Thursday, August 25, 2011

Baking Day

Stirring the sauce with the secret family ingredients.
Today was the day to teach my granddaughters to make cinnamon buns.
Sprinkle the cinnamon evenly over the dough.
Cut carefully & put into the pan.
Abby's turn to sprinkle the brown sugar.
They each made a large cookie sheet of buns.
Two very proud bakers who now know how to bake cinnamon buns.
Adam had a chance too, to help with the last portion of dough.

Thursday, August 18, 2011

Fun at the Park




First we stopped at a school playground & checked out the new playground equipment.





Then we picked up some Tim Bits & coffee -for me-& went to Grandeur Gardens to enjoy the flowers.


The flowers are just so brilliant now.















The horticultural society here has done an excellent job of choosing & coordinating the flowers so that they compliment the brilliance of the blooms.





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Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Pickle Time


Just can't seem to not do any any canning! We just love the taste of homemade beet pickles & bread & butter pickles and some of our family members appreciate it too. I guess that's why I still plant a garden that includes vegetables. This year has been so dry & I didn't water the garden enough so my cucumbers were finished producing. Most of them grew quite large last week while I was away. So I battled the crowds at MCC Tuesday morning & yes, I found 3 bags of the right size of cucumbers for $1.50 per bag! So I took my purchase home & made pickles. The  beets produced very well in my garden so I made 14 pints of beets pickles & from the cucumbers I made 9 pints of  bread & butter pickles. I have enough relish from last year so I don't need to make any of that. Love the sound of snapping lids  after I've processed them so I know all the hard work of canning is a success.

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Girlfriend Time

My girlfriend who also happens to be my first cousin, & I left for a short road trip Monday. After a stop at Albertville, MN yesterday, today we shopped at Ikea.





Here we are at the Mall of America.


We loved the display of things made of Lego.





We enjoyed supper at the Rainforest Cafe & then drove to our hotel both dog tired & complaining of sore feet!

Saturday, August 6, 2011

My August Garden

This clematis vine has grown very well this summer. It has a few yellow blooms on it now.


Here's the pig & the penguins keeping watch over the hostas. There are some started Coral Bells in the white pot.


Pink mallow & sunflowers in the back that are almost ready to bloom.


This a variety of petunias, portulaca, grasses & impatiences & flocks. Had really hoped that the flowers would fill in more.


This bed is in my front yard & is a disaster. The Black Lace Elder is struggling to grow & the petunias that usually do well everywhere are just looking sick. There is a large tree about 10 feet away from this bed which belongs to my neighbor so that may have something to do with why the plants just aren't doing great. I took a picture so that I have a record in order to improve things for next year.


I have 2 pots of this in the front yard & they are doing great.


This pot is in front of the garage too & I'm happy with this one.


This is coming up the walk to my front door & these petunias have just done great this year. I'm thinking that I will plant this variety in the front bed for next year.


This trio of vines are on my back deck. I'm waiting for the morning glory to bloom.
That's the tour of my August garden. Thanks for stopping by.


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