The White Farmhouse

Boo!

2011-10-28T04:06:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was Bitty One's Preschool Halloween Party!

Aren't they cute?

Bitty One thinks she is Cinderella. Don't tell her she really is a Renaissance princess though. Isn't she cute? This is her and her friend Tyler. I tease her that he is her boyfriend!

Look who else is a cutie! Heehee! She told me she would get her revenge if I posted her pic on facebook. She didn't say ANYTHING about my blog though!

Her "partner in crime" is just as cute too. We were talking about how hard it is to find a costume that you can wear around 4 year olds without being risque.

They made crafts, listened to stories and ate food.

Lots and lots of food!

Isn't this cake cute?! Okay, it was cuter when the legs didn't start to break and thaw. The kids didn't seem to mind though. I got this idea from Hungry Happenings.

I also brought these cute little mice. Bitty One ate all the silver balls that I was going to use for eyes. You can find the recipe for them here.

As for now, I am scooting off. I have to bring treats for Bitty's other class today. I found another really cute idea at Hungry Happenings that when I saw it I just knew I had to make them!

See ya soon!

Menu For Week Of Oct 24th

2011-10-24T05:20:00.000-07:00

So.... yesterday was the first day of no hubby. I made lists of what to do this week, planned a menu and even went to the dreaded grocery store! I "lost" the kids at Meijer's. Aren't you proud?! Yup, couldn't find them. They went to look at the video games and toys while I shopped. How could you resist a deal like that? I went to go find them when I was done and they were no where to be seen. I gimped around that whole store, couldn't find them. I have gotten to know the lady who was working as a greeter since it seems I am up there daily. I told her "isn't this great? The first day my hubby leaves me alone with them and I lose them!" I did find them though, don't worry. They are safe and sound! Oh, for all inquiring minds, Stinky Pinky is gone! The doctor took it off last week. Now I just have to wear this very attractive shoe for the next 3 weeks since I am not supposed to bend it.

Oh well, onto the menu!

I am planning on sending food down with my husband on the weekends. Not a real problem since I cook like an army is coming to dinner. I also suck at reheating leftovers. How boring are leftovers?! So I will be freezing them and sending them back to Tennessee with him. Saves on groceries or cooking for him. I bought a new cookbook so I am trying out some of the recipes in it this week.

Monday

Chicken and Fall Veggie Casserole

Ceasar Salad

Chicken and Fall Veggie Casserole

3T olive oil

2 leeks, sliced and rinsed

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 large chicken breasts cut into bite size pieces

2 sweet potatoes, chunked

2 parsnips, scrubbed and sliced

1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into strips

1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and cut into strips

9 0z wild mushrooms, sliced

14 oz tomatoes, chopped

4 cups cooked long grain rice

1 small bunch parsley, chopped

1 heaping cup grated cheddar cheese

salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the leeks and garlic and cook til softened. Add the chicken, stirring frequently about 5 minutes. Add the sweet potatoes and parsnips. Cook til golden brown and beginning to soften. Add peppers and mushrooms and cook about 5 minutes more. Add remaining ingredients, except cheese. Spoon into an ovenproof dish. Cover with cheese and cook about 25 minutes. Serve.

Tuesday

Spinach and Ricotta Rollatini

Minestrone Soup

A total vegeterian dinner! I found this and it looked soooo good I knew it would be on the menu soon! Look for the tutorial for this later in the week.

Wednesday

Burgers on the Grill

Cream of Potato With Bacon Soup

The days are getting colder here in the North so I am taking advantage of the mild weather to use the grill. I am also doing a "fall cleaning" on the kitchen so not cooking in it is a plus! I am trying out this soup for the first time. You can find the recipe here.

Thursday

Roast Pork

Rosemary Potatoes

Green Bean Casserole

Roast Pork

2 lb pork loin

3T olive oil

salt

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Pat loin dry and put into a roasting pan. Brush the loin with 1T of oil and rub with salt. Roast in the oven for 20 minutes. Lower temp to 400 degrees and cook for an additional 40 minutes or until pork is done. Remove from oven and let rest for 20 minutes before slicing.

Rosemary Potatoes

2 lbs small yellow potatoes

4T olive oil

1 bunch rosemary, chopped

Peel and dice the potatoes. Heat the oil in another roasting pan. When hot add the potatoes and rosemary, toss to coat and cook for 40 minutes in the same oven as the pork. Remove from the pan and serve with the pork.

Friday

Margherita Pizza

Yes, it's pizza night! I love Fridays for this reason. You can find the recipe for this pizza here. I am using the canned pizza dough and precooking it for this meal though. You can also add cooked, shredded chicken to this if you like.

Saturday

Baked Chicken

Boxed Potatoes

Roast Fall Veggies

Baked Chicken

8 chicken drumsticks

1/2 cup mayo

6T yellow mustard

Zest of 1 lemon

1-1/2 cups Italian breadcrumbs

Put chicken in a large sealable bag. In a small bowl, mix mayo, mustard and zest. Add to bag and toss to coat. Let marinade overnight.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Put breadcrumbs in a shallow bowl. Remove chicken from bag and shake off excess marinade. Dredge in breadcrumbs and transfer to a 9x13 baking dish. Bake 45 minutes or until golden brown. Serve.

Sunday

BBQ Beef Sandwiches

Baked Macaroni

I am using Stone Gable's recipe for the BBQ Beef. It definitely is a family favorite and so easy to make! Thank you Yvonne for posting it! The baked macaroni is also a favorite here. I can eat this stuff til I am stuffed! You can find the recipe for it here.

I also have cooking to do for Bitty One's Preschool Halloween party and school snacks on Friday. I think I will be in the kitchen all week long! These recipes are so easy though. It's been so long since I spent time in the kitchen I am actually looking forward to it. As for now, me and Bitty One are off to the orchard to get some apples for caramel apples later in the week. Maybe even a pie or two?!

What are you having for dinner?

Posted @ Stone Gable's OTMM

Just Roll With It!

2011-10-21T04:21:00.000-07:00

Hey! What's going on over there?

Let me go see....

....almost....there....

Whatchadoin?

Stuff....

We're just going to get to the top of this hill....

....get into this wagon and....

WWWWWEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!

Hahaha! Aunt Maggie look at Jeffrey!

WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hahaha! Mommy, Jeffrey's funny!

weeee.....

WAIT FOR ME GUYS!

Oooooookay....that was....kinda....fun....

Hey Jeffrey! There is a really BIG hill over there! Grampa falls down it all the time!

Who falls down it?

Oh to be a kid again....

Surprise!

2011-10-17T06:35:00.000-07:00

How about something fun?! This weekend was all fun! No work, no laundry, no cleaning, just having a good time.

The best benefit about blogging is "meeting" people! I have sooooo many people that I consider my friends that I have only gotten to know through my blog. You are all my besties and I love ya all. Even better than "meeting" you all is meeting you all. That is exactly what I got a chance to do this weekend, meet one of my besties!

Do you know who this gorgeous cutie patootie is?

Yes, it is Theresa from 612 Riverside! My crappy photography does not do her justice. She is just absolutely gorgeous! When she smiles her whole face lights up and her eyes twinkle. She is so warm and welcoming I felt like I have known her for years! I snuck these pics when she wasn't looking! No pics of the two of us together cause, unlike her, I looked like the hag from hell.

She is also extremely talented! Look at the gorgeous pendants she made for the show. She also does custom work so I ordered some from her for Christmas. Yes, thinking about THAT already!

Her booth was set up so cute, just like her! Filled with all kinds of goodies too!

It was funny cause at one point, I heard my ringtone. I looked over at my oldest because I am not allowed to carry my own phone. She was standing next to Theresa's daughter, Hannah. They both pulled out our phones and checked them. Not only is she not allowed to have her phone, but we have the same ring tone! We are RINGTONE BUDDIES too! How funny is that?

I tell ya! I coulda stayed there all day just yacking with her. The kids had other plans though. So I had to cut it short, which is probably good for her since I was keeping her from her customers!

If you would like to see more of Theresa's work, visit her Etsy shop listed on her blog. I swear you won't be disappointed by her talent!

Tennessee or Bust!

2011-10-14T16:06:00.000-07:00

Well kiddos, looks like we are bound for Tennessee! They made an offer to my husband yesterday and he accepted it. He starts October 24th.

WHAT?! You can't leave me with these kids, they are CUH-RAZY!

Well now wait a minute, what kind of trouble can I cause while he is gone? Hmmmm,,,,

Painting?

Tearing something apart with no idea how to put it back together?

Break some more bones?

The possibilities are oh so endless! I guess I should start going through the mounds of crap and paring down a bit for the move this summer. I'm hoping on some of the weekend trips some stuff can get taken down. Then one BIG load this summer. I have records to get copies of, accounts to move, addresses to change, new schools to find....

Ugh....

I told my husband I was leaving the picking out of the house to him. I just want a dining room! Could you imagine all the dishes I could stockpile if I had a dining room. Goodness! I wonder if he could find a white farmhouse down there?

How I hate moving!

I do hope to move up the stairs this weekend to get my project done. I know I keep on saying that. This cast is turning into a real PITA. The other day I got a charlie horse in my foot and rolled around on the floor in pain til it stopped. I will do my best to get it done though for you sweethearts.

For now, I have To Do Lists to make!

Time For Change

2011-10-12T07:08:00.000-07:00

Change is an inevitable circumstance in life. Change occurs on a daily basis. Little changes go unnoticed. You change your plans for the day to accomodate your family. You change appointments and meetings to fit everyone's schedule. It seems these little changes happen atleast a couple times a week. You run out of time to fit everything in. You just roll with the punches though. Put on your big girl pants and take it in stride. They usually are not life changing, just little inconveniences.

Bigger changes are more planned and prepared for or sometimes they can take you by surprise. Sometimes they are for the good, sometimes for the worse. You may get excited, happy, scared or nervous about them. Sometimes they just blindside you and take you by surprise. You try to make the best of the worst situations. How you deal with it depends on how you deal with the change.

According to number astrology you have two numbers. Instead of being a Libra or Sagittarius, you have a life number. You can find this number by adding the month, day and year you were born together until you come up with a single number. I am a 5. A "5" means you can see both sides. You tend to stay neutral, middle of the road. You are easy to get along with. Don't like conflict. You like balance in your life. Kinda strange since I am a Libra according to astrology.

You also have a number which changes on your birthday. According to this number is how your year is going to go. To get this number you add your month, day and the current year together to get a single number. Ironically, my year number is 9. 9 means that from my upcoming birthday to my next birthday is the best time to make changes. Changes that you make in this year supposedly stick and are for the better.

Tomorrow I start my 9 cycle. There have been things happening around here that are going to result in changes, big changes. The first big change is my husband's employment. He's owned his own company for years now. He has given up his company to work for others, but has usually gone back to being self-employed. Lately, he has been miserable owning his own company. Besides things that happen outside of the business, he is just tired. Tired of fighting with customers and employees. Tired of conflict. He was called out of the blue and interviewed for a job. A company he really wants to work for. He's hoping this will resolve alot of issues and make his life alot more enjoyable. It will remain to be seen.

We have decided to have him take this job if they offer it to him. Of course, this decision brings about another change. Moving. From the farmhouse. From Michigan. To....Tennessee! Nashville area to be exact. My mother's side of the family is from here. I have always loved Tennessee. Could be because I have good memories of visiting when I was younger, waaaaay younger! Even though it is exciting to think of getting a new house, I'm sad to be leaving the farmhouse. I love this house. It is small though, at times a little too small for us. I long for a dining room, more room and a place to have friends over. I know I won't miss the winters here! Watch Tennessee get record levels of snow if we move there! I certainly am not looking forward to moving ALL THIS CRAP down there!

Another big change that this is going to bring makes me nervous and scared. Our family is going to be split up. More than likely Jeff is going to have to leave immediately. Me and the kids are going to stay here in Michigan til the end of the school year. It is only an 8 hour drive, so I see alot of weekend commuting. It makes more sense for us to stay here while he gets settled in and finds a new house. Hopefully it will make the transition for the kids a bit easier. Brianna turns 16 this year and wants to celebrate it with her friends and family. This also gives us the summer to make our move and get settled in before they start a new school year. I know at first, we will be getting together every chance we can. Living apart and having two different lives for a while will get in the way though. I'd be stupid to not expect it. I know how Jeff is when he works for someone. He gives 200% trying to prove himself. It's one of his better qualities. It also sucks because he can't just work 9-5 like a normal person. Also, the kids have things that come up on the weekends that they want to do. I know I am planning for this to be a positive thing. Hoping and praying is more like it though....

Is that enough change yet?! Well there's more.... I decided this summer to go back and get my degree. I mostly decided this to help out with the business accounting. The bitty one is going to be starting school full time next year and I can be more involved with the daily going ons of our company. This does change things a bit though, but I could either get a job or do accounting from home. I am also hoping that it will set a better example for the older two. I keep on them about their studies, now I can also show them how to study. Maybe they will see how much better things are with a college education.

I also want to make changes regarding this blog. I have gotten less interested in blogging due to certain issues. Things have come up that have made me lose interest in it. I want to start over from fresh. So, I am thinking of shutting down this blog. I am not going to delete it, just not post here any more. I started this blog to journal about this house. It's turned into more than that though and just doesn't seem to "fit" anymore. I still haven't decided this yet though. Still thinking....

Hopefully next week I will be getting "Stinky Pinky" off my foot! I am so tired of lugging around this anchor and not being able to do what I want to do. Going up and down the stairs pretty much involves me packing a bag so I don't forget anything. I am not that much of a plan ahead type of girl. My other leg has been complaining lately about doing all the work too. So here is to hoping that it does come off next week.

As for now, there is much to do. I do have an upcoming project for all you chalk paint fans that is going to blow your socks off!

Hopefully....

Adventures With White Chili!

2011-10-06T06:58:00.000-07:00

I have heard alot of great things about white chili lately. At first I thought it was some crazy stuff. The more I thought about it though, the curiouser I got!

What the heck is white chili anyways?!

I knew I had to give this a try! Last night was a perfect time to do it too. If you use dried beans it does take a bit of preparation the night before.

White Chili

1 onion, diced

4 cloves of garlic, minced

1 pepper, diced

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 lbs ground chicken or turkey

2 lb dried northern beans

1 large can diced tomatoes

2 boxes of chicken stock

1/2 tsp oregano

1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp ground coriander

1 can corn, drained

salt and pepper to taste

The night before soak your beans as directed on the back of the package. You can also save time by buying jarred beans, but we don't care for those.

In a stock pot, heat the oil. Add the onion, garlic, pepper and chicken. When the chicken is cooked throughout, add the remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for about an hour or until the beans are soft. Serve.

I have to say, this was awesome and made the whole house smell great! My husband was drooling walking in the door. I did use a green pepper since we are wimps when it comes to spicy. If you like it spicy, use a jalapeno and a bit of chili powder.

I also made a large batch since hunting season is coming up. Half of this I froze for my hubby to take to deer camp for a quick heat it up meal. I also would recommend having your butcher grind up your chicken for you. I used my grinder to do it and what a pain! Chicken has a very thin membrane that tends to clog the machine. If I grind chicken again, I will do it after it's been cooked I think.

This makes a wonderful fall soup! I will be putting this in the keeper pile!

Now I gotta scoot! I have a little something up my sleeve that I am so excited to try out! I so hope it works. If it does, I do believe it could be compared to finding the secret for world peace!

Of course, I will be back to brag and share!

Posted @ Foodie Friday

Week 4 - Pretty In Pink

2011-10-05T05:57:00.000-07:00

Some things are pretty in pink.

Like the roses that my sweet hubby got me after I got my foot set.

Some are still ugly even in pink.

Like my foot in a day glow pink cast! Bitty one requested the pink cast since she LOOOOOVES pink!

She is not crazy with the color of the walls in her room right now. I am kinda with her on that one. The Big one loves it!

But we needed some pink for Bitty. I fell in love with this kitchen that I found a few years ago. I just love it!

Even though it is a kitchen, I used it as a bit of inspiration for their room. Their furniture was painted white a few years ago so I left that. See the baskets on the island? I figured this was a great way to add some pink in here.

I wanted a barely there pink color and that is what I got. Now that it is on though, I am thinking I need to go and have it tinted a bit darker. It's too barely there. Like nonexistent there.

I like the stripes. It gives a playful feel to the room. I still have the monstrosity of a dresser to do though.

I did start to put a few things back in place. That ugly light needs to be replaced.

I did get the boys 2 nightstands coated with the first coat of paint. Definitely needs a second coat though. Pulls too. Makes it alot easier to get into the drawers with pulls.

So there ya go! The very little that I have gotten done upstairs. I am hoping that if I can get through the mounds of laundry that has piled up here I can get more done up there. I have a bit of a problem with stairs and the walking cast.

In the meantime, I do have the dance of the goofernut to amuse me!

A Whirlwind Weekend!

2011-10-03T04:28:00.000-07:00

Oh my goodness! Where did this weekend run off too?! It seems it was gone in a flash! By the time I got a chance to sit down for a minute on Saturday at 10:30 I was whupped! I just went to bed and let the hubby deal with it!

This guy turned the big 13! I can't believe it. It seems like just yesterday he was that cute squirmy baby wrapped in blue. He is turning into such a handsome boy, just like his dad! He wanted to have some of his friends over for the day, so that is what we planned. Prebroken foot plans.

They played video games, munched on food and just had a great time! Teenage boys are so funny. They just crack me up the things they find funny. They played WWE Smackdown vs Raw and had a blast making their own characters. If you notice the character on the right hand side of the screen that is a clown in a speedo and high heels. The boy thought he was a genius making that one!

The dog got in on it too! She loved Tristan and just wouldn't leave him alone!

If that wasn't enough to keep me busy....

....it was Homecoming in Hartland too! I tried to talk my son into "sharing" his party with his sister and having some of her friends over to get ready for the dance. I am so glad he didn't want to! This year she wanted me to do her hair, nails and makeup for her. I am just always amazed at what a gorgeous young lady she is turning out to be!

They are just getting so old!

Atleast I have this little one for a while longer!

Since his friends were over on Saturday, he wanted a special dinner and another cake (he wanted cheesecake for his friends) on Sunday, which is his actual birthday.

All his favorites! Shepherd's Pie and Dirt Cake! Yup, that is the way to my boy's heart!

So that was my relaxing weekend staying off my feet as much as possible. Riiiiight.... I love how doctors will tell you that as if you can just make everything stop cause you aren't supposed to do anything. Um....okay....

I did learn something this weekend!

How pumpkin pies are really made! I found this and it just cracked me up! How funny is that?! How sick is my sense of humor?!

Anyways....

I will be posting week 4 of From The Top Down tomorrow. I managed to get a little bit done. Not a whole lot so don't get too excited!

So until tomorrow! See ya later!

Week 3 - Lots of Pain(t)

2011-09-26T06:37:00.000-07:00

So here it is week 3 of From the Top Down.

Everything was going great this week. Someone who will go unnamed....

....but you know who you are. Don't play innocent with me! Someone had drawn....

....colored....

...and made goofy pictures of me on her walls and furniture. All over it!

I got a fix for you my pretty! Paint! Lots and lots of paint!

I was zooming along! I got the walls painted, are you ready for this color? You can see a bit of it here. The pictures I took are not the best. I would retake them, but we are getting ahead of myself now. I got the furniture cleaned and painted. The desk and dressers are going to be this creamy white. All of the drawers are going to be white and pink stripes. I have the stripes marked off, but not painted.

I was cruising along, like I said earlier. I took down the curtains to wash them and that is when it happened. I was feeling good, the kids and hubby were down at my MIL's house. I was traipsing through the living room with the curtains, caught my laptop cord with my toes and fell. Hard. Threw the curtains up in the air fell. You know it just isn't a project til someone gets hurt. Remember the last time I fell cleaning the kids room and ended up on my back looking at my boob light? This time I just rolled around crying in pain. I was talking to my sister on the phone. I told her I had to call her back. She called my husband. He came home to see if I was ok. I thought the next day I would be fine. My foot really hurt though. I can't put any weight on it without screaming and crying.

Yup! It's broke! Hey, if you are gonna do something, do it right! This is the 3rd time I have broken this foot. They put it in a soft cast for now. I have to go today to have it set and a walking cast put on. For now I am to not put any weight on it (like I could even if I wanted to), keep it elevated and get some rest.

The tribe has been wonderful. The boy even offered to stay home from school to wait on me! I have bitty one to do little things for me. I just have to wait while she "wraps" things up. I asked her to get my medicine for me. It took forever cause she wrapped it up like a present.

So the rooms are on hold til I get the walking cast and can thump up the stairs. I can get around pretty good with crutches and an office wheelie chair though.

That was my week. How was yours?! I hope it was alot better!

Something Sweet For A Sweet Lady!

2011-09-23T15:18:00.000-07:00

Sweet Marydon @ Blushing Rose asked me weeks ago for my bread pudding recipe. I am just now getting around to it. The hardest thing about this recipe is my secret ingredient!

Doughnuts! I have to beat the kids off of them! The first ones I bought, they gobbled down when I was at a school meeting. Yeesh! The recipe says cake doughnuts, but we prefer yeast doughnuts. I also cut the doughnuts in 8 pieces instead of breaking them up. We first had this years ago. My husband loved it. A few weeks later, Michael Chiarello featured this on his show and we have been hooked ever since! You can use any kind of doughnuts, but it's best with Krispy Kreme doughnuts.

Doughnut Bread Pudding

1 stick unsalted butter

1 cup sugar

5 large eggs, lightly beaten

2 cups heavy cream

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup raisins

16 cake doughnuts

Rum sauce:

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/2 pound confectioners' sugar

Dark rum, to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a food processor, combine butter and sugar briefly, just until it forms into a ball. Add eggs, heavy cream, cinnamon, and vanilla, and process until blended.

Lightly butter a 9 by 13-inch baking dish. Break up the doughnuts into 1-inch pieces and layer in the pan. Scatter the raisins over the top. Pour the egg mixture over the doughnuts; soak for 5 to 10 minutes. You will need to push doughnut pieces down during this time to ensure even coverage by egg mixture.

Cover with foil and bake for 35 to 40 minutes. Remove foil and bake for additional 10 minutes to brown the top. The doughnut bread pudding is done when the custard is set, but still soft.

Make the rum sauce: melt butter over medium heat in a saucepan, and take off the heat. Add confectioners' sugar to the melted butter and whisk to blend. Add rum, to taste. Pour the sauce over the bread pudding and allow to soak in.

It's good hot out of the oven, or cold the next day!

BJ @ Sweet Nothings says she puts Lemon Curd on hers! Oh Mama! I am so there! You can find my recipe for Lemon Curd here.

So there ya go! A bit of a twist on an old favorite!

Enjoy!

Week 2 - A Bit Late!

2011-09-21T05:55:00.000-07:00

You should be used to me being late on stuff! If not, get used to it! I didn't get as much done week 2 as I had hoped to.

I thought I would get the room painted.

Nope

I hoped to get the furniture painted.

Nah.

I wanted to get it organized and the clutter contained.

Nay.

Oh well. I did get a couple of problems solved though! Does that count?! I had painted the chest, 2 nightstands and desk a couple of years ago. I also had swapped out the old hardware for some new acrylic handles and knobs. Now, I've added a dresser and took out the 2 nightstands. Makes much more room for all the clothes the 2 girls have. Problem is, the dresser has 7 drawers and they no longer sell the handles that match the other furniture! I got a fix for that though! You will not foil my well laid plans dresser!

The other problem is that their old room had 2 windows. This room has 3. Guess what?! They no longer sell those either! I really want to reuse the ones that I have for them since I like them and they will go with the room. I figured out a fix for that that will cost nothing! Mwahahaha!

But you have to wait to see what I have come up with on both of those.

I've been hesitant to paint their room the color I want to since Dad said he didn't like the color. So, I had to spend last week thinking it through. I've decided I am going to go for it though anyways. Darn him if he turns out to be right!

I am hoping that this week I can get crack a lacking on it! Dad's in Florida. Perfect time! He should know better after 16 years to leave me alone for any length of time! Once this gets done I can start putting some stuff on the walls that is laying around, get some shelves up, buy some cute containers for girly junk....

The boy's room is another story. I got no idea in there and he is NO HELP! I think I might be on the right track with it. Just more planning to do for it.

The wackiness is going strong here at the farmhouse. The boy has decided he is the class clown. I found an appreciation certificate from his English teacher the other day. I am so proud! At his school, they get appreciation points from the staff when they do something nice. I was just busting with pride! My boy did something good! Finally! I gave him a big huge hug and asked him what he did. He bust out laughing. You know the kind of laughing where you can't even talk?

My pride meter was slowly dropping.

Seems that their classroom had a water problem last week, so they were moved to another room. This room had it's own bathroom. No one used the bathroom because everyone in the room could hear EVERYTHING going on in there. He was bored. The class was doing silent reading.

Have you thought UHOH yet?!

He raised his hand to ask the teacher if he could use the bathroom. She gave him permission, totally oblivious of what was about to happen. Now this kid has acquired a new skill of farting on command lately. Loudly too. So he went into the bathroom and just ripped off a couple really loud ones. He said he could hear everyone laughing in the classroom. When he came out, the teacher gave him an appreciation point for it.

He thought it was funny. He thought it is hilarious that his name is on the appreciation board for the week in the lobby of the school.

It also seems that his new "skill" has made him one of the more popular kids at school this year. I guess there are other things more terrible to be popular for.

Dad has been nominated to do all conferences with his English teacher this year.

I would like to thank EVERYONE who lent their love and support to Anna and her family during this terrible time. You guys make me proud! Your outpouring of condolences just made my heart sing that I have such great friends! They have set up a scholarship fund and memorial fund in his name. If you would like more information click here.

I am so behind on things! I have a package to get out to a bloggy friend (I promise soon!), recipes to post..... I really need to post more too! Since I don't see things slowing down any time soon, I just need to suck it up and get it done! I wish I could just take one day a week and work 24 hours. I keep thinking that will help me to get caught up!

Oh well....

....til next time....

....Semper Fi!

Next Blog

2011-09-15T07:16:00.000-07:00

Have you ever hit that button at the top of your blog that says "next blog"? I do when I am bored and can't sleep. Last Wednesday night, I did it. Usually I find old blogs that haven't had a new posts in years or months. Sometimes I will brush off the cobwebs and read them.

One I found last week I really liked. It was up to date too! Bonus! I sat there reading for an hour or so. I could relate to her. I read about her "hot" date with her husband that lasted an hour and ended with him coloring her roots after! How lucky is she? I can't even get mine to pick me up a box of hair color let alone color my roots for me. I totally blame him for it too.

I drooled over pics of her projects

Looked at the pics of her two beautiful children on their first day of school

I joined her site cause I enjoyed it so much. I checked back to see if she had any new posts. Nope, she may be too busy being supermon to post on her blog. The beginning of the school year tend to require alot of time.

Saturday, I read a blurb about her on another blog. Her handsome son, Jack, was killed in a flash flood. I don't even know her or him, but my heart immediately broke.

It still brings me to tears. I can't imagine what Anna from An Inch of Gray, or her family, is going through. Their loss is unimaginable. It was a terrible and tragic accident. He was playing in his own back yard when a flash flood swept him into a nearby creek. He was found 2 hours later.

Yesterday was his service. You can read the loving tribute his mother wrote and said at it here. I have just found her, but I have to say that I admire this woman immensely. Her strength and courage to speak so honestly about her son is admirable. I don't know if I would be as gracious as her. I hope and pray I never find out. I would be pissed off. I would yell and scream at anybody that would stand there and take it. I would want to shake someone and ask "why him"? Why MY son?! I know there is a great scheme to things and everything happens for a reason but this is one of those things that I just don't see it. I couldn't handle seeing his friends grow up. I would break down with every little lego I found stashed in an obscure corner. I wouldn't know how to move on after a great loss like this.

I hope you all will stop by Anna's blog to lend your support. My hope and wish is that she and her family can find comfort and peace.

Semper Fi!

All photos were taken from An Inch of Gray blog.

Week 1 - From the top down!

2011-09-12T13:17:00.000-07:00

Aucune nourriture ou absorbe vos pièces

Keine Speise oder einsaugt Ihre Zimmer

Nessun cibo o beve le sue stanze

Ningún alimento ni bebe en sus cuartos

Ingen mat eller dricker i dina rum

Sorry, I am trying to figure out how to say "No food or drink in your rooms!" that my children will understand. Obviously the english version, even screaming it, is escaping them. This is the first week of From The Top Down! I am determined to get this house in order cause it is driving me crazy. It's not a long drive either....

At the top of the house is my darling and loving childrens rooms. As far away from humans as possible really. Last week we spent somewhat cleaning. 17 loads of laundry. Can you believe it?! I thought I would teach them a lesson by making them do it. I told them if they just put their clothes in the laundry hamper, I would go up and gather it and wash and dry. I found clothes in the doll stroller, under the bed, everywhere except for the laundry hamper. Guess who is doing their own laundry this week? Guess who tried to tell me it just wasn't fair?!

It is pretty much straightened out. Now I just need to get some things to organize their stuff and make it look cute. Hopefully this week I will be painting and getting the closets organized. Just to prove how crazy things are....

....I found Bitty One standing on her headboard looking at the cars going by. Isn't that a pretty picture?! Thank gawd she goes back to school tomorrow! That also means I have to go back to work. Ugh....

Wait til you see what I have in store for the girls room though! The Big Girl wants black. Everything black. The Bitty One wants pink. Lots of pink. So what are they going to get?! I guess you will have to come back next week to see. I think you will be surprised. No, the Big Girl isn't going to get her wish for black.

Til then....

See ya!

Where Were You When The World Stopped Turning?

2011-09-10T06:00:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow marks the 10 year anniversary of 9/11. Bloggers all over are remembering where they were when tragedy struck the United States. In remembrance, blogs will be silent tomorrow.

My oldest daughter was 5 and in kindergarten. The boy child was a rambunctious 3 year old, running through the house creating as much noise as he could. I was in the living room watching the Today show and talking to my dad on the phone.

"Did you see that?!" I asked him.

"That's got to be a joke" he replied.

"No Dad, that just happened!"

It was played off as if a plane went off course and hit the towers. I kept watching. The boy kept making noise. Terrorists. It was no terrible accident. It was on purpose, to make a point. An attack on American soil. A reporter in Washington was on talking about what was happening there. An explosion occurred outside the Pentagon. It was said to be due to construction going on at the Pentagon. This quickly changed to the Pentagon was also hit by a plane.

What the hell was going on?!

I called my husband at work. I couldn't get through. At the time, he was working for a wireless company as the Director of Civil Operations. He was also a Marine Corps Reservist with only 7 days left to go for his contract. I didn't get too worried about getting in touch with him, he was usually on the phone 24/7. I kept watching the news. Hearing about the plane in Pennsylvania. More lives lost.

Bbbbbrrrrrrnnnnnggggg!

The phone ringing scared the crap out of me. I don't know why, maybe I was too caught up in what was going on.

"Hello?!"

"Hello ma'am. This is Sgt Imagonnakickyouinthegut from Selfridge Air Base. I am calling to confirm this is a working number for Sgt Jeff DeLauder".

I think it was about that time that it hit me. This was serious. They were getting ready to activate my husband and his platoon.

"Ma'am?"

"Yes, it is. Is he being activated?"

"Ma'am we are just calling to confirm. I don't have any additional information at this time."

I wanted to scream into the phone, YOU CAN'T HAVE HIM! WE NEED HIM! HE ONLY HAS 7 DAYS LEFT ON HIS CONTRACT! The Sgt had hung up though. The line was silent. There was no one to scream at. Standing in the doorway stood a mini version of my husband looking at me with big eyes, suddenly quiet. I felt like someone had hit me with everything that was happening. I just sat in the chair and cried while he hugged me tight telling me not to cry.

I called my husband and got through. I told him about the phone call. He figured it was coming. He had hired some of his fellow Marines to work for him on crews. He was busy calling them in from the field. Selfridge was under orange alert. He was to report to the base that night for further instructions.

"Can you get my gear ready?"

Get your gear ready?! They can't have you! I need you here! The kids need their daddy! YOU ONLY HAVE 7 DAYS LEFT! It's not fair! They can't have you! I knew it was wrong to feel like that, but I did. I knew this was what he had signed up for. To fight for his country. We said goodbye not knowing when we would see him again that afternoon. I remember just standing on the porch watching his truck go down the street, wondering if he knew how much I loved him and was proud of him.

My husband, center right and his fellow Marines that worked for him.

He didn't come back that night or the next day. They were sequestered on base with no outside contact permitted. I didn't sleep at all that night. I just sat there in front of the tv crying. When he did come home I was grateful he didn't go. I found out though that he was not going to take his discharge date. He was going to stay in the USMC til the crisis was over. I was proud of him. He was torn. Do his duty or stay with his family. He felt he needed to do this, so we supported him. He told me he had to make a will while he was there. My heart sunk. I couldn't imagine not having him there in my life, watching our kids grow up. It just wasn't fair.

His gear sat by the front door. A constant reminder that everything we had worked so hard for could be taken away with a simple phone call. Every time the phone rang my heart stopped. He had given them his cell phone number though to activate him.

Our daughter was in private school. The school had a fun fair coming up. We were required to work so many hours for the fair. Since Jeff was required to be at the base on weekends, I had to change my volunteer hours. The lady across the street was going to watch the kids for me while I did the volunteer work but only was able to do it on Saturday. I explained to the volunteer chairman my situation.

"I'll get someone else to do your hours for you. Don't worry about it. You have enough to deal with now."

I told him I would do it, I just needed to switch. He obliged my request. I was all set for Saturday. When I walked up to report for my time, the entire staff stood up and clapped. I had, and still do remembering it, a knot in my throat as big as Texas. The love and support that I found that day was overwhelming. It was nice to know I was not alone now.

Fortunately, they never activated Jeff. In January, the commander gave him his discharge papers and told him to take them. He did, but felt like he was deserting his fellow Marines. One month later, they were deployed overseas.

Sgt Duane Dreasky being interred at Arlington. My husband attended high school with him.

He has lost fellow Marines and even a high school friend during this time. It seemed for awhile there was new news of someone he knew giving their life for their country. My heart goes out to these families they left behind.

It has been 10 years. My Marine has made me laugh, cry and madder than a wet hen at times. Through everything that we have been through, he has never made me ungrateful that he is still here. He is my rock, my best friend and I don't know what I would do without him.

My blog will be silent until Monday morning in observance of the 10 year anniversary of 9/11. My thoughts and prayers are with those families who have suffered terrible loss on this fateful day. I hope that they have found comfort and peace.

Semper Fi!

Back To School!

2011-09-07T04:21:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was the first day of school, THANK GAWD! The day started at 5:30 AM! I can't believe that people do this on a regular basis. I can't remember when I did this on a regular basis! Oh wait, last year.... I am not a morning person. I need to get up atleast a half hour before the tribe. They ARE morning people. Morning people who like to talk. ALOT. Everything was going great. Everyone was getting along, laughing, joking, until it came time to leave. Bitty One threw herself down on the floor in front of the back door and screamed and cried "IT'S NOT FAIR!" Unfortunately, her school doesn't start til next week.

Trust me honey, if I could send ya early, I would!

After an hour of this, I felt like joining her! Thankfully my MIL surprised me by taking Bitty to visit great grandma. PHEEEW! Bitty even gave me permission to watch something else besides Mickey Mouse Playhouse. Is she a peach or what?! Guess who didn't change the channel til an hour after she was gone?

The first day was a good one though for the big ones. They love it, but give them a few weeks and they will be back to normal and hating it. Especially the boy child. That is a feat in itself!

The good news is that I didn't get swallowed up by cleaning the kids rooms. You know, the rooms that I told them at the beginning of summer that we weren't doing ANYTHING til they were clean?! Yeah, those rooms. My washer and dryer has run nonstop all weekend long! Of course, I made them take everything out of the drawers and wash it.

They were talking about how nice it is to have a clean room. I was glad they appreciated it, but I had to burst their bubbles and tell them they are far from clean!

They are just kinda organized. I still have the closets to clean out, hang up clothes, mop floors, paint (LOTS of paint!) and some ways to organize the mounds of crap that they accumulate. I threw out 7 garbage bags of broken stuff, plain old garbage and too small clothes already. Yes, I am a proud mama!

I am going to start a series for Mondays. From The Top Down. Next week starts week one. It's going to be about cleaning, organizing and decorating this house from the top down. I am just sick of all the clutter that has accumulated and continues to grow around here. Mom is on the rampage! Watch out!

Thank you everyone for your sweet comments. It does help to go through the unthinkable having my sister with me!

I will be posting some recipes that I promised last week at the end of this week. Pinky promise!

Until then....

See Ya!

September Inspiration Party!

2011-09-01T07:10:00.000-07:00

Can you believe it is almost September?! The stores are already pushing Halloween AND Christmas! Ugh!

My inspiration this month is someone who is often taken for granted. Let me tell you her story.

I first met her 47 years ago. She was unemployed and just showed up to live at our house! Can you believe it? Well, I tried it out for a week and decided she had to go! All my mom did was wait hand and foot on HER! She fed her, clothed her, even bathed her in MY sink! The nerve! I found out that the mailman was the culprit who brought her here. I put her on the porch in a laundry basket of clothes that my mom was folding for him to take her back. Unfortunately, my mom found out and immediately brought her back in and announced I was NOT TO DO THAT AGAIN!

Hmmmph!

I was expected to share everything with her. My toys, my room, my mom's attention. After a few years she settled in and realized that I was top dog though. She was fun to play with. We spent alot of time getting to know each other over tea parties when our dolls were sleeping. We grocery shopped together in my mom's pantry in the basement. We rode bikes through our town drawn out on the driveway. We even built a house together out of a refrigerator box in the backyard.

When I was about 16, she turned into the creepy one that I was stuck with again. Her friends were nerds, mine were cool. She didn't get into trouble, I stayed in trouble. She got good grades, I didn't "apply" myself. She wore a bra, I didn't just to drive my dad crazy. She was stable, I was a wild child also pushing my dad's buttons when ever I got the chance.

It wasn't until a tragedy struck that I realized what my role as big sister really was. My mom commited suicide when I was 22. I was stationed in Georgia in the army. She was still at home. I remember calling that night. It was soon after it had happened. I don't know why, but I felt that I had to call home. My sister answered hysterical, said she couldn't talk and hung up. I knew something was wrong and called my mom's best friend who went to the house. It still hurts to think about that night. I have to say that was the worst night of my life. I was in the hospital at the time. I had pnuemonia. The next day I checked myself out of the hospital and went home.

I landed in Detroit and there was the shattered remains of my family. My sister grabbed me first, crying and asked me "what are we going to do now?" My dad was just crumpled. He couldn't talk, just look at me with tears in his eyes. We got through it together, side by side and have stayed that way since.

She is still the good one and I am still the wild child. We have been there for each other. I was a bridesmaid when she walked down the aisle. We have been there for each other when our children were born. She is my best friend. I can tell her anything. She knows my deepest darkest secrets and keeps them safe for me. We have shared our lives with each other and I couldn't think of a better person to do that with. We have grown close through the years and I wouldn't trade her for the world.

My inspiration this month is my sister Loretta. She is an inspiration to me all the time though. She is beautiful, funny and loving. I am so proud of her. She is raising her son on her own, working a full time job and finishing up her Master's degree from U of M. She is untiring and ambitious. I wish all the best for her!

Now it is time for ya'll to post your inspirations!

You know the deal!

I can't wait to see who inspires you!

Menu Ideas for Week of Aug 29th

2011-08-29T09:13:00.000-07:00

The last week of summer vacation! Yikes, where did the time go? Atleast the kids will be going back to school with new underbritches! That is about as far as I've gotten. There are shoes, backpacks, supplies, the list goes on....

One more quick and easy menu coming up!

Monday

BBQ Chicken and Ribs

Grilled Corn on the Cob

Coleslaw

Apple Dumplings

Mmmm...just a few more weeks left of good weather to BBQ! You better believe I am going to take advantage of this! The chicken, ribs and corn are so easy. Just slather the meat with BBQ sauce and grill! I made a batch of BBQ sauce, left it in the pot and just dunked the meat right into it! I just love a thick coating of BBQ sauce on chicken. Yes, the chicken is just a vehicle to eat BBQ sauce in my house! Click on the links for the cole slaw and dumplings!

Tuesday

Tomato pie Quiche

Cabbage Soup

Tomato Pie Quiche

2 tomatoes, diced

Shredded Mozzarela Cheese

4-6 slices of bacon cooked and crumbled

4 eggs

1/2 cup cream

1 deep dish pie shell

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, beat the eggs and cream together. Fold in remaining ingredients. Pour into pie shell. Cook for about 25-30 minutes or until pie is done and light brown. Serve warm.

I am putting a twist on my cabbage soup this time. I am replacing the beans with yellow squash. I have tried this before and I do believe that I prefer it this way. So yummy! One of these days, I am going to get the stuff to make my own cheese! This is definitely on my to do list!

Wednesday

Fried Green Tomato Burgers

Sweet Potato Fries

Cole Slaw

Lava Cabbage Chocolate Cake

Look for a post on this later in the week! Everything is just too much to put in a little blurb like this. It truly deserves a post of it's own.

Thursday

Chicken and Mushroom Pasta

Parmesan Puffed Pastry Breadsticks

Ceasar Salad

Yvonne and Paula are visiting in one day! I would say that Paula is in great company. I am revising Paula's pasta dish a bit. Instead of using shrimp, I am using chicken tenderloins. The boy and bitty are not that crazy about shrimp. Can you believe it? I can't wait to make some homemade pasta for this recipe!

Friday

BLT French Bread Pizza

1 loaf of wide french bread sliced longways and cut in half

Mayonnaise

1 lb bacon, cooked and crumbled

2 tomatoes sliced thin

Lots of Mozzarela cheese

Shredded lettuce, if desired

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread mayonnaise to cover french bread. Sprinkle with crumbled bacon. Lay slices of tomatoes over bacon. Cover with LOTS of cheese! Place on cookie sheet. Bake in oven about 20 minutes. When done, if desired, top with lettuce. Cut and serve!

This pizza is awesome and so easy to make. My kids just love it too! Always a bonus!

Now don't worry dearhearts, we are not going to be fasting this weekend. We are planning a last minute little vacation with the kids before school starts on Tuesday.

Ready for some cuteness?

Or how about some rugged boy puppy love?

Or some bored teenagerness?

Yeah, I got something for your boredness! Lets go clean rooms!

If you don't see me for a few days, the pile of laundry in there rooms has take me hostage. Send chocolate!

Posted @ Stone Gable's On The Menu Monday

More Blabberings From The Old Lady

2011-08-26T13:36:00.000-07:00

I'm bored.

That is all I hear from my kids. That and "I don't want school to start". Except for the bitty one. She loves school. Who wouldn't love preschool? I want to be able to go to preschool. Not as a teacher, those kids would drive me nuts, but as a student. Someone tells you when to pee, when to eat and there is all the glue you can stuff in your pie hole available. Plus glitter, lots of glitter!

"Mom, where does popcorn come from?" Yes, these are the earth changing questions that I have to answer on a daily basis. "Corn". Short and sweet answers usually do the trick. "Buuuuut..... how do they maaaaaakkkkkke it?" Yes, you do have to drag out the letters when you are 4. It helps to substantiate between the pertinent questions and just the plain old stupid ones. My reply? Weeeellllllll, me being the stellar mom that I am was "How the heck do I know? Do I look like Orville Redenbacher?" I hope she didn't think I would google it, I had a candy bar in one hand and a diet coke in the other for pete's sake! Plus, the laptop was aaaaaalllllll the way on the other side of the coffee table.

Now, I usually don't talk politics here, but I got this email from my hubby that I thought was hilarious!

Russia's Prime Minister Vladimir Putin

Our President Barak Obama

How fair is this? They get Rambo and we get Erkel!

"I just don't get it" Just shut up and sit on your naughty step.

Looks like we are going to have company for dinner honey!

No, that isn't dirt, it's ANTS! I don't know why they are breaking into our house, there's no food in there. Trust me, I've checked! I guess it's time to call Orkin.

I've been painting the last few days. Not that painting is on my to do list. There are other things that I should be doing, like cleaning. Why not add more pain to injury and totally trash the house by moving the furniture away from the walls and taking everything down. Yes, let's. You know what is even better than that though? Is getting the job done, getting everything cleaned up and put away and standing back to admire your work....

....to realize you missed a spot. Ok, that is more than a spot. That is like a total area. How the heck did I do that? I mean, I could cover one whole butt cheek by sitting in the tray of paint and yet I miss that spot....errr....area. Every single freaking time I paint, I manage to sit in the tray of paint. You would think that I would learn by now, but nope. Atleast you can see the two different colors. Bye bye yellow! Weeeellllll....except for that spot....

I do have the event of the year to plan for. Can you believe that my oldest is going to turn 16 in March?! I don't know how she got so old and I manage to stay 21. I mean, oh my garsh, really?! She is already planning her party too. she wants a big party. A rock and roll party. I don't know how I am going to pull that one off. I wonder if she would just settle for Strawberry Shortcake and call it good. A karaoke machine. Has to have a karaoke machine too. I mean really, does she know how poorly her friends sing? Does she know how poorly mom sings after a few cocktails? Does she know how bad mom sings sober?

Speaking of singing, do you remember Tiffany the singer? She had that song "I Think We Are Alone Now"? Remember her? Who told that poor woman she could act?! Of course it was a very well made movie, NOT!

That is about all for my ramblings for now. I still need to have BJ @ Sweet Nothings contact me about her prize! I am doing a pizza party with my nieces tonight. FUN! I may even share with you all my superdedooper BLT pizza! Yum!

See ya later!

The Results!

2011-08-24T07:44:00.000-07:00

I know you all are waiting on the edge of your seats wondering how the rain dance went last night.

Ummmm....

I don't know if Texas got rain, but we did! About an hour later it STORMED! My grandma used to say that rain was the angels crying. I think last night they were wailing and gouging their eyes out! Thank goodness it was just in time for when I was walking out of the grocery store with a load of groceries.

Darn you Mother Nature!

Anyways, the tribe has food now and that is all that matters. Right?!

Today I am going to finish up some projects that I have started around here. Like the curtain project in the living room. I found the boy and bitty one using my last curtain rod as swords on the trampoline today. Why you may ask? "You weren't using it!"

Oh.... go eat something!

Hopefully, I will have some stuff to show off really soon besides a messy house.

Hmmmm.... is there anything else?

Oh....

....wait....

....the giveaway winner!

So, who is the lucky winner of the 8x10 photo canvas print of your choice?

Drumroll please....

....so hard to get good help....

BJ @ Sweet Nothings!

Come on down!

Well, actually, just email me and I will put you in touch with the lovely Megan for your print!

It's gumbo night tonight!

I love gumbo! That and jambalaya sound like such happy food!

I might need to get out the limbo pole....

Reminder!

2011-08-23T16:44:00.000-07:00

Just a reminder that my giveaway ends tonight at midnight!

If you haven't already, you can enter it here.

For now, I am off to do an ancient Indian rain dance handed down from my drunken Irish ancestors.

My sister may be taking up a collection for bail money later since it needs to be done completely nekkid.

The things I do for my bloggy friends in Texas!

See ya tomorrow with the winner!

It's All About The Quick And Easy!

2011-08-22T07:32:00.000-07:00

Two more weeks of summer vacation left! Can you believe it? Where did the time go?

Oh summer, I had such grand plans for you and you failed me again! I was going to do lots of day trips with the kids, get the house cleaned and organized, the list goes on....

Nothing! I got nothing done!

Now it is almost time for back to school. So much to do and so little time!

This school year is going to be rough. We are going to have big adjustments to get used to. Time is going to be a valued commodity around here.

I so need to be organized!

One way that I need to get more organized is with meal planning. This "flying by the seat of my pants" menu planning has got to stop. I have found it so much easier when I know what I am going to fix for the week.

It needs to be quick and easy during the week too.

I plan on using Yvonne @ Stone Gable's On the Menu Monday to help out with that!

Monday

Slow Roasted Beef

Mashed Potatoes and Gravy

Green Beans

Slow Roasted Beef

1 roast 4-5 lbs
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Coarse salt
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Directions
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Remove roast from refrigerator. Whisk oil, flour, 4 teaspoons salt, sugar, and pepper in a small bowl
Place roast in a roasting pan. Lightly score fat. Rub roast with flour mixture. Roast for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 375 degrees, and continue to roast, basting frequently with pan juices, for 1 hour more. Roast, basting meat occasionally, until thickest part registers 135 to 140 degrees on an instant-read thermometer (avoiding the bone) for medium-rare, about 45 minutes more. (Total cooking time should be about 2 hours.) Transfer to a cutting board, reserving pan drippings for Yorkshire pudding; tent with foil, and let rest for at least 20 minutes (or up to 1 hour) before carving.

I adapted this recipe from Martha Stewart. It was for a standing rib roast. I found that using a regular roast it is just as good!

Tuesday

BBQ Chicken

Corn on the Cob

Homemade Baked Beans

I'll have an upcoming post about the BBQ sauce. I started making mine a few years ago and now the tribe refuses to eat anything but! Lynn @ Happier Than A Pig In Mud posted this recipe on baked beans and I have been waiting to try it out! I can't wait!

Wednesday

Gumbo

Apple Dumplings

You might remember the gumbo from a few months ago. Lynne did a challenge with Paula Deen and I used this recipe. My sister made these apple dumplings from Paula also. Both have quickly become a favorite of the tribe!

Thursday

Shepherd's Pie

1 premade deep dish pie shell

1 lb ground beef

1 can Cream of Mushroom soup

1/2 soup can of milk

8 servings of mashed potatoes

1 cup Cheddar Cheese

Brown meat in a skillet. Add soup and milk. Stir. Add to pie shell. Add cheese to potatoes and cover entire top of meat with potato mixture. Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 25 minutes or until light brown. Cool and serve.

Friday

Pigs In a Blanket

Baked Beans

Pigs In A Blanket

1 pkg hot dogs (Jewish Nationals are best!)

2 cans biscuits

4 slices cheese

Take 2 biscuits and smush together. Roll out to cover your hot dog. Place hot dog in center of rolled out biscuit. Slit the hot dog lengthwise. Using half a slice of cheese, cut in half again. Position both pieces of cheese in slit on dog. Fold ends of biscuits over hot dog and roll up sides. If you get any holes in biscuits, pinch together. Place on cookie sheet and bake in 350 degree

oven for about 25-30 minutes or until golden. Let cool and serve.

That is about as far as I have gotten with the menu for this week. This weekend is going to be a whirlwind of shopping and get togethers.

Wish me luck!

Posted @ Stone Gables On The Menu Monday!

Don't forget to enter the giveaway! You will get an extra entry for posting your pic on the linky tool! The winner will be announced on Wednesday.

A Giveaway You Won't Want To Miss!

2011-08-16T07:46:00.000-07:00

Here it is! My giveaway! I haven't done a giveaway in a loooooong time!

What you get:

I have my first sponsor! (Insert happy dance) Easy Canvas Prints has a really awesome product. You simply send them a picture of your choice, choose your options and VOILA! they send you a canvas print of your pic!

How cool is that?!

How cool is it that they are going to give one lucky White Farmhouse reader an 8'x10" print for FREE!

How do you enter?

Well.... it's pretty easy. All you need to do is visit Easy Canvas Prints here and do a little window shopping. Create a post about which picture you would use and which options. Link your post back here and you are entered! Please leave a comment after posting your link.

New Smyrna Beach, FL

I am going to get a print of this shot from our Florida vacation for my bathroom.

You can also be entered for the print by

1. Leaving a comment

2. Becoming a follower of the White Farmhouse.

3. Liking Easy Canvas Prints on Facebook here.

Just leave a seperate comment for each entry.

The contest starts....

NOW!

....and ends next Tuesday. I will announce the winner on Wednesday!

I can't wait to see what you will do if you win!

Good Luck Everyone!

God's Daily Miracles

2011-08-15T17:12:00.000-07:00

I know I promised to post about the giveaway today. I have been quite taken back by the happenings of today though. Today was one of those days where looking back, you realize the miracles that God performs on a daily basis. It gives you a different outlook on life.

I was just out on the back patio, minding my own business, ok I was checking out what the neighbors were doing.... you caught me. There was this sound that was the most horrific sound I have heard in a long time. I ran around to the front of the house knowing there was another accident. The road in front of our house is a major one in Michigan. Really busy. There was this car sitting on the side of my driveway smoking. I took off running towards the car to try to help. A very nice man who had seen what had happened, was parked and trying to get across traffic to the car also.

I have to say I was a little nervous, I was sure that whoever was in the car was killed. I didn't see another car though. When we got to the driver side, we found a young kid was driving. My heart sank. He started moving and crying, trying to get out of the car. The man who came to help was trying to get his door opened but couldn't. I told them both to stop. If he was injured, he could make it worse moving. I called 911 and tried to get him to breathe. I held his hand and talked to his mom about what had happened. He had managed to get half out of the car and was sitting on the door. He was pinned into the car by his leg.

Thankfully, the fire department got there! I am not a good person to have with injuries. I had gotten some towels from the house since he had a cut on his leg that was "spurting". I told them to hold pressure on it to help stop the bleeding and tried to get him to slow his breathing down.

So.... what happened?! See that pole in front of the car? On the right side of the drive is a steep slope by the shoulder of the road. He went along that slope and when he hit the slope by the driveway his car went airborne and hit that pole about 10' from the bottom of it. The car slid off the pole and landed at the base of it.

I can just imagine his guardian angel, sitting on his shoulder and thinking "Holy crap! We're flying into that freaking pole!"

Personally, I think he is lucky that he hit the pole. See the tall grass? He probably would of landed in there. You can't see in the pic, but there are these humongous boulders in that tall grass. Who knows what would of happened to him if he had landed on those.

He did have passengers too.

These two little guys were in the car. He told us the ferrets were in there and very nice. We caught them and I kept them in my house til his uncles came to pick them up. Bitty one just loved them! After riding around in a shopping cart though, they were probably thinking put us back in the flying car NOW!

Guess who was throwing a tantrum when they got picked up?

I am happy to report that the driver is doing good. They did have to take him into surgery. The parking lever was impaled into his shin bone. Thankfully, that was the worst of his injuries. No internal injuries or head injuries. Lots of cuts and abrasions. The sheriff told him mom it was a miracle that he survived. A little bit over and he might have been crushed by the engine coming through the dashboard. The cause of the accident was mechanical. The front wheel bearing went and locked up the steering. He hit that pole at about 60 mph.

Just one of the miracles that God performed today. A mom will be able to hold and kiss her son goodnight. I know I gave my kids a big hug and kiss! I also told the big girl she is NOT taking driver's ed!

I pinky swear that I will post the giveaway party tomorrow!

P.S. I added this pic. See the smudge mark on the tower? That is where his car hit and slid off

We Can Get By With A Little Help From Our Friends!

2011-08-13T05:35:00.000-07:00

One of the sweetest people in blogland has to be Marydon from Blushing Rose. She uses her blog, besides other things, to help others. This woman is truly amazing! She puts her own needs aside to help others on a regular basis.

Rarely does she ask for anything, but she needs a little help. She is helping to achieve a goal of 5,000 comments to help a wonderful little boy with a brain tumor. You can read the story here and leave a comment to help out. You have until August 18th to leave a comment. I am asking everyone who visits here to stop by and leave a comment to help her out. Tell her that I sent ya!

Don't forget to come back on Monday to find out about the giveaway!

Day Four - The Bestest Day EVER In The Whole World!

2011-08-12T04:11:00.000-07:00

Are you ready for the BESTEST DAY EVER IN THE WHOLE WIDE WORLD?! Are you sure? I can come back later if you like? No?! Okay, here we go....

For the BESTEST DAY EVER IN THE WHOLE WIDE WORLD, we went back to Sea World! We still didn't get to see and do everything even with 2 days in the park. The bitty one even said it was better than Disney! Imagine that!

The bitty one got to meet a mermaid. She even got a pearl from an oyster. A gold pearl. I need to get it set in a necklace for her. I was thinking of saving it and giving it to her for her 16th birthday. Anyways....

....while the boys rode on these....

....we went to the dolphin show. These people are freaking nuts! The show was spectacular but they are crazy diving 30' in the air into a 24' deep pool! You wouldn't catch me doing that! The girls loved it. I told the boy he needed to go and see it. That is right up his alley! I could see him doing all those daredevil feats!

Bitty one liked all the fairies dancing around. I think they were supposed to be birds though. I don't know.

Then came the part that made this THE BESTEST DAY EVER IN THE WHOLE WORLD! Guess what I got to do?! Come on guess! I got to....are you ready for it?

PLAY WITH A BELUGA WHALE!! OMG! It was so much fun! I had a blast! Besides the fact that I had to cram my fat buttocks in a wet suit. That, my dears, was alot of pulling, tugging, jumping, and cussing to get all of me into it. Where is a tub of lard when you need it?! I did manage to get all my girl parts zipped up into it though. I couldn't move, but I was in it. That's me on the far right.

They told us about the whales before we went out. They are pretty cool, like a big jiggly puppy that lives in the water. The guy said we would be sitting on this bridge over the "pool". My first question was how deep is this "pool". Just the same as the show pools, 24'. Okay guess who is afraid of water? And bridge? Did you really say bridge? No, it's more like a catwalk over the 24' POOL! I think by the look on my face he realized that he wasn't making me feel any more comfortable. So there I am a sweaty mess in a rubber suit that only made me look fatter holding onto anything to make it over this "bridge" without falling into the 24' "pool" or crying. Dude, don't even tell me to get closer to the edge either cause I will push you into the pool!

When we first sat down, the whale kept on spitting water at me. I'd splash him back, he'd spit, I'd splash him, he'd spit.... you get the idea. The trainer finally told me after I was soaking wet with freezing cold water that splashing him is the command for him to spit water! That little tidbit of information would of been most helpful before I ended up looking like a drowned rat!

They even rolled over so we could pet them like a big ole puppy! They are so cool! If you took a plastic bag, filled it with jello that is about what they felt like. They are just all soft and jiggly.

They showed us hand signals to get them to do tricks. Here he is bringing his crazy butt back to us. I could of stayed here all day just playing with him. Talk about a cool job to have!

We even got hugs....

....and kisses!

And wetter! It was so much fun! 1-1/2 hours was not long enough! I wanted to throw myself down and have a tantrum on that little catwalk over the water with no handrails. I also didn't want to leave cause after sitting in this position for an hour and a half I lost all feeling in my legs. I was tempted to ask the trainer if he would just grab one of my arms and pull me out!

I mean, look at that sweet face! Who wouldn't love him? I am spoiled now cause if we ever go back to Sea World, I'm gonna want to do this again! My husband said it would be the kids turn next time, but screw that! I wanna do it again!

So there ya go! Our Florida vacation including the BESTEST DAY EVER IN THE WHOLE WORLD! I won't bore you with our last day there. It was mostly just trying to kill time til our flight. It was raining so we camped out at Olive Garden and stuffed our faces.

Don't forget! Monday is my linky party giveaway you won't want to miss!

And yes, for all those wondering, Bob was walked back into the ocean. When the kids let him go, I told my husband "watch one of those birds grab him" but I think he was way too big. As far as we know he is crawling along the bottom looking for food as I type!

Don't forget Monday! Be here or be square!

Day Three - New Smyrna Beach

2011-08-11T05:06:00.001-07:00

Day 3 was a relaxing day at the beach. My husband found this quiet beach on the ocean for us to visit. We didn't want a touristy spot like Cocoa Beach. Just a quiet place for the kids to play and relax. New Smyrna Beach is just the spot!

You walk along this boardwalk to get from the parking area to the beach. It's about a mile of boardwalk which seems about 80 in the sun!

It does prepare you to just jump in to cool off! Of course bitty one was worried about sharks since the 2 older ones had to watch "Shark Week" while we were here. She loved splashing around in the water very close to shore though. She is at the stage where she doesn't walk anywhere. Just runs!

The boy flopped down and immediately got buried! Note to self. If I stay still long enough the children will bury me alive!

I had to giggle at this guy. He had 2 little girls with him. They got him to make them a sand castle and then ran off to play in the water. They kept on yelling out their "change orders" to him and he was nice enough to comply!

The birds were out looking for some yummy morsels for a snack. I just kept on thinking of the seagulls in Nemo. "Mineminemine!"

When we first got here, the waves were really rolling in! Anyone remember the show "Dark Shadows"? This reminds me of the waves in the opening of the show. I loved that show! Barnabus rocked! Anyways, on the other side of these breakers....

The surfers were out having fun! Cowabunga dude! Boy, do I sound like a retard or what?!

Slowly, the tide started rolling out. I told the kids about the tide pools where little creatures get trapped. They went running from pool to pool looking for sea life.

I found this heart shaped pool and just couldn't resist!

They eventually did find this guy that they named Bob. The boy child found a stick and got Bob to latch onto it so he could take him for a walk. Isn't that what everyone does with their found crab named Bob?

You can find all kinds of oddities when the tide rolls out. I have a whole plastic bag of stinky sea finds to prove it. We found this which of course came home with us also. I think it is a hunk of barnacles, but I am not sure. We don't have stuff like this in Michigan.

A view of the beach with the tide rolling out.

The sun was starting to set which was gorgeous! My pictures really don't do it justice.

Me and the tribe began the long walk back to the car. I thought the skeeters in Michigan were vicious, but they are nothing like the Florida ones! By the time we got back we were covered with bites from them and the sand fleas! I'm still itching!

The best day of the whole vacation is tomorrow! OMG! It was the best day of my life! A once in a lifetime opportunity! I enjoyed it so much I cried like a 3 year old that I didn't want it to end! You just won't believe what I got to do!

And, no, that isn't me! There isn't enough alcohol or money to get me to do that over a 24' deep pool! I would be just a big fat red thing clutching to the rope and screaming while being whipped through the air! It did happen at Sea World though. We went back for a 2nd day and still did not see everything!

Ohohoh! I got my first sponsor! And guess what?! There is going to be a linky party giveaway! I will let you know all the details on Monday when the party starts! You definitely are going to want to get in on this! It's freaking awesome!

Until then, as my son says, "Smell ya later!"

Day Two - Shamu!

2011-08-10T04:26:00.000-07:00

I know you all are on the edge of your seat just waiting to hear more exciting news about our vacation! I promise that day 2 is better than day 1. Get ready for picture overload!

We looked at the forecast for our time in Florida and it said rain, rain and more rain. Actually we got beautiful weather. It did rain a couple of times but it didn't spoil the fun. We spent the day at Sea World. If you haven't been to SW, you definitely have to put it on your list. Don't tell bitty one, but I liked it more than Disney! There is really something for everyone there.

I don't know what it is about my kids and sea rays, but they love them! Every place that has ray petting my kids are all over it! They could stay here for hours petting and getting splashed by these pancake gliding creatures. I think it might be that they like to touch EVERYTHING!

Next, we waited in a long hot line to feed and touch the dolphins. See?! Again with the touching! This crazy bird decided he wanted some food too and stole a fish from us which totally freaked out bitty!

Trying to get her to touch a dolphin was another thing. She also didn't want to have anything to do with touching the stinky slimy fish either. Guess who got to handle those for her?

She wanted to get more cause "Mommy! They are still hungry!" but I was already smelling like a fish market on a hot day. They don't look underfed to me either. Look at that double chin this guy is sporting!

Bitty one was so mad cause she was just 2" too short to ride on the big rides. I was the lucky one who got to entertain her crying, whining self while the other kids and dad rode this. I don't know what I am going to do when she is tall enough. Right now I can use her as an excuse to not ride the coasters. Yeah, yeah, I am a big chicken! She did like that she got to squirt them with water guns when they went past us though!

Then it was onto the main attraction....

....Shamu and friends! Jeff took the kids up front and I stayed at the back.

I KNEW you'd get wet, they didn't! I know, I am mean like that. They all came out looking like drowned rats and the bitty one yammering away about how the fish got her wet! It's a whale honey, not a fish!

It's amazing that they can get these large animals to do what they do!

I mean, I don't weigh close to 12,000 pounds and I can't jump like that! Did you know that their tank holds 17 million gallons of water?! Bet they don't top that off with a garden hose!

Told ya they looked like drowned rats!

These guys were amazing! They walked around in the kiddie section playing music and dancing on their stilts. Jeffrey says he wants to do that now. I am afraid of what he will come up with!

They rode rides.....

....rides....

....and more rides. In fact, this coaster she could ride and did so practically non stop. She would get off the ride, grab dad by the hand and drag him back in line!

He is just as wonderful as he is handsome though!

The wind kicked up and it looked like rain, so we ducked into this theater to watch a pet show that was very cute! It made me miss my big black girl at home! They did some really cute skits with the animals.

That was about it for the day. We were here from 10 am to 11 pm. Talk about being worn out! We didn't even get to see everything which is okay since we plan on another day visiting.

Tomorrow we spent the day relaxing at the beach. We found a gorgeous, secluded beach that we loved. That's for tomorrow though.

As for today, I gotta get crack-a-lacking on some yard work!

Ugh!

I Am Back!

2011-08-09T08:29:00.000-07:00

We are back from Florida with tons of pics too! We had such a fabulous time! I have to say this was one of our best vacations yet. Everyone had a ball. With all the catching up I have to do I am going to need another vacation!

We arrived in Florida on Thursday. We had a wonderful suite that I could of lived in. It's nice to have someone come and make your bed and pick up after you!

We had a living room, bedroom, kitchenette (not that I planned on cooking!) and bath.

We got there about 3 in the afternoon and spent the day at the pool. This was about the only time that we had here.

Everyone was all smiles all weekend long.

The bitty one was upset cause we didn't bring her life jacket so she couldn't really swim too much. She loves to swim but is not confident enough to do it without the life jacket. She still looked awful cute!

I can't believe how big this boy has gotten!

A few dives into the pool and he had a following! He had all the boys at the pool doing dives by the time it was to go.

Big sister was even nice enough to spend some time with the bitty one. Talk about a rare moment!

Tomorrow will be picture overload from our day with this guy! He is freaking huge!

As for now, I have 2 suitcases full of laundry, grocery shopping to do unless I can come up with something creative to make with ketchup, an onion and garlic and lots of house cleaning! Plus, some quality time with my big, black girl who is still pouting that she got left behind! And.... catching up on everyone's blogs too!

I better get crack-a-lacking!

August Inspiration Party!

2011-08-02T04:15:00.000-07:00

I almost forgot all about this! Ok, I did forget all about it.... Thank you so much BJ for the reminder! Between getting ready to fly off to Florida on Thursday and kids going back to school my brain is just scattered!

So.... for my August inspiration.... we have....

(insert drumroll)

Can anyone guess who this is? It is none other than the gorgeous, lovely and fun loving Lynn from Happier Than A Pig In Mud! I have followed her blog for awhile now and I just love it! You never know what to expect! I knew I would love it just from the title. Love at first sight! How could a piggie lover not be fun loving?!

Lynn writes with such a flair. Her posts reflect her funny and energetic personality. She also has the worlds cutest sidekick who is always getting into something!

Earl!

I have tried quite a few of her recipes and they are as downhome good and tasty as Lynn. Ok, I don't know if Lynn is tasty, I've never bitten her. She is so sweet though, how could she not be tasty? I love the reviews she gives for each recipe. They have come in so handy for me.

Plus, look at her wicked cool photo shop skills!

She also hosts a monthy Celebrity Cook Off. This month she is featuring Rachel Ray. They are as much fun as she is too!

If you haven't been to Happier Than A Pig In Mud you really need to! Lynne just loves company!

I promise Lynn, if I don't get out your package this week, I will when we get back from Florida!

Now, it's your turn? Who has inspired you? It's easy to participate, just make a post about that person and link it here! Let that person know how they inspired you. There is even a button for them!

So come on! Share some bloggy love! Everyone can use a virtual hug or pat on the back!

Oh yeah, I stole all the pics from Lynn cause I am shameless like that!

The party will be up til next Tuesday when we get back from Orlando!

The Grand Pick Up Finale!

2011-07-27T14:24:00.000-07:00

Guess who is done?!

Guess who is filthy and in dire need of a pedicure?!

Guess who celebrated with one of these?! (Ok, maybe 2....)

If you guessed me, no not you me....

me me. You would be correct! My face is not actually that fat either. The camera adds 80 pounds ya know!

Where did it all go to?

Here! I didn't even let the rain stop me. Worked right in it. Ok, it was really just sprinkling. Now for a little grass seed or alot of sweet talking to my hubby to put on a deck and it will look great.

Next job is to move some rocks! Ugh!

How To Burn 1511 Calories

2011-07-27T07:09:00.000-07:00

Now that I am on this live strong kick, I have been burning waaaay more calories than I consume in a day. What, you may ask, have I been doing? Playing in the dirt!

Remember our weekend yard crash?! I know, how could you forget, I have whined enough about it. Well there was some cleanup that just hasn't gotten done and was driving me crazy! I forgot to take pics of the other 2 piles of spoils and was into this one when I remembered. Here is the largest pile by the back door.

I have been moving these to get them out of the way. The kids have been playing "king of the mountain" on this and really packed it down! Thank you babies! This has entailed using a pitchfork and a shovel to move buckets of this junk. Then hopping on Husky Vera to drive it up to the front of the house. Up by the road I have one small section where they put in a new monopole for utilities. After they were done, the bank is now so steep that you can't get the mower up there. So, I am using these spoils to change the grade of the slope so I can mow. By hand. Sweating my arse off.

Here....

....and here....

are where two smaller piles were. These were easy peasy compared to the ginormous one. I have been so filthy for the last 2 days, I actually sweat mud!

Here is the ginormous humonguoso one now. If you want to be my BFF, tell me it's gotten smaller! I'm hoping today that it is gone! Only kidding about the BFF thing, you are ALL my BFF's! MUWAAAAH!

Do you know what I did find out?!

I can grow grass! Atleast I think it is grass. I spread Kentucky Blue Grass seed where we had changed the grade and this is sprouting up now. Aren't my baby grass plants cute?!

Once I get this done, I pinky swear that I will post pics of the new stinking cute haircut. As for the live strong, I have lost 1" off my waist so far! When I look down, my boobs stick out farther than my belly!

OK! Time to get to work! Me and my 34" waist have a hot date with a shovel and a pitchfork!

See Ya!

Live Strong

2011-07-25T08:09:00.000-07:00

Wow! It seems that things have gotten carried away here. I can't believe where the time has gone. The hubby was away all last week in Texas so I was head warden of the funny farm. I was so glad when he got back, cause they were about to drive me totally freaking nuts! I was also planning our vacation to Florida next week. I am so ready to go!

The vacation lead to the "I have nothing to wear!" syndrome, which was closely followed by the "I am too fat for anything in this store" malady. Why does the rest of the world have to be a 20 year old size 3? It's just not fair! I totally blame those urchins though. I was a size 3 when my 15 year old was born. I was in such good shape that I pushed her out in 4 pushes. The doctor even told me not to push so hard. Yeah, ok.... that was like stopping peeing in midstream. Now fast forward to when the 4 year old was born. I was so out of shape the doctor had to get out the ice pick grabber thingies and snatch her by the head and pull her out.

Then, to top it off, my sister came over. Ya'll probably don't know what a bad influence she is on me. We were deciding what to do. Simple huh? Not with us. I told her that I wanted to go and get my haircut. She did too, so we went to my hairdresser who ROCKS A HAIRCUT! She is the first woman who has cut my hair that I have walked out and not burst out crying cause I look like a fat bull dyke. My hair is so stinking cute! My sister's was just as adorable, but mine is a smidge better. Not cause I am prejudiced or anything. I know your next question, you want to see it huh? Well, you gotta wait til I can take a decent picture. Probably in the year 2024.

So....after our cutesy haircuts, we walked out like we were the hottest things to EVER walk the face of the earth! So we went and got the unibrows waxed, got some new spiffy clothes and makeup! A total girly day! It was so much fun! It's amazing what a great haircut can do for you. No, I still don't have a pic! Stop asking!

That lead to the next phase. Me and her teaming up and losing weight/getting in shape! Ugh.... I hate this part. I mean the haircut does draw attention from the 8 chins I got going on. No, still no pic....

Which leads me to www.livestrong.com. This site is freaking amazing! I keep it up on my puter all day! It's part of the Lance Armstrong Foundation and totally free. Free is always good! What it does is track what you eat and the excercise you do. Everything you do burns calories. You may not realize all the calories you burn throughout the day. When you register, you punch in your weight and level of activity. It spits out a calorie intake for you to lose weight for the day. All throughout the day you punch in what you eat and what you do. Do you know riding around on a lawn mower burns 196 calories an hour?! Guess who did just that all day yesterday? My lawn looks awesome and I felt great.

Also, this has helped me to make better choices of what I put in my mouth. Being aware of the amount of calories, I grabbed a piece of celery with peanut butter for a snack instead of the bag of doritos. Sorry taco flavored doritos, I still love ya! I made the 0 point cabbage soup, which is only 21 calories a bowl and have eaten that for lunch the last few days. Lots of fiber in that too! I have found that I plan meals for the family, but also make more healthier choices about them.

And, as if it couldn't get any better, you can also track how much water you drink! I am starting to find all the benefits of drinking that tasteless crap now. It's amazing! My skin looks better, my digestion is better and I have more energy. Who woulda thunk it! I would definitely recommend livestrong.com for anyone trying to lose weight, wether it is a little or alot.

Now, you have to excuse me. I have a house to clean. Do you know how many calories you burn cleaning house?! I will probably have the cleanest house in Hartland in no time!

The Fish Man

2011-07-16T13:27:00.000-07:00

I grew up in Detroit. I still remember the neighborhood where we lived. I loved our neighborhood. You knew everyone and everyone pitched in to help each other. I can remember the Cunningham Drug Store where you could sit at the counter and order a soda. It came in little paper cones with a silver holder. The little store around the corner from our house was where my "Aunt Mary" lived. Her and her husband owned the store and lived in the apartment over it. Any time that we went in there I always came out with a little paper bag of candy. My dad worked as a body man, doing bumping and painting on cars. Needless to say, during the summer months he didn't have alot of work so money was tight.

We used to different people roaming through the neighborhood selling things. One day I came running into the house asking my mom if I could get an ice cream from the ice cream truck!

"Oh honey, that is the fish man!" she told me.

Huh, the fish man has a brightly colored truck that plays music just like the ice cream man. I would sit at the curb waiting for the ice cream man, waving to all the fish men driving around. Boy, there sure were alot! When I got older my mom told me about it cause she felt guilty. I thought it was funny.

After I had my daughter, we lived in a similiar small neighborhood. She came running in one day all excited about the ice cream man! I giggled and told her "oh honey, that's the fish man!" She bought it and ran out the door to play. Wow, that worked?! I was going to get her an ice cream too, I just couldn't resist.

A few days later, she came running into the house. "Mommy! Mommy! The fish man sells ice cream too!" So that turned into our joke.

The other day here comes the ice cream man. There is Bitty One, "Mommy! Mommy! Can I get a ice cream?!" Before I could say anything else her loving older sister replied "Silly! That's the fish man!" She looked at me and smiled.

Boy, that apple didn't fall far from the tree....

I have no ice cream recipe to share, I am way too lazy and HOT! I just can't resist a great party celebrating this frozen nectar of the gods!

Posted @A Musing Potpourri's Ice Cream Social

What Is Carne Asada?

2011-07-15T17:10:00.000-07:00

Probably the best thing ever to happen to meat!

When I lived in California, about 800 years ago, I used to go to the little market around the corner for carne asada. A marinated flank steak that is so crazy good! The one thing that I missed when I moved back to Michigan was the carne asada! I asked everyone about it and they just looked at me like I had grown 3 heads. Really?! No one knows about this?! Well.... after much searching I finally found a recipe that really closely resembles it.

Usually it is a whole flank that you marinate. I am using Highlander Cow back straps for mine. The back straps are the most tender part of the animal. I also sliced mine to let the marinade really get in there and season the meat.

Now for the marinade!

1/3 cup white vinegar

1/2 cup soy sauce

4 cloves of garlic pressed

1/2 cup olive oil

2 limes juiced

1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp salt

1 tsp black pepper

1 tsp white pepper

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp Mexican oregano

1 tsp paprika

Mix everything together in a small bowl.

Pour over a 4 lb flank steak. Now for the fun part, you get to play with your food! Get your hands in there and mix it all together. Rub it in and swish it around. Cover and refrigerate atleast 4 hours or overnight.

If you keep the steak whole, you can grill it and then slice it. Since I sliced mine before, I cooked it in the marinade in a skillet. Mmmm, all bubbly and good!

To assemble, I just lay a tortilla down, spread some sour cream on the tortilla, add some meat, cheese and roll up! Could it be any easier?!

You can serve this with any type of side dish you want. I served mine with refried beans topped with....

....more cheese! Sorry, I just had to add this pic cause I thought it was so cool.

Dinner is served!

Need a little snack later?

Creamy Guacomole with tortilla chips! This has got to be the ultimate guacomole!

1 Avocado halved, pitted and peeled

6 oz cream cheese

Juice of 1 lime

Salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour. Serve.

This is so creamy and good. The avocado is not overpowering at all. It's great on burgers too!

So there ya go! Everything you wanted to know about carne asada, but were afraid to ask!

Enjoy!

Bobby Flay Throwdown with Happier Than A Pig In Mud!

2011-07-14T16:03:00.000-07:00

When Lynne @ Happier Than A Pig In Mud has a party she really knows how to do it right! This month's celebrity cookalong features Bobby Flay.

So let's get our Bobby on!

I chose to do Bobby's Chicken Chasseur. What a great choice! I did a couple of changes, but here is his recipe.

Chicken Chasseur

Ingredients

1 (4-pound) chicken, quartered
Salt and pepper
Clarified butter
5 ounces cremini mushrooms, emincer (thinly sliced)
1 large shallot, ciseler (fine dice)
2 ounces Cognac
2 ounces dry white wine
1 1/2 cups enriched chicken stock
1/4 cup tomato concasse (peeled, seeded, and diced tomato)
1-ounce cold butter
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh tarragon leaves
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh chervil leaves or flat-leaf parsley

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Season chicken pieces on both sides with salt and pepper. Heat a few tablespoons of clarified butter in a Dutch oven over high heat. Place chicken in skin side down and cook until golden brown. Turn the chicken over and brown the other side. Remove chicken to a baking sheet and bake in the oven until just cooked through, about 12 to 15 minutes.

Remove all but 2 tablespoons of the fat from the pan. Add the mushrooms, season with salt and pepper, and saute until golden brown. Add the shallots and cook for 30 seconds. Remove the pan from the heat and add the Cognac and cook until completely reduced. Add the wine and cook until completely reduced. Add the stock and tomato and bring to a simmer. Cook until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon ("nappe") and then swirl in the butter ("monter au beurre"). Once the butter is added, the sauce can not be further reduced because it will break. Season with salt and pepper and stir in the tarragon and chervil.

Remove the chicken from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes. Remove the breastbone from the breast. Cut each breast into 2 even pieces on the bias. Cut the legs into 2 pieces at the joint and on the bias and remove the thighbones. Serve 1 leg piece and 1 breast piece. Make sure only 1 piece contains a bone. Serve on hot plates, napped with the sauce.

I did not remove the bones. I also used Marsala wine instead of the Cognac. This was yummylicious! The kids loved it!

I served it with grilled veggies. Really simple.

Grilled Veggies

2 zucchini sliced

2 yellow squash sliced

1 sweet onion, diced

Olive Oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Spread a piece of tin foil on a cookie sheet. Add veggies. Add enough olive oil to cover veggies. Salt and pepper to taste. Toss veggies to coat. Cover with a second piece of tin foil and crimp up the edges. Put in a 375 oven for an hour. Let sit for about 5 minutes before uncovering. Serve hot.

Perfect for a summer dinner! I would definitely make this again.

Thank you Lynne for hosting the party! I might have never found this recipe otherwise!

Posted @ Happier In A Pig In Mud's Celebrity Cookoff!

Gollum's Foodie Friday

How to Create A Gift Basket

2011-07-14T06:02:00.000-07:00

The lovely Beth @ Beyond The Garden Gate hosted a tea swap recently. I was a bit late getting mine out since it happened while I was sick. I received this lovely basket from my swap partner, Patricia. Lots of little goodies in there! I love it!

Plus, look at the gorgeous Havilland cup and saucer she sent along with it!

Bitty One immediately tried to lay claim to it, but I beat her off. She made me promise that when she gets older and moves out that she gets it. Atleast I have a while to enjoy my beautiful set before she swipes it!

I had been gathering things for the swap, now I just needed to put them all together. I love putting a bunch of little things in one holder that goes with the theme.

For this one I chose a basket. You want to make sure that your holder is large enough to hold everything.

I picked up these pretty vintage tea towels to be included. I hung them over the side of the basket so they wouldn't get all smushed. Also hanging over the edge gives the illusion of an overflowing basket.

I just love the white on white embroidery! After I added the towels, I added some shredded paper to help cushion and help heighten some of the smaller items. You want to gather your items together. Sort them by weight since you will want the heaviest items on the bottom.

My heaviest items were these jars of homemade jam, strawberry and raspberry. I didn't want them to disappear in the bottom and I didn't want the jars to break. I wrapped each jar in bubble wrap and covered them in a pretty tissue paper tied with raffia.

I let the tops of the paper stick up to give a little fluff and color. I them tucked in two tins of tea and a bag of lemon poppyseed scone mix.

This cute little jar of honey was tucked in too. I bought a honey dipper and tied it to him with a bit of raffia. The honey comes from a local apiary. Ooooh, maybe we will have to do a field trip one day! I also tucked in some chocolate spoons that I bought at Crossroads Village. I don't know how they are in tea, but they are great in coffee.

I also included a cute little teapot shaped tea bag rest. I wrapped it in tissue paper and tied with a bit of raffia to protect it. I also put in a tea diffuser. So it didn't get lost in the basket, I hung the chain over the side to add some interest.

The star is this cup and saucer that I found at the tea house located in Hartland. Thyme Well Spent is located in the historical part of downtown Hartland set in a beautiful Victorian. The owner cooks and serves all the guests and is truly a delight! The first floor of the house is dining rooms and the second floor is filled with antiques including tea cup sets. When school starts back up, I am planning on having a relaxing, celebratory lunch here!

Something as fragile as this I wanted to be sure that it arrived undamaged. I took a bit of bubble wrap and rolled it to fit inside the handle of the cup. I put more bubble wrap inside the bowl of the cup and wrapped the cup in more bubble wrap. I also wrapped the saucer in bubble wrap. The two pieces were then wrapped in tissue paper and put in the center of the basket. A larger box of tea celebrating the Royal Wedding is wrapped and tied with raffia at the back of the basket.

Top it all off with a card....

....Carefully put it into a clear gift bag and tie with a bow and TA DAA! We are done!

Now to ship it off to Patricia. I hope she enjoys this tea basket as much as I enjoyed putting it together for her! You know what this makes me think?!

I need to do a giveaway!

Maybe next week.

Maybe inspired by my front flower bed redo.

Maybe I should get my front flower bed done!

Maybe you will have to come back next week to find out about it!

Maybe you should come back tomorrow. I have Carne Asada! Guacomole! Refried Beans!

Maybe I should get off my buttocks and get to work!

But first a lesson to learn from a tea cup.

THE TEACUP

There was a couple that used to go to England to shop in a beautiful antique store.
This trip was to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary. They both liked antiques
and pottery, and expecially teacups. Spotting an exceptional cup, they asked, "May
we see that? We've never seen a cup quite so beautiful."

As the lady handed it to them, suddenly the teacup spoke, "You don't understand"
It said. "I have not always been a teacup. There was a time when I was just a
lump of red clay. My master took me and rolled me, pounded and patted me over
and over and I yelled out, "Don't do that. I don't like it!" "Let me alone," but he
smiled, and gently said, "Not yet!!"

Then WHAM! I was placed on a spinning wheel and suddenly I was spun around
and around and around. "Stop it!. I'm getting so dizzy! I'm going to get sick!" I screamed.
But the master only nodded and said, quietly, "Not yet." He spun me and poked and
prodded and bent me out of shape to suit himself and then ...

Then he put me in the oven. I never felt such heat. I yelled and knocked and
pounded at the door. "Help! Get me out of here!" I could see him through the
opening and I could read his lips as he shook his head from side to side, "Not yet."

When I thought I couldn't bear it another minute, the door opened. He carefully
took me out and put me on the shelf, and I began to cool. Oh, that felt so good!
"Ah, this is much better," I thought.

But, after I cooled he picked me up and he brushed and painted me all over.
The fumes were horrible. I thought I would gag. "Oh, please, Stop it, Stop it!!" I cried.
He only shook his head and said "Not yet!"

Then suddenly he put be back in to the oven. Only it was not like the first one.
This was twice as hot and I just knew I would suffocate. I begged. I pleaded.
I screamed. I cried. I was convinced I would never make it. I was ready
to give up. Just then the door opened and he took me out and again placed me
on the shelf, where I cooled and waited and waited, wondering, "What's he going
to do to me next?"

An hour later he handed me a mirror and said, "Look at yourself." And I did. I
said, "That's not me; that couldn't be me. It's beautiful. I'm beautiful!"

Quietly he spoke: "I want you to remember," then, he said "I know it hurt to be
rolled and pounded and patted, but had I just left you alone, you'd have dried up. I
know it made you dizzy to spin around on he wheel, but if I had stopped, you
would have crumbled. I know it hurt and it was hot and disagreeable in the oven, but
if I hadn't put you there, you would have cracked. I know the fumes were bad when
I brushed and painted you all over, but if I hadn't done that, you never would have
hardened. You would not have had any color in your life. If I hadn't put you back
in that second oven, you wouldn't have survived for long because the hardness
would not have held. Now you are a finished product. Now you are what I had in
mind when I first began with you."

The moral of this story is this:

God knows what He's doing for each of us. He is the potter, and we are His clay.
He will mold us and make us, and expose us to just enough pressures of just the
right kinds that we may be made into a flawless piece of work to fufill His good,
pleasing and perfect will.

So when life seems hard, and you are being pounded and patted and pushed
almost beyond endurance; when your world sees to be spinning out of control;
when you feel like you are in a fiery furnace of trials; when life seems to "stink,"
try this....come to Tyme Well Spent, have a cup of your favorite tea
in a pretty teacup, sit down and think of this story and then, spend a little
time for yourself relaxing, knowing the Potter has everything under control.

Enjoy your day Lovelies!

Dosa and Curry.... YUM!

2011-07-12T14:06:00.000-07:00

I promised to introduce to you the wonderful couple that I met at the Flint Farmer's Market. Bruce and Niki McCarthy are the proud owners of Survival Heirlooms and two of the nicest people you will ever meet! I could of stayed and talked to them for hours! I got so many great recipes from them that I definitely will be trying out! They have a booth at the market where they sell dried goods. You can stop by their site and say "hi" here.

Now onto the food!

This is definitely not a last minute type of meal. You use dried beans for both recipes and they need to be soaked overnight.

Dosa

1/3 cup Brown Lentil

1 cup Brown Rice

1 tsp sea salt

3 Tbs sugar

2 Green Onions, chopped

2 Tbs Chopped Fresh Cilantro

1/2 inch Fresh Ginger, grated

1 Serrano chili, seeded and finely chopped

4 cups + 12 Tbs water

Soak the lentils and rice seperately in 2 cups each of water for atleast 4 hours or overnight. Over night is best. Drain water. Pulverize lentils and rice seperately in a food processor with 6 Tbs water each. Mix the two together with salt and sugar. Cover bowl with a damp cloth and set in a warm place for 6-12 hours.

Add remaining ingredients and a bit of water if needed. You want a pancake like batter. Pour a bit of batter on a greased griddle and fry til golden brown on both sides. You can now serve like a latke.

I decided to step it up a bit and turn it into a vegeterian style sandwich. Alot of times when I cook, I "wing it" as I go to get a flavor I want. To serve this sandwich I made a coleslaw type of dressing. I took equal parts of fresh grated cucumber and zucchini and stirred in a bit of homemade yogurt with salt and white pepper to taste. To assemble, I took half a wheat pita pocket, cut a dosa patty in half and put inside. I added a slice of tomato and a bit of the slaw mix. I may just give up meat for these....nah! They are very light and tasty. Perfect for a hot summer day.

Sweet Garbanzo Curry

1 cup dried Garbanzo Beans

4 Tbs Oil

1 Onion, chopped

2 cloves of Garlic, minced

1-3 Tbs Curry Powder

2 tsp each Cumin, coriander, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Salt

1 tsp each Ginger, Cardamon

4 Tbs honey

1 Serrano chile seeded and minced

1 can coconut milk

Soak the beans overnight in 4 cups water. Boil for 10 minutes and simmer for 20 minutes, drain. In a frying pan, cook onion and garlic in oil til tender. Stir in spices, honey and chile.

Add beans and cook on medium heat stirring often for 10 minutes. Add coconut milk and simmer for an additional 10 minutes. Serve warm over rice.

I tried this at the market and LOVED it! It was sweet and not a bit hot at all. When I made it at home, I used Red Curry powder. I don't know if that made a difference or not, but it was very spicy. I would make this again, but adjust the curry powder. Start small with the curry and add from there is my suggestion. My girls loved it at the market. The bitty one had 3 servings of it!

So there ya go! A light summer vegetarian dinner!

Enjoy!

Posted @ Gollum's Foodie Friday

I Heart The Farmer's Market!!

2011-07-10T08:58:00.000-07:00

I am so in love with the Flint Farmer's Market!

I plan on gushing and yammering on about it all week in fact! I packed up the girls Saturday morning and headed for Flint. Now granted, this transported city girl was not aware of what was in store. I didn't get up at the butt crack of dawn either cause I am not that hardcore. O.M.G! I was like a kid in a candy store! I was running from booth to booth like a wild woman! A couple of times I did remind myself that I brought the girls and waited for them to catch up. I could of spent the entire day there! The people, the food, the produce.... all were just an enjoyable experience.

Do you know what else resulted from the farmer's market?! A menu plan for the week! So, what is on the menu for the week you may ask. I will let you cause I am going to tell you anyways.

Sunday

Chicken Chasseur

Grilled Veggies

Spinach Salad with Feta Cheese, Strawberries and Raspberry Vinaigrette

Look for an upcoming post about this, this week!

Monday

Dosa

Sweet Garbanzo Curry

Lemon Bars

I will be doing another post about this too! I have to tell you about the wonderful couple that I met at the market. Nikki had samples of the curry and I fell head over heels in love with it! If there is one thing you try this week from my menu, it HAS to be the curry! Yummylicious!

Tuesday

Guacomole Burgers on the Grill

Veggie Macaroni

Guacomole

1 medium ripe avocado - halved, seeded and peeled
2 teaspoons lime juice
2 (3 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
Tortilla chips

Directions

In a small mixing bowl, beat avocado with lime juice. Add the cream cheese, Worcestershire sauce, salt and hot pepper sauce; beat until smooth. Serve with tortilla chips. Store in refrigerator.

Prepare burgers and grill as desired. Top burgers with pepper jack cheese and guacomole. Serve on onion rolls.

Wednesday

Zucchini Latkes

Cabbage Soup

The latke recipe can be found here. Yvonne @ Stone Gable posted the recipe last week and I have been looking forward to trying it! The soup recipe is one I made previously. It's a fabulously tasty one with no calories!

Thursday

Carne Asada

Refried Beans

Guacomole and homemade chips

We love this carne asada recipe! I make it quite alot and there is never any leftovers. Ok, so there is rarely any leftovers with me around anyways. The tortilla recipe can be found in the same post. I just cut the tortillas in 8 triangles and fry in oil. So good!

Friday

Seafood Ravioli with cheese sauce

Spinach Salad

Semifreddo

This will be a winging it kind of night. I have no recipe in particular that I am using for the ravioli. I know what I want so I am creating as I go. I will definitely be making a post about this. The semifreddo recipe is from Purple Chocolat House and can be found here. I have been dying to try it and this will be the perfect ending for this meal.

Saturday

BBQ Ribs

Homemade Baked Beans

Cole Slaw

Grilled Corn on the Cob with Parmesan Cheese

Look for an upcoming post about BBQ sauce. I started making my own sauce a few years ago and now my tribe has banned store bought sauce. I am going to be experimenting and making a few different kinds for this meal. The ribs are from a Highlander Cow and will be served dry with a variety of sauces to slather on them. Lynne @ Happier Than A Pig In Mud posts some great recipes. The baked beans is from her blog and can be found here. The cole slaw recipe can be found in the same post as the cabbage soup above.

So that is our menu for the week! Lots of great stuff inspired by wonderful bloggy friends and the farmers market! As they say at my house....

When's dinner?

Posted @ On The Menu Monday

Day Three

2011-07-06T06:49:00.000-07:00

Well here it is, Day 3. Still no honks or whistles! Atleast like Lynne commented there were no squealing tires from people trying to get away! Be grateful for the little things!

I thought we could get so much more done. Where did the time fly? I was ready to go all the way around the house with this, but it was 6 pm and fat girl was hungry! Guess what I have now though?!

A walkway! Who could know that a little thing like this could make me soooo happy! This is just the base for the pavers that are going to be going down but it is usable now. It's also a bit wider than what is actually going to be down too. It's going to be curved from the stairs to the driveway even though there is a corner now.

Watch that first step! The flower bed is going to be coming down to below the first step too. That is going to be all hand shoveling though. Yeah me!

We are thrilled with how it looks right now though. It looks alot cleaner. Thank goodness all the door to door salesmen will know which door to knock on now! I was so worried about them!

I also have to figure out what to do about this side now. I pulled out all the flowers but the grade is going to change here. Decisions, decisions....

This week will be all about doing the flower bed on the porch side, shopping for flower bed edging stuff and putting some of the flowers back in.

I am going to have a giveaway coming up soon. I'll post more about it next week. As for now, I got more work to do....

Day Two

2011-07-04T07:36:00.000-07:00

Sorry this is so late! Day 2 kicked my fat buttocks all over the dang place! I was so whupped that I really don't even remember going to bed.

We started at 7 freaking a.m. pushing....

....pulling....

....and digging. Usually at this time I am just trying to get my pajamas untwisted and make coffee at the same time!

I don't know if I have said this before, but I am old and repeat myself quite a bit, but our basement leaks. I knew it was bad last week when I had my son come and take the frog out of there that I found. He was just sitting there all happy like in a puddle. That is why we are doing this now. The grade slopes into the house which makes all the water just pour in too. We also don't have a walk up to the front of the house. Aren't we just the welcomey kind of people.

Me and my faithful companion worked while the man....

....took a ride with his "crew". He was digging alot faster than I was pulling plants so I needed to get a bit ahead of him.

You know what I did realize though?! I am old and fat. Usually when I am working on the front of the house, I get all kinds of honks and whistles. This year, not ONE SINGLE HONK! Not even a pity honk or whistle! I was even in a bikini top and shorts. You know what was the real kick in the butt? I told my hubby about it and when he came back, he couldn't even give me a honk! Ugh! The nerve....

You should also be glad that blogger doesn't have smell a vision! Wooo doggie! Did I stink! I think I sweat about 80 gallons and yes mom, I drank about 300 gallons of water!

So that was about it for day 2. From 7 am to midnight we were working.

Exciting day 3 started at 8:12 am. Seriously! So stayed tuned!

Day One

2011-07-03T04:37:00.001-07:00

There is no laying around to be done here buddy! Get up and get to work!

No mistaking, that is definitely a boy squirrel!

This weekend we planned to get some much needed gardening done around. Here at the farmhouse when we dig in the dirt, we go big! It is definitely not for the faint of heart.

Yeah baby!

We don't know how to drive it, but we have it. Just kidding! My hubby is an expert at this machine. I am always amazed at what he can do with it. I mean I could sit there in the shade with a cocktail watching him work on this machine all day! My supervisory skills are STELLAR!

But we got some digging to do!

We have a leak problem in the snake den of dispair here. BIG problem. The stone walls are original to the house and water just POURS in when it rains! So we needed to regrade the lawn away from the house. That meant digging down about 6".

Boys and their toys! I told him that I wanted to learn how to work this thing. He just looked at me like I was either crazy, grew three heads or both. Just because I can't work a can opener doesn't mean I can't drive this!

Isn't the sky pretty?! As you can see I was a big help today! I did cut the grass earlier that we are now ripping up though!

He also regraded the both driveways. You can kinda see the circle driveway around the tree there. See those rocks? I don't know who is the braniac that decided to run those big honkers in a straight line out from the house. They are also on the other side too. I don't know where they are going, but they are out of here! It'll make mowing the grass so much easier.

Speaking of out of here, so is this bush. What a freaking pain to mow around! I know it was a nice bush, but it had to go. The driveway up to the back door is also gone! We tried to get rid of it a few years ago but everyone kept on using it so we dumped that idea. Now though, we are going to seed it. Woo hoo!

One more sky pic!

Ok, maybe two....

That was about it for day 1. Stayed tuned for the exciting adventures on day 2. We are tackling the flower beds, getting rid of MORE rocks and pushing around more dirt!

I love playing in the dirt!

Kensington

2011-07-01T14:39:00.000-07:00

I meant to post these awhile ago. As you know I had a busy week peeing on myself and doing some "bed rest". Before I retired to my death bed when I thought I just had a cold we were out and about a bit.

Father's Day we took Dad to Kensington Lake for a picnic. Kensington is a metro park not too far from our house. There is something for everyone there, summer or winter.

We hit the beach first though.

For a little swimming....

....and sand castle building. Don't even wonder if I got into a bathing suit. I was in a mumu. Of course this is when I thought I was just fat. I didn't realize I was fat AND bloated.

Then my favorite part....EATING! I really need to find a new hobby. Isn't my vintage picnic basket cute though? I need to make a liner for it. Notice how the picnic basket wasn't enough and we also needed the gargantuan on wheels cooler too? Yeah, who needs to diet?

After everyone was fat and stuffed we moo-seyed on over to the farm. I love the farm. Especially when they have babies there. I even learned one day how to milk a cow. Do I need a life or what?! That was actually the highlight of my day too.

Bitty One was greeted by Mama Cow when we went into the barn. Scared the crap out of her too! Dad couldn't even coax her to touch her.

Ugh! If only I looked this good on bed rest!

There was this guy begging for a bit of food. A man after my own heart! If I looked that cute maybe I would get some snacks and not just weird stares.

Duck, duck, duck....

Goose!

Mama Cow did not want to come out of the barn! Like mother....

....like son!

My daughter could of hung out with the horses all day! She just loves horses.

I could of stayed and took pictures all day. Love all the funky gardens they have around.

I do have to admit that I thought of my favorite funky junkinator, Donna, when I took these. This definitely looks like something she would design!

Lookit my kids all wore out from a day at the beach! Aren't they precious when they are asleep?!

That was about it for our day at Kensington. Are we the most exciting people on the face of the earth or what?!

Next, I will show you our day at Crossroads Village with my sister and her son.

Woohoo! I am living large in more ways than one!

Bed Rest?! Really Dude....

2011-06-28T20:43:00.000-07:00

There will be no pretty pictures with this post as there was nothing pretty about this last weekend. Remember the "summer cold"? Seems it was a bit more than a summer cold. The whole weekend was kind of a blur. Between the convulsing shivering or the pouring of sweat fevers I don't remember that much. Of course I told my husband I wasn't that sick. I do remember on one staggering trip to the bathroom finding the dog tied to the banister by her leash and the bitty one coloring the white hairs on her muzzle with a black sharpie.

Me: "Honey, what are you doing?"

Bitty One: "Coloring Sheba's gray hair like you do to yours Mummy"

Me: "Not with a sharpie!"

Bitty One (with hand on hip): "Well there was no hair color!!"

Me: "Ah! Is that why there is a chair in the bathroom by the shelves?"

Thank god we were out of hair color. Who knows what she would have done to the poor dog. Where was her "older" sister who was supposed to be watching her? Not 5 feet away on the couch. Some babysitting service I have huh?!

Monday morning after being up since 3 am I gave in. Ok, I'll go to the doctor.

Going to the doctor is a delight. Especially dragging 3 kids along with you. It was the usual what hurts? why the hell are you here visit. Oh, it hurts here? How does it feel when I press here? How about when me and the nurse jump up and down on your belly? Does it hurt then?

Doc: You are very bloated

Me: Thank god, I thought I was getting fat!

Doc: No, you are a bit overweight, but you are bloated too.

Oh great, I am fat AND bloated. I could listen to that all day! Now I am not only sick but depressed. I mean I hadn't eaten for 5 days and I find out that I gained 3 pounds. How fair is that?! Or are scales all over the world just screwing with me. I personally think they have a conspiracy against me.

Psssst.... want to drive her crazy? Don't move when she steps on you. Heehee it's really funny to see her angry face!

Then comes the words I always dread hearing.... "we need a urine sample". The peeing is not a problem. I can pee on command. The getting it in a cup is the problem. It would be great if I could just park my buttocks on a 5 gallon bucket to pee. I know I could pour it into that itty bitty cup then. But no, this is a special urine sample. Pee a few drops, THEN catch a sample and when you are almost finished pull the cup away and pee the rest all while dancing a jig on one foot and reciting the Declaration of Independence. Seriously? I just see me peeing all over my hand and not getting a drop in the darn cup. Would it be so hard to figure out how to put a handle on them? You know like a long stick so you don't pee on yourself. I mean peeing on my hand is so the highlight of my day. Not only do I look like death warmed over, but I now smell like urine. Thankfully, I did get enough for them to stick the dipstick into. Do they really need a whole cup for that teeny tiny little dip stick?!

Anyways....

Doctor: Someone doesn't drink water!

Me: Who? (pointing and looking at my husband)

Doctor: No, you....

Me: Well, if it didn't taste like flavorless crap, I would....

Doctor: You need to drink more water

I came here cause I was sick, not to hear about everything I am doing wrong. If I wanted that, I would go visit my dad! Drink more water.... If they could make it taste like white zinfandel, I would! ....drink more water.... Coffee has water. You make it with water. I drink gallons of that stuff a day, but it doesn't count. Water. Straight up, no twist. Not even those yummy flavor packets in it either. Plain jane water. The verdict was a severe UTI. I don't know why I keep getting them except that I DON'T DRINK ENOUGH WATER....

Oh and this medication. Take with lots of water. Don't read the side effects either. As fuzzy headed as I was I just figured I had a chance of turning into a hunchback troll with convulsions. Oh wait, a bloated, slightly overweight, hunchback troll with convulsions. Won't I be pretty?

The biggest joke was the bedrest. Three children have run rampant under the close supervision of the oldest child and you already know how well that goes over. Needless to say, the house is trashed. Hello, Hoarders.... I don't know how I was able to stay in bed amidst all this disaster. I must have been really sick. I know they ate. There are food, crumbs and cheerios all over! The gosh darn dog didn't even try to help clean up! How's that for gratitude? It's even spread into my room. I have my jewelry hanging from every knob, handle, anything in my room. Bitty One was trying to make it "pretty". Thanks. I told my husband I must be feeling a bit better cause I wanted to get cleaning. He said "NO! You just leave it be." I was waiting to hear that he and the kids would take care of it. Instead, he said it could wait a few days. Hello??? Have you met me? How can I rest in this mess?

So for now I am on the couch with strict orders to bed rest. Hummmph..... Bedrest is kinda like being on vacation. You can have a great time and come back rested, but the mess.... ugh! I have so many things to catch up on too besides a filthy house and a mountain of laundry. Like the company books and a tea swap that I really need to get out. I have a couple more things that I want to get for the tea swap and then wrap it up all pretty and send it off. As soon as I get it together I plan on doing a post about it. Wait til you see the gorgeous tea cup and saucer sweet Patricia sent me.

As for now, I am off. Obviously when you are on bedrest you are able to dress Barbie in the same freaking outfit 863 times in an hour. I swear I will glue those itty bitty high heels on her feet if I lay on another one of them. Those things hurt! You never lay on it in an area where feeling little probey things like that may be easily handled either. No, it's always where your reaction is "HEY! What the heck is that?" Plus, I can also stare at the curtains which are ALMOST finished that I just don't have the energy to work on right now.

Bah humbug.... bedrest....

I Survived The First Day of Summer Vacation!

2011-06-17T06:31:00.000-07:00

Mostly in a blur of cold medicine. Not because that was the only medication in the house but because I have a summer cold. I hate colds. I do try to be as much of a pain in the butt as I can now that the kids can wait on me hand and foot.

Atleast Sheba was keeping was keeping an eye on them! I did manage to drag myself off my death bed to go to my sister's for the day. I helped her do some stuff that she needed help with. We also did a bit of shopping at her SA cause they get cool stuff there!

I got this cute little pitcher. More for the ironstone collection. I want to do something with it but don't know what yet.

I also got this silver water pitcher that needs some TLC. More polish to clean! Yeah! I found that I love to clean silver.

I also got this. I think it is a holder for a bottle of wine. It has some damage to it, but I am hoping that I can clean it up too. I tried a bottle of wine in it, but it tips over.

I also got a doughnut pan! I have been wanting one of these and couldn't pass it up for a couple of bucks. I am going to give it a whirl as soon as I feel a little better. I can't wait to see all the doughnuts combos that I can come up with this beauty. I have an awesome recipe that I will share with you next week. The secret ingredient is doughnuts!

Until then, enjoy your weekend!

Two Down!

2011-06-11T11:58:00.001-07:00

Two to go!

BTW, I was asked where I got the textile medium. I found it at Michael's and at Joann Fabrics. It is a couple bucks cheaper at Michael's.

Hopefully, this will be done soon!

Poppin' Fresh Goodness!

2011-06-09T19:03:00.000-07:00

I decided to take a break from making more curtains and do a little cooking. I need the break. When you are 87 years old and crawling around on a cold, hard concrete floor to tape and paint the back and knees will really start to scream! Ok, so maybe I'm not quite 87 but I feel like it.

Anyways, onto some yummy goodness. Lynne @ Happier Than A Pig In Mud is having a party on the 15th. It 's a cookoff featuring recipes using Pillsbury products. One of our favorites is this super yummy creamy cheesy danish.

Cream Cheese Danish

1 can Pillsbury breadsticks

1-8oz pkg cream cheese softened

1/4 cup confectioners sugar

1 egg seperated

Sanding sugar

Preheat oven to 375. Cream the cheese until smooth. Add egg yolk and sugar. Mix til smooth.

Carefully open the can and spread out the dough on a piece of parchment paper. You will notice that the dough is in two pieces. Position one piece over the other. Press with your fingers down the center third of the dough.

Spread your cheese mixture on the center third. Separate the edges and fold each one, right over left, to the end of the dough. Seal ends.

Beat the remaining egg white and lightly beat with a fork. Brush over top of dough and sprinkle with sanding sugar. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown.

You will have to beat everyone off of this yummy treat! You may as well make 2 cause they do tend to go fast!

It is also good with a hot cup of coffee while you catch....

....the blue hour! I finally got it! Love the look of the house at the blue hour. It looks like it is resting. Or getting ready to make more work for me!

I guess it is back to curtain making for me....

The Big Secret Project Reveal!

2011-06-04T08:07:00.001-07:00

Are you ready for this?! You know the drill, pee, drink of choice....

Here we go on another wild ride of the OCD decorator! Remember when I whined and cried over hanging the wood blinds? If not, you can revisit that tragic story here. I love the wood blinds, but they needed something. A little bling to set them off. I looked and looked for some bling. Something that would make my little pacemaker go buzz.

The Nester posted here that she now had twins! I had to go and see. Is the woman nuts to have twins??! Nope, they were her new chairs she just got. They are gorgeous too. There in the picture was the bling that I needed! I went nuts. Crazy I tell ya! Overboard crazy! I knew that I would drive myself nuts trying to find them. That would take too long though. I wanted cheap too! I am redoing this room on a budget! An extremely small budget! Like nonexistent budget. So....

....I made my own custom ones! When I say "custom" I mean out of sheets! That were 5.00! At Walmart! The same color stripe that is a shade darker than the walls! Actually it is leftover paint from the kitchen.

I know! Please hold your applause though! I am going to tell you how to make drapes from curtains with your very own design on them! Aren't I the best?!

I love, love, love the wall color that I chose for the living room. The problem with it is though that it's hard to match. You would think that all beiges are created equally. Well, not so. Some fabrics make it look really gold and some get a pinky color to them. All I didn't like. I didn't want anything flowery either. I thought of plain white drapes, but *yawn* boring. I wanted the blinds to be noticed! Right now, they just faded into the room. You didn't notice them.

I went to Walmart and got 4 twin flat sheets. 5.00 each! Woo hoo! Sheets are the easiest thing to use. The top edge of the sheet makes a nice hem, the sides are finished and the end can be folded over to make a casing for the top of your curtain. Twin sheets are 96" long and I wanted my curtains to be 91" long. Perfect!

I washed and dried the sheets to get out the sizing. The sizing can mess with your painting so you do want to remove it. That left them a wrinkled mess because of course I immediately removed them from the dryer! *snickersnicker*

Once I was done ironing them, btw on the hottest muggiest day of the year, I measured down 5". Folded at that mark and pressed.

Unfold after ironing and fold to the ironed line. Press just along the edge. Fold back along your first creased fold line and pin.

Now sew as close to the edge and voila! You have your casing at the top!

I got a couple of those plastic drop cloths from the dollar store and laid one out on the floor. Lay your sheet out flat on top of that.

Now here is where the fun begins! I tried to take the orange out of these pics. I did this in the snake den of dispair and there is no natural light down there. You'll get the idea though. I wanted 11 stripes so with a little bit of math I calculated that my stripes would be 8-1/4". I started at the top and measured down, drawing a line with a fading pen. Then laid down tape against the line.

I did each stripe individually. The stripes that are being painted, you want to tape on the outside. Does that make sense? I brought my tape a little past the edge to help hold it on the drop cloth.

Once all the stripes were taped off, I ran over the tape with an old credit card. I wanted to make sure all the edges were down good and no paint would get under it.

Now, for the painting! I used this product. It turns any acrylic paint into a fabric paint! How ingenious is that?! You mix it 2 to 1. It took half a bottle for each sheet.

It took 2 coats to paint the stripes and I let it dry overnight. This made it dry enough to work with. The bottle says to let dry for 7 days. Then you need to heat set the colors. I only have one window done right now, but next weekend I plan on taking them down and heat setting the paint.

The moment of truth! Carefully peel off all the tape! I know, it looks really pretty, but do it anyways.

Fold in half and cut along the fold line. Fold over the cut edge twice and sew. Now you are ready to hang your creation and stand back to revel in your cleverness!

Total cost: $30.00!

Damn, I am good!

Posted @ SNS #84!

DIY Project Parade

SQUEAL

2011-06-03T19:34:00.000-07:00

Wait til you see what I have for you tomorrow!

It's the secret project.

Unfortunately, it is too late to take some pictures that will do this justice. So.... tomorrow is the day!

The big reveal!

Are you as excited as I am?!

Deborah from Fairfield House was about the closest. Did I tell you that I really suck at clues?!

So, until tomorrow....

*SQUEAL*

Sweet dreams lovelies!

End of Year Gift Idea

2011-05-31T18:35:00.000-07:00

As you know the bitty one graduated from preschool. I wanted to give her classmates and teachers a little momento of the year. I decided to do tee shirts for them.

First you will need some supplies. Plain white tee shirts from the store. I bought all the same size since the kids in her class are all about the same. You can buy iron transfers from any office supply store. Make sure that you get the right kind for the color tee shirts and for your printer! Very important!

Design your shirt on your computer. Once you are happy with it, make sure that you mirror image it! If you print off all your transfers just to find out they are ALL WRONG! It might anger you a little. Not that I did that or anything. I'm just saying....

Now lay out your shirt on an ironing board and with your iron on the highest setting, press the transfer all over the backing. I used my presser which made the job easier and faster. When it has cooled slightly, peel the backing paper off.

Ta daa!

I folded up the shirts, made a card with Syrina's picture on the front and our phone number on the back and tied it up with a bit of raffia. They were a hit!

Plus, look how cute they look!

Now for another clue! I know, I suck at clues. I am really just trying to drag this out while I get this done! Ok, something in the above picture is being replaced.

Now, I am off to work on my secret project some more!

Posted @ Feature Yourself Friday!

Weekend Wrap Up Party!

Funky Junk Interior's SNS Party!

Blackberry Vine's Pretty Packages Party!

Happy Memorial Day!

2011-05-30T17:34:00.000-07:00

Today was a beautiful day at the farmhouse! Happy Memorial Day to everyone. To all that have served or have supported someone who has served Thank You!

Of course to my favorite Jarhead, I love you honey!

We started the holiday with, of course, food! Sorry Lynn, you will see this for the Pillsbury Challenge Cook off!

Mmmmm, sausage.... That can mean only one thing here, Biscuits and Sausage Gravy! My sister showed me how to make it and it is always a hit here! I use a whole tube of a good sausage since we like to make piggies of ourselves! Git it all brown and crumbly!

Now, don't drain off that grease! You are going to slowly add a bit of cream. You want to add it a bit at a time to make a roux.

You want it to get all thick around the sausage. Once you get to that point, start adding milk a bit at a time.

When it gets all thick and bubbly, add some more milk and let that come up to a boil. Keep on repeating til you have the amount that you want.

I used a little more than a gallon of milk for mine. Whatever isn't used, I freeze and reheat later.

Now for the little fat boy! How I do hate opening those cans. Almost as much as I dread hanging window treatments!

I usually start with 2 cans, but keep a few extra just in case. I made them in a round pan. They come up higher than on a cookie sheet.

Scramble up some eggs, throw a few biscuits on your plate and smother it in gravy! That is some good stuff there!

It was 91 and SUNNY! Perfect day for a parade! Here is a little fact for ya, Hartland has the oldest Memorial Day Parade in the State of Michigan. I am just a plethora of knowledge huh?

Some day I want to be Grand Marshall and ride in a cool old car!

Or maybe I could ride on the back of my hubby's Harley.

Or maybe I could get someone to pull me around in a wagon? I doubt that if I could get my big butt into it, I would never get out! I doubt that I would look as cute as her though.

There were LOTS of scouts!

Syrina's favorite fireman, Walter, was there too. She loves Walter! He came to her class to teach about fire safety. He is such a nice guy and an awesome role model too!

Hartland's Teacher of the Year, Mark Conway, with his daughter.

This little girl was pedaling her buns off all through the parade!

Big Boy made an appearance too! See, we did have atleast one celebrity!

These two guys caught me taking a pic of them and started posing!

We also have the world's oldest clown too! I think she was about 183 years old. Atleast I know I can still be gainfully employed in my golden years!

They rode horses....

cows....

....and tractors.

I loved this little car!

It's liscense plate was the best part though.

After the parade we went a searching for Walter so Syrina could say "hi". We didn't find him at the firehouse....

....we did find him at the park though. Then home where the kids played bocce with Dad....

....while I gathered up some vittles....

....and BBQ'd up dinner.

I love a day that starts and ends with food! BBQ Chicken, Grilled Veggies and Homemade Cole Slaw.

Now for Clue #2! Ya'll had some good guesses, but no one came close. Maybe this will help....

Any guesses?!

Memorial Day Projects And A Guessing Game!

2011-05-28T09:51:00.000-07:00

Happy Memorial Day Weekend everyone! This year, I am being "normal" and doing work around the house. I hope to get some stuff that has been sitting on the to do list done!

Mostly, I will be spending some quality time with this!

I did manage to get the 587 holes in the wall patched. I thought that I would have to touch up the paint where I patched. However, when I got up there I found that the living room really needed a second coat of paint! Oi vey!

These corner moldings needed to be installed too. It seems that my tribe cannot go by a corner without whacking the crap out of it. Ok, so I know these will get knocked up too, but atleast there won't be chunks of plaster gone! If they get too bad, they can be replaced in about 5 minutes too.

So out came these bad boys! Oh, btw, SW has paint on sale this weekend! 30% off! Woo hoo!

While I was at it, I painted the stairs too. I have to say, the stairs are still my favorite part of t he house! I'll get a better pic of them when the stairs are all done. I need suggestions for the wall going up the stairs too! Come on peeps! Give me your best ideas!

Here you can see the new color on the right and the old color. I am really liking the new color. It's Kilim Beige by Sherwin Williams.

Bitty one just finds the whole thing boring and tiring!

Now, for the guessing game! I thought we might have some fun while I am getting ready to reveal my next project! *squeal!* I hope you love it as much as I do! What the heck has it got to do with the pic above? Well, there is something in that pic that I am using in this project! Get your thinking caps on peeps!

If you need an idea for a new something to do this weekend, go see what my sister did! She tells you how to do some for yourself here. The jars are so cute! How could you hide them away in a cupboard now?! Check out that backsplash she did too! It's nice to see I wasn't the only one who got the creative genes! LOL!

I do hope that this will dry up for the BBQ on Monday. If not, I got lots to keep me busy!

What are your plans for the holiday weekend?

The Stuff That Angels Eat!!

2011-05-26T07:23:00.000-07:00

I swear (ok, I try not to around the kids though!) if you have never eaten homemade yogurt, you are definitely missing out! If I eat this all summer I could definitely shed some of this winter fat!

Now, how do you make this nectar of the gods?! Well it has 2 simple ingredients....

2 cups of milk and 2 tablespoons of yogurt.

For your first batch, use a store bought yogurt. You want to make sure that your store yogurt is plain or vanilla and contains live and active cultures. It should say that on the container. I used a small container.

Put your 2 cups of milk in a small saucepan and slowly bring the temp up to 180 degrees. Remove the pan from the heat and let cool to 105 degrees.

Once it is cooled, gently stir in your 2 tablespoons of yogurt.

Pour into a glass canning jar with a lid and ring. Cover with the 2 piece lid. Now for my fancy schmancy yogurt maker! You may even have one and don't even know it!

I know! Isn't that crazy?! It really works though! You want to put the thermos in the sink and gently put your jar of yogurt into it. Now fill the thermos with boiling water, put the lid on and leave it alone for 3-4 hours. I go as far as to leave mine overnight.

Remove your jar of homemade yogurt and chill. You can use this culture up to 9 times before you need to start over with a new one. Right before you run out, just reserve 2 tablespoons for a new batch!

Wait til you try this! Fresh fruit, I used blackberries, and homemade yogurt! Just put a few pieces of fruit in a glass, add some yogurt, and keep layering til the glass is full. This is the real deal and you won't go back to store bought, except for a new culture! It is so smooth and creamy. You can taste how much lighter it is than the store bought.

Or how about this for lunch? Replace the mayo in tuna salad with your yogurt. Less calories and much more flavor! My kids can tell the difference and prefer the yogurt version over the mayo one.

Need more convincing? Mix a little honey in a small bowl of yogurt, slice up some apples and you have a light snack. Perfect for summer with all the fresh fruit available.

Maybe Theresa @ 612 Riverside will even whip out her yogurt pie recipe to share! Hint hint Theresa!

Yvonne @ Stone Gable did a post on homemade popsicles. I bet they would be great with homemade yogurt. For a flavored yogurt just mix in pureed fresh fruit. For chocolate yogurt, oh yes you can make chocolate yogurt, mix in some pudding mix. I don't know how healthy it is, but yum!

What are your favorite ways to eat yogurt?

Posted @ Gollum's Foodie Friday

It's A Meatah Ballah!

2011-05-25T14:08:00.000-07:00

Here is one of the many posts that I have in the works for the next couple of weeks.

My World Famous Meatah Ballahs!

Do you like the Italian accent? No? Then you probably don't like the moustache either huh?!

Anyways....

Remember when this punklet graduated? Well, the teachers had everyone bring potlucky stuff. I brought my World Famous Meatah Ballahs which are perfect for this type of occasion! In fact, I just noticed in the above picture you can see my roaster full of my World Famous Meatah Ballahs.

Anyways, onto the recipe....

I made the meatballs the night before, or you can go the easy route and buy a couple bags of already made meatah ballahs.

Meatball Recipe

2 lbs ground beef

1 envelope Lipton Onion Soup

1 egg

1 cup water

3/4 cup bread crumbs (I used unseasoned)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, mix all ingredients. Roll mixture into 1" balls. Now here comes my little secret weapon for meatballs. Using a mini muffin pan, place a meatball in each well. The pan helps the ball to keep it's shape and not flatten out. The meatball also sits up in the pan and the grease can drip down keeping most of it away. Cook for 20-25 minutes til done. Can be served immediately or when cooled frozen for future use.

I made 6 lbs of meatballs, so triple this recipe.

Now for the secret ingredients for my World Famous Meatah Ballahs!

I put the meatah ballahs in the fridge until the next day. About 4 hours before we were to eat them, I assembled my secret ingredients.

Yup, that is it!

4 cans of Castleberry's Hot Dog Sauce

I jar of Smucker's Grape Jelly

It has to be Castleberry's Hot Dog Sauce! I found it at Kroger. Seems like they are good for something. Go figure! Just open the cans and the jar, dump it in a crockpot and mix. Once it is all mixed, add the meatah ballahs and gently stir in. You don't want to break up the meatah ballahs.

Is anyone tired of me saying meatah ballahs yet? I am tired of typing meatah ballahs!

Set the crockpot on low and simmer atleast 4 hours before serving. Could it be any easier? You do want to stir it often and adjust the heat if they are cooking too fast. No one likes a burned ball!

I actually got this recipe from my SIL years ago. It's mine now! I am taking all the credit!

I am also posting this at Gollum's Foodie Friday!

Enjoy!

Cooking With The Fat Boy!

2011-05-24T10:29:00.000-07:00

No Sam, not THAT fat boy....

....this one!

The ever lovely Lynn @ Happier Than A Pig In Mud is hosting a Pillsbury Cookoff on June 15th.

I just love a good party and Lynn has the most inventive ones. If you haven't checked out her blog yet, you should! Her sidekick, Earl, shows up every now too as a bonus. He sure is a cutie!

So, because I am sooooo organized and on time for everything, never leaving anything for the last minute.... (Ok, now that I am done laughing hysterically at that statement!) I tried something new last night. I saw it at a couple of parties last week and just knew it was going to be dinner one day soon. What, pray tell, is it? It is a Cheeseburger Ring from Jam Hands.

I did improvise it a little.

You can click on the above link to go to her original recipe. Here is my version though....

Cheeseburger Ring

2 lbs of ground beef

1/2 small onion or whole shallot chopped

1/2 cup ketchup

2 tsp mustard

1/2 brick cheddar cheese. shredded

2 cans Pillsbury Crescent Rolls

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Brown the hamburger and onions together in a skillet.

While that is cooking, open your crescent rolls. This is the part that I hate. I hate opening "thwack biscuits/rolls". What?! You don't know what thwack biscuits/rolls are? You know, the kind you thwack against the counter to open! I hate opening them cause you never know if they are going to pop open while you are peeling off the paper or not. Kinda like a jack-in-the-box.

Unroll each can and separate the triangles.

Using a baking sheet covered with parchment paper or a cooking stone, lay out the triangles to form a circle with the points in the center. Jam Hands did hers with the points facing in the opposite direction. I had a brain fart and did mine different.

When I had mine all laid out, I went around the circle and pressed the edges together. Some spots were overlapped, so I tried to spread it out so it wasn't too thick. I only pressed together where I estimated the mixture would be.

Now, back to the mixture. Once the beef is done, drain well and return to pan.

Add the ketchup, mustard and mix well. When mixed, add the cheese.

Spoon the mixture evenly on the outer portion of the circle.

Now bring each point individually over the mixture and to the underside of the dough. I also folded up the outer edge of the circle to help with keeping the filling on the dough.

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.

Yummy! Since we don't put lettuce and tomato on our burgers, I served this with a salad. I definitely will be filing this away for future use!

Thank you to everyone for your sweet comments on my pics! I do have to turn sideways now to get through a door though my head is so swollen! As for the lens, it is a 55-250mm lens. I used it with these pics also. For now, I have to get back to work. I have a little something up my sleeve....

I'm In Love!

2011-05-23T06:07:00.001-07:00

....with my telephoto lens!

While I was taking pics of the boy on the mower....

I spied the bitty one playing in the weeds that is our yard.

I snuck over there like a big, fat, clutzy, stalky cat....

She spied me though. Probably was all that crashing and screaming when I almost fell down the slope.

She didn't care though. She kept on playing and being a ham for the camera.

I love the effect on the closeup shots with this lens.

How the background and foreground blur out.

I could of stayed out there all day taking pics....

....and I think....

....she could have too!

The Passing of the Husky Vera!

2011-05-21T11:58:00.001-07:00

This year a sacred ritualistic passing is being bestowed on the boy child. He is now "man" enough according to Dad.

(sniffsniff)

I can't believe my boy is old enough for this. I knew the day was coming though.

At our old house, our yard was small enough to do with a push mower. The neighbors used to laugh at me mowing the grass followed by a little guy pushing a bubble mower. I don't know how many gallons of bubbles I went through those years! It really did make mowing the grass fun being surrounded by bubbles though.

My little bubble mower has graduated to bigger and better things though!

Namely, my Husky Vera!

My girl is now another one's love! Will I ever win her back?

Will she forsake me for another the whole summer?

Doesn't she remember all the good times and cool things we have run over together?

Is this just a passing fling with a new love?

He has left me all to Homey. I hate Homey!

I give it two weeks though and she will be all mine again!

BTW-He did stop long enough to ask if I was going to take pics of him mowing the grass all day.

Maybe....

maybe not....

Friday Friends Picnic

2011-05-20T14:51:00.000-07:00

Today was the Friday Friends Picnic. Friday Friends is Bitty One's friday class. Since all of the kids have graduated, the teachers decided to do a picnic for the last day.

She just loves her teacher. We are so lucky to have gotten her. Fortunately, she will be in Mrs DeRosier's class again next year. You can tell how much she loves and cares about the kids when she is around them,

Unfortunately, we are losing Mrs Van Sant. She is moving this summer to Florida.

I know she will definitely miss Taylor, Mrs Van Sant's daughter. They were so cute together! It was easy to find them. Just look for one and the other was not far behind.

I don't know who had more fun, the adults hanging around,

....trying to figure out why a stripper pole is at a kids playground....

(she is so gonna kill me for this one!)

....or the kids.

It was fun to hang out with adults for a change though! There was lots of hugs....

....kisses....

....and food! Lots of food! I didn't even cook anything for it. I brought push up ice cream. Just in case you haven't gotten enough of her yet....

....isn't she cute in her little cap and gown?!

Chicken Marsala Farmhouse Style

2011-05-19T17:00:00.000-07:00

It seems as if we eat alot of chicken here at the farmhouse. Tonight was no exception. I made Chicken Marsala, which the kids just love!

So easy to make too!

3 lbs chicken tenderloins cubed

2 Tbs butter

2 Tbs olive oil

2 cloves garlic minced

1 large shallot chopped

1/2 cup Marsala wine

3/4 cup chicken stock

Pepper to taste

In large saucepan, melt the butter and add the olive oil. Add the cubed tenderloins and cook til done. Remove chicken and set aside. Add shallot and garlic. Saute til done, about 30 seconds. Add wine and reduce to half. Add chicken stock and reduce to half. Add chicken back and heat through.

I served it over jasmine rice. Yummo! If you would like you can add mushrooms to this also. My kids are not fond of the fungi though. In fact, they freak out if they see them in their food. If you want to add mushrooms, do so after sauteeing the garlic and shallots. Cook them til tender.

Speaking of kids....

....we spent some time out in the yard tonight. She is getting so big! I can hardly believe that my "baby" will be a sophomore next year and driving this summer! Yes, you better stay off the roads and sidewalks!

My handsome guy, who was playing football with dad in the yard. He even has a girlfriend this year. I wonder if she knows I am his first love though?!

After a little walk around to see all the flowers starting to bloom, I did realize something.

I need to mow the yard this weekend.

I Am A Preschool Graduate!

2011-05-18T12:58:00.000-07:00

Ok, the bitty one is, but I feel like I am too.

Isn't she sweet? Looks are so deceiving! She NEEDED a new dress for this big day. Graduation day from the 3 year old preschool program.

Of course before we left I had to do a little photo shoot with her. I can hardly believe that my baby is almost a kindergartner! I just had her yesterday!

She looks so cute in her graduation cap with the rest of her class.

The class arrived and entertained everyone with a couple of songs that they learned for graduation day.

Then it was time for diplomas! Her teacher, Mrs DeRosier, presented the diplomas with her teacher aide, Mrs Waldron, and her student teacher, Mrs VanSant. Unfortunately, Mrs VanSant is moving this summer to Florida.

Big brother came along to watch his little sister. Of course, she had big hugs for him! Hey! I did all the hard work this year!

Oh well.... it was time for food. The teachers planned a potluck. Everything looked soooo good! I brought meatballs. Look for a upcoming recipe about them.

I also made a little gift for each of the kids and the teachers. The front says "I get by with a little help from my friends" and the back has everyone's name on it. I tied raffia and attached a pic of Syrina with our phone number on the back for a summer play date. There is also an upcoming post about how to make the shirts too. Really easy as long as you don't realize AFTER you have all the images printed that they need to be mirror image so you can read them right! Hmmmmpf....

So there you have them! Hartland's Preschool Class of 2011!

Now that that is over, I have lots more upcoming posts. Here are a few more....

Homemade Yogurt! If you like yogurt you won't want to miss this one. I bet everyone even has a "fancy" yogurt maker and they don't even know it! As a bonus, what you can do with the yogurt. Yumm!

Big Girl Play Date! It's Mommy time! I have invited some of my friends and their kids over for lunch. Come and join in on the fun! An outdoor tablescape and yummy food.

How to make a big ole honking book wreath! Better stock up on bandaids cause there is lots of hot glue involved with this one.

So come on back to see these and more!

I Survived Potter Park Zoo!

2011-05-15T10:05:00.000-07:00

I don't know where last week slipped off to. It started with a trip to Potter Park Zoo with the bitty one's class. I drove with my friends Cory, Barb and their 3 kids, Hayden, Jeracko and Tyler. Hayden and Jeracko are twins and bitty one's "best friends!" Besides touching EVERYTHING, they also had to stick their heads into every freaking cutout in the zoo!

Hayden, the one on the left, is crazy! We were eating lunch and she was playing around a trash bin. I noticed a "shadow" and before I knew it, she grabbed it. Unfortunately the squirrel attached to the tail she had a hold of was extremely surprised. Not 5 minutes later, she grabbed a peacock's tail too. I think she has a thing for tails! If you didn't know, the bulbous headed one on the right is bitty.

Potter Park is a small zoo in Lansing. Perfect for a day trip. The kids had a great time! They also went to a little show and tell with some of the animals.

At one point, I turned around to find this a little too close. Needless to say I didn't have the most graceful of exits! The handler told me I was going to scare the kids. I thought "Dude, how are you going to feel when I squish your buggy friend with my camera?" I hate spiders!

He was kinda cute, for a lizard.

This guy was quite a character! He would jump on the ball and roll off onto his back with his little legs squirming in the air. You should of heard the kids laughing at him!

Of course, no trip to the zoo is complete without a ride on a camel. The kids thought this was pretty cool.

Next time, I want to go to the Fort Wayne Zoo. That one is my favorite so far.

So, that was about it for last week. Wednesday is graduation day for the preschoolers. I do have a little project/gift that I have been working on for the kids. You just have to wait til then to see though!