Long Winter's Nap....NOT! Crockpot Marmalade all Made!

The year is nearly over and Christmas is approaching quickly, so I've been trying to get my list of 'must get done' things accomplished.  A Christmas stocking for my new son-in-law was a priority and I did it!

I've still got a quilt in progress and an afghan almost finished, a new, big order of primitives to work on and, of course, the usual everyday stuff so I'm kept hopping!

A little over a year ago I bought Christmas cactus starts on Ebay and they're coming along nicely and blooming so prettily now!  They're upstairs in my sewing/craft room so I'm pretty much the only one who sees them - until now and you can see this one at least!  I've got about 6 or 7 of them.

I asked my hubby for a box of oranges and a bag of lemons and he brought them home the other day.  I've got an amazingly simple method of making Orange Marmalade.  You just put 6 oranges, 4 lemons, and 2 cans of pineapple in your food processor and grind.

Then you add 12 cups of sugar and mix.  Divide between two good-sized crockpots, turn the dial to High & set your timer for 4 1/2 hours.  Slap it in jars, add lids and water-bath can them for 15 minutes.  TA DA!!!  A winter's supply of delicious marmalade!  Well done!

 Ok, so he also brought two 10# bags of organic carrots home and I already had about 10# that our good neighbor shared from her garden, so I canned the extras!  Carrots are easy - scrape, chop and throw in jars.  Add salt & hot water, pressure can for 30 minutes and you've got carrots for your cellar shelves!  I've got a fabulous recipe for Carrot Buns that takes a quart of carrots, so be sure to put some in quart jars!

Remember last time I mentioned that the chickens are laying well and I had 6 or 7 dozen eggs in the fridge?  Well, they're still laying well and today I've got about 10 dozen!  My daughter is coming this weekend and will take them all home for the extended family to enjoy!
These three guys (hard bald eggs, of course) are in my fridge....

 I realized this morning, as hubby and I went about our usual morning routines, that I've been packing him a lunch for over 38 years!  I try to make them tasty and interesting...usually.  Today's menu:  leftover chicken pot pie, tortilla chips, orange slices and 4 homemade chocolate chip cookies....and of course, a love note (very important!).  I have, over the years, sometimes forgotten to put a

fork or spoon in....and (construction work) he has been forced to drink his applesauce or eat his lunch with a carpenter's pencil, lol!  Today I generously included a fork.

 Neighbor Jean and I decided that the two turkeys were both pink ones, so she generously donated the left bird - our new tom!  Hopefully this Spring the girls will start laying and we can hatch turkey chicks!

Zephyr and Zelda are standing in the pile of carrot scrapings they disdained when I generously offered them.  No accounting for taste.  None of the animals wanted them!

 Yes, MaryAnne's eyes are closed in total enjoyment of a rare sunny day here in Western Washington!  I cleaned and filled their water bucket this morning and they gathered around to visit with me.  If you look at the littlest goat in the picture below, you will see that she is smiling happily.

 My older daughter is now 21 weeks along with my new baby GRANDSON!!!!  She had an ultrasound this week and sent me Joshua Lee's first baby picture!

Imagine what our forebears would think if we tried to convince them that we could 'see' the baby and know if it's a boy or girl when the mother was only half-way along!

The sun is streaming into my house today - a rare stretch of cold sunny weather again for us. Our Christmas tree is decorated and at-home daughter is candying orange and lemon peel in preparation for making our annual holiday fruitcake.  The house smells fabulous.  Daughter and Son-in-Law are coming for the weekend and we are truly enjoying God's blessings each day!