Outfit for Today 5-12-13

Doing a bit of experimentation with my "look" 
For today I went for the brown/khaki/ combo with a cute polka dot scarf for my yuck-o hair.

Can You Make Pickles....

...with zucchini?

So, if you have a whole bunch of zucchini...and if you planted zucchini you will...like me can you make pickles?  It turns out that YES YOU CAN!
You make them pretty much like you make them with cucumbers.  Unless you harvest them very small (one inch in diameter) then you make them  into "chips".
I found a few recipes that specified zucchini but they were pretty much the same as any other recipe so I felt pretty good about making them.

Here they are after soaking and in the seasoned brine.   

TA-DA!  dill zucchini pickles!  I only did 4 pints as with just 3 of us in the house it seemed that would be good for now.
Before I made the dill I also made a recipe that my mother used to make and I remembered it fondly...Chop Suey Pickles

I also had to experiment with using Stevia/Truvia to replace the sugar as well but in the end they taste wonderfully similar to the original recipe.
Next up...dill relish!  Why not?  LOL

A Foodie Post

When you are inundated with zucchini anything new or different is worth trying  LOL
Here you see something that is both...Zucchini Chips Low Carb Style

Very yumm-o when warm but kind of "ok" when cooled off
The original recipe called for bread crumbs and which I subbed out for Parmesan cheese.  I also added a bit of smoked paprika and Italian seasoning to the mixture and it was great.
Then youngest son A has gotten all the supplies to make his own sushi, which he loves, and did some rolls Friday and Saturday.  This is is first attempts

Now, to find something new to make with the remaining 100's of Zucchini  LOL

Lot's of Progress

I thought it might cheer me up to layout my in-progress Victoria's Friendship Quilt to see where I am either behind or lacking.  Having it all together so that I can see the progress it so wonderful for me.  I tend to be a streaky crafter and a typical Magpie who is looking for the next "shiny thing" and will leave projects languishing for years at a time  LOL
So except for a block I need to re-make I think I am caught up strangely enough. 

Garden Update

Mr. C did a bit of harvesting on Saturday...he was excited to pull up some carrots...he hasn't been too successful with carrots in the past.  LOL  You can also see our first little mini pumpkin, purple beans and more beets.  Of course there have been more and more squash and tomatoes not in the pictures.

36 Years as Husband and Wife

Mr Creative and I celebrated out 36th Anniversary, or as he says 3 dozenth, of marriage.  He always asks me if I would "do it again" and I always say of course.  LOL
But this year he asked what was the hardest time of our marriage...that one was kind of hard but I think he was reassured that I didn't remember those early years as being so awfully bad...I think he agreed when I told him what I thought...not gonna share that one but I often think that I have been very blessed and just plain lucky that my decision to marry Mr Creative at the age of 20 has remained one of my very best over all my ups and downs of life.
Thanks dear!

First Smiles

Our little K is starting to smile....she has just passed her 3 month birthday and I knew it was coming any time.  I love her little crooked smile and bright eyes.  she looks sweet in her blue summer outfit and bow.

August Garden

As you can see the garden is coming into the best time of the year for the veggies.
Above Mr Creative shows off his birthday present from DD B and her family.
He is really enjoying the garden seat to pick the beans and pulling weeds.  He wanted to show his grsons A and T that it makes a great "pillow" when he gets tired from bean picking 

Abover you can see l to r
cherry tomatoes in a pot, volunter tomatillos
summer greens and sunflowers

Last of all in our three sisters garden the first mini-pumpkin has ripened a bit early!  It's a bit small even for that variety of pumpkin but it's great to see them do well.  Along with the pumpkins we have started harvesting spaghetti squash and ate the first one last night along with beans and more summer and zuchinni squash.
Still waiting for the rest of the tomatoes but hopefully we will be seeing them sooner rather than later.