New Neighbor- The Swainson's Hawk, Independence Days Challenge, Cookbooks & The Digital Age, Crow Wreath For Fall

My new neighbor, a juvenile Swainson's

New Neighbor- The Swainson's Hawk-

We have some Sharp-Shinned hawks in our area, but recently saw this much bigger hawk across the street. A couple of days ago it was up in our backyard tree screeching. I spent quite a bit of time shooting photos until I got a couple of clear shots. I emailed them to the head person at the Birds Of Prey Center to see if she could I.D. it. It came back that it was a young Swainson's Hawk. They mostly eat insects, tiny birds and rodents. That's good! No chicken dinner! Gorgeous bird. 

From Dave's Every Things In Photos blog

My Hubby's photo, he had a better telephoto lens and open viewing

1. Plant Something-

Nope, not til next year. Too hot (90's) and once it freezes we're done. We may get a small greenhouse next year and move the veggie bed out another 4'-6' to be able to plant more. I like this one- 6'-x-4'-Greenhouse Starter Kit  This smaller size would fit our veggie garden about right. I think it would hold up well with the winds and storms. With this we could grow more earlier and later.

 2. Harvest Something-

Several kinds of peppers, tomatoes (mostly the little yellow ones), eggplants, blackberries, kale, collard greens, and herbs. Basil is finally big enough to make some pesto to freeze. My Italian parsley is finally perking up! Compost and eggs.

3. Preserve/Store Something-

Made more pickled red onions. Will can the choke cherry jelly soon. Bought more whole grain/teff rolls as .99 cents a bag at the outlet. Really wonderful flavor. Teff is an African grain that's getting popular. I heard about thru our refugee families. Teff- Bob's Red Mill

 4. Manage Reserves- Get a Good Deal/Barter/Stock Up/Prep-

I can't remember if I posted this before or not- I found 3 brand new Eddie Bauer women's cotton long sleeve tops, vee and round neck, at our Grocery Outlet. $5.00 each! Of all places, who knew? I knew they sold cheap, odd clothes but not a more name brand! I love EB stuff since it usually lasts forever! I got a beautiful periwinkle blue, buttercup yellow, and white. They list on their website at about $25.00 each. Ha! I'm set for fall, since I can use these alone, with vests, or sweaters. 

Dave and I found some nice, new 11 x 14" frames at Ross for his photography prints. Hard to find used ones in that size. He's also getting some old, never used free LED bulbs from a pal for the house. Dave had a good idea to start swapping LED into the house- every paycheck he buys one and installs it. Over time the whole house (except the 3 way bulbs) will be replaced. Much cleaner light and they last forever!!!

5. Eat the Food- Try New Foods/Recipe-

Took all my garden veggies and made a frittata, yummy! I'm cutting back on eating and starting to lost some weight. I'm happy I only gained about 5 lbs. during foot surgery recovery, but I need to get back on track. Working on more protein, lean meats, much less grains and sugar. Kind of Primal/Paleo, but with more chocolate!

I finally bought some Orange Blossom Water at Cost Plus, since I'd heard it's a really great beverage drink and cooking ingredient. I found this and may try it: A Cool Drink  I rarely drink alcohol so this sounds great! This may be the best set of ideas: 10 Things to Do With Orange Blossom Water I've seen so far! Ooh on fruit salad!

 6. Build Community Food Systems- 

Bought local produce last week, berries and corn, awesome! Need to harvest some rhubarb, but I keep forgetting. Will sell eggs when I go back to school.

7. Recycle/Re-Use- 

Dave got 2 free end tables from a co-worker's house, they matched Dave's desk perfect. Same style, like new. :) I bought a cute, new knob from Cost Plus for the one that will go into the living room soon. Cleaning out book case for donations. Getting into storing those pages digitally (more below). 

 8. Skill Up- Learned how to spot oven-proof skillets, vs. not.

9. Regenerate What is Lost/Salvage Something-

Furniture above. 

One of my favorite cookbooks and he's so dang cute!

Cookbooks & The Digital Age-
Recently I found four cookbooks at the local library. I was going to copy and print the pages I needed, then I had a second thought- why not save the paper and ink and save them as a digital file? Bearing in mind, I do have a computer in the kitchen/dining area. The kitchen area came with a desk already built in so it's perfect. I also started going thru cookbooks on my book case and went into the same mode- I will scan what I will actually use, then donate the books to a charity. Or maybe sell them on eBay? Or save them for a giveaway! Why not? Less paper, and the pages won't get dirty!

Crow Wreath For Fall-
I saw this online ($69.00 ouch!) and thought it was too cute for fall! I think I'll make one :) From Williams Sonoma  I've never shopped there but found a great deal for an oven-proof skillet (with lid) that doesn't weigh a ton, good deal! Calphalon Covered Fry Pan  Shhhh, don't tell anybody, shipping's free! I normally don't go for non-stick, but I may this time. I'll look at it in the store.

Day Trippin'/Thrifting Vintage Finds, My "World's Biggest Chicken Egg", Easy Orange Dessert, Garden Harvest Finally! Toxic Treats For Chickens

                                                                 Payette Lake

Day Trippin'-
With my foot surgery we didn't have any kind of vacation at all this summer. No overnight trips, camping, etc. We decided to go up to McCall for the day, a gorgeous mountain town. We had lunch, coffee, then later dinner there. We hung out by the water, soaked my feet (nice and cool!) watched the swimmers, and the wildlife...

                                                                      Dave

                                                                      Lilly or iris?

Cute Moxie coffee place display. Sorry cell phone pics!

We hit the thrift store and a "junktique" store that's we always seemed to miss and was never open. It's like the other ones we've seen up in Idaho City- a lot of stuff, prices way too high, and an older owner who doesn't seem like they actually want to sell anything. It's more like a place to store their stuff. Way overpriced but I found this cute spice rack for $10.00! I think my Grandma had something similar. I cleaned it up a little and did some minor gluing-

It'll go up in the kitchen with something vintage

Dave found 3 glass insulators for $1.00 each so we bought 3. I gave them a good bath and put them on our living room window shelf-

I also found a really, nice denim blouse at a thrift store, perfect for work. Got this really pretty small casserole/serving dish marked "Mexico- No Lead" on the bottom. Really nice glazing for $3.00-

We stopped on the way and hit my favorite local farm produce store. Lat year their berries got wiped out by hail, this year they have a bumper crop! I bought their last 3 baskets they had out, small and dead ripe. The last time we bought some there I went back a week later and bought more. Best ones I've ever had! Perfect flavor and deep red all the way thru-

I made a wonderful fresh strawberry pie, OMG! It was so good! Sorry, no pics. Easy too- Strawberry Pie II

My World's Biggest Chicken Egg-
Dave brought this in from the coop and I almost fainted! I have pretty big hands, and it weighed in at 3 1/2 oz. It had to have been REALLY painful! Yowza. It had a double yolk too! Probably from one of my big Hampshire Reds-

Maybe I should buy that hen a chicken chair to rest on? Saw this at Pier One-

Easy Orange Charlotte Dessert-
After baking desserts in 100 degree weather (with A/C) I decided I needed something cold! I saw this wonderful recipe at Thriftathome.blogspot.com  Here it is, easy peasy, pretty and pretty cheap! Thanks Margo !!!

In a mixing bowl, dissolve 1 envelope unflavored gelatin in 1/3 cup cold water. Add 1/3 cup boiling water.

Add:
scant 3/4 cup sugar
1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice (about 5 1/2 oranges for me)
zest of one orange  (this really made the dessert)
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
pinch salt

Place in refrigerator.  When the mixture starts to gel in 20-40 minutes, fold in:

2 egg whites, beaten with a pinch of cream of tartar until stiff
1/2 cup whipping cream, beaten until just beginning to form soft peaks

Pour mixture into lightly greased bowl or mold, cover.  Refrigerate for several hours until firm. 

Garden Harvest!
The weird planting weather early in the summer, then record heat (115) really did a number on the garden. I think things have finally leveled off. Here's yesterday harvest, plus about 3 cups of blackberries. No lemon cukes yet, but they're coming. They always seem to be last, dang it!!! There are several kinds of peppers, 2 kinds of tomatoes, and eggplants so far. Lots more green Roma tomatoes almost ripe. I'll probably use the peppers for a garden fritatta...

Toxic Treats For Chickens-
Really good, informative article here! Toxic Treats For Chickens

                    Healthy cool treat here! Watermelon!!!

Save Money On Your Prescriptions, Independence Days Challenge, Just Like Grandma's

Save Money on Your Insurance Prescriptions-
I understand that some folks don't have insurance, so this may not be relevant for you. The main thing in this I want to stress is do your research. Many times your insurance prescription coverage will change, with no notice to you. Mine did at some point in the last 2 years. They changed some of the categories of what they call "maintenance" prescriptions. This may take a phone call to your insurance provider as mine did.  I use two very expensive medications that I could only get 1 month at a time, due to the high co-pay. My insurance allows for three month refills at a time, BUT not for some meds as far as the amount of the co-pay. Recently they changed it to a one month co-pay for three months worth of meds, a HUGE savings! In other words- previously I had paid $125.00 for one month refill. Now I pay $125.00 for a three month refill. They didn't allow this before for these 2 particular meds. Glad I called to ask, they never tell you about these changes :(  Review your insurance once in a while. You may save a ton of money.

Independence Days Challenge-

1. Plant Something- Done for now.Too hot!

2. Harvest Something- Blackberries, tomatoes, eggplants, herbs, kale, peppers, collard greens, green apples from tree trimming, eggs, compost, pine shavings from coop cleaning.

3. Preserve/Store Something- Made 7 Qts. applesauce from green apples on my outdoor canning set up. Adding various stuff to the freezer, will start making Choke Cherry jelly soon.

Outdoor canning station

4. Manage Reserves- Get a Good Deal/Barter/Stock Up/Prep- Stocked up on a few clothing items for work from thrift stores, or deeply discounted online. Bought several used cheap DVDs online, since our VHS player finally died. Only a DVD player now, sigh. Got lots from library!

5. Eat the Food- Try New Foods/Recipe- Made new spicy seafood pasta dish, as I am sick of chicken, pork and fish. Made a giant apple cobbler from some of the green apples.

6. Build Community Food Systems- Going to the farmer's market this weekend. More free rhubarb coming from neighbor.

7. Recycle/Re-Use- Got two free night stands,and a small cabinet, so we will use for camera equipment storage, etc. Needs paint job maybe. Got a rolling cooler for $3.00 from same sale. Picked up a nice designer blouse there for $2.00 :) . Hubby got a free tent from our rhubarb neighbor to give to our daughter who's starting to gather camping equipment on the cheap. Got donations ready to pass on. Put coop shavings into veggie garden.
                                   
                       Dave cleaning coop with thrifting shop vac after he shoveled most out

                                          clean coop, with some herbs thrown in

                                                         shavings in garden

8. Skill Up- I'm walking with no boot or crutch! I had to re-learn this. I've been watching shows about wedding dress shopping as my first girl to get married and we went dress shopping last night! I didn't cry! Learned to call my insurance company once a year.

9. Regenerate What is Lost/Salvage Something- Hubby scored 4 used, funky dining chairs from a co-worker headed for the dump. Daughter needs them so we're storing them til she moves after her wedding this fall. Will look at getting our dining chairs reupholstered. Too complicated for me with double edging.

Just Like Grandma's-

I rarely go into a Pier One store, too overpriced for me. I was by one the other day, and for some reason decided to go in. I wandered around for a few minutes, then BAM, a lightning bolt hit me. There in the table runners section was an almost exact copy of the place mats my Grandmother used for decades in her little kitchen dining area. We rarely used the formal dining room, except for holidays. Hers were woven by a weaver friend named Ray that we used to visit in Joshua Tree, in California. They are very reminiscent of rag rugs.  I spent many a year eating wonderful meals on those. These are actually made from used saris. I just couldn't believe what an almost exact match (except for size) it was. I had to buy it. Thanks for making me go in Grandma! Love it! I did some research and saw they actually have Chindi Placemats too!  I picked up four yesterday. Ah the memories....

                                                     Girls come running for a treat!