Happy Birthday Dad!

Just look at this fabulous 1950's family photo ... yep, that yours truly being held in my beautiful mother's arms. And that's my brother Johnny (who we tragically lost at such a young age) in my father's arms.

If I had to choose but one of the many strengths that my father possesses, it would be his hard work ethic. He believed in a full day's work and even evenings and weekends when emergencies arose. He was a master plumber and thought nothing of carrying large water heaters up and down stairs. He could clean a drain faster than those chemical cleaners ever could. And there wasn't a water leak that he couldn't plug! And he could sell ice cubes to eskimos! In addition to his plumbing company, he also sold Electroway Sink Centers back in the mid 60's.  This was my mother's FAVORITE gadget (and let me tell you my dad LOVED gadgets!)  It was quite the innovation at the time and my dad had several salesmen and even a cold call room where they set up appointments to go to people's homes to show and sell this remarkable and amazing kitchen helper. (click on photo for larger image).

 
 
My dad's favorite place to vacation was anywhere that were was an ocean, but he preferred California and the Pacific Ocean.  He used to love to deep sea fish and he and my mom would travel to Oceanside, California every winter and spend several months at this wonderful oceanside resort.  Mom doesn't like water so she never went with him on his fishing excursions, but opted to stay at the motel where she would find a new sewing hobby every season to occupy her time. 
 
 

 
 
They also loved to shop and would come back with these fabulous new dishes/glasses that caught their attention. My favorite item from all of these shopping ventures was a set of large shell-shaped salad bowls.



 

 

Anyway, I digress ... I just wanted to give a big 'ol happy birthday shoutout to my dad as he celebrates his 82nd birthday today.  LOVE YOU DAD!!!!

Today is National Lemon Meringue Pie Day!

“Come join Love the Pie with TidyMom sponsored by Cherokee USA, Le Creuset, Wilton, Bags by Bloom and Harvard Common Press”

Join the fun at TidyMom for Love the Pie - Share your pie recipes (and WIN) here: http://tidymom.net/2011/best-pie-recipes/



Oh, what fond memories are tied together with this sweet and tart pie tin of lusciousness!  This has always been my favorite pie!  But ONLY if it's homemade, and preferably made by my mother!  I have always asked for this dessert on my birthday, and some years I scored and some years I didn't, but I always asked because there is absolutely NOTHING on this planet better than a "from scratch" lemon meringue pie!  First you have that delicate crust (made with lard - it's the ONLY way to get that old fashioned blue ribbon prize winning taste).  Then the sweet/tart filling - slow cooked custard with REAL lemon juice and zest.   I could actually just eat this without the crust and meringue and die happy, but some things are meant to be a complete package.  Now last but definitely not least, is the meringue. There is a real trick to making perfect meringue, and some years my mom had success and some years not so much, but it is a thing of beauty and when done right a mouth full of amazing airy wonderfulness.  Now put them all together and you have a dessert that will cause your eyes to cross and lips to grin!

Here's mom's recipe / click to enlarge recipe:



Fabric Flower Tutorial Link

Just look at this GORGEOUS flower creation.  You've seen Prima flowers and Webster's Pages flowers like this and now you can make your own - in minutes! 

Here's a link to the tutorial: 

http://downunderdirectinspiration.blogspot.com/2011/08/tutorial-tuesday.html


Would LOVE to see what you create!

The loss of the U.S. Navy SEALs in Afghanistan

If you have a moment, please go read this blog ... and take a tissue!

http://stephaniehowell.typepad.com/my_weblog/

and then go here:

http://www.navysealfoundation.org/

God Bless America!

It's National S'mores Day!

This holiday ranks right up there with Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny. Although I embrace ANY holiday that involves chocolate!  I mean, who doesn't LOVE s'mores??!!  S'mores are a favorite campsite treat for kids of ALL ages. If you're at a campfire, chances are, there's s'mores. Sticky and gooey, loaded with sugar and carbs, s'mores are nothing short of delicious.


National S'mores Day celebrates this tasty summer treat. It's appropriately placed in August...prime campfire time.  The origin of s'mores dates back to the 1920's.  It's believed the recipe was created by the Campfire Girls, but there are also claims made that the Girl Scouts were the first to discover this treat. (NOTE:  I became a Campfire Girl after learning that Girl Scouts did not, in fact, get to eat boxes of GS cookies at their meetings.)  The first known recipe for "Some More," appeared in the 1927 book "Tramping and Trailing with the Girl Scouts." That recipe that was little changed by 1940, when William Gould Vinal included it in his "Nature Recreation: Group Guidance for the Out-of-Doors."  Before long, s'mores became a popular campfire desssert.  S'more folklore suggests that s'mores got its name right by the campfire. After eating one, everyone chanted "gimme some more!" 






And while they say you should make these treats around a roaring camp fire, I've been known to turn on the gas stove and toast up a marshmallow for instant s'more gratification.  Anyone else ever done that?



RECIPE:  Two graham crackers for outsides. Square of hershey's chocolate to fit. Add toasted marshmallow and squish together. Repeat until bag of marshmallows is empty.

How My Cats See Me !!!

I saw this on Lolcats this morning and just HAD to share.  My three furballs definitely see me in this light!

Happy Birthday Trisha!

Wishing my niece, Trisha, a very happy birthday today!






My niece, Trisha, is a new mom to one year old Avlyn.  She is also our family historian and loves to document our ancestry.  She recently uncovered a great great granddaughter of one of my dad's aunts. She also discovered that we have some Irish in our lineage, which would account for my love of Bailey's Irish Cream.   

It's National Sneak Some Zucchini Onto Your Neighbor's Porch Day!

I seriously burst out laughing when I saw what today's national food holiday was!!  But hey, what else are you going to do with an endless supply of zucchini?  Any experienced gardener knows that zucchini is one of the most prolific plants in all of the gardening world. A single plant produces a seemingly endless supply of zucchini. A small row of zucchini has the potential to end world hunger.  By the time August arrives, gardeners are harvesting far more zucchini than they can possibly use daily in any untold number of recipes, from soups and stews, to breads and dips. Still, the fruit matures on the vine faster than anyone can pick it. Zucchini growers become desperate, as they try to give zucchini away to family, friends, coworkers, people at bus stops.  By August, even non-gardeners have had enough.  Everyone avoids you, with your arms laden with this healthy produce.  So ... desperate times calls for desperate measure. It's time to sneak over, under the cover of darkness, to your neighbors porch, and unload some zucchini. Today is that day! 








Here's a new recipe for you to try with YOUR bumper crop of zucchini:






Cheesy Zucchini and Red Onion Flatbread


The recipe can be found HERE: 
 
http://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/2006/08/cheesy_zucchini_and_red_onion_flatbread

 

It Just Doesn't Get Any Better!!

While visiting my son and daughter-in-law in Colorado last week, my son drove me up to Breckenridge for the day and while standing in line at a vendor getting us a handmade crepe in downtown Breckenridge (and can I just say they were A.MAZ.ING!), he snapped this photograph of the sky above us. How magnificent it turned out.  And yes, the sky really is THAT blue!!!  Click on the photo to get an even better visual experience!

My Children Would Agree!

You can get this paper weight here:  http://www.femailcreations.com/default.aspx

Double Rainbow

Just after dinner and before leaving for the airport in Denver on Monday night, we walked out of the restaurant after a heavy rain and were greeted with this amazing double rainbow!  Just another day in paradise!

Amazing Taste and Oh So Healthy!

I'm back from a GLORIOUS trip to Denver to see my son and daughter-in-law.  My son is the MOST amazing cook (he got that from his mother - grin).  While there, he made this AMAZING curry popcorn cauliflower recipe ... this is SERIOUSLY delicious and can you say HEALTHY?  I could eat this EVERY DAY!  He also made some delicious fruit smoothies, bison burgers and some really delicious fish tacos using bib lettuce instead of taco shells. 


Cauliflower:  $2.98
Curry Powder:  $4.95
Olive Oil:   $7.95
My son cooking me dinner:  PRICELESS!!!!


Here's the link for this recipe.  You MUST give it a try and let me know what you think!!

http://www.melskitchencafe.com/2011/07/curried-cauliflower-popcorn.html

Soup of the Day!

I saw this on Pinterest this morning and just had to share my giggles with you!

On my way to Denver after work today to see my son and daughter-in-law!  SO very excited.  It's been since Christmas since I've seen them and I miss them EVERY SINGLE DAY! 

So I'll be "off the blog" until later next week.  Everyone stay cool and enjoy these hot summer days!

Happy Birthday to my Son!

My son turns 39 today.  How can that be?  When does a child become the same age as his parents?  It doesn't seem possible that I have a child who is such a well adjusted adult.  Heck, I'm not even a well adjusted adult yet (grin).  Anyway, Happy Birthday, son!  Love you more than snickerdoodles!

Here's a pic of Mark and his sister, Laura, when he was 18 I believe.  They both had SUCH beautiful hair!



You Gotta Have Faith, Faith, Faith (channeling WHAM)

I have a very dear friend who is devoutly spiritual and I wanted to make her a religious themed gift card set for her birthday next week that she can use for any occasion.  Here's a few of my creations.

Hope she likes them.  

I don't usually share my political or religious views on this blog, but figure since I am focusing on faith today, I would share a bit about my thoughts on the subject.  Do I believe in God.  Yes.   Do I pray and give thanks for the amazing gift of life - every single day.  Do I go to church.  No.  I've been a member and baptised in several different religions over the years ... Lutheran, Catholic, Mormon, Born Again Christian, just to name a few.  And what I've found is that there is no one organized religion that I can embrace, but rather there are several elements from each that I encompass in my day to day life.    Hope everyone is enjoying their weekend and staying "cool".  We're having a VERY hot and humid summer here in the heartland. 

Week Three of Color Challenge - Green

Here's my creation for Week Three of the Big Picture Class I've been taking.  Green was the perfect color to scrapbook some of the holiday pics I had for Jonas' scrapbook.  Click on photo for larger picture.

Love this Sweet Idea!

I'm heading to Denver next week to visit my son and daughter-in-law (counting the days!).  While there, I've asked Chrysty to help me make this DARLING little bracelet.  She is SO crafty and used to make the most fabulous jewelry, so hoping she still has the tools we need ... that, and the hand strength to help me press the wire rings, as my arthritis won't allow me to do much piece work like this.  If we get one made, I'll post a pic for you when I get back.  I'm thinking I could even add some itty bitty stamped images with stayzon on some of the buttons.  What do you think?

What a Novel Idea (pun intended)

Definitely another one of those "why didn't I think of that" moments.  Printing out images directly onto note paper, book paper, newsprint, children's books, dictionairy pages, sheet music or almost ANY material that will feed through your printer ... and if you are fluent in digital images, etc. (which I am not) this is probably even more exciting for you!






I saw this idea here:  http://www.rufflesandstuff.com/2011/03/book-art.html

Guys ... Pay Attention!

It's a Bird ... NO ... it's a PLANE!

I am IN LOVE with Pinterest.  Here's a darling little project that I'm going to do with my grandson.













To Make It:


Paint one spring-style clothespin, two craft sticks, and one mini craft stick in your child's (or grandchild - wink) favorite colors. Once dry, glue a craft stick on top and bottom of the clothespin as wings, and the mini craft stick as the tail. Cut a triangle from crafts foam and glue it upright atop the mini craft stick. Once dry, glue strong magnets on the bottom of the clothespin.  Use them on fridge to hang your child's fabulous artwork!

We're Having A Heat Wave!

It's July in Nebraska and one never knows what Mother Nature has in store for us.  It's been quite a year already with unseasonable cold temps last winter, unusually high rain falls this spring, major flooding and now off the charts heat and humidity.  Yesterday driving home the car's outside temp reading said 104 degrees.  Egaads ... am I back in Phoenix?  The heat index was almost 120 degrees.  Unbelieveable. And there is no break in sight until early next week when the temps will drop back into the high 80's, which is normal for late July.  And the bug population is exploding!  I think I actually saw a mosquito waterskiing in a puddle this morning!  And they are now saying that the flood waters won't be receding anytime soon, and that we can expect standing water until DECEMBER!  At that point the water will freeze and we can host the winter olympics for ice skaters!  So how's the weather in your town and what are you doing to stay COOL this summer?

Why Didn't I Think Of That??!!

I found this photo on Pinterest and thought it was the MOST ingenious idea I've seen in a long time.  Seriously, I can just picture the child looking on the kitchen counter at some spaghetti and hot dogs and sticking the pasta pieces into the hotdogs thinking they are tinker toys or the like.  And then mom, wanting to be frugile, throws everything into a boiling pot of water.  INGENIOUS!  And I can already hear the giggles from around the dinner table when I put a plate of pasta and franks in front of my family!

 

Everything Tastes Better on a Stick!

My son and I have this running joke that you could put almost anything on a stick, and people would eat it. 

One of the original foods (and a personal favorite) on a stick would be the corn dog!  Everytime I have one of these it takes me back to my childhood and the county fairs we used to go to.  Corn dogs, funnel cakes and ferris wheels ... yep!




And here's a novel way to eat pizza ...






I found Bakeralla.com several years ago when she was a guest on The Pioneer Woman's ranch ... cake pops are now all the rage, but I've made them for several years now.








And here's one that you and your kids can have fun making to gobble up at Thanksgiving!








As if poptarts are a fast food already, let's put them on a stick!!








Here's a healthy alternative on a stick!








But now I think I've seen everything ... announcing Beer on a Stick!





Let me know what YOUR favorite food on a stick is!

Drawer Hangers

Have you discovered pinterest yet?  I'm completely new to this concept but am quickly getting drawn to all the fabulous boards available for inspiration.  From decorating to recipes to crafts to art ... so much eye candy that it's almost overwhelming.  I came across this unique wall decor idea using decorative knobs as hangers and I just had to share.  So inexpensive, yet such a novel wall treatment that's both useful and artful at the same time.  I'm thinking you could go smaller and use this same idea for hanging jewelry!

Mustard Chicken Sunday

And all these years I thought french-fried onions were only for green bean casseroles.  Who knew?  Here is a quick and tasty chicken recipe that we had for dinner last night.  THREE ingredients.  TRULY!  And fabulous results.  Even without covering the dish, the chicken was SO moist!  Try it sometime soon - you won't be disappointed!

Ingredients



4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts


1 cup prepared mustard


1 large can French-fried onions


Directions


1.Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).


2.Place mustard in a shallow dish or bowl; place onions in a second shallow dish or bowl. Dredge chicken in mustard to coat both sides, then dredge in onions. Place coated chicken in a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking dish.


3.Bake at 375 degrees F for 60 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and juices run clear.

Color Me Creative - Orange

I'm taking my first online class from Big Picture Classes which you can find out more about here:

http://www.bigpictureclasses.com/selfpaced.php

This week's theme is about the color orange!  They give us a sketch to follow for a layout and then encourage us to take the chosen color and create.  Here's a card I did with some remnant papers I found in my stash.  My goal is to use up the papers I have collected (and there are MANY) before buying anymore. Which means I could probably hold up in my craft room for several years and not run out of paper.  Glue maybe, but never paper. 

And here's my take on the sketch challenge.  They encouraged journaling down the left side, so I wrote about my FAVORITE topic, my 3-year old grandson, Jonas.  I'm SO behind on his scrapbooks so I'm using this class to get some inspiration and get 'er done!

Unfortunately, in both cases, my camera didn't really pick up the deep hues of some of these papers, but you get the general idea.  Maybe my next hobby will be to learn to take better photos! 

Vodka ... It's not just for breakfast anymore!

Vodka as a household cleaner?? 

          ABSOLUT-ELY






Who needs separate chrome-cleaner, glass-cleaner, and porcelain-cleaner when a trip to the liquor cabinet can tackle all three materials at once? Dampen a cloth with vodka, rub, back in the shine.  "Honest, Officer, I was just polishing my car with it!"




Add Vodka to fresh cut flowers!




If you’re going to have fresh-cut flowers working hard to brighten up your decor, show some hospitality and give them a little drink. Several drops of vodka and a large pinch of sugar added to the water in your flower vase, changed daily, stunts ethylene production and will extend the vitality of bouquet.


NOTE:  If you find your husband with a flower in his mouth, he's either wanting to tango with you OR he's been into the flower vase again!





And on a final note ... it's also very good in orange juice!!






To see more uses for vodka and other GREEN ideas, go to this website:

http://www.care2.com/greenliving/14-surprising-uses-for-vodka.html

Bird is the Word!

Today is listed as National Fried Chicken Day ... yet another bizarre food holiday ... probably created by the Colonel himself to promote sales.  Fried chicken has been around for hundreds of years originally brought over to the U.S. by Scottish immigrants, and then later perfected by those southern cooks!

Here's my Fried Chicken Recipe:

If you have time and want to bother, you can take your chicken pieces and cover them with buttermilk and let stand overnight.  This is optional, but does seem to help keep the chicken moist.


You will need ...

3 eggs
1 cup hot red pepper sauce
2 cup self-rising flour
2 1/2 lb chicken, cut into pieces
2-3 teaspoon seasoned salt (Lawry's)
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder (optional)
2 tsp. pountry seasoning (or just some crushed sage will do in a pinch)

Heat oil (peanut oil works best but any grease will do) to 350 degrees F in a deep pot.  Do not fill the pot more than 1/2 full with oil.

In a medium size bowl, beat the eggs. Add enough hot sauce so the egg mixture is bright orange (about 1 cup). Dip the seasoned chicken in the egg, and then coat well in the seasoned flour.  (NOTE: if you prefer a thicker coating, you can "double dip").  Place the chicken in the preheated oil and fry the chicken until brown and crisp.  Dark meat takes longer than white meat. Approximate cooking time is 13 to 14 minutes for dark meat and 8 to 10 minutes for white meat. Meat juices should run clear when pierced with fork.

Serve with homemade cream gravy and a batch of 7-up biscuits!

Cream Gravy

3 tablespoons drippings from frying chicken
3 tablespoons flour
2 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup cream
salt and pepper to taste

Pour all drippings from skillet into a small bowl; measure and return 3 tablespoons to the skillet and place over medium heat. Stir in flour until well blended, scraping up brown bits from bottom of skillet. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until bubbly. Gradually add milk and cream; boil until thickened and creamy, stirring constantly. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

7-Up Biscuits

2 cups Bisquick

1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup 7-up
1/4 cup melted butter

Cut sour cream into biscuit mix, add 7-Up. Makes a very soft dough.
Sprinkle additional biscuit mix on board or table and pat dough out. Melt 1/4 cup butter in a 9 inch square pan. Place cut biscuits in pan and bake at 450 degrees until golden brown.


Question ... Why did the chicken cross the road?


PLATO: For the greater good.

ARISTOTLE: It is the nature of chickens to cross roads.
KARL MARX: It was a historical inevitability.
CAPTAIN JAMES T. KIRK: To boldly go where no chicken has gone before.
HIPPOCRATES: Because of an excess of phlegm in its pancreas.
ANDERSEN CONSULTING: Deregulation of the chicken's side of the road was threatening its dominant market position. The chicken was faced with significant challenges to create and develop the competencies required for the newly competitive market. Andersen Consulting ,in a partnering relationship with the client, helped the chicken by rethinking its physical distribution strategy and implementation processes. Using the Poultry Integration Model (PIM), Andersen helped the chicken use its skills, methodologies, knowledge, capital and experiences to align the chicken's people, processes and technology in support of its overall strategy within a Program Management framework. Andersen Consulting convened a diverse cross-spectrum of road analysts and best chickens along with Anderson consultants with deep skills in the transportation industry to engage in a two-day itinerary of meetings in order to leverage their personal knowledge capital, both tacit and explicit, and to enable them to synergize with each other in order to achieve the implicit goals of delivering and successfully architecting and implementing an enterprise-wide value framework across the continuum of poultry cross-median processes. The meeting was held in a park-like setting enabling and creating an impactful environment which was strategically based, industry-focused, and built upon a consistent, clear, and unified market message and aligned with the chicken's mission, vision, and core values. This was conducive towards the creation of a total business integration solution. Andersen Consulting helped the chicken change to become more successful.
MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.: I envision a world where all chickens will be free to cross roads without having their motives called into question.
MOSES: And God came down from the Heavens, and He said unto the chicken, ``Thou shalt cross the road.'' And the chicken crossed the road, and there was much rejoicing.
FOX MULDER: You saw it cross the road with your own eyes. How many more chickens have to cross the road before you believe it?
RICHARD M. NIXON: The chicken did not cross the road. I repeat, the chicken did NOT cross the road.
MACHIAVELLI: The point is that the chicken crossed the road. Who cares why? The end of crossing the road justifies whatever motive there was.
JERRY SEINFELD: Why does anyone cross a road? I mean, why doesn't anyone ever think to ask, What the heck was this chicken doing walking around all over the place, anyway?
FREUD: The fact that you are at all concerned that the chicken crossed the road reveals your underlying sexual insecurity.
BILL GATES: Our soon-to-be-released Chicken '98 will not only cross roads, but will lay eggs, file your important documents, and balance your checkbook.
OLIVER STONE: The question is not, ``Why did the chicken cross the road?'' Rather, it is, ``Who was crossing the road at the sametime, whom we overlooked in our haste to observe the chicken crossing?''
DARWIN: Chickens, over great periods of time, have been naturally selected in such a way that they are now genetically disposed to cross roads.
EINSTEIN: Whether the chicken crossed the road or the road moved beneath the chicken depends upon your frame of reference.
BUDDHA: Asking this question denies your own chicken nature.
RALPH WALDO EMERSON: The chicken did not cross the road... it transcended it.
MICHAEL SCHUMACHER: It was an instinctive maneuver, the chicken obviously didn't see the road until he had already started to cross.
COLONEL SANDERS: I missed one?
PHYSICIST: Because the chicken's momentum had a positive component towards the other side of the road.
QUANTUM PHYSICIST: Because you measured its momentum too precisely.
MATHEMATICIAN: Because of the intermediate values theorem.
ALGEBRAIC GEOMETRIST: Well, consider a faithfully flat etale coherent sheaf...
C PROGRAMMER: cross_road() was called from get_other_side()
C++ PROGRAMMER: chicken->CrossRoad() was called from chicken->GetOtherSide()
OMAR KHAYYÁM:
MARKETING DIVISION OF MICROSOFT CORPORATION: Where does your chicken want to go today?
MARVIN: The other side is just as dull as this one. Don't talk to me about chickens.
ARTHUR DENT: Why did the chicken cross the road? 42? No, that doesn't make sense.

HAMLET:


To cross, or not to cross, that is the question: -
Whether 'tis nobler in the mind, to suffer
The slings and arrows of outrageous side;
Or to take arms against a road of troubles,
And by crossing end them?

Winnerday!

And the winner of my first blogversary "craft" giveaway is ... (drumroll) ....



        Elizabeth said  ...  June 23, 2011 1:48 PM

Happy Anniversary Lillian! I have so enjoyed following your blog! I love the tidbits on life, the recipes, and the wonderful craft projects:) Please enter me in the crafter's hat:) http://visionsofpaper.blogspot.com/



Congratulations, Elizabeth.  Please email me with your mailing information at lchild@mcgrathnorth.com and I will get your package in the mail to you.


And now for the "card" hat drawing.  Since there were only TWO individuals who were interested in the card prize, I am giving BOTH of them a packet of 6 handmade cards.  Those two individuals are:

                Lauri Chilton and Bethann !

Ladies, if you would also drop me an email I will get your cards in the mail to you as well.

And again a HUGE thank you to everyone for following my blog and leaving me such lovely comments.  I appreciate each and every one of them!

Have a happy and save July 4th!

Enjoy the Moment

I've been holding on to some fabulous Webster's Pages and October Afternoon papers and embellishments. They work well together, don't you think?  I also used a small sheet of coredinations white wash and ran it through the cuttlebug with the large circles and then sanded so there is some great texture to the card.  The sentiment is one from Papertrey that I've had for several years.  There stamps give off the most "crisp" inking that I've ever worked with.  The lace and pearls are Stampin Up, and the flower is Webster's Pages. The clock image is cut from a sheet of Webster's Pages as well.