Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Indiana Last Summer: Part II


Bruce brought some Chinese lanterns with him to Indiana to light off at night, & I'm so glad he did. I am also glad I grabbed my camera for this moment. I wasn't sure if they would turn out with the only light coming from the lantern, but some of them did & here they are.


On the next day we decorated some more lanterns before we let them go. I will get those pictures up in a bit.


I suppose this is one of the many benefits of living in a giant field, no trees around to catch the lanterns! I have witnessed more than one occasion where a lantern has caught on a tree, or house. It is very scary... Lucky for us there was nothing around to catch on.


Photos by me!

Friday, May 25, 2012

Indiana via Instagram


Here's a little taste of what is still to come, some photos I snapped on my phone while in Indiana!


We spent some time at an Amish store near their house. I loved looking at the clothing & hats.


So many delicious treats to choose from!


This sign made me laugh, it was above a door-bell at a farm we visited.


Photos by yours truly!

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Indiana Last Summer: Part I


So here is the first set of pictures from our trip down to Indiana to see Rob's mom & step-dad last summer. We had a wonderful time. It was especially great because Rob's sister & her husband (& adorable kids) were there too, as well as Rob's brother & my sister! Wow, that was a mouthful. Anyway we had a few adventures while we were there.


These pictures were from our first day there. We got there somewhat late in the evening and just wanted to hang out and not be in the car (it was a 4 hour drive from where we live in Michigan). One thing I love most about being down there is the feeling at their house. It really is like being on a farm! They live in an old farmhouse and as you can see they have chickens and cats. They also have a huge garden in their yard. I keep trying to convince Rob's mom that she should get a few goats! Perhaps one day ;)


Above is Chunky. He is the fatter/nicer cat. The cat in the first picture is Duchess. She is a little shy.


Bruce trying to get Duchess to come to him. He did not succeed.


You can see some of the garden in the picture above with Rob's mom & brother Bruce.


My beautiful sister showing her face around here again.

 Photos by Rob & I

Monday, May 21, 2012


Can't wait for more days like this! Sitting by the lake at my parents house has always been one of my very favorite things to do in the summer. The weather in Michigan has been getting warmer and yesterday it was finally warm enough to swim! The water felt very chilly, but it was so refreshing. Perhaps a new bathing suit is in my near future?

Photo taken via instagram last summer by yous truly.

Sunday, May 20, 2012

How To: Make Pickles

So, last time I was on here I promised I would explain how we made pickles, so here it is:

1. Go to your local farmers market, farm, etc to get your cucumbers! 
2. Make sure you pick up dill too.
3. Wash cucumbers well & cut them to the desired shape.
4. Fill up the jars with the cucumbers you cut.
5. Put the fresh dill on top of them.
6. Cook the vinegar with the pickling spice (make brine).
7. Pour in the brine over the pickles and let them sit on the counter for 3 days.
8. Refrigerate the pickles after that.
9. Eat pickles!!!

It really was that simple. I don't remember off the top of my head how long we cooked the brine, but I could always look that up. I cannot wait to make more this summer! We ate almost all of our pickles from last year already.
We like making refrigerator pickles this way because it means they stay crispy. A few summers ago we tried cooking them, but they ended up sort of soggy. Anyway, I love pickles and I truly think that these pickles taste better than any that you can get in the store. Plus, you know how/where they were made, and you can feel great because you made them!

Photos by me!