life with a view

Childhood Slogans

2012-01-25T20:59:00.003-05:00

What are the jingles you remember from your childhood? Do you remember "Coke,it's the real thing." How about the one for ''Slinky" ? Not having tv or listening to the radio now I can't say as I'm up to date on the jingles out there now, but they were a fun thing from the past, I remember snazzy littles tunes for "Mc Donald's is our kind of place. . . " & then, later on, "two all beef patties,special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions all on a sesame bun."
When I was little, before we moved up to the farm, I remember my Dad getting us Filet o' Fish sandwiches in a box that turned into a puppet theater by punching out a cardboard piece. Enclosed was also a plastic bag type puppet of Ronald himself. It was a treat I looked so forward to. How about you-what were the treats,the little things that made an ordinary day just a little bit special for you.

2012-01-20T09:03:00.002-05:00

Dear Blog, I had given up on you, sure I would never be inspired again. At the freshly turned age of 50 I am hoping inspiration will return. Some of the things I'd like to write about are deep, some dark &/or painful. Does the spilling forth of pain help to release it? At times, I think so. At other times, I hope so.
Right now, I'm dealing with alot of pain. My back is out, the muscles bulging & knotted, leaving me incapable of moving. I've been through this too many times already for my liking. I would like a healthy, capable body, strong & readily able to fulfill my wishes. I'd like to be pain-free, to move freely like I did long ago.
I revelled in physical activity as a young girl. It felt good to move. I remember the sensation of relishing the strength & grace I felt in my moves. It was as nothing to go to school, waitress & go dancing. Riding a bike,walking miles in a day didn't phase me.
In my thirties, my body became sabotaged with pain. Strange things were going on that I had no idea how to control, resolve or live with.

2012-01-05T12:34:00.004-05:00

Hoping to do Card Classes to raise money for my Birthday fund! As our family has delightfully grown there are quite a few more people to remember & honor on their special day. I hope this will take off as it is something I can work around my physical limits with! Sign - up for a class!!!

Dear Blog-

2012-01-05T12:31:00.002-05:00

Ahh,Dear Blog, what shall I do about you??! I cannot think of any inspiring thing to write. . .Oh! Yes, that's right, hubby & I are trying to lose 10 lbs. It is really tough to change our bad ways but it is a huge help to have one another in it together.

2011-11-23T10:49:00.003-05:00

Looks like I'm thinking about Christmas, doesn't it?? It seems after Thanksgiving, time just hurls along & what doesn't get done sooner often doesn't get done at all. I've been busy making cards & tags. The card in the middle is for Landon's first birthday, Nov. 30th. I'm using a circus set for all the kids birthdays coming up-fun.

Christmas cooking & baking going on here-makes me happy!!!

2011-08-03T07:12:00.002-04:00

After Dan picked me up at the Airport, I needed dinner & a date.McDonald's & this sweet little public garden met the need completely!

Saving money????

2011-06-28T08:40:00.004-04:00

To "save" money this year, I thought it was time to resurrect my clothesline. The former clothesline served our family very well, but broke in numerous places due to old age. Hmm, sounds like me somedays. The children had all left home, I was battling some health issues & it was just easier to pop the clothes in the dryer. After all, how much laundry can two medium sized people generate?
This worked well for quite some time. It would/ is still working well if I choose to use it. But, no, this year, I have convinced myself I am a healthy,strong woman with literal interpretations of the Proverbs 31 woman who "looketh well to the ways of her household".
What with the ever rising cost of fuel & groceries & taxes & co- pays & gasoline & . . . you get my drift, I feel a huge need to get back to my ultra frugal ways. Thus, the clothesline.
I've used a clothesline all my life till these last few years where I've engaged in riotous living & -gasp- have been using the dryer. Shocking, I know. And I stopped washing out plastic baggies. And even use , just sometimes, mind you, I've not gone completely extravagant, Charmin toilet tissue-but only when it was on sale.Okay. Whew. I confessed. Now you know all my dark secrets.
Ahh, but I digress. Back to my superbly economical solar powered clothesline. Dries clothes with just the power of the sun & a nice breeze is an even bigger help-you know, kinda like the cotton/heavy duty cycle on the dryer.

Well, said clothesline, is over 90 feet one way. It's a pulley system, so I'm going to need over 180 ft. of non-stretching clothesline. I forget the price of this at my local hardware store but I thought I'd shop around for the best price. Lowe's has 200 ft. of "durable, non-stretch line for just $20.00 ! Less than our hardware store. Great! Just what I'm looking for! Thankfully, the pulleys are still in place & my darlin' husband put the line in place for me. Hmm, the no- stretch line stretches. Probably should have got the more expensive one. . .
I am eager to start hanging the clothes out. . . oh, I gave away most of my clothespins & all my clothesline stretchers. Okay. I can hang up approximately 8 things. Hmm. Go to the hardware store again, they are the only ones that sell metal ( read that-"lasting") stretchers. I buy 3. At about $9.00 each. I don't care for wooden clothespins because of the marks they leave on the clothes. The hardware store only carries wooden. I decide to order them from Amazon. Make my purchase of $27.00 for clothesline stretchers. I'm now at $47.00 to save some money.
Get on Amazon. Order $10.00 worth of clothespins & add $15.00 worth of other stuff . . . to get FREE shipping. I'm now at a total of $57.oo, so I can be frugal.
Once I have everything I need, a NY monsoon season begins. I figure I've got about 10 loads of clothes hung out by now & it's nearly July. The first load cost me $ 57.00, but by the time I got up to 10 loads, the cost per load is only about $5.70! Oh, and I find I need some more clothespins & another stretcher. By 2015 I figure this is all going to pay for itself-if the line doesn't break!!
Laundry tips: Need a cheap, safe fabric softener? Try white vinegar. Just don't add too much-you don't want to smell & feel like a soft pickle!
Hope your day holds a smile!!! God bless! And may it not rain on the clothes you hung out, like it is on mine right now!

Butter Spread

2011-06-13T19:19:00.006-04:00

Ahhh, the old glitchy thing with my pictures. Obviously, should be upright. Oh well. One of the things that makes me happy- fresh flowers from the lawn. The lilies smell especially sweet.

We are repainting the living room. It's needed it badly now for about 5 years, with the dining room painted last summer, it really made it look dismal! After much discussion, we finally decided to go with same color as the kitchen. We've had it bone white for 13 years & I really wanted COLOR!!!

Now, onto making your own butterspread. See the ingredients. Just one. Can you guess what this is??? Right, it's canola oil.
You'll need 1/2 cup.

Try guessing this one, too. It's salted butter.

You'll need 1/2 cup ( 1 stick). Let this sotfen for awhile before you're ready to make the spread.

Okay! Now for the biggie- can you guess that this one is sold as "food"?? How many of those "ingredients" do you keep on hand & actually eat?!!!

I'm going to show you how to make a healthy & economical alternative to a soft bread spread!

Here's what you need : A stick of butter, a 1/2 cup of canola oil, a storage container & a spatula.

You're also going to need something to mix the butter & oil together. I'm using the mini bowl
of my food processor. A mixer or blender would also work. I' ve tried to mix by hand, but I guess my butter would need to be quite softer than mine was. In my fp, it whizzed up like nobody's business!!

After it's all blended, put into your storage container & store in your fridge. It will stay soft & spreadable. Best of all, it still tastes like butter & doesn't contain all those other "ingredients".
Let me know if you try it & what you think.

Homesteading leanings with Zeal!

2011-06-11T20:03:00.003-04:00

Oh, dear. I'm laid up with a lame back, which gives me plenty of time to read & think & scheme. I read & think & scheme of all the things I'd like to do the very second I'm mobile again! I still have not been able to till up ground for my potato planting. Rain, rain, rain has been our lot this Spring. When it finally dried up enough to till, I got one bed partially tilled before my tiller ran out of fuel. Now, we have more rain & I am laid up. It will yet be done, I have plans, after all!
We have regularly been enjoying a variety of fresh lettuces' from the garden. I have been serving it plain with just a dressing, that I can enjoy the taste of the lettuce coming through. I've also been using lots of fresh herbs, Chives, parsley, lemon balm have been making regular appearances on our table. Chervil has started to show up in dishes also. To my traditional potato salad I've added chives, chervil, parsley & lemon balm, along with some chopped celery, delicious! For making a small amount for just Dan & I, I microwaved a few red potatoes & diced them up with their peels. Fast! It feels so good to eat what your hands have planted & harvested!

Another recipe I made that was fabulous was an iced tea I made with my own fresh chopped lemon balm, some mint & black tea along with some lemon & orange juice sweetened with a little sugar. I had originally made for company that later had to bow out. I've drunk it all!! Very refreshing, crisp & light.

Furure plans include- corn & potato plantings. If I get another raised bed built by my darling, I'd like to plant a tomato or 2 ( or 3, 4 . . .10!) & a pepper for a little salsa garden.

I dream of having chickens for fresh eggs, blueberry bushes, a rhubarb patch & perhaps, a strawberry bed for the future.

I am reading homesteading/ gardening/ self-suffiency books & magazines lately & planting dreams while I wait to be up & about again. Life is very good on my little corner of the earth! I hope you can take the time to enjoy something fresh & good, something newly grown from God's green earth & enjoy the simple pleasures of June.

On my little Homestead

2011-06-03T20:07:00.003-04:00

Strawberry-Rhubarb jam, the quintessential Spring time flavor. My Mom used to make this jam for us when we were kids. We had a large row of rhubarb plants on our side lawn. There was enough to supply My Grandma's household, as well as our family of six. All the rhubarb you could want. Rhubarb sauce, sweet- tart bubbling on the stove, served in my Grandma's black square bowls. Mom's strawberry- rhubarb pie with a flaky crust melting in your mouth. Plenty of jam & plenty of rhubarb for the freezer.
I've never grown my own rhubarb though I've gardened plenty & grown unusuals like currant bushes & gooseberry, but no rhubarb. I tried it once, down here, but I bought the root too early & they were mostly dead by the time I could get them in the ground. (I think I might have put them in upside down also!) Maybe next year it's time to try again!
In the meantime, I get rhubarb from Bainbridge's very own Frog Pond. We had pie for dessert tonight. My jam is all made & there is even some rhubarb in my freezer. Some things are timeless!
Fresh chives & parsley & the tiniest new onion from the garden.

The first lettuce of the Spring.

Got to do some gardening today.

What's growing in my garden? Lemon balm, Peppermint, bee balm, dianthus,Parsley, Chives, Lavender, alyssum, Sedum, Oregano, Butterfly Bush, Stella D'oro daylily, Coral Bells, Chamomile, snapdragons,sunflowers & a persistent Comfrey,Lamb's Ear & Liatris are in this small garden.

Memorial Day/ F-i-L Birthday

2011-06-03T13:22:00.003-04:00

My sweet sister-in -law Gwen. Who worked hard to provide Grandpa Ray a lovely birthday party & Memorial day Celebration for all of us. Thanks Gwen for yummy food! And a great visit-I miss you!

Brother-in-law Jeff. I'd have to say a very calm,cool, collected fellow in all the years I've known him. He Enjoys Gwen's cooking. Works hard for a living. Oh, & plays golf.

Dan's Dad Ray, my Father-in-law. With my M-i-L ,they did a pretty fine job of raising 3 sons. Ray has worked hard all his life to provide for his family. He & Bette have provided some wonderful memories for their children, grand children & now, great grandchildren. He enjoys Bette's cooking. And Gwen's.

My M-i-L Bette, who has been a friend as well, through the years. She has a zest for life that has not been diminished. Her interests are wide & varied. Right now, her time is devoted to caring for Ray, which she has faithfully done for some time now, as he has suffered with the world of Alzheimer's. I'm so proud to have you as my mother-in-law, Bette. I really lucked out when I got you along with Dan-you are one of my treasured blessings. Bette cooks. And has cooked for Quite a few (heehee) years. She enjoys Gwen's cooking also. And possibly anyone's cooking who wants to do that for her!

My other brother-in-law is Ron. The "baby" of the boys! He is the fun one,up for adventure, a steady worker & a car nut like my Dan. He enjoys Allison's, his wife's cooking. And Bette's. . . . and Gwen's cooking too!

Ahh, here's the guy I fell in love with over 31 years ago! I still think he's got the cutest smile of any guy I've ever seen. Adorable. Cute. Smart. Funny. Giving. Mechanical. Cute. Can fix anything. Sweet Daddy & Grandpa. And, oh, did I mention cute?! And he's all mine!!!!! He's made me laugh & yes, at times, he's made me cry,but our commitment to dust ourselves off & get busy loving one another has seen us through this far. He LOVES my cooking. He LOVES my baking. He LOVES me. And now, if he would only love the chicks I would like to get & take care of them while I'm gone. . . He also enjoys Bette's cooking. And he enjoys Summer's, Travis's & Ashley's cooking. He also enjoys Gwen's cooking.

Hope you enjoyed meeting the family. - By the way, they are ALL great cooks & I enjoy everyone's cooking, but especially Gwen's cooking on Memorial Day Weekend!!! God bless you all, so nice to see everyone!

Cards

2011-04-19T06:57:00.006-04:00

Easter Greetings,friends!

These cards are made by my friend Kathleen, who graciously allowed me to photograph them.
Aren't they adorable??!
She used vintage images from crafty secrets.com . They remind me of the Easter postcards my Grandmother Jenkins had in an oak dresser. I loved to look at them & read the backs, to see messages from people now, no longer living. The cards usually had some affecionate little greeting. Somehow, it seems like a gentler & simpler time that I still try to emulate in my own life. To take time to visit, to share a little of my heart & to hear from your's. Those little greetings were important-they were just a reminder that someone loved you & thought of you. Perhaps today you need to let someone you care... so pick up that phone or better yet, maybe send off a card, like these beautiful one's. God bless your day, dear loved one's! May it be a day full of reminders to others that you love them!

2011-02-04T22:45:00.002-05:00

Got a little bit of snow here this week!! I love it!!

My friend came over today & we sewed on our different projects together. Lovely day. So grateful for the wonderful friends in my life!

Photo Shoot

2011-02-03T18:41:00.002-05:00

Maybe you didn't know this about me but I have a daughter who has just happened to work as a professional photographer. How handy. She's got this super duper camera & lighting things & edits and.... she didn't use any of that in these photos. Hmm, so what are the benefits of having said daughter take photos of me with my very un-pro Canon Power Shot A540??? She can make me look pretty good even with that.
Photo above-My thoughtful, serious pose. You know, the one you wear when your husband comes home starving & you have no idea what you are making for his dinner.

My normal look when not laughing, eating or talking. Also known as the pose where my daughter askes me "has my smile always been that crooked?" !! Yes, Summer & I have one squinty; shifty eye also-thanks for pointing that out sweetie. It's very handy when the sun is only shining in my right eye. Where Summer makes, ahem, extra sagging facial areas disappear. The pro knowledge really shows up in this photo. I'm now feeling much better about my lopsided grin & squinty eye.

Well, golly, I'm feeling pretty glam here-for a woman of my age, of course! It is hard to walk around like this-oh, shoot! This is my favorite. The one I wish my license photo looked like! And that I would wake up looking like!

She's good.
I think she should always take my pictures, don't you?
Don't worry, I'm coaching her to not tell her subjects about their very,very,very subtle flaws. Love you, Sum, thanks for the great job you did!!!

Jill Bakes

2011-02-03T15:22:00.003-05:00

How does "Tiny lemon Gem Tarts sound to you?? Yeah, me too. I think we need a pop of bright fresh citrus to go with our sunny winter day. How about you & I & the Pilsbury doughboy meet in the kitchen??! You can get the recipe here:

http://www.pillsbury.com/recipes/tiny-lemon-gem-tarts/02477009-6aea-49fc-b722-d0ae04bcaaab/ Wow! That ought to take you right there! I decided to use my nifty-nifty Kitchen Aid food processor to whip up the recipe. You can add your butter & sugar first & process till they are creamed, then add your flour. . . or do like me, dump it all in together & process till the dough has formed.

This is where my talent really shows up or in other words how to make sure you have 24 dough balls for each mini muffin cup. Divide your dough in half, each half would be enough for 12 muffin cups. Are you following me?? Then take each half & halve again. Now, each piece will have dough for 6 muffin cups. Divide these in half again. You should have 8 semi- equal amount pieces. Now divide each of those into 3 pieces each. Roll into a little dough ball & you should have enough for each cup of your 24 mini muffin pan.

You place a dough ball in each cup. With your scrupulously
clean hands, you press the dough into each cup to cover the sides & bottom. Bake at 350 for 12 minutes- in my oven anyways. Yours might be different-Hey,read the recipe!! I'm here to just help you, not do it for you. You, know the great American spirit and all that!

While the tart shells were catching a tan you were making the filling, right? You industrious little baker,you! I, again, threw all the yummy ingredients into the food processor bowl & whizzed it around till done. The filling has fresh lemon juice, grated lemon peel,sugar, eggs, baking powder & salt in it. It is very good. It smells incredibly lemon-y. Mmh! Fill your little tart shells.

Bake those till the lemon filling is set. And let them cool 15 minutes in the pan. . .

Did I read that right? Because in my bloggy world of truth only 2 of the little gems came out easily. I had to figure out which tool to use to get my gems out of the pan with the least damage to pan & tart! ( The bandage came from grating me while grating the lovely lemon). Yes, it ended up being the mini rubber spatula.

I placed the cooling rack on top of the pan to shake my confectioner's sugar over. I will save a little mess from my counter top.

All done!! Aren't they lovely? What? What's the space for? Don't you eat the ugly one's too? I think it is an unwritten food rule somewhere...They are luscious & lemony & melt in your mouth. I hope you'll give them a try. I'm glad I did!

Card Party!

2011-02-02T12:05:00.003-05:00

I love the creative process! A little glue, a few bits of paper, a stamp or two & viola'- a unique treasure in a short time.
This will be for my very special Valentine. . .
I love how this came out! It was a really fun challenge to throw in the green on a Valentines card! Isn't the little girl image just adorable?!

I still like a very clean look with lots of white background- classy & classic.

This card pops with texture though, it doesn't show up very well on here. Mmhhh, makes me think of dark chocolate & strawberry cream!

Another very simple design. I would use this design over & over, you really can work this one up fast also.

What's your favorite??!

Cooking for 2

2011-01-31T12:17:00.005-05:00

I used to love cooking with my girls & Travis, too, when he was younger. Once he turned a little older, he liked more manly pursuits, ahhh, testosterone. But I digress, I thought today, I feel like cooking with my family & this is as close as I can get. What are we making today? Hot Honey Spareribs! For you, Summer, our confirmed Pork detester, how about trying it with chicken or beef?

What I've got above is about 2 1/2 lbs. of meaty country pork ribs. Season each side with ground pepper & garlic salt.Then, place those seasoned ribs under the broiler.

Broil 4-5 minutes each side, till brown. Just like that in the picture. You're awesome! Now just leave them on their lonesome for a little bit while we mix up our spunky sauce.

Add a 1/4 c. honey to a measuring cup. I spray my cup with a little Pam spray just to make sure my honey will come out easily. Also, if you live in the North like I do, you might want to warm your honey by placing it in hot water so it will pour from the little bear more easily. Note- write "lil honey bear" on your grocery list if your lil' bear's tummy is empty like mine.

Add 1/8 c. ( or 1/8 c. = 2 TB.) sodium reduced soy sauce.

Add secret ingredient # 1 - 1/8 c. ( or 2 TB. ) of Hot Chili Garlic Sauce. This is found in the Chinese section at your Grocer's. Note- write this on grocery list too if you just used the last of it like I did.

Add secret ingredient # 2, 1/2 c. of Catalina dressing.

Before you whisk this lovely mixture together...

Add 1/2 tsp. of ginger.

Now, the grand finale- Add your lovely browned, perfectly seasoned ribs to your slo-cooker. Pour your spunky rib sauce over the ribs, mix it a bit to make sure they are coated on all sides.

Set your crockpot on High & let cook for 3-4 hours.

No peeking now. Trust me, it will really be done in 3-4 hours. If you're not ready to eat then, just turn that little dial to warm. Yep-you guessed it, it will keep them warm till you're ready to eat them. Ahhh,now to figure out what to have with them. . . cole slaw anyone?

2011-01-31T09:44:00.003-05:00

e Shhhhh! Can you keep a secret? This card I made this morning is for my m-i-l's birthday on the 2nd. I'm absolutely delighted with how it came out. It's a flirty, feminine card-Fun! I'm not sure why but it seems everything I add my French stamp to turns out... well, ooh la la!!
I am trying to overcome cabin fever, winter doldrums, & grandchildren withdrawal, along with a nasty bout of flu last week. Phew! When Saturday rolled around I was ready for some excitement! My husband & I look at each other & kinda go.."hmm, just what would that be?".
Well, we decided to hunt for some car parts. Men, you see, don't shop, women shop, men hunt. So a-hunting we will go! We are looking to bag some carpet for the back of the Camaro. J & R Upholstery is where we'll head first. Unfortunately, the scent is dead there, we would have to order it, not in-store. But I, meanwhile, have got a free cd & bag of popcorn from my favorite radio personality, Glen Pitcher. As my son would say- sweeeet-!
We go to Sears next. Rats! Forgot the tools we need replaced. Drool over some workbench-toolbox arrangements.
My turn now. I want to look at luggage at J C Penny's. Rats, again!! Luggage is on sale but still more than I want to spend. Look at curtains for my bare dining room windows. Hate that they decided to subtly rip off the American people by no longer selling curtains in pairs but sell by single panels... like when did windows only come with one side?? & they charge more for the single panel than what I want to spend for the whole window. Make our exit, haven't bagged a thing yet. . .
Onward to the Speed Shop. This is an actual store that sells zoom-zoom go-really-fast car parts. Happy hunting grounds indeed! I opt to stay in the warm truck for this hunt. Ahh, the sweet smell of success, (it's very similiar to motor oil,) the happy hunter has returned with a bagged item! It is now a successful hunting day!
For the big finale, I want to go to an Aldi's & Weis Market I've never been to before. (We decide to throw in a sidetrip to Staples. What do you think of the Kindle's ? they had a display.) The grocery stores are my thing. I pick up a few good deals & we head home.
All this excitement has about done me in!! A post excitement nap is in my schedule next! Hope you had a great weekend too!!

2011-01-05T15:48:00.003-05:00

"From the ends of the earth I call to you, I call as my heart grows faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I." Psalm 61 :2
"From the ends of the earth"...... From the place in my life that seems farthest from any notion I have of your goodness.... from the the places I neither want nor expected to be.....from the places of enduring testing, the things I hate that never change.... from the place where life seems dark & bereft of hope.... from that place I will cry to you, call out to you with my sorrows & frustrations & despair & with the calling comes the turning.
A turning from all that is "me", that is finite & small & earthly. My strength is gone but as you look at me & I gaze at you,my heart steadies,my breathing calms. The small beginning of strength in You begins to solidify in me.
My Rock, my Strength, underneath it all, you remain-unshakable.

New Year's Resolution

2011-01-02T22:00:00.002-05:00

I resolve to not over imagine all the things I'm going to get done. I will try to have one,yes that is-1 just ONE weekly goal besides all the everyday stuff to get done. I admire those women who write books on organizing your life. The one's who have a goal for every area of their life & go to a resort hotel with their hubby to plan it.
Don't you think if you had matching luggage to fly to Hawaii & sit on your private balcony with sultry, balmy breezes you, too, could have goals for every area of your life?!!! C'mon,let's break out the Coppertone & drink some long tall iced tea while being completely away from the laundry piling up, the baby needing to be fed,the dog let out & the two year old's demands.... would not life seem completely manageable????
Just you and a fresh white page & a January suntan....oh yeah, totally doable!
Enter-Real life: Go to the grocery store. Search purse for list. Search seat & floor. Try to think.
What is the grocery list wrote on? & where oh where did you leave it-it's not with you at the store that's for sure.... Attainable New Year Goal- Write list in small notebook, no loose sheets of paper to lose to get lost.
Happy New Year's!!!!

Just can't get enough!

2010-11-11T07:52:00.004-05:00

Lately, I just can't seem to get enough of this granola. I don't care to have a bowl of hot oatmeal very often, though when I do, it is drizzled with maple syrup, sprinkled with walnuts & then, topped with milk. When I eat granola, I eat it dry. Go figure!

This recipe is sooo simple & amazingly good. I hope you'll try some!

3 c. oatmeal

1 c. chopped walnuts or a little more!

3 Tb. melted butter

1/3 c. honey

Sprinkle of salt

Mix oats & nuts together. Mix melted butter & honey together. Pour over oat mixture & stir together, add just the teeniest sprinkle of salt if desired. (I like it with the salt!) Stir. Dump into greased pan with raised sides. Heehee-that's an important instruction!!

Bake at 300* for 30 minutes altogether,stirring after 15 minutes. Check after 20 min.s to make sure it's not too brown. Let cool, if you can, taste & say mmm mmmh!!!

Now - for my variations!

I made it with pure maple syrup instead of the honey-Incredibly yummy!

I have used walnuts, pecans, almonds, cashews & sun flower seeds for the nuts & have combined a couple different nuts for a batch. I think the cashew/pecan batch is my fave so far!

Let me know if you try it!

Christmas is coming....

2010-11-10T17:22:00.002-05:00

"Christmas is coming & the ..... is getting fat". In this case it's the chubby little tree,not the goose that's getting fat.These were really fun & fast to make! The chubby little tree is made from circles from a scalloped circle punch. I'm hoping to do a class with these.

Notice all the fun little variations. The first tree has golden snowflakes stamped on the tag, topped with a gold star. #2 is non-traditionally colorful,perfect for a little girl. #3 is classic & simple. #4 is topped with a shiny silver star-shaped brad. #5 has sparkly rhinestone stars scattered over it. Okay kids-do you need some tags?? Hurry up & tell me before I go out to Summy's!!

I love this retro image,don't you?

A card kit I made.

Another card kit I made. It's really not to soon to start making your goose, ergh, I mean, tree, fat, too!!!

Fa La la

2010-10-27T17:20:00.004-04:00

I recently bought this book, it has a whole lot of great ideas in it. I like the cover & would really like to make a set of these. Aren't they adorable? Obviously, from the title, you'd gather the idea that these projects all use felt... & you'd be right! Felt is great to work with, as it doesn't fray, making it perfect for hand sewing. Hand sewing is very soothing to do, it has a rhythmic quality, like knitting or crocheting. Your mind is free to think about things & I find myself deeply relaxing.
I loved these little critters! I'm wondering if my kids or grand kids need some for their Christmas tree this year. I hope they do!
What do you think? They are my first project from the Fa LaLaLa book-I think they're a success!

2010-10-26T15:41:00.010-04:00

All the sudden, I had to preserve some food. It was impulsive. Our local Farmer's market, that I like so well & don't go to often enough with our family of two, had a half bushel of apple second's.For $ 5.00. Need I say more? No, but I will. They were Cortland apples. One of my all-time favorite varieties. When I saw it, I had to have it. I just had to. Visions of bubbling, plop-plop-plopping applesauce simmering on my stove filled my head. I could just imagine the steamy fragrance filling the kitchen with cinnamon-y goodness...

And it did. A young friend came over & we visited over the companionable task of peeling, coring & quartering apples. I stirred the the fruit with water till the apples softened & broke down into a sauce like consistency. I added brown sugar, cinnamon & nutmeg. It was, & is, wonderful. I made another batch that same afternoon & now my freezer holds some of that Autumn treasure.

I still had some apples left & felt an urge to can something. It's been awhile since I've preserved something by canning. I ended up making canned apple pie filling.

Normally, I make an apple pie with fresh apples, but sometimes it's really nice to have a quick way to make a pie. No peeling & mixing, the labor is all done except for the making of the piecrust. That's a pretty fast way to make a pie.

I found some cute printable labels from a sight called http://www.oneprettything.com/. Did you know labels make home canned goods even more special? It's true! I could have just called it Apple Pie Filling, but I came up with "American as Apple Pie Filling". The blue & white tag with the red & white cord is my patriotic touch.

I was so pleased with my success with the apples, I also made some Salsa-make that Jill's Sassy Salsa & some Chili sauce-Mom's mmh mmmh Chili sauce.

Enjoy my little harvest, I might even do some more!!

Travels

2010-08-28T19:23:00.003-04:00

One of the fun things I like to do is visit their different Grocery Stores! The Commissary is the Grocery Store on the Base. It was a great store, I visited it quite alot!

To make Trav's favorite Sausage Roll, I needed to make a pizza dough. I had never heard of or seen this here. I would only use this for pizza dough now, after having discovered this. There is no rise time involved, you can make it, knead it,roll it. It's good to go! No stretching back on you. This would be a newly discovered favorite!

German Chocolate Cake before frosting.

My excellent game partner, here, enjoying a hand of Uno.

Travis is working on this!

2010-08-25T17:13:00.002-04:00

Passing through the desert.
I got to see my first mirage.

It truly looked like a real lake.

Panda Express.

Some really good food!

2010-08-25T15:25:00.002-04:00

Today, I went to Norwich with a friend. The curtains I bought for the Dining room were just wrong. I had envisioned bright & cheery with a multi-striped tab curtain on a brushed nickle rod. The rod is fabulous! The curtains were bright & cheerful but just did not look right in the room. I think it will be plain white curtains. Unless another vision will be visited upon me!

2010-08-24T19:56:00.004-04:00

My CA family- Travis & Jesse.
Travis took us to Panda Express.

We played lots of games.

Jesse.

Travis goofing off with his new safety glasses!

Time to play outside.

Grandma can still dribble pretty good.

My team mate!

Travis, Neiceoli, & Jesse waiting for Judah.

Happy Birthday, Sweetheart!

2010-08-05T13:57:00.002-04:00

How do you celebrate birthdays at your house?? Are you a party girl? Always ready to call a bevy of friends & family to gather around an abundance of food? Are you the quiet one? Let it slip by without too much notice? Or the intimate party girl ? A spouse, a good friend & you are perfectly content? I must be a rotating, intimate, quiet, party, party girl!
I may be an intimate party girl by default. Our children are nearly clear across the country, so my very most favorite party people cannot be here. I miss them. My extended family is spread out in NY, PA, & VA-I'd be really surprised if any of them dropped in!!! Soooo.... how to party??!

Thank God for the friends He has blessed us with! My family-away-from-family!!! Happy Birthday, Sweetheart from All Your Family, far & near!

Lately, I've been doing this...

2010-08-04T14:42:00.003-04:00

My girlfriends came over today & I made a couple cards. Leslie had an owl punch, with many little pieces to glue together. The sticky fingers were well worth it in my opinion!! I made 3 more owls, not shown, to make another card or 2 with.Shhhh, don't show Dan this-it's for his 52 birthday, tomorrow. Tomorrow, I'll do a cake or cupcakes, haven't decided yet.

Hmmm, what can this be?

More ric-rac...

A cute little outfit for Ariana, that Grammy sewed! Hope she'll like it!

2010-08-02T07:46:00.003-04:00

Addition to the kitchen- Wall ware!!! I love these!!

Dan finished papering over the weekend & we started painting. The "wallpaper" is actually a textured wallcovering for imperfect walls that is paintable. I wanted an aqua blue, to match some old pottery I have....this is not that color. I find it so hard to tell, from a paint chip, what a whole room will look like. I am frequently surprised. I wanted bright & happy....wellllllll... it is certainly that!! I have made up my mind to stop obsessing over it & just get used to it. I actually like the color, it just wasn't what I had in mind. So, our d. r. project continues!

2010-07-27T13:38:00.003-04:00

My pretty Bee Balm, in purple, is blooming joyfully in my little back garden.
Another block finished in my quilt club. I really like this one.

The curtains-with ric-rac-hanging on the window. Another step towards finished.
Below-I brought a pie over to share with friends & was blessed with this bounty, to take home!

Last night, I made a "Strawberry & Cream Tart". I pre-baked a pie shell,let it cool. I then whipped cream & set aside. After that, I beat softened cream cheese, sugar, and almond
extract together (& taste-it is soooo yummy!) & mixed in the whipped cream. ( Taste again, your tongue will thank-you & your teeth will smile) Smooth that delicious cloud into the cooled pie shell. (Shhh! Don't offer your hubby the spatula, quietly, lick till your hearts content )Slice washed strawberries (you should also eat one or two of these, you know, checking for sweetness.) in half & arrange them on top of the cream mixture. Melt chocolate chips( These are also mighty dandy to pop a few down the hatch.) with a little shortening & drizzle over the top. Chill for thirty minutes..... call friends to help you eat this, if all the ingredients were that good, you will have no will power once it is finished !! To find this recipe go to http://www.pilsbury.com/

Can you guess what lunch was? Fresh, tender lettuce, a sliced kirby cuke, diced ham & salsa. I added a sliced cheese stick, light Ranch dressing & some crumbled Ranch Dorito's chips. So very good-will that count as healthy ?!!

Because I just pulled a Chocolate-orange zucchini cake from the oven, Made with that nice zucchini-Thanks, Erin & Brenda!!!

Blog-worthy foods I have ate!

2010-07-22T06:36:00.002-04:00

I've made some simple but really delicious dishes I want to share with you all. Above, in my ever-so-nifty pan for our grill-an assortment of fresh veggies. Zucchini, broccoli, Portabella mushrooms, a few carrots & red potatoes, drizzled with olive oil & liberally sprinkled with Seasoned Salt. Cooked till tender on the grill with leftover chicken mixed in. Absolutely perfect for a Summer evening!
This is another dish with chicken that was fabulous! I soaked some sun-dried tomatoes ( From Pine Ridge! ), in a little chicken broth for 30 min's or so. On the stove, I sauteed some Vidalia onion & chopped garlic in Burgundy wine. The aroma & taste from the wine is sensational. To the veggies I added the tomato-broth mixture, pre-cooked chicken I cut in strips & let them simmer together for awhile. I thickened the broth with a bit of cornstarch & milk. At the last moment, I threw in some chopped tomato, just to slightly warm. I served it over Ronzoni's healthy spaghetti with fresh chopped basil. This is super!! Another "light" dish that I will make again!

And this bit of sugared love....ahhh! It is a recipe for Caramel Snickerdoodle Bundt Cake. A new recipe I tried off the Betty Crocker site. Sooo good, I'd like to make this one especially for Travis, as Snickerdoodle cookies were his favorite! Full of bright cinnamon-y flavor & smells just like the cooky while baking. It's worth buying the bundt pan for!! Find the recipe at www.bettycrocker.com Enjoy!

The NEW Project

2010-07-18T11:18:00.010-04:00

The paper & Old Village paint that were on the dining room walls.

Color choices.Our lamp fixture came defective. We are not redoing it. It is off kilter...like so many things in our house...& possibly...us??!!!

Still, in the kitchen, Dan, my darling, did the shoe molding yesterday. I still need to get cafe rods for the curtains.... and order the ric-rac. I should sand & paint the kitchen door & find a colorful runner for the floor. Maybe something for the walls & we're done!! Phew! Alot of time & effort but well worth it.

And before I've got the kitchen completed...... I've started on the dining room-

our NEW Project, otherwise known as a continuing episode of "Will this ever end?" !!! Am I nuts??? What was I thinking?! When the temps & humidity levels were in the high 80's & 90's, it must have created a meltdown in my brain..... who would think it was a good time to strip wallpaper, scrub painted walls....& let me interject here, about that. Arm & Hammer Washing Soda & a green Scotch Brite pad are the best things for prepping a wall, at least, my dining room walls, that were painted with Old Village paint in Rittenhouse Ivory,which is really a brown.

It all started with a friend, bless her heart, who came over to help me paint. One coat of primer. Two coats of paint. #3. Three. Three. THREE. Did I mention it needed 3 coats of paint??!!! In all its painstaking groove-iness? Not to be confused with getting "your groove on", whatever that means, this was painting with a 1 1/2" & 2" brush, getting into the grooves,the many,many grooves with White Chocolate.....paint, that is. So that I can have chocolate all year round,every single day! It is done!! Thank-you, Joyce.

2010-07-12T08:53:00.002-04:00

"Ohhhhh, ice cream isn't good for me???"

Look at this darling button picture! I LOVE it!! Mom did this when she was a little girl-it's my new treasure. The little thimble & scissors are part of the original kit.

A piece of fame from our family-the Jenkins-Special!! Not too many of these were made,but isn't that great?

On my Reading Shelf. Loved "My Mother's Hope" by Francine Rivers. I haven't read a single thing of hers that I haven't loved-this was a new great read.

Some fun & good summer reads. Hope you get to read something good this summer!

My Anti-Scrapbook Scrapbook

2010-07-09T10:24:00.005-04:00

What is an "Anti-Scrapbook Scrapbook" all about?? Come hither & I will tell you. When I was young, think elementary school age, I had a scrapbook. A much beloved scrapbook, filled to overflowing with all the important memorabilia of a young girl.

The cardboard insert of a Doeskin purse pak of tissues with the race car drivers autograph from Utica-Rome Speedway-In there. The birthday cards from Parents,Grandparents,siblings & friends-Got it. Tickets, brochures from places we had visited. Words to the Christmas music we sang at school, all in there & more.

The really special Valentine card from Mom & Dad, a paper cut-out of a blonde girl in a pink dress, called "Molly" with a pocket in her dress with a tiny replica doll in it, so that "Molly & her Dolly" could wish me a Happy Valentines Day. Molly & Dolly had their very own page, pasted in with , you guessed it- school paste. Remember the white paste with its applicator in the center of the jar & the strong odor? Do children still use paste? It seems you invariably didn't close the jar tight enough & then you had hard dried paste that was good for nothing. (Except for small children eating a chunk now & then....& why do kids eat odd & nasty things that can't possibly taste good anyways? But that is rumination for another day.)

My Scrapbook had a simple,lightweight cover,much the same as you'd find on coloring books, filled with plenty of newsprint paper pages. I didn't worry about how it looked. I recollect I used every kind of adhesive in it- tape,paste,liquid glue, rubber cement that came in a brown plastic bottle with a rubber- red slanted tip, slit, so the yellowish glue could be smeared all over the approximate designated spot. I used staples, too. Not the artistically arranged & promoted staples of today, but simply to hold those tricky pieces onto the page.

The pages became quite heavy, according to how many interesting things I felt had to be preserved. Ripped,torn pages were easily acquired if you weren't fastidiously careful how you turned the pages.
I kept that Scrapbook for a long time. But, as most vestiges of our childhood are discarded, so went the Scrapbook. I did pull out one thing & kept it for awhile longer, it was my favorite card-"Molly & her dolly". I would take it out every now & then, pull "dolly" out of the pocket & then replace it.Eventually, she ended up in the scrap heap also.
The book had no planning, pages weren't color coordinated nor dressed up in the latest scrap booking accessories. There weren't any no-acid, low-acid papers or adhesives. No page protectors. Pages got ripped. Yellowed tape hung off the edges of cards & pictures. The backs of staples were evident on the other side & could catch & tear at your skin if you weren't careful. Pages were bubbled & rippled with glues & paste... and yet,it never failed to give me delight. Whether the process of attaching my newest treasures or carefully flipping through the pages, it brought joy. A simple childish pleasure.
See that lovely covered scrapbook pictured above- it's my "Anti- Scrapbook". It's not like my expansive one from childhood, but I'm just filling it any old which way. It does have page protectors, & I've got some scrapbook paper. But I'm not matching colors or rearranging pages. I'll put something "cute" on it only if I'm in the mood. I'm going to put the flotsam & jetsam of my life in paper & pictures in there. The tickets to the play I saw with Dan. A picture I was given of me & my siblings over ice fishing on Oneida Lake, all bundled up in our snowmobile suits. A newspaper article about my Great Grandparents. The little things that touch my day & bring forth a fond memory, a gentle smile.
So, go ahead, you modern day scrappers. I admire you. You are artistic. I love looking at your albums. You're talented, with matching colors & photo themes. Your scrapbooks are works of art that carefully preserve moments of life.
Even though this new, little scrapbook I'm tossing things in isn't quite that primitive, it still gives me the simple pleasure that my newsprint girlhood one did.... without all the glue bubbles!
Whatever or however you're holding onto your memories, whether a box with things tossed in or a carefully made & treasured Scrapbook, the important thing is to enjoy the moments of your life! God bless, Jill

Making Cards

2010-05-20T21:14:00.002-04:00

Made a few cards awhile ago.

ND visit

2010-05-17T20:45:00.003-04:00

Ashley & MilesOur super nice waitress took a picture of all of us-& gave the Mom's 1/2 off their meal price!
French Fries always are a hit.

Gavin really liked the corn dogs, too.

Before the meal came, they got to color. Tasting the crayons & coloring their shirt was also tried.

Happy,happy boys!

ND visit

2010-05-16T19:33:00.005-04:00

You are never to old to look like a penguin!! Ashley took this pic of us on Mother's Day at the zoo in Minot.
Me & my sweetie at the restaurant on Mother's Day.

I still feel like the best kept secret of America is the many,many oil wells of North Dakota.

Mother's Day with our ND family.

Dan & I were privileged to look at a couple houses the kids are looking at. They chose not to buy the house they are currently renting because of the amount of work it needs. Better to find that out before purchase, isn't it?
I loved this place! It also has a great fenced in backyard that would be just perfect for two little boys.The rooms are large & there is a fireplace in the living room & a sunroom off the living room. I begged Dan to buy it for me!!!

I could well imagine having my family over if Dan & I lived there...there's that sticky little problem of a livelihood...hmm. I'm ready to move when you get a job, babe!!! Sunday dinner at Grammy's-here we come!!!! At least in my very Grammy dreams!
Hey, Ash, could you check those want ads??!

How cute is that?!

ND visit

2010-05-15T21:37:00.004-04:00

Here's our "big boy" grandsons ready for bed & brushing their teeth!Look at those beautiful blue eyes!!!
The lakes in ND are small & they are called "dams". Dan & I visited 3 different one's. They are all free to use. This one is at the back of a strip mine, for coal.

Isn't he sweet? A little prairie dog that held still for me to get his picture taken!

Another picture of one of the dams.

I'm Baaaacckk!!

2010-05-14T19:10:00.005-04:00

Laura Ingalls Wilder made pioneer living well known from her series of "Little House" books. "Little House on the Prairie" takes place in DeSmet, South Dakota & gives a vivid picture of what it took for pioneers to settle the land.
In 1861, North Dakota was then called the "Dakota Territory", its' vast territory named after the Indian tribe that lived there, the Dakota's.
Today, ND, still remains a land like no other. Huge expanses of land stretch forth in every direction. It is Springtime in ND & farmers with massive tractors are starting to plant the acres & acres of crops that grow in abundance there.
Dan & I got to do a little exploring on the prairie land while visiting our family! We rented a red Dodge Charger to chase around in.

I had three things I really wanted to get a look at. One was some of the abandoned buildings that dot the landscape. I think you can see the emptiness around this building. It boggles the mind to think of where & how, children came to these schools to get an education.
I was intrigued by the honeycomb growing from the facia of the schoolhouse.

I'm not sure of the era of this school, but you can see the"latest" at the "Girl's Room". The "Boy's Room" featured the same!

It appears that it was in use for some time, notice the electrical outlet.

Two big, sweet reasons to draw us to North Dakota!!

A happy visit with the little one's!! Stay posted for more from our visit!!!

2010-04-25T15:44:00.002-04:00

It's terrible that here it is,nearly 2 months & not a peck at the keys.
What has been going on in my life?
Well, as many visits as we could manage before lil' Miss A & family move to Texas. We managed to get to Fort Drum a few times & they stopped down here a few times. Easter weekend was delightful with Ariana really understanding what an egg hunt is all about! Then, a week stay here before moving onto visit Nathan's family in Fl. Monday, they will be moving on to Texas!
I am really enjoying doing a ladies Bible Study group on Wednesday.
I have changed my Fibromyalgia medication & have felt more sluggish but have lots less surface pain. This is such a praise! I have to confess I feel like I haven't been on top of things around the house.
Dan & I have been enjoying the company April brought as well as looking forward to seeing Ashley & her family in May.
All is well with our extended family,hope it is with your's also!

2010-03-08T12:36:00.002-05:00

See this trio of snow stomping,cold stopping footgear?? It was time to bid them farewell, at least, I hope, till next winter. We have had some sunny days here & temps up in the 40's. It feels like Spring! The frigid temperatures should be past.The snow should be melting into a soggy good-bye. Good Riddance Winter & Hello Springtime!
Polka dots again!! A dress for Ariana. The pattern said 1 3/8 yd. I found this in the sale area for 4.00 a yard. I bought one yard. I was able to cut the dress out of one yard... so, what's up with the extra 3/8 yard??? I'm glad I only got 1 yard.

My Block of the Month done. I am loving it!!

Sunday

2010-03-07T22:17:00.000-05:00

Hi !!!

Saturday

2010-03-06T16:29:00.002-05:00

Pie day today. Apple with walnuts & struesel & caramel. I've made it once before & it was sooo good! That will be for dessert tonight!! Wish you were here,Mom & Dad, to share it with us!
This is a peek at what I've been working on for the little boys. I need a few things at the store to finish them. Hopefully, we'll be at Summer's next weekend,which is the Land of Shopping for me.

Tiny 2 inch blocks I've been working on.

Random!!

2010-02-25T09:38:00.007-05:00

I love... this super sweet wallhanding I did. valentines is past but I'm still keeping this up on the wall. It has sparkly little sequins that don't show up very well in this pic-but we all know every gal needs some glitter in her life, here's mine!
Had company for dinner last night.....Happy,happy Grammy &" Baba". She is at such a cute stage, adding words to her vocabulary, making discoveries, doing adorable things.

I LOVE BEING A GRAMMY!!

A change that's been overdue. I've been meaning to get these cutains out of the front room for some time.

Ta Dah!! The white curtains I've been envisioning!! Really brightens it up!

One of my Valentines projects-coasters for when we have our coffee/tea with our sweeties.I love the fun fabrics & initals!

2010-02-18T07:35:00.002-05:00

I just discovered a great blog I'd like to join- http://thesimplewomansdaybook.blogspot.com/
It's full of journal entries from other women. Check it out!

Outside my window.... is a winter grey today, as if even the sky was turned to slush.

I am thinking....about the day ahead of me & the little things I need to do.

I am thankful for.....my arms. Sounds funny, doesn't it? I heard a story of a Civil War soldier who had lost both his arms in a battle. He had someone write to his fiancee' that because of this he would give her up. The young woman did not write a reply. Instead, she boarded a train & told him she would never give him up. She lifted her two hands to him & said, "See these two hands? They will help you." For whatever reason I woke thinking how hard it would be to not have even one arm, much less missing both. I think of all my hands & arms do....it makes me very grateful for them.

A Lil' Cuteness

2010-02-17T16:44:00.003-05:00

Once upon a time, a long,long time ago, like last Friday, a Mommy & Daddy brought a cute little munchkin for a visit. It made the Grammy & Grampa very happy! (They were also very happy to see the Mommy & Daddy-just so's ya know!)
Grammy liked to feed the little munchkin. She made her blueberry muffins. The little girl liked blueberry muffins. She liked them alot. Mommy left the baking paper on. Mommy thought it would be less messy.

The little girl was pretty crumb-y anyways, by the time she finished. The little girl was also very happy!! Grammy says Come visit again soon!

2010-02-10T19:09:00.002-05:00

Today was the day of our "Big Blizzard"... 4 inches is about all we got here. It is beautiful. I did a little shoveling (yes, being very careful!), just so I could be out in it. There is such a quiet hush upon the world when it is blanketed in white. And the stillness seeps into my soul . . .do you ever feel as though you could raise your hand & feel God reach for you? Do you ever listen to a melody that seems to play the chords of beauty hid in your heart & feel like God is calling to you? The everyday beauty of everyday things speaks to me...

2010-02-08T14:17:00.002-05:00

Went to the chiro today. Back is still about the same. Went to K-Mart just to walk. Truly. Didn't buy a thing! Too cold outside today. The wind is bitter! Hope all are having a good week!

The Dress!

2010-02-05T20:36:00.000-05:00

Ariana's New Dress

2010-02-05T20:09:00.005-05:00

I spent quite a bit of today straightening & reorganizing my sewing room. I could do more! But my back has been protesting-I've called it quits for the day-I think!!
I halved the recipe for Crazy Chocolate Cake. I'll let you know, tomorrow,after I frost it, how it is. It smelled wonderful baking!

For some reason, I can't get this pic to come through rotated. It's a new dress for Ariana. It was a kit I bought from etsy. The shop is ohsosassy's.

All the pieces are cut out for you. The instructions & elastic are included & you just get to sew! This was a really fun & fast project to make. I hope to make another!

A close up.

A kit from http://www.connectingthreads.com/ . Hoping to get this cut out as soon as my back can stand it!!

The giveaway!

2010-02-05T09:01:00.006-05:00

I don't know if you can tell from the photo but that is Jumbo ric rac! Aren't the colors great?!
I won a $27.oo gift certificate from an online Quilt Shop called Above All Fabrics which can be found at- http://aboveallfabrics.com

I chose a fat quarter bundle by Patty Young for Michael Miller fabrics called Flora & Fauna in the turquoise colorway.

Polka dots & bright florals with punches of red tie it all together. I'll let you know when it turns into something!!

All I can say is "THANKS" to Melanie at Above All Fabrics ! She has a great selection of fabrics & patterns for todays modern sewist & prompt service. I hope you'll check it out!!

These are a few of my favorite things

2010-02-04T18:36:00.002-05:00

Two of my favorite things- recipes & fabric!! I joined an on-line quilt club at www.GrandmasAtticQuilting.com. I received a free celebrate Chocolate Cake Day recipe sheet with 3 different chocolate cakes & a square of a very cute novelty fabric of cupcakes. You can guess where the next recipe I'm trying will be from!
It's called "The Bobby Sox Sisters'. There were 2 categories to choose your fabric from- 30's or 19th century prints. Of course, I chose the 1930's prints. It's very reasonably priced with the postage included & you receive one package a month.

Along with the fabric & pattern to make the block, you receive a fun little newsletter. Fun facts from the 1940's, recipes & a redwork pattern are part of the newsletter. They featured a redwork pattern of a Sunbeam MixMaster. I happen to own a Sunbeam MixMaster mixer. I believe both my Mom & Dad bought their Mom's one of these mixers, a sweet tie to the past!

Here's my first block finished! What do you think??

2010-01-29T06:45:00.002-05:00

Wellll, It's been a week since the trouble with my back started. I almost think I need to do something about it!!! I have been home-bound for most of it. I did make my Wed. Bible Study group. It is thought provoking & life challenging. I feel like I have been wasting too much of my time. It is too easy to do that.
One of the women in our group was speaking about my "down-time" in a different light....that God has allowed me time to set apart with Him. I needed to hear that. Because really, I hadn't been spending time with Him. Our lesson has been about how we live our daily life, how we "walk". "Redeeming the time, for the days are evil',, "see that you walk worthily,not as fools" God puts a very high standard for living in Ephesians 5.
I have had a few other times in my life when I have been bed-ridden for a time & during that time, God really spoke to my heart about some things in my life. My life changed, for the better, because of that time" he maketh me to lie down in green pastures" . This past week though, I spent too much time on the computer, read a book, watched movies-truthfully, none were particularly edifying. Were they "evil"? No, they just weren't helpful to the path I know God wants me to walk.
One of the verses I thought about this week was "He who covers his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses & forsakes them will have mercy." The point I thought most of is that God doesn't want us just to admit what is wrong in our lives, He wants us to Stop Doing It!!!! Pretty obvious, huh? But not always easy to see & do when we've strayed. I could admit my time wasn't being spent wisely-but would I change how I was spending my time??
I talked with a girlfriend yesterday about some of these things I'm struggling with.... somehow, through verbalizing how I know God wants me to live, I was able to change the path of my day.What could have been a wasted day, wasn't, because I did what I know He wanted me to do. And there was joy in it!!!
Hoping you'll find His Joy by walking with Him today!!

A delightful surprise!

2010-01-27T19:51:00.003-05:00

I was delightfully surprised to get an e-mail that I had been picked as a winner for a give away from an online quilt shop!! The shop is ''Above All Fabric" from where I had recently ordered this lovely fabric in the above photos. The pictures don't do it justice. They never do. You just can't seem to capture the glowing color of what it is in person. Or, at least, I can't.

The fabric is called "Neutral Territory" by Terry Atkinson. I am planning on making kitchen valences for my newly remodeled kitchen. I love the vibrant & warm colors of this line. I'll have to wait & see what the rest of it will suggest to me to make with it!

Meanwhile, I have placed my order from my winnings...I can't wait! I love to get a pkg. in the mail!! Thank-you, "Above All Fabric"-you made my day!!

Cleaning &" back"

2010-01-25T14:51:00.002-05:00

If you know me at all, you know I actually like to clean & organize. A good day for me is one in where I get lots of things done. Is my house always neat, clean & tidy?? Of course not!! We live in our home! So, it's much like your's, there is a never-ending succession of productive messes, with a never-ending succession of clean up's that follow. Eventually. Not always on the same day.
Friday, was one of those happy, productive days. You know, where there is an actual sun shining on the Southern Tier of NY. These days are rare & coveted for us NY-er's, especially in January!! I become Super-Homemaker, giddy with the effects of a possible Vitamin D booster. No running shoes necessary-I'm off with that first golden glint. ( Because I AM a NY-er-this may not last-so you had better hurry!)
Yes! Let us zip the ancient Electrolux over the floors! Get out my heady aroma can of Pledge! Fill the bucket with hot (low) sudsy water to swab the floors! Clean the bathroom, get those shower doors! Man, I am on a roll, maid Hazel's got nothin' on me,baby,remember-I am SUPER-HOMEMAKER!!!
Till the carpets. Oh woe is the carpet. The carpet needs shampooing. A really good cleaning. I've had it in the back of my mind to get to it for sometime... The sun is still shining. Yes! Today is the day! I am Hoover -happy or is it the effect of all the cleaning products used? Hmm, something I maybe should have considered? But me & the Hoove are a buzzing along. I clean it really,really good. And then, because I am a victim of soap residue phobia, I go over it really,really good with just rinse water, with a touch of white vinegar. I have read that the vinegar is a powerful antidote for the dreaded soap scum. I finish with the Hoove, rinsing & cleaning all parts to my satisfaction & then allow myself a break.
My back is tight,very tight, But my house is Super-Homemaker Clean!! Oh, yes! And I will get to enjoy those glory moments with my cup of tea, on my well-deserved break... & think about making choclate chip cookies afterwards, at least,that's the plan. My back now has other plans. Plans of immobilizing me in a vise grip of pure unadulterated pain. Pain that says" Move! Bend! Breathe! I dare you!" I'm breathing alright, but I think it's sounding more like the last gasp.
AND that misleading globe of golden energy is STILL SHINING!!!!! I am not shining anymore!
Sooo, I have been lying, painfully, on the couch. I have taken ibuprofen. I have taken a muscle relaxer. (Note to self- Notice the time you take them, that is to avoid the Alice-in- Wonderland sensation, when who cares if I can move or if the house is clean?!!) I have applied enough linament to be mistaken for a Kentucky Derby racing stable. I have made my necessary hobblings with a cane.
My sweet love has shopped for groceries. Made my meals. Served them to me. Took my books to the library & brought me 3 new ones to read. The right kind-where you can manage to hold them lying down!! He has given me equal shares of cookies---I always want him to have just one more than me! but this calls for special measures-!
I'm getting better. No cane! And the cookies are gone. It is now raining & I'm sitting... & you know what? I'm still glad I got all that housework done even if it caused my back trouble....cause it would be awful to feel this bad, to have it raining and the house dirty.

What I've been working on

2010-01-19T15:15:00.003-05:00

This is just a really fun pincushion/sachet . I chose bright colors from a Charisma charm pk., instead of going with the more country colors. The machine blanket stitch was a bit involved but I like how it turned out. Obviously, I'll have to finish this.
Here's my tea cozy all done-love it!!

Rolls for my sweeties lunch! So good warm!!

Winter Ways

2010-01-17T16:53:00.002-05:00

Friday evening we had dinner over at a friends' house with another couple. Today, we went to church & had a few friends over to share a bowl of spaghetti with us. Again & again, I realize how much I am given by having company over. Yes, I want to share a nice meal, but it is the fellowship around the table that so warms my heart.
I am in the kitchen fixing coffee. I am not participating in the two conversations I hear bits & pieces of, the laughter that periodically burst from those around the table. I feel my heart warm in the glow of easy camaraderie, this is one of the "places" I feel best.
We "break bread'' together, but the nourishment goes far beyond meeting hunger pains. Our Pastor has been speaking on the "church". People, of course. People who go, people who do, what & where Jesus would if he were here. We strengthen the weary, we console the saddened, we feed the hungry, we encourage the down hearted. Truly, Jesus has no hands but our hands to use. No feet, but our feet to go. No mouth to speak from but our's, no arms but our's to wrap around the lonely.
So often I pray,"Lord, use me. Let me minister something of your love, your grace through me" I am a woman of "little things".The small things that fill my life, these are what I offer to Him, offer to other's. My heart invites-"come share with me in what I have".... and in that place, bodies & souls both, are fed.

Sewing

2010-01-13T12:03:00.003-05:00

Remember this lovely fabric? Those sweet little birds & bright, happy colors just "spoke" to me. I've had them for a little while. Not sure what I wanted to do with them. I finally made the cut. Above is the beginning af a tea cozy. This, at this moment, will be for me & my pleasure in having a cup of tea. I added a little bit of embroidery & appliqued a cheery bird on the linen side. I'll show you a picture when I'm finished.

These are from the same fabric line,mostly.

A happy, pleasant time.

Which do you like best?!!!!

2010-01-11T07:28:00.003-05:00

Can you believe I didn't get a picture of our little grand daughter???? Here, is a picture of her folks, though, as they are heading out the door for home. Ariana had fallen asleep in the car already & we didn't want to disturb her.

Things I took note of- Nathan & I seem to be "preventative" parenting types. We are very much aware of what could happen,like a fall, & take steps to prevent it. Summer & Dan are a little more hey, if something does happen, we'll deal with it then. And lil' Miss A?? When she first comes, she looks in certain spots to see if things are the way they were when she was last here. Is my ball in the cupboard? Where is my play phone? Is the basket with the musical turtle here? She also test her boundaries-can I have the remote this visit? Is the laptop still off-limits? Can I pull out the shelves from the cupboards, can I touch the oven door? After the initial no-no's are restated, she is generally quite a contented little girl.

It got me to thinking, boundaries are good for us. Things that can potentially harm us & good things that we can potentially damage, are both kept at arm's length away. They are like a fence around a yard. Within the fence, all the good things there are to be enjoyed.

God's no-no's are meant for our good! He says "no" from a Father's heart, to keep us from getting hurt & to keep us from damaging something good. Within the safety of God's perimeter's is the place where all things are to be richly enjoyed! All good parents have boundaries for their children & God's boundaries are the best for all our lives!

"The boundaries have fallen to me in pleasant places..."

Resolved

2010-01-07T08:51:00.004-05:00

Did you make resolutions for the New Year? I know many do, I see the magazine covers promoting weight loss, organization, etc. The beginning of a new year is a popular time to re-commit, to strive towards goals, to examine our lives & make new one's.

I am resolved....

I don't necessarily make any "new" resolutions but I am resolved to carry out some lifelong commitments that just happen to coincide with the beginning of a new year. Each year, I am committed to grow as a Christian & to nurture spiritual growth by nourishing my spirit through things I read & study. I can't " give a cup of cold water in His name" if my own well is dry.

I am resolved to encourage others in their walk with the Lord.

For me, that is usually sharing what I'm gleaning through His Word, what I believe he's doing in my life & to share from my own experience.

The picture above is of some of the things I am doing right now. The "Finding Fulfillment" by Dorothy Davis is an excellent Bible study guide that I do with a group of women at my church.I gain so much from the insights & perspective of other women who have the same goals as me in life. I highly recommend being in a study group for personal growth. I've also used study guides alone, at home, with my daughters, when they still lived here or just a couple women. Elizabeth George study guides have been a personal favorite for me in the past also.

"Strength for your Journey" , a daily devotional Bible. I got this from my Grandmother. All this is, is a Bible that's been divided into portions for reading for each day of the year. This one has Old Testament, Psalms, Proverbs, & New Testament segments for each day. It also contains a small devotion & a verse for the day, at the end.

Maybe you've always wanted to read the Bible for yourself but felt it was a daunting task. Or you started at the beginning & got bogged down & quit. A One Year Bible will make it do-able for you. I am a fast reader but I would guess most anyone could do it in 15-20 minutes per day. My other personal recommendation is - read it in a translation you understand, a Christian bookstore can help you with that.

I want to share some encouragement in reaching that goal if you've never done it before. Sometimes, people start reading, then, for whatever reason they a miss a day or two...& fail to catch up. They miss a few more days & get so behind they give up.

DON'T GIVE UP!!!!

I'm going to give you a couple ways to handle that. One, just let it go, start reading on whatever date it is when you pick it back up again. Gasp!! Surprised you, didn't I? You're trying to acquire knowledge of God's Word, this isn't about being perfect. When you're trying to implement change, allow for stumbling. You're like a toddler trying to walk. You'll fall down sometimes, but I'm here to encourage you in the big picture. Get back up & start reading. Trust me. It's okay. At the end of the year, even if you started & stopped a few times, you'll have more in you than if you quit the first months.

Here's another alternative for you-Read Ahead !

If you tend towards a type A personality, this might work better for you. Read ahead as you're able. If you finish reading it before the year's over-great! If you miss a few days, no worries, you're still ahead!!!

I hope you're resolved to carry out your commitments or make a new resolution. I'm behind you 100% & here to help you succeed- God Bless! -Jill

2010-01-06T07:51:00.002-05:00

My sister, Yvonne, has had some dramatic improvements in her health by simply changing her diet to one that eliminates most foods containing gluten. She claims she's not trying to be the poster child for gluten-free, but her results & enthusiasm are catching.
I know my diet stands in need of improvement, as does my health-so why not try it,I thought.
I planned Sunday night what I would eat. I left myself a note that said "Gluten-Free" to wake up to in the morning. It's amazing what I can forget in those first moments of early morning fog! I had my strategy.Apple, cornmeal mush & cooked fresh kielbasa for breakfast. Rice, sauteed cabbage with a little hamburg for lunch. Baked chicken & potatoes with more sauteed cabbage for supper. It went really well!! Which gave me the impetus for Tuesday & now, Wednesday.
Yesterday, for our veggie I stir fried fresh broccoli & a carrot with some pine nuts drizzled with fresh lemon. Mmh, I could eat that alone for a supper- & probably should!!
One of my birthday gifts from Dan was a 1 lb. pkg. of dark chocolate turtle's from "The Parson's Daughter" These are not just your everyday kind of turtle. First, there is an abundant amount of rich, dark wonderful chocolate, then, a fresh, buttery sweet pecan, next, is the delicious caramel that is neither too hard or gooey,but as Goldilocks would have it-just right & the final layer of said chocolate. I want you to know I showed admirable Super hero self restraint. He gave them to me at about 5:30 AM, when who even remembers the word "restraint". By 8:30 AM the darling pink box with it's gold seal remained untouched!! Well, then came lunch & supper & snack. And yesterday there was a turtle with breakfast...and lunch... and dinner...& really, I'm thinking "Go for 2 pounds next year, babe"!!!!!

Sewing

2010-01-05T14:09:00.003-05:00

Remember this darling in her polka dots this past summer?
I was inpired by Cathy's Scraps blog to not only use some of my scraps, but to sew with Valentine's in mind. I was very impressed by her forethought & knew I could benefit from following her lead. She also had a challenge about making a banner. I had wanted to make one for Christmas, but that did not happen either.

But these are the projects borne from that inspiration. Four-patch coasters! These adorable little hedgehogs seemed suited to a Valentines coaster. I embroidered them in a simple backstitch.

This fabric is from a Valentine's wall hanging I finished last year. I had just bitty scraps left.

See the polka dots?! They were scraps left from lil Miss A's outfit I had made. Polka dots make me happy. I don't know why, they just do!

I had larger pieces of those scraps, so they became the foundation of my very first Valentine's Day banner!!

I really had itty bitty pieces to work with for the decorations. It was challenging to get something on each one, but I really enjoyed it! The ribbon I attached them to was selveged from Christmas presents!

All in all, I'm pleased as punch!! How 'bout sharing what you've got going on? I might glean some more inspiration, thanks, Cathy!!

Sewing

2010-01-05T13:52:00.003-05:00

Before Christmas, on our way from Summer's, I was blessed to go to a JoAnn's store. They had this great seasonal flannel on sale for $1.99!!!!!. That's right, $1.99 a yard. I knew immediately what I wanted to make from it, Christmas pillows. I thought I would get it done before Christmas but it just didn't happen. Here's a close-up of the fabrics.
After the hubbub let up, I had the pleasure of getting to sew the 2 20 inch pillow covers I desired. Being inspired by a blog of Cathy's Scraps I also made 2 smaller covers.

I'm pretty sure they will be gifts. But packed away with this past Christmas finery, one never knows, when discovering it next year. Sometimes, they end up at my own home!!!

Cozy January

2010-01-05T13:15:00.002-05:00

January is really one of the best winter months. November & December are all about their respective holidays. February is somewhat involved with Valentines Day. March ,we are all tending to long for Spring even tho it is still wintry into April. But, ahhh, January, it is the quintessential month of Winter. It hasn't snowed long enough to be all gray with salt & cinders.Neither are we all cold-snow-winter weary.In January, winter is still Jack Frost fresh & we are filled with leftover yuletide joy to carry us through the month.

January is soft, warm, throws we curl up on the couch with. It is reading books with a fragrant cup of tea at our elbow. It is a leisurely month, if we let it be so, the cold slowing all things down, even time. There is time that stretches in January to finish projects,to start new one's. It is sledding parties & skating on frozen ponds & rich hot chocolate with whipped cream. It is friends & family passing winter evenings together in snug gatherings. It is deer on the lawn in the moonlight & rabbit tracks in the snow.
January is reflective. January is hopeful & expectant. We think on our lives, seeking changes for the better. We pause & let ourselves be filled with a winter wonder in the cold crystal landscape. January awaits......deliciously wafting it's way into our lives.

My quilt blocks are finished,made from a layer cake & charm pack of Moda's line "Sweet" by Urban Chiks. It was a present from last year. I have to think on how I will put it together. I might need to get more fabric & make more blocks. I am pleased with it,the colors a happy jumble of cheer to me!

Brrrr!

2010-01-04T14:59:00.003-05:00

Hey, Mom & Dad-I posted this for you. This should take you down Memory Lane....or make you hungry...... or both. Jean's Beans...the fish fries of my childhood! Brought to you via Watertown.. the "Bean" lives on!!

It is cold here. Very cold. It's been like this for some time. Days & days. I think my thoughts are frozen also!!!!

Happy Day!

2009-12-31T12:25:00.003-05:00

First & foremost, Nathan is safely in the USA & restored to his family who loves him very much! I guess little Miss A went right into his arms & snuggled there.
Second, I've been trying to adjust some of the settings to leave a comment.Please. If you read this, leave me a comment. I want to know if it is working. It is snow, snow and more snow for us today.I love a good snow-especially if I don't have to go out in it!! Which I don't. We are supposed to go over to friends to ring in the New Year tonight,thankfully we've got big-truck-blizzard, go-through-anything snow tires-see, it's a plus to be married to Mr. Turbo himself!!! It truly is a Winter Wonderland out there,more beautiful than I know how to say.
We're supposed to bring a "snack" tonight. I hope it's okay but I am bringing a pie, albeit a simple one from my childhood. My Mom used to make a simple pudding pie that I loved as a child,well, still love. She did a couple things that push it to the top. I recommend you make the crust first, it will be cooled & ready for the pudding. the recipe is below. She used a cook & serve pudding mix for the filling, cooked in a saucepan over the stove. I make my own recipe for pudding & cook it in the microwave. After the pudding was made & poured into the shell, she sprinkled a handful of marshmallows on top & let it toast to a golden tan under the broiler. Watch it carefully, it takes less than a minute to tan & not much more than that to burn. This is not the time to let the dog out or get the mail!! Stay in the kitchen. At the oven door. And watch.
What really puts this over the top for me is she would make it with a walnut crust-mmh. I make mine with the use of the microwave. 2 Tb. butter in a glass pie plate with wax paper over top. Microwave for 30 sec. or so till melted (or nearly). Add 1 1/2c. ground/chopped fine walnuts, 3 Tb. sugar & mix right in the pie pan with the butter. Take your clean hand, a fork or a spatula & press crumbs up sides & on bottom of pan. Microwave for 1 1/2 minutes & you're done!!
One forkful & I am ten years old on a Summer day! Hope you'll try it!

Ariana rides Horse!!

2009-12-29T07:03:00.002-05:00

Ariana got a gift of a horse-y from her Great Grandma & Grampa.
It was a big hit!

I really love her coat & bonnet set from Melissa-isn't it just the cutest thing you ever saw??!

Christmas booty & Sewing

2009-12-28T18:49:00.005-05:00

"Betty" & I have been cooking together a long time, I started with her kid's cookbook & graduated to the red book my Mom (& mother-in-law ) used. The Christmas before I was getting married, I requested the new edition of Betty Crocker's cookbook. My Mom also got me Betty's cooking for two. I still have both of them! Betty Crocker also has a great site on the web with lots of recipes & ideas. I hope you'll check it out!
New mixing bowls & kitchen towels were some of my Christmas plunder-I LOVE them ALL!! The colors are fabulous in my new kitchen! You can't go wrong with getting me something like this! Every year, I usually request something for myself that has to do with cooking/baking/kitchen.
And I always love books! Isn't the cover delightful-that is sooo me!!!

I couldn't figure out how to turn these but you get the idea!! Again, I Love this retro stuff. I don"t ever want to use this!! I just want to take it out, squeal how much I love it & put it back away,never to be stained or soiled!!

(Sideways, sorry!) My friend Kathleen bestowed me with this gem of a towel!! It is so cheery!

It was an abundant blessing of towels for me, they are all so nice-thank-you everyone! You know just what I love!!!

I was delighted to make time to sew today. This was one of the projects I'd hoped to get done before Christmas-Who knows, it might show up under someone's tree next year!

It was a putter-y kind of day. I re-organized my stamping things, straightened my sewing room, finished this pillow & sewed on my quilt squares. I really like the simple design of this pillow. This is made in nice, soft flannel but I could imagine it in any fabric you like. I can also imagine an embroidered design in the middle or a contrasting fabric there. Though mine is plain, it could easily be embellished. Think of a mini red pompom trim, it was a very popular this year. Don't you think that would be cute? I'm hoping to make another pillow top if I can get the pieces out of what I have left.

Snow Day!

2009-12-28T07:39:00.001-05:00

You might think these pictures are taken at night but this is when hubby leaves for work in the morning. The "alarm" we wake up to is a local radio station, playing music. I hate to wake to a jarring, intrusive invasion of noise that certainly does make me start my day feeling quite alarmed! This must go back to my school days when I had a Baby Ben wind up alarm clock. The clock itself, I was proud to have. It made me feel grown-up, in a mysterious I'm-responsible-to-get-my-own-self-out-of-bed kind of way. It had glow in the dark tipped hands, so on dark, wintry mornings I could see clearly what time it was that I did not want to get up!

I've been rather laggardly about getting up with Dan lately, but I did this morning. It was the "old farmer's alarm". You know what that is, right? Before alarm clocks, you could drink a glass of water the night before. Depending on timing & amount,this would vary when you woke. Well, I very consciously set my alarm to go off a few minutes before the radio!!

Not only did I get to enjoy morning coffee ( mine had that yummy amaretto creamer!) & few kisses & hugs with Dan but I got to see this glorious snow shower in the glow offset by the dark. I LOVE a good snow, don't you?!!!

How about you? Did you open your eyes to some small token of His goodness? I bet you did! Was it the ability to savor your coffee, warm & darkly rich, beckoning you into your day? Was it being able to enjoy the companionable time with someone you love & know so well? Perhaps, it was the gift of being responsible for little one's well being. Or, like me , to see the beauty of snow showering into the darkness? That ability to appreciate, to enjoy, to see beauty, are a gift from Him, the Creator of All .

From Him, who has given us all things, richly, to enjoy!

May the Lord bless your day with eyes to see, ears to hear & a heart to appreciate all that we've been given!

2009-12-27T20:16:00.003-05:00

Our gift pkg. from Travis, Neiceoli & Jessie consisted of a few things for our Fan Club!!

If you'll look at the photo, you'll notice Dan hooked the two of us together...I think I'm going to use it the next time we go shopping...!!

Thanks, guys, I think we're pretty cute!!

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-25T06:58:00.002-05:00

I've woken up before the others & have the quiet, still house to myself. The furnace is blowing into the cool rooms, wakening our home with warmth. The coffee is made, a simple breakfast planned of scrambled eggs with bologna & bagels. The presents surround the tiny tree, tokens of our affection & love for one another, waiting to be shared.
These are the moments of my Christmas- something offered in love,be it breakfast or a humble present. This is the Christmas that lives on in my heart all year. "This is love,not that we loved God,but that He loved us & sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins" He loved first & loves best. He shared with me all that He could give & I am so grateful, so humbled by love like that. I didn't find Him "under the tree" but I'll find Him there in the glow of giving & sharing. I can't help but raise my heart up to His in thanksgiving....
God bless you all ,dear one's, I hold you in my heart everyday of the year, just like His unfailing love holds mine- again, Merry Christmas & may you see His joy everyday!

2009-12-22T10:28:00.000-05:00

Christmas Time

2009-12-22T08:45:00.005-05:00

I love this time of year, don't you? We have been fortunate enough to receive a fresh, sparkling feathery new covering of that white stuff also! A real bonus before Christmas.
Yesterday, I got to do one of my favorite things-have girlfriends over for lunch!! I had found out that they were Reuben lovers. What's a Reuben? No, it isn't the lastest guy in the movies, it's a sandwich! A sandwich I have very seldom because I'm the only one who loves/likes them. One year, Dan took me & the kids out to "The Knotty Pine" for supper on my birthday & you can guess what meal I celebrated my special day with-& it was fantastic. The only other Reuben buddy I've discovered are my Dad & Mom. I don't think my Mom is an actual Reuben lover,I think she omits some things- which just isn't a Reuben at all!! I'll have to give her a ring & check on that!!
Here's how to make a Reuben-
You'll want to assemble your ingredients first- a loaf of good bakery rye bread if you can find it. Otherwise, one off the shelf, I think I've used a brand called "Beefsteak Rye", not positve of the name. We have a Bulk Foods shop in our area who have the best sandwich Corned Beef meat. I like my meat sliced thin-ish with lots of layers of it on my sandwich. You'll need slices of Swiss Cheese, saurkraut, Thousand Island dressing & butter for the bread. Getting the ingredients together takes about as long as it does to assemble the sandwich:
Butter one side each of two pieces of rye bread.( I put the buttered sides together,if I making ahead of time & then, wrap all the buttered "sandwiches" in plastic.) Then, with the buttered sides on the outside,I just layer on the corned beef, saurkraut, swiss & a spread of 1,000 Island. I usually have one piece of the bread, buttered side down,in the pan & layer the sandwich in there. I don't always want butter on my counters! Of course, assembling them on your cutting board or a piece of wax paper works too. It really doesn't make much difference how you layer them but here's a few thoughts to share. Sometimes, it is nicer to sandwich the saurkraut between the meat & cheese, so it's not so slippy when you turn it. Also you can spread the inside of the bread with the 1,000 Island dressing, I'd do both pieces for the best flavor but this is a little messier way of doing it then drizzling the dressing over one of the layers. Take your assembled sandwich & (this is why you buttered the bread) & griddle each side to a golden, toasty brown. That's it!! So simple & so good-Enjoy!!!

A "Spicy Girl" gets (W) Rapping!!!

2009-12-20T18:13:00.002-05:00

I've waited awhile for these-spice jars.....
To fit my lovely spice cupboards! It was a fun & fragrant morning getting them all labeled & into their new jars. I love it,don't you?

I even had some jars for my Sprinkles!

A North Dakota preview for you Ashley!!!

I love how wrapped pkgs. are Christmas decor in & of themselves. I can't hardly believe Christmas is less than a week away!!! There's still so much I want to do!!! How to prioritize??It all works out in the end & you always get the truly important things done. Take a breath, have a quiet moment & get the true feeling of Christmas with me.

Christmas Glow

2009-12-19T21:45:00.005-05:00

This is a new recipe for me this year & according to my non-partial testing group of one...
I think they might make the list!!! It seems most of the recipes I cook from are altered & this was no exception. They are called "Jill's version of Cherry Tassies"!

I've had a couple of cool,cute guys hanging out with me in the kitchen. Their presence, along with all my favorite Christmas Carols playing & a candle burning, bring a little Christmas "magic" into all the goodies.

Hey, Mom-guess what?? I am still making these cookies, with a couple of changes to make things a little easier. They are called

"Mom's Chocolate-Covered Cherry Cookies"

They have a rich, deep chocolate cookie base, with a drained maraschino cherry pressed in the center then covered with a thick delicious fudge before baking. Mmh, decadent chocolate cherry goodness!! And here's the recipe for you, from my generous lil' heart to special lil' you-just cause I love ya! I hope you'll try them or ask me to make some for you-I'll do it -just for you!!

For the choclate cooky dough:

1/2 c. softened butter

1 c. sugar

1egg

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

1 1/2 c flour

1/2 c. unsweetened cocoa

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp.baking soda

In large bowl, cream butter,sugar,egg & vanill till light & fluffy. Add remaining ingredients, mix till dough forms. Dough will be stiff. I usually end up kind of kneading/mixing the dough by hand,near the end to get it all mixed in.

Shape dough into 1 in. balls,using a heaping tsp. for each. I divide my dough into somewhat equal pieces before rolling them into a ball. Place 2 in. apart on ungreased cooky sheet.

Needed: A jar or two of maraschino cherries-36-48 cherries. Drain the cherries but save the juice,you'll need it for the fudge frosting.

Push one cherry halfway into each cooky.Once the cookies are all molded with the cherries placed, proceed to the frosting.

Fudgy Frosting:

In small, heavy pan over low heat,melt:

1 c. semi-sweet chocolate pieces

1/2 c. Sweetened, condensed milk.

DO NOT LET BURN!! IT DOESN'T TAKE LONG!!

Add 1/4 tsp. salt

1 to 1 1/2 tsp. maraschino cherry juice

Stir well, till smooth. It will turn kind of glossy. Working quickly, top each cherry with 1/2 tsp. of frosting. I use my small cooky scoop,it's less messy.

Bake the frosted cookies at 350* for 8-10 minutes,till puffy looking.

Store tightly covered...possibly well hidden from yourself!!

Makes about 36 to 48 cookies. I usually get closer to the smaller amount.

Do you know this cooky -eating rule : If it gets broken while taking off the
sheet or it's ugly you get to eat it-It's not polite to give honored family & friend guests broken or ugly cookies....okay...no one's looking....I think we need to drop a couple more!!!!

I made them in my mini- muffin pans this year-it worked great!!

Those are Grandma J's baking trivets I'm using. The Tupperware orange peeler, on the flat end, makes a super non-scratch mini spatula to get them out of the pan. I let them cool 5-6 minutes in the pan before removing. They bake in the muffin tin for the same amount of time.

Enjoy!!!

Mona & Lil' Miss A

2009-12-17T21:14:00.000-05:00

Christmas Movie Pick # ?

2009-12-16T22:20:00.004-05:00

Favorite # what ? Definitely in my Top 5. Cary Grant, Loretta Young & David Niven star in this one. I love Cary Grant's part in this-I think you'll enjoy it!!

The Weekend -Part 2

2009-12-16T22:10:00.002-05:00

Yes, Life is wonderful!
"I find the most exciting things to do!"

'Yes, Grammy, I do know how to use the computer....but we have to wait till Mommy's in the other room!"

It's a Party!

2009-12-15T20:06:00.002-05:00

Hmm, there are cookies missing... & I didn't do it . Really. I ate mine at Joyce's...

My friend Joyce has a party every year, or many parties-she bakes tons of cookies & invites friends, family,church family over to decorate cookies. Besides eating as many cookies as one wants while there, she has a whole counter full of snacks & drinks. Oh boy! Let us be making merry & laughing all the way!! And we do. Seven of us ladies, a whole lot of sugar in many forms & you've got the mixture for one very joyful evening. Okay. I did eat cookies. Quite a few cookies, 4 small mittens & 1 large mitten cookie, to be exact. With frosting. Well, if I'm confessing,with sugar sprinkles and frosting. And they were good. Very good. All 5 of them.

I'd like them to look like Martha Stewart's or her crew that makes them, anyhow. But they don't. Still, did you notice the missing cookies on the first plate? Someone had cookies for breakfast. And I don't believe it was a Christmas mouse. I'm pretty sure it was you-know-who. My own personal Cooky Monster... I had just one with my coffee this morning... and they were still very good. And you know what? It's 8:32 PM & now, they're gone.
Oh well, I guess I'll have to bake again soon!

Jingle Bells!

2009-12-14T14:34:00.002-05:00

Sooo... I got her eyes 1/2 shut.....hey,maybe she just hadn't had her coffee yet!!
Do you know the word/name "Jegs"? This is an important word to know if you're married to a sweeet guy who is into "Really fast, zoom-zoom, Turbo Big Wow" kind of things for cars. These will be the presents he will really want to see on Christmas morning. So,hey kids, forget those new socks this year...unless they're flameproof...or from Jegs!

Ta Da!! And this is what they look like all wrapped up...

So innocent looking ...!!!

The Weekend-Part 1

2009-12-14T11:20:00.003-05:00

My best little gal pal in the truck on our way to shopping & lunch out. I found out my best pictures are when Ariana is somehow restrained,otherwise most of my pic's are a blur!!! This Grammy was soooo happy to see that girlie-my arms ache from all the holding!
Summy looking beautiful at "Ruby Tuesday's" on Sunday. Something delayed our order so we also got to have free salad bar-yahoo says I!!!

Our girlie had a sandwich & ate goodies from us too!

Dan & I.

Aren't you Hungry?

2009-12-10T12:20:00.000-05:00

Polish Christmas

2009-12-10T10:49:00.003-05:00

It just really wouldn't be as good a Christmas without some Polish soul food, as my Dad would say! Last year, at this time, we had a full house, with Ashley, and two of the sweetest little packages anyone could hope to find under their tree or anywhere else, for that matter!! Let's just say it was busier than the quiet Christmas Dan & I have become accustomed to! Summer was also living a short distance from us, with little Miss Adorable, & was about to become engaged that Christmas Eve to Nathan, a bright star upon our tree. Travis was in Japan,always missed, but a happy phone call away on Christmas.

Okay... you're saying ....and...hmm..the point of memory lane? I don't actually remember baking or shopping or did we have the Family Christmas Tree Party??

Well, I sure know I did not make Pierogi's last year! I think Summer or Summer & Ashley made them. But this year, drum roll, please, I did!!! And it is quite the process & I thought I'd share my recipe. Before you begin, it's alot of work, but I do a few things to make it a little easier on myself, ala fibromyalgia. ( Yes, my back & knees are still burning but it could be worse) Are you ready for my big secret?! I cut the dough recipe down to a third. Which means two-thirds less of the time on my feet, while mixing,rolling,cutting,filling,sealing,boiling & clean up. Okay,the clean up in the same no matter what!
Pierogi's
Microwave 1/3 c. milk till warm enough to melt 3/4 tsp. Crisco. Add 1/3 c. cold milk & a pinch of salt. Let cool. Beat 1 egg into cooled milk mixture. Mix in approx. 2 c. flour. What you're looking for is a noodle dough consistency. Too wet, & it will stick & tear & be terrible to work with. Too dry & it will be hard to roll thin & be tough & be terrible to work with. How it usually goes for me is the first bit I roll out is too wet & I add more flour.
I rolled my dough on floured parchment paper, which I think helps to keep it from sticking & I pretend, makes clean up easier(Normally, this works theoretically only). Taking only about 1/3 of your dough,roll thin. And cut in rounds. I used to use the cottage cheese lid & a knife for this part. Now, I use a handy dandy cutter type tool thing from Pampered Chef. Do I hear a woohoo?!
Now that you have them cut out-Oh,didn't you make your filling? What's that? You didn't know the recipe? Let me help- Peel, cut & boil 3-4 medium-ish potatoes till tender. Drain. Mix with an equal amount of cottage cheese. I used large curd this year because that's what my store had on sale. Season with salt & pepper. No,that's right,there is NO Milk, just the cottage cheese.
Now, take a spoonful of filling & put it slightly off center in the middle of a dough round.Have a nice little bowl with cool water & dip your 2 first fingers in the water. Yes,the whole recipe hinges on your dip-piness! Dot with water the rim of your rounds. Now,fold your dough in half to make a little turnover. Seal the edges with drier fingers, pinching all around the rim. Viola', you've made your first Pierogi!!!!! Make the rest now till there ain't no mo' to make.
Put a pot of water onto boil. Slip a few pierogi's into the boiling water & let boil for 5 minutes. I scoop out with a strainer/spoonish thing. This year, I put them on parchment covered platters to drain.

The next step is to pan fry them in butter, till they are a golden,crispy brown.

Christmas movies

2009-12-08T21:32:00.002-05:00

We've seen it before,but Christmas with our favorite fastidious Belgian Detective, Hercule Poirot,is worth doing again.
This one is new to us. A delightful 40's comedy,it made us laugh out loud in a number of different places.
How 'bout you? Are you listening to Christmas carols & watching the old/new favorites??

2009-12-08T13:51:00.001-05:00

Merry Makers on Thanksgiving

2009-12-08T07:33:00.003-05:00

True royalty reigns in the kitchen with the chief cook.Thanksgiving "crackers" provided us with alot of amusement.

Along with the really great crowns.Also, jokes, whistles & yoyo's mixed with confetti-what's not to love?!

Thanksgiving dinner for Grammy & Grampa's favorite tiny guest!

Yum!!!

What day is it anyway?!! I still have vestiges of our Thanksgiving virus....which I find ridiculous! Entirely too long for any bad little bug to stick around in my opinion. It's really put a crimp in my plans & pulled the plug on my energy. I'm waiting for that to come back,the energy, that is....I'm ready,anytime now is fine with me! I've tried to encourage it's return via caffeine....still no zip!!!Ah well-I plod!

2009-11-30T17:20:00.000-05:00

Sick. not good. ill. feeling poorly....my life is on hold

2009-11-19T07:55:00.002-05:00

Life with a view is temporarily view-less as of a problem with my camera downloading ALL pictures as opposed to those that are newly taken. I am waiting for our family's computer expert to come down & make all things well again!!
Sooo, what have I been up to?? Yesterday was my ladies Bible Study, which I absolutely love & profit from so much!! Do you have something in your life that just makes you purely happy when you get there? That's how I feel about this group of women I get to be part of!!
All the usual exciting things... you know, laundry,cooking some really good dinners & soups... This morning I have already pulled two delectible smelling recipes from the oven. Streusel topped Pumpkin loaves that I made in mini loaf pans & a Pumpkin scone. These I will probably pop in the freezer for upcoming company.
I was blessed to go shopping with a couple of my favorite girlfriends on Tuesday. We went to the Christian bookstore, where I would just like to set up camp & stay there for a week...or month...or possibly, permanent resident. This is another purely feel happy place! I did pick up a few Christmas presents. I actually shopped for others first & found just two books for self. Make that just bought two books for moi'! After a bite for lunch, we headed over to "The Christmas Tree Shop", always a fun place to peruse. Of course, I found a few things for Thanksgiving & Christmas. I came home pretty wiped out, but I had had a genius moment & had made a slo-cooker meal of corned beef with cabbage,potatoes & carrots to come home to. Lovely. Saved the day for me.
Monday is always one of my favorite days. Some people find that strange,but I love to dig into a fresh, new week & gear up for the days ahead. I made Italian Wedding soup, which involves making tiny little meatballs first. It has orzo & spinach in a chicken broth that was/is just wonderful!!
Hope you are finding some pumpkin-y, thanksgiving-y, purely happy things going on in your week. Blessings to all!!

Little Cousins!

2009-11-12T10:49:00.006-05:00

This is an accurate portrayal of most of our visit there... Ariana had a hard time sharing with the boys and sorta fell apart any time they came near her... But there were moments where they did get along together...but I am happy to report that since then Ariana has been getting wonderfully with little kids! Thanks boys for her initiation into playing with others!

Fall Pictures of Ariana in North Dakota

2009-11-09T21:54:00.003-05:00

One of the days Ariana and I were at Ashely's we took the kids down to the park to play and to get one year pictures of the twins. These are a few I snapped of Ariana while we were there. I have a bunch more pictures from our trip which I am hoping to get up here in the near future- so keep checking back! All our love, S & A

2009-11-06T11:39:00.002-05:00

Sometimes, a dog can bite you....other times you can bite the dog.
This, along with Mr. Elephant, are Ariana's favorite "pets". Her doggy's name is "Reff". Not to be confused with "Ruff". "Ruff" is the sound ''Reff" makes. We take "Reff" for LOTS of walks.

"Reff" makes lil' Miss A very happy!!

2009-11-02T20:28:00.002-05:00

Today, I actually exercised!!! I felt so much better about all the baking I've been doing!! Today's yum list included banana nut muffins with mini chocolate chips & 2 mini Texas sheet cakes....both are excellent. I keep going through my cooking mags & books..making lists,marking recipes...& cooking & baking. Thinking on Thanksgiving already... how does a butter pecan pumpkin pie sound??

2009-10-31T14:01:00.002-04:00

"I like to wear my Mommie's shoes.

I mean the pairs she doesn't use.

I pick the ones with highest heels,

You can't imagine how it feels

To walk around,go out the door,

Clump-clumping all across the floor. "

-Kate Cox Goddard

Ariana decided to see if she fit in Grammy's shoes! She stood still for quite awhile before I realized "why" ! The poem above came from a book given to Summer by Mrs. Kunz when Travis was born. The whole book is a favorite & this poem particularly so.

Happy Halloween!

2009-10-30T20:06:00.002-04:00

Happy Halloween!!! We ended up going trick or treating at the mall tonight with a friend who invited us. We were going to wait until next year and go with Daddy but since we were invited AND she had a costume that Ariana could wear- I decided why not!?! So while probably not my first choice of costume for our little princess- I introduce to you the very cutest and sweetest little monster ever!

2009-10-28T20:50:00.002-04:00

What the kitchen really looks like when good thing are happening, like making rolls of chocolate chip dough for the freezer!!

Yum!!

Freezing pie crusts, I've never tried this before,hope it will be good.I made an apple pie with pecans,streusel & caramel-it was a big hit at church.Definitely going to make that one again!!

Happy girl pictures from my visit!

Our lil' Miss A !!

2009-10-28T10:35:00.002-04:00

I have a verse for today that really spoke to my heart & goes along with what I've been learning in Bible Study. Ps. 78: 40-42. "How often they provoked Him in the wilderness, And grieved Him in the desert! Yes, again & again they tempted God, And limited the Holy One of Israel. They did not remember His power: The day when He redeemed them from the enemy."
There are 2 things that really stood out to me. One; is that my actions & attitudes can limit the power of God in my own life. Which would also limit His power through me in anyone else's life.
Secondly, & this is key for me- They did not remember His Power.The great & mighty things He'd done in their not so distant past.
I'm like that sometimes, I can limit God by fears & worries, trying to figure out how all these situations will work out that seem so impossible..... The antidote is to remember what God has already done in my life. What impossible situations He's stepped into & made everything all right.
Hope today finds you remembering God's goodness & experiencing His Power & Love in your life.

The Reader

2009-10-26T22:34:00.002-04:00

The face of a budding reader.Some of the words are really tough!

It's really fun to get ALOT of books out till you find just the right one....to read over & over & over....

Sometimes standing on my head helps me find just the right book!

Kitchen

2009-10-18T17:04:00.004-04:00

Really. Truly. This should be the last post of the kitchen!At least of the building phase.

I'm sure there will always be FOOD blogs.

Of course!

And they will probably take place in the kitchen!!

So the kitchen will sink into the background. Right?!!

Except,maybe those little projects...!