Hoo are you? Gotta love Tuesdays

Here are this week's questions!

1. What are your favorite 3 things about fall?

I love the cooler temps.  I live in TX so cooler means high in the 80's but I am thrilled to have it.  I also enjoy getting back to the routine of it fall. With school starting and football practice I get into a routine and I love to have a regular routine.  The best part about fall is the coming holidays.  I love Thanksgiving and Christmas!!!! 

2. Are you a football fan and if so who is your favorite team?

I love football.  I graduated from Permian High School (yes, the Friday night lights school) so football is kinda a big deal.  I love to watch my son play the most.  He is only in pee wee football, but I love it.  I guess my favorite team is "Da Bears".  Well for now.  I tend to pick favorite players and follow them.  I know I am weird.  LOL

3. What is your favorite fall scent?

Pumpkin pie spice.  MMMMMM Yay for fall!

4. So you have seasonal allergies?

Yes Yes Yes!  I am stuffed up this morning and will be for the next few months. 

5. Have you started Christmas shopping yet?

LOL I start in Jan.  I am one of those crazy people.  I look for Christmas gifts all year round.  I love to give the "perfect" gift not just a gift, and that just takes time.  ;)

Pickled Watermelon what???

Periodically my Dad dreams up something he remembers fondly from his childhood.  Sometimes we don't really believe his whole story (like that his grandmother making a WHOLE LAUNDRY BASKET FULL of sugar cookies), but he can usually talk me into most things.  It's only fair since I drag him into all sorts of crazy projects all the time.  :)  So when I told him I was going to make Watermelon Jelly, he began telling me how much he missed pickled watermelon rinds.  I was secretly grossed out, but I got on the ole computer and googled a recipe for Pickled Watermelon Rinds.  I was amazed to find tons of different recipes.  I decided this one sounded like one I thought I could handle.  Recipe Here

I am still not convinced I want to eat it, but I think they turned out ok.  They look pretty in the jar anyway.  LOL  So here is all the how to info. 

First gather the ingredients.

2 pounds prepared watermelon rind

1 teaspoon pickle crisp granules
4 cups clear, distilled vinegar
1 cup water
5 cups sugar
1 tablespoon whole allspice
1 tablespoon whole cloves
6 small pieces cinnamon stick

Then you start to prepare the rind.

Remove the rind from the meat.

 Make sure it is clean of all the red.

Then peel the green.

I found a knife worked best.

Cover with cold water and boil for one hour or until tender.  Then drain.  Cover with one cup vinegar and two cups water and let stand overnight.

Then you drain it again, and prepare the syrup.  You add the remaining vinegar, spices and sugars into a pan and bring to a simmer.   Then cover for one hour.  It didn't say to put the spices in cheesecloth, but I think it would be a good idea.  I got the impression you needed to remove them after they steep for one hour.  So I did. 

Add drained rind and syrup.  Then you allow it to gently cook for two hours.  This gives the syrup a chance to thicken.  Then you can pour the mixture into the jars. 

The original recipe called for pickling lime, but I couldn't find that anywhere in town.  I did find Ball's Pickle Crisp Granules.  It is to be used as a substitute for pickling lime.  You add 1/4 tsp of it to each jar.  Easy peasy.  Then you put the pickled rind into the jars, and seal them. 

Finally you want to put them in a water bath for 15 minutes.

I was reusing some jars so please forgive the lovely lids.  LOL

When you are all done you end up with this.  I really think they look good.  I just may have to give them a taste... well when they finally cool off enough to eat.  :)

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Watermelon Jelly

While browsing around Pinterest I found a recipie for Watermelon Jelly.  I just had to try it.  Of course I have pinned about a million things I want to try, but this one just stayed on my mind.  So when my brother came to visit on Labor Day weekend and brought this HUGE (it weighed 40 lbs. I checked) watermelon I asked him if I could use some to make jelly.  I pulled up the website's recipie.  Here is the link, and got right to work.

First you need to gather your ingredients. 

6 C. pureeded Watermelon

5C. white sugar

1/2 C bottled or fresh lemon juice

1 pkg Pectin

Then I began to cut up the watermelon.  It was HUGE so there was plenty to go around.  I went ahead and doubled it. 

It is important to remove all the seeds and then I just put the pieces in the blender and let it go.  As it finished I measured it out into a large pot.

Then you add sugar and lemon juice.  It looks so pretty and has a kind of foam on top to start with.  Then you are to bring it to a boil.  Once my pot got close to boiling I nocticed a definate problem.  The pan was not going to be big enough.  Uh oh.  So I switched to my HUGE stock pot. 

It still boiled up pretty high in there.  Once the temperature gets to 220 degrees you can add the pectin.  Then it continues to boil for another five minutes.  I would let it go longer.  I had trouble with it thickening up so I had to put it on to boil again and so did the original poster. 

Remove from heat and pour into clean, steril jars and then you can use a water bath to seal.  I just made sure they cooled and put them in the fridge.  I know they won't last as long but that is never a problem here.  ;)   It's one of the perks of having three GROWING boys. 

When you are all finished you have these beautiful jars of jelly.  I had various sizes but there were roughly 9 8oz. jars when I finished.  Of course remember I doubled the recipie.  If you decide to give it a try I would love to know.  It is very good.  Tastes just like watermelon.  :)

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Whoo are you 2

I am linking up and joining the fun with Who are you. 

Here are this week's questions!

1. What are some of your pet peeves?

2. Do you have a favorite or lucky number?

3. What is one of your family traditions?

4. Is there anything you are OC about?

5. What is your favorite kind of food?

Here are my answers...
1. What are some of your pet peeves?
I absolutely hate to hear anyone begin a sentence with, "I don't mean to be rude, but..."  To me this is just your way of warning someone I am about to unload all kinds of ugly all over you!!! 

2. Do you have a favorite or lucky number?
I am not really all that into numbers.  I guess if I were to pick one I would say 3 for my kids.

3. What is one of your family traditions?
My favorite tradition is that every year on Christmas Eve we all attend church together while Santa visits the house.  It means a lot to me because it is the one time a year I get to go to church with my brother and sister's family and my parents.
 

4. Is there anything you are OC about?
I guess I am worst about lining things out for my kids.  I always have clothes together , backpacks ready and anything else they might need the next day ready BEFORE I go to bed on any given night.

5. What is your favorite kind of food?
I love just good ole comfort food.  Pot roast, chicken and dumplings, and mashed potatoes and gravy. You know all the stuff we aren't supposed to have. 

So go ahead click on the little icon and link up with your answers. I would love to know more about who you are too. 

Kissing Up never hurts right?

Tomorrow morning is the first day of school.  I am feeling as stressed actually probably more stressed than my boys.  I have them all packed and ready for their first day.  Their new clothes are laid out for them to jump into in the morning.  I think we are all ready.  I figure it can't hurt to send along a little something for their teachers right?   I mean after all we are trying to start off on the right foot.  I have three wonderful boys, BUT have I mentioned they are BoYs?  Yes, they encompass all that means.  They are silly, crazy kinds of busy, smarter than I ever imagined, and usually three of the sweetest people God dropped on the planet.  So as Mom I decided to give them a little boost for the new year.  I came up with these little babies.

Aren't they fun?  OK, if you're wondering what in the heck these are I'll tell ya.  They are post it note holders.  Clever right?  I think every teacher uses post it notes all the time.  Wouldn't they look much prettier sitting on their desks like this?  Yeah  I thought so too. 

They are really easy too.  First you cover the Top and Bottom of the front.

Then you cover the spine with a coordinating paper.

Then I used the spine paper to line the inside.

Then you add the post it notes inside and I put a monogram sticker on the outside.

It was pretty simple.  I had a blast making them.  The possibilities are endless.  I also added seed beads to some of them just for fun.  :)

It kinda gives them a more dressed up look.  I had tons of teacher to make them for so I took some smaller group pics so you can see them more clearly.

Now that I finished those I think I will make myself one in the morning.  I guess if I am going to be up in time for school in the morning.  Thanks for stopping by.

Helpin a sister out

My BFF Margo is  auditioning for Season 9 of So You Think You’re Crafty this week!  She harassed me into blogging and we are crafting buds on a pretty regular basis.  So I am asking no begging for you to head over to SYTYC and vote for her project.  It is #8.
If you have never heard of SYTYC, here’s an explanation from Missy, the host:

SYTYC is a head-to-head crafting competition. Every 10 weeks a new group of crafters is selected. Each week the crafters are given a theme and YOU vote for your favorite. The winner makes a free tutorial and the loser gets ‘sent home.’
I didn't realized the voting had already started so she only has till tomorrow night for everyone to pop over and vote if you do like her project. I have submitted my Halloween Scrapbook House. If you don't mind heading over to So you think you're Crafty and take a look at everyone and vote I would love it. Thanks for stopping by!

Birthday gifts for some of my favorite girly girls

I had four birthday parties to go to this weekend.  They were for some of my favorite girls on the planet.  I wanted to make something special for them. 

First up is Ava.  She was turning two whole years old.  She is the cutie pie I keep during the day, and her parents recently redecorated her room in Mickey Mouse.  Her latest obsession.  I have had these two canvas ideas for her room and I couldn't decide which one I wanted to do.  So I did both.

I love that this one is uber girly

I used my cricut to cut out all the characters from Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. 

Have I mentioned my cricut ROCKS!?!?

Audrey is a sweet girl in my Sunday school class.  She turned 10 this weekend.

Ashley was turning 13 and I thought she might appreciate something more grown upish.  :)

We also had Esteban who was turning four.  My darling boys insisted he NEEDED a football for his birthday.  So I obliged.  All in all they were all pleased with their gifts, and I had a great time making them.

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