picking pears

Yesterday, my boys and I picked pears at my sister-in-laws house. She has a great pear tree that is absolutely loaded! We were invited to pick to our heart's content...and we did!



We picked a little over a bushel basket which I believe is considered a "peck" if I was buying it at the farm stand.



I am planning to make pear butter and pies and I will be sharing the goods with relatives. Speaking of relatives...that's my nephew up in the pear tree.



This will be my very first time canning and I am nervous! I will be following directions from the "Ball" canning cookbook so I know I will be using a good recipe. The recipe calls for 20 medium sized pears and yields 4 pints of pear butter. These pears are small so I am figuring 40 pears for one recipe.



I will let the pears ripen for a couple days before cooking them.



From what I have read, pears do not ripen until they are picked. They are picked hard and then will begin to soften after a couple days.



I am a total beginner at this canning thing, so please, wish me luck!!!!

I will post my canning endeavor as soon as I am finished. Look for my "Pear Butter" post on Monday or Tuesday. Until then, I will be posting other things.

Refried beans and cheddar cheese chips

Oh my, do I love Mexican food! I made chicken soft tacos the other night along with my favorite side dish...round tortilla chips topped with refried beans, melted cheese and salsa!

It's so TASTY and really EASY to make!
Check it out!

First, preheat your oven on 350 degrees and then open a bag of round tortilla chips.



Open a can of refried beans



With a spoon, smear some refried beans on each individual chip like so.



Lay chips nicely on a baking tray.



Grab a bag of shredded cheese. I used a blend.



Sprinkle chips with lots of shredded cheese.



Bake chips in the oven for 10 minutes until cheese is melted.



Oh my...look at these! They are so delicious!



I made some salsa to go on top, but you can just use your favorite brand.



Pile 'em up on your plate along side your taco or burrito and chow down!



My husband and I love these!! They are filling because of the refried beans...having said that, they make a great night time snack for those times when dinner just didn't carry you all the way through to bed time!

Enjoy!

Danny & Annie

Dear blog friends

The other day, I came across this video on a blog called Chookooloonks. I was so touched by it that I shared it with my family and friends on Facebook. I also want to share it with all of you. Please watch it. I think it is a great testimony to love. I won't lie, you will get choked up...there will be tears...but please do watch. This was a radio interview by an older married couple. Someone created a wonderful cartoon rendition of the interview to go along with the couple's words.

Click here to view video
http://vimeo.com/12562270


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These are a few of my favorite things

this is one of my favorite coffees
Kona blend
I can't describe the flavor
it's just good!

my favorite coffee mug
Montana
hand made pottery
sculpted on a pottery wheel
by a talented artist is Montana
love the glaze
bought it on a special vacation
a nine day snowmobile adventure in and around Yellowstone with my father, one of my brothers, and three sisters
paid $25 dollars for this mug
Yes...$25 dollars!
I really, really, really wanted it...
BAD!
I am so glad I bought it!

my favorite pastry
lady locks
or creme horns
whichever you call it
I grew up calling them lady locks
hand made from a local bakery called Kretchmars
the filling is so light and creamy
just the right amount of sweetness
the pastry is so perfectly flaky

4 dozen corn on the cob

I'll be busy tonight! I bought 4 dozen locally grown corn at the fruit market today. I'm going to blanch the corn in boiling water for 10 minutes....plunge it in ice water until cool...cut the corn off the cob...measure out 2 cup portions...and freeze in freezer bags. This is my first summer doing this and I am so happy I decided to do it. Yummy corn all winter long!