So...whats for dinner?

keith - we have the hogs here too, they occasionally are seen trotting down the main throrughfare right off I-75 - we live on a preserve so we also have gators - sometimes in the driveway, really big snakes - a 6 foot eastern Diamondback rattler got into the next door neighbor's pool cage - my daughter, her boyfriend at the time, and two Tampa police officers killed it - snake was as big around as a large man's forearm, a panther, bobcats, river otters (cute, but surprisingly mean!), coyotes, and assorted small rodents and reptiles. Whenever I am outside I am constantly on the lookout!

No kidding, I thought it was Wild Kingdom here!

Roasting bones for beef stock that will become vegetable beef soup for dinner later today.

Also in the oven roasting are some beets for a roasted beet, walnut and feta salad, recipe from the penzey's catalog.

I have a tooll bar finally!

Can I paragraph?

Does spell check work? mizspell

We have the occasional copperhead that likes to hang out around the front porch, garter snakes and other assorted non poisonous  , but mostly black snakes. They do keep the rodent population in check, but I have a rule about no snakes on the porch. Woe to the snake that violates The Rule. I swing a mean broom.

We litteraly have tousands of deer living within the city limits.  A lot of them actually stop and look both ways before crossing the street. 

Chabba - I wish this boy had looked. Don't know if it was the dog chasing him or him chasing a doe. There were 2. Do know this cold snap has caused all my does to go into rut.

Ford dealer says truck repairable and not as much as DH feared. That was why he thought insurance might total it out. Two weeks to repair. DH will be driving the old truck on days when I need my car. Last time we had insurance repair he got a rent car. Not sure why he didn't this time. There are many days I don't go anywhere like today. But I just refuse to drive that truck to church on Sunday. Very hard to get in/out of in -ahem- ladylike manner.

I got sent 2 yummy pumpkin recipes - a bar and a crustless pumpkin pie and both look good. Have to make goodies for Bible study next Tuesday. Plus the zucchini bread with the vanilla pudding in it. I also need some kind of fruit dish too. In the spring I took a hot fruit compote. Need to serve about 12-14. Also have to make dinner Friday night for SS couple - illness and husband with wrist surgery (from hitting a deer). I must be on every email recipe notification - Relish (several), Taste of Home, Gooseberry Patch.

The insurance adjuster DH talked to asked how I hit a deer. Duh - I live in the country though this was just outside town. Looking at it when we picked truck up yest. solidly wooded on one side - yup the side they came from.

Yes, lots of oregano. It is really good, believe it or not, it is the first time I have made it.

SUSAN♥

Carole, I did it from my phone but I had to try a few times before I got it. I wish I could tell you what worked, but I don't remember! Please keep trying, I want to see your pics.

what is that beautiful plant?

Got home really late last night, had a turkey sandwich and went to bed. Husband actually beat me home, but really does not have the cooking gene to get something going for me. Helloo crockpot again!

Oh MY on all those critters! My only real fear is bees.

Thank you Keith for your recipe. The restaurant adds sun dried tomatoes also with the artichokes and capers.

Nance - are those your orchids? BEAUTIFUL. I love orchids and used to have them all over the house, but somewhere along the way had to get rid of all of them. I miss flowers in my house. Maybe it's time to buy some orchids.

Luv - so glad you were OK - and SO glad you were in the truck instead of a small car.

That chicken piccata recipe sounded great, even if it isn't technically chicken piccata, that I am apparently misspelling...

Hi everyone. We recently went through a big move (from California to Arizona) so I haven't been doing much cooking. I have, on the other hand, seen some spine-tingling wildlife.

Before we moved from California we found a very long gopher snake draped over a garden wallhanging in our breezeway and then a week later I was going through boxes in the garage (up on a ladder with the vacuum hose in my hand) and opened one and there was a roof rat inside staring up at me. I almost fell off the ladder and I'm fairly certain I've never screamed like that in my life (I have a phobia when it comes to rats and they're almost impossible to keep out in the area where we lived in California - they can get through a hole the size of a quarter).

About two weeks later we got to Arizona and were out walking one evening and my husband grabbed me and moved me towards the curb. There was a baby rattlesnake in the road less than six inches from where we were walking.

When we lived in California we always had a herd of deer to watch out for in our driveway and street. They were very bold and would just stand and look at us from our driveway. We also had bobcats (near the driveway and on the hill by our house) but no chupacabra :-)



Last night I looked out the window and saw the outline of either a bobcat or regular cat on the wall at the back of the property line of the house we're renting until our house is built. I think it might have been a bobcat because we're close to a mountain range. DH thinks it was a cat. Whatever it was, its eyes were very yellow when we peered at it with a flashlight through the screen door. Many (early) mornings we're awakened by coyotes barking.

I check this thread often because I enjoy all of your posts and I also like to keep up on Michelle. I'm so glad she was able to make some trips this past spring.

LeeA I hope you settle in fast. A big move isnt the easiest. I like how you start unpacking and think WHY did I pack this??

your Story reminds me about one time I was with ith my DH on a trip to Brazil for his work. We stayed at the corporation owned hotel. On the wall was a 2 ft sculpture of a green lizard. Um, NO! It moved. LOL. I sorta screamed. LOL. Then we went bact to our room later and I kept smelling something weird. I said it smelled like gas or something. Yeah they used diesel fuel to mop the floors to keep down the creepies. LOL never was so happy I didnt smoke! LOL But I sure enjoyed sitting on the beach while my DH was at work.