Just a few jars...

About 70, I think!  All labeled & ready to go!

A Fork in the Road!

 On the way to the fair last week my friend pointed this out, so I said on the way home we'd have to stop!

 It's literally a fork in the road!

Sunday single

Mama & Baby ( or Cow and Calf!)

 have a wonderful day!

Saturday Stills

My hibiscus just bloomed!

 

My 1000th Post! Dutchess County Fair food

 Yum!  Fair food!  When I started this blog 4 years ago, I never thought I'd still be doing it!  ( And I've almost stopped on several occasions)   But I'm still plugging along & I hope my faithful readers are still enjoying it.    My 1st few posts were about the Goshen Fair so it's only fitting I do another fair to mark this milestone!

A friendd & I went to the Dutchess County ( NY) Fair yesterday--she'd never been & I went about 25 years ago!  It about 1 hr. from where we live, so not a bad trip.  The fair runs for 6 days-Tues-Sun.

Had to scope out the food as we walked around.  We knew several friends would be there , so we looked around for them first...all the while looking at all the food choices......

Had a delicious waffle cone with butter pecan ice cream from this vendor--no calories in fair food, right?

Ended up with a roast beef sandwich with horseradish for lunch--ate it before I could take a photo!

Here's the most unusual food item we saw--spaghetti & meatballs on a stick!

Pretty Posies

I have a  garden that is finally developing into a pretty one!  The black eyed susans are filling out & the echinaceas are blooming!  have a great day!

Baby Robins

Last night we went to a hunting club that Alan belongs to for their monthly meeting & dinner.  Sat out on the porch beforehand & were told to look up in this hanging flower pot.

 In a nest in the flowers were these adorable baby robins!

The mother was flying around, so we didn't stay around there for very long.  And please know that I used a zoom lens & cropped the photos on the computer--I wasn't as close to them as it looks!

The Other Bison

A few photos of the rest of the herd...many people still coming to try & catch a glimpse of the baby white bison! 

 The flies around them are crazy!

 Our road has lots more traffic than usual!

Homemade Ice Cream

Had some crushed strawberries left over from a batch of jam so I decided to drag out the ice cream maker & whip up a batch of strawberry ice cream.  Looked for an eggless recipe online ( don't you love being able to look for stuff on the internet?)   Got all the ingredients & voila!  it's made!  And it is yummy!

Two More!

 I think these are # 15 & 16!  Above is a photo of strawberry-pineapple jam and below is jalapeno jam

I only have 2 left to make from my original list, but only think I'll get the strawberry made.  the last one would have been jalapeno jelly, but really don't feel like dealing with the peppers again!  Gotta start working on my photos!

Just Spotted

Was just out on the patio & saw this butterfly go by--it landed on the stone wall; I didn't hold out much hope that it would still be there after I went in to get my camera, But it was!  It was very obliging, stayed still while I took a few photos!

Make My Day.....

 These are Clint Eastwood Rowdy Red tomatoes!  Saw them when I went to the Tomatomania sale back in May & decided they would be a good one to try!  There are a bunch on the plant--can't wait til they ripen!

"Named by Gary Ibsen, the seeds of this variety came to Gary from tomato breeder, Archie Millett, who crossed his favorite tomato varieties over many years to finally produce a disease resistant tomato with intense flavor. 'Clint Eastwood's Rowdy Red,' is an open-pollinated tomato (78 days to maturity). The tall, indeterminate, plant produces lots of 2-inch (6-10 oz.), deep-red, round tomatoes with a subtle point on it's end. Fruit has robust, "not for sissies," bold, tomatoey flavors, with a firm, juicy flesh, that invites snacking in the garden, cooking, canning and seed-saving. Its fruity sweetness is perfectly balanced with plenty of acidity, earthy nuances and complexity."  Info from Gary ibsen's site " Tomatofest.com"

Talavera

I picked out his piece of Talavera back in March at the CT Flower show & my friend Jenny bought it for me for my birthday--and she kept it til last week!  My birthday isn't for a few more weeks but she was coming out to see the baby bison......

Photos don't do it justice--it's an unusual piece with all the cutouts

You can put a candle in the center--Jen said she tried it with a battery operated candle ( like you get at Xmas time) and I think that's what I'll do...will take a photo when I get one!

Macro Monday

Fresh from the garden-not even cleaned yet!---just went out & picked these before it gets too hot!  Enough for a meal & maybe I can make at least one jar of dilled beans--they're a favorite in my family!

And a few more cukes, too!

Sunday Stills--Isla party!

Spending the afternoon at Sandia's  with a bunch of friends...it's an Isla Party!

Good food, good friends & lots of laughs!

 

Saturday Single

made # 13 & # 14 jams and jellies on Thursday.  Above is the beginnings of Strawberry Banana; also made Black raspberry & didn't take any photos!

Good Day to be Baking!

 It's pouring rain & cool so I thought I'd do some baking....going to a Isla gathering on Sunday & am bringing desserts--everybody loves these Peanut Butter swirl bars!

Will also be making a blueberry cake tomorrow before we go to our nieces wedding in the late afternoon!

Pretty Planters

 We went over to a friends house for dinner a few weeks ago & they had the prettiest planters on their deck!

 The combinations of flowers that she uses are great!

 I love all the different colors in one pot!