I have nothing witty to say here.

I've been sitting on a blog post for about a week now. I have things to say, I just feel like my thoughts are too jumbled to actually put the proverbial pen to paper. Or in this case, fingers to keyboard keys....

I'll guess I'll just go down things I've done since my last post. I totally totally started to regret my decision to not plant zucchini. All because of those stinking zucchini sticks. I love those dang things.  I still had my patch of dirt from last years garden, I asked the hubby to till it ( he did, isn't he sweet) and I picked up some Seeds of Change seeds.  Pumpkin, watermelon and zucchini.

I'm impatiently waiting for things to start sprouting... * looks nervously out the window at garden area*

I then made some zucchini sticks. I love this recipe, I do believe I even linked it once. Its fabulous. mmmm. onion dip.. oh sorry I'm back. 

I have pictures for this too. LOL I'll spare you though of my sweating zucchini sticks and my how to make caramelized onion tutorial I had briefly thought of posting. ( you can thank me later)

I also made chicken stock this week. That was fun and interesting. I had this carcass from a costco chicken that I didn't want to waste, plus I'm forever buying chicken stock in the stores. I really need to stop. So I filled up my pot with water, dumped my carcass in, as well as some frozen not really fit for human consumption shredded chicken.. or maybe it was turkey. I have no clue, that's why it went in the stock LOL. I had just bought some thyme ( for a thyme gargle the doctor recommended for the sick twin) so I threw some of that in there too. I pretty much threw whatever I wanted in that stock.. mmm stock. It was great.... except I started it at like 5pm. 

Spot the problem yet?? I have to let it cool before I can put it in the freezer. I'm such a genius... Needless to say I did not stay up all night waiting for the stock to cool. Fast forward to the next morning. Time to start freezing stock. Now I must admit I wasn't exactly sure how to do this. I mean i keep reading put it in ice cube trays and pop those in a bag... Except I usually use way more than just 2 tbsp of stock. Plus I only have one ice tray ( no judgment please). I would be freezing stock for a week. So I finally settled on some quart bags ( because I buy in bulk from costco) and I spot my Annabel Karmel baby food freezer thingy. Problem solved.  Sorry these pics are all out of whack and order. I'm too lazy to reorder them. 

Stock in my giant roasting pan. it was easier. Notice the paper towel wrapped around the handle ( sorry Rose yes I used a paper towel lol) my ladle kept falling in and getting all gross. I had to improvise.

my baby food freezer thingy, this thing holds exactly 2 cups. it was kismet. 

see 2 cups.

delicious chicken stock in freezer bags. 2 cups per bag

In the end I wound up with 22 cups of stock. 10 bags of stock plus one fill up of the green thing. 

The only picture I have of the frozen stock.. there's a reason of this. I'm about to fill you in. Soooo apparently it takes DAYS for stock to freeze.  I'm talking I actually went to my forum just to ensure that it would freeze because this stock was seriously NOT frozen after 8 hours in my freezer. In the end it did freeze ( literally 2 days later) and I stuck it in my deep freezer to be used at a later date. yum.

I went by my local Sunflower market ( i love this store) and picked up some blackberries on special ($.88 per 6oz container couldn't resist). All because I had a hankering to make blackberry cobbler. I swear nothing NOTHING says summer like blackberry cobbler. 

I love this market, I'm sad because Henry's bought it out a few months ago. While I'm excited to get a Henry's I'm sad to see the Sunflower sign go...

Mmmm blackeberries...

I love tools, I bought this for cookies and it blows, but it works great for stuff like this.

see all covered up.

blackberries just oozing to get out and in mah belly. 

lovely, and delish. 

Well, that was my week in a food nutshell. If your interested in the zucchini sticks with sweet onion dip. Feel free to click here. Enjoy

Blogging soundtrack: Keith Urban.

Injury, red mountains and Indian Fry bread. It's a saturday.

Today was such a gorgeous day we decided to take a trip up to the mountains for the day. I may complain a bunch about where I live and how I hate the desert and all that, but I love the close proximity to the mountains and trees and such. I like to make the most of our area so this is why we sometimes make a spur of the moment choice to pack up and go. Like today.

Originally we were going to go fishing, but because it was 'free fishing day' through out the state we decided to forgo the headache that is 'free fishing day' ( after all the hubby only needs to buy a $15 license for us to fish all year its not gonna kill us) and take a day drive.

Everything started out fine, we got up to battle ship rock got our stuff out and started having a picnic. First  one of the twins didn't feel good, she had a fever. Luckily I'm like a boy scout, always prepared, I have some tylenol ( grape flavored, that she hates, but oh well). 

The hubby, video game junkie, and stitch had already eaten ( if you count stitch slamming back lays chips and cheeto's puffs eating, which she does). Video game junkie is itching to go to the little stream, I offer to stay behind with the sick twin. ( just before anyone starts counting up peeps and see we are short a few, Teenage drama queen is on a trip and the other twin is at his mom's for the weekend so it was just us 5. it felt weird lol) 

I got bored so I snapped some pictures.

Stitch and the hubby headed down to the water

The twin crashed out on the bench

Battleship rock

The table next to us. Someone I guess decided to try and light it on fire.. I have no clue. It looked interesting so I took the picture.

I loved the way this stump looked I wanted to dig it out of the ground and bring it home.

Looks like some animals clawed this one on the side. *looks around nervously for bears*

Well that was a bust of a picture.

She always wears crazy socks..

We're eagles fans can't you tell.

I guess some smart person decided to leave charcoal ash next to some bushes. Yeah that was smart. thankfully they were dead cold.

Stitch in her element. a giant bathtub.

Everything was going great, the twin woke up and was feeling better ( tylenol had kicked in) so we all head down to the stream. Then injury struck. Me.  I biffed it on a rock. It was sad and my legs still hurt. Don't worry I have pictures. 

Because I have kids I'm always prepared. With princess band aids and scooby do ones. 

my camera biffed it too a little bit. mostly just dirt, but I almost panicked to think I had broken it. It was fine btw just dusty.

After my fall we left, everyone was tired and cranky and while I was tending to my wounds Stitch had fallen in the water as did Video game junkie. The spell had been broken. 

But wait there's more pictures....

The hubby couldn't resist the road side stand by the Red Mountains of Jemez and bought some Indian Fry bread and a loaf of Indian bread. Just itching for some taco fixin's isn't it??

on our way home

These are on one side of road, I couldn't get a good pic of the other side.

I love how red the dirt/clay is. The legend is that the clay/sand is red because the spanish threw the Jemez Indians off the cliffs, so their spirit is always in the sand. 

this was on the way up. For some reason my phone didn't get how red the mountains were. I love instagram for that reason.

Sorry for the intensely photo heavy post. I had to make a lot of cuts, because trust I wanted to just load this sucker up. So be thankful I held back. LOL.

How was your first saturday of June? Injury free I hope.

Blogging soundtrack: Adele 21

Summer...ish.

I'm tired. And I really need my flowers to start blooming so I can feel happy and have fresh cut flowers to put in my vases. I have one. Yes 1 flower blooming in my fairy meadow/grandma's cutting garden pot. ONE!!!! ugh its gonna be a long summer. I'm short on words today so on to the pictures.

 My one lone bloom....

 Just a close up. BECAUSE I CAN!!!

 See how sad the one bloom is in that big ole container. Sigh.

 I'm planting these in another container that housed my dead honeysuckle plant. 

Cilantro just kinda magically sprouted up here. Its only sad looking because I watered it, but its doing quite well and seeding already.  

 See. seeded.

Say that 5 times fast.

Blogging soundtrack: Tangled the movie. Again. =/

Adventures in canning.

Let me preface this by saying I don't can, ( or is it cann? see how little i know). I have never canned in my life.  So I figured tonight was the perfect night to try it.

This all started with a search for BBQ sauce recipes. And a quick trip to Jamie Oliver's epic bbq sauce recipe . He mentions at the bottom about essentially canning the remaining bbq sauce so it can keep. Whaaaa??  

Why have I never thought of this before... oh wait because I have never canned anything in my life.

The directions are fairly simple. Sterilize your jars and lids in boiling water for 10 min, fill your jar with sauce, close lid tightly, put back in boiling water for 10 min, let cool and bam homemade bbq sauce that will keep for 6 months.. hmmmm I could do this.

Since we all know I enjoy sharing through pictures, you won't be surprised there are pictures for this YAY!!!!

Ok sorry i have too much time on my hands finding these gif's. I apologize. kinda.

Alright here it goes. Canning my homemade bbq sauce for the first time ( and hopefully not the last time)

Step 1. Pick a good sized pot that will hold water AND cover a can fully. fill with water, set to boil.

Step 2. realize that it takes forever for water to boil, decide to make Fun in da middle cupcakes while you wait

Step 2b. water has reached boil, place jar, and lids in pot. Wait 10 min.

During your wait you can do many things, get a mini facial with all the steam coming off the pot, clean your dishes from your cupcake mess, eat leftover pizza from dinner. Lots of things to do during your wait.

Step 3. when your timer beeps take out your jars and lid pieces and place on a towel gather your canning items and start filling your jar(s)

Step 4. once your jar is filled close the lid tightly. I'm talking baby huey tight. At this point I was cursing that the baby had started to wake up and the hubby had to go in the room because I really really needed him to close the lid to this jar. Luckily he came out before too long and he baby huey'd that sucker closed.

Step 5. place jar back in boiling water and wait 10 min. During this time you can check on the cupcakes you made earlier.

mmm cupcakes. 

oh wait... here's the jar of sauce in water. ( i know exciting)

Step 6. take out the jar of sauce after 10 min and put back on towel to cool. Very important to allow the jar to cool before you put it in say your fridge. Last thing you want is an exploding jar of bbq sauce to clean up later. I'd put a picture up but it be the exact same picture of after I filled and closed the jar. Instead enjoy this gif of Ken modeling from Toy story 3

* wipes tear from eye* makes me laugh every time. lol

So now you know how to can your own bbq sauce. I 'spose I should put my base bbq recipe so you can get started.

BBQ sauce base

Ketchup 

Tomato paste

Liquid smoke

Worcestershire sauce ( for the record I had to google that because I STILL cannot spell it)

brown sugar

garlic powder

onion powder 

salt, pepper

dijon mustard

Ok notice I didn't put any measurements. This is because I suck. Ok no really its all about taste. So you if you want a more tomatoey taste you can use more ketchup and more tomato paste. If you like it sweeter try dark molasses and honey ( this makes a super awesome caramelized look on your meat when you grill) I usually start off with 1/4 cup of ketchup a small can of paste, 1/4 cup brown sugar and then just start piling on the other things. You can always omit the brown sugar if you want add Sriracha or chili paste if you want a spicy kick to it. Mix it up taste it, add something, taste it some more. You'll find what you like.  

Just in case you've been living under a rock this is Sriracha aka Rooster sauce

and this is chili paste

(just FYI not my pictures. I'm far to lazy to take any more pics right now. They are from a google search. much easier lol.)

Go forth and make your own bbq sauce you'll never want to buy pre made again!!!!

As a closing picture. my cupcakes are done. mmmm cupcakes.

Blogging soundtrack: Channel 7 news.