Blog Slump

hey everybody..farmhouse kitchen is in a blog slump....has it ever happened to you? it's happened to me before and i snapped out of it....i'll be back soon...but in the meantime...i want to share some pictures of baby Teddy's first day with us.......here on mommy's lap in the car on the way HOME...

in the car with daddy at In and Out Burger...Teddy's FAVORITE !!!! look how TINY he was !!!!

daddy waiting for mommy and teddy to return to the car....

baby Teddy...the LOVE of my Life....

Teddy all grown up... i'll be back soon, my friends.... the orange blanket is Teddy's BOO Halloween blankie....

Taco Salad Santa Barbara

over here at Farmhouse Kitchen, we have a traditon. when it's late summer and we start getting into our indian summer weather....100 degrees...we have a traditon. we make TACO SALAD. this recipe is from the 1960's and was given to my mother from a neighbor when we lived in santa barbara. we had it last night.

Taco Salad Santa Barbara

3/4 lb hamburger, cooked and drained

one 8 oz.can kidney beans, drained and rinsed

one 8 oz can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

one red pepper, diced

one yellow pepper, diced

one tomato, diced

1/2 cup diced red onion

1/4 cup diced green onion

3/4 cup grated cheddar cheese

2-3 cups iceberg lettuce, sliced

1 cup tortilla chips...lightly crushed

one bottle KRAFT catalina dressing ( this is the secret...i don't like french dressing...but the spicy sweet really works here) use as much dressing as desired to taste

toss everything in a bowl

garnish with olives, sour cream, avocado and cilantro

Jury Duty and 11 Eggs !!!!

looks like i will be gone for a while....jury duty

duck update: Pete is a GIRL !!! she layed 11 eggs...

i don't know how long i will be gone

i'll miss you, my friends

GOOD NEWS !!!!

we FOUND PETE !!!! he flew over the fence next door..we are off to rescue him !!!!!

UPDATE: i walked outside to the garden shed to microwave a tortilla...that's where the micro is around here .....and heard.... peep peep peep .... i looked over the the neighbors fence and on the firewood stack....... there he was !!!!! JOHN !!!! i FOUND PETE !!!! he literally flew the coop last night...but he is back home next door...swimming in his pond... Pete is HAPPY...and so are we !!!! welcome back home, my little friend !!!

Missing Duck !!!

teddy's friend, Pete the duck...he went missing last night. we are walking the neighborhood looking for a duck. please send good thoughts our way for his recovery...we love that duck !!!

Farmhouse Kitchen Gets A New Teapot !

my sister-in-law and i hit a couple of stores on saturday...Tuesday Morning was one of them...and i got this great cast iron teapot from France...plus i found the cute calico pot holder filled with dried herbs to put it on... love this greeting me in the morning....

there is my little FARMHOUSE KITCHEN...

my little old Wedgewood stove...that oven makes the BEST pizza...ever !!!

on the top of my stove...

on the wall behind my stove...this stays up year round...it was a gift from my dear friend julie whitmore...and i ADORE it !!!!

more from julie.... up year round as well....

on my kitchen windowsill...gifts from octoberfarm...am i LUCKY or what ??? i have to tell you...i have met my kindred spirits here in this blogland....

a gift from octoberfarm...a redware dish that i LOVE...it sits behind my kitchen sink so i can always see it....

it is really cool out here in california for the end of august...so i will be baking some bread...and making some JAM !!!

i know it is still august...but there are only 69 days left till Halloween...that's not too long...i can never get enough of it ...and it's just me and Teddy in here... do you see the ghost...? this is for a special someone....i think you know who you are !

Look Who's Back !

out here in california this is one of the FIRST SIGNS OF FALL.... when these spiders start to come out...they are all over my garden right now.... my friend julie calls them PUMPKIN SEED spiders...and i can see why.... click to see him close up...it's worth a look...i just love him....

all of my sweet peas have gone to seed now...

that's the amish broom corn that i planted this year...i have never planted if before and it was really easy to grow... it is as tall as the roof of the cottage next door...i am planning on tying this to my lampost real soon....

i picked this up at my local Farm Supply the other day and have it hanging here by my kitchen door...if you LOVE flowers..click for a close-up. these flowers are so pretty...

this hangs by my kitchen door too...it was a gift from my dear friend joyce of http://octoberfarm.blogspot.com/ along with a BIG BOX of all things Fall !!! thanks joyce !!!

there is little teddy...he just loves laying on the gravel paths...those rocks are so nice and warm...

the morning glory on the fence by my kitchen window...

i love that blue flower...

the little chair in the garden where i sit with teddy... the vines growing up the fence are my zinfandel grapes..we just let them run wild this year...the grapes are ready to be picked..we picked them last night...

we got this fountain in June and have enjoyed it all summer...and the mockingbirds LOVE IT !!! they visit every day...

what's going on in here ? are you calling me, mom? you see...right under the fence is a duck next door named pete...and teddy and pete have become BEST FRIENDS this summer...

and i just can't help myself...i have been hitting michaels daily...and i got ANOTHER scarecrow...it's kind of embarrassing pushing these around in a cart in the parking lot in 90 degree heat in mid august...i go as fast as i can...get him in the trunk...slam it shut and head for home. and he just makes me HAPPY !!!!