Reality Check!

My son just called and asked why none of the previous post's photos were of where actually lived ... he said the photos really "romanticized" winter and were taken of beautiful settings ... like Colorado, where he and his lovely wife live.  So to appease my first born, here are some ACTUAL photos of Omaha, Nebraska in the wintertime ...

Where our "moutains" are made in the middle of streets ...




Where it takes DAYS to clear all the streets with the ONE plow in our city budget ...




Where kids have to be INVENTIVE to enjoy a "snow day" from school ...



Where when after a HUGE snowfall, and after several hours of shoveling your driveway, that one city plow comes down your street and buries the end of your driveway in snow ...




So maybe I was really was romanticizing the winter season ... but it was probably to disquise the fact that the next season ahead is TORNADO season ... run, Toto, run!

I simply adore photos that are stories in themselves ... no words are needed, but the images conjur up memories for all those who look.

One of my favorite blogs that I visit is The Rusted Chain.  Beki is an amazing photographer and her images always make me stop and smile.

You can check out her blog here:  http://www.blog.therustedchain.com/

Here's some recent images that I just love ...

Happy First Day of Spring!

Johnny Angel

I've had this little song running through my head all day ... I can actually remember when she sang this on t.v. so very many years ago ... hard to believe I can remember things from when I was a baby (grinning).

Pan Fried Cabbage

I'm not a huge fan of any "boiled" vegetable, but most St. Paddy's Day recipes call for boiling the corned beef, along with the cabbage, potatoes, carrots and onions. 


This year Sterling is making something outside the traditional recipe and is "frying" the cabbage instead of boiling it. 





Here's the recipe he's going to be trying out:

FRIED CABBAGE
6 slices bacon, chopped

1 large onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 large head cabbage, cored and sliced

1 tablespoon salt, or to taste

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/8 teaspoon paprika


Place the bacon in a large stockpot and cook over medium-high heat until crispy, about 10 minutes. Add the onion and garlic; cook and stir until the onion caramelizes; about 10 minutes. Immediately stir in the cabbage and continue to cook and stir another 10 minutes. Season with salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and paprika. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes more.

Corned Beef !!

Several years ago, my son called asking for a quick recipe for anything containing corned beef ... he was entering a contest where he worked ... you can read the fun details in the scrapbook page I made below. You might have to click on the image and enlarge if you want a better reading of the actual recipe (which is VERY good and one I always use if we have leftover corned beef)!!



Terrarium

I have ONE plant in our house that has not met its fate from our two cats - and it is kept very high up so as not to attract their attention.  Cats LOVE plant life ... actually, they love to feast on plant life, which in turns destroys any chance of keeping a house plant from meeting its doom in our home.  Then I stumbled upon THIS great idea ... a terrarium to host living plants that will shatter any kitty's attempt at making it a Happy Hour appetizer!  One of those "why didn't I think of that" moments!






Now we can concentrate on our next issue ...

Chicken Curry

Growing up in the 50's and 60's, I can honestly say that the closest thing we ever got to spice was table salt and pepper.  I had no idea there was such a thing as "ethnic" food.  It wasn't until the late 60's when I had my first taco from Taco Bell - yep - thought I was experiencing a true international cullinary delight.  And since then it's only been in the last 10 years or so that I've really began to try things outside my mother's pot roast comfort zone.  I've discovered that I love the flavor of curry.  Here's a relatively quick and simply recipe that you can make at home without needing a bazzilion different spices.





India Chicken Curry

1/2 cup finely chopped onion (about one medium)
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
2 Tablespoons butter
3 Tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon (more or less) curry powder
1-1/2 cups chicen broth
1 tsp. worcestershire sauce
1-1/2 cups chopped cooked chicken
1/2 cup tomato juice (I use V-8)
2 cups hot cooked rice
scallions

Cook onion and celery in butter until tender.  Stir in flour and curry powder and cook for one minute. Add chicken broth and worcestershire sauce.  Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly.  Stir in the cooked chicken and tomato juice.  Heat through.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Serve over hot rice and add chopped scallions or green onion if desired.

Turning 60

What turning 60 really feels like ...

Swiss Steak ala Mom

My mom made Swiss Steak for dinner at least once a month when I was growing up.  She always served it over rice (or egg noodles) and always with canned peas on the side or sometimes just dumped over the top.  You can put this into the oven or use a crockpot.

1 pound (3/4" to 1" thick) boneless beef round steak
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 tablespoon cooking oil
1 16-oz. can tomatoes (cut up)
1 small onion, sliced and separated into rings
1/2 cup sliced celery (one stalk)
1/2 cup sliced carrots (1 medium)
1 tsp. dried thyme

Cut meat into large serving pieces.  Combine flour, salt, and pepper and cover meat pieces.  Using meat mallet, pound flour mixture into meat.

In large skillet, brown meat on all sides in hot oil.  Drain off fat.  Add remaining ingredients and bring to boil. Pour into casserole dish, cover and bake in 350 degree oven for 1-1/2 hours (or until tender).  Serve over  
2 cups hot cooked rice or noodles.

CROCKPOT METHOD:  After meat is brown, place in crockpot and add remaining ingredients.  Cook 10 to 12 hours.  Serve as above.

Old Fashioned Rice Pudding

 

I thought I had lost this recipe forever and BAM, I found it going through some old cookbooks today.  This recipe for Rice Pudding uses MINUTE RICE! 

4 cups cold milk
1 cup minute rice
1 package vanilla or coconut cream flavor pudding and pie filling (not instant)
1/4 (more or less) raisins (plump with hot water and drain)
1 egg, well beaten
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

Combine milk, rice, pudding mix, raisins and eggs in medium saucepan.  Brint to full boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.  Cool 5 minutes, stirring twice.  Pour into individual dessert dishes or serving bowl.  Sprinkle with cinnamon and nutmeg.  Makes 10 servings.  NOTE:  You can make this "fruited" rice, by adding one can of fruit cocktail after cooling process.

There's also a "baked" version of rice pudding recipe using Minute Rice that I used to make years ago ... a recipe I'm still searching for.

Old Fashioned Fudge

One of my fondest memories as a child is of standing in my Grandma Ollie's kitchen and making fudge together.  Waiting for the mixture to get to a "soft ball" stage and then beating the heck out it.  Not at all like today's recipes where you just melt some chips and add a few ingredients.  I'm talking about the MADE FROM SCRATCH kind of fudge!

Here's her recipe:

2 cups sugar
3/4 cup milk
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, cut up
   (or you can use 3 tablespoons cocoa powder)
1 tsp light-colored corn syrup
2 tablespoons butter
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)

Line a loaf pan (9x5x3) with foil (extending over edges of pan).  Butter generously and set aside.

Butter the side of a heavy 2 quart saucepan. Combine sugar, milk, chocolate and corn syrup. Cook and stir over medium-high heat until mixture boils.  Clip a cany thermometer to side of pan. Reduce the heat to medium low and continue boiling at a maderate and steady rate.  Stir frequently until thermometer registeres 234 degrees (or soft ball stage) ( about 20 to 25 minutes).

Remove pan from heat and add butter and vanill, but do not stir.  Cool, without stirring to 110 on the thermometer (about an hour).

Remove thermometer from saucepan.  Beat mixture vigorously with a wooden spoon until fudge just begins to thicken.*  If desired, add chopped nuts at this point.  Continue beating until the fudge becomes VERY thick and just starts to lose its gloss (about 10 minutes).

IMMEDIATELY spread fudge in the prepared pan.  Score into squarel while warm.  When fudge is firm, use foil to lift it out of pan.  Cut fudge into squares.  Store tightly covered. 

(NOTE:  you can also add 2 tablespoons of peanut butter here (*) but just be ready as doing so will cause fudge to harden quickly.

ENJOY!!

Say Cheese!

Today I've been going through a Philadelphia Cream Cheese recipe book published in 1989. There are several really good, basic recipes that I'll be sharing with you today.

Up first ... Hawaiian Coconut Spread.  It's as simple as comb ining 1 8 oz brick of cream cheese (softened) with 2 tablespoons of pineapple or beach preserves and 1/3 coconut.  Combine and chill and serve with banana bread!


Next up ... Creamy Deviled Eggs ... instead of mayo, add one 8 oz brick softened cream cheese to 8 hard cooked egg yolks, 2 tablespoons pickle relish, 1/2 tsp dry mustard, salt and pepper to taste.  Fill whites and sprinkle with paprika.

And I've always wanted to try this SIMPLE basic Fettucini Alfredo recipe ... Combine one 8 oz brick of cream cheese (cubed) with 3/4 cup kraft grated parmesan cheese, 1/2 cup butter, 1/2 cup milk.  Stir over low heat until smooth.  Add 8 oz. fettucini noodles (cooked, drained) and toss lightly. Add some fresh herbs if you have them.

Finally, here's a fresh spin on a Garden Macaroni Salad


1/4 c. mayonnaise

1 (8 oz.) softened cream cheese

1/4 c. sweet pickle relish, drained

1 tbsp. prepared mustard

2 c. elbow macaroni

1 c. chopped cucumber

1/2 c. chopped green onion

1/2 c. radish slices

2 tbsp. chopped onion

1/2 tsp. salt

Gradually add mayonnaise to cream cheese. Mix well until blended. Stir in relish and mustard. Add remaining ingredients, mix lightly. Spoon into lightly oiled 9 inch spring form pan with ring insert. Chill several hours or overnight. Unmold and serve.

Five Star Tuna Casserole

If you want to take your tuna casserole dish to the next level, try this recipe!



Tuna & Elbow Macaroni Bake

1/2 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup chopped onion
2 tablespoons butter
1 can cream of celery soup
1-1/4 cups milk
7 oz. (or more) of canned tuna (in water), drained
1 tablespoon chopped pimento
1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
2 tablespoons butter

Boil 2 cups elbow macaroni or elbo-spaghetti in 3 quarts boiling water (adding salt and oil to the pot of water).  Cook 4 to 5 minutes.  Drain and rinse.

In skillet, cook celery and onion in margarine until translucent.  Blend in soup and milk.  Add tuna dnd pimento. Combine with macaronio and turn into a 2 quarter buttered casserole dish.  Combine bread crumbs and melted butter and sprinkle over tope.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Makes 4 servings.

Carrots Au Gratin

A really quick and easy vegetable side dish your family will enjoy!




INGREDIENTS:

3 cups sliced carrots, cooked
1 can cream of celery soup
1 cup (more or less) shredde cheddar cheese

TOPPING:  Mix 1/2 cup panco bread crums with 2 tablespoons melted butter.


Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Butter 1 quart casserole dish.  Combine carrots, soup and cheese. Pour into prepared pan.  Mix topping ingredients and sprinkle over carrots.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Leftover Cookies

I like making these cookies when I am trying to finish off the tail ends of baking goods.  They have a little bit of everything and once you have one, you'll want several more ... they are definitely addicting, so you may not want to wait to make these!

These are similar to what some call "ranger" cookies, but I have yet to find this recipe on the internet.  It was in a 1977 "simply from scratch" recipe book by Pillsbury.




CRISP 'N CRUNCHY COOKIES

1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cream of targer
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup cooking oil
1 tsp. vanilla
1 egg
3-1/2 cups flour
1 cup quick cooking oats
1 cup coconut
1 cup rice krispies cereal
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

In large bowl, combine first 9 ingredients; beat 2 minutes on medium speed until smooth.  Add flour; beat one minute on slow speed until smooth.  Stir in remaining ingredients.

Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls, 2 inches apart, onto UNgreased cookie sheets.  Flatten slightly with bottom of glass dipped in sugar.

Bake 10-14 minutes until light golden brown.  Remove from cookie sheets to cool.

Pour a large glass of milk and ENJOY!

Blueberry Muffins

I've tried so many different muffin recipes over the years, but THIS recipe for blueberry muffins is NUMBER ONE in my collection.  And so darn easy too!





BLUEBERRY MUFFINS

1/2 cup quick cooking oats (quaker)
1/2 cup orange juice

1-1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
1-1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 cup cooking oil
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 cup fresh or frozen, thawed blueberries

Topping:  Mix 1/2 cup sugar and 2 tsp. cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Line 12 muffin cups with baking cups (or grease pan - do not use oil).

In a large bowl, combine oats and juice and stir well.  Add remaining ingredients stirring well.  Carefully stir in blueberries.  Spoon into muffin cups, filling 2/3 full.  Sprinkle with topping mixture. 

Bake 18-22 minutes until golden brown.

My Grandma Elly's Doughnut Holes

My Grandma Elly always brought a brown bag of these donut holes to our family picnics when I was growing up. Every time I make them I think of her! 







CINNAMON SUGARED DOUGHNUT DROPS


Oil for deep frying

1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour

1/3 c. sugar

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

1/2 c. milk

2 tbsp. oil

1/2 tsp. vanilla

1 egg, slightly beaten

1/2 c. sugar

1 tsp. cinnamon



In large saucepan, heat 2 to 3 inches oil to 350 degrees. In large bowl, combine flour, 1/3 cup sugar, baking powder, salt, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon and nutmeg. Stir in milk, oil, vanilla and egg with a fork JUST until dry ingredients are moistened. Drop by teaspoonfuls into hot oil, 5 to 6 at a time.

Fry doughnut drops 1-1 1/2 minutes on each side until golden brown. Drain on paper towel. Mix 1/2 cup sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon; roll warm doughnut drops in mixture. 24-30 doughnut balls

Creamy Tuna Garden Wedges (Bisquick)

Here's a recipe right out of a 1980's Bisquick recipe book.  So refreshing for a summer evening dinner party.





CREAMY TUNA GARDEN WEDGES


2 c. Bisquick baking mix

1/2 c. cold water

1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened

1/2 c. mayonnaise or salad dressing

1/2 c. sliced green onions

2 tsp. prepared horseradish

1/8 tsp. red pepper sauce

1 (6.5 oz.) can tuna, drained

2 med. celery stalks, cut diagonally into 1/4 in. slices

Assorted fresh vegetables (sliced mushrooms, cherry tomato halves, cucumber, chopped broccoli)

Shredded cheese



Heat oven to 450 degrees. Mix baking mix and water until soft dough forms; beat vigorously 20 strokes. Pat dough in ungreased 12 inch pizza pan with floured hands, forming 1/2" rim. Bake until crust is light brown, about 10 minutes. Cool 10 minutes.

Mix cream cheese, mayonnaise, onions, horseradish, pepper sauce, and tuna; spread evenly over crust. Divide dough into 6 wedges with celery slices. Top wedges with vegetables and cheese. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour

Jello Ribbon Salad - My Son's Favorite!

I've been making this jello dessert for MANY years.  It has several steps and you have to wait for each layer to set up, but it is SO worth the effort !!




Ingredients


1 package (.3 ounce) each of lime, lemon and raspberry gelatin

3 cups boiling water, divided

1 cup minature marshmallows

1-1/2 cups COLD water
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, cubed

1 can (1 lb. 4-1/2 oz) crushed pineapple, undrained

1 cup cool whip


Directions

Dissolve Jello gelatin flavors separately, using 1 cup boiling water for each.  Stir marchmallows into lemon gelatin; set aside.  Add 3/4 cup cold water to lime gelatin; pour into a 13-in. x 9-in. dish (coated with cooking spray). Refrigerate until almost set.

Add 3/4 cup cold water to raspberry gelatin; set aside at room temperature.

Add cream cheese to lemon mixture; beat until blended.  Chill until slightly thickened.  Then blend in mayonnaise, cool whip and crushed pineapple. (NOTE: if you like nuts, you can add 1/2 choped pecans at this point to the lemon mixture).  Chill until very thick; spoon gently over lime gelatin. Chill until set, but not firm.  Meanwhile, chill raspberry gelatin until thickened; pour over lemon mixture.  Chill until firm. 
  ENJOY!!!

Old English Crab Cheese Muffin Appetizer Recipe

I've been going through some old cookbooks and recipes given to me by friends and family, and want to get everything in a "digital" format, so I am posting and sharing them with you here on my blog.  A good friend of mine made these (many years ago) and I just came across her recipe.  These appetizers are absolutely delish and SO easy to throw together!





CRAB-CHEESE-ENGLISH MUFFIN HORS D'OEUVRES

1 stick butter (softened) (q/w cup)

1 jar Old English cheese spread (5 oz.)

1 1/2 tsp. mayonnaise

1/2 tsp. Lawry's Seasoned Salt or 1/4 tsp garlic salt or powder

1 (7 oz.) can crab meat (or sm. pkg. frozen flaked crab)


Mix all ingredients. Spread on muffins (6 or 8 pkg.). Cut each muffin in half and then each half into eighths. Pop under broiler until bubbly. Serve while warm.

These freeze easily - and then just pop under broiler again to reheat.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Rustic Breakfast

Doesn't this photo just have you yearning to be sitting at this farm table enjoying these AMAZING looking croissants??!!??!!  Beam me up, Scottie!!

Mardi Gras Treat

I remember YEARS ago in school, we celebrated Mardi Gras in French Class.  Guess it had something to do with the French Quarter in New Orleans.  Whatever the connection, it was always fun to wear beads and have a piece of King Cake ... aways careful not to bite too hard in case that little plastic baby was in your piece of cake.  Years later I would be introduced to a pastry called a beignet ... and my world would be forever changed.  These light french puffs of pastry dusted in powdered sugar just melt in your mouth and will cause your taste buds to sing in pure joy. 





Here's a recipe from a southern gal, Paula Dean.

Ingredients


1 1/2 cups lukewarm water
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 envelope active dry yeast
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1 cup evaporated milk
7 cups bread flour
1/4 cup shortening
Nonstick spray
Oil, for deep-frying
3 cups confectioners' sugar

Directions

Mix water, sugar, and yeast in a large bowl and let sit for 10 minutes.

In another bowl, beat the eggs, salt and evaporated milk together. Mix egg mixture to the yeast mixture. In a separate bowl, measure out the bread flour. Add 3 cups of the flour to the yeast mixture and stir to combine. Add the shortening and continue to stir while adding the remaining flour. Remove dough from the bowl, place onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth. Spray a large bowl with nonstick spray. Put dough into the bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a towel. Let rise in a warm place for at least 2 hours.

Preheat oil in a deep-fryer to 350 degrees F.

Add the confectioners' sugar to a paper or plastic bag and set aside.

Roll the dough out to about 1/4-inch thickness and cut into 1-inch squares. Deep-fry, flipping constantly, until they become a golden color. After beignets are fried, drain them for a few seconds on paper towels, and then toss them into the bag of confectioners' sugar. Hold bag closed and shake to coat evenly.

Corny, I know.

I've been published in yet another Gooseberry Patch cookbook.  This time for a fabulous mexican corn casserole dish my family has been enjoying for years.

Bug

We've been struggling through this flu season ... albeit unsuccessfully.  Hand sanitizers alone just didn't do the trick.  And of course I'm going to hug my grandchildren, even though they have a runny nose.  And can someone please tell me how one nasal passage can produce SO MUCH phlegm??!!




But we're on the mend and hopefully the light at the end of the tunnel is not another flu train heading towards us!!

Color My World

I found this lovely piece of art on Pinterest and just had to share. 

Spoon Me !

Sometimes I come across something really special on Pinterest that I feel I absolutely MUST share with my readers.  Just look at the creativity of these repurposed vintage spoons ans forks.  Oh how I would love a sweet windchime like this on my back patio!  LOVE the whimsy and the sentiments!





Here's the original link to the creator of this piece of artwork:

http://cherylswindow.com/impressed-with-impressart-food-for-my-soul-windchime/

Lasting Friendships

What is it about some frendships that make them stand out above all the others?  I've had so many lovely ladies (and gents) come and go throughout my life, but there are those special few that have remained constant kindred spirits through my trials and tribulations. 




Those friends who you might not see or even hear from for years at a time, and then there they are on your doorstep or on the phone and it's like it was only yesterday that you were sharing a cup of coffee and laughing together over the silliest things.  I am blessed to have several of these people in my life. 




One of them I hold especially dear is my friend, Jacqui.  Jacqui and I met while working at a law firm in Tucson, Arizona some 30+ years ago.  We instantly bonded and became best buddies. At the time we were both single moms struggling just to make ends meet and hoping to find that special someone to share our lives with.





Funny that we would BOTH meet our now current husbands (my husband always rolls his eyes when I introduce him as my "current" husband) in the same honky tonk bar in Tucson ... the Maverick. 






I actually introduced Jacqui to her husband, Jim, whom I had met and befriended at the Maverick.  While there were no romantic sparks between Jim and I, I thought he was such a dear man (and if I remember correctly he could dance a mean two-step) ... so I introduced him to Jacqui.  Sparks definitely flew between them and they instantly became a couple. 




They married in Tucson shortly after that, and I must say that Jacqui was THE most BEAUTIFUL bride I think I have ever seen.  She wore this lovely western fitted lace wedding dress and she and Jim were married in a romantic scenic outdoor western setting.  It was magic.  (Jacqui - if you're reading this send me a copy of your wedding photo!)  Not long after that I moved to Phoenix for a short while and then moved here to Nebraska where my husband and I have lived ever since.  But through the years Jacqui and I have connected and remained special friends. 



She and I share a passion for arts and crafts and both love cooking.
She makes the most wonderful scented soaps ...




and I've just recently turned her on to my passion for cardmaking. 


I value Jacqui and Jim's friendship and hold them dear to my heart.  Love you guys more than bacon!  HUGS!

Happy Birthday, Luckie!

Today is my brother-in-law Luckie's birthday.  He's been such a delightful addition to this family and over the years he has given us so many reasons to smile and celebrate life!

Elvis' Birthday

Today is Elvis Presley’s birthday. “The King” was born on this day in 1935 in Tupelo, Miss.

Some of his BEST early songs were:

1. “Jailhouse Rock”

Not only is it one of Elvis’ greatest songs, the movie by the same name is the best film of the 33 he appeared in. Elvis actually choreographed all the dancers in the title song sequence.

2. “Heartbreak Hotel”

Elvis’ first No. 1 on the Billboard Top 100 was co-written by Mae Boren Axton, a prolific Nashville songwriter who is credited with getting Elvis signed to RCA Records. She passed her songwriting DNA on to her son, Hoyt Axton, who wrote “Joy to the World” for Three Dog Night.

3. “Hound Dog”

More than 40 million people watched Elvis perform this song on “The Milton Berle Show” on June 5, 1956. Controversy ensued over Elvis’ gyrations during the song and prompted the nickname “Elvis the Pelvis.”

4. “All Shook Up”

This is one of the few songs Elvis actually helped write. Well, even co-write may be too generous. The genesis of the song varies but according to Elvis in a 1957 interview, he had a bad dream and was “all shook up” when he awakened. He called a pal with the phrase and the song was ready the next morning.

5. “Love Me Tender”

This is one of Elvis’ most romantic ballads and was adapted from a Civil War ballad, “Aura Lee,” written in 1861.

A BIT OF TRIVIA:  My first marriage was on January 8 - and that marriage encompasses songs numbered 1 through 4 above!!

Seven Degrees of Bacon

I was wanting to try out some some new appetizers to add to our yearly family holiday dinner, and saw a really quick and easy appetizer from The Pioneer Woman.  Wasn't sure how well it was going to be accepted, but then I should have remembered the cardinal rule, that ANYTHING with bacon will be met with 100% approval from this family!!

I was impressed by how well the bacon fat drained off and how crisp the appetizers were.   They cook for TWO HOURS in a very low oven, and it just works!

I passed these little morsels around to family members, and was immediately cornered by them wanting MORE ... who knew that 30 appetizers would not be enough??!!  Next time I will double the recipe so that everyone gets more than one piece!





Here's the link to Ree's recipe for these really YUMMY appetizers: 

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2007/12/flashback_1981_-_holiday_bacon_appetizers/

Grandma's Feather Bed

We finally updated our mattress set this weekend, and oh my what a difference.  If I teach my grandchildren anything, it's that you can never spend too much money on a really good mattress.  Just take into account the amount of hours you spend on a mattress during your lifetime and then do the math! 

And everytime I think of the phrase, Grandma's feather bed, I can't help but remember John Denver's tune by that name.  His song still makes me chuckle.





http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2nHGlE06y0

Fun for Kids Ages 3 to 7 !

Kid fun!


If your kids are spending too much time on their iPads and not enough time expanding their imagination, or they are always "I'm bored", then this is just the ticket. I couldn't be more happy that my sweet friend Latrice had linked and talked about a wonderful little company called Kiwi Crate. I was skeptical until I went to their blog and saw photos what each of these creative boxes would include. 




Here's a sample of the Dig Into Dinosaurs


Stompy Dinosaur Feet:  Design and make your own special dinosaur feet. Perfect for stomping.





They also have PARTY PACKS for those special birthday celebrations.  You can get a little creative box for every child ... here's a delightful WAND kit for a sweet little girl's party.




I know my nieces would LOVE this idea! 

So, thanks for stopping by. Don't forget to use my link and help me earn referral credits and save you $10! Tell me what you think of Kiwi Crate too in the comments.

LINK:  http://www.kiwicrate.com/Refer?i=LillianC1