H54F

Hola, people.  I so need a nap!  I was just talking to a girlfriend on the phone and I couldn't stop yawning..I was telling her I've been trying to write this since last night..I keep deleting then rewriting.  It's like a cluster of run-on sentences.  Nothing makes sense.  You have been warned.  My eyes are bloodshot, and stinging like fire.my wheels are constantly turning...making plans.  Last Sunday my partners and I were arranging our final plans for the market.  We made a few last minute lists, and sketched out how we (think) we want our booth set up.  I literally have the next 21 weekends planned.  No foolin'.  Can't decide if that's awesome, or absolutely insane..Right now, I'm ecstatic...Hopefully when I'm right in the middle of it all I will still be having a good time.  Having a booth at the market is an idea I have tossed around for the last two years..and now I'm really doing it!!   It's exciting!  We are planning some off time.  We chose 5 of the 21 weekends to take off..I have some trips planned, and then we blocked out some lake time as well.  Good things are happening, guys!!

You've probably wondered how my tiny garden will supply us with enough produce for the entire market season?  My little 16x8 is just a sliver of what will contribute. Our main source is a half acre of corn, and a half acre of other fruits and veggies.






In the coming weeks we are going to have more than we know what to do with. Not sure what produce we will have next week, if any...Maybe tomatoes. I'll be sure to post what we plan to have each weekend.  Yesterday, I bought a ton of bananas.  I'll have some fresh bread next week too..as much as I can make...I set out a loaf of it for my family on Sunday, and between the six of them they ate the entire thing within minutes.. then said I should have brought more. It's pretty good stuff!!

So...market...next weekend.  Stop by and say hi!

While I was in Nashville last week. I had an hour to kill, so I wandered into World Market...annd then wandered out with a patio set.  That was totally unplanned.  The table was used as the display, so it had some chips around the edges..I thought it was cute like that, but I didn't say anything while the lady kept talking to me, offering it at a lower price..As I was walking away saying "I'm not sure, I'll have to talk to my husband about that" The classic line I used long before I even had a husband...Then she said "Well, wait a minute..if I take this much off will you take it then?"  Uhh, sold!!  Sooo, loaded it up in the car, and had a candlelight dinner that evening with this handsome fella of mine.

Kinda digging my new little patio set.  Beer and watermelon tastes so much better in the backyard!!

I was so excited to show ya'll my corn.. Two Friday's ago it looked like this...

Now it looks like this...This week I had to weed out the seedlings..I always feel so bad doing that...Sorry little seedlings..your life was cut too short, and it's all my fault.. 

My strawberries are so pretty...

Pretty delicious too...I ate these Sunday morning for breakfast..

If you have strawberries planted don't forget to pull your runners.  This is exactly what they look like..you can't miss them.  They will steal all of the nutrients from your berries...Just pinch at the base of the runner and pull.  You'll get more berries if you do this!

One day I almost panicked thinking the moles had tunneled through the garden....Then I was like...nope..the potatoes are breaking through..This was also two weeks ago.

and this was yesterday.

Somehow I have a potato coming up from last year...Under my beans

Love watching the beans come in!

Remember when I said I planted bean plants,as well as seeds?  

My seeds (right) are taller/thicker than my plants (left)

Baby jalapeno..I also planted red and green bell peppers, sweet banana peppers, cayenne and I don't know what other peppers.I'm drawing a blank..More evidence that a nap is needed.

I planted beefsteak tomatoes..I think that's what they're called..it is possible I just made that up, but I'm pretty sure I'm correct..I do know I planted grape tomatoes.  I cook with grape tomatoes a few times a week, so I'm pretty pumped about them.  Anyway, both tomato plants are flowering..

Trey makes homemade popsicles that are too cool for school  This one is made with fresh pineapple...Juice and chunks.  The perfect treat for a sunny afternoon.  I spent this day sunning out back in my beach chair while reading a book.

My sweet boy got me a pink Dogwood tree for Mother's day.

Snapped this on one of my runs...

It was hot at the beginning of the week!!  I love a good sweaty run!

Another - seen on my run - picture.. I love this place!

When I get a package from Nicole I know it is going to be something thoughtful and wonderful.

She made me this amazing mug!!  She is seriously so talented.  I have been bugging her for a year now to open her own shop!  I LoVe it and her!!

I had two date nights this week...the first one was with Brittney..we went to dinner and a movie.  We saw the dumbest "scary" movie..We were mostly distracted by the hacking/whooping coughing CHILD..literally.  Poor baby.. and then the little girl sitting across from us that was cracking sunflower seeds the.entire.time.  I can't even make it up.  Brittney said if she had popcorn she would throw it at her.  It was very distracting...and annoying..you could hear her smacking over the movie.  Loved my Brittney night!

Kayla and I went to The Hayloft barn sale last night...It's always so fun to browse all the booths.  They have the cutest things.

I got this adorable spoon ring.  

I loved my Kayla night too.  We were going to eat dinner off the food trucks, but I talked her into going somewhere where adult beverages were served.  I didn't have to pull her leg or anything..I merely suggested it and I think she agreed before I ended my sentence.  

Have you seen the Regenerate Juice Bar truck in town?  I met one of the owners and he was super friendly.  Kayla and I spent a few minutes talking to him.  Turns out his juice truck will be at the market on Saturdays..annnd turns out he's in the market for some locally grown cucumbers.  I just happen to know a cucumber grower! :-) 

I had the juice called sucker punch.. I think that's the name...I wasn't kidding about the nap.

Speaking of naps.  Brodie loves to make himself comfortable in my arm for his naps.  I don't mind.  

Lately Scuba needs to be told when to do things.  I'm not sure if it's some kind of psychological separation anxiety or what, but he's totally lost his mind.  He..is a weirdo.  When it's feeding time he will sit and stare at me until I tell him he may eat.  He will look at his food, then back at me..and won't move until I say..."you can eat"...Then when it's time to come in..I open the door and he sits and stares at me until I use my words to invite him in.  Weird, I tell ya,

The three of them love our backyard time.

Especially this one..  <3

Tonight my Mom is finally getting to use her Mother's Day/Birthday gift...I got her tickets to the Willie Nelson concert in Nashville...  I asked her if she wanted to wear my shirt, and she just laughed at me.  I don't really know what was so funny about it.  Anyway, my Mother has a super crush on Willie..has for as long as I have known her.  Like super heartthrob crush...Bless her heart...ol' Sue is gonna lay her eyes on ol' Willie tonight.  So, anyway she and my Dad are date nightn' it up.  You kids behave yourselves and have a Willie nice time.

To the rest of you...have a Willie nice weekend.

xo

Carrie

H54F - Ready. Set. Grow...

Last weekend I spent the entire day Saturday playing in the dirt.  We had some rainy days, so I was afraid that it wouldn't be dry enough to plant.  Watching dirt dry is way worse than watching water boil...in case you ever wondered...

I planted four rows of corn.  Last year I planted Peaches and Cream, and only three rows.  This year I went with Ambrosia, which is another sweet corn.  I planted the four rows, going in opposite directions as last year.  I did that to allow more room..I had no idea what I was doing last season, I just kinda planted it, and waited to see what happened..It was exciting, as well as overwhelming.  This time around my plot was mainly planned around putting my seeds and plants in the spot that I thought it would thrive the most, which I suppose is what most people do, but now that I know how everything will grow, it made planning a lot easier.

I planted a row of bean plants on one side of my bean trellis, and bean seeds on the other side.  I did this primarily to allow for different harvesting times, so that I don't pick all my beans at once. Another way to do this is to plant a row of seeds one week, and then plant another row the next week..and so on.  Just another tip I learned last year...I would go weeks in between each bean harvest.

One day this will be a salad in my belly...  Romaine lettuce seeds..

I planted three rows, and three varieties of onions.  Yellow, red, and white.  I was browsing through seeds at the Co-op this week and picked up a seed packet for green onions..I'll plant those tomorrow.  Love my onions..my favorite thing on a salad is red onions!

I found this little scoundrel in the garden...It's a grub, which is what the pesky moles eat..You can buy something to spread on your yard to kill the grubs, which may in fact solve your mole problem.  I don't necessarily mind the moles - what I do mind is my dogs digging up half of my yard to catch the moles, and they have caught plenty.  If the moles ever decide to tunnel through my garden..I will then have a serious problem with them..

I thought it was dead..until it moved..then it scared me, and I screamed like a girl..I tried to shake it off my hand and it stuck to me with its creepy legs..

Planting Marigolds around your garden is a win-win...First of all they are beautiful, and add so much character to your garden.  Secondly, they keep bugs and certain worms away that like to eat your squash, tomatoes, potatoes and strawberries..and many others.  The root of a Marigold produces a chemical that kills nematodes as they enter the soil. 

(you do want earthworms in your garden) 

Anytime a slight breeze came through I would get a whiff of my sheets hanging on the line.  Unless you know exactly what it smells like, I can't even begin to describe it...it's wonderful.

The boss man came through every now and then to make sure I was doing a good job..

Because of said boss, and his posse.. I have to put a little wire fence around the garden.  I use a very inexpensive fencing that I bought from Lowe's.  Each set is about $5.00 and I used four sets for my 16x8 bed.

Winston woke me up super early one morning...He was crying like he really needed to go out, and of course since he's an old dog I always try to appease him...So, I woke up..not happy..I'm sure I mumbled a few expletives as I threw the covers off of me to get out of bed with one eye open..I open the back door and they all shoot out at the same time just about knocking me over.  Trying to regain my balance, I quickly realized that he fooled me..he didn't have to go to the bathroom..they heard something in the yard..  So, all three of them ran to the very back of the yard, and were screaming like something was eating them...This was around 4:00 a.m by the way.. I have one neighbor that complains when the dogs bark..I was thinking "great..she'll be over here in her robe in no time.." So, I got the two barkers in, and the other one wouldn't budge..It wasn't until the sun came up that I realized they tree'd a cat...

I don't know who the cat belonged to..I also had no clue how it was going to get down.  It ran up the tallest tree with the least amount of low lying branches.  I got the last dog inside, and left to take Trey to school...Once I returned home the cat was gone from the tree...Thank goodness..I was a little worried about the fella.  Poor kitty...I bet he won't come into my yard again..

We have a new animal to add to the clan..Last weekend I bought Trey a sheep.  

Yep, you heard me..I said sheep...

He wanted to do the 4-H Sheep Project..  Basically..you raise it..feed it, train it (you have to get it halter broke) , exercise it..etc..and then months later you show it in the show ring...

Since he picked a girl, he let me name her...I was like YESSS!!  I made him pinkie swear that he wouldn't complain about her name...  Soo..

drum roll, pleaaase...

Her name is Elizabeth Taylor.. I named her this because she has black hair on her head, long eyelashes..and the obvious reason is that she is be-ewe-tiful!!  I love her..and I think she loves me too...especially when I scratch underneath her chin.  <3

Thanks for stopping by to read about my week...have a be-ewe-tiful weekend!  ;-)

xo

Carrie

High Five for Friday

I skipped a Friday post...I hate it when that happens, especially when I actually had something to talk about.  If I skip a week it's more than likely because I didn't have time to put a post together..and then sometimes I skip because my week was so boring low key that I would put you to sleep with my lameness..No one wants to hear about how I was in my pj's by 5:00 every day, or how I spent an entire Saturday afternoon in my house clothes having a Red Box marathon...Seriously..that's only exciting when you're exhausted and need the down time, but major snoozefest to write about..and most definitely to read about..So, on occasion I spare you.  You're welcome.

Turkey season...still.  

Trey was home one weekend because he wasn't feeling well/he had a bad grade, so he staked his hen in the backyard..

Then he decided to put the hen and the Jake in the front yard.. Random...I know. The Jake is the Mojo Shake N Jake, so he would hide in the garage and make it rotate and fan out trying to freak the little neighbor kids out.  I promise we have a life.

and thennnn.. here she is again..
I feel like I have spent enough quality time with this hen that she deserves to have a name, and her own room.

and...hmmm..

We are the Random family.  It's nice to meet you.

Kyle and I had plans to grab dinner together last weekend.  I was on a run at the Green when he called to tell me that at the last minute he found out he had to spread fertilizer on a farm near my house, and he wasn't going to make it for dinner.  After my run I called him and was like..."Sooo, how about you come pick me up and I ride with you to spread fertilizer?"  I was totally surprised when he said yes..because he has never said yes when I've asked to go to work with him.. I rushed home just in time to let my dogs out for a second and refill my water bottle.  Then I heard him coming down the road...I hopped in and off we went.  

We did a little 45 acre farm...the sun was setting, it was beautiful.

Then we went back to the shop, and made it to dinner after all...Except we were both dirty, so we just went to an old diner in town..The perfect little impromptu date.

My clothesline is up...I L.O.V.E it!!!

Saturday morning I woke up bright and early to toss my sheets in the washer. I couldn't wait to get them on the line.  My neighbor snapped this picture and sent it to me..My dogs like the line too.  :-)

Kayla and I had our monthly girls' night...This time we went to a new nail salon and had pedis..then went for dinner and drinks.

The plan was light dinner and heavy drinks..We always plan our dinner dates based on where the best drinks are... Don't be judgy.  I tried something new..Strawberry Mango Tango..  It was amazing..I don't remember everything in it..key words for me were vodka, fresh mango and fresh strawberries.. at Ruby Tuesday's..  Yum yumm!

I took this on one of my runs..

I love running in the country..

We had one day in the upper 80's and I was itching to go for a run..In between work and picking Trey up from school I decided to go for a run in my neighborhood, which then led me outside the neighborhood...You guys would be proud of me because I saw a snake slithering across rocks in a ditch, and I actually held it together... Possibly because I was on the main road...and at the same time I noticed the snake there was a car coming towards me..My instincts were to scream and jump away, but had I jumped I'm pretty sure I totally would have thrown myself into oncoming traffic..and I wasn't going to give the snake the satisfaction of my death by automobile..So, I held my breath..talked to myself for a few minutes..and have since tried to erase the vision of the long black, slithery, cold blooded creepy reptile out of my mind...It's still there.  Yuck.  I came home and crashed out on the deck floor.  I was hot..sweaty and feeling good. Sometimes even a short run can make you feel like a rock star!

I got a new patio umbrella...I had my eye on it for a few months...I basically stalked the umbrella section often.  One day I was in Lowe's and noticed it was the last one left in the color I wanted, so I snatched it up.. and by snatched it up I mean that if anyone else decided to go for the umbrella at the same time I did, they may have gotten an elbow block - black Friday style..  Not that I've ever been black Friday shopping..I avoid it for that very reason..I'm not a violent person..violent people are scary...I'm just saying.  All threats aside, I was pretty determined that umbrella was going home with me that day..I hoisted it into the miniature shopping cart, and paraded victoriously to the checkout line.

Anyway, I don't even have patio furniture, except for the really huge pallet table Kyle made for me last year..I tossed my table and chairs set a few years ago..buuut..thanks to my beautiful new umbrelly..my deck now has shade..my fern and my herbs won't die from too much sun..and my dogs have it made in the shade.  Who needs patio furniture?  <quietly raises hand and smiles>  It's not a priority..Besides, if I want to sit still for a minute I'll hop in the hammock..

Thanks for stopping by..hope you have an awesome weekend!

xo

Carrie

A Little Dirt Never Hurt..

Don't you just know I was as happy as a little songbird this week.  I finally got to get my hands dirty.  We tilled the garden two days in a row to get the soil nice and loose to ensure a good root system for the plants.

I kicked off the week with sore arms and blistered hands..and I absolutely loved it.

Brodie is not my ideal garden helper.  He really just wants someone to throw his ball...alll the time.  

He's cute, so he gets away with it.

Potatoes...the only thing I have planted in the garden thus far.. Last year I had a basket full of dud spuds, which was so disappointing.  I did my homework this year and planted them on time and deep...I know last year my potatoes were just an inch or two below the surface..my number one mistake..It is recommended to plant them about 8 inches deep.

I have strawberries blooming from last years plant..

Today I planted herbs..

Lemon Verbena, Lemon Thyme, Spearmint, Kentucky Colonel Mint...

Parsley, the Chives are from last years plant, Dill and Sweet Basil

I planted flowers in all of the window boxes, as well as my side bed.

Tossed a few Impatiens and some Snowstorm Giant Snowflake in these tiny pots. I placed them on the bottom shelf of the stand that holds one of my herb containers.  How cute is my custom painted Westie pot!?  It is from Chick Design Boutique on Etsy.

I have a few more flats of flowers, and some Lavender to plant this weekend.  My fingers and toes are crossed hoping that we don't get drenched with rain tonight, otherwise it will be too wet to plant my fruits and veggies tomorrow..That's the plan..Lord willing. 

Thanks for stopping by!

xo

Carrie

Baked Tacos

Early this morning as I was staring blankly into my freezer with one eye open, I suddenly remembered..that it's Tuesday..easiest menu day of the week...it's taco Tuesday in the hiz-ouse!!  What a glorious day it is when Mom has declared that tacos shall be served!  We love us some tacos.  If I ask Trey what he wants for dinner, his answer is almost always "something meaty and cheesy." so tacos are always a no-brainer.  It must be a boy thing.

Recipe found on Pinterest from Mommy I'm Hungry food blog

Ingredients

2 lbs ground turkey

1 small onion diced

1 small can diced green chilies

1-2 packages of taco seasoning (I use 1.5 for 2 lbs of meat)

1 8 oz can tomato sauce

1 16 oz can fat free refried beans

2 cups shredded colby-jack cheese

Hard taco shells

Pre-heat oven to 400

In a large skillet cook onions over medium-high heat, until soft

Add ground turkey, or whatever meat you decide to use, and cook through.

Drain/rinse any excess liquid

Add green chilies, refried beans, tomato sauce and taco seasoning.  

Mixing well, bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes. 

Spoon the taco mixture into the shells, then place in a 9 x 13 baking dish.  

Stacking each shell against one another to help support it upright. 

Sprinkle cheese over the top

(Writing this post is making me sooo hungry!)

Bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.

The shells will be soft on the bottom...I use a spatula to pick each one up, so the shell will not tear.

Well, that was torture..I can't wait for dinner!
These tacos are the jam, trust me!!

Enjoy,

Carrie