I'm an awesome gramma!

I have grandchild #5 with me today, cause he likes to hang out with "dramma". I'm kinda cool as a grandma. As a parent I think I left a lot to be desired, but I rock as a grandma! We snuggle and he talks and then talks somemore....well, talking might be a stretch, but I do understand some of the words.

Today Mr. K and I went grocery shopping (chicken breasts were on sale for $1.49 a pound, so I had to buy 80 pounds at that price!) We saw lots of things that Mr. K likes. All of which had to do with the show CARS. He would see something that he liked and he was so dang cute, I had to get it for him. So we got McQueen shoes, McQueen bowl, cup and spoon and M&M's cause he says M&M's so dang cute. I also bought a box of CapriSun cause he wanted that too.

Today, if he asked for it, he got it.
Ya, I pretty much am an awesome gramma!

Zucchini and self esteem.....

Yesterday I went to the garden and there were too many zucchini's to count. Again the age old question comes to mind...why did I plant this? Oh, ya, to make myself feel good about myself. Yes, it's true zucchini can give you good self esteem, a highly unknown fact. You can throw seeds in the ground and they just are like the plant version of bunny rabbits. They just produce and produce! Anyone can grow zucchini, but as I gaze across the zucchini plant I feel like a master gardener and that everyone should come to me for advice because after all, look at how my zucchini grows!
My hubby even took the weed eater to it yesterday to reclaim his "aisle" between the raised beds. Will the zucchini be set back because of this assault? Nah! I'm sure they will look at it as a time to redouble their efforts.

(Note the brutally cut off leaves)
Since I've never made zucchini bread before (nope never) I made a batch of Zucchini Bread that was in our recently published Ward Cookbook. It was delicious! Then I made banana bread because I had 4 unidentifiable things that used to be bananas that needed to become something else....like banana bread. I used my recipe for that, but both recipes called for a cup of oil. I used 1/2 C oil and 1/2 C of applesauce. That's an idea I got from Kimmie, to make it less fattening. My hubby loved the zucchini bread, it was moist and very tasty. Who knew that zucchini could do more than make me feel good about myself?

Then I decided to make some pickled beets because my neighbor has more beets than I have zucchini if that is even possible to imagine, as she's been begging people off the streets to come and take beets. So I did. I've never made pickled beets before. They sure look pretty on the shelf.

I wonder if there is a way to separate the zucchini so that they will quit doing whatever it is that they are doing. Well, maybe I don't want to, I still may need them zucchinis to feel good about myself.

Headed to the hills....

I feel a Julie Andrews song coming on...the hills are aliiiiivvvveeee with the sound of muuuuuuuuzicccccc.... OK, enough of that, I don't need that song in my head all day. I got up early, did some laundry, vacuumed, mopped so I could leave for the day and not feel guilt. I'm going to try to take pictures of huckleberries or moose or whatever I find interesting.

My mom and dad are coming up to pick huckleberries with me. Does anyone have valium?

MIA

Still missing in action....the huckleberries are wonderful and plentiful and bigiful this year and I can't help myself. I'm trying not to be all greedy and everything (I have over 7 gallons) but I still find myself heading to the hills, to the pine trees to the solitude and picking more berries.
I've seen a mama moose and her two babies while I was picking, I wish I would have had my camera. I am pretty sure there is absolutely NOTHING on the planet as ugly as a moose. Those poor things.

Emerging from a coma.....

It's been a week of #(*&)(*@# and I'm really glad that I survived. Too much work and not enough time to do what I like. What I really like...no, what I LOVE is going to the hills and going huckleberry picking! It is the most relaxing thing I've ever found. If everyone could come and pick huckleberries with me, there would be world peace. Seriously, it's that awesome.

Some of my favorite things from this very busy week that helped me keep my sanity:
#1: I enjoyed a visit from Kim, she took a really cute picture and you can go to her blog to see it. I couldn't figure out how to do the timer thingy on my camera so I took this one of her:

She was so nice and fun. I was so happy to be able to finally meet her.
#2: My blogbook! I found the idea from Sondra and thought that was so awesome that I copied her idea! I think I won't scrapbook again.


Sondra puts lots of pictures of her family, events and recipes. She prints one monthly and it is kind of a family journal for them. Thanks for the great idea!
#3 Favorite thing: A new Ball Blue Book of Canning. Weird, I know but I love canning books and websites and this book is like the Urim and Thumum of canning. Can't live without it.

#4 Favorite thing: Our Ward Cookbook that we've been working on for over a year finally came! I love Ward Cookbooks, they are my favorite. I love getting tried and true recipes. This is the second book we've done for the ward. They are a lot of work but so worth it.

This was the one that we did 5 years ago...

It's been well used.
#5 Favorite thing: HUCKLEBERRIES and stained purple fingers!

Purple heaven! Life is good!
Note to self: Don't work 7 days in a row again!