Homemaking

This past weekend was nice. Who doesn't like a three day weekend? On Saturday, we went to Bloomington's Fourth Street Festival and then to the Garlic Fest. Doug's oldest son and wife and their two year old, Lilly, met us there. Lilly is so cute, she calls Doug "baaapa." Anytime he steps away, she is searching for him "where baaapa go?" So cute. We were also joined by my friend Karen who is doing Sober September with me. Guess what? We had a lot of fun being sober! This pic of me was in the paper on Sunday following our attendance on Saturday. I joked that they "got my best side." 

 

Sunday, Doug returned to work and I did what I love to do - putzing and piddling around the house. I started the day with tea from my new mug I purchased at the festival. Isn't it cool without a handle and just an indentation for the thumb? It will be a nice hand-warmer as the temps come down this fall and winter. 

Although general cleaning is kind of boring, it seems even though there are only two of us, it is often a necessary evil. With a Corgi, I mean EVIL. Corgis are shed machines. Corgi owners joke there are two seasons for shedding - January to June and July to December. With my resident Taurus, this shine won't last long.

During the summer, I take most all of my houseplants outdoors. We live in the country, so by the end of summer, they are full of dead leaves and spider webs. When it gets close to time for frost, I want to be ready. A gal I work with gave me a ton of hens and chicks, so I planted some of those. I re-potted a small cactus, I'm curious to see if it will get taller and or wider in the new pot.

I stole, I mean helped myself to a start from a plant in my building's lobby - the one with the red stem. I do not know what it is, but I like it. (Can anyone tell me what it is?) When I broke the piece off, it was very sticky and oozing. It took forever to root. So I potted it and put some chicks around the edge of the pot. We'll see how it does. I re-potted the Christmas cactus my sister gave to me last year. We keep our house so cool in winter (the better to huddle by the fireplace, my dear), and I may need to take it to work to get it to bloom. I have a lovely big window near my desk. Last year the cactus had small pink buds all over it, but it never bloomed and then the buds fell off. I will have to take the tropical fern back to work as our house is anything but tropical!

What is your favorite season? Mine is FALL! I have the fever so bad! I got out my fall table runner and napkins and put a fall towel on the stove. I go crazy sticking pumpkins and gourds all over. For now this is it. Oh, and a few fall candles. The little one is pumpkin chai. So yummy.
This was my adventure in homemaking. I love to make a house a home. I don't get to do so as much as I would like as I work full time. Work is such a bother, getting in the way of what I really want to do! On Sunday I sewed. Christmas will be here before we know it and I have lots of handmade items on my list. How was your weekend?

Take a walk with me

Last blooms



Doug built this chair for a Christmas gift to me a couple of years ago.

The bird bath I bought in memory of mother.

Coleus I allowed to run wild

perspective

another view

steps fashioned from local limestone

everyone calls her the baby

the old man

the best chicken, ever - Ms Ella Fitzgerald

Doug built this years ago

heads bowed

property across the road

property across the road

at the end of our drive

When I walked out to my car, after work tonight, you could feel the winds of change blowing.  I walked about the property this evening, taking these photos, with temperatures of warm 83 degrees. We are expecting thunderstorms tonight which will take the temps down to 66 degrees. They are predicting an overnight low of 37 degrees on Saturday. The temps have been as low as 40 thus far, but we haven't hit the 30s, yet. Soon the fall rains will begin and with them, the leaves will come down. I hope we have some time to enjoy the changing colors before that happens.
In the summer, we are mostly outdoors. When we are in the house, we never go into the family room which we refer to as the fireplace room. We only use the fireplace room during the months we have fires going. I need to get to work cleaning the fireplace room as we may be in there soon. Before I do that, Doug will need to clean the chimney. When I sat down to write this post he walked in and said "time to batten down the hatches, right?" Usually we don't light the first fire until mid to late October. If it is cold enough to turn on the heat, we usually have a fire going. Our fireplace has an insert in it with a blower, but often we sit in the fireplace room with the door open basking in the heat.
Certain things ruin you. I've had a sunroof in my car for years now and can't imagine not having a sunroof. The same with a fireplace. I just can't imagine winter without being able to sit in front of the fire. In winter, evening after evening, Doug and I sit in there, surrounded by our two cats and our Corgi. Doug is usually dozing. I read or get on my laptop. As long as I don't have to be out on icy roads, I don't mind winter. I have a friend who teases me, but I always stock up the larder. She started teasing me about this years ago when I lived across the road from a grocery - telling me if I did run out of something, I could just walk to the grocery to fetch it. She loved to say "this isn't Little House on the Prairie!" Even so, I like the idea of stocking up - of being secure in knowing if I'm snowed in I can bake bread or a pie or cookies or make chili and all of the ingredients are at hand. I need to get to work laying in the food supplies for winter.  
We are considering finding new homes for the chickens. We are both tired of caring for them. We've kept chickens for four years now and this past year, we didn't get new chicks in the spring. I made the mistake of naming a few of my first batch - my Barred Rock, Ella Fitzgerald, my speckled Sussex, Marvella and my California white, Jenny-O. These girls probably don't even lay any longer, but it is hard to let them go. But neither of us want to hike out into the snow and break the ice or make certain the water heater is working.
October is my favorite month of the year and we've only just begun, so we aren't quite ready for snow. I love crisp leaves crunching underfoot, football games droning in the background, sweatshirts, warm cups in cold hands.
I hope you enjoyed walking with me about the property.

To die for chicken enchiladas

I always wanted to make chicken enchiladas, but until last night, I never had. I love enchiladas, but to me they are never quite right.  I can easily creep myself out about food in restaurants.  And if I make something well, I will never order in a restaurant because you are darn tootin' I'm going to like my version better.

I came across this recipe on allrecipes.com and thought to myself "that looks do-able!"

I printed out the recipe and went to the grocery to buy the ingredients. 

 

 

Original recipe makes 6 servings

Makes servings USMetricAdjust Recipe (Help)

1 tablespoon of butter

1/2 cup chopped green onions

1/2 teaspoons garlic powder

1 (4 ounce) candiced green chiles

1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup

1/2 cup sour cream

1 1/2 cups of cubed cooked chicken breast 

1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese, divided

6 (12 inch)flour tortillas

1/4 cup milk

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a large baking dish.
2. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and saute the green onion until tender (about 3 to 4 minutes). Add the garlic powder, then stir in the green chiles, cream of mushroom soup and sour cream. Mix well. Reserve 3/4 of this sauce and set aside. To the remaining 1/4 of the sauce in the saucepan, add the chicken and 1/2 cup of shredded Cheddar cheese. Stir together.
3. Fill each flour tortilla with the chicken mixture and roll up. Place seam side down in the prepared baking dish.
4. In a small bowl combine the reserved 3/4 of the sauce with the milk. Spoon this mixture over the rolled tortillas and top with the remaining 1/2 cup of shredded Cheddar cheese. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until cheese is bubbly.

We use the chicken breasts in a bag (which are quite good) and I cooked the chicken in a covered dish with vegetable broth in the microwave.  I made four breasts which was a little more chicken than I needed, but I just added a little extra sour cream and cheese.  I used sharp cheddar cheese. I didn't have garlic powder but I used garlic salt.  And we felt it needed a little salt, anyway. I can't tolerate much onion at all, so I left the onion out.  The green chilies didn't hurt me at all. Next time I will use a different dish to cook them in.  This time I had my dish all buttered up and I just crammed all six in.  It was o.k., but next time - a bigger dish.

I can go forever without cooking.  (He was single before me and can cook.  The man can cook.  Believe me, he isn't going to starve.  Some might say he cooks more than I do.) But when Fall and Winter come along...there is something about cool temperatures that make me want to start banging around with some pots and pans. And when I find a good recipe, I am very intent on making it.
These enchiladas are GOOD.  Doug just kept yumming and umming and carrying on.  He had one left-over for lunch today and left me one to have left-over for my dinner.  Even warmed in the oven a day later, yum, yum, umm, umm, these are GOOD.
O.k., go make this recipe, now.  You'll be glad you did.
P.S., if you have a better chicken enchilada recipe, please share.  (Or any recipe for that matter.) Once I make a recipe, I am all about changing it up for the better.

Birthday: Saturday, 10/20

My last post was about girl's night out - the night before my birthday - on Friday night.

My actual birthday was Saturday the 20th.

My day began with a hair appointment at 8:00 a.m.  I arrived before anyone was at the shop. 

do salon

Following my hair appointment, I met Doug for brunch at Michael's Uptown Cafe.

For information regarding the tree sweaters on the square, read here 

 

 and here.

 Why I love a birthday in October:

 Another reason I love an October birthday:

After brunch Doug and I went to the Farmer's Market where Doug bought a ginormous mum for me.  Isn't it beautiful? I always have a big pumpkin (he brought one home to me last week) and a big mum at the end of the drive.

After Farmer's Market we went home and got ready to go to my friend's son's wedding in Indianapolis.  It was in an old historic downtown Indianapolis church.  The reception was at the Ritz-Charles in Carmel.  The wedding and reception was a great place to spend my birthday.  My friend has always been there for me and my family and it was our pleasure and privilege to be there at her son's wedding.  We ate, we talked, we raised money for Lou Gehrig's disease, we drank, we danced.

Donna and me

Donna and I were born the same year, three days apart.  Her birthday was October 17.  She will forever be my "older" friend.  We've been friends for twenty-three years. 
All in all, I had a truly wonderful birthday.  (Anyone notice anything different from my previous post?)

Trois

We now believe that at least three of our ten layers are producing.  Maybe more.  I went out this evening, after work, to check on them and three eggs were in the box.  We have seven laying boxes and they all like box number two.  Why is that?

Trois

It is difficult to get a photo of all twelve of them, but I think I did.  We have two roosters and one of them keeps attacking me.  It makes me so mad!  If I yell (and cuss) and push him away he just keeps coming after me.  I consulted with our chicken teacher from the Purdue Extension office as to which rooster we should get rid of.  (If you don't know, usually one rooster per twelve or so hens.  We have ten hens and two roosters.)  One of the roosters is docile and one is aggressive.  Her answer to me was "you'll get rid of the one that attacks you."  Anyone want a rooster? 

the whole brood

It has suddenly turned cool and rainy here in southern Indiana.  It has gotten down to 51 at night and today I think it only got up to 61 degrees.  Feels more like October than September.  Very chilly in the mornings.  Sweatshirt weather.  I love it and apparently the girls do, too!

My new digs

I acquired a new position on campus in May.  I already worked for Indiana University but now I work on Indiana Avenue at Indiana University in Indiana.  Are you sensing a theme, here?
This morning, driving to work, I called Doug and said "you know what I love about my job?"
And I told him how I love driving on Fourth Street and scoping out the firemen at the fire station every morning.  I'm not dead, y'know?  All of us gals know that firemen are always cutie-patooties!
Then as I walked into my building...see photo- below.  (I pulled all of these photos for this post off of the web- the photo below looks as if it was taken in winter.) I enter at the end of the building and this hill may not seem steep, but it is.  I love walking so hard and fast that my heart pounds.  Well, I love doing that now.  When I  first started working here and rushing up the hill and my heart would pound...well, ...it scared me.  It scared me to the point of going to the doctor and having my heart checked out.  (My doctor said this is why more men die of heart-attacks than women because we listen to our bodies.)   All is well with my ticker.  Good to know.  It was just letting me know that it was working. 

walking up this hill until my heart pounds
(photo credit indy.com)



This is my first academic year at the law school.  The students are eager and show up in suits. I arrived at the law school just as the academic year was ending.  Thus far I've noted that both staff and professors are laid back and friendly.  Rather informal.  Not certain if that will change once school begins. 
I love being within walking distance to these gates- the famous Sample Gates.  The center of campus.  This is an area pulsing with action and energy.

famous Sample gates
(photo credit iub.edu)

I love being within walking distance of these gates which are at the end of Kirkwood.  Kirkwood is home to a lot of cool, hip shops and restaurants. 

looking down Kirkwood
(photo credit law.indiana.edu)

 And, I love being within walking distance of our local library.  I dropped my netflix some time ago.  I request books, dvds and cds.  It is rare that I check something out that I haven't requested online.  We have a great system.  I get an email and I go to the shelf where my items sit with printed tickets with my name on them.  Easy peasy. 

Monroe County Public Library
(photo credit indianpublicmedia.org)

And I love being across the street from Starbucks on Indiana Avenue.

Starbucks on Indiana Avenue
(photo credit:  Janiece)

If you are a regular reader, you are already aware of my affection for Starbucks.  This particular location is purely university.  And I love it.  This may be my favorite Starbucks location, second to the Starbucks on the point on DuPont Circle in D.C.
When you walk into this Starbucks the first thing you smell is coffee.  The second thing you smell is books.  Pages to be exact.  Pages, people, not electronic devices.  You smell books and newspapers.  The smell of coffee and paper is a heavenly aroma in my opinion. 
Speaking of smells- aromas, this is another part of what I love about my job.  This time of year especially- the smell of books and leather briefcases and anticipation.  Anticipation of a new school year, parties, classes, football games.  I have worked in a university setting for nearly twelve years and I love it.  I love the students.  My own children were students at one time.  I was a student at one time.  I have no patience for those who say they hate the students.  Go find a job somewhere else if you hate the students.  The students are the reason we are here. 
You know what they say..."location, location, location."  I've got it!

A new October love

For those of you who are regular readers probably think that the title of this post has something to do with my daughter's recent wedding.  Not so.

This post is about a new recent October  discovery...the North Carolina State Fair. 

 The North Carolina State fairgrounds is a mixture of old buildings.  One of the first buildings we saw a grist mill where they were giving away piping hot hush puppies.  Delicious.

Me, in front of the grist mill



Look close and you can see the rain a-comin' down.

 One thing they had at the North Carolina State fair that we don't have in Indiana was tobacco.  I've always thought the drying barns were cool looking in North Carolina.  I wonder if the industry has been hit in recent years?  I quit in '97, so I figure everyone else has quit, too.

Look!  Sir Walter Raleigh in a can.

 We have cows in Indiana, but the cows in North Carolina are smart cows, from N.C. State.

I took this for my egg lady.

 They had a row of restaurant type buildings that were represented by all faiths.  We chose the Christian Church and when the man took our order, he said it would cost more because I was from Ball State.  He said he knew of Ball State because of his church conference being held in Indianapolis.

Church row.  Restaurants from all kinds of churches. 

 We ordered a barbecue sandwich with slaw.  Doug and I try to share food as much as possible.  Seems we always end up eating more than we plan to, anyway.

Not in Indiana.  Not this menu. 

 We were at the North Carolina State fair on my birthday, which is October 20.  I overheard someone say the word "birthday," and I asked who.  This little gal came over to visit with me. 

My birthday friend, Hannah.  She was 11.  I said "ME, TOO!"  Then I said "not really."

 We didn't eat anything fried - but I had to take a picture of this...yuck.

Fried, fried and fried.

My son and his girlfriend had been to the fair and he told me that there was one place that sold pineapple whip - which if you are a regular reader, you know I love pineapple whip.  We searched and searched for it.



PINEAPPLE WHIP!

When I finally found the pineapple whip, I told the lady, "I heard you were here and we've been looking for you - I have pineapple whip at the Indiana State Fair and I love it."  Then the lady said "you probably buy it from me, I'm there."  She was from Indianapolis, but now lives in Florida. 

For my egg lady who keeps bees.

 Am I the bee's knees or what?

I loved this sign.

It rained almost the whole time we were there, but we had a great time.  The North Carolina State Fair is held in October because it is too hot in the summer.  So now I have a new October love.