Category: MISC

Tag you're it!

I was tagged by Barbara at Candy Hearts and Paper Flowers to share a bit about myself.

1) What was I doing 10 years ago
I was living in Northridge, California and was STILL in a major rebuild process from the 1994 earthquake. Between finishing college in 1995 and dealing with insurance it took awhile to get to the rebuilding which took many years and was compeleted in 1999. Boy am I glad all of that is in my past.

2) 5 things on my to do list for today
Finish painting upstairs bathroom
Water my garden
Clear off my desk
Clean spare bedroom for mom’s upcoming visit
Finish tile on counters

3) Snacks I enjoy
Apples
Bananas
Popcorn
String Cheese
Wheat Thins

4) Things I would do if I were a Billionaire
Pay off all my debt!
Buy my brother a house
Set up college plans for each of my nieces and nephews
Build a house on a lake in the Pacific Northwest to be nearer family
Buy a long arm quilter
Set up a scholarship fund for needy girls
Build a ranch for abused women and their children
Make cuddly quilts for sick children’s beds

5) Places I have lived
U.P., Michigan
Houston, Texas
Kansas City, Kansas
Northridge and others, California

6) Blogger’s I want to know about
Hustle Hag
Misty’s Words
Yours ’til Niagara Falls

Slow Cooking Thursday ~ Chicken Chili

Slow Cooking Thursday is hosted by Diary of a Stay at Home Mom.

CHICKEN CHILI

4 chicken breasts
2 cups water
2 teaspoons chicken bouillon
1 tablespoon olive oil**
1 teaspoon minced garlic (jar)
2 large onions, chopped
1/4 cup lime juice
4 ounce can diced green chilies
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 cans cannelini beans, drained and rinsed (optional)
1 cup shredded jack cheese

  • Cook chicken in broth and drain reserving liquid.*
  • Shred the chicken and set aside.*
  • In the olive oil, saute the garlic and onion until carmelized.*
  • Place chicken, garlic and onions in the bottom of the slow cooker.
  • In the reserved broth stir in the lime juice, seasonings and chilies.
  • Pour over the chicken mixture.
  • Cook on low for 2-4 hours.
  • Ladle into bowls and garnish with cheese.
  • Enjoy!
*If you’re in a hurry you can skip these steps, cut the chicken into small chunks and increase cooking time to 6-8 hours. We prefer the carmelized flavor of the garlic and onions and shredded chicken versus chunks.

**Omit if not sauteing.

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!

Tuesday's Romance of Cookery and Housekeeping


TUNA SALAD

2 cans flaked white tuna in water (well drained)
1/2 cup diced celery
1 bunch green onions chopped
4 hard boiled eggs, chopped
1/2 cup diced sweet pickles
1 lemon, juiced
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup mayonnaise or miracle whip if you prefer

  • Toss together the tuna, celery, green onions, eggs and pickles.
  • Whip together the lemon juice, mayonnaise, salt & pepper.
  • Fold the mayonnaise mixture into the tuna mixture until mixed well.
  • CHILL!

Serve on lettuce leaves and garnish with a sprinkle of paprika, a slice of lemon and a sprig of parsley.

Recipe (page 238) adapted from ‘A Thousand Ways to Please a Husband’ by Louise Bennett Weaver and Helen Cowles LeCron


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!

Give Me Five Monday


hosted by Becca
Five movies I’d have along if I were stranded on a desert island
(that happened to have electricity, a TV and a DVD player.)

  1. SLEEPLESS IN SEATTLE! the ultimate love story for me.
  2. The Anne of Green Gables Series. The tribute to a simpler time and the wholesomeness of childhood innocence.
  3. The Lethal Weapon Series, Indiana Jones Series or the Terminator Series – it’s a toss up for me, but we all need some adventure!
  4. Practical Magic – just fun, fun, fun AND a love story!
  5. Pretty Woman – okay, this is the other ultimate love story!

CHOCOLATE!!!

What Your Taste in Chocolate Says About You

You are sweet, mellow, and easily satisfied.

You don’t like anything too intense and dramatic.

Deep down, you’re a kid at heart… and you’re nostalgic for the past.

You are emotionally expressive and sensitive.

You’re effected by everything around you.

Your friends appreciate your open heart, but they are afraid of hurting your feelings.

You love the feeling of accomplishment. You enjoy doing what’s important.

You feel lost when you have to do frivolous tasks or hang out with shallow people.

Food for thought during our Election Year

This email came across my computer today and seemed to need to be passed on. No matter your views on candidates, this kind of hits home regarding politicians in general.

When President Truman retired from office in 1952, his income was substantially a U.S. Army pension reported to have been $13,507.72 a year. Congress, noting that he was paying for his stamps and personally licking them, granted him an ‘allowance’ and, later, a retroactive pension of $25,000 per year.

When offered corporate positions at large salaries, he declined, stating, ‘You don’t want me. You want the office of the president, and that doesn’t belong to me. It belongs to the American people and it’s not for sale.’ Even later, on May 6, 1971, when Congress was preparing to award him the Medal of Honor on his 87th birthday, he refused to accept it, writing, ‘I don’t consider that I have done anything which should be the reason for any award, Congressional or otherwise.’

Today, many in Congress also have found a way to become quite wealthy while enjoying the fruits of their offices. Political offices are now for sale.

Good old Harry may have been correct when he observed, ‘My choice early in life was either to be a piano player in a whorehouse or a politician. And to tell the truth, there’s hardly any difference. I, for one, believe the piano player job to be much more honorable than current politicians.’

Menu Plan Monday

Monday – Homemade Macaroni and Cheese & Broccoli
Tuesday – French Onion Soup & Asparagus
Wednesday – Lemon Pepper Chicken & Salad with Creamy Bacon Dressing
Thursday – Ham Steaks in Maple orange marmalade & glazed carrots
Friday – Home made pizza
Saturday – Fried Chicken & Scalloped Corn
Sunday – Spinach Salad and Pork Roast

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!

Monday's Musings – Kindness

There’s a new meme in town.
My good friend Barbara would love to see you and have you join in.
She’s made buttons to choose from.
So head on Over to Candy Hearts and Paper Flowers to join the fun.

You cannot do a kindness too soon,
for you never know how soon it will be too late.
~Ralph Waldo Emerson*


*(pg 25) Highlighted in Yellow A short course in living wisely and choosing well by H. Jackson Brown Jr., author of Life’s Little Instruction Book and Rochelle Pennington

Scrumptious Sunday – Layered Guacamole Dip


hosted by Meredith at Mercedes Rocks

2 large RIPE avocados (room temperature)
1 lemon (room temperature)
1 lime (room temperature)
salt and pepper
16 ounces sour cream
16 ounces chunky salsa
8 ounces shredded Mexican blend Sargento cheese
Large bag tortilla strips
Chopped black olives (optional)

  • Drain Salsa well.
  • Roll avocados, lemon and lime along counter top to loosen and prepare insides.
  • Juice lemon and lime.
  • Mash avocado meat until smooth.
  • Add lemon and lime juice to avocado meat. Salt and pepper to taste.
  • Add half the salsa to the avocado mash and mix well.
  • Add enough of the sour cream to create a smooth mixture.
  • On a large platter layer the avocado mixture, the remaining sour cream, the remaining salsa, the cheese and then the olives.
  • Chill all together several hours before serving.
  • Dig in and enjoy.

This is always a big hit with our family and a staple at Memorial Day BBQs.

Camera Critters~Meet THUMPER

My Friend Misty has started a new meme.

It’s taken off really well.
Who can resist critters? Come join us and have some fun.
You can get more information at Camera Critters.

This is the infamous Thumper who shares with the deer. Isn’t he adorable? I had some wilted leaf lettuce that I put out with corn before I left for the store. I happened to have the camera with me and was able to get some pictures actually looking towards the house instead of my norm out the door shots, but then you get those too. He likes to hang out under the porch. You can see just enough room for him to scoot under that back edge near the stairs.

Photo Hunt ~ Candy


Hubby’s stash! Like I don’t know it’s there.

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.