Laurie Jackson's Blog, page 20

From Grandma’s Country Kitchen

Cabbage Slaw

My grandma made the best cabbage slaw EVER!!! I’ve tried over the years to make her cabbage slaw. It just never turned out like hers. Guess I just didn’t add the right amount of love to the slaw like she did.

4 cups cabbage shredded (heaping)

2 stalks of celery

1 small jar pimentos

1/2 medium pepper chopped

Carrots if you wish

Soak cabbage, peppers and pimentos for 1 hour in brine made of 11/2 tablespoons salt to 11/2 cups of water (enough to cover). After you soak the cabbage, drain and wash with clear water. Add celery to the sauce.

Sauce:

1/2 cup vinegar

1/2 cup water

1 cup sugar

Boil to rolling. Remove from heat and cool. (Add celery)

Pour over cabbage. Let stand 24 hours before using. Will keep for months in refrigerator.

Enjoy!

Thanks for stopping by!

Laurie Jackson

Please feel free to visit my website.

Grandma’s Recipes

My grandmother has been gone for 16 years. I think about her each day. I still miss her. When me and my siblings divided her things, I was blessed to get her recipes. I always enjoyed cooking and baking with her.

I loved watching her measure the ingredients. She always used a coffee cup as a one cup measure instead of the actual measuring cup itself. Making sure the flour was always level, was of the utmost importance to her. Too little flour or too much and the recipe was ruined! She rarely measured the salt. Just a pinch or a dash will do just fine. Umm, Grandma, I don’t know what those are. Now, I’m not sure about any of you reading this, but I need the actual measurements. She had tiny hands and fingers. So, I’m pretty sure her pinches and dashes were not the same as mine were.

Grandma would not buy the cheap flour. When it came to her baking/cooking, that flour had to be Gold Medal. The cheap granulated sugar was fine, though, for baking. In her opinion, sugar was sugar.

What I hope to do with Grandma’s recipes is share them with you.

May your day be filled with sunshine!

Laurie Jackson

Please feel free to visit my website!

Through the Window

As I look through my office window, I see so much! Besides the obvious, like green grass, tall trees with some branches with leaves and some branches that are dead. The tree directly in front of my window has vines growing up the side. The leaves from here look like poison ivy. There is also an electric pole standing straight up into the sky next to the tree. The fluffy white/gray clouds are playing peek a boo with the sun. Looks like there is a gentle breeze.

What else do I see? I see the future! It looks like a wonderful journey. My daughter is three months pregnant. I am so excited to be Grandma again!!! I see my life with my fun loving husband and that there will never be a dull moment. I can see myself getting older and living life to the fullest. Doesn’t hurt anyone to be a little crazy once in awhile!

May your day be filled with laughter!

Laurie Jackson

Please feel free to visit my website.

Settling In

We are finally in our new home! It has been a long time coming. I am not kidding! Alex and I spent seven weeks with Mom. I enjoyed it tremendously! To be honest, I cried a bit when it was time to leave her home. When all this moving started, the salesman that sold us the mobile home said that we were top priority. It wouldn’t take that long. (Famous last words!)

Then, the delays started. There was one excuse after the other. More paperwork to sign. We had to wait on the bank. They were taking forever to send the necessary papers to the salesman. We were told there was yet another piece of paper for us to sign. (Now, there is one thing I forgot to mention. Alex and I were staying at Mom’s who lives in Augusta. The papers we had to sign was in Columbia—almost three hours away.) There was also the lack of communication from the salesman. Three weeks went by before he told us that the man who delivered the mobile homes had died. The salesman knew when we walked into the office and put a down payment on the mobile home we wanted that the man that died had been sick for a long time.

Alex and I kept hearing, “You’re the first ones to get your home moved. You are on top of the list.” We were also told over and over that this particular business had to contract out the work. Seven weeks passed before we were finally able to move in. I told Alex that the only way I am moving again is if we win the lottery. Guess we have to play in order to win. I always promised myself that I would never live in a mobile home park, but guess what! That’s where we are. Alex and I are getting older and we just want to enjoy life.

I loved being able to have spent so much time with Mom. I feel that her and I have gotten so much closer. Thank you, Mom, for all that you have done for me and Alex!

Thank you for stopping by!

May your day be full of laughter and sunshine!

Laurie Jackson

Please feel free to visit my website.

Random Thoughts

Wow!! What a gorgeous day! I’m sitting outdoors and I’m home alone! Uh oh! What kind of trouble can I get into the next two hours? I’ll never tell! The weather is beautiful. The sun is shining. There is a light breeze. Many different types of birds are singing. The highway noise seems extra loud today. I am determined that will not ruin my day!

Spring has obviously arrived. Flowers are blooming. Babies are being born. I have an itchy nose probably due to the allergies. Looking over at the neighbor’s pond, I see two Canadian geese enjoying the water. The grasses are so green. Trees are blossoming, as well. The sun is bright and there are some clouds.

Our yard is full of dandelions. I think I may have or read somewhere that dandelions are to be left a lone. Or…I could have been dreaming. Who knows. My grandparents used to make dandelion wine. Sounds disgusting to me, but whatever. I am no t a wine drinker. I don’t understand what “dry” or “wet” means when it comes to wine. To me, it’s all wet! Haha!! Give me a daiquiri or a screwdriver and I am happy. :)

I am so excited about moving closer to the kiddos. We have a young family very interested in our place. We’ve had the appraisal done. Now waiting on that to be completed. Hoping to have a closing date real soon, too. The place we found is in New Haven, MO. It has three lots on it. It’s near a lake so my hubby can go fishing. Mobile homes are allowed, as well. That alone makes me happy because we could never afford to build a house. Besides, I don’t want or need a huge fancy home. I don’t want to have to clean all that. Yuck! It’s just me and Alex. If we had a huge house, I wouldn’t always be able to find Alex.

I would love to have a log cabin. I realize those are expensive. Perhaps in my next life. I also would love to have a treehouse. I have always thought it be so cool to live in a treehouse. Again, those are expensive. It’s all okay because I say it’s all okay. Maybe my honey can build me a log cabin in a tree! Or!! Light bulb came on….build me a gazebo out of logs. I would love a quiet place to write.

Speaking of writing–I haven’t done any in a very long time. I’ve been busy with many other things. I am in the middle of making a baby quilt for my great-grand nephew. I am also working on a cross-stitch (birthday) gift for my oldest sister. I’ve been packing for our move, too. Maybe I’ve been on a bit on the lazy side. If someone asks, I’ll deny it!!!

I’m sitting under a tree and I feel something fall on me. If it’s not rain, it has to be sap, and if it’s not sap—-Ewe! Gross! It better not be a bird…

Guess what! OMG!!! I am so excited about this! I can now go zip-lining!! Yay me! Agh!! I am scared of heights but I want to face my fears! I’m thinking I’m crazy for doing this but life is short! I plan on enjoying life and going out with a bang! Zip-lining and horseback riding are two things that are on my bucket list. I’ve lost enough weight to zip-line but not enough to go horseback riding yet! I know I can do this!

May your day be filled with tons of sunshine and blessings!

Laurie Jackson

Please feel free to visit my website. Thank you!

High Noon

I feel like I have been in a stagnant mode for the last couple of weeks. Alex and I are trying to sell our place and buy something closer to our family.

I haven’t felt like writing for quite sometime. Two different families have looked at our place with no real commitment. I mean, one lady said she wanted our place. She told us they were approved for a loan and that an appraisal was ordered. That was two weeks ago! Me being as impatient as ever can barely take this anymore! Hurry up and wait really stinks! I want to move like yesterday!!!

We have found a place outside of Washington. I pray everyday that place doesn’t get sold out from under us. We feel that we cannot put a contract on that place until this place has a contract on it.

I am so tired of waiting for my disability to be approved. It’s going on six years!! So, someone gave us the phone number to the representative’s office. Sent in the form and just today we received a letter stating that he has contacted the Social Security’s Office and will let me know as soon as he finds out anything. (I have a crippled foot…)

I’m having health issues, as well, but that is neither here nor there.

The combination of the house, my disability taking forever and health issues, I have not felt like writing…

Enjoy your day!

Laurie Jackson

Please feel free to visit my website. Thank you!

If I Had A Hammer

I learned early on how to use a hammer. We added on to our house when I was younger. Naturally, Dad needed all of our help. It’s not that hard to swing a hammer, just don’t hit your thumb. Ouch! With the renovations my husband and I are doing, I feel confident that I have the ability to use a hammer.

When I went back to work, after being a stay at home mom for 18 years, I learned about landscaping. I didn’t realize that I enjoyed being outdoors so much and getting so much fresh air. I enjoyed myself tremendously working with plants and what it entails.

There is always room for improvement with everything a person wants to do.

May your day be filled with sunshine!

Laurie Jackson

Please feel free to visit my website! Thank you!

I Walk The Line

First of all, I have to say I love the song by Johnny Cash–I Walk the Line. It’s an absolutely terrific song.

I grew up walking the line because of how stern my dad was. I seriously felt that I lived under a rock. Even after I was old enough to go out on the weekends with a girlfriend, I almost always chose to stay home. I was afraid that I would do something stupid and Dad would find out and do harm to me.

People in high school called me Goody Two Shoes because I did not and still don’t like conflict. I always told my peers that my dad was mean and always angered so easily. The slightest thing upset that man and then all hell broke loose. (I have to say that I am jealous of anyone who has a great relationship with their dad. I am also happy for them.)

To this day, I still walk the line. I don’t do drugs, smoke or drink. I talk with God on a daily basis. I am enjoying my life to fullest.

May sunshine fill you with warmth.

Laurie Jackson

Please feel free to visit my website.

Ghostwriter

I would have to choose Laura Ingalls Wilder to write my story. I have read every single book she has ever written–more than once. I feel that I can connect with her because she grew up in the country, as did I. I enjoy the way she wrote her stories. I like to think that I kind of write the same way.

Her stories also remind me of how I grew up on the farm out in God’s country. She would not have a problem in writing my story the way I want it written.

May your day be filled with sunshine!

Laurie Jackson

Feel free to visit my website! Thank you!

I Want To Know What Love Is

I know what it feels like to be loved and be in love. All I have to do is look at my husband. I cannot only see the love in his eyes but I can feel the love he has for me. That feeling is beyond amazing.

The love I have for my children is a different type of love, naturally. I can feel their pain without them being near me. I know they love me. They also know that I am always here for them.

The love I have for my grandson fills me with so much love that I feel that my heart will explode. He is so precious (just like my kiddos) all I want to do is protect him.

Have a super blessed day!

Laurie Jackson

Please feel free to visit my website! Thank you!