Category: MISC

Menu Plan Monday

I do the memes: Menu Plan Monday hosted by aura at I’m an Organizing Junkie, Favorite Ingredient Friday hosted by Kathryn at Overwhelmed with Joy, Freezer Food Friday hosted by MJ at mjpuzzlemom, Scrumptious Sunday hosted by Meredith at Mercedes Rocks and Slow Cooking Thursday hosted by Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom. Doing them all make great additions to help keeping me on track and finding so new recipes!

Write you own Cookbook Review in Progress

While I was catching up on my Google Reader this morning I ran across an interesting post by Michelle at Scribbit.

I have written 2 cook books in the past for family reunions and let me tell you they were serious labors of love and no easy feat using Microsoft Publisher while deciphering everyone’s chicken scratch too. This new website, Tastebook.com will make your job simpler. Be sure though to check the supported characters if you have any family legacy recipes that are in need of ‘characters’ from other languages. I know Barbara and I discussed this at length regarding the Icelandic language. I could cut and paste and it appeared to preview well, but Tastebook’s disclaimer specifically says it is not supported. It does support your own photo images though, making it feasible to look as professional as any other publisher out there. They are hard bound spiral books with the option of taking the pages in and out as necessary.

Here’s your opportunity to create your own cook book whether it is just for your own use or you want to print Christmas gift copies for mom and grandma. Give yourself a break an take a minute to check it out.

There's a New Swap in Town

There’s a new swap in town over at According to Kelly.
What a great way to start the summer season.
Here is an excerpt from Kelly’s post:

“it’s really quite simple: as a participant, you will be asked to choose at least three objects (I don’t think anyone would mind if you decide to send more) that are some of YOUR favorite things to send to your partner… maybe it’s an apron you made, your new favorite book, or that favorite flavor of lip gloss. be creative & most importantly have fun with it! objects can be new or vintage, bought or handmade… just remember, it is best to send something the you’d be pleased & excited to receive yourself.

ready to join the fun? please e-mail your particulars to accordingtokelly@yahoo.com. sign-ups will be open until friday, june 6th… so get your friends involved! upon receiving your “rsvp” I will send out a confirmation email, if you don’t hear from me, email me again, sometime emails can get lost & i don’t want anyone left out in the cold!”
Now I don’t know about you, but always remember a Dear Abby I read that said you should always give gifts that you wouldn’t mind having yourself. So if you agree with that statement, this is the swap for you! Hurry and don’t miss Kelly’s deadline.

kellysswap

Spring is finally springing around here!



I was hoping for sun for these pictures, but I really need a new weatherman since this one is never right and we haven’t seen the sun per se in days. Hubby got me this great park bench for the front porch so we would have a place to relax with a glass of wine at the end of a long hard day. Ignore the dead grass from too much ice melt, because that area will hopefully be walkway before too long! He also adapted these old plate racks from the demolished sun room to a window ledge. Now I have to paint them and get more flowers, I’m thinking something that drapes, but they’ll look really great when everything is painted the same color and blooming (eventually all that gross green and pink trim will be a burgundy color)!

food link ups to check out

Hunk of Meat Monday
Delicious Dishes
Homemaker Monday
Melt in Your Mouth Monday

Tuesday Night Supper Club
Tasty Tuesdays @ 33 Shades of Green
Tempt My Tummy Tuesday
Tuesdays At the Table
Made From Scratch Tuesday
Delectable Tuesday
Dr. Laura’s Tasty Tuesday
Totally Tasty Tuesday

What’s Cooking Wednesday @ Tales From the Fairy Blogmother
Recipes I Can’t Wait To Try
What’s Cooking Wednesday @ Not So Homemade
Works For Me Wednesday
Real Food Wednesday
Whatever Goes Wednesday
We Did It Wednesday
Penny Pinching Party
Mom’s Review 4 You Wednesday Blog Hop
Midweek Mingle Blog Hop
Recipe Swap Thursday
Thrilling Thursday
Tasty Traditions
Full Plate Thursday
Cooking Thursday
Toot Your Horn Tuesday
Tip Day Thursday
It’s A Keeper Thursday
What’s Cooking Thursday
Frugal Follies Thursday
Friday Potluck
Simply Sweet Home Friday’s Favorites
Food Fight Fridays
Food on Fridays
Friday Feasts
Foodie Friday
Food Trip Friday
Fat Camp Friday
Fun with Food Friday
Grocery Cart Challenge Recipe Swap

Scrumptious Sunday ~ BBQ ~ Oven BBQ Chicken


hosted by Meredith at Mercedes Rocks
OVEN BARBECUED CHICKEN

2-3 pounds boneless chicken breasts
olive oil to coat pan well
3 tablespoons butter
1 small onion, chopped
1 cup ketchup
1/3 cup roasted garlic rice vinegar
4 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper

  • Heat oil in a large skillet
  • Brown chicken on all sides
  • Transfer chicken to 9×13 baking dish
  • In a saucepan melt the butter and saute the onion
  • Stir in the remaining the ingredients and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes
  • Pour the sauce mixture over the chicken
  • Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour
  • Baste periodically
  • We like to use the excess sauce over a serving of rice and serve this with home made Potato Salad

I do the memes: Menu Plan Monday hosted by Laura at I’m an Organizing Junkie, Favorite Ingredient Friday hosted by Kathryn at Overwhelmed with Joy, Freezer Food Friday hosted by MJ at mjpuzzlemom, Scrumptious Sunday hosted by Meredith at Mercedes Rocks and Slow Cooking Thursday hosted by Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom. Doing them all make great additions to help keeping me on track and finding so new recipes!

Secret Recipes

My dear friend Barbara asked me during our chat tonight whether I minded sharing my award winning recipes. And the answer is No, I don’t mind. You see, I’m what they call an approximate cook. What I actually use may or may not be the same as what is written on the recipe. The written recipe is the best possible outcome. I cook by sight. The one thing I have learned is that there really is no such thing as a ‘secret’ recipe because every cook, whether they are new or experienced puts their own spin (even when they follow a recipe to the exact amounts) on each recipe they make and no two recipes are ever completely alike. And let’s not forget that food has it own consistencies whether it be fruits, veggies or meats and sometimes can be stubborn and require more or less of its companion ingredients and/or time to turn out right. You also have to account for the weather, stove/oven, climate, altitude and humidity within your own home. I promise to share the new recipes as well as dig out the award winners to share with you too. I also have some great chutney recipes that we will experiment with too.

Photo Hunt ~ Self

2 years old and 21 years old
I chose these 2 pictures because of the irony.
When I was 21 I was a dispatcher for a major telephone company
while I worked my way through college.

About the PhotoHunt: A theme is given for each Saturday. Post a photo that best represents the theme. New and old photos welcome but must be from your personal collection and not photos obtained from the web. Play along once a week by posting your photo on your site.

Joy, thank you for the award!

I signed on to another wonderful award from Joy at Joy of Desserts this morning.
Thank you so much!

It then consumed much of my morning as I visited the wonderful paces it has already been and had to do mucho translating to read them all… In fact I’m still reading… This award is truly making its way around the world.

It is always hard for me to make choices on passing these awards on, but the truth is that we must choose, life is always a choice. So I have chosen the following blogs for all of their positive contributions, delicious recipes, beautiful designs, wonderful photos, and most of all the gift of their friendship and laughter as well as their magical blog world where they let me come and dream!

Barbara at Candy Hearts and Paper flowers and Kitchen Comforts
Kathryn at Overwhelmed with Joy
Michelle at Scribbit Motherhood in Alaska
Penelope at Cafe at the End of the Universe
Sandy at Writing in Faith

Ladies it is your turn to pass
the joy of winning an award on.

The rules for awarding this prize to other blogs are as follows:

You must choose 5 blogs you think are deserving of this award for their creativity, design, materials and interesting contribution to the blog community regardless of their language. Each winner should display the prize and put the name of the blog link and the person who has rewarded her in the post.

Favorite Ingredient Friday ~ Trading places Pineapple Cobbler

hosted by Overwhelmed with Joy
Trading Places PINEAPPLE COBBLER

20 ounce can crushed pinepple (or chunks if you prefer), DRAINED WELL
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup flour
1 cup sugar
dash of salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla powder
PURE

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  • Spray 9×13 baking dish with PURE.
  • Sift together the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and vanilla powder.
  • Blend in milk until blended to a smooth batter.
  • Fold in melted butter.
  • Spread batter evenly into baking dish.
  • Gently and evenly layer the WELL drained pineapple on top of the batter.
  • Bake 25 minutes or until pineapple and cake have traded places and cake is golden brown.
  • Cool.
  • Serve with fresh vanilla ice cream.

I do the memes: Menu Plan Monday hosted by Laura at I’m an Organizing Junkie, Favorite Ingredient Friday hosted by Kathryn at Overwhelmed with Joy, Freezer Food Friday hosted by MJ at mjpuzzlemom, Scrumptious Sunday hosted by Meredith at Mercedes Rocks and Slow Cooking Thursday hosted by Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom. Doing them all make great additions to help keeping me on track and finding so new recipes!