know what i love?

finding good stuff in my freezer.

this morning, while pondering supper for tonight, i went digging through my freezer. and oh, the treasures i found!!!!

treasure #1:
a casserole a friend had given me a while back (probably a couple months, by now), all frozen and with promises of deliciousness. so i took it out, threw it in the oven, and we enjoyed it for lunch.

oh, guess i should tell you what it was, eh? teehee it was a chicken and potato casserole, with veggies. it was soooo good. chunks of potato, lots of chicken, yummy veggies. it was comfort on a plate. so, thank-you, deb, you're wonderful! <3

treasure #2:
a bag of chicken thighs. actually i found two bags, though i only used one. i took it out, threw it into my big crock-pot, smothered it with bbq sauce, and it was ready in time for supper. i also chopped up a couple carrots this afternoon while making carrot soup (recipe to be posted in a few minutes), and it was absolutely delicious!!! the boys liked it, i loved it, and charlie seemed happy there were leftovers on asher's plate.

there are other things i love, too. like my freezer. and not just because of today. i just generally love my freezer.

my crock-pots. love them. i can't even describe how much!! they please me. i have a big one and a smaller one, and they're perfect. there used to be a blog called "A Year of Crockpotting" and every day there was another recipe for something in the crock-pot. it was awesome. i put the link on here at one point, but her year is up, so i doubt if there's anything new posted. but back in the day, i enjoyed that blog. especially her post about crockpot haggis. honestly, that had to be one of the funniest things i'd read in AGES - and the picture of the box the meat came in, marked "not for human consumption" made me laugh out loud!!

my breadmaker. i use it at least 3 or 4 times a week, sometimes more. it's wonderful. and so easy. and i don't think i need to tell you how nice it is to come home to the smell of freshly-baked bread. mmmm... carbs...

i think that's about it. oh, no, wait. there's one more thing i love.

my giant pot. i've been a soup-making fiend lately, and that's the pot i use. 'nuff said.

that's it now. well, probably not, but i'll stop here. i'll post more when i think of them. ;)

meet Sally

this is Sally, the newest member of our household. isn't she lovely? blithe found "her" at Springbank Park the other day and she just had to bring her home.

i'll admit, for a while there i didn't think Sally was even "with us" anymore, but then it occured to me that we hadn't given her anything to eat, so the night before last, i dropped two spinach leaves in there. by morning, there was only part of one leaf left. so, spinach it is. and actually, one of the most fascinating parts of the day is sitting and watching her eat (which would leave me unable to actually eat, if i had several people just sitting and watching me eat. but i have issues. obviously, sally is a little more well-adjusted than i am. lol)

i'm using this as an on-going science lesson for the kids. they're absolutely loving this caterpillar! they're both enjoying watching her eat and move around and sleep and... well, actually, that's about all she does. so far, there's no coccoon or anything. just a lot less spinach in my house. ;) but if anything develops, you know i'll post.

a quote

i don't know what this has to do with anything "simple," but i just re-discovered this quotation, and it's going on the sidebar here so it won't get lost, but i want you to read it, so it's a post, too (don't mind me, i'm a little odd...). here it is:

beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.
- Benjamin Franklin

a wise, wise man, that ben franklin... ;)

thank-you, sarah, for finding bug info. be warned, though, readers: don't click on the links if you don't like bugs. tanna, this means you! lol

ok, remember my post the other day about that creepy bug in my backyard? i think we all do, and now we've all got the heebie-jeebies just thinking about it. well, sarah looked it up for me, and here's what she wrote:

I looked it up on a site called 'What's that bug' and figured it to be a Hellgrammite. Yeah, an interesting name to say the least. But it is the larva of a dobson fly...if that tells you anything. Apparently they can pinch but other than that, pretty harmless. So if you want to know more about it, just google it.Just letting you know as you peeked my curiousity,
Sarah S

so, there you have it. a creepy bug with a creepy name. now i'm off to google "dobson fly," because i don't really know what that is either, although i think i have an idea. i'll post a link when i find it.

UPDATE: here's the link to What's That Bug? http://www.whatsthatbug.com/index.html
enjoy. or don't, if you're squeamish. be warned. it's all about bugs. if you don't like bugs, don't click on the link. but, if you're into bugs (and i looked around, they're not all creepy), check it out.

also, i don't think it is a Hellgrammite, they're all black, and this one has some grey on it, not as many legs, and the pincers look brown. i'm going to send them the pic of my bug and let them figure it out. but thanks for the tip, i'm definitely taking advantage of this site now.

and a bonus about the bug site: there are these weird black and red bugs in st thomas (i've seen them in a couple places, one of which was, you guessed it, my backyard... what is it about my backyard and bugs! sheesh! i know it's got lots of grass and mature trees and a garden, but seriously! leave my backyard alone, creepy crawlies!!!!!! oh, yeah, i'm SUCH a girl, lol). well, i found them on this site. they're called boxelder bugs, or garagebugs. and, joy of joys, they tend to come indoors as the cooler weather approaches. fortunately, they're harmless, so i don't have to worry about trying to kill them (so, pam, tell hal i won't need him too often in the next while). but still... a world without bugs... a girl can dream, right? here's the link to that specific bug: http://www.whatsthatbug.com/true_bugs_2.html
nice, eh? glad they're harmless, but i'm also thankful for the nice tip on getting rid of them. dishsoap and water, what could be easier (or greener)?

WTF???????? (pardon the profanity, but you'll understand when you see the pic...)

ok, i haven't been this creeped out by a bug in a long time... well, at least since last week, when i had to borrow hal to kill a centipede in my bathtub. but i almost think this one is creepier because...

WHAT IS THIS THING?!?!?!?!

seriously, i have never seen anything like this in my life! what is it? if you know, please let me know. if it's dangerous and could kill us all, please let me know ASAP, since my kids all love playing in the backyard. and most importantly, if you have any idea how to trap/eliminate thse creatures, please let me know. not only for safety issues. i just think it's gross, and i want it gone from my home. thanks.

does anyone else have the creepy-crawlies right now? or is it just me? yuck!

eureka! i found some!

haha! succès! thanks to freecycle, i have now acquired 2 bikes. i'm keeping one, and my mom can have the other one. sure, they're not perfect, but if i happen upon a better quality at some point, i can donate these somewhere (Bibles for Missions is just down the street), and i've lost nothing, since i didn't pay for these.

also yesterday, we got rid of one of our window a/c's, again thanks to freecycle. there's a family in st thomas who will be much more comfortable today, and that's a good thing.

well, i'm off to shower quickly and then go garage saling with the fam. (and don't forget to check back tomorrow evening for the weekly update on my garden. there's been quite a bit of growth this week, and i can't wait to share it with you!)

may your weekend be cheap and/or free, may your house be comfortable in the heatwave, and may your garden bloom into life.