Unstuffed Cabbage

My husband and I both love cabbage and we really like cabbage rolls.

I hate making them they take forever to get all rolled up.

I found a recipe for unstuffed cabbage rolls and let me tell you it was super good and something different to cook. I am always looking for something different.

1 – 2 # of 80% lean ground beef

1 Cabbage chopped into chunks

Dash of salt

Black Pepper to taste

1 cup chopped up onion

2 cloves of garlic minced

8 oz tomato sauce ( if you want it moister you can add more)

8 oz diced tomatoes

1/2 – 3/4 cup beef broth for flavor

2 cups cooked rice – Optional

All you have to do is brown the ground meat, sautee the garlic and onions.

Cut your cabbage into chunks. Combine everything and heat over medium heat in a large pan until the cabbage is done 20 minutes at the most. Make sure to stir several times.

This easy 30-minute meal it is quite the time saver and very tasty.

January 31, 2019 2

Yellow-Rumped Warbler

Often times, when I am looking outside, I see a quick flash of yellow fly by.

This is the Yellow-Rumped Warbler this one is a female that is a juvenile. Next year her colors will be even brighter yellow.

They are quite the little songbirds I love hearing them sing.

I was actually in the house and shooting out a closed window I am surprised they turned out this well. She was about 12′ from me. I was using the Canon 400mm lens.

Listening to all the bird’s songs is one of my favorite things to do. It makes me feel at peace.

Nature sounds are all around you just need to take a few minutes each day to enjoy it.

yellowbuttwarbler1 yellowbuttwarbler3 yellowbuttwarbler2

January 30, 2019 7

The color of grass

In the pastures this time of year there are all these weird weeds and grass that come up.

We picked some to dry out when it was fuzzy and when it was not.

I played with the editing on the same picture to get 3 different versions.

The first is color, then cream tone, then black and white.

I think I prefer the color and the cream one the best.

Playing around with the editing is a lot of fun & it can really change up an image.

colorgrass1 grassnsepia blackandwhitegrass1

January 28, 2019 2

Three cows and a baby

My brother n law moved these heifers back next door to us.

I figured it was because they were about to calf and it looks like I was right.

The first one had a calf a week ago and another had one this past Sunday I have not gotten pics of that one yet.

I hope to get more pics soon in the mud using my rubber boots to tromp across the pasture lol.

heifersandcalf

January 25, 2019 4

Birdhouse perch

This bird was on the tall birdhouse in the backyard it was barely daylight and a cloudy morning so I could not see what kind of bird it was.

I started editing it and goofing around with textures it and I finally got the bird to show up.

It looks to me like it is a brown-headed cowbird.

Nature has this special innocence and beauty and I love trying to capture it.

birdandhouse

January 23, 2019 4

Mr. Bird Update

Mr. Bird seems to be doing pretty well since his kidney issue.

I kept him in the house for a few weeks so I could syringe water a few times a day to make sure he was drinking enough. He also had medication that he needed.

He was so glad to get to go back outside again since he loves the outdoors he goes in and out a few times a day. He loves basking in the sun, climbing fences, trees and chasing birds he never catches.

Our son Jeremy told me to get a cat fountain that in convinces animals to drink more water. I found one for about $20.00. We have had it about a month and the cats seem to be drinking a lot from it.

I took him off the Science Diet Urinary food because it was $40.00 for 24 – 3 oz cans.

I wanted to try the Purina Urinary Cat food and it is $21.00 for the 3 oz cans. Almost 1/2 price so hopefully it works. I also ordered the Purina Dry Urinary food. He seems to like the foods just fine.

Mr. Bird has such a tough life he is spoiled rotten but we love him and so do the dogs lol.

January 20, 2019 0

Hawk Landing

I see the hawks all the time they are mostly flying over our house or across the pasture out back.

The day before yesterday this one was stalking my bird feeders. He was sitting on my entrance to the secret garden where the bird feeders are at.

I grabbed a few shots of him with my Canon 400mm lens and then I made him leave.

hawk

January 17, 2019 5

Resin Planter Makeover

I had bought this resin planter at Big Lots about 4 years ago. I think it was about $25.00

Right off the back I painted it and added the letter L to it that was painted in an Aqua color to match the front door at the time.

I had grown tired of it and decided it needed a facelift.

We decided to redo this planter using cedar pickets. Jack did this part and I fell in love with the planter all over again.

We are adding pops of cedar everywhere since we added new cedar shutters to the house.

I stained it using Valspar Cedartone and it looks like a whole new planter. The pickets are $2.59 at Lowes and this project took about 4 of them.

This was a very cheap DIY makeover or repurpose of a planter we already had.

I love the way this turned out and I can not wait to add some wandering jew to this planter in the spring.

Use your imagination and see what you can repurpose into something new.

tall planter

January 14, 2019 0

The Paperwhites are blooming

It seems like the paperwhites are blooming early this year.

When the paperwhites bloom it is the first blooms of the year.

I think it has to do with our weather being odder than normal.

They said today was sweaters and sunglasses which is unusual because if its cold its normally raining.

I love these flowers and the bulbs were from my great grandmother Moore’s house they were given to my grandmother who gave them to me.

These bulbs had been sitting for many years and I honestly did not think they would come up. Now I have 100’s of these beauties all over our yard.

Personally, I think they are much prettier in a large grouping.

These pictures were taken with my Canon 100mm 2.8 Macro lens.

paperwhites1 paperwhites2 paperwhites3

January 11, 2019 10

Portrait lenses

I love my portrait lenses but one of my favorites is my Canon 85mm 1.8.

This particular portrait lens allows you to do close-ups with details such as in this picture with Miss Daisy resting.

This lens can isolate the subject while allowing a shallow depth of field. Basically allowing the background to be creamy and out of focus.

If you love photography and do not have a portrait lens do your self a favor and get you one.

CloseUp Daisy Mae

January 4, 2019 4