Where's the Beef?

I spent the week in Utah last week. One of the things I did was can beef. I know....sounds weird- but this is something I learned @ my Cooking with the Chicks group. (thanks Connie) Dad was there also. He was helping with the pressure cookers. He set up his camp chef out on the back patio and we put the pressure cookers out there. For the most part, this is a really easy thing to bottle, and although I have not tried it yet...I'm told it is delish!

If there is one thing I can always count on it is having Mom there to help with things like this. A I get older, these are things that I am wanting to learn more about and she is always willing to help me. We had a good time and I think we got 47 or 48 pints done that day.

Filling the pints with the beef.

Mom - making sure the tops are clean so the lids will seal.

They are ready to pressure cook.

Dad, making sure they stay at the proper pressure.

All done - pulling them out to cool.

Side note...another thing Mom and I did. Look at this beautiful wheat bread. Yummy!

SuMMeR dAys

It's not officially summer for me yet. I still have a couple of days left of work before I am off for the summer. Rex and I both took Monday off and took a spur of the moment trip to Huntington Beach. We hit the road early Saturday morning. When we arrived we actually spent the day at Newport Beach, then checked into out hotel, that was right on Huntington Beach. We spent the day Sunday taking a drive up the coast, eating at the famous Pinks Hot Dogs in LA, and we went to a Dodger game that night. Monday, we spent a couple of hours on the beach before heading home. We had a really nice time and the weather was fantastic.

Newport Beach

These guys set up this sno-cone stand right in fron of us at Newport beach...funny...they had a little generator to run the ice shaver and everything.Lunch @ "Pinks" Hot Dogs. You should have seen the line! Popular place!

Us @ Dodger staduim. They played the Phillys. The Dodgers lost. Last day @ the beach. Time to go home ....

I caught him in the act!

When I came home from work the other day, I walked in to find this....

Need I say more?

Birthday Cake, Coconut Oil & Pine Trees

It was a really fun couple of days...in the middle of the week no less! It was my birthday on Tuesday and after work, Rex and I ventured over to the "other" side of town. We got a room at the Green Valley Ranch Hotel for the night. It was a really nice little get away for a change. We really did not do anything...but that was the point. The pool there is beautiful. It has a beach entry at one end, sand and all. We just lounged around there for the afternoon and evening. Then we went to dinner and after dinner we walked around at the District. It's a neat place, but the shops are a little snooty. It was a nice little walk after dinner. While we were walking, we passed The Cheesecake Factory-had to stop in for a piece of vanilla bean cheesecake with warm Carmel topping-to go. That was my kind of birthday cake!

We spent the next morning at the pool again. After we checked out, we stopped at Lucille's Bar-b-q for lunch. That evening, after we got home and unpacked, we took the motorcycle for a ride up Mt. Charleston. It was a beautiful evening and nice and cool. As you can see from the picture, I had to put a jacket on. What a difference a few miles up the mountain can make. It was a really nice couple of days.

We took a little walk up a path on one of our "pit-stops"

Ahhhh....the smell of fresh mountain air.

Extreme Makeover.....

Tractor Edition
Well, as you may remember, I gave Rex a tractor for Christmas. It is an old Ford tractor, and I thought he would love to have it to plow the land we have in Harmony and things like that. STUPID ME! Should have known better. Got something old? Better fix it up--I think I better look out, I'm getting pretty old myself. Anyway, he did some fire sprinkler work at a paint shop of a friend of his, so he asked the guy if he would paint the tractor as a trade out. That started the ball rolling. Next thing I know, we have UPS at the door a couple times a week delivering new parts. Well, the tractor turned out great. I think he will be riding it in the New Harmony 4th of July parade, not plowing the land....but that's ok. He does look pretty good on it.

BEFORE

AFTER

To Be 20 Again.....

Birthday Girl!

Today is Jessika's 20th birthday. She came down for the weekend. We started celebrating on Friday night. We kind of have a family tradition, on a birthday or anniversary, we love to treat ourselves to Austin's Steakhouse. Since Monday is our anniversary and today is Jessika's birthday we all went the dinner at Austins on Friday night. On Saturday, Jessika and I went and did a little shopping, then on Saturday night she went out with her friends. Today, Rex cooked dutch oven chicken for her. We also had twice baked potatoes, green salad, fruit and scones. Not to mention the sweet "funfetti" cake I made for her. She invited her good friend Hannah and the Jones' over to eat with us. It was a beautiful day to eat outside and enjoy the yummy meal. I love You Jess--Happy Birthday!

Check out this professionally decrorated cake...nice huh?

Rex-master chicken and scone maker.

Michelle, Sammie, and Skylar ( do you think she's having fun?)

Hannah and Jessika

"Sisters"

Mom and her Girls. No more teenagers.....i think that's a good thing.

Nasty People

Im sure the title made you just a little bit curious....well, read on.
On Friday night, we went down to Fremont Street to watch a free concert.. Jason Aldean. It did not start until 10:30--yes that's PM. Kinda late for us old folks. But we figured what the heck.. what could be better than going downtown with all the drunk cowboys? At first we were not too sure about going, the wind had been blowing all day---HARD! It had calmed down quite a bit so we bundled up, it was still pretty cold, and headed out. The area around the stage, which was at 3rd St. and Fremont, was PACKED with people. We were feeling like sardines, and the only ones that were not drinking (or smoking). Jason put on a really good show though, and it ended up being pretty nice there under the canopy, well protected from the cold and wind. We were well entertained by the people around us. I just had to get some footage of these people in front of us. I will not even try to decribe them....see for yourself!

Jason Aldean

Nasty People...Need I say more?