Maggie's Got the Right Idea!

It's almost 60 degrees here today but dark, dreary and rainy.

Two of the kids are getting colds and just not feeling themselves.

So...I think Maggie has the right idea. Curl up somewhere and take a nap.

Or just sit and stitch a while:)

Though, I do believe I will find a cozy couch or bed instead of a child's lawn chair.

However she seems quite comfy just where she is at. The other 2 fur kids are asleep as well. It feels like it should be a Monday here but thank goodness it's FRIDAY!!!

I've been Inspired!

I have been looking at all of these blogs that do stitching. I have cross-stitched for a long time and even made a simple stitchery for my mother once with a cute little saying on it. (Which I don't thing she truly appreciated! I thought it was cute and funny but you just would have had to of been there. It was more of a gag gift!)

Anyways I went on the computer and searched for some cute primitive patterns and found many. I had everything I needed except for the muslin so I picked some up the other day. Yesterday I traced the pattern onto the fabric and now I'm ready to begin. This will make a nice TV craft. I don't watch much TV. (It's kinda hard to watch when you can't pull yourself away from the computer.) But I hope to take some down time in the evenings and stitch away. I'll be sure to share a picture of the finished item when I get it done.

Done Playing Around & Seeds are Sprouting

Well I think I am done playing around with backgrounds for a while. I spent so much time yesterday fiddlin' around with it and then by late last night I pretty much went back to the same old thing. Oh well, at least I won't want to mess with it for a good while. It takes too long and I don't know enough so I get frustrated. I did change it to a 3 column which is gonna take some time to get used to.

Enough of that!

The seeds that we planted on Thursday have begun to sprout. I was surprised that they did so quick. There are several different flowers coming up. I also have tomato & pumpkins breaking throught the dirt. Sooo neat! Now if I can just keep them alive long enough to tranfer them outdoors to the garden. We shall see. It's giving the kids something else to learn about if nothing else. They are watching and recording in garden journals that I had them start.

Bear with me Please

I'm still fiddlin' around with backgrounds. You'll have to be patient while I play a little bit.
Feel free to leave me a comment about any likes or dislikes. Hard to read, not the right color, etc.
Thank You!

Messin' Around with My Blog

I need opinions please!!!

I have been messin' around and changing some things on my blog. There are so many different things you can change out that I could literally spend ALL day on here.

My questions are....

1. Does a three column blog just seem way to clustered and hard to read?

Not to mention the added green on the sides that scroll over top of all the writing.

2. Did you like the plain old green background better?

I get tired of the same old thing. That is why I am so happy when each season changes to the next. I guess my blog world is gonna be the same. I'm gonna want to change it every so often. I just have so much more learning before I can do so easily.

Let me know what you all think!

More John Deere Purses

A fellow blogger emailed me to see if I could make her a few John Deere purses a little while back. She saw the post of the one that I made for myself and really liked it. I have not sewn anything for almost 6 months and I just couldn't seem to get a movin' on them. However, I sat down this morning and finished them both. FINALLY! The one pictured is my favorite.

Hopefully I will get back into the sewing mode now!

Relaxing Weekend

Well I haven't posted anything since Friday. I took the weekend off...kinda.
I still did all of my usual weekend things but just a bit slower. I always clean the house good, which is sometimes useless with everyone home, but it makes Monday mornings so much easier when I know all the big cleaning is done. Mondays are just Mondays...if you know what I mean.
We went out to eat at my all time favorite place which is a very small Italian restaurant called Undo's. Yummy! Good way to start a weekend.
I went shopping with my Dad on Saturday. I was in search of a new desk for the computer that he gave us. My daughter loves it. She can play all the learning games that she has and I don't have to worry about her really screwing up my computer.
Other than that I just sat back reading a few books by my favorite author. I LOVE historical romances by Carolyn Davidson.
So here we are! Monday and back to the usual routines.
Is it Friday yet?

Planting Seeds...Wish me Luck!!!

Yesterday I received the garden seeds that I ordered. Several of the tomato seeds that I ordered where on back order so I went last night to look for some at a local store. I would like to get them all planted at one time so hopefully all will be ready to put in the ground when the time is right. (Last year we got a late start and I bought my plants from the co-op. This year I thought I would try my hand with seeds & get them in the ground as soon as it's time.)

I want to make the garden a little larger this year and plant a few new things but mainly just to add more potatoes. We used them up so quick last year. It just kills me to have to pay $5 or more for a bag a potatoes and then when you get them home some of them aren't worth a darn. (green, rotten, full of black spots)

Anyways here is what I plan to plant this year.

corn, green beans, peas, onions, 5 varieties of tomatoes, pimiento peppers, king orange peppers, mild banana peppers, small sugar pumpkins, & potatoes. I planted squash, zucchini & carrots last year but they didn't do too well so I don't think I even messing with them this year. ( But that could change.)

I also have flower seeds to start. I always head to the local greenhouse every spring for flowers so I thought why not try those from seed too.

Wish me luck cause I'm gonna need it.

Roast with Veggies or Manhattans??

Do you bake a roast in the oven with veggies or do you boil the roast on top of the stove and then make Manhattan's?
Decisions... decisions!
My Mom always roasted them in the oven.
His Mom usually boiled them and made sandwiches with them.
I would have to say the sandwiches are my favorite, with lots of creamy potatoes and gravy dripping over them.
I started this roast out in the oven because I just wanted that good ol' comfort food.
As the roasting went on I kept thinking that when my husband comes in tonight he's not going to like supper. So I compromised.
I roasted the beef and veggies.
When all was cooked, I removed the beef and shredded it.
I took the roasted potatoes and mashed them with some REAL butter & canned milk. YUM!

These were great. I loved the roasted taste that they had.
I made the sandwiches and topped them with potatoes BUT...
I roasted everything away and didn't have anything to make gravy with.
It was still a good meal! (Again) The potatoes were GREAT!
But my husband said,"Where's the gravy?"
I'll be sure to correct that problem next time.
But while I'm thinking of it...Why do men & children have to be sooooo picky? Why can't they just be grateful that they have a hot home-cooked meal???

Watkins Seasonings

Since I use these in many of my recipes I thought I would post about them today.

I do not purchase expensive spices often. I usually grab the cheap dry ones. However, I knew someone that was selling Watkins at one time and began buying a few from them. Some I liked and some I didn't. The two that I now consider a must in my spice rack are the Meatloaf Seasoning Blend and the Ground Beef Seasoning. The Meatloaf being my favorite spice above all.

To me, they just add a little extra pizzazz to my recipes.

I just restocked on these and the price was up a little, but to me it is worth it.

About $5.50 a bottle and it was hand delivered to my front door.

The meatloaf seasoning consisits of dehydrated onion, garlic, red & green peppers, tomato powder, dehydrated carrots, spices, vinegar solids and turmeric.

I use this in recipes such as meatloaf, cabbage rolls, spaghetti & meatballs and more.

The ground beef seasoning contains black pepper, dehydrated onion, garlic, spices & turmeric.

Good in many beef dishes & I use this as a replacement if I am out of the meatloaf seasoning.

I bougth the chicken seasoning this time too, but I haven't tried it yet.

Now that I am thinking about it...
What is your favorite spice or spices to use when cooking?
The one that you just HAVE to HAVE!

Cabbage Rolls for a Family Gathering

Nothing fancy...just plain & simple!

I made these for a Sunday dinner a while back.

The picture isn't the best but the food was great.

(Next time I make these I will have to take a better photo to post:)

I also make a few mini loaves without the cabbage for those who don't like the cabbage.

Cabbage Rolls for a Family Gathering

5 pounds ground beef

1 very large head of cabbage or 2 smaller heads

5 eggs

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

1 tbsp. Watkins Ground Beef seasoning or Meatloaf seasoning

3 tbsp. chopped dried onion

1 tsp. pepper

1/2 cup ketchup

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup jasmine rice (uncooked)

1 cup cracker meal or italian bread crumbs

SAUCE INGREDIENTS

2 cans tomato soup

2 soup cans full of water

16 oz. tomato sauce

6 tbsp. A-1 Steak sauce

2 tbsp. brown sugar

Heat a large pot of water to boiling.

Place head of cabbage in it for a few minutes to steam.

Remove cabbage from water & let cool a minute.

Remove cabbage leaves one at a time, trying to keep in whole pieces.

When needed, dip cabbage back in water to steam more leaves so that you can remove them easier.

When you have all the leaves removed then you are ready to mix the meat.

In large bowl, beat eggs, cheese, spices, onions, ketchup & milk.

Add rice & cracker meal or bread crumbs.

Add meat and mix well with hands.

Place a handful of meatloaf mixture on a cabbage leaf & roll up.

Place in a large greased pan and continue till all meat & cabbage is used up.

Next you need to mix up your sauce.

In a bowl, combine the tomato soup, 2 soup cans of water, tomato sauce,A-1, brown sugar and a bit of salt & pepper.

Pour this over top of the cabbage rolls.

Cover pan with aluminum foil and poke a few vent holes in the top.

Bake at 350 degrees for 2 -2 1/2 hours.

I always serve this with mashed potatoes so I can spoon some of the tomato gravy over the potatoes.

YUM!

Happy Valentine's Day

Wow! It's been a busy day around here.
I woke up to my husband in the kitchen making me blueberry muffins.
My absolute favorite breakfast.
Then I went shopping!
SO far so good....my kind of day...
No breakfast to make or dishes to be washed AND shopping all in one day.
This evening we had friends & family over to celebrate Logan's birthday that was actually yesterday.
Now it's time to wind down. We're gonna crash on the couch and watch the movie Fireproof. Hopefully we will both stay awake for the whole thing.

I've been looking at everyone's blogs this week and many have been posting their favorite things that they absolutely LOVE. So I thought I'd list a few of mine.
So here goes: (in no particular order)

1. My family & friends

2. My telephone & computer *DON'T LAUGH* because they keep me connected to my family & friends

3. Snickers candy bars

4. I love, love, love to watch thunderstorms *crazy huh!*

5. A quiet moment to read or sew

6. I love to take walks

7. The laughter of children at play

8. The smell of rain

8. The gathering of my family on Sundays & holidays

9. The sounds of the country at night

10. Driving with the radio turned up when I'm by myself

Friday the 13th and a Special Birthday

Yes, It's Friday the 13th!

No, we are not superstitious.

The 13th has actually been a pretty good day for me.

My birthday is March 13th.

We were married on August 13th.

And...

My oldest son was born on February 13, 1996.

Here are a few pictures of the birthday boy.

About 1 month old

First Family Photo

Making paper hats with Grandma & Pap

Logan & Snickers

2008 Football Season

Where has all the time gone??

He was just a baby last year!!

Happy 13th Birthday Logan

Old Fashioned Hot Fudge Sauce

I thought I'd post this since Valentine's Day is almost here. If you are looking for a great chocolate sauce to make then here you go. I love to make a big pan of brownies and a double batch of this sauce and then add ice cream for a brownie sundae.

OLD FASHIONED HOT FUDGE SAUCE

1 cup sugar

1 cup Karo lite (or Regular)

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa

1/2 cup evaporated milk

3 tbsp. butter

1/4 tsp. salt

1 tsp. vanilla

**I have used regular milk in this recipe & trust me it is so much better with canned milk and REAL butter. I also double this recipe & store it in a canning jar in the refrigerator. When you want some, just take the lid off & heat for a minute in the microwave and it's ready to pour.**

Place all ingredients except for the vanilla in a saucepan.

Bring to a boil, stirring constantly.

Let boil for 3 minutes while stirring occasionally.

Remove from heat & add vanilla.

Use on favorite dessert.

Store leftovers in refrigerator.

A Big Cookie Flop

I tried a new cookie recipe the other day & they were good tasting but they were soooo thin that they just fell apart when you tried to pick them up. As for storing them...Forget It! They all kinda mushed together and they eventually found there way to the garbage can. I don't know what I did wrong.

I followed the recipe on the side of the Red Mill bag. The dough seemed really runny but I thought, ok well I'll try them anyways. Maybe they are supposed to be that way. Needless to say, we won't be using that recipe anymore. I will use the Red Mill 5 grain cereal again but I will use my own oatmeal cookie recipe.

Most of the time when I try something new in the kitchen it turns out good or maybe even great. But there are times when my family just looks at me with that look of "do you really want me to try that." This happens to be one of those recipes. I'm just glad I can say it wasn't one of my recipes ( you know the homemade just throw it together kind).

I just tell them all that you can't learn unless you try!

and this was a learning thing.

Don't make the Red Mill Oatmeal Cookies with THAT recipe!

Teaching Supplies for a $1.00

I visit the Dollar Tree in our town quite often. Everything there is a dollar or under. You can find many, many items but I always go in search of teaching supplies. We just started homeschooling this year & you would be amazed in the cost of supplies that you could get wrapped up in if you weren't careful. (There are books, workbooks, art, crafts, science supplies & so many others.)

I try to keep focused on just the things that will really benefit us in an attempt to keep costs down. I have found many wonderful workbooks for both of my kids on all subjects at the Dollar Tree Store. These make for great "extras" that tie in with many of our lessons. All for a buck!

Some other great items I've gotten from there are flashcards, educational posters & maps, teacher lesson plan books, science books, craft supplies, games & of course your typical pens, pencils & so forth. The picture above is just a small sampling of my typical finds when I go.

If you homeschool & have a Dollar Tree nearby then I would highly recommend visiting it. Even if you don't homeschool, maybe your child could just use some extra practice at home, then this is a great inexpensive place to start.

Pork & Broccoli with Country Bob's Sauce

Country Bob's Sauce has never been on my grocery list before but that's about to change. I received a coupon for a free bottle of this stuff a while back. Our local Walmart had it in stock so I used the coupon & it has been sitting in my pantry ever since. The other night I didn't know what to fix for dinner so I went searching through the freezer, pantry & cabinets and this is what I came up with. It had a good flavor and was just an all around different meal than what we are used to. I served this with rice & green beans.

PORK & BROCCOLI with COUNTRY BOB'S SAUCE

8 pork cube steaks

1/2 stick butter

Country Bob's Sauce

1 head of fresh broccoli

water

**I didn't measure anything as I was throwing this together but I really don't think you can mess it up!**

I'll have to try this with beef too!!

Cut pork into 1 inch strips or bite size pieces.

Throw pork in a large skillet, add butter & drizzle a little bit of Country Bob's Sauce over the top & cook.

Be sure to stir this as it cooks so that all sides can get browned.

Once the meat browns and the liquids cook down then add a glass full of water to pan.

Continue cooking & adding water till meat is cooked thoroughly.

While the meat is cooking clean & chop your broccoli.

Once the meat is done then add the fresh broccoli to the pan.

Add another glass of water, if needed.

Add more Country Bob's Sauce.

(I used 1/2 - 3/4 of the 13 oz. bottle for the whole dish.)

Place a lid on the pan & let the broccoli cook till tender.

ENJOY!

You can go here http://countrybobs.com/ and sign up to receive a free bottle.

I received my coupon by snail mail. They also have a section of recipes that you can browse.

Pay It Forward....

We've all heard of this concept but I hadn't seen it on the blogs till I visited http://tylerfarmhomestead.blogspot.com/ the other day. I thought it was a really neat idea! It's all about the kind things that you can do to bring a smile & a moment of happiness to someones day.
Here's how it works:

The first 5 people to leave a comment on this post will get something handmade by me or possibly store-bought. (It just depends!) You will have no idea of what it will be until it reaches your mailbox. I will try to come up with something that matches each person's likes. ( You will receive an email from me asking a few questions like your favorite colors, scents, hobbies, holidays, seasons, etc.)
Each person will receive their package by 6/1/09 if not before.

**The only requirement to participate is that you MUST make the same offer on your blog.**

A small gift wrapped in a smile & a little support goes a long ways towards lifting the spirits of a total stranger who quickly becomes a friend. Please join the fun and "pay it forward."

A Few More Handmade Goodies from Dad

Here are a few more handmade goodies from Dad!
When I was pregnant with my second son I wanted a changing table. Dad made this oak cabinet. We could change the baby on top & store all the supplies underneath. Now it is used to store all of my cookbooks & the kids craft supplies as well as being a catch-all on top for the radio, paperwork & so forth.

Here is a farm shadow box. Again, something that I saw when I was out somewhere & came home to tell Dad about it so that he could make me one.

I saved the best for last. We bought our house about 8 1/2 years ago and the whole downstairs had to be gutted out & redone. We had a large chimney to work around on one side & I had many ideas floating around in my head. We had honeymooned in a log cabin & I loved the decor & homey feel of it all. So we decided to use that theme in our downstairs. My Dad built bookcases on both sides of the chimney to utilize that empty space. Now we just needed something to cover the fireplace that we weren't going to use. He made the mantel & bookshelves from recycled wood that was once part of a local store front & it turned out PERFECT! We bought tile & Dad mounted them in the center and then built the box around the bottom.


We also have no basement so our electric box is located downstairs too! Dad continued the wood theme & covered the box with this door so that it wouldn't stick out like a sore thumb. In the end we have several large cozy rooms downstairs that we absolutely love.

Oh! I almost forgot one. Here is a shadow box he made for me and then placed old looking badges inside. He gave me this for Christmas a couple of years ago & it ties in nicely with everyting else downstairs!

Thank You Dad !

Plus since it's your birthday this weekend

Happy Birthday

Handmade gifts from Dad

So many of you have been showing glimpses of your home life, be it cozy corners or special places & I love looking at them all. To me, my home & family is what is most important. If all is well there, then everything will be alright regardless of all of the worldly problems. So I fill my home with things that make us feel happy, cozy & content. In looking around in an attempt to find what to photograph I realized that most of these things have come from my Dad. He can pretty much do, make or fix anything that he puts his mind too! Here are just a few of the things that he has made for me over the years.
He made this oak bed for me when I was a child and now my daughter sleeps in it.

Here is a cedar chest that he made & over the years it has been filled with school awards & accomplishments, love letters & cards from my husband, baby keepsakes from my children and now their school awards & accomplishments. It even has a little music box in it that will play.


I have cross stitched over the years and have seen many beautiful floss keepers advertised in magazines but never wanted to pay that much money for one. So, I showed Dad what I wanted and this is what he made for me.

Aren't Dad's GREAT!

I have a few more pictures to share with you tomorrow.

Making Pepperoni Rolls

Yesterday I decided to make pepperoni rolls. I have had the stuff to make them for a while & my husband keeps asking me WHEN? Both, husband & oldest son love them. I usually cheat & use frozen bread dough but this time I made my own & I think they were so much better. I also used my Kitchen Aid mixer with the dough hook attachment so that I didn't have to knead it by hand.

PEPPERONI ROLLS

1 pkg. yeast

2 cups warm water

2 tsp. sugar

1 1/2 tsp. salt

4 tbsp. oil

5 cups flour

10 oz. pepperoni stick (can use slices)

8 oz. mozzarella cheese block

In mixer, combine yeast & warm water.

Add sugar & salt.

Add oil & kinda give it a whirl with a fork.

Turn mixer on and add flour slowly.

Let it mix well.

Grease hands and form dough into a ball.

Place in greased bowl and cover with a towel.

Let it rise in a warm area (on top of fridge) for 5-10 minutes.

While dough is rising begin cutting pepperoni & cheese.

I cut the pepperoni into long chunky strips & the cheese into 1/4 to 1/2" strips.

**Remember to peel all of the papers off the pepperoni before cutting.**

Take dough ball out & place on a floured surface.

Cut into small handfuls of dough. (about 22 pieces)

Roll each piece of dough out to a 4-5" square. Doesn't have to be perfect.

Place pepperoni & cheese on top & roll up tucking all edges so that they will seal.

Place in a greased pan with the sealed side down.

Cover with a towel & let rise again.

The amount of time will depend on how warm your house is.

Mine was cool today so it took about 2 hours to rise good.

Uncover & bake at 350 for 20 minutes.

Brush tops with butter after removing from oven.

You can add more or less of the ingredients to suit yourself.

You could add onions, peppers,sauce & anything else.

I have even thought about making these with some BBQ beef and cheddar cheese.

Traditions & Cream Cheese Butter Frosting

My family almost always gathers at my parents house for Sunday dinner. A tradition that has been going on since I was a kid & I plan to keep going for many years. Now a days life is hectic and if it weren't for those Sunday dinners then there would be many weeks that I wouldn't see much of my brother & his family or my parents for that matter. Which could be a good thing!

**That comment is strictly meant for my BROTHER, not my sister-in-law, nephew or parents!!**

I say this because he always gives me a hard time when he is around. But I know it's just cause he loves me so much! Anyways, this weekend we celebrated my sister-in-laws birthday after dinner. In our house you are NEVER too old to celebrate a birthday. On your birthday you get to pick your favorite meal & cake and someone else cooks it for you. So her request was for Mom's baked steak and she wanted chocolate brownies with cream cheese icing. I used to work at Kroger's before I got married and every day for my breakfast I would get a cream cheese brownie and they were super. Now a days they all taste like chemicals. Anyways, I tried to come up with a good recipe for cream cheese icing that was good & thick and made me think of those brownies that I used to get. Here is what I came up with. I used a buttercream frosting recipe & added cream cheese, more vanilla, less powdered sugar and no liquids. It spelled YUMMY to me! I think I will call it Cream Cheese Butter Frosting and NO it's not low-fat.

CREAM CHEESE BUTTER FROSTING

2 sticks butter, softened

1-2 tsp. vanilla

1 (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened

2 cups powdered sugar

Blend butter, vanilla & cream cheese till creamy.

Add powdered sugar and mix till really smooth & fluffy.

**Also, Granny Sue, if you're out there I cheated & used a box mix of brownies since I don't have a good recipe for homemade. So if you happen to find one let me know!**

Heirloom Seeds & Wishing for Spring

I spent several hours on Friday looking & searching for seed companies to place my order with. I have always bought plants from our local nurseries or co-op and thought this year I would like to try my hand at starting them myself from seed. I was also looking for a tomato plant called (I think) West Virginia. It was an heirloom that I was able to find here locally & can no longer get. The only one I could find Friday was a West Virginia Hillbilly. We have tried this one too but really prefer the WV. Anyways, I ended up ordering from heirloomacreseeds.com and can't wait for them to arrive so I can begin.
I'd like to ask any of my fellow blog readers to share with me their favorite seed companies that they like to order from. Maybe I can get a head start on getting catalogs for next year.

On another note:
The picture below just seems strange to me!
We had decent weather here (in the 50's) so I decided to take advantage & wash up some laundry & hang it out on the line. There is nothing better than hopping into bed with clean sheets that have been hung outside to dry. I love the smell! It just looks strange with 1-2 inches of ice & snow still on the ground. It is so sloppy outside with all the melting snow so I told my daughter to stay away from the clothesline so that she didn't knock them down or splash any mud up on them. ( You did know that full clotheslines attract any & all kids! They must run through them.)