Spooky Things

 We used our regular mashed potato and mashed sweet potato recipe then piped them through a pastry bag fitted with a cake decorating tip. We shaped them into ghosts and pumpkins, respectively of course, then used a paint brush with black food dye to decorate.
A small festive treat.

{this moment}

In honor of a woman I truly admire, Amanda Blake Soule, I am carrying her tradition that I think is very sweet and makes for an inspirational weekend.

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see. 

Wishing you a beautiful weekend!

{this moment}

In honor of a woman I truly admire, Amanda Blake Soule, I am carrying her tradition that I think is very sweet and makes for an inspirational weekend.

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see. 

Wishing you a beautiful weekend!

{this moment}

In honor of a woman I truly admire, Amanda Blake Soule, I am carrying her tradition that I think is very sweet and makes for an inspirational weekend.

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see. 

Wishing you a beautiful weekend!

First Round of Canning

Our first harvest of Early girls (red) and Lemon boys (yellow).Sanitizing the jars and lids.Blanching then icing tomatoes to remove their skins. 

A secret sauce preparation, then the resulting marinara sauces are ladled into the mason jars and boiled to create a seal.

Seven Jars of mouthwatering spaghetti sauce for my family to enjoy the tastes of summer into the fall and hopefully the winter, too.
For canning tips and recipes see the USDA guidlines -- canning is not difficult, but must be followed precisely to avoid foodbourne illness.

{this moment}

In honor of a woman I truly admire, Amanda Blake Soule, I am carrying her tradition that I think is very sweet and makes for an inspirational weekend.

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see. 

Wishing you a beautiful weekend!

A Day at the Beach

By mid July, my body longs for the beach. We took our first trip on Sunday to Long Branch, New Jersey. It was our first time there. We chose it because it was a quick two hour drive from where we live. The forecast called for possible rain, but we got a good four hours out of the nice weather, then, had a surprisingly delicious late lunch at High Tide. The place didn't look like much from the outside or inside for that matter, but the food was very fresh, tastefully prepared, and extremely inexpensive for it's quality. I had a lobster roll with handcut fries while MJ had her favorite dish of the month, macaroni and cheese, that was so silky smooth. Then we made a dessert stop at Tasty D-lite, which I haven't had since my days as a Manhattanite. And thankfully, the rain didn't begin until we were on the road home.