Keep Smiling

Keep Smiling

Tuesday, August 22, 2017

Let's Salsa ~ Cha,Cha,Cha!


It's salsa time!
The eating kind, not the dance :) 
Although; I wish I could do that, too. LOL 



Peppers Sweet & Hot.

 See those black ones . . .
they are supposed to be super hot,
I was waiting for Steve to taste, them. 
"Hee-Hee"

 He didn't ~ so I did.
The black ones weren't that bad,
but the yellow cayenne set my tongue on fire :)


This is a great book . . .
you can find it here.


We do make these changes to ours,
but that's us . . . we like it hot
and we leave the seeds in.


Steve's sister tasted it  . . .
and it almost blew the top of her head off.
To us it was mild to medium.

On our next batch instead of 1 cup of hot peppers
I think I'll try 1 and 1/2 cups.

It's a matter of taste . . .
and whether you like spicy food or not.

We do!


On to other things . . .
I tore out the wire fencing that
I had under the birdhouses
and replaced it with treated wood.


This was it before,
It was just to hard to pull the weeds,
they would grow and tangle in the wire. 



 For those of you that have been watching
the grape vine grow over
my garden gate redo . . .
Well, it's almost over and ready to
start growing down the other side :)

 

This is the gate before the redo.



The weather has cooled down 
and the flowers are loving it.








The Honeysuckle is growing well,
over the front gate.



The cooler weather makes porch sitting
more enjoyable :)





And our granddaughter's birthday quilt
is finished . . .



All that I need to do,
is make a label and get it in the mail
in time for her birthday:)



If you're still reading . . .



That's it for this post.
~~~~~***~~~~~
Have a lovely day
&
Keep Smiling!

~~~~~***~~~~~
Your blogging sister,
Connie :)





40 comments:

  1. Hi Connie! Yummy! I wish I could taste that salsa!
    Aren't peppers beautiful?
    Your flowers are beautiful, too! And the quilt - well, it's just perfect.
    The porch is so welcoming!

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    1. Thank you and thank you . . . you are so sweet. If you lived closer I would invite you over for chips and salsa. We could enjoy them while sitting on the porch and visiting:)

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  2. What a cute quilt! Everything looks so cozy. I love your wind chimes.

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    1. Thank you, the quilt is for her tenth birthday and the wind chimes were a gift from our sweet neighbors. She and I had gone to a vintage outside market and I mentioned how much I liked the wind chimes that we saw there. When she got home she described them to her husband and he went out in his shop and made them for me. I was so surprised and delighted. I love them :)

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  3. Everything looks so pretty! You must spend hours and hours at work! I do believe you've made a fine "FarmHer".

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    1. I've never heard that title before "FarmHer" cute, LOL.

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  4. Hi Connie, So many things I want to comment on but I don't know if I can remember them all. I love your granddaughter's quilt! How old is she and how large is it? I have started a pinwheel quilt and was wondering how to do it so the quilting strips would come out equal but you gave me an idea to just add a stip to the top and bottom! Yours turned out so lovely! The new fence with the birdhouse looks so nice along with all of your other things to make your little farm look so inviting. Love your silverware chimes on the porch. I have only made salsa once because we are not big salsa eaters and I cheated and used Mrs. Wages! We also don't like it hot! Keep enjoying life! Nancy

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    1. Hi Nancy, our granddaughter is turning ten years old and this quilt is the size to make a nice bedspread for her twin size bed. I am very happy that I could inspire and give you an idea for your quilt. I often make my quilts square until I get the width that I want and then add boarders to the top and bottom for the desired length. It works great for me :)

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  5. Your Grape vine and the Honeysuckle are doing amazingly well as are the tomatoes !!!
    Your porch looks so inviting and I like the wind chimes with the spoons hanging from the colander.

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    1. Our dear neighbor made those chimes for me and I love them. I'm a fan of unique vintage and he hit the nail on the head with these. I'm planning on making another batch of salsa this weekend and then canning tomatoes will start. This is a very busy time of the year . . . fall and winter will be here before we know it :)

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  6. HI Connie, Thanks for all your gorgeous photos ! You're a very talented photographer, as well as as garden specialist, cook, interior designer, quilter...and so much more ! We really admire your skills at getting so much accomplished in one day, and we always love to read your blog. P.S. The salsa, the jam, and all the other homemade yummies look fabulous ! Blessings and hugs, from Marina and Daryl Lynn

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    1. Thank you, you are both so sweet. Actually I am one of those people that is good at many things, but not great at any, LOL.

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  7. Connie, I love seeing your before and after pictures. The boards do look prettier that the wire, and I love the rich cedar color of the wood you use. That is my favorite!! If it were possible, I would build a wooden fence all around our property...but Poppy says "no way"!! Your little farm is adorable. I love your porch and the country red checks!! Love, Henny

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    1. Building a fence around our property has been our goal and hopefully as soon as the cooler weather comes and canning is over, we will be able to get it finished. We are blessed with a great fence along one side that belongs to our neighbors. After we moved in, he went out and cut a hole and put in a gate, so that she and I would not have to go out on the road and around to visit each other. Isn't that sweet:) Sometimes we just want to exchange something and it's "meet me at the gate", I love it:) Then there is a small area back by the garden boxes that belongs to another neighbor . . . the rest we have done or are doing ourselves. It takes time and money . . . that's why it has taken so long, but the end is in view :) That is if we don't have another car go through it like last winter. Our main goal was to keep Butchy safe from cars on the road, but the high fence along the back is nice for privacy, too.

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  8. Oh, boy you do like your salsa hot with seeds and all. Your garden keeps transforming. It's fun to see how you keep changing things up. Your granddaughters quilt is super cute. I'm sure she's going to just love it.

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    1. Thank you, I enjoy watching the garden grow, too. It is amazing how many changes take place between April and September:) I hope that she likes it . . . she is into hearts and when I was there last Spring I was teaching her to sew by making little fabric hearts. She's the little artist in the family and she treasures all things handmade.

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  9. That salsa just looks and sounds delicious! One of our favorite snacks in my household is chips and salsa. :)

    Also, can you please bring your green thumb over to my place? I desperately need some help in my yard and am learning that I do not have a green thumb! Lol! Your gate, honeysuckle, and grape vines are looking lovely!

    Also, that quilt is stunning! I only own one quilt that my great grandmaw made, but unfortunately it is slow starting to fall apart. :( I keep it stored away for the most part to prevent anymore tearing or ripping.

    Have a great Wednesday!

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    1. Hi Chasity, I don't have a big gardening secret . . . I just use lots of manure and lots of water and I am very blessed to have not had a problem with too many critters. Something was eating my plants this spring, so I just kept replanting until they left them alone. One of my favorite things about gardening is knowing that I do not have any pesticides on my plants. You never fully know this when you buy from the market. Manure is a gardener's friend :)

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  10. Way too hot for me....but I think your salsa looks great all canned and in the jars. Love your garden, you sure did a lot of new things to make your garden yours. Quilt is beautiful.

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    1. Hi Louise, thanks for stopping by. Spring and Summer are so busy around here. I have lots of canning to do to get ready for winter . . . life is good :) I am delighted that you like my quilt.

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  11. I have no energy for salsa. The dance kind not the eating kind lol. It looks yummy

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    1. If I were young again, I might want to learn . . . but I'm not, so I'll just enjoy the eating kind, too, LOL

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  12. Not really a salsa person, but my husband would love it!!
    Your yard, flowers, quilt and everything is just beautiful!

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    1. You're always so kind and encouraging with your comments, thank you :)

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  13. I love salsa, now I can't seem to take hot things as well as I did when I was younger. love how your vine is growing over the gate! Isn't it nice to have cooler weather to enjoy the outdoors more, your chimes are so neat! Your granddaughters quilt it so sweet, she will just love it!!

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    1. Good Morning Connie, This cooler weather is nice . . . we could use a little more heat on the tomatoes. The cool weather cause them to slow down a bit. I have one more batch of salsa to do and then four or five canners full of tomatoes and then I will be done and can start putting the garden to bed for the winter. That is starting to sound very good :)

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  14. Your quilt is adorable Connie. Love it! did you use the quilt as you go and put those sashes in between the big blocks? I've been watching a few more YouTube videos on it.. one lady did four big squares on top of each other so she had a column.. then just quilted that one column... then added the next column to the right, and then quilted that one.. so the finished column moved over to the left. That way there's never a big bunch of quilt stuffed under the arm! I liked that idea! Anyway... love yours.. love all your flowers and the honeysuckle must smell delicious! And salsa.. wow you are brave. I frozen some last year as didn't have my canning equipment.. it came out good but too runny for me... but I still just strain it and add some sour cream and it's pretty darned good. Oh such fun this time of year to put food up for the winter. I always felt like an old pioneer woman when I used to can in my 30's. Hugs.. Marilyn

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    1. Hi Marilyn, I agree it is a wonderful feeling. I am a late bloomer, then before moving here I never had the space for a garden. I like the way to were describing the column method of "Quilt As You Go" that sounds like a very nice way to do it. I will have to give it a try. Thanks for cluing me in to it:)

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  15. Connie, the jars of salsa are so pretty! My DIL makes salsa and they like theirs to be really hot! Your flowers are lovely as well as the quilt for your granddaughter! Have a wonderful weekend'

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    1. Hello Pam, welcome to my blog. I love seeing new faces and meeting other bloggers. Thank you for your kind words, they are encouraging :)

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  16. I love that you can your own salsa from veggies from your garden, but I'm afraid that would be way too hot for me, too! I used to love spicy food, but I keep developing food intolerances as I get older. Spicy foods are my latest no-no. They give me the most terrible heartburn. Your grapevine and all your flowers are so pretty...and wow, your granddaughter's quilt is so beautiful! She will absolutely love it.

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    1. Hi Melanie, it is always lovely to have you stop my. We do enjoy a kick to our salsa . . . I'm hoping that I will always be able to eat spicy foods, they are among my favorites. Our garden did great this year, except for the spaghetti squash, wish I dearly love. It started off with something eating the plants to the ground, I think it was earwigs. Then I finally got some to grow and they where doing great . . . then all of a sudden they turned yellow and died. Last year I had two plants that gave me two boxes of squash for out in the well-house for the winter, and more left over than I could find enough homes for :) Some things about gardening are a mystery to me.

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  17. The salsa looks delicious but I know it would be too hot for me. I cannot take hot and spicy any more. Probably never could have taken what you like. LOL To each his own...

    I like the quilt! Just really enjoyed my visit.

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    1. Hello Rose, thanks for stopping by . . . I enjoy reading your comments and getting to know you :) Have a great day!

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  18. Everything looks great, Connie. I really like the change you made in the fence, and I can see why the wire was a pain. Your flowers still look good and I notice your sedum is changing. Mine has got just a hint of pink, not as far along as yours. Your granddaughter's quilt is amazing. It's just gorgeous. I was thinking as I looked at the photos of your charming porch and the rest of your homestead that you have the perfect country cottage. The jars of homemade salsa are the icing on the cake. Hugs.

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    1. Hi Nancy, I have to say that those jars all lined up in the cupboards make me feel all warm and cozy and ready for winter :) Yesterday while Steve was mowing, I took the weed-eater out to clip under that fence and was so happy that I had changed it. It went from a hassle to and easy job :) Thank you for your kind words about our little cottage, we love it here and are so happy that we made the move :)

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  19. So many good things in this post! I love salsa...but I am a mild girl. LOL! I can't handle the heat and it makes my throat feel funny. All your yard and flowers pictures are so beautiful! I know you are enjoying the views. I am so ready for it to cool down here enough to enjoy sitting on my porch. I am patiently waiting and probably will be for another several weeks. The quilt is so pretty and I know your granddaughter will love it. I hope you have a wonderful week filled with good things!

    Hugs, Vicky

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    1. Hello Vicky, it is so nice to hear from you. I imagine that you are very busy preparing for school and getting your classroom ready. I hope that you can have a little more relaxing time before the first day of school. I've never visited Florida in the summertime, but I can sympathize with the amount of humidity you must be living through. I'm happy that you like the quilt, I think that she will, too :) Here's to cooler weather and evenings sitting on your pretty front porch.

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  20. Oh Connie I think your garden, flowers, quilt and everything looks just beautiful.
    Salas sounds great too!

    All the best Jan

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