PICKLES .... Anyone????

I am super excited about canning my first pickles. I made up 4 jars, but we kinda of already started eating one before I got the picture:) These are Bread and Butter pickles from the Complete book of Home Preserving Book recipe. Here is the recipe:
BREAD AND BUTTER PICKLES
10 cups sliced trimmed pickling cucumbers
4 medium onions, thinly sliced(I only used 2)
1/2 cup pickling or canning salt
3 cups white vinegar
2 cups granulated sugar
2 tbsp mustard seeds
1 tsp celery seeds
1 tsp ground turmeric

1. In a bowl combine cucumbers, onions, and salt. Mix well, cover with cold water and let stand at room temperature for 2 hours. Transfer to a colander placed over a sink, rinse with cool running water and drain thoroughly.

2. Meanwhile prepare canner, jars, and lids.

3. In a large saucepan, combine remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Stir in vegetables and return to boil.

4. Pack vegetables into hot jars to within a generous 1/2 inch of top of jar. Ladle hot pickling liquid into jar to cover vegetables, leaving 1/2 inch head-space. Wipe rim. Center lid on jar. Screw band down until resistance is met, then increase to fingertip-tight.

5. Place jars in canner, insuring they are completely covered with water. Bring to a boil and process for 10 minutes. Remove canner lid. Wait 5 minutes, then remove jars, cool and store.

Since I use pint jars I also added 1/8 tsp of pickle crisp to each jar, because we like crispier pickles. Have you canned anything so far this season??

More sickness:(

Monday I started getting a headache:( I thought it was from being sick, but it just kept getting worse. By Tuesday it was severe. Same Wednesday, I could not even go to church. The Doctor called me in imitrex which is supposed to get rid of it, if it is a migraine. So I took 2 Thursday and it did not work:( Then I started to run a fever and my ear was hurting like I had an ear infection. So Friday I went to the doctor(which I do not do unless I am pregnant or it is severe). I had blood work ran and everything came back normal except my iron is low. I had blood in my ear from a busted blood vessel and he said the blood vessels in my eyes looked strained. So he recommended that I go for a vision visit. He adjusted my back and gave me a steroid shot. I have to go back for a physical in about a month. Today I went and had my eye exam, the eye pressure(in which the dr was worried about was normal), however I have astigmatism so I get to wear glasses:( Not all the time, just when I am on the computer, watching tv, driving, reading etc.. pretty much all the time. The good news is My headaches is pretty much gone. After being in the bed for a week, I feel so much better:)

Sickness:(

It has been a long couple of days. Strep throat has entered our home. It started Wednesday with Miss Haley, she didn't feel good so she and I didn't go to church. She told me her neck hurt and she was running a fever. Then Thursday morning I woke up and my throat was killing me and Hannah told me her throat was hurting too. So I made them appointments and sure enough Hannah's quick test came back positive for strep and Haley's was negative. But the one they do overnight came back positive. I knew I had it so I called the doctor to call me in some antibiotics. The girls felt good by Saturday but I felt awful I was achy all over like the flu, My temp got up to 103. Today I feel a little better, but I still don't have all my strength back:(

Garden update!!!

My garden is growing wonderfully:) Look here at when we first planted. What a difference??





We had our first "mini" harvest today. It was only 4 cucumbers and one little cherry tomato, but there are lots more tomatoes that need to ripen, and more cucumbers.


We are in awe of gardening and can't wait to do a BIGGER one next year:) Does anyone have any garden tips for me??

How Does Your Refrigerator LOOK!!!

We are trying to eat more healthier. So I went shopping at the Farmers Market, Earth Fare, and The Fresh Market. Of course it is more expensive to eat Whole foods and organics, but we are trying to eat healthier. Our goal is to eat 80% raw, but with that said we are taking it slow. We will first just try to eat one salad a day and work our way up. As far as organics go, one rule of thumb is if it is peeled, it doesn't have to be organic(bananas, avacodas a favorite here, onions, cantaloupe, etc.). Some things are definitely organic(carrots, celery, apples, especially because we juice). After watching Food, inc. and King corn, it really made me think "where my food came from!!" As far as meats, we are trying to cut down, but I have started buying from the farmers market from local farmers, only grass-fed organic ground beef and free range organic chickens(of caourse I still have some chicken and meats that was in my stockpile that we will use first, so you will see those in there:). We are doing it slow so that it is not a big hit in our budget, but it is worth it. Here is a look into my refrigerator and freezer and I would love to see everyone's too. Blessings, and have a great day.

HERE IS AN OVERALL LOOK


HERE IS A LOOK AT THE SIDE STORAGE(MOST ARE ORGANICS AND NATURAL SAUCES



HERE IS A CLOSER VIEW OF THE TOP TWO SHELVES




HERE IS A VIEW OF THE BOTTOM TWO SHELVES




HERE IS THE "GREEN DRAWER"




IN THE FREEZER

FROZEN FRUIT FOR SMOOTHIES



FROZEN VEGETABLES



BEEF

My garden!!!

(my first tomato)



My garden is not very big, but it is my first year. Even so, I am still excited about it. I have a raised garden because our yard is so flat, it floods. I mostly have tomatoes and cucumbers, but also some lettuce and peppers too. Do any of you have any good garden tips for me???

Haley's Glasses!!

My sweet 5 year old has to wear glasses. She has a lazy eye(it is not that noticeable), and if it is not better in 3 months she will have to wear a patch over the "good" eye to strengthen the weak one. I had no idea she needed glasses, she seemed like she could see fine. In September 2008 I took all 3 of them because Hannah was complaining of headaches. She just needed reading glasses. Bryson's eyes were fine. They said Haley needed them then, but I wanted to get a second opinion, because she seemed fine. Now I feel really bad because we didn't go sooner. She wore her other ones, but they got broke when we were moving, so she has gone 4 months without them. Oh well you live in learn.

Giveaway!!

Check out the giveaway at Passionate homemaking!! It is one you do not want to miss!!!

Lab results.

I got my lab results back today. Good news is I do not have a blood clotting disorder, how ever my insulin is high and they are putting me on metformin. It is usually given to people with type 2 diabetes, I do not have that but they do believe I have PCOS. This will help regulate my cycles which will help me get pregnant, help me lose weight, and help prevent miscarriages once I get pregnant. Still there is really no answer as to why my sweet little Haven passed away, but I do know God is in control. So what ever happens I will put my trust in Him.

Happy Birthday to my sweet little boy and a new update.

My sweet little Bryson turns 6 today. I can't believe how fast my babies are growing.




I have started a new chapter in my life. I joined a gym. I never thought I would step foot in a gym but I have been going since Sunday. The best part is they have a daycare, so I can go early in the afternoon around 10 and there are not that many people there. The doctors blame my two years of infertility on my weight, so my goal is to lose it. I still don't buy it, because I see women way bigger than me having children all the time. During my pregnancy I lost 5 pounds due to the morning sickness, and I lost another 10 after I lost the baby due to depression and not eating. Now that I am exercising, I have not gained any of that weight back, even though I am eating now. My goal is to go to the gym Monday thru Friday and take the weekend off. I hope to lose another 75 pounds.

Where to start?

I know it has been a while since I posted, but I have been so busy. At 12 weeks and 2 days the nausea has finally subsided. I do not have it everyday, and on the days I get it, it is not as bad. With that being said today has been the worst day since then. I have also had a lot of headaches lately. Sometimes I think I feel the baby move, like little bubbles, but it may just be gas, I am not sure it is still early. Monday I will be 14 weeks and I go to the doctor Thursday.
On another note my sweet baby girl turned 4 Monday January 19. We are having her birthday party tomorrow so Hopefully I will update with pictures. Below is the picture I used for her birthday invitations.


We have been so busy, with taxes and other things. We have had doctor appointments one after another this month. The children had to go to the Dentist to get cavities filled. Haley has severe eczema so bad that her back feels like scales, so she had to go to the dermatologist. He has her on two creams(one for the face, one for the body), steroid(just for 6 days to clear her up, because she is so itchy), and Clarine x for allergies to relieve her as well. Even with insurance it cost $110($20 copay doctor, $90 copay for medications). Then my dear husband had to go to the dentist to get 3 fillings and while he was there they suggested he have that wisdom tooth pulled on that side, "to save money". I do not think he realized what he did until after it was done. It took almost 24 hours before it stopped bleeding and then he had to take two vacation days. That cost $147. Plus $18 for his medication. So needless to say money is really tight around here. But that is okay because God always provides. Anyways I hope to update sooner. Blessings to ALL!!!

A lot going on!!!

The last few days have been so busy. Hannah has been complaining of headaches lately and it has had me worried to death. I told my mother in law and she said when she was Hannah's age, she had headaches and needed glasses. Then I told my grandmother and she said the same thing. Friday I took Hannah to the op and sure enough she needs glasses(reading or computer). When she was a baby, they said she had a lazy eye, but it should go away, well it never did. I asked the doctor when should I bring the other 2 in. He said children should be seen at 3 months, at 1 year, and then every year after that. Monday I took the other two. Bryson has a little astigmatism, but he is okay. Haley supposedly has a hard time focusing, base on the test they gave. She has to wear glasses for 6 months then go to a follow up appointment. I don't know how that is going to work. I can not even keep a hair bow in her hair. I will post pictures when their glasses come in.

Busy week

It has been crazy the last couple of weeks. We are still trying to settle in our new house. My garage is still packed with boxes and basically junk. I have all of our clothes put away and I have the kitchen all set up. I even have pictures on the wall. But the problem is I can't pull on the boxes. I tried and pulled a muscle in my back. We also have taken several trips back to Georgia for several different reasons. I let Hannah stay with my grandmother last Sunday until Wednesday, and of course they crying started all over again. She was doing okay until yesterday. My husband and I decided that Hannah can not go back and stay anymore without us until she accepts the fact, that we live here now and that we are not moving back anytime soon. I know that may sound mean but we don't know what else to do.
I had to take Bryson to the ER last night because we thought he had an abscessed tooth, but it was some kind of cyst that is common when children start to lose their teeth. We went to the Children's Hospital and they had us in there and out within 30 minutes. That was the fastest I have ever been in and out of the ER ever.
I want to take pictures but I can't find my camera, it is packed away somewhere, so as soon as I find it I will post pictures. I hope everyone has a great weekend. Blessings, Delilah.

Nasty Flu has struck our house!!!

When dh came home Tuesday from his trip he was feeling really bad. It got worse and he was unable to go to work Wednesday so we went to the doctor and they said it was the flu, but were able to control it since it was caught early. Haley has been running a fever since last Saturday, so I called her doctor and they called her in some medicine. They normally don't do that but I told them I didn't want to bring her in to contaminate other people in the waiting area, since we were sure she had the flu. So I am praying that Hannah, Bryson, and I don't catch it. Just keep us in your prayers. Have a blessed weekend, Delilah.

God is so Great!!!

It has been over a year since I had my last tubal pregnancy. This past year has been so rough. My hormones have been crazy. I have had irregular periods and have gained about 40 pounds. I have desperately wanted a baby and everyone around me has gotten pregnant, and even though I am excited for them, it really upset me a lot. I have prayed that God would give me peace and he has. I still want a baby but I realize he is in control as whether or not I have another one. As far as my hormones go I have prayed about that as well. A few months ago I went to my doctor because I had not had a period in four months and she ran tests because she thought I had pcos, but thankfully all the test came back negative. Thank you Jesus. She gave me a drug to jump start my period because it is dangerous not to have one. So about 2 weeks ago I went to an herbalist and she put me on a daily vitamin and two herbs called maca and cortisil. Usually my periods would come every 7 weeks. Well I had a period on Dec 20 and guess what this month I started on the 26th. Thank you Jesus I give you all the credit and glory. Not only have my periods straightened out but I have lost 5 pounds as well. I know all things will work out for the good if I put all my trust in him. God Bless, Delilah

It is still raining!!!

Can you believe it is still raining? Well that is a good thing except for the fact when it rains I get tired. I don't know what it is about rain that makes me so sleepy. I could sleep all day if I was able to. Anyways, the kids and I went and ate Japanese today. It is about 30 minutes away but it is worth it. We all 4 ate under $20. Their chicken is $5.95 each. Hannah and I shared a plate and Bryson and Haley shared. We ordered water to drink, so with the tip is was $18. Anyone who loves Japanese knows that if you go during dinner time you can pay $17-$25 a plate, so we got a good deal. While we were in town we went to the Whole Foods store, where I picked up some organic produce that was on sale. I also got Bryson some vitamins to help him focus, plus some dha for all three of the kids. We had a great day, but tonight it will be lonely without my man here. Well I am going to catch up on laundry. By the way the picture of the bookshelf is of all our schoolbooks(except Hannah's her books are in her desk) and my cookbooks. I was in desperation for one and found one at a resale shop. We had schoolbooks everywhere. Our Reading books are in the basement and the shelf is double the size of this one. I love it so much. I am proud of it and thought I would show it off.

Great!!!

I went to the doctor and everything came back normal. She said I haven't had a period because of the weight gain. So she gave me some medicine to jump start my period and if I don't have another one in 3 months take a pregnancy test and if it negative take the medicine again. If a person goes a while without a period it can cause uterine cancer. She believes if I lose weight and get my period straightened out then I will get pregnant. So that is wonderful news!!!!:)

Busy Monday

Today has been really busy. We have got a ton of housework to do. Laundry is piled way up and my kitchen is an absolute mess. Hannah has got dance and while she is there we are going to go look for a book shelf because our school books are in crates and it is such a hassle looking for a certain book. Bryson has got a soccer game and tonight they are showing a new family on "kids by the dozen" Tomorrow is the big day when I will find out about my doctor's visit. Everyone keep me in your prayers.