Weekend Get Away

DH took the top off the Jeep and we drove through Pigeon Forge to the Smoky Mountains.  The traffic wasn't too bad.  We stopped at the first visitor's center.  They had a great bat exhibit.  The bats are getting some kind of white nose disease.  I ask a ranger about it.  I am concerned because I want to put up a bat house this winter.  I didn't know if I need to be concerned about this disease.  Apparently they have only found it in one cave.  Good to know.  Can't wait until we build our bat house.  I have already printed out several instructions off the web.  Bats are great to keep down bugs, but I understand they also like fruit.  We'll see how that will go with my fruit trees.  Eek!  :-) 

We drove right out of the visitor's center, and continued down the road.  Next thing we knew we came to a town.  We looked at the map then and found that we had driven west the wrong way!  We found a road back to Pigeon Forge and called it a day.  DH has a few extra days next weekend, so perhaps we'll go back and try again to go South into the Smoky Mountians.  :-)  We had a great day.  Sunday was the same.  We took a ride around Cherokee Lake looking for campgrounds.  Found one that we can camp right near the water, so we'll be able to keep the boat in the water.  Might go next weekend.  I will have to plan some meals.  :-)

Day to Day Allergies

The weather here in East TN has been nice up until Thursday.  I had to close my windows and doors at 5 pm because I got a headache that wouldn't quit.  I turned on the air!  Yesterday I was still suffering, so I took a Mucinex D with my compounded benedryl.  I had to go out to get more Mucinex.  Driving back home I decided to check out what's happening on the back roads where the corn fields are.  I had my air recycle.  Half of the fields were harvested and I saw the combine taking down the whole corn stock and shooting it into a pickup truck.  I guess its dairy feed corn.  Ugh!  I found out why I have been having trouble the last 2 days. 

Today Saturday we are getting cloud cover and wind from huricane Irene.  I got a second 25 pound watermelon today.  It is super sweet.  I chunked a cookie sheet full, seeded it and put it in the freezer.  Later I will put the chunks in a freezer bag.  Later I will eat them frozen, and make watermelon slush.  My pole green beans gave me almost a pound today.  I put some broccoli seeds in a few weeks ago.  They are struggling to grow and stay alive with all the bugs and cabbage worms eating them.  I had to pull a bunch of green worms off the kale, and put them in a left over spectrum shortening bowl with soapy water in it to drown.  The swiss chard is struggling.  I fertilized it and everything else the other day, and I have been giving it more water.  I have lettuce coming up.  I have 6 bibb lettuce plants, and another row of leaf lettuce and I started 2 rows of spinach and another leaf lettuce.  I put in butternut, spagetti, and acorn squash a couple weeks ago, which is late.  I am hoping I will get something out of them before October 31, our first freeze date.  I am getting more bell peppers, jalapeno's, okra, and patty pan squash.  The squash bugs took over the zucchini, and yellow squash.  They are now taking over the patty pans.  I saw about 3 dozen squash bugs on the patty pans today.  I sprayed them a couple of times.  I am disgusted.  I know I need to spray the whole plant before they get into my new zucchini plant that is starting to flower. 

Well got to go and will maybe edit this on Monday.  DH is antsy to get out of the house.  I need to take advantage because he doesn't normally go much.  He's talking about going to the smokies.  That would be cool.  Will update on what we did later.    

Breaded Okra

Cut okra into 1/2 inch pieces
Roll a in millet flour (or flour of your choice)
Roll in egg wash (1 egg and 1 - 2 tablespoons water)
Roll in more millet flour (or flour of your choice)
Fry in oil until brown, or freeze to cook later.

reeze left over flour to use later.

Plarn Tote Bag

I have to try this!

http://www.kaylaksthriftyways.com/basic-plarn-tote/

Canned 4 pounds of pinto beans

Washed and soaked 4 pounds of pinto beans overnight
Triple washed the next day, and boiled 30 minutes.
Packed into 16 pint jars with 1 inch head space. 
I have the larger pressure canner that holds 2 layers of jars.
Processed for 75 minutes.  That should last for 6 months.