Join us Rebels, Tell the FDA to regulate GMO foods!

Good Morning Rebels (GSO readers, that is what I call my regular readers over at The Royal Ranch site, in case you were wondering-ha!)!  Happy hump day; hope you are having a wonderful week; but even more importantly I hope you will join me in signing this all important petition.  It is high time we know exactly what we are eating; and that people who are not yet even aware of how deeply GMO foods are embedded into our everyday diets, become aware and knowledgeable about what they are putting into the mouths of their beloved families!

Top Ten Reasons to Walk to Work

10. The streets in the neighborhood are beautiful, especially in autumn.

9. I spend most of my day in a cubicle in a chair; walking lets me stretch.

8. Driving less often reduces my family's dependence on gas and saves money.

7. Walking home provides thoughtful "decompression" time after a busy day.

6. I enjoy the fresh air.

5. Walking is good exercise.

4. I lower my carbon footprint by leaving the minivan in the garage.

3. Driving less often saves wear and tear on my aging minivan.

2. Parking at my workplace is limited, to say the least.

1. This is the view of my favorite easy-out, shady parking spot after the latest storm went through.

Yeah, the aging minivan would have been toast. I wasn't working that day, luckily.

Thank goodness for the Farmers' Market

I bought a butternut squash and a pound of zucchini at the Farmers' Market. But why? I planted both varieties in my garden!

The only squash in my garden is a hybrid. Imagine it: green, but in the shape of a butternut squash. My dilemma: what should we call this? Zutternut? Butterzuch? Zhuccernut? Oh, well, I guess I'll see what it looks and tastes like before I decide. I might end up calling it compost.

Not a natural flower

Wisconsinites like to say that there are two seasons: winter and road construction. We're currently in the latter season. The evidence is everywhere. In fact, road construction barricades have their own names in this part of the country.

See these? We call them Schneider Eggs.

Without Schneider eggs, where would the big orange trucks come from?

Last week I heard a bus driver refer to the orange markers as "Wisconsin's State Flower." Ooh, ooh, here's a bouquet growing in -- gravel?

I see these flowers spread out when they're allowed to grow in grass.

If the big orange cones are Wisconsin's State Flower, what are these?

Seeds?

Pickles! We have pickles!

Here you go, a quick look at the result of Tuesday's recipe. Let's see: one jar is open and in the refrigerator, one jar went to my brother's house, one jar is on its way to my mom's...

I think I need to make a second batch. Works for me! Tastier than store-bought, and less expensive, too. Need I mention it's my favorite kitchen towel? Nah. You knew that.

Farmers' Market Days

Saturdays are Market Days - Farmers' Market, that is. I reserve Saturday mornings for going to the market and buying whatever is in season. I reserve the afternoons for prepping and freezing or even canning. Here's a taste.

Berries! From left to right: sweet Bing cherries, blueberries & raspberries. The blue and red mixed when I dropped the bag as I tried to fit one more purchase in my big blue bag on wheels.

The first chore of Market Day this week: sort the mixed up berries. I nibbled quite a few. After this, I rinsed all three kinds of fruit and pitted the cherries. The blueberries are now in the freezer; the cherries and raspberries will be eaten by Tuesday.

Here's the rest! From left to right, again: sweet corn, asparagus (the last of the season!), garlic, onions, tomatoes, jalapeno peppers, and lots of pickling cucumbers. You can tell I had a goal - pickles. The batch of fresh dill was on the deck; I bought it at the mid-week market on Wednesday.

I offered before and after for the berries: here's the After shot of the dill pickle spears. It was a busy night, but totally worthwhile. Some time in the winter, we'll appreciate the spoils of the summer. We won't have to buy store pickles, a money savings. These will taste so much richer, too -- being made from locally grown ingredients and made in my own kitchen.

Now that's a Market Day I can enjoy from start to finish.