The look of memories

When I was a kid my paternal grandparents would load me up and haul me to the mountains for a vacation.  I would spend a week or two being toted around to all my great aunts and uncles, my hair hailed and my growing scrutinized.  I would spend hours with these "old" people and for the most part I did okay.  I was a loner kind of kid and was most happy with a book and a corner (heck still am for that matter!).

 

My grandparents would take me to Yellowstone Park (we vacationed in Island Park Idaho) where we would spend one day walking around the streets of West Yellowstone.  We would buy fudge and salt water taffy, books, jewelery, and always eat at Chris's (which I am sad to report has closed).  We would spend a seperate day in Yellowstone Park itself animal watching, checking out the paint pots and watching Old Faithful blow.

On these little vacations I was a grown up most of the time.  I was surrounded by adults and acted like one as best I could.  However there was one instance where I was always a petulant child, the drive/complain flower watching day.  This day always drove me insane and I filled my time and the back seat with as many deep long sighs as humanly possible.

 



 

My grandma,  her sister, and myself would drive around for what seemed like hours looking for wild flowers.  In case you haven't had the privilege to vacation in Eastern Idaho let me tell  you something, wild flowers. are. everywhere.  It's not hard to spot 'em.  Their everywhere, really truly everywhere. 

Anyway my grandma had a particular like of the Indian Paintbrush.  A very pretty red flower that grows all around these parts.  Its bright red or orange(ish) and grows by itself most of the time.  My grandma loved this lil' flower and every single year she would have to get out of the car and take a few pictures for particularly good specimens. 

 

Fast forward 20 years and you'll find me a mama of 4,  living an hour from those same hills covered in wildflowers.  You will also find me squealing every time I see Indian Paintbrush.  I search for those elusive wildflowers that are so hard to find and my picture album on my computer contains over 5 thousand pictures, at least a thousand of those flower/nature pictures.

As I have grown older I have found myself finding comfort in some of the same traditions that I had as a child but especially those that remind me of my grandparents.  I have my beloved flower pictures, Downy fabric softener, and Grandmas potato recipe.  My grandparents helped to build the foundation of who I am. 

 

This past week I stumbled upon this little painting in a dusty old box in the garage.  Caitlin fell in love with it and asked to paint a frame so that it could be put up in the house.  Caitlin decided to put it on the counter near a jar of garden sunflowers because it just looked so happy and it does.  My grandma would have liked the sunflowers (even if they weren't Indian Paintbrush) and she would have been pleased to see her painting on the counter.

As for me, every time I have walk by the little arrangement I smile to myself and think of cool summer nights, melting fudge,  grandpas tobacco and old spice smell, Grandmas turquiose, coffee, and of course Indian Paintbrush.

Feeling a little saucy...applesaucy that is.

Saturday a friend of ours offered her apple tree up for the taking.  Since my  motto during canning season is "The best fruit is the free fruit!" we headed over to grab the goodies.  We came home with two laundry baskets full of apples. 

 

These little babies pack a nice little punch.  I have no idea what kind they are but they are a perfect mix of sweet and sour.  Dean cut up 24 cups the first night.  We tossed those with cinnamon and sugar for pies later on in the year and stuck them in the freezer.  The rest of the apples sat glaring at me Sunday. 



Monday morning I woke with the deep desire to sauce those little buggers. So that is just what I did.  However I did things a little differently and utilized them more than usual.



First I quartered the apples then I threw them into my steam juicer. 



I let them steam until they were soft then I sent them through the food mill. 



Steaming them released the juice so in the end I got a gallon of juice and 11 quarts of nice thick sauce.



By steaming the apples, the excess juice was released and the sauce was thicker because of it.  Now I don't know about you but I like my applesauce nice and thick, I don't want apple juice with pulp.  This worked like a charm.  I was worried that once the juice was removed the apples wouldn't have as good a flavor.  No worries, it still tasted wonderful.

GIVEAWAY!! : Ball Canning Book and Kit

I love canning.  I used to think my  mom was the most out of date person, I  mean really who in the world would choose to can when you can go to Albertsons?!  Luckily I out grew that mentality and I have embraced canning wholeheartedly.  Each year I start thinking about gardening in January,  by February I have my game plan and by March I am thinking of what goodies I will be able to put away for the coming year.  It's a slight step away from crazy but its my step! :)





So this week I am Giving Away a canning kit and my favorite canning book! Heres the rules:

1. You must comment on this post.

2. Follow me on FB and let me know in a separate comment on this post.

3. Follow me on Twitter and let me know in a separate comment on this post for a third entry

4. Link to this post on your own blog or Facebook page (and let me know in the comments here) for a 4th entry!

You can have just one chance to win or you can have 4! It's up to you. Giveaway will end Monday August 30th at noon. Winner will be chosen by random number generator and announced in this post Tuesday morning! Good luck!

COMMENTS CLOSED!!

And the winner is: #24 Sharolyn!!  Congrats and happy canning!! :)

Email me at kimberly@imnaturallysimple.com with your shipping information and I will get this sent out tomorrow.

Establishing roots

As I previously mentioned in this post, I never planned to live here.  In fact Eastern Idaho was the last place on my "must live" list.  But now that I am here I find myself getting settled more and more.  There is a familiarity with the area that stems from a few years spent here during high school.  I find myself going for drives and pointing out little things to the kids...." That canal I used to swim in at night."  "We used to have bonfires here in the summer." and on and on.  The more time I spend here the  more it feels like home. 

I think whats pulling me in quicker than anything are the views that surround me.  On drives, out the front door, or on my morning walk I am surrounded by beauty that just feels right.  I look forward to our weekly trip to the mountains, for I get to see these beautiful fields of wheat and then the mountains and trees. 

Sometimes the place that feels the most like home is the last place you'd expect.  So so true.

 

Daily Loving

 

Currently loving the little things in life:

 - New to me bedding shared by family.

- The chance to really participate in Co-op, as in I am teaching a reading/history/art class.

- Caitlin's need for beauty.  The table must be set just so and it must always include candles.

- Grandmas flower that is popping up everywhere.

- Small little surprises that natures leaves for us to discover.

- Daddy time.  Nothing sweeter than seeing him take time to be there.

- New wall sign that has had amazing impact in our daily lives.  It really has been incredible.

- Organization that is quick, simple and effective.  Cant ask for much more than that!

 

What are you currently loving in your daily life?

Running hard

This last week was a marathon for our family.  Every single day we had a million obligations along with the normal flow of life.  Most nights I found myself falling into bed with so little energy that a sigh was taxing.

But last week is done.  This week there is little on my calendar and I couldn't be more thrilled.  Tomorrow you will find me weeding the garden, sewing a blanket for a humanitarian aid project, finalizing our school schedule, and washing blankets.  That may sound like work but most of that are things that I find deep satisfaction doing.  Small things like sewing a baby blanket make me feel like I have done something with my time.  After last week that left me frazzled and exhausted, the simple daily tasks of caring for a family are something to rejoice in.

And if I get lucky, you might find me sitting on the front porch, taking a few deep breaths and watching the sun set, my favorite soul settling moment that I look forward to every single day.

 

Glimpse of Gratitude

{A glimpse of something that I am most grateful for today.  A little something that I do not want to forget.}

 

We're from the Country and we like it that way!

As summer is winding down I've found all of us heading out of doors just a bit more than usual.  Its getting nippy here at night, the leaves have all lost their luster and some mornings a jacket is needed for my morning walk.  Fall is around the corner and close behind that is the frigid temperatures we have around these parts.

But until then, it's time to party like it's 1999! Woot!  These kids of mine are born and raised country kids.  They couldn't be cool and sophisticated if they tried, which they don't because really if you can't be covered in dirt what's the point of life?

So what do country kids do when their parents head to a BBQ?  They head to the mattresses or water hole.  I know, that just sounds weird doesn't it but really around here its the truth.

 

A good friend flood irrigated his field.  It was an impromptu pond that the kids too full advantage of!  Splashing, playing and of course rides in a calf sled behind the 4-wheeler!

I hope your weekend is full of fun and laughter and if your lucky a little bit of dirt!

You make my knees weak Salsa

If you follow me on facebook or twitter you saw me mentioning salsa a few times last week(and if this is the first time you've heard of it get your booty over and follow already!!).  There are some things in this world that make a  girl a little obsessed, this salsa is one of them.  I think I kinda freaked my hubby out with all the oooing and ahhhing and moaning I did over this salsa.  It really is that fantastic.  You must try it.

 First things first, you must have some yummy tomatoes at your disposal.  I picked up 17lbs of organic Romas from a farm for $17 bucks.  Not to shabby.

Next you must have some cilantro, one can not make any sort of salsa without it.  My sister says that if cilantro were bottled as a fragrance, she would rub it all over including her naughty bits (her words not mine!!).  While I love cilantro as much as the next girl I do have to draw the line somewhere. I prefer it in my salsa!

Onions, bell pepper, jalapeno, and dried garlic.  Not only is it pretty but the smell is mouth-watering.  I like dried garlic better than fresh for salsa because I find the bitterness that garlic can sometimes have is null when its dried.

Cilantro and tomatoes together make such a happy little couple.

The whole shebang ready for a little cook time on the stove.

The secret ingredient.  Okay I have no clue if it's a secret or if it's a normal ingredient in salsa but I can say that without tomato paste this salsa just didn't have the depth or thickness I want.  Tomato paste is our friend here.

Blue corn chips (which are not pictured here but were actually in hubbys shopping cart because he received a text from yours truly that said "You can not come home without blue tortilla chips, fair warning.")  are divine with this lovely little salsa. Really anything is good with this salsa, even Ritz crackers....

 

Alrighty, thats it for now.....BUT I will be posting this recipe on the Recipe page later today so check back so you can thank me for this goodness.

Bloom where you are planted

{This little seedling is growing in the dirt of a fall tree.  This dirt is clinging to the exposed roots over a 5 foot deep hole.  Talk about blooming where your planted!}

It's a phrase I think of often.  Maybe because I have a nasty case of Iwannatravelbutcan't-itis.  It's a nasty disease for sure.  I remember as a young girl of 5 or 6, sitting on my grandpa's knee.  I was riding a pony while he bounced me up and down over and over again.  He would say "Where ya headed now girl?" and I would say random things like the store, home etc.  On this particular day he asked me where I was headed and I shouted out "Vermont!".  He chuckled and I rode to Vermont that day.  From that day forward I wanted to go to Vermont.  Every report in school was about Vermont, every attempt at drawing was the state bird of Vermont or the mountains.  Autumn became my favorite time of year and I wished enthusiastically every time 11:11 (am or pm) came around that I would find myself one day in Vermont. 

As a teenager I changed this wish just a little and threw in "Let me meet a wonderful boy....in Vermont."  For close to 20 years I dreamed of going to Vermont.  All that time I lived in a multitude of places, visited many places in the western US and while I fell in love with some of them (Portland Or anyone?  No? How about the coast of Oregon or Wa?) I had that ever nagging thought in my mind... "Yes it is wonderful but it's no Vermont" (or in later years Maine since my practical nature kicked in when I found out it was cheaper!).

 

A year or so ago I gave up my life long dream of ever going to New England.  I finally said, "One day we will travel to see all the amazing historical places of the region, taste fresh syrup (or watch it begin from the tap), and see the beauty but it will not be now.  I am okay with this."  My husband didn't believe me bless his heart.  You see in the middle of my breakdown last year I came to realize that I had been wishing my life away.  I wanted so badly to be in another place that I could not see the great things around me.

Over the last couple of years I have slowly come to peace with the fact I live in Idaho and not necessarily the pretty part and that I will most likely never own a chunk of land in the middle of no where (and I do mean the middle!).  I came to realize that sage brush can be pretty, that barren expanses of sand can be beautiful and that fall does not have to mean more falling leaves than any one person can handle. 

It's all a state of mind.  Happiness is a state of mind, contentment is a state of mind, joy is a state of mind.  For me, this year has been about finding these things, right where I am.  The year is not through yet and I am making baby steps.  I choose to find the beauty around me, because it is there. 

Hope you have a wonderful week.  Bloom where you are planted! 

Glimpse of Gratitude

{Each Monday I will post one simple picture of something I am grateful for, something that has blessed my life in the past week, with no words to describe it. I want the picture to speak for itself. Feel free to join in the Glimpse of Gratitude challenge and post one on your blog. Leave a comment here so we can see who you are and what you are grateful for.}

 

Great Scot! It's a cucumber!

Do your kids ever sit and giggle at the awesomeness that is Veggie Tales?  My kids do.  We pick them up at the library occasionally knowing it will be a giggle fest for the duration of the movie.  We have most of their sing along CD's and I will admit that I do know most of the lyrics.  I mean really how could you not sing at the top of your lungs about missing hair brushes, cheeseburgers and of course your lips.  Bob is entertaining to be sure but we all know that Larry steals the show.  I mean a walking, talking, singing cucumber?  Brilliant!

Now to my point.  I had a cucumber.  There I said it and it feels amazing to admit it!  I have been gardening for 6 years.  For 6 years I have battled late frosts, snow storms, and winds that are reminiscent of The Wizard of Oz.  Every single year for 6 years my carrots, potatoes, broccoli, and even tomatoes to a degree, have held their heads high, weathered the storms and come out stronger in the end.  All the veggies take the beating in stride, all except the cucumber.

Now I don't want to rag on the cuke too much here, but honestly up until this year I have really started to wonder why I bother with such a wimpy little plant!  I mean really, who can't handle a little snow in June or wind that bowls a person over instantly.  Really who can't buck up and take it?  I started cucumbers this year with the knowledge that they would die and shrivel and it would be a horrible waste of seed.  I knew that, I accepted that, and I planted them.  I planted them and it came!

I ate a cucumber from my garden!  One beautiful glorious Boothby Pickling Cucumber grew, flourished and provided me with an extra tasty treat!  Oh Glory be!  What an experience it was.  That one little cucumber has renewed my love of the plant and if it takes me another 6 years to grow one so be it.  I loved you little cucumber!

 

Tornado Alley aka Spice Cabinet redo

Do you have that secret little corner of your life that no one knows about because it's THAT bad?  And I mean bad?  Everyone I know always says things like "Oh if only I were more like you in...." whatever.  Everytime someone says something like that to me I inwardly cringe.  If only they knew my dirty little secret(s).  I have a few but will only share one with you today.

Enter- The spice cabinet(s).

I like cooking so I collect spices.  I have lots and lots and lots.....and they take over everything.  And they are impossible to find.  I search for dill weed only to get so frustrated that I ditch the whole recipe for something simple.  I hate searching....I'm one of those impatient people, ya know when I say jump you DO it.  It applies to me too, if I want to cook then I do it...right now with no planning or in this case searching.  Anyway, my last thought as I went to bed Monday night was "Oh my word, I need mason jars!".  Yes I think bizarre things like that every night before bed.  

So Tuesday morning I grabbed a few cases of 8oz mason jars and hit tornado alley aka the spice cabinets. It took over an hour to sort, pour, label everything. I found at least 6 empty containers, a box of tea I love, and a spilled bottle of vanilla extract.  Now everything fits into one cabinet easily, everything is labeled just so, and everything stacks wonderfully.   Now beautiful order exists. I will sleep well tonight.