Handling the Garden Bully

It was obviously a good year for cucumbers. The temperatures have been mild, there's been a lot of rainy days and sunny days in the right combination. Anyway, the cukes have run amok. I have already made my first batch of pickles, and I have a sneaking suspicion there will be more in my future. This recipe is great. It says it takes a long time, but if you've ever struggled with the schedule demands of multi-day pickles, this is a goldmine of reclaimed time and energy. It's by Donna over at Allrecipes, but it's pretty basic so I hope I don't step on toes by posting:

Donna's Million Dollar Pickles

10 cukes, sliced
4 cups sliced onions
1/3 cup pickling spice
4 cups water
2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp celery seeds
6 cups sugar
2 qts. distilled white vinegar

Combine the first 4 ingredients in a large bowl (I mean large) and let sit for 6-8 hours or overnight. I covered mine loosely with waxed paper and left it in the fridge over night.
When the mix has sat long enough, drain off the water and in a big pot, combine the cucumber and onion mixture with 6 cups of sugar, turmeric and celery seed. Mix well, then add vinegar. Make sure there's enough vinegar to cover everything.
Pack in hot sterilized jars. Makes about 6 pints.
Let me know if you try this recipe! Thanks for reading and enjoy your week!

The cukes have attempted garden-wide domination.



Brought under control by a really good pickle recipe.
 

I Love Boston! And another craft to talk about.....

I actually do, but this is more of a ploy to call up one of my most faithful visitors, someone from Boston. So, if you're there, Boston - many thanks. You're the ongoing inspiration for my blog!
Today I'd like to introduce you to my new crafting addiction, making paper beads. So far I've only made the beads - I have yet to create something from them. Luckily for me, my mother is here to direct the process. She may have lost a lot of her fine motor skills with age, but her uncanny eye hasn't changed a bit.
A bonus in making your own paper beads is that well, "regular" beads from craft sources are expensive! I made all of these beads with left-over paper I had from my scrapbooking stash. It was paper I really didn't care for much, but as beads, the patterns are gorgeous! I also had the glue and paper glaze on hand as well, and if needed at a later date, all the colors of acrylic paint I could ask for. I'll bet that you do, too!
Here are some links I've found useful in getting started:
https://www.google.ca/?gws_rd=ssl#q=paper+bead+making+tutorial (general Google search)
http://www.paperbeadcrafts.com/howto/
http://paperbeads.org/
https://www.youtube.com/user/jennibellie (I love her tutorials!)

Happy beadmaking - it's addictive, so my advice is to clear your schedule!

Some beads I've made:

I never thought much about this patterned paper until I saw the beads that it made!