It is so good to see you again. Did you see my cucumber vines on the fence? Come on in and lets have a glass of ice cold peach tea. We did an experiment with some of our cucumber vines this year. We planted them next to the fence so they could vine up on the fence. They have done so well, that next year I plan on planting all of the cucumbers along the fence line. Not only has it given a great cover for the fence, we have had better production of the cucumbers. One of my favorite summertime pickles recipes is "The Pickle Pot". There is still time for you to start your Pickle Pot and enjoy it through the holidays. Go to the link below and get the recipe. The Pickle Pot   I usually make several pints of Dill Pickles, Sweet Pickles, Sweet Hot Pickles, Okra Pickles, Beet Pickles and Mustard Pickles. The Mustard Pickles are our favorite. That is the pickle people always ask me to give them at Christmas time.   Mustard Pickles 30 medium cucum

The Hatch Green Chile's are in the super market and the farmers markets.  These Chile's from Hatch, New Mexico are one of the real treasures of summer.  We always get excited when the Hatch Chile's hit the stores.  These are the best Green Chile's that I have ever had. Come on in and we will show you  what we do with our Chile's.   The first thing we do is put all the Chile's on a very hot grill and burn the skin on the Chile.  Then quickly take the Chile off the grill and put them into a stainless steel bowl and cover with foil.  Allow the Chile's to completely cool before taking the foil cover off the bowl. Next we peel the Chile.  If you have allowed the chile's to cool completely the peeling will come right off,  and by now the whole house is filled with the wonderful smell of Green Chile's.  It smells heavenly.   It really doesn't take that long and you have a whole platter of Chile's ready to use. Next

This week my Grocery Store has whole Chicken on sale for $0.79 a pound, which is a pretty good buy, so it is a good time to stock the freezer with whole Chicken.  I will cook a whole chicken at the beginning of the week and will be able to use it in several different ways.  The Hatch Green Chilies from Hatch New Mexico are in season and on sale this week end.  We will have to have Stuffed Green Chilies...Yum! We still have some fresh garden vegetables however most have stopped producing in the August heat.  It is hard to survive 106 degrees. There are some Farmers Markets around the area to check out those wonderful fresh fruits and vegetables. Sunday Herb Roasted Pork Loin with Mango Salsa Roasted Squash and Sweet Potatoes Tossed Green Salad Homemade French Bread  Fruit Cobbler with Ice Cream Monday     Chicken Vegetable Casserole Lettuce Wedges with Dill Sauce Fresh Fruit Mix Chocolate Cupcakes Tuesday Pasta with Fresh Tomato Basil Sauce Tossed Gr

    In the beginning of the cucumber harvest we start the Pickle Pot .   I remember when I was a little girl going to my Mother's refrigerator and taking a bowl of pickles from  The Pickle Pot.    I don't ever remember a summer when I didn't have a Pickle Pot in my refrigerator.We always have a bowl of pickles from the Pickle Pot for our lunch or dinner. There are pickles for relish, burger's, salads, and the vinegar is heavenly used as a salad dressing. Pickle Pot A large glass container is best, but plastic is ok. Fill the container half full with sliced cucumbers The slices can be different sizes that is what makes the Pickle Pot fun . Fill 1/4 of the container with white onion slices. Salt the cucumbers and onions very well and mix together. Add 2 to 4 tablespoons of pickle spice to taste. Pour White Vinegar over the cucumber and onion mixture just until barely covered. Fill the remainder of the container with wate r. Le

We live in a fast paced society. We are always in a hurry no matter what we are doing. Today I want to have some Quiet Time with you. Often times when a little child requires discipline we will put them in Time Out. As adults  we still need the discipline of taking a time out and having a Quiet Time to just allow our spirit to be still. One of my favorite Bible verses is "Be still and know that I am God" Psalms 46:10 If you can join me in meditation today, just find a place that you can be very comfortable and very quiet. Today I am taking my Quiet Time out by my beautiful yard Angel. I like to just sit for a while and reflect on the beauty that God has placed all around me. Just take a few deep breathes and as you exhale release all the tension and stress that may be building around your shoulders. Just start to relax from your toes to your head. Now just think of all the beauty that God has placed around you. Allow your mind and your spirit to trav

You are invited for Dinner, just look at the menu and pick a night, so come on in and we will take a look at what we will be serving for Dinner next week here at The Country Cottage. We have been discussing the concept of food planning and how it effect's our time and budget so I wanted to share with you a series of "Whats For Dinner Next Week". Just some menu idea's and a few recipes along the way in hopes that it will make your week a little easier.Our Grocery Sale Ads come out on Wednesday, and I like to plan my menu's so I can get my shopping done before the week end, so I will be posting this series on Thursday each week. Sunday Grilled Flank Steak Fresh Green Beans & New Potatoes Sliced Tomatoes with Basil Oil Garlic Bread Fresh  Peach Ice Cream Monday Slow Cooker Green Chili Enchilada Chicken  Fresh Steamed Asparagus Green Tossed Salad Flour Tortilla's Fresh Berry Short Cake with  Ice Cream Tuesday Pinto Beans ( don'

 I always think of getting organized when school starts.  When our children were in school our year went from September to September.  Now school starts in some parts of the country in mid August.  Our schools here start this week and all my friends who teach or have children at home are beginning that organization process. When my children were home and still in school time was a very important factor as well as stretching the food dollars as far as they would go.  We didn't have computers or the Internet least of all cell phones.  Today staying organized with all the electronics makes life so much easier however there are a few basics that never change. When I shopped for food I would buy enough to last a month.  To buy enough food to last a month for a family took quite a bit of planning.  The savings were well worth any time that I spent in the planning stage.  Today I shop once a week for food and once a month for cleaning and other supplies.  It is estimated that Americ