crowded, cold, people jockeying for a position all around, but they took it all in stride with smiles on their little wet faces.  Then I hit a home run by taking them to McDonalds for a late night snack...their favorite place to eat, oy vey...

Max is pretending to drive the sleigh - it was freezing outside but they sat in that sleigh for ten minutes!!!  The letters kept them very busy - every morning they looked forward to opening the red envelopes.  They saw the train exhibit at Seattle Center, rode the Monorail, rode the Christmas carousel, saw the giant gingerbread houses, saw the play Annie, made nativities out of clay, played games, took Rosie for walks in the park, had pedicures, hit golf balls, baked cookies and made candies, prepared the yule log for the fireplace (more on that later), had a root beer tasting and pizza party,  and then there was the gingerbread house decorating contest - but I'll save that for another day!  Every day, all day, they were kept busy, going, seeing, doing...It was EXHAUSTING!!!  Kidding, but only a little...every night I crashed into bed but I wouldn't have had it any other way.  They loved their Christmas box of experiences and I think this will become a new tradition for us.  On Christmas day they still got to open quite a few presents as the parents, uncle, aunts, etc., all gave them gifts (and I managed to sneak in a few extra, too, couldn't help myself!)

Neither Max or Elsa like eggnog so this was wasted on them...but the rest of us loved it!  This pudding has a very subtle eggnog taste, I can't help but think it would be perfect as an Easter dessert but who can find eggnog at Easter??!  Doesn't make sense, why we can't have eggnog year round, it's called EGGnog...and Easter is all about EGGS!!  Oh well, what do I know?!?

This is a very easy dessert to prepare and it comes together quickly.  I loved eating it warm, it seemed richer that way...the mister liked his cold, with whipped cream piled on top, and that was every bit as good!

These cute little glasses are from IKEA, they hold about 3/4's of a cup and are the perfect size for puddings.  The pudding is supposed to chill in the fridge for 3 hours but we have a fridge in our garage that is super cold so the pudding was chilled and ready to devour in about 1 1/2 hours - and it was hard waiting that long!  

Eggnog Pudding - Adapted From This Silly Girl's Kitchen  

1/3 cup sugar

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

2 1/4 cups eggnog

3 egg yolks

whipped cream, for serving, optional

Chocolate pirouette cookies, for serving, optional (available at Costco, World Market and Safeway)

Place sugar, cornstarch, salt and cinnamon in a medium-sized pot.  With a whisk, stir in the eggnog and egg yolks until combined.  Set heat to medium and whisk constantly until pudding is thickened and it coats the back of a spoon, about 5 to 8 minutes.  Pour pudding into a individual bowls (ramekins work nicely) and place a piece of plastic wrap on top, touching the top of the pudding so a skin doesn't form.  Put puddings in fridge to set, about 3 hours.  Garnish with whipped cream and chocolate pirouette cookies, if desired.  

 

 

 

I Can See Clearly Now...

One of our projects this summer was replacing the windows in our kitchen.  We hired a contractor last January and he came the last week of June.  He was worth waiting for...he schedules a time to do the work and he only works on ONE project at a time, showing up every day, working all day, and he keeps coming back until the job is done - who's ever heard of that in the contracting world?!?! 

Here's our old kitchen windows...I loved them for 27 years! They were big and beautiful and our kitchen always had natural light.  Above the big window we had windows on top to let even more light in - those were the windows that had failed...the blinds are closed in this picture but I think you can still see them.  

  
Along with the failed windows, I started noticing tiny little bugs in our wood windowsill - I told the mister then that the whole shebang had to be replaced - I couldn't deal with bugs in the kitchen!  Plus the windowsill was soft...never a good sign.  We had this entire window replaced 10 years ago - but we made the mistake of putting a wood windowsill back in, like the original windows had...live and learn folks!  We always do the first part but forget the second!

 
When thinking about the new window, I asked if it could be brought up a bit so my windows wouldn't always be dirty - I seem to do an inordinate amount of splashing when I wash dishes.  I thought raising the backsplash so it was 10-inches would be good...but it was raised MUCH higher than I thought it would be...ten inches turned into 15!!!  And then the windows on top...we just don't ask enough questions...we thought we would be getting the very same thing, glass pretty much meeting glass, instead we now have 10-inches of wood up top where glass used to be!

 

All in all though, we have gotten used to our new view...we love the granite windowsill, wish we would have done that before!  We love having the wall tiled and while the windows aren't as big, they are nice and the view is still great...first world problems, waaaaaah-waaaaaah! 

It should be noted that I went 4 weeks without cooking anything of substance...and the mister survived just fine. 

 

Mom's Red Pepper Jelly...

My mom is something of a miracle.  She is in constant pain from Rheumatoid Arthritis in her spine, along with several back fusions that have now failed, and she pretty much lives on morphine and various other prescribed medications to give her some quality of life.  She needs crutches or a walker to help her walk and she really only has so many steps she can take in a day.  I'm not painting a pretty picture, but here's the thing, she would work you or me or anyone else under the table, even in her condition!  She is always up for anything, willing to go, do, try and when it comes to seeing her grandkids or great-grands - fohgettaboutit!  She's there!  So when mom says she wants to make her red pepper jelly, I just get out of her way! 

If you've never had red pepper jelly then you might be wondering what to do with it...everything!  Most people I know pour red pepper jelly over a brick of cream cheese and serve it with crackers as an appetizer.  I love it that way, too, but really it's good with any cheese and crackers or with chips or poured over chicken, pork or even fish.  My favorite way to use it is to pour it over meatloaf...Heavenly!  Once you taste it you'll spend more time than you'll want to admit thinking up new ways to use it so you'll have an excuse to open another jar! 

Mom doesn't have a food processor but she does have a little gadget that whirls around and chops things pretty quickly.  If you have a food processor, use it, if not, use whatever gadget or knife you have to chop your peppers into very small pieces.  And then let those pieces drain.

Even though it's blurry you can see how much liquid came out of those peppers!  You want to make sure you remove as much as you can.  Mom likes to use an assortment of peppers, it makes for a prettier jelly.  She uses sweet red bell peppers, green bell peppers, yellow bell peppers and 2 jalapeno peppers.  If you want more heat in your jelly, you can add in another jalapeno.  This pepper jelly is not hot, it has only a teensy-tiny little kick so you make yours as hot as you like!

Mom is going to be mad at me for posting this - she's in her pajamas but look how cute she is!!!  She is 85 and still as pretty as ever!  Mom adds a few drops of red food coloring to her jelly - if you decide not to add it your jelly will have a more golden-brown color - we think the red is best.

Not all of the peppers were pulverized into tiny bits - some larger pieces were left, they were about 1/2-inch in diameter and we think that adds to the jelly.  If you want to leave larger pieces, do...or process them until they are all the same size.

We processed the pepper jelly for 10 minutes in a water bath, now it will keep in the pantry for a year!  If you don't process the jelly, you can store it in the refrigerator for one week...sadly, it doesn't last nearly as long as it should!

We were able to put up 20 half-pints of red pepper jelly.  Mom insisted that I bring half of them home with me...my bag was tagged as "heavy" and TSA opened my bag, unwrapped each jar from the bubble wrap but didn't bother rewrapping them...luckily all of them made it home with breaking! 

Mom's Red Pepper Jelly - From Carol Wagner, My Sweet Mom!

8 large red bell peppers

4 large green bell peppers

2 large yellow bell peppers

2 medium jalapeno peppers

12 cups sugar

2 1/2 cups cider vinegar

2 teaspoons butter

Pectin:  If you want a saucy-runny jelly, use two packages of Pectin.  If you want a true jelly, use 3 packages.

Core and stem all of the peppers, removing all of the seeds and membranes.  Cut into chunks and put in food processor and process until very small.  It's okay to leave a few larger pieces.  Work in batches until all of the peppers have been processed.  Put peppers into a colander and drain over the sink or over a large bowl, until all of the excess liquid is removed.  Put peppers into a large pan on the stove over medium-high heat. Add in sugar and cider vinegar and butter.  Bring to a boil, skim off any foam.  (The butter is supposed to prevent foam from happening but if there is any you can remove it if you want.)   Boil for 4 minutes, then add pectin and boil for 4 more minutes.  Pour into hot, sterilized jars. add hot lids and rims and process 10 minutes in a hot water bath.   Remove from bath and let sit for 24 hours - now mom will tell you to not even think about touching those jars!  You don't want to do anything that will make them not seal!  So hands off!   Makes 20 half-pints.  If any of the jars don't seal, keep in refrigerator.   After 24 hours, store in a dark, cool place for up to one year. 

 

I think the steam in the kitchen made it to the lens of my camera!  It was about 90 degrees outside that day and probably 85 in the kitchen by the time we were done!  This jelly is truly a treat - make it while the peppers are fresh at the market!  And let me know if you do!