9/20/16

Just peeking in....


Having computer issues yesterday and today and not enough time to figure them out. Having to Blog from my phone which I hate to do because I don't type as well on the phone. 

With that thought in mind, just wanted to drop a note to say I should be back tomorrow with my weekend wrap up.

In the meantime, have a great day!




9/18/16

Remember to smile....


The world is a happy place if you just remember to smile. It relaxes you and make you feel better. Not to mention it generally uses about 10 muscles to make you smile. So that is exercise, right? So check these out, smile a lot and have an amazing day.










9/17/16

Saturday morning....


I am having a great morning relaxing with the grandbabies before I go to work this afternoon. Last night we had Frosties from Wendy's for dessert. When it came time to eat them, it made me crave peanut butter cookies (guess it was blog post the other day with all the baking.) Anyway, I had one of those little packages that you just add oil and water and makes 12 cookies. So I whipped some up at 9:30 at night while we were watching Monster High Freaky Fusion. They were perfect.


Then this morning, The Grands wanted pancakes for breakfast. But when I went to get the package mix I always keep on hand, I was out. So I went to my trusty cookbook that Mom gave me and Allen back int he early 80's when we got married. 


And found the recipe for homemade pancakes.


When Alexis took her first bite, she had a look of wonder on her face and her eyes lit up. I wish I had had my camera handy. They all agreed that they want me to make homemade pancakes from now on. No more package mix. I have to admit, they didn't take long to make and they were so good. I did have to substitute regular milk for the buttermilk, but they were perfect. 

I am heading out to work afterwhile. It is the Grand Rod Run and some of the people from the Shades of the Past Rod Run last weekend stayed over. I expect there will be a lot of traffic.


It's going to be a great day.





9/16/16

Meet Calvin & Calvina


I am hooking up for Friday Foto Friends with Ms. Debbie at www.jeremiah-2911.com.

The other day I shared my sister's fall decor. Well, she sent me two more last night. A friend of hers has a sister who made this wooden scarecrow for Rachel. The lady that made him named him Calvin.


Then Rachel found this one when she was out shopping one day. She decided she needed a name, too. So she named her Calvina.


And like Ms. Debbie, I love photos of scenery. Every day is ever changing. My drive to work on Wednesday was a beautiful clear, blue sky. I love being able to see the mountains the whole time I drive to work. 


But I love the drive home as well.






9/15/16

Some of my baking faves....


I am not feeling good today. I've had a head cold this week and put in some hectic days so I'm a little exhausted on top of everything else. Going to take it very easy today and catch up on some sleep and rest. But I did want to share a little something.

Just thought I would share some of my real life pictures of goodies I have made over the years and took pictures of. These are some of my favorite desserts.

Topping the list is my chocolate candy and peanut butter candy...not to be confused with fudge. This candy is the more sugary kind that melts in your melt but doesn't have to be refrigerated.


I also made these monster cookies one year and they were delicious. I have to get the recipe again from my friend Jeanenne since I lost my first copy.


This my favorite cake to make. A lemon pound cake with home made glaze. I actually use Duncan Hines cake mix and go by the Lemon Pound Cake recipe on the side of the box. However, I change it up a little. Where it calls for 1 cup of water, I actually use 1/2 cup of Sprite and 1/2 cup of lemon juice. I also zest the rind of one lemon and put in the cake mixture. I make mine in a Bundt pan and it is to die for. For the glaze, I use confectioner sugar and just a little milk then add the zest of another lemon, a couple of teaspoons of lemon juice and a splash of sprite to get it the right texture. I like it thick enough to cling to the cake but thin enough to run down over the sides when I pour it on.


Another favorite is brownie cookies. I make Duncan Hines Brownies using the recipe on the side for the little sandwich cookies and add a teaspoon of cinnamon. Then I make a homemade frosting that is the frosting for a Texas Sheet Cake . The trick is once I put the frosting on the cookies, I pop it back in my oven for about 5 - 10 seconds. It hardens the icing just a tad and it's not as messy to store.


Here is another recipe for a delicious cookie. I am a die-hard Duncan Hines fan, but they don't make a Molasses Cookie mix. So I have to use Betty Crocker for this recipe. I simply use this mix and add 1 tsp. of ginger and 1 tsp. of cinnamon for a cookie that just screams fall.


Another family favorite is an orange cake-like cookie with an orange cream icing made from Crisco, powder sugar, orange juice and orange zest. These are so good but make about 80 or more cookies. I only made them at Christmas. I always made them for hubby so I probably won't make these again for awhile. 


I also love making mini cinnamon sugar donuts. But once I discovered I could use the same recipe in a mini muffin pan, now I make them as a mini muffin. They are wonderful.


This is not dessert, but when I stumbled on it I just had to fix some. This is my version of homemade pizza bread. I use Cobblestone Mill white sub rolls. I split them open and spread Ragu Traditional Pizza Quik Sauce. I top it with browned and drained pork breakfast sausage, but you can top with whatever you want. For my cheese, I prefer Kraft Colby Monterey Jack finely shredded, but again, use the cheese of your choice. Bake in the oven on a cookie sheet for 10-15 minutes until they are hot and cheese has melted. As a matter of fact, I am actually having these for supper tonight. 


A fave of mine at Christmas time is to make hot cocoa and top it with Marshmallows. I stir the hot chocolate with a candy cane to get the perfect chocolate peppermint combination. Then I take the used candy cane and grind it on a nutmeg grater and make "peppermint dust" to sprinkle over the marshmallows. Next I top it off with a candy cane for decoration. It's out of this world.


And the last thing I want to share is my favorite soup recipe. It tastes just like Shoney's beef cabbage soup. I can't wait for a cold dreary day off to make a pot of it.


For all my soup loving followers, here is the recipe.




9/14/16

Happy birthday, Alexis


I want to wish my oldest granddaughter, Alexis Caroline, a very happy birthday. Weighing less than 2 pounds when she was born, she's been full of joy her whole life. 


She captured our hearts the moment we held her for the first time. She's was Papaw's little princess and I think she had him wrapped around her little finger.


Her eyes just sparkle with happiness all the time.  


Just one of those happy little girls who smiles constantly.


This is my favorite picture of Alexis. It was in our backyard and we were just outside doing nothing in particular and I grabbed my camera and said smile for Mamaw. Picture perfect. 


Papaw loved when she stayed all night and I washed her hair. He would said and comb out every single strand until their wasn't a tangle left. She would grab his Food TV magazine and sit quietly on his lap and look at every page while he combed her hair. Sometimes they would set like that for over an hour.


I told her one time that she was a Kodak moment just waiting to happen. She is so photogenic. 


As she has gotten older, she has never lost that sweet side. She is so much fun to be around. There are always lots of giggles and grins when we spend time together.


She's growing up so fast that it just takes my breath away sometimes.


But she will always be Mamaw's sweet baby girl and first granddaughter. I love you Alexis Caroline. Here's wishing you a very happy birthday!




9/13/16

My sister's fall display....


My sister is one of the best decorators I know. She can really "do it up right" for the holidays and seasons. She just finished her fall decorating on the outside of her house. I thought I would share it with you. Welcome, to her lovely home. Her front porch is always so inviting.


This is her little back porch that you walk out on from upstairs. 


And the side door where she also has a sitting area. 


The walkway leading to her storage/workshop area out back.


More pics of the back porch.



She is very crafty and loves Pinterest as much as I do. She found this idea on Pinterest and it turned out so cute.


Here is a display she bought bits and pieces and put it together to create her own design.  


Another one of her own creations. 


And my favorite. Love the cat.


Here is a pic of my sister when she visited Pigeon Forge last fall. Thank you Rachel for letting me share your decor today.