At Home 'n About

Finally.....Autumn

2011-09-23T12:39:00.002-07:00

Not that I don't love summer....I do.....it's just that the desert summers can seem sooooo long! So today, at least on the calendar, it's official. Fall is here. The weather is even cooperating a little, providing us with some deliciously cooler mornings! So let's get this party started with a video of one of my favorite singers, Diana Krall and some gorgeous autumn foilage. Enjoy!

Dynamite Autumn Combo Cookie..Peanut Butter and M & M's !n

2011-09-08T14:11:00.009-07:00

Since I've had quite a few requests for the big cookies recipe I mentioned here in my Autumn Meal post I thought I'd share them finally. On a recent Facebook post I said I was "Autumnizing" my house....making it look and smell like Autumn on the INSIDE even though the temps were still over 100 on the OUTSIDE! It does take some creativity and quite a bit of imagination but it is worth it. This time of year goes by so fast, and as one of my friends pointed out, it will be Christmas (and 2012) before we know it! It's amazing how quickly time seems to pass....especially once we get into this last part of the year.

So I took the time late this afternoon to make these cookies just because I felt like it....and nothing can make a home smell better than the smell of cookies in the oven. Like most good cookie recipes these take very little time....don't you love that about cookies? This is a conglomeration of recipes I've seen over the years that I've tweaked to just the way I like it.....but it's very forgiving and can be played with even more. Gotta warn you though, this version is pretty darn good! Make a batch or two and see if you don't get some instant love going on at your house.

Monster M&M Peanut Butter Cookies

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1 1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup vegetable shortening

1 cup peanut butter (crunchy preferred but smooth is fine)

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup white sugar

2 eggs (beaten)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups M&M's (divided)

Step #1: Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Combine the baking soda, baking powder, and salt with the flour.......sifting it all together is a great way to do this......in a large mixing bowl and set aside. Combine the next ingredients in the mixing bowl of your stand mixer, or in the bowl you use for mixing with your hand-held mixer.

Step #2: Using your electric mixer (or it can be done by hand) beat the butter, shortening, and the peanut butter until nice and smooth. Add white sugar and brown sugar and beat until well blended.

Step #3: Add the eggs one at a time....mix a little between each addition....then mix in vanilla.

Step #4: Add the flour 1/2 cup at a time mixing each time until well blended.

Step #5: Fold 3/4 cup of the M&M's into the batter, distributing it as evenly as possible.

Step #6: For really big cookies, scoop out dough using a heaping Tablespoon measure and drop balls onto a cookie sheet. Or actually use a bigger measure to make gigantic ones if you like. Be aware that if you use the Tablespoon measure you should only bake 6 or 8 cookies at a time so they will not run into each other.....even fewer if making the super large ones. If you use a teaspoon measure you can bake a dozen at a time as in most recipes. With a fork dipped in granulated sugar, flatten each ball slightly making a criss-cross pattern on each.

Step #7: Top each batch of unbaked cookies with remaining M&Ms. Bake in the oven about 9-10 minutes for chewy cookies or 11-12 minutes for crispy. After letting them sit for a minute or two remove the cookies from the baking pan with a spatula. Let cool on rack.

HINT: As with all cookies take them out of the oven right before they look done to you. They will continue to bake for a short time after they are removed! Experiment with each cookie recipe you bake to get them just the way you and your family likes them!

Today I'm linking to these fabulous sites:

Foodie Friday @ Designs by Gollum
It's a Keeper Thursday

Fall Festival

Stalk Hop Friday
What's on the Menu Monday @ Stonegable
Mouthwater Monday @ A Southern Daydreamer
Weeklong Blog Hop @ Homemaker by Choice
Domestically Divine Tuesday @ Far Above Rubies

From Our House to Yours, Happy Fourth of July!

2011-07-03T22:34:00.005-07:00

Due to a series of events last week, it turns out that we are spending the Independence Day Holiday at home this year. Actually this is fine with me.....I love to travel and I love to go to special events.....but I like to stay at home as well. I'm pretty easy that way.

Waiting on the counter for tomorrow are some fresh fruits and veggies that we'll be eating with some traditional BBQ. We couldn't wait....had to cut the watermelon this afternoon....it was calling to us. Turns out to be the best one so far this season.

We're also having to use some self control with the bowl of strawberries.....okay, actually we have no self control when it comes to these and have eaten quite a few of these already since I took the picture this afternoon. They're very hard to resist, so why not?

I also made a jar of sun tea this afternoon and now have it chilling in the fridge. Does anyone else like to have a big cold glass of sweet iced tea for breakfast in the summertime? I grew up in the South and iced tea goes with any meal, right?

Jim or Christopher are usually the ones who man the barbecue in the family, while I make the sides. I've had my copy of The Summer Book by Susan Branch for several years now....it's such a cute book I'd enjoy reading it even if I never made any of the recipes. I have, however, used it quite often over the years so this weekend I pulled it out and chose the "Peach and Plum Crisp" to make for our July 4th dessert.

Here's the finished product when it first came from the oven. It looks and smells so good that I've included the recipe in this post for you. In fact, I've had so much fun this afternoon looking through this cookbook with all it's adorable summertime drawings, I've decided to choose something to make from it every week for the rest of the summer.....I'll be sure to share with you when I do. :)

Peach and Plum Crisp

Filling:

4 medium peaches, peeled and pitted

2 1/2 lbs plums, pitted

1/2 cup sugar

2 Tbs quick cooking Tapioca

1 tsp fresh lemon juice

pinch of salt

Topping:

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup brown sugar

3/4 cup flour

1/4 cup oats

1/4 cup chopped walnuts

2 tsp lemon zest

1/2 tsp cinnamon

Butter a 10 inch glass or pottery pie plate...... I used a different size dish because my 10 inch is broken :( ...... I think the trick is to make sure it is at least 2 inches deep. Peel peaches by dipping each one briefly in boiling water. Cut them and the plums into wedges. Mix together all ingredients for filling and put into the pie dish. Let stand one hour, stirring occasionally. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix together topping ingredients and spread evenly over fruit. Bake on center rack of oven, placing a cookie sheet on lower rack to catch juices. Serve hot with ice cream or cold with whipped cream.

Enjoy and have a Happy 4th!

My Mother's Day

2011-05-07T13:52:00.004-07:00

Mother's Day will never quite be the same again.....

Remembering you today.......

Missing you today..........

Wishing I could talk to you today........

Even though I know I surely will again .......

Loving you always..........

Her children rise up and call her blessed....Proverbs 31:28

Be sure to join Ginger and Charlotte for Spiritual Sundays this week to read all about how Mom's influence lives. Be blessed!

The Case for Outdoor Lunches

2011-04-26T18:42:00.029-07:00

Since I knew I'd be eating lunch alone this afternoon I made myself a favorite Spring Salad, grabbed one of the books I'm currently reading, and set a place on the patio. Such lovely weather right now........don't want to waste a minute of it.

It's so quick and easy to put together a salad like this. I like to use the Baby Leaf Spring Mix from our local Fresh and Easy market......a nice mixture of organic green and red romaine lettuce, green and red oak leaf lettuce, arugula, spinach, and chard. My sister Jane likes to put little raspberries in her salad, but today, since I didn't have any fresh or even frozen ones, I decided to add a few mandarin oranges. Then I topped it off with avocado slices and glazed walnuts.

Finally I drizzled it with Lite Raspberry Pomegranate Dressing......doesn't just reading that name make you feel good?.......and it was every bit as delicious as it sounds.

The place mat and napkin are Laura Ashley, and the salad bowl and plate are some of my favorite inherited blue pieces.

As I spent time in California a couple of weeks ago, I had several lovely lunches on Jane's patio.....and today I found myself wishing she was here enjoying this with me on my patio. Still, even lunch alone on a beautiful spring day like today is definitely worth the effort!

Hope you're enjoying your Springtime,

Tortilla Soup

2011-01-06T17:42:00.014-07:00

A day or so after Christmas we made a trip to California to visit with relatives we had not yet seen during the holidays. While we adore leftovers this time of year (who doesn't, right?) it was really nice to find out what was on the menu at my sister's house the first night we were there. You got it......tortilla soup. Spicy, festive, and different. *Little note here....if you haven't seen the movie by the same name, "Tortilla Soup" you may want to watch it, if only for the gorgeous food preparation scenes....really....so much fun to watch.

Jane always sets a beautiful table.....spicy and festive, just like the soup.

You garnish the meal with sliced avocados, grated cheese, and sour cream. For variety you can try the "blue" tortilla chips along with your favorite regular ones.

So here's the recipe........Enjoy.......we did!

Tortilla Soup

2 fresh tomatoes chopped ( or 1 can of tomatoes), 2 8oz cans of Tomato sauce, 2 gloves minced garlic, 4 cups water, 2 Tbl sugar, 3 tsp chili powder, 2 tsp salt, 1 tsp oregano, 1 tsp cumin, 1 4oz can of chopped green chilies, 2 cups of chopped cooked chicken,

Tortilla Chips, Grated Cheese,

Sour cream and avocado for garnish

Bring all ingredients except chicken, chips and cheese to boil in a large pot. Once boiling, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Add chicken and simmer an additional 10-15 minutes. (This can also be made in a crock pot as shown in the pictures)

Ladle into bowls and top with chips, cheese, etc.

My first chance to say "Happy New Year!" to you all,

Christmas Food Court Flash Mob, Hallelujah Chorus - Must See!

2010-12-04T19:24:00.013-07:00

I know this clip has been on countless blogs and all over Facebook, having recieved over 9 1/2 million hits on You Tube already.......but I just couldn't reist putting it on "At Home 'n About" anyway because I just love it and it's my blog and I can do what I want. How's that for a reason? :)

I think you'll enjoy it as much as I do.....if this doesn't just thrill you and get you in the Holiday Spirit.......well. Wouldn't you like to have been there? Certainly makes me want to start wishing you all a

Merry Christmas!

Enjoying the Reason for the Season,

Gingerbread Ornaments

2010-11-28T21:14:00.010-07:00

This is a post from Christmas 2008. I'm linking today with Chari @ Happy to Design for "Sunday Favorites" where we can post some of our favorites from the past. I'll be making more of these little guys tomorrow since I need a fresh batch this season

For quite a few years now I've been making gingerbread ornaments for our family room tree. They keep their scent for a couple of years and they're so easy to make!

There are only two ingredients to buy. The recipe is simple because the ratio is 1 to 1.....1 cup of cinnamon 1 cup of applesauce. Easy peasy. You can make as many or as few as you want. This year I made the recipe using 3 cups of cinnamon and 3 cups of applesauce and I wound up with 28. I found that my little guys from last year were still very fragrant and only a handful of the them were broken.....so I needed only a few for the tree this year.

Mix the two ingredients together just as you would for cookie dough . Remember, these aren't cookies......it won't hurt you obviously to eat them, but they don't taste very good because there's not enough sugar in the applesauce. Mix well. It will probably seem a little sticky to you so before you go to the next step.........and this is the fun part.............

powder your hands with cinnamon.

Turn the dough out onto a cinnamon-dusted cutting board or sheet. Pat out to about a third-inch thickness.

Using a gingerbread man cookie cutter cut out each ornament and place carefully on a sheet of waxed paper
.

When you're finished cutting them out, take a big fat pencil eraser and poke a hole in the head. This is so that when they're dry you can take a length of red or green ribbon ( about an inch and a half piece) and make a loop for them to hang from.

Here they are on my kitchen counter where they'll stay for the next 3 days to dry. Give them at least that long to dry.....here in Phoenix with our dry air it takes about that long. In other more humid climates it may take a day or two longer.

The finished product. These little guys are from last year. When Christmas is over I usually keep them in a tin or box cushioned with tissue paper and they will be ready for next year.

Believe me.......any room you hang these in will smell heavenly! So Christmasy!!!

The Seasonal Romantic

2010-11-15T13:38:00.014-07:00

When the weather begins to cool down isn't it fun to cozy up your house a bit, whether you live where the winters are very cold or just mildly chilly? I always enjoy changing things around according to the seasons and with winter coming on I've been doing a few things here and there with that in mind.

This is a smallish print by the popular Scottish painter Jack Vettriano that I love to have in our Master Bedroom, especially during the winter. The colors seem "just right" and the title of this incredibly romantic scene is "Back Where You Belong".

I think the painting goes especially well with yet another hydrangea arrangement that I recently put together. I wasn't planning on bringing anymore hydrangeas home from my father-in-law's San Diego garden, but when I found out his gardener was planning to prune them all down this month.....well I just couldn't help myself.....I had to bring some more home. I promise this will be the last hydrangea post I'll be doing for awhile....I think.

In the evening this little table-top vignette looks so pretty when the wall candles are lit and it smells heavenly with the aroma bowl burning as well. My current favorite essential oil to burn in this room is Jasmine, but there are so many lovely fragrances to pick from it's hard to stick to just one. I'm currently on the search for a pleasant little "Christmasey" aroma that isn't too overpowering. Any suggestions?

Here's to the beautiful, romantic holiday season coming up,

Neiman Marcus Bars

2010-11-10T18:45:00.024-07:00

On our recent ( all too short) visit to see family in Camarillo we had dinner one evening at my baby sister Jane's house. I always call her "baby " sister and I think she likes that even though there is only two and a half years separating us ( and we have another sister in between us.....people always told my Mom she might as well have had triplets). Anyway, at the ages we all three find ourselves now I'd guess I'd enjoy being called the "baby" too.

She had her house beautifully decorated for fall.....here's just a little shot in the entryway. After dinner we all enjoyed our cups of hot coffee with not just one, but two desserts , one of which I'm featuring today. Neiman Marcus Bars. Since I've eaten at her place so many times over the years I was surprised that I had never tried these. By the way, these are also known as Vacuum Cleaner Cookies.....I think after you taste them the reason for that name will be obvious.

Not long after she gave me the recipe, I made these for my father-in-law. He has the habit of having a little something sweet everynight before going to bed. One of his current favorites had been to have a warm brownie (click here for my Brownie recipe post) topped with vanilla ice cream. Now I think he's hooked on Neiman Marcus Bars. Obviously this little "bedtime habit" of his hasn't done him much harm..........he'll soon be 91 years old! In any case he gives a big stamp of approval on these.

Neiman Marcus Bars

1 box of Yellow Cake Mix

1 box (1lb) powdered sugar

1 (8 oz) pkg cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup margarine (not butter)

3 eggs

1 cup chopped pecans (or walnuts)

1 cup coconut

Heat oven to 325 degrees

Mix cake mix, 1 egg, and margarine until well blended. Spread mixture into a well-greased jelly roll pan or a large cookie sheet with sides.

Beat other 2 eggs slightly and add powdered sugar and cream cheese. Beat until blended then stir in nuts and coconut. Spread evenly over mixture in pan.

Bake @ 325 degrees for 45 to 50 minutes, or until golden brown. You can serve these warm with vanilla ice cream or let them cool and cut into bars. (makes about 35 bars)

Enjoy,

Good Eats in San Diego

2010-11-07T16:47:00.027-07:00

One of our family's favorite places to eat when we're in San Diego is Point Loma Seafoods. The atmosphere is very informal and classy at the same time.......and best of all the food is outstanding. There's an indoor dining room with a great view of the landing, but most of the time we prefer to eat out on the patio. They have quite a selection of dishes, including Sushi, Shell Fish, and some of the best Clam Chowder you'll ever taste.......but on this lovely autumn day a couple of weeks ago we all three chose a classic old favorite......the fish and chips platter with giant cups of iced tea. It doesn't get much better than that!

Here's to revisiting favorite family places,

The Great Rose Decision

2010-11-04T20:47:00.015-07:00

Okay, this is not really a post about a BIG rose decision.......in the entire scheme of things it's just a little one.......but it sounded good in the title didn't it ? Actually these are photos of a lovely pink rose bush that is at the property we are renovating in San Diego. It's a beautiful potted miniature rose that has just bloomed non-stop for several months now.

At times it's covered with dozens and dozens of perfect little pink blossoms. We've only been able to be at the property sporadically so it has not received any special attention from me at all. Still it is one of the most prolific bloomers I've ever seen. It belonged to my husband's brother John who passed away suddenly this past summer........ he was a terrific gardener and he had obviously taken excellent care of it.

My dilemma has been that, while it absolutely is a lovely addition to the property and will certainly help it show well as we place it on the market.........and I certainly do want the place to be as lovely as we can make it.......but I really really really really love this little rose......and I want it to bring it home with me! Jim says I should, but it looks so perfect sitting right there at the entry to the front door.

Still , I think you all know what I'm probably..... okay for sure.... going to do. Right after Thanksgiving, right before we list the property, I'm going to load that pot right into our van and bring it to it's new home in Phoenix......I think John would like that.

Remembering with fondness those we've loved,

Jack is Back!

2010-10-31T04:59:00.014-07:00

This was my very first post, all about Jack the Scarecrow.....today I'm linking with

Sunday Favorites where we post past favorites thanks to Cheri at Happy to Design .

Jack is still special around our house......hope you enjoy reading about him.

It's always kind of sad, but after sitting on our porch swing from September 1st until Thanksgiving, our family scarecrow Jack has to return to the attic for another 9 months of relaxation. Actually we aren't always sure what he does up there all year when we're not watching. The two youngest ones in our family, the two 5 year olds, are pretty sure he can talk......and they're convinced they've seen him move.

I made him when my youngest son Christopher was in Kindergarten ( and he's 19 now!) So Jack has been in the family for awhile now.

He loves to travel around town........over the years he's been to parties, hayrides, and presided over Harvest Carnivals. He's had his picture taken with young and old. He's quite a social fellow.....never met anyone he didn't like.....or anyone who didn't like him. If he had a Facebook page he'd be the guy with all the friends!

While there's a video tape floating around somewhere of him dancing with several lovely young ladies here in Phoenix, his favorite date has always been my Mom. Here they are a few years back at a church party. He was her constant companion on a 1998 hayride when she was trying to ignore the unwanted attentions of a much older gentleman who shall remain nameless. He finally got the hint.....Jack had saved the day. He's really quite the ladies man.

But at heart he's a real family guy.......here he is with grandaughters Kylie, Kenedee, and Christian last year.

This year, just like every other year, nobody wants to say goodbye.........a quick kiss from the aforementioned 5 year olds........grandaughters Fiona and Kenedee. Love ya, Jack.

The Perfect Fall Cookie

2010-10-28T12:53:00.016-07:00

We recently spent a few days in Camarillo, California celebrating my Mother's birthday. I wanted to share a few photos of my sister Joan's home while it is decorated for Fall. We felt like we were staying at a charming Bed and Breakfast. I also wanted to share her recipe for a delicious cookie she baked for us while we were there.....Oatmeal Walnut Chocolate Chip Cookies. This is a little table she has set up in her kitchen......the basket there is holding the leftover biscuits we had that morning for breakfast with our sausage gravy and eggs......see what I mean about that Bed and Breakfast?

Pilgrims on the table...........

Beautiful tabletop vignette in the diningroom...........

Some of you will recognize her Jack Vettriano painting of the dancers on the beach........by the way it rained every day we were there........which was fine with us........very cozy

Here's a little proof that Autumn has indeed arrived........even in Southern California......a few falling leaves

And finally here's the cookie recipe.....there were a few left so she sent them with us when we left town........driving in the rain, cups of hot Starbucks coffee in hand......perfect ending to a great trip!

Joan's Oatmeal Walnut Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup of vegetable shortening

1 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed

2 eggs

2 Tbsp milk

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

4 cups oatmeal ( not instant)

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Blend shortening and sugars together gradually. Add eggs, milk, vanilla, and beat well. Add flour, baking soda, salt and beat well. Stir in oats, chocolate chips, and walnuts.

Drop by rounded tablespoons onto ungreased cookie sheet placing them about 2 inches apart.

Bake for 13 to 15 minutes depending on your oven and how chewy you want them.

Cool on wire rack or flat surface (they can easily break if not laying flat)

Makes about 42 cookies.

Enjoy!

Phoenix Hailstorm

2010-10-27T11:17:00.019-07:00

As promised I'm finally posting pictures of the storm that hit us here in the desert three weeks ago. I thought it particularly appropriate for an "Outdoor Wednesday" post since it hardly ever looks this way here in Phoenix! No, this is not snow, it is hail.

My son Christopher, who is admittedly known to be rather dramatic, immediately rushed outside. Of course he wasn't the only one.....only one of many who reacted this way here in Phoenix......we all act kind of crazy when we get any change in the weather.....clouds, any kind of rain, the rare snowflake, and particularly something like this!

In our part of town, thankfully, it was all fun and no property damage.

Our Golden Retriever Patrick wouldn't dare venture out in it......he just stood at the door and looked out......until he found out it was ICE falling from the sky. Ice just happens to be one of his favorite treats.....really.....better than Milk Bones even! So he did stick his head out the door and eat all the hail that had fallen on the front doormat.

Keep in mind that we were still having three digit temperatures that first week in October!

The temps did drop a full 20 degrees pretty quickly that afternoon, but of course it all melted pretty quickly too......but we had our own white wonderland for a little while. That's exciting stuff around here.

We thought it was an especially enjoyable and cozy way to start off our Fall season.....too bad the firewood had gotten wet or I do believe I would have started up a fire in the fireplace :)

Till Friday when I share my sister Joan's special recipe for "Oatmeal Walnut Chocolate Chip Cookies" ,

Enjoying the Season

2010-10-24T22:12:00.017-07:00

Don't you think Sunflowers are the epitome of a Fall day.....I do. I've never grown them in my garden though I've always planned to......just like I've always planned to grow pumpkins. Hasn't happened yet (go here for my pumpkin excuse post). Anyway, I enjoy these flowers wherever I find them.

There was an abundance of Sunflowers at the Pumpkin Farm we went to last weekend. Thats where I snapped the shot of the gorgeous flower above. Look closely and you'll see the bumble bee enjoying it too.

And of course there were those "specially picked out pumpkins" to take home. Hope you're enjoying this Autumn Season as much as I am. If not, what are you waiting for? It's everywhere you look and it won't be here for long.....be sure to enjoy it while you can.

I'm linking with Today's Flowers.....please drop by their site for more flowers!
And be sure to drop by Mellow Yellow Monday too!

Quick Autumn Breakfast

2010-10-07T13:20:00.020-07:00

It's beginning to seem like Fall even here in the desert. Perhaps next Wednesday I'll post some "Outdoor Wednesday" pics of the big hailstorm we had this week.....quite an event for Phoenix. In any case, the quick drop from three-digit temp days to days in the 70's and 80's has made everyone around here positively giddy!

Yesterday we had to leave town yet again on business, but before we did I managed to throw together a quick autumn-type breakfast.....one we don't usually have in the summer.....couldn't get any simpler......oatmeal! The trick this time of year is to set the table for Fall and serve the humble bowls of oatmeal with raisins, brown sugar, and a little Half and Half.

It's hard to find a quicker, cozier, or more delicious little breakfast.

Used my "apple" napkins that I've had for who knows how many years now.....only use them in Autumn so they've stayed in pretty good shape.....just worn enough to be comfortable.

We usually have orange juice with almost any breakfast so I used some little wildlife themed juice glasses that I don't use very often (can't wash them in the dishwasher so I have to be a little more careful with them)

The key to this breakfast, like I said, is the brown sugar, raisins, and Half and Half. The small milk pitcher I picked up at Crate and Barrel Outlet a few years ago, the amber sugar dish is the perfect color for a fall tablescape, and the the white raisin dish is just one of many little inexpensive white dishes I collect......they work for so many things.

Quick, Easy, Delicious......aren't we glad Autumn is here?

Today I'm linking to Tablescape Thursday, Foodie Friday,

Just a Little Autumn......For Now

2010-09-27T20:24:00.017-07:00

Sure, the calendar says it's Fall......but most of us here in the West are not convinced just yet. With three-digit temperatures still around we're really having to use our imaginations! But it's almost October.....you have to do SOMETHING..... right?......or at least I do. My solution has been to place a very simple arrangement of dried hydrangeas on my dining room table. I used a basket I already had, filled them with the flowers I picked from my father-in-law's yard a few weeks ago and have simply let dry. Now they're just the perfect gorgeous autumn colors.

Here I've used a table runner

Here's the arrangement from a different angle, using no table runner. I tend to like things a little more on the simple side so I'm really liking it on the bare black wood of the table top.

BUT.......

the trouble is I like them both ways. I'll probably go back and forth with it for the rest of the season.......I love to putter around with things in the house. For now I'm loving my little touch of Fall, and since we have to be away on a business trip for the rest of the week, we'll have this to greet us when we get back home on Monday. They'll look as lovely then as they did yesterday when I first placed them there. Even if the weather still isn't cooperating we'll have our own little piece of Autumn when we walk in the door.

Enjoying the little things,

The Mom Song with Lyrics

2010-05-09T12:47:00.003-07:00

This is so hilarious and 100% accurate! I posted this on my Facebook page this morning and thought I'd share it with my Blog followers too.

Enjoy!.....and Happy Mother's Day!

Sexy Joes for Swimsuit Season

2010-04-15T11:08:00.016-07:00

Who among us hasn't decided this time of year that we'd better get busy and lose a few pounds before swimsuit/shorts season is in full swing? Here is a great little sandwich that comes in at only 331 calories and is actually very good. I don't mean to sound surprised, but you all know what I mean.......sometimes the stripped down versions of things just don't taste that good. This is from the Biggest Loser Cookbook. I think it makes a great supper with lemon sliced cucumbers, veggie sticks, or a slice of nice juicy melon......and of course a big glass of iced tea! This "good for you" meal is guaranteed to be painless.

Sexy Joes

Ingredients:

I pound of extra lean ground chicken....

(if you can't find it in the package most butchers at major grocery stores will grind chicken breasts for you)

1 tablespoon of white vinegar

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

1 1/2 teaspoons honey

1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce

2/3 cup chopped yellow onion

1/3 cup chopped green bell pepper

3/4 cup tomato sauce

3/4 cup chili sauce

1/4 teaspoon chili powder

4 whole-grain or whole- wheat buns

Mist a medium non-stick skillet with olive-oil spray ( or another cooking spray) and set on medium-high heat. Add the chicken. Cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, breaking into large chunks, for 4 to 6 minutes, or until no longer pink.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the vinegar, Worcestershire, honey, and hot-pepper sauce. Whisk to blend. Set aside.

Drain off any liquid that has accumulated in the pan. Add the onion, bell pepper, tomato sauce, chili sauce, chili powder, and the reserved vinegar mixture to the pan. Stir to blend. Bring the mixture to a boil then reduce the heat so mixture simmers. Cook for 20 minutes, or until the mixture is thickend

Spoon the mixture equally onto the opened buns. Serve immediately. Makes 4 servings.

If you're like me and want to add a little mayo to spread on the buns be sure to add the extra calories........45 for 1/2 Tablespoon of mayonnaise.

Enjoy!

Today I'm linking with:

Foodie Friday, Friday Favorites, Friday Feasts, Food on Friday

Friday Follow, and Follow Me Friday

Don't forget to drop by these great sites!

Lilies of the Field

2010-04-10T10:18:00.012-07:00

Lilies are so often associated with this time of year. I've attempted to grow them in my garden but have never been very successful, particularly here in the desert, so I've pretty much given up on that and now just enjoy them as potted plants while they last. They are so gorgeous, though, aren't they? These are photographed in their containers and placed in the garden among other flowers. I wanted to capture them before they lost all of their blooms.

I can never see a lily without thinking of the passage in Matthew 6:28 where Jesus tells us to consider the lilies of the field and how they grow. One version says to take notice of the lilies and how they grow. It goes on to say how they neither spin or toil but they are arrayed in such splendor.....more splendor than even King Solomon was arrayed in! He says how much more will our heavenly Father make sure we are clothed! Or how much more will he take care of our every need!

There is so much financial instability in our world right now, and there's always the temptation to worry or be concerned about so many things. Later on in the same chapter we're told that there is an answer to all of this though..........."for your Father knows that ye have need of all these things. Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you." (Matthew 6:32,33)

So whether you have a garden full of lilies, or just enjoy them in pots this time of year, it is wise to consider them or take notice of them because it is just one of the many examples of how much God loves us and how much He wants to take care of us.

Blessings,

Today I'm linking up with Charlotte and Ginger at Spiritual Sundays and Today's Flowers. Be sure to take time to visit them!

Lemon Basil Pasta

2010-04-08T14:48:00.010-07:00

Since we've been so busy around our home this week I've tried to keep things as simple in the meals department as I could. Last week I ran across a wonderful little recipe that I definitely think is a keeper. Right now I have plenty of basil and Italian parsley in the garden along with a few lemons still left from my father-in-law's Meyer Lemon tree, so I couldn't resist trying this. It turned out to be very quick and easy. My son especially loved it and my husband gave it a thumbs up ( but also added that he thinks an Italian sausage would be great on it.....of course he would say that). I found the recipe at Budget Confessions and I tweeked it just a bit and added the equivalent substitutions in dry herbs in case you want to use those instead of fresh. Serve this with garlic toast or breadsticks and a big green salad and you're set to go........ Oh and maybe an Italian sausage or two. :)

Lemon Basil Pasta

Ingredients:

16 fresh basil leaves, finely sliced

(or 1 1/2 tsps. dried basil)

2 tsps. Italian parsley, finely chopped

(or 1 tsp. dried parsley flakes)

Zest of 1 lemon

Juice of 1 lemon

2 1/2 Tbps butter, preferably unsalted

2 1/2 Tbps extra virgin olive oil

1 tsps salt

8 oz. Angel Hair pasta

Coarse ground black pepper

Grated Parmesan cheese

Black olives for garnish

Italian parsley for garnish (optional)

To Make:

In a large bowl put basil, parsley, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, and extra virgin olive oil. Prepare angel hair pasta as on package. In the meantime melt butter and add to other ingredients in bowl. Mix well. When pasta is ready, drain in collander then add to bowl. Take tongs and repeatedly lift the pasta to coat evenly. Serve immediately adding salt and pepper to taste and topping with Parmesan cheese and black olives.

Today I'm linking with these parties so be sure to check them out :

Foodie Friday, Friday Food, Food on Fridays Friday Favorites, Follow Me Friday, Friday Follow

My Spring Breaks

2010-04-07T08:51:00.005-07:00

Spring cleaning around here this week. Probably going to be next week too.....you see I'm trying to finish up a couple of furniture painting projects at the same time. I know, it's not that smart to combine the two but that's how it's working out. ( Will post about the projects soon) The cleaning part is not my favorite thing to do but I LOVE how everything looks and feels when it's done! It's an absolutely beautiful Spring day around here though, and I don't want to be inside ALL day so I'm thinking a girl needs a break to go sit at the park for a few minutes, watch the ducks, and just enjoy it all. So that's exactly where this girl will be when lunchtime comes around today. In the meantime I better get busy, hadn't I?

Today I'm linking with these great sites so be sure and stop by:

Outdoor Wednesday with Susan at A Southern Daydreamer

Watery Wednesday

Takin' Care of Business.....Photo Business that Is

2010-04-05T11:56:00.022-07:00

I'm often asked to post more of my Scrapbook Pages so in the future I will try to do that on a regular basis. I've also been asked to do tutorials on my digital scrap booking techniques but I don't foresee myself doing that........there are so many great ones on the Internet already. As anyone can see, though, I do have my own style......very simple, not too cluttered.....most of the time designed to chronicle and tell the story of my family's life during each year. I like to focus on the photographs without too many frills and doo-dads. You can check out other pages I've posted by going to "Scrapbooking" under "What Would You Like to Read?" in my sidebar. I'm always admiring all types of styles of scrapbook pages, and have learned so much from so many talented designers. But ultimately I think it's best to go with your own style........ and in my case I like to actually get pages done! It doesn't really count if all your gorgeous layouts are still in your head! In lieu of any tutorials, however, if anyone has any questions about my techniques you can e-mail me (address on the sidebar) and I'll certainly get back to you.

Here are two pages from a trip we took a couple of years ago to beautiful Prescott, Arizona. It's about an hour and a half north of the Phoenix area, and among other things, has some of the best antique stores and shoppes in the country. Here's a short snippet of that trip I captured one afternoon while we were there.

And as you can see, I like to throw in a little whimsy on occasion! We never found out who the man was but you just wouldn't believe how much he was enjoying his ice cream cone on that hot day in June! :)

Life gets busy and our weeks go by so quickly, and that being said, I'd still like to encourage you to find some time this week to do a few scrapbook pages. If you're like me you took a LOT of Easter photos over this past weekend......take a few minutes to do something with them, whether its adding them to your scrapbooks, making a mosaic with them or simply getting them off your camera and into an "Easter 2010" file on your computer. You know you'll be glad you did.

Enjoy your week,

Today I'm linking with everyone at:

Scrappy Saturday

Motivate Me Monday

Mosaic Monday

Market Yourself Monday

The Easter Song

2010-04-03T18:04:00.011-07:00

This will definitely bring back memories for many of you.....it certainly does for me. This is a live concert from 1982 with the late singer songwriter Keith Green. Be blessed while you enjoy this powerful video as we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ!

Today I'm linking with Charlotte and Ginger at Spiritual Sundays. Join them for more inspiring posts on this lovely Easter Sunday!

Bacon Quiche Tarts on Easter Morning

2010-03-31T19:36:00.018-07:00

Here's a scrumptious little recipe that I got from my cousin Debbie. They're little quiches made in a muffin tin.....and as an added bonus they can be made ahead of time, reheated, and they taste just as wonderful! I think they're particularly good for Holiday breakfasts or brunch buffets. That's why ever since I got this from her I've been making them for our Easter morning breakfast. Just serve with a quick fruit salad or a pretty little dish of melon cubes. Be sure to bake plenty because, believe me...... no one is going to be satisfied with just one.

I don't think there's anything more refreshing on a warm Spring or Summer morning than to serve glasses of iced water with lemon and orange wedges!

Speckled eggs on the table, all ready for hiding later in the afternoon. If you'd like to know how to make these you can find the directions here on the Southern Living website.

Debbie's Bacon Quiche Tarts

Ingredients

1 8 oz. package cream cheese

5 tsp milk

2 large eggs

1/2 cup of shredded cheese

2 Tbsp chopped green pepper

1 Tbsp chopped onion

2 tubes refrigerated crescent rolls

(there are 8 in each tube, you will have 4 left over for other purposes)

6 strips of bacon, cooked and crumbled and divided evenly into two parts

*Beat cream cheese and milk until smooth. Add eggs, cheese, green pepper, onion and mix well. Separate dough and mold into greased muffin cups. Sprinkle half of bacon crumbles evenly into each cup then pour egg mixture over the bacon. Top with remaining bacon. Bake at 375 degrees for 18-20 minutes or until knife comes out clean. Serve warm. Makes 1 dozen.

* Filling and bacon crumbles can be made ahead of time and kept refrigerated overnight.....then in the morning all you have to do is mold the dough into the muffin cups, fill, and bake.

ENJOY!

Be sure to check these out.......

Today I'm linking with Foodie Friday, Food on Friday, Friday Feasts,

Follow me Friday , Friday's Favorite , Friday Follow

and Tablescape Thursday

Easter Wordless Wednesday

2010-03-30T23:49:00.009-07:00

May your Easter be filled with Joy

Today I'm linked with Wordless Wednesday, Five Minutes for Mom and Extraordinary Mothers . Be sure to drop by these sites to enjoy more Wordless Wednesday entries.

Vintage Easter Party

2010-03-27T11:15:00.010-07:00

This is simply Mr. and Mrs. Rabbit out for a Saturday stroll. Except, I imagine, this isn't just an ordinary Saturday......this is on a Saturday before Easter. They've been gathering goodies for their Easter dinner. Mrs. Rabbit has not been able to resist picking lovely yellow flowers for the table, while her husband has loaded up his basket with big fat juicy carrots. As they walk they talk casually, intimately, comfortably, as only a husband and wife can. Their hearts are full as they think about their home, their large rambunctious family, the wondrous Spring they're surrounded by, and the wonderful gift the entire world has been given.

Happy Eastertime

Today I'm joining Joan for the Vintage Easter Party @ Anything Goes Here. Be sure to drop by and join in the fun!

Easter Bunny Cake

2010-03-25T19:25:00.021-07:00

Back in the 80's I picked up this cookbook at a used book sale. It was first published in 1966 and it turned out to have so many great ideas in it. I've used it over and over through the years. The nice thing about this is that while all of these cakes are made with mixes, they can easily be adapted to use with homemade cakes too. Just use your own favorite recipes. I've seen copies several times over the years and they're well worth picking up if you run across one.

I've made this Bunny cake for so many Easter dinners. It's so simple to make and turns out looking great AND tasting great every time. Guaranteed.

Easter Bunny Cake

Bake any layer Betty Crocker layer cake mix in two round layer pans (8 or 9 1/2 inch) as directed on the box. Or use your own favorite recipe. Cool. Cut one layer in half. Put both halves together with a prepared frosting (either a can of Betty Crocker White or Cream Cheese Frosting.........or again, use your own recipe if you like.) Stand cake upright on cut edge.

With a sharp knife cut a notch about a third of the way around the semicircle, forming the rabbits head. Save cutout piece for the tail. secure in place with a wooden pick. Frost the entire rabbit with remaining frosting. Sprinkle generously with shredded coconut.

Make ears of white paper; color inside pink with a crayon or colored pencil. Use pink jelly beans or gumdrops for eyes and nose. Form an attractive nest around the bunny with tinted green coconut ( see instructions below) and place a few Easter Eggs (jelly beans) around him.

Freeze the other layer for later use, or make another bunny.......color the inside of his ears blue and you'll have a " Mr. and Mrs." for your Easter dinner table.

Tinted Coconut:

Place one cup of coconut in a a jar or plastic bag. Mix 1 or 2 drops of food coloring with 1 teaspoon of water. Add to coconut. Screw on lid or fold close bag and shake until coconut is uniformly colored.

Here's a photo of 2 year-old granddaughter Kylie the first year she discovered the bunny.

Enjoy!

Today I'm linking with these great sites....Just click on the names for the link and be sure to check out their cute buttons in my sidebar!

Friday Follow

Foodie Friday

Friday Feasts

Friday Food

Vintage Recipe Thursday

Inspired on Friday

I'm Lovin' It Fridays

Show and Tell Friday

Funky Junks Saturday Nite Special

Strut Your Stuff Easter/Spring

Making the World Cuter Monday

Tasty Tuesday

Look What the Rains Have Brought

2010-03-20T20:39:00.017-07:00

I'm going to miss our winter rains which were deliciously plentiful this year. This is the view from my office window looking out over the backyard. Such lovely afternoons spent here in recent months. Now it is Springtime, traditionally a much drier time of year in the desert.............but take a look at what this year's showers have given us!

The Sonoran Desert is now a carpet of green beginning to burst with color!

Wildflowers everywhere!

Such a lovely place to be this time of year.

Today I'm linking to Shadow Shot Sunday at Hello Harriet.....be sure to check out all the interesting photos on this site.

Also there are some gorgeous flowers at Today's Flowers and beautiful scenery at Scenic Sunday . Then for an interesting look around the world go to Sunday's in My City at Unknown Mami.

Finally I'm joining My World Tuesday G o on over and see what's going on in different parts of the world and Outdoor Wednesday for lovely outdoor shots.

Rainbow Cookie Repost

2010-03-13T18:56:00.008-07:00

Since we're fast approaching April, where in some parts of the country many of you will be getting those lovely "April Showers", I thought it would be appropriate to republish this post from January 2009. These cookies are quick and easy and look so pretty when you're finished. Next time there's rain in your forcast, grab that pretty little apron of yours and fill your home with the smell of these little beauties.

Vintage photo from Pillsbury Children's Choice Cookbook circa 1982

Monday January 5, 2009

Yesterday was one of our rare rainy days in Phoenix. While much of the time I enjoy our mild winters and sunny days, I have to admit I love to wake up to the sound of rain. I'm always torn between wanting to snuggle up by the fire with a good book and enjoy a cozy day inside, or on the other hand wanting to get outside and enjoy it. I know some of you may not understand that, but around here a nice rain is something to get excited about. Yesterday being Sunday, I was able to do both. In the afternoon Jim built a fire for me in the fireplace and among other projects (like continuing to put away Christmas decorations), I got out a favorite old cookbook and made some Over the Rainbow Cookies. Actually we usually just call them "rainy day cookies". It was always fun to do this when my kids were little, and you know what? It's still fun.

These are super quick and easy because you use the prepared roll of cookie dough. The recipe comes from a small paperback cookbook from Pillsbury called "Children's Choice Cookbook". I think it cost me all of $1.98 back in 1982, but I have gotten as much , if not more, use from it than many of my other more expensive ones. These are lovely cookies to make on a rainy day. You can store them in an airtight container and they keep very well, but let me warn you....they won't last long. If you have a favorite sugar cookie recipe you can use it and add different flavorings to it such as almond or orange or even lemon......they're really tasty that way.

Actually, did you know it is so simple to make your own cookie dough rolls and freeze them? Then you can have them on hand whenever you decide to do quick baking like this. I plan to do a post in the near future on some of my favorite homemade mixes and I'll include one for the sugar cookie rolls.

In any case these are particularly fun and easy to make. Today I woke up to a bright, sunny Phoenix morning. It was lovely.....temps in the sixties.......I got some work done out on the patio that I have been planning to do. I've got to say though.....I certainly enjoyed having a couple of "rainy day cookies" for lunch to remind me of yesterday.

Over the Rainbow Cookies

17 ounce roll Pillsbury Slice and Bake Sugar Cookies

Blue, Green, Red, and Yellow Food Coloring

Small amount of Sugar

Allow dough to soften at room temperature. Divide dough into four equal parts. To first portion of dough, add 2 drops blue food coloring; to second portion add 2 drops of green coloring;

to third portion, add 2 drops red coloring; and to fourth portion, add 2 drops of the yellow coloring. On a sheet of plastic wrap or wax paper, shape green dough into an 8-inch log. Press dough slightly to flatten one side. Cover roll carefully with blue dough, keeping semi-circular shape. Continue layering yellow and red doughs in same manner, gently pressing layers of dough together. Wrap; chill until firm, about 3 hours. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Using a sharp knife, slice roll into 1/8 inch slices. Place cookies, 1 inch apart, on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until edges are very lightly browned; sprinkle lightly with sugar. Cool slightly before removing from cookie sheet. Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

I hope you've enjoyed this repost. Be sure to visit Chari at Happy to Design for more gems from the past on Sunday Favorites.

I'm also linking to Tempt my Tummy Tuesday with Lisa at Blessed with Grace

Making the World Cuter Monday with Tiff at Making the World Cuter

Tasty Tuesday with Jennifer at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam

Mouth Watering Monday with Rachel at A Southern Fairytale

Tuesday at the Table with Cole at All the Small Stuff

Five February Favorites.......

2010-02-19T17:32:00.012-07:00

1) I love it in the Desert Southwest this time of year because I love the chance to garden in February. With sunny days and temperatures in the 70's all week, I have wanted nothing more than to be outside. Not that I've been toiling in the dirt every minute......there has been plenty of backyard swing time for relaxing, writing, and of course my absolute favorite pastime of reading. Now the weather forecast for the next three days is rain so I'll be moving it inside temporarily.......and I'm thinking right off the top of my head that maybe I'll be watching some favorite dvd's while I'm at it......maybe a cozy fire, a window opened (just enough to smell the garden as it rains), and some movies like "The Secret Garden" and "Singing in the Rain". Have any more suggestions for rainy/and or garden themed movies?

2) One of my favorite roses, and always a great performer, is Joseph's Coat. Isn't it lovely? It's a great rose ( it acts as a full-blown climber here) and it consistently puts on a show in February and throughout the year..... even in our hot summers! I've always been amazed that it has performed better in my garden than in my father-in-law's gorgeous San Diego Garden (go here if you want to see my post about his backyard). He was so disappointed in his plant that he finally took it out......and he's impressed with mine ......go figure.

3) Speaking of rain.....I was so excited when I downloaded pics of our last rain. The photos of the beautiful rainbow outside our front door turned out so well. The skies were beginning to clear but I knew there wasn't much daylight left. If you're anything like me you're always wanting to get that perfect shot......and we know how that usually goes......but I was very pleased with these. Rainbows can't help but make you happy......and taking decent pictures of them makes you feel pretty good too. :)

4) This is one of my better looking watering cans. I have a couple of others that have seen better days.....I keep using them of course but they don't look that good anymore. No matter what kind of watering system that is set up in your garden, nothing takes the place of a watering can....... One of those things you can't do without. I was determined to take a photo of mine ( there's a first time for everything) and so I just quickly took it where it had been last left. As it turns out you're now able to see one of the corners in my garden that needs attention! That's not what I intended, but I'm going to blame the weeds in this corner on the recent rains. Yep, that's what I'm doing.

5) Finally this last favorite thing about this February is that it is my middle sister Joan's birthday month.......in fact her birthday is tomorrow. Here is a photo of her 5th birthday. I'm on her left and my baby sister Jane is on the right. Joan recently had some very serious complications during a routine surgery and had to be hospitalized for several days. She went through a rough time but praise the Lord she is home now, doing well, with a good Dr's report. The Lord is so good! I'm particularly grateful to be able to wish her a happy birthday this year! So Happy Birthday Sister. Love you much.

This post is linked to the following lovely blogs. Be sure to drop by and check each one out. Their individual buttons can be found in my sidebar. Enjoy!

ABC Wednesday....#6

Friday's Fave Five at Living to Tell the Story

Inspired By.... at The Inspired Room

Looking at the Sky Friday at Crazy Working Mom

Friday Fertilizer at Tootsie Time

Friday Fragments at Half Past Kissin' Time

Finding Beauty at Dippity Road

Skywatch Friday at Skywatch Friday

Today's Flowers at Today's Flowers

Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home

2010-02-16T21:13:00.013-07:00

Don't you just love a child's ability to have fun wherever they are, whatever they're doing?

A snowy day at Christopher Creek Arizona

Summer in San Diego

It's a good quality to have, don't you think?

I'm linking today with , Outdoor Wednesday, and Three or More Tuesdays. Be sure to drop by these lovely blogs and take a look. You'll be glad you did.

Valentine's Day Past.......Romance, Sleeping In, and Leftover Cheesecake

2010-02-14T16:16:00.010-07:00

Today I'm linking with Chari at Happy to Design for SundayFavorites, where we get to post a favorite from our archives. This post is from Valentines Day last year for those of you who weren't following my blog at that time......hope you enjoy it and "Happy Valentines Day"!

Valentine's Day around here has been rather quiet and uneventful......and that's just the way we wanted it.

You see we had a party here last night.

We moved most of the furniture out and set a table for fourteen in front of the fireplace. With a little background music by Michael Buble' and Rod Stewart it was all very romantic. Before dinner was over every couple had shared the story of their first date. Funny, sweet, romantic.....all at the same time.

It's so much fun to share an evening with good friends!

Needless to say, however, it was a late evening. By the time we were finished with cleanup it was very very late......though I do believe we looked a little more cheerful than this couple. After all, romance was still in the air even at 3 am!

Then all too soon the SUN was up.........

But WE weren't! Gotta admit we did sleep in this morning........ till almost eleven o'clock to be exact. Can't remember when we last did that! But it was so lovely and it felt so good. No breakfast. Just a little cheesecake and a bottle of Martinelli sparkling cider (left over from the party) for our lunch. Yes, that was what we had for lunch.

Consequently, it is now eleven o'clock PM and neither one of us is sleepy. We're on our way to bed though. Jim is getting some popcorn popped right now as I speak. (okay, I'll admit there hasn't been a lot of good nutrition going on around here today) Anyway, we have our choice of three movies to watch before we fall asleep. We've seen all three repeatedly and we don't mind watching either of them again. So I guess we'll decide when we crawl into bed, all warm and toasty with our bowls of popcorn.

So on this Valentine evening will it be.........

Music and Lyrics with Huge Grant and Drew Barrymore.........

The Wedding Date with Debra Messing and Dermot Mulroney...... .....or.....

The Holiday with Cameron Diaz, Jude Law, Kate Winslet, Jack Black? Good night......hope you had a lovely Valentines Day too.

I'm also linking up this week with Cheri at It's So Very Cheri. Go on over and take a look at the other participants in this weeks So Very Creative Party.

Inspiration for the Coming Year

2010-01-03T15:54:00.005-07:00

I've found this to be the perfect sentiment for 2010. What could we accomplish if we just went ahead and tried?

Happy New Year

Today I'm linking with Charlotte and Ginger for Spiritual Sunday. Be sure to stop by their place for more inspiration.

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-25T18:28:00.005-07:00

Rice Krispy Turkeys

2009-11-06T15:21:00.006-07:00

Don't these turkeys look like so much fun?

I ran across a great website this morning that I thought would be fun to share with everyone. On it there is an unbelievable amount of information for every holiday imaginable. Of course right now they're featuring projects for Autumn and Thanksgiving. By the way, do you realize that three weeks from today and Thanksgiving will be over? Yikes! There's still time to plan, but not much! Be sure to check out this site for some really fun things to do with your children or grandchildren.........and for complete recipe and instructions for the Rice Krispy Turkeys go on over to Alpha Mom.

Have fun!

Today I'm linked with these great sites.....but sure to drop by!

September Walk

2009-09-26T17:35:00.011-07:00

.…"In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks."

~John Muir~

There's a lovely walking path directly in front of our home. A walk there anytime of day is beautiful but I particularly love ones taken in the early morning.

Desert Yellow Bells are blooming profusely this time of year........and they seem to thrive in our continuing 100 degree plus heat........

Though the temperatures this weekend continue to soar on the desert floor, we seem to have some beautiful Autumn colors going on here.......there's always something to be grateful for....... :)

This is the stunning Mexican Bird of Paradise......it will bloom like this until our first frosty night........which may or may not come in late December.

Enjoy your week.

And be sure to take that walk......

Today I'm linked with Spiritual Sundays, That's My World Tuesday,

Today's Flowers, Outdoor Wednesday,

and Sunday's in my City. Be sure to check them all out.

Med School Blue with a Little Bling

2009-09-20T06:30:00.003-07:00

Stephanie, my sister's youngest daughter is a second year Med School student . Not only are we proud of her, it's also nice having her close during the school year since the Medical School she chose is here in town.......and as an added bonus Jane comes over from Los Angeles more often to see her baby......meaning more sister time for us.....always a plus! Steph spends her summers between her home in L.A. and humanitarian medical trips to Guatamala....busy girl.

Of course, when fall comes it's back to studying. She already has a crazy cute apartment to come to and while everything is pretty much decorated, she wanted to redo her bedroom this year. When she and Jane arrived a few weeks ago that was top priority on the agenda. She wanted a pretty blue with a little bling to come home to every night.

Christopher and I went over to help with the painting

Now we all know it's in the details...........

.............some bling on the tassels........

......new frame for the Van Gogh.......

......Jane recovered the headboard with sheets from Anna's Linens......

notice the big button tufting.........love that part

............a girl's gotta have a few flowers in her room.......

........Amy.....recognize some of the accessories?..........

.............the curtains were made from the same patterned sheets as the headboard........

The lovely finished product........

We thought it turned out great...........and most importantly......Stephanie loved it! While she has a very nice office set up in her place she said she she does a great deal of her studying curled up on her bed with her laptop and books...........and now with her brand new little kitty to keep her company.

Finally, here's Stephanie........isn't she gonna make a great looking doctor?

From a doting aunt........

I'm linked today with Sally for Blue Monday and Susan for Metamorphasis Monday. Just click on the photos to get your Monday off to a great start!

A Well Watered Garden

2009-09-19T01:52:00.005-07:00

"If you get rid of unfair practices, quit blaming victims, quit gossiping about other people's sins, If you are generous with the hungry and start giving yourselves to the down-and-out, Your lives will begin to glow in the darkness, Your shadowed lives will be bathed in sunlight.

I will always show you where to go. I'll give you a full life in the emptiest of places— firm muscles, strong bones. You'll be like a well-watered garden, a gurgling spring that never runs dry.You'll use the old rubble of past lives to build anew, rebuild the foundations from out of your past.You'll be known as those who can fix anything, restore old ruins, rebuild and renovate, make the community livable again." Isaiah 58: 9-12 The Message

Blessings on this beautiful Sunday..........

Today I'm linked with Charlotte and Ginger for Spiritual Sunday.

Shabby Chic?

2009-09-17T19:21:00.010-07:00

Is there anything better than a catnap on a warm afternoon? Especially if you can take that nap curled up on your favorite old quilt?

What if that quilt is on the tail-end of shabby? Shall I call it shabby chic?

Yes, I think I will. I've had it for so many years.....didn't pay that much for it even when it was new.....but I've always been in love with it.

White with just a hint of now-faded color. Incredibly soft and tattered.

The years have taken their toll.....but I confess the way I use this little cover has been

the biggest culprit. You see, it's outside a great deal of the time....especially in the cooler months.

Usually you will find it draped across a patio chair or one of my backyard swings.....occasionally spread out on the lawn. I've been known to forget to bring it in (books fall into this category too, but that's another post....more than once I've rushed home in an impending rainstorm to rescue a favorite stack of books. Or been awakened in the wee hours of the morning by the sound of sprinkles on the roof........ only to have to scurry around the backyard in my whatevers gathering valuables in my arms before the downpour!)

My only excuse is that I use the things I love....and sometimes there are consequences! Sigh.

This summer it has been spread across our bed much of the time. There's a perfectly good white duvet under it that looks ever so stylish on a summer bed.....but it's not quite as old and familiar and cozy. My beloved quilt is shabby chic......that's my story

and I'm sticking with it.

Today I'm linked with Julia at Hooked on Houses

with Kelly at There's No Place Like Home, and with Melissa at The Inspired Room

Key Lime Bars

2009-09-14T17:00:00.011-07:00

I couldn't resist our local market's great special on key limes this week. Now, what to do with them all? Actually there are so many ways to use limes in our cooking that it's not really a problem. We're having homemade tacos this evening so I wanted to try some sort of lime dessert to go with it. I ran across a recipe I had clipped from a magazine years ago but had never tried. Oh come on now, I know all of you have lots of those too, don't you? Anyway, it seemed to fit the bill for tonight's menu. Just took them out of the oven and after sneaking a little pinch off of one, I think I know my family well enough to say they're going to be a favorite from now on.

A KITCHEN TIP FOR TODAY.......Look in your old recipe files because you just might find a real gem. You obviously thought you'd like it when you first clipped it out...... so take one out of storage and give it a try!

Key Lime Bars

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cook time: 50 minutes

Ingredients:

Bottom Layer:

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/3 cup powdered sugar

3/4 cup butter

1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

Top layer:

2 eggs

2 Tablespoons fresh lime juice (6 small keylimes or 2 regular limes)

1/2 teaspoon grated lime zest (optional)

1 cup granulated sugar

2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 drops green food coloring

Preparation:

For the Bottom:

Mix together flour and powdered sugar. Cut in the butter until crumbly and the mixture clings together slightly. Spread the dough in a 8x8 inch pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 25 minutes. While the crust is baking prepare the topping layer.

For the Topping:

In a mixing bow, slightly beat the eggs. Add the lime juce, zest, sugar, flour and food coloring. Mix well and pour the mixture over the hot baked crust. Bake for 25 minutes more at 325 deggrees. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with powdered sugar. Cool and cut into 9 squares.

Note: This recipe can be doubled and made in a 9x13 baking dish.

I have a feeling the guys will be saying I should have used the bigger dish! :)

Enjoy!

Today I'm linked up with Mouth Watering Monday, Tempt My Tummy and Tasty Tuesday. Just click your way on over to enjoy more great recipes.

An Arizona Autumn

2009-09-08T17:51:00.009-07:00

In mid-September the National Forest Service here in Arizona begins their daily Fall Colors report. In the low desert we will see very little, if any, leaf change..... but in the high country it is an entirely different story. The colors across the peaks are absolutely breathtaking and since the season is very short, it has always paid to keep track of when the trees are at their most colorful. It's a lovely drive just a couple of hours north of Phoenix ......a drive we always look forward to this time of year.

The landscape begins to change as we leave the desert floor and head north on I-17 towards Flagstaff.

Oak Creek just outside of Sedona, the beautiful red rock country.

Arizona maples on Rim Road near the Mogollon Rim........

Gorgeous show of foliage in Oak Creek Canyon

A grove of Aspens near Christopher Creek

Autumn in the White Mountains .....

Country road near Flagstaff.....

"Ditch Camp" in the White Mountains .......

Bassett Peak .......

Slide Rock in Oak Creek Canyon..............

So before very long we'll be stealing away for a day (or maybe two ) to enjoy the lovely sights of the season........what's it like in your part of the country? Do you have colorful leaves falling right outside your window, or do you enjoy driving to the mountains to see the sights? What special little things are you doing to enjoy this incredible Autumn season?

Today I'm linked to these two great sites.

Just click on the photos to see more lovely outdoor shots.

An Autumn Meal

2009-09-03T16:08:00.011-07:00

September

The breezes taste

of apple peel.

The air is full

of smells to feel;

Ripe fruit, old footballs,

Burning Brush,

New books, erasers,

Chalk, and such.

The bee, his hive,

Well-honeyed hum,

And Mother cuts

Chrysanthemums.

Like plates washed clean

With suds, the days

Are polished

With a morning haze.

John Updike

Isn't September just such a lovely month? And doesn't John Updike's poem

capture it so well? Or at least as well as a lovely month can be captured with mere words?

In just a couple of weeks it will be "officially" autumn in the northern hemisphere whether or not it exactly feels like autumn yet . In the West it is still very warm, but from what I've been reading across the net that's not stopping anyone from jumping right into the season, whether its in decorating or cooking or in organizing households for the new school year.

So here's my first contribution to the new season..........a meal I've been making on the first day of autumn for quite a few years now. It's from a little cookbook I picked up in the late 80's and the quick and easy main dish is called Skillet Sombrero Pie.

Photo from "Holiday Cooking with Kids" by Janet Wilk

Skillet Sombrero Pie

Makes 6 servings

Prep time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

I pound ground beef

1 10- ounce package frozen corn, thawed

1 8-ounce can tomato sauce

1 16-ounce can tomatoes

1 tablespoon instant minced onion

if you're like me you add 1/2 diced onion instead

1 1 3/4 -ounce package chili seasoning mix

1 6-ounce package corn chips

1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese

Equipment:

wooden spoon

large deep skillet

1. Stir ground beef and onion in skillet over medium heat until it browns

2. Stir in corn, tomato sauce, tomatoes, and seasoning mix

3. Turn heat to low. Simmer for 20 minutes

4. Arrange chips in ring around edge of skillet

5. Sprinkle cheese in center and cook until cheese melts, 3 to 5 minutes

6. Serve pie directly from skillet

I usually serve this simply with a green salad. Like in the photo, we have "Monster M&M Cookies" for dessert and if the weather is cooperating, even a little bit, we have the hot apple cider to drink........otherwise it's great big glasses of ice cold apple juice.

Hope you're making plans to enjoy the great season ahead!

I'm linking up with these sites on this lovely "almost autumn" weekend. Be sure to visit them..... just click on the photos........

I'm also linked to The Inspired Room for Fall Nesting Week!

It's Party Time

2009-08-27T16:47:00.017-07:00

This just so happens to be my 50th post, and I'm going to a party! A Rooster Party that it is! This lovely affair is being hosted by Barb over at Bella Vista.

Now I don't consider myself a collector, and I'm sure there are those who have many more than I do, but the roosters I do have seem to have found a comfortable place at my house. My decor isn't country, yet I think they fit in quite well......I didn't set out to collect them but they sort of made their way to me over the last few years, and now that they're here they seem to add a little something to my home that wasn't here before.

This little guy wanted to be first. He's made of tin and I bought him a few years ago to be part of a centerpiece at my husbands "Southern Fried Chicken Birthday Party"........so he loves a good party! I like to sit him in the middle of the breakfast table on bright sunny mornings.

This platter is one I've had for many years that is perfect when used as a breadbasket for hot biscuits or rolls.

I currently have these sitting atop one of my pantries along with several of my rooster cups from a favorite set of dishes.

This little rooster/spoon holder is probably my favorite. Besides being so cute it is actually very handy. It belonged to my mother-in-law and she always kept it in their winter home here in Phoenix. She passed away 3 years ago and my father-in-law just recently asked if I would like to have it.....well of course! :)

I also became the owner of her lovely cookie jar.

These two just naturally belong together so I have them sitting on my kitchen counter along side my glass canisters of staples.

Finally, just take a look at this guy! Isn't he handsome? He doesn't actually live here at our house but he's a local favorite. We visit him occasionally at Tolmachoff Farms right outside of the city here. We first met him a few Octobers ago at the Pumpkin Festival..........this would make a great print, wouldn't it?

Hope you've enjoyed yourself while you've been here........now go on over to Bella Vista and continue to party!

Ham 'n Cola

2009-08-25T18:44:00.020-07:00

It will be here before you know it.........that final holiday of summer.

This is what we'll be having over the Labor Day weekend. Since we're spending the time at home, puttering around the house, catching up on some projects, I think this Slow Cooker recipe is going to work out really well. It's just a little bit out of the ordinary, since we don't have it very often, making our holiday seem a little bit special.....and on top of that, it is so easy that I won't have to pay much attention to it at all. On Sunday of that week we'll be having the ham sliced, with potato salad and rolls, then on Monday the 7th we'll have ham sandwiches , with coleslaw and corn on the cob. On the Saturday before, the guys are making Fresh Peach Ice Cream .........hopefully enough to last the entire weekend.......using the recipe from the post here. So if we add lots of iced tea and lemonade I think we're all set to enjoy a very productive, end-of-summer weekend......my favorite kind.

Ham 'n Cola

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 tsp dry mustard

1 tsp prepared horseradish

1/4 cup Coke

3 to 4 lb precooked ham

Throughly combine brown sugar, mustard and horseradish. Moisten with just enough cola to make a smooth paste; reserve remaining cola. Rub entire ham with mixture. Place ham in crock pot and add remaining cola. Cover and cook on high for 1 hour, then turn to low setting for 6 to 7 hours. * Note: a 5lb pound or larger ham can be used in the larger crock pots.....just use slightly more cola and add an hour or two to the low setting cooking time.

Enjoy!

This post is linked to these delicious sites........just click on each one to enjoy!

Shrimp on the Barbie

2009-08-19T23:24:00.012-07:00

For those of you who have been reading my blog for any length of time you know I live in the Desert Southwest where our summers are extremely hot. As you can tell from the Autumn Countdown widget on my sidebar, I am anxious for cooler weather to get here. That being said, I have to tell you that the other nine months of the year the weather is absolutely gorgeous here. That means that we use our grill virtually year round. We enjoy our share of grilled burgers, hot dogs, and steaks.......but there are so many other possibilities. Today I'm sharing quick and easy shrimp on the barbie.......some of you will pick up on that reference to the Crocodile Dundee movies from the eighties with Paul Hogan..... he was Australia's spokesman and the phrase "shrimp on the barbie" became the catch phrase for Australia's tourism adds for quite a while.

My husband is usually the one who does the grilling around here and is an all around great chef in his own right, so today this post is with much assistance from him. There are quite a few ways you can go with this dish, so just pick whichever one you want to try first. Or do several at a time.......these literally take only minutes and with the addition of your favorite sides you'll be having dinner in no time at all.

Shrimp on the Barbie

20 or so medium to large shrimp, peeled and deveined

Wooden skewers

Any of the spices and sauces shown below

First of all, and be sure not to skip this part, soak the skewers in water for about 15 minutes. (obviously this is to keep the skewers from catching on fire.....a great tip no matter what you're grilling ) . Lace the shrimp onto the skewers so that they kind of "spoon" each other. Three or four shrimp will easily fit on a skewer.....be sure to put them toward the top of the skewer and leave a little handle for yourself at the bottom. Brush liberally with any of the spice mixtures, then place on a medium heated grill .Grill 3 minutes on first side, turn them over, brush liberally with mixture again and grill for another 3 minutes. Don't overcook! Test for doneness by breaking one shrimp open; if the inside is completely opaque and no longer translucent, it's done. Grilling time may vary slightly depending on the size of the shrimp, but you want your shrimp to be tender, white, and flaky, not rubbery.

Here are some of the various mixtures to use on your shrimp:

1) 1/4 cup melted butter, juice of 1 lemon or lime, salt

2) 1/4 cup melted butter, finely chopped cilantro, juice of 1 lime, salt

3) 1/4 cup melted butter, 1/2 cup hot sauce (we like Cholula hot sauce),salt

4) 1/4 cup melted butter with favorite Cajun Seasoning, salt

5) Shrimp Seasoning to shake on after you've brushed shrimp with melted butter: 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon onion powder, 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper, 1/2 teaspoon chili powder, 1/2 teaspoon sugar, 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, dash allspice, 1/2 teaspoon minced parsley.Mix ingredients and put in shaker.

6) 1/4 cup of melted butter, lemon pepper

7) 1/3 cup olive oil, 1 large clove of garlic, crushed, salt, juice of 1 lemon or lime

Finally, here are some sauces to "go with". The bottled Heinz Cocktail sauce is really very good and these other recipes are easy to whip up for some delicious dipping!

Remoulade Sauce

(from the Outback Steakhouse)

3/4 cup mayonaise, 5 teaspoons stone ground mustard, 4 teaspoons milk, 2 teaspoons minced celery, 2 teaspoons minced green pepper, 2 teaspoons sauerkraut, 1 teaspoon white vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon paprika, 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper, minced fresh parsley

Make the remoulade sauce by mixing the ingredients together in a small bowl. Cover and chill this sauce until you are ready to use it.

Garlic Butter for Dipping

1/2 cup butter, 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, 1 tablespoon lemon juice (about 1/2 lemon), 1/8 teaspoon hot pepper sauce, 1 large garlic clove, crushed, salt

In a small saucepan, melt butter. Add remaining ingredients; heat for 1 minute. Serve with shrimp or other seafood.

The smoke from the grill really brings out the flavor in the shrimp so you may just want to simply brush them lightly with melted butter or olive oil and give them a dash of salt before putting them on the grill. They'll taste delicious no matter how you decide to prepare them.

Enjoy!

The Pacific Shore

2009-08-18T15:48:00.013-07:00

Today I'm linked to these lovely sites:

The Perfect Kind of Peace

2009-08-15T18:10:00.015-07:00

The Word has an amazingly simple solution for anxiety: trust in God, and find our anxiety replaced by a spiritual peace beyond anything we've ever experienced, or can even understand.

Think about this. Worry is actually prayer in reverse.

In Luke 12:6-7 it says to " Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will guard your minds and hearts through Christ Jesus."

So next time we're tempted to worry and to be anxcious about anything in our lives let's take a look at a rose, such as this lovely Sun Flare rose from my garden, and remember this:

27"Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?" 28"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these." Matthew 6:27-29

Or anyone of us can just look out our back door, catch a glimpse of a sparrow anytime of the day and be reminded of this:

6 “Are not five sparrows sold for two copper coins? And not one of them is forgotten before God. 7 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows." Luke 12: 6 & 7

Blessings for a "worry free week",

For more inspiration for the week be sure to stop by Spiritual Sundays

And for inspiration from God's lovely world see Today's Flowers

A Rare Summer Picnic

2009-08-11T15:28:00.037-07:00

Since this week Jim and I will be busy celebrating our August 14th Wedding Anniversary, I will be AWOL from my computer the rest of the week. That being the case, I am linking to several other sites for this post and they are listed at the bottom.......please be sure to check them out! :)

As many of you know I'm hooked on Scrapbooking.............

I've gotten several e-mails lately asking when I was going to post more of my scrapbook pages so I've decided to feature pages from a spur-of-the-moment picnic we had a short while back. Here in the desert there are virtually no picnics after Memorial Day or then again before Labor Day, primarily because of the heat. That's my world. Now picnics and BBQ's around backyard pools are an entirely different story......here in Phoenix people live in their pools all summer. No, the kind of picnics I'm talking about are the" picnics- in- the- park" type of meal. Some years you can't even be sure it will still be cool enough by Memorial Day. Fortunately, in this particular year it was still relatively cool, and when we realized this we headed to Cortez Park at the last minute with a few friends.

As I've said before I now do digital scrapbooking exclusively. While I loved doing it the paper and paste way I found that with the volume of photos I want to scrap it was so time consuming that I would never stay caught up. I scrap chronologically with a scrapbook for every year. I keep each page fairly simple by arranging the photos with whatever clipart strikes my fancy at the time. I don't use this many "talk bubbles" every time but in this particular layout I wanted to use humorous conversation to move the story along.

We had a lot of fun with this insanely large frisby. None of us were used to doing this anymore so it was quite comical in itself.......a fact that was not lost on our teenagers!

You see? Teenagers.....gotta love 'em.

I create the layouts using Photo Shop, print each one out on my regular printer as an 8x8

page, then add to my 8 x 8 sized scrapbook. I also love the fact that I can make CDs of each years albums and keep them in a safe place as a back up "just in case".

The end of a long day......time for a nice siesta under the trees.

I'm leaving you today with a recipe that I took to that impromptu picnic that day...... Janie's Baked Beans. Now these beans are quick,easy, and definitely not baked. They can be prepared on top of the stove or in an electric skillet with not much effort. You can serve them warm, but I much prefer them cold. It's a good idea if you're taking them somewhere other than your own backyard that you chill them first, put in a plastic container and pack in your ice chest. These go so well with any kind of outdoor meal. Yummy and foolproof.

Janie's Quick Baked Beans

I call them this because this started out as

my baby sister's recipe a long time ago....

then I took it over :)

Ingredients:

4 slices bacon, diced

1 chopped onion

1/2 bell pepper, diced

I can pork and beans (31 oz)

3 Tbs dark mollasses

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 tsp prepared mustard

1/2 tsp tabasco

1/3 cup Ketchup

2 Tbsp Worcester Sauce

In electric skillet or large frying pan saute first 3 ingredients until they are tender. Mix other ingredients in, cooking over low heat. Simmer until well seasoned. Serves 6.........but I often double, triple, or even quadruple this recipe for a large crowd. It is very forgiving......you can experiment with each of the ingredients until you get it just the way you like it.

Enjoy!

@ Beauty & Bedlam @The Gypsy's Corner @Blessed with Grace

@ That's My World

@ A Southern Daydreamer

@ Designs by Gollum @ Ann Kroeker @ Momtrends @Vanderbilt Wife

And finally check out Hooked on Fridays @ http://hookedonhouses.net/

A Little Bloggy Housekeeping

2009-08-06T11:27:00.013-07:00

There are a few little things I need to take care of today........

First I'd like to thank Geri for the "One Lovely Blog" award. I'd like to encourage all of you to go on over to her blog "Heart and Soul Cooking" and look around. This lady is one great cook. I'd even suggest becoming a follower of hers so you won't miss any of the delicious recipes she posts daily!

As a recipient of this award we're asked to pass on the award to 15 others. There are so many terrific blogs out there now but these are some of my favorites. There's a link to each of them so you can enjoy them too.

Heidi @ Cuddle Up Cottage
Susan @ Between Naps on the Porch
Amy @ Home Acre
Marsha @ Marsha's M Pressions
Carolyn @ Mom's United Prayer
Terry @ Lady Liberty Patriot
Sue @ Beautiful Pear Tree Lane
Becky @ Thoughtfully Blended Hearts
50's Gal @ My Year 1955
Marcia @ Frugal Homekeeping
Betsy @ Joyful Reflections
Lynn @ Lynn's Lovelies
YaYa @ Chronicles of YaYa Orchid
Sherry @ Country Wings in Phoenix
Roxanne @ The Haven of Home

Also I would like to say thank you to Sarah @ Sarah Over the Rainbow

Just a short while before I took my Bloggy Break in the Spring I won one of Sarah's fantastic giveaways. Imagine my surprise! I'm really not used to winning things! I thanked her through e-mail but not publicly. Anyway, I won the loveliest book from her and I wanted to say a proper thank you here on my blog . Her place reminds me of a lovely snapshot into a young family's life.

Finally I want to say thanks to Mikki @ Here's What Let's Do .

She helped me identify the plant I was asking about here in my California Dreaming post from last week. Sure enough it's a "Chenille Plant" just like she thought. I've been trying to find out what it was for several years........now I've even found an online nursery that sells them. Yoo Whooo! So thanks Mikki for the help!

Oh, and a quick shout out to all my followers. I've visited all of you who have blogs and you're all so incredibly interesting. I know I'd have fun meeting all of you in person. And anyone else who wants to follow I'd love to have you! :)

Hope you all have a lovely weekend!

An Outdoor Wordless Wednesday.........Youth!

2009-08-04T19:34:00.010-07:00

REMEMBER

It's Wordless Wednesday at http://simplyjoyfulphotos.blogspot.com/ AND

Outdoor Wednesday at http://asoutherndaydreamer.blogspot.com/

A Continual Conversation

2009-08-01T21:33:00.012-07:00

There is not in the world a kind of life more sweet and delightful than that of a continual

conversation with God......Brother Lawrence

Blessings,

For encouragement and inspiration join Ginger and Charlotte at

http://bloggerspirit.blogspot.com/

and because "life is better with a touch of yellow" visit Mellow Yellow

Monday at http://mellowyellowmonday.blogspot.com/

Be sure to visit http://flowersfromtoday.blogspot.com/ for Today's Flowers

No Chef's Hat Required

2009-07-30T20:30:00.010-07:00

That's right! You won't be needing a hat for this recipe......in fact you won't even need a real recipe! And yet you'll get "rave reviews" everytime you make these brownies. I'm serious.....you will. In fact there will be those who won't believe that you didn't actually use a recipe. They'll just think you don't want to share it with them! I really had someone say that to me one time when I told them I made them from a mix! Oh well, what's a girl to do? In some cases you'll just have to let them think you're a fabulous (albeit selfish) cook! :)

Yes they really are as good as they look (they come with references!)

The brownies that I'm talking about are made from the ordinary red boxed Betty Crocker Dark Chocolate Brownie Mix. The trick is to bake them your own way, not the way the directions tell you to. It's very simple. You just use two boxes of mix instead of one. Mix them in a large bowl and of course double all of the ingredients.....eggs, oil, and water. Then pour your mixture into just one 13 x 9 inch pan that you've greased the bottom of. Now notice I said pour it into only one pan.....not the two that they recommend. Bake for 55 minutes.....no more. In fact you want to take them out of the oven just before they look done to you. Just don't overbake them. They firm up even after they've been taken from the oven. After they cooled throughly, cut them into generous sized squares. Here's a tip for you......always use a serrated knife when you cut brownies. You will not believe how chunky, moist, and chewey these will be. Be sure to cover them with plastic wrap to store so they will stay nice and moist for several days......if they last that long!

These are great to make for bake sales. Determine the size of the brownies you want to sell, then wrap them individually in plastic wrap. Arrange them in a pretty basket for your display and they'll be sure to bring top dollar. They became a standard at my teenager's youth group bake sales.

You can also give them as a sweet gift for someone's birthday by fancying up the presentation. They make a wonderful little dessert if you're taking a dinner to someone who has been out of commission due to illness, etc. in their family, because they are so easy to transport.....and they come with a little cheerfulness inside each one. Finally these make super travelers.....for picnics or little lunches in the car on those family trips.

One year I baked several batches of brownies for my son and the van load of friends who were on their way to camp in Newport Beach. They all enjoyed a few on the way, but after that the rest of the brownies mysteriously disappeared! It is still rumored that a couple of counselors, who shall remain nameless, (but you know who you are) hid them in their tents creating their own private stashes! :0 LOL

Enjoy your brownies!

Stop on by Ann's place today at http://annkroeker.wordpress.com/ for plenty of yummy recipes.

And as usual there's lots of great food ideas over at http://designsbygollum.blogspot.com/ Be sure to go on over and enjoy yourselves.

Today I'm also linked up to Friday Feasts at http://momtrends.blogspot.com/ and

Family Recipes on Friday at http://www.vanderbiltwife.com/ and also at

Favorite Ingredients Friday at http://overwhelmedwithjoy.blogspot.com/search/label/Favorite%20Ingredients%20Friday

California Dreaming

2009-07-28T05:34:00.028-07:00

California dreaming. San Diego dreaming actually. Garden dreaming.............. about my father-in-law's garden to be exact. Ever since that first BBQ back here when I was only 16, meeting Jim's family for the first time, I have loved being in this backyard. His family moved into this house when he was just a child, so for many many years his Dad has cultivated and cared for this yard. The lovely San Diego climate has certainly been an advantage but I think part of his secret has been that over the years he has consistently nurtured the soil, not with chemical fertilizers, but with fish! Before he retired he was the owner of numerous Charter Sportfishing boats that operated from the landings there in San Diego.....so there was always an abundance of fish. Remember the pictures in your second grade reader of Squanto and his friends digging a hole and showing the pilgrims how to bury a fish to fertilize their corn crop? Well, evidently it works.

My father-in-law is also a bird lover so he's always thinking of ways to attract birds to his yard. It's fascinating to me to watch the dozens of yellow finches that show up at his feeders.

Now if anyone can tell me what this beautiful red plant is I would certainly appreciate it. My father-in-law doesn't know either because he bought it as a tiny forlorn little thing that was so dehydrated that he got it for almost nothing.....no name tag or anything! The garden center did not stock anymore like it and no one seems to know it's name. Garden books and Googling haven't brought up the right information either. It reminds me of some sort of bottle brush but I don't think it is because the flowers themselves have such a soft velvety feeling. I love this fuzzy little guy and have tried unsuccessfully to propagate cuttings from it. Maybe if I knew what it was........any ideas?

The lemon tree is a Meyers Lemon and if you've ever had one I guarantee you'll never want any other kind!

Lots of beautiful Jade bamboo.....

Daisies everywhere.......

Several different colors of Bougainvillea....

We always call these pinwheel daisies

Brilliant Orange Lily

It's the perfect place to relax with a cup of coffee in the morning or a cool drink in the afternoon........oh and lots of good reading material! While we always visit the beaches and enjoy the sights whenever we're in San Diego, I've got to say I'm very contented just hanging out a good deal of the time right there in the garden. Can you blame me?

I can't pack my bags just yet.....but who knows....maybe before too long!

Join Susan at A Southern Daydreamer today

for other lovely outdoor posts.

And if you enjoy watching the birds like I do you'll want to check out the participants in

Bird Photography Weekly.

Christmas in July Part 5

2009-07-25T13:14:00.013-07:00

What is your idea of an ideal Christmas? Ask fifty different people and without a doubt you'll get fifty different answers. We each have our very own collection of memories, of impressions........of sights and sounds that bring a smile to our lips and a warmth in our hearts.

So why have someone else's Christmas? The great advantage of a little advance planning is that you have the luxury of time! You have time to really consider what you want and what your family wants. You won't wind up doing things you don't really enjoy, things that mean little to you just because you're so rushed you just do whatever it takes to get through the season!

Not a Good Thing!

Now when I say advance planning I don't mean you to have to spend long hours planning details..........for one thing it's impossible in many cases to know exactly how the holidays are going to shape up five months in the future. There are so many variables, including other individuals outside your immediate family who will have their own plans. The idea is to begin to think of the things that are in your control. Do a little dreaming. Begin to think about the things that make Christmas special to you. What kind of atmosphere do you want to create? What activities would you miss if you didn't do them? Be sure to ask those that live in your household what they enjoy most about Christmas. Write it all down.

Then slowly and surely, over the next few months, begin to work on those priority items. Right now Christmas seems so far away! If we're honest though we know that 152 days (as of this posting) is not a very long time. I think we sometimes forget that when the holidays come along they are "in addition to" everything else that goes on in our lives! I know I've been guilty at times of thinking that somehow, magically, extra hours are going to be given to me in November and December! Doesn't happen, does it? So now is the logical time to start snatching pieces of time here and there so that you can have the holidays that you want.

Planning Tips

*Start off by visiting a few Christmas sites on the web just to get yourself in the mood. A favorite of mine is http://www.organizedchristmas.com/ You're gonna love this one!

*If you're not familiar with Flylady you need to check out her site http://flylady.org/pages/site_index.asp. There you'll have year round access to her Holiday Cooking and Decorating Plan .....and closer to the holidays themselves she posts daily videos about getting ready for Christmas.

*Another fun little site is http://www.xmascookies.blogspot.com/

*http://www.christmasorganizing.com/ has activities going on all year and for a year round Christmas Store try Bronner's Christmas Wonderland at http://www.bronners.com/

*Another way to get in the mood for planning is to listen to some Christmas tunes......either get out your CDs or tune in to one of the internet radio sites.....right now I'm listening to http://www.pandora.com/ . You can type in the name of a Christmas song you want to hear and it will automtically make up a radio list with similar songs and play them for you........and it's free!

*You get the idea.......just have a little fun surfing around......there's no telling what you'll find and the kind of ideas it will spark in you!

*I highly recommend that you put together some sort of Christmas Notebook where you keep all your Holiday plans organized. At the first site I mentioned , Organized Christmas, there are dozens of free printables to get you started. Whether you use theirs, find others on the Web, or make up your own......just be sure to devise some type of book to keep all your thoughts and plans in. It makes a huge difference!

*Peruse through any holiday books that you might own. When I'm in plannng mode this time of year I usually keep one or two Christmas books stacked on my nightstand so I can look through them before I fall asleep. Jot down any ideas and recipes that you might want to try. You may run across gift ideas.....start making some preliminery lists. Remember it almost always takes longer than you think to make that special gift you've been planning. Try to make some concrete decisions on anything that is going to be complicated or time consuming. Even if you don't do homemade gifts it's always better to order or purchase special gifts ahead of time.

*If you don't own any holiday books you can always check some out at the library or purchase new or used at Amazon. Thrift stores almost always have a few holiday books around. I just enjoy having my own little collection around to look at whenever I like. :)

*Finally, just enjoy yourself. Even if you're not a natural planner, even if you think you really dislike planning ahead, even if you think it's way too early to think about it.........do just a little. Whatever you do now will pay big dividends in just a few short months! You'll be so glad you did. :)

Christmas in July Part 4

2009-07-23T12:52:00.014-07:00

I can definitely say I'm hooked on having our "Christmas in July" every year. Some of you have asked me if we go all out and put up tree and all our decorations. The answer is definitely not.....way too much trouble! I do usually pull a couple of things out of storage for a tablescape or two as in Christmas in July Part 2, but that's about it as far as decorations go. When Christopher was younger there were years when we'd get a little ambitious and put up the little tabletop tree that he liked to put in his room over the holidays. Most years we just concentrate on the Christmas "doings" rather than the decorations........we have several mini-holiday meals, watch lots of Christmas movies, and some years buy one another little gifts. This year we gave each other gift cards to favorite stores. I try to keep it simple so it turns out to be fun...not work.

At every holiday meal, including Easter I might add, we have my Mom's Banana Pudding. For years she was the one who always made it. For a long time I was hesitant to even try it, but in 2001 when she was here visiting for Christmas we carefully wrote down the recipe as she showed me each step.......as with many old family recipes, I don't think it had ever been written down before! Now after a few years of making it myself I'm fairly confident in doing so....but to me it still never tastes quite as good as when my Mom makes it! I think it's the love factor! Nothing ever tastes as good as something your Mom makes for you.

So this year for our "Christmas in July" I made the Sweet Potato Pies (see Christmas in July Part 3), and the Banana Pudding. Though we haven't had Christmas meals all week, we have had these desserts in the fridge to enjoy........turns out to be so handy too because as some of you know I'm really big on cooking ahead because of the summer heat.

So here it is..........

Mom's Banana Pudding

Ingredients:

1/2 cup of flour

1 cup sugar

2 cups evaporated milk

2 cups whole milk

3 eggs lightly beaten

1 1/4 tsp. salt

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 stick of room temperature butter

1 12 oz. box of quality vanilla wafers

6 or 7 medium bananas sliced into coins

To make:

Combine flour, sugar, salt, and 1/2 cup of the milk into a large thick-bottomed sauce pan. Mix well, then add eggs and remaining milk. Blend well ( a wire whisk works great) then cook on low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil and begins to thicken. It is very important that you stir continually ( especially once the mixture begins to heat up) to prevent it from sticking to the bottom. Remove from heat then add vanilla and butter. Stir until butter is completely melted. In a large bowl layer bottom with vanilla wafers, some of the bananas, then pour in small amount of pudding. Repeat the layering process until you reach the top of the bowl. Garnish by standing more vanilla wafers along the top edge of your bowl and topping the final layer with a generous handful of crushed wafers. Serve chilled.

I've spent some time this past week doing a little advance planning, going on a few Christmas sites, flipping through some of my Holiday books, and in general having fun thinking about what I'd like Christmas this year to be like. I'll be sharing a little bit of this Saturday on my last post in the "Christmas in July" series. Please join me. :)

I'm participating this week in Hooked on Fridays at Julia's place. Be sure to go by over there and see what other's are hooked on today! ALSO.................

For lots more yummy recipes be sure to drop by Foodie Friday at Designs by Gollum

and Food on Fridays at Ann's place!

Dreaming of Mountain Mornings

2009-07-22T16:15:00.021-07:00

It's Outdoor Wednesday at Susan's Southern Daydreamer ........lots of refreshing water photos at Watery Wednesday .....and Wordless Wednesday at Simply Joyful Photos

The Beauty of the Lord's Day

2009-07-18T18:23:00.007-07:00

Sunset Point Arizona

" From the rising of the sun to its going down , the LORD’s name is to be praised. "

Psalm 113:3 (New King James Version)

For more Sunday inspiration be sure to visit Charlotte and Ginger at Spiritual Sundays .

For more beautiful photos from around the world go on over to the Scenic Sunday blog.

Christmas in July Part 3

2009-07-16T15:52:00.018-07:00

Once again I had to do the baking in the morning because of the heat......but once the pies began to bake the house really did smell like Christmas. My post today is a recipe for Southern Sweet Potato Pie, my Dad's recipe. I can't remember a Christmas when we didn't have several of these sitting out on the counter during the Holidays. While I realize sweet potato pie is something you can enjoy year round, to me it just says Christmas so I have to include it in our little "Christmas in July" celebration.

Daddy's Southern Sweet Potato Pie

Ingredients:

3 medium sweet potatoes

1 tsp salt

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1 cup sugar

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1 can evaporated milk, 12 oz.

1/4 stick of butter, cut into 6 pieces, room temperature

Boil sweet potatoes with jackets on until they are tender. Place them on foil or wax paper on counter until they cool. At this point the jackets should slip off the potatoes very easily. In a large bowl mash up the sweet potatoes until they are smooth but still course in texture. Add cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and the sugar and mix well. To this add the beaten egg, evaporated milk, and butter. Butter pieces do not need to be mixed in completely. Pour into two 8 inch pie crusts or into 1 large deep dish pie crust. Bake on a cookie sheet at 425 degrees for 15 minutes, then turn temperature to 350 degrees and bake for another 45 - 50 minutes. Pies are done when toothpick in center comes out clean. When pie cools serve with a big dollop of whipped cream!

Enjoy..........

.............a little planning in July goes a long way in December. Join me next week for tips, book recommendations, and some really great links!

There's a great Recipe Swap going on over at www.lifeasmom.com Go on over for some great cooking ideas!

Drop by at Designs by Gollum for more delicious recipes

Also Ann has some great recipes over at her site today.

Christmas in July Part 2

2009-07-15T21:57:00.020-07:00

For over twelve years now we've been having "Christmas in July" at our house. It began as just a fun way to pass the time when my youngest son was just a little guy and we wanted ways to keep busy during the long hot summers. Each year is different. There are no set rules. We make up the rules as we go along......sometimes its only for a day or two, sometimes for as much as a week. It all depends on what we all have going on in July. Now that Christopher is college age there's certainly no reason for us all to be looking for things to do to keep busy during the summer......but still we keep on doing this crazy little thing every year. There are a couple of reasons I think. Number one is that it is a deeply ingrained family tradition by now, and number two is that it is still just plain fun. I'm pretty sure Jim and I will still be doing this when we're empty-nesters!

Part of the tradition is to have a few favorite dinners that remind us of Christmas. This morning I made Navy Bean Soup in the Slow Cooker. When everyone got home this evening it was ready to eat with the little mini-cornbread muffins I had baked a couple of weeks ago and put in the freezer. No dessert tonight because I plan to make a couple of our Christmas favorites over the next couple of days .........we're going to have way too much dessert over the weekend! Well, after all, it is Christmas around here.

Slow Cooker Navy Bean Soup

Ingredients:

2 cups of Navy Beans or White Northerns

2 slices of bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

1 onion, diced

2 or 3 medium carrots, diced

3 ribs of celery, diced

2 Bay leaves

Salt and Black Pepper to taste

Place beans in crock pot and cover generously with cold water. Add the rest of the ingredients then set the temperature on your slowcooker according to your manufacturers recommendations. I cooked mine most of the day, 6 hours on high. Obviously this meal makes itself and then looks so deliciously cozy when poured into a beautiful soup tureen.

Over the course of the next few days we'll be watching a handful of our favorite Christmas movies. Because of this our meals are going to be eaten in front of the television.......our nod to summer casual even though, like I said, it's Christmas around here. Of course, instead of eating around a roaring fire we'll be cozied up to our fans instead.

My tablescape tonight was set on our familyroom coffee table. I simply used a folded snowflake patterned table runner as my table covering. The white soup tureen was a birthday gift from my Mom .

I love the ladle that matches the tureen.

Basket of cornbread muffins............

I bought these little Christmas themed spreaders at a kitchen shop a few years back. They make perfect utensils for putting butter on hot cornbread muffins.

Sometimes at Christmas I use my "Love, Joy, Peace" tray as kitchen decoration along with the small canisters that make up the set. Here I thought it worked well to put the white ironstone bowls and soup spoons on. Every so often we like to set up our meals in here instead of at the kitchen table. Tonight it worked really well......we had everythng we needed to enjoy our meal while we watched our dvd. And as it turned out......when we sat down to eat it started to rain.....no kidding! Around here that's a big thing! :) We were able to open the windows and enjoy the showers as we ate. Christmas cozy!

As always, enjoying myself............

Tomorrow I'll be sharing a couple of favorite Christmas Season desserts!

I'm participating in Tablescape Thursday today with Susan at Between Naps on the Porch. You really need to go over to her lovely blog and see the beautiful tablescapes there.

Also Sandra is hosting Slow Cooking Thursday at her great blog Diary of a Stay at Home Mom. Be sure to drop by for some slow cooker recipes for these hot summer days.

Christmas in July, Part I

2009-07-14T18:47:00.014-07:00

Be sure to stop by tomorrow for some Christmas fun!

Join Heather at Simply Heather for more Wordless Wednesday Posts

and

drop by The Secret Garden for more posts in Red!