On Projects.

I was speaking with The Coz today, off in merrie olde England, and I was getting all excited for summer. For her garden. Ok - for her mother's garden, which she will not be able to enjoy this year because she will be gallivanting around Europe, going to Operas in Vienna, and so on.

Because I am obsessed with Reader, and more specifically the glorious possibilities afforded to me by the source of instant gratification in the form of food blogs, Food in Jars was recently brought to my attention. Canning, apparently, is the new Thing. The new Cake Pops, if you will. As people move away from processed foods, and actually eye the nutritional labels to see the sodium content (and subsequently keel over from spontaneous cardiac arrest) the old-fashioned ways return.

See here:

Fascinating no? The product review seems particularly intriguing. I was not able to talk myself into the purchase however. I feel like I should start smaller with things I actually have available: blackberry jam, for instance. Or pickles.

Not making my own butter from the placid Cow I have in the backyard.

We shall see if this actually happens. I typically get all excited to start a project, but rarely actually do so. For example, the time I wanted to build a couch. Or last week, when I got all excited to make pillows out of my new bridesmaid dress.

However, when I DO start things, I typically finish them. For example, I am still working on my scarf! At this point it is NEARLY large enough to SWADDLE A BABY. So...I am still toolin' right along on that front.

Except when that "thing" that I start is Lent. I don't want to talk about it.

That's a SPICY MEATBALL

Except...it really wasn't. BUT IT WAS TOTALLY DELICIOUS.

Sidebar: I brought this up with my cousin today - about how often I will use caps, especially in my conversations with her. She pointed out that we tend to scream when we are around each other anyway.

Oh. Right.

Anywhoozle, LOOK AT THIS:

Jesus God. It's after midnight, and I'm still way full from my meatballs a few hours ago, but looking at this picture makes me want to go raid the fridge.

I won't though! I have something that was at one point a distant relative of self control!

You can find the recipe here from Pioneer Woman. I love her - her food is friggin amazing. EXTRA POINTS FOR LIVING ON A RANCH IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE, AND STILL MANAGING TO BE AWESOME.

Note - this being, you know, ME, I left a lot out. Aside from the parsley, which I hate buying cuz I use a tiny lil bit, and the rest rots in the fridge. Ew. But I also left out the whole 2 lbs of pasta part. And the whole homemade pasta sauce part. And the actually using spaghetti part.

I just dumped in the Bertolli we had in the "pantry" (pantry is in quotation marks because you can't really call the CUPBOARD ABOVE THE OVEN A PANTRY) over some penne we had lying around. Pasta is pasta. Whatever.

This ALSO got extra points because I finally broke in ye olde Lodge Cast Iron Pot:

That's the sweetness.

Not tooo Shabby

Well I suppose that posting on average every 2/3 days isn't too shabby! Certainly far better than I expected myself to do.

A few pictures of the Ranch for those of you who enjoy such things at this glorious time of year:

Next to the highway...

Close Up (yes I played with the saturation):

Holy Smokes it's on fire!

I know, right? LOOKS LIKE IT'S ON FIRE. I also enjoy how the cloudy sky is totally overexposed. Makes the fire brighter.

Also - note to random tourists: Please do not climb out of your car and wander around taking pictures. Where there is heavy machinery. And, when politely asked to leave...don't stick your tongue out. You look like an idiot.

In other news, the overabundance of gift guides in the Reader has me thinking of the holidays. I love Christmas. No amount of Scrooginess, or Grinchiness will deter me. I have carols on the iPod. I am busting out the ornaments. I am desperately craving spice of gingerbread, the headiness of hard sauce. I want to BAKE people.

In a word: Ready.

And Now...A Word from the Maverick

"Of course you've seen that picture already. You consume 90% of the Internet with obsessive Reader reading". - The Maverick (who shall be henceforth referred to as "The Mav")

Picture in question: Courtesy of Decor8 (I know right? Red chucks on a baby? ADORABLE)

Now. Is there anything WRONG with my Reader? Of course not. Is it not the most efficient way of consuming information? Of course it is. I have all my blogs in one handy spot. It pulls information directly from the websites, so that I can even enjoy the travails of the chillin kangaroo from the comforts of my blocked work computer.

(Sidebar - PANDORA?! REALLY?! I WEEP, I.T. Department)

Anyway.

Team, I follow many blogs. Probably too many - Interior Design, Food, Shopping, Movies, Tech, Hilarity, Photography, even Web Comics. AND THAT IS JUST TO NAME A (VERY) FEW.

I love my reader, even if The Man may tease me for it. I refuse to apologize.

In that end, I have added a blogroll. I warn you! If I find that it gets too cluttered, I shall remove it.