You may know this dish by a variety of names: Hobo Stew, Beggar Stew or Mulligan stew are of few. My grandma use to make this on Sundays after church. I loved into the house, out of the brisk fall or winter air, to the smell of this stew. Ahhhh... memories.

I like making this crockpot meal because it's fast, easy and affordable. I've simplified this even more by substituting individual spices such as thyme, bay leaves and parsley with Italian seasoning. In today's dish, I didn't include potatoes, but you certainly can.

I enjoy watching the Florida black bear in my yard almost every night. I'm in awe of them. I find them to be beautiful, magnificent creatures.

Most of my friends enjoy reading about my bear-watching adventures on Facebook. A few seem to think I'm foolish or downright stupid. 

In the name of education and to alleviate anyone's concern, I'm sharing with you...

I'm obsessed with bears.

Alright, that's a bit of an exaggeration, but since moving to the Ocala National Forest, I've developed a keen interest in the Florida black bear. (How could I not? They're in my yard all the time.)

On our own, we've learned quite a bit. Being naturalists, we not only are interested in nature but we also desire to learn all we can about the environment in which we live. For us, this now includes bears. 

Photo Credit

This weekend, we are planning to attend the Florida Black Bear & Wildlife Conservation Festival. (Festivals are just one of the things I love about fall.) Today, I'm creating our itinerary for the weekend. I don't want to miss anything.

What is the mission of the Florida Black Bear festival?

The purpose of the festival, according to their website, is "to increase awareness and promote the safe coexistence of humans and wildlife by fostering community appreciation of the Florida black bear and other native wildlife species, as well as Florida's unique ecosystems that serve as wildlife habitat."

Wow! Is that right up my alley or what? 

I called the Umatilla Chamber of Commerce to get more information. Not only has the date been moved from March to October, but they've changed the name this year to include additional wildlife such as the coyote. While there are vendors there, the event itself is free. The purpose truly is to promote awareness. I like that. 

The event includes children's activities, presentations and even field trips into the Ocala National Forest for a mini-hike. (Did someone say hiking and field trip?! My excitement just went up 10 notches!)

Admission, Location and Hours:

Admission to the festival is FREE. It will be held in Umatilla, Florida on October 12, 2013. The event hours are 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. Visit their website for more information. 

Hope to see you there! 

Your Turn:
What types of festivals do you enjoy? Or what aspects of nature interest you? Share in the comments. 

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I love fall. I must inform you, however, that it is not for the same reasons you may enjoy the season. 

Our season is different from fall in many other states. When I think of fall, I do not think of crisp breezes or leaves changing colors. Its hot, humid and trips to the beach are still an option. Still, there are things I enjoy in the fall. 

My daughter absolutely loves baking and making sweets. Truly loves doing it. She makes things she doesn't even eat, just to make it. Today, I'm sharing her recipe for Tiramisu Balls. 



This sweet little treat is a perfect blend of chocolate and coffee.

Are you getting that?

I said chocolate and coffee. 'Nuff said.

Lee Anne's Tiramisu Balls Recipe

Prep Time: 20 minutes plus refrigerating        Makes: 36 balls

Ingredients:

• 1  8oz package of cream cheese, softened
• 60 vanilla wafers, finely crushed (about 2 cups)
• 4oz dry coffee
• 12 squares of semi-sweet baker's chocolate, melted
• Shredded white chocolate for decorating

Method:
1. Mix cream cheese, cookie crumbs and 3oz. of coffee until well blended

2. Shape into 1-inch balls. Freeze 10 minutes.

3. Mix semi-sweet chocolate and remaining coffee.

4. Dip balls in chocolate mixture.

5. Place in a single layer on shallow pan which is lined with wax paper. Sprinkle with shredded white chocolate.

6. Refrigerate for 1 hour or until they are firm.



Do you have a favorite dessert you like to make? What is it? 

Happy Cooking!

Feeling like summer passed us by...

I'm getting excited about the idea of Fall. I'll admit, it hasn't come easy. Due to my work schedule and transportation issues, I feel like we completely missed summer. Actually, it's more than a feeling. We did entirely miss summer. It was out there, but we weren't. 

Ahhh well. Time to move on then. My daughter, Lee Anne, bought me one of those cinnamon scented brooms the other day. I told her I wasn't really feeling it but after a couple of days, I began to think, "Sure! Fall. A new start. Let's do this." 

Some people associate Summer with Chili. I associate it with Fall. With fall at or doorstep, I thought I'd share this chili recipe with you.

I love chili. I don't often make it, but when I do, it's an event! The following is a very hearty chili recipe. The tomatoes and sweet peppers give the initial flavor a certain sweetness which is readily followed by a spicy hotness. 

My friend says that it's the "perfect" amount of "spicy". If you like spicy foods, eat it alone. If you need to tone down the amount of spice, eat it with saltines or sweet corn bread. Or throw a dollop of sour cream into the chili. It is easily balanced. That works out in my household. The youngest children can tame the "hot" while the adults can enjoy the spicy aspect. Perfect! 

An Update
It's been a while since I've posted here. I've had a topsy-turvy year. There have many challenges and successes, but little I've wanted to say publicly.

I've decided that although I have a personal blog for family and super-close friends which is on complete privacy, I'll start blogging here as a more public personal blog. I closed down most of my websites and blogs. I've decided this can be the place where I do a little of everything. 

This can be a place to share my southern-fried life, recipes and whatever else that isn't about homeschooling. I am currently redesigning it, so please forgive the incomplete look of it all. 

Nothing fancy. It was our first day of cold weather and the sky was perfectly blue and cloudless. Just a simple photo of the west end of our yard taken with my phone.


This was my entry into SkyWatch Friday. Go check out the more fabulous entries. 

Happy Nature Watching!

• Florida covers 58,560 square miles of area. 4,298 square miles are water. 
• There are 30,000 lakes and over 1,300 golf courses.
• Florida has over 1,300 miles of coastline with 800 miles of beaches.
• Florida has a warm climate throughout the year with a rainy/stormy season in the summer.
• Florida's capitol city, Tallahassee, was the only southern capitol east of the Mississippi River to remain in southern hands for the duration of the Civil War.  

Happy Nature Watching!

This was my entry into SkyWatch Friday. Go check out the more fabulous entries. 

Happy Nature Watching!

Photo by Forest and Kim Starr

Last week, we attended the Annual Potato Roundup at Gemini Springs. We first were given a lesson about non-native, invasive plants and specifically the Air Potato Vine.. The Air Potato (Dioscorea bulbifera) is a perennial vine. Bulbs are produced on the vine itself and tubers grow beneath the ground giving this plant two means for surviving and reproducing. A part of the yam family, this vine can grow as much as 8 inches per day reaching heights of 60-150 ft.

Yesterday, we attended an outdoor education class at Longleaf Pine Preserve in DeLand, Florida as part of a homeschool field trip to learn about using animal scat and tracks as tools of identification. Before everyone else arrived, my 8 year old daughter was taking photos to pass the time. Below is one of her photos.  Such a beautiful blue sky!

Last night..in my back yard...

Today we were visiting Green Springs in Enterprise, Florida. Standing next to the green waters, I decided to look up and snapped my shot.....

With the onset of fall-like weather, I've been wanting to go hiking. Today turned out to be more of a "walk" than a hike. Although we did get off the path a bit, the pace was slower because my 8 year old daughter was with us. Of course she's always with us but we've not gone hiking for a while. I think everyone's lost their "hiking legs". Our pace was about 1.5mph on average today. But that's alright. It wasn't about the exertion but the fun and enjoyment of being outdoors.

This is by no means the greatest photo. I actually took this with my Android phone. I had just exited the grocery store and was struck by the beauty of the sky. I had no other camera available (shame on me!) and so I hoped for the best.

Just a simple, unimportant shot showing the beautiful White Ibis at the pond.