Encouraging Hearts and Home 05.28.2020

DIY Produce Sprays and Washes, a memory quilt made from favorite tee shirts, Slow Cooker Smoked Brisket Chili, and How to Prepare Tomatoes for Canning are this week's featured posts!

Hello and Welcome!

Last week I shared with you our culvert pipe replacement, so very glad that big job been completed! This past weekend we (and by "we" I mean the "royal we" where it is the menfolk who do most of the physical work, thanks and a shout out to them!) got the first section of the upper storage loft completed in the shop building. 

Now there will be shop floor space to start setting up a workshop and not simply a place for storage. The long term storage items (holiday decore etc, camping gear, and other stuff that we are not yet certain we will need, so we are hesitant to part with it!) will occupy the first 20X12 foot section. The remaining loft (built-in two sections) will be used as a hobby workshop/craft room with the downstairs shop dedicated to woodworking and forging metal works, all a part of the five-year plan.  

Loft from frame to floor!

Encouraging Hearts and Home 05.21.2020

How to store cucumbers, Healthy Start to the Day Cereal Bars, Update a Plastic Flower Pot, and Easy Chocolate Cake are this week's featured posts!

Hello and Welcome! 

I hope your week went smoothly, with moments of joy, accomplishments, and a sense of pride. We had a bit of a chore to complete here in Montana, the menfolk had to change out the culvert for the irrigation canal that runs the perimeter of our property, and it was quite a job! The old one (metal) had rusted and collapsed. Which caused water to back up in the canal bed to the point of overflowing over the canal bank onto the lawn, which (of course!) leads to the house! 

When we purchased our home and began remodeling the double car garage into additional living space, we discovered water damage. 

Sauerkraut and Kielbasa

Sauerkraut might not be your first choice for a delicious springtime dinner, but take another look, because this combination of Sauerkraut and Kielbasa (with a touch of bacon!) is delicious! 

Clams in Chorizo Broth

Looking for something delicious, bold, and just a little bit different? If so, Clams in Chorizo Broth is the answer for an easy-to-make appetizer to share with friends or as a unique main dish for the family!

Chicken Baked with Peaches Thyme and Dijon.

Who is looking for a new, delicious oven meal that everyone will like? If so Chicken Baked with Peaches Thyme and Dijon is calling your name! Quick to assemble, easy hands-off baking, and the family will love it!

Encouraging Hearts and Home 05.14.2020

Sunflower Garden Flag, Homemade Sloppy Joe Sauce, Thoughts on Marriage is Made of 3, and Easy DIY Critter Corral are this week's featured posts!

Hello and Welcome!

My husband and I have been busy this past week buying a small 5thwheel trailer and getting it outfitted for camping and exploring our new home state of Montana. We enjoy camping and spent a year volunteering with the National Park System, prior to moving to Montana. 

We worked as interpretive guides in Washington and Arizona. During our time as volunteers, we lived full time in a large 32-foot 5thwheel. We found it quite comfortable and truly enjoyed meeting so many wonderful visitors and of course the Park Rangers. 

I thought I would share a few photos from that year, 

Let's go camping!

Top left Our full-time home away from home. Parked at Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument (located 6 miles north of the International border between Arizona and Mexico.), winter of 2019. Winter in the desert is quite lovely!

Top right My husband as Smokey the Bear, for Smokey's birthday at Fort Vancouver National Historic Reserve Park early 2019, in Vancouver WA. That Smokey suit is so hot there is a fan in the hood piece!

Lower left The beautiful cacti of the Arizona desert. We were quite surprised by the beautiful varieties of cacti. It was very interesting to learn about the desert, and how the plants and animals survive and thrive. 

Bottom right Our new to us and much smaller 5thwheel for exploring Montana and surrounding states. If you have any suggestions for travel in Montana and the surrounding states, please share!

Thank you for letting me share a bit about us, and now on to the hop!

Encouraging Hearts and Home 05.07.2020

Applesauce Cake with Caramel Icing, Wood Framed Flower Vase, Lots to Love Sweater Set (for dolls), and DIY Vintage Calander Display is this week's featured posts!

Hello and Welcome!

Spring has arrived here in Montana! Our irrigation water from the mountain snowpack is flowing in all the irrigation canals!  

All the greenhouses are open and advertising their products. The birds are nesting in every nook and cranny they can find in the trees. Wildflowers and perennials are blooming all around the valley. And while these are all signs of spring, until the water is running through the irrigation canals it doesn't seem like springtime has arrived! 

It is these traditions around us that help us build our homes and habits. Quickly the seasons will pass from spring to summer, then summer to fall, and fall to winter. Each will contain a tradition that reminds you that yes, another season is coming! What are some of the traditions in your own community?

Savory Black Eyed Peas with Bacon and Red Wine Vinegar

I love having a collection of convenient side dish recipes that call for basic pantry ingredients. And this recipe for Savory Black-Eyed Peas with Bacon and Red Wine Vinegar is just that sort of recipe! Plus it tastes delicious! 

Three Ingredient Pineapple Thai Chicken.

Have a busy kitchen? Do you like recipes that will adapt to slow cooking or oven baking? Us too, so that was the inspiration behind Three Ingredient Pineapple Thai Chicken!