Category: MISC

From ABC’s to Graduation

So I’ve been hoping to get a graduation picture before I posted this (HINT, HINT AMBER), but will have to use this picture below as a place holder for the time being.

I recently received facebook messages and emails that still make me teary eyed (thanks Am – no really, THANK YOU, they mean a lot to me). These messages while personal and not to be publicly shared make me proud to know this young woman and be able to call her mine (in whatever term you like; niece, friend, tutee, etc…).


Amber on the left and our friend Katie on the right.

We know she will succeed in whatever path her life takes her. Congratulations Amber. We love you.


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Bowling = BIG fun!

Bowling league is over for the year, but a few of us are taking a day each week to hone our skills and techniques. Oh, and have LOTS of fun!

Trying to hide behind the glasses there is Beth, the alley manager who keeps us well supplied in, well, in everything. She always has a smile for everyone!

This is Belinda. Belinda goes by many names ~ the Queen of Splits, Dancing Queen (she really likes the oldies tape they play at the alley) and Operator Error as well as others. You certainly can’t say we don’t have any fun!



This is Sandy our league secretary, her aunt Marie, her mom Betty who is our mascot of inspiration, always colorful and full of laughter and Robbie who is best known for her “COW” bowling ball and easy laugh.

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Stir Fried Green Beans and Cashews

So hubby looks at me the other day and announces he’d like to go “Vegetarian” for a month. I agreed, we sat down with with a couple of my cook books that we haven’t tried anything out of and we came up with about 3 weeks of recipes that we’d like to try. Today was day 1 and so far so good. I did have to adjust the recipe to our likes and food availability. And now I have to and adjust all my menus for the month!

STIR FRIED GREEN BEANS WITH CASHEWS
1 pound green beans; washed, trimmed & cut into bite sized pieces
1/2 cup cashews, chopped small
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 cup soy sauce
Juice of 1 orange*
1 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon minced garlic, jar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon water

  • In a small bowl whisk together the sesame oil, honey, soy sauce, garlic and orange juice until well blended. Set aside.
  • In a small bowl whisk the cornstarch and water together. Set aside.
  • In a skillet melt butter over medium high heat.
  • Stir fry the green beans 5-7 minuted until tender.
  • Add the cashews and soy sauce mixture.
  • Bring to a boil.
  • Add cornstarch mixture and simmer just until the sauce thickens and the beans are well glazed.

We had it with a slice of fresh bread and cantaloupe.
*You could substitute chicken broth.

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Pineapple Casserole


In an effort to clean out my magazines and cookbooklets, I’ve decided to join Ivonne at Cream Puffs in Venice who hosts Magazine Mondays and Joy at Joy of desserts who hosts Vintage Recipe Thursday in an effort to clean out my pile of ‘to do’ recipes.
PINEAPPLE CASSEROLE
6 tablespoons butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon orange peel
6 eggs
7-8 slices day old white or sourdough bread, cubed
1-20 ounce can + 1-8 ounce can crushed pineapple, drained well
2 tablespoons lemon juice

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Cream butter, orange peel, vanilla and sugar together.
  • Add the eggs, blending until smooth.
  • Add lemon juice and pineapple.
  • Fold in bread cubes.
  • Pour into a well greased 9×9 baking dish.
  • Bake, uncovered for 3540 minutes or until set.
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House Update – Chronicles of a Nightmare – Formal Dining/Parlor to Studio/Office Part 10

This is the realtor picture from before we bought the house.


This is the picture from when we first moved in.

The sheers were sun rotted so I replaced those and added blinds so that I could have a bit more privacy from the neighbors. The wall paper was really pretty, but quite old and worn. It was an embossed, almost flocked type of pattern. I didn’t feel like stripping it though so tried painting it. Painting it worked great and gave it a new life, new finish and made my life just a bit easier. In the picture below you can see the difference if you look close.

Then I painted the wall below the chair rail to match the living room for a bit of color.
When we were forced to remodel the kitchen in this old house we expanded into the sun porch, giving us LOTS of room for a big kitchen table so we turned our formal dining room and attached parlor into my studio/crafts/office and it quickly became the most used room(s) in the house! The ceiling had a bad repair seam in the drywall and we’re just finishing the patterned ceiling tiles this week. Look for the updated, finished pictures of this room soon!

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House Update – Chronicles of a Nightmare ~ Master Bedroom ~ Part 8

One of the rooms we had to tear part of the walls out of was the master bedroom where it connected to the bathroom. Unfortunately this was also our closet. So for quite some time our all of our clothes resided in the other rooms. They are finally back in our room, but it is truly the last room being done! This room was in relatively good shape except for the 2 holes from molly screws for plant hangers in the ceiling and the closet that had to be ripped out due to the mold from the bathroom.

These were the pictures from the realtor. The previous owner used the master bedroom as a guest room with 2 double beds. The rooms is huge and has an awesome bay window with a southern exposure so we couldn’t wait to make this a master bedroom again (they were older and were using what is now my studio on the main level as their bedroom.

These are the ceiling patches that won’t even be detectable when we’re done. Thanks once again to Habitat for Humanity Restore we were able to do these patches for 50 cents, the cost of 1 tile that matched.

These holes were all caused by the electrician, a necessary evil when he upgraded the electrical to current code. these patches will also be undetectable when we’re done. The texture coated walls are being replaced with bead board to match the new closet.

This is the picture shortly after we moved in and before we had to tear out 1/2 the room.


This is current day. Tune in next month for a finished room.

The fireplace chimney runs up the middle of the wall in the master bedroom. There used to be 2 skinny (and I do mean skinny) closets with tiny 2 foot doors (you literally had to climb into the closet to see what was at the back), one on either side of the chimney. We turned the south side into an alcove that hubby’s dresser and chest slide back into giving us more floor space. On the other side we’re building a walk-in closet with 2 levels and built in show racks that you can actually use!



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Orange Vinaigrette

So the menu plan has gone right out the window this week. We were trying to clean out the fridge today and ended up with a salad for dinner with lettuce, tomato, green onion, shredded cheese, croutons, tuna and cantaloupe. I also had an orange to use so I made this dressing and it was really GOOD! The good news is that the fridge is cleaned out and we didn’t waste any produce this week! YAY!
ORANGE VINAIGRETTE
Juice and pulp from 1 orange
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 ounces rice wine vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

  • Blend together and chill.

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Food for Thought

This is another of those emails that just needed to be shared. According to the email it was written By Regina Brett of The Plain Dealer, Cleveland, Ohio.

“To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me. It is the most-requested column I’ve ever written. My odometer rolled over to 50 this week so here is an update:

  • Life isn’t fair, but it’s still good.
  • When in doubt, just take the next small step.
  • Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
  • Your job won’t take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and parents will. Stay in touch.
  • Pay off your credit cards every month.
  • You don’t have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
  • Cry with someone. It’s more healing than crying alone.
  • It’s OK to get angry with God. He can take it.
  • Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.
  • When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.
  • Make peace with your past so it won’t screw up the present.
  • It’s OK to let your children see you cry.
  • Don’t compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
  • If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn’t be in it.
  • Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don’t worry; God never blinks.
  • Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.
  • Get rid of anything that isn’t useful, beautiful or joyful.
  • Whatever doesn’t kill you really does make you stronger.
  • It’s never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.
  • When it comes to going after what you love in life, don’t take no for an answer.
  • Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don’t save it for a special occasion. Today is special.
  • Over prepare, then go with the flow.
  • Be eccentric now. Don’t wait for old age to wear purple.
  • The most important sex organ is the brain.
  • No one is in charge of your happiness but you.
  • Frame every so-called disaster with these words ‘In five years, will this matter?’
  • Always choose life.
  • Forgive everyone everything.
  • What other people think of you is none of your business.
  • Time heals almost everything. Give time time.
  • However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
  • Don’t take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
  • Believe in miracles.
  • God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn’t do.
  • Don’t audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.
  • Growing old beats the alternative ~ dying young.
  • Your children get only one childhood.
  • All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.
  • Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.
  • If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else’s, we’d grab ours back.
  • Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
  • The best is yet to come.
  • No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
  • Yield.
  • Life isn’t tied with a bow, but it’s still a gift.”
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Wish List Wednesday

One of my favorite one stop shopping places is Overstock.com. Everything from books (many times they beat amazon’s price) to furniture. Right now they are having a special on shipping. It’s FREE on any item with the #1 DAD emblem.


The Cuisinart is from their ad.

I love this Cuisinart combination food processor and blender.

Cooking Enthusiast has some fun items. This stainless steel extra large scoop and mesh flavor infuser would both be so helpful.

With the summer season upon us I want to be grilling more, but also grilling healthy so this stainless steel grid for the grill form Sur la Table would be sooooooooooooo helpful.

Williams Sonoma is also one of my most favorite cooking stores. I found this electric griddle over there and I really need a new one. Mine is a hand me down from my grandmother that has been on its last legs for years!

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