Sunday, May 31, 2009

Steve worked hard building for me

The bare area is the new arbor Steve built, I got another 'red' clematis to plant. All of them I have gottn so far (3) were supposed to be red. When they got big enough and bloomed, they were jackmani and purple, all 3. So I hope this one is truly red. It is planted on the right side of the new arbor.

I took pictuers of the new metal thing that we hung on the garage, our local nursery has some truly neat things out there for sale like this. I also got a pretty tall trellis to put my other clematis on, it was too tall for the old one. Let's see how it works.

Jen, I need a metal chair from Garden Ridge to go next to our metal talbes and the other metal chair and we will be all set. We also have the fountain in, courtesy of all my sisters (x4) and one sis in law. She (sis in law) should be getting home tonight from Washington, DC. Tabor schools take a class there every year for educational purposes. I think that is the neatest thing!!!











Saturday, May 30, 2009

Noah's last soccer game/Flowers/Cake Classes

Between him and Brady they scored 5 goals, Noah also assisted in another one. The whole team, which is 4 boys scored 10 points!!! I think they got it, now that it is the last game! HAHA!

Miss O starts dance in a few weeks, it is going to last 36 weeks. Wow, that is quite a bit, but she wants to do it so bad. She dances and dances to Madagascar. She's such a hoot, even though you can't tell her she is.

Planted most of the flowers I got at the nursery today. Can't wait for them to start getting bigger. I got bright pink vinca, used to grow it at my other house. It got huge, I miracle grow all my flowers like a religion on Fridays.

I also got 3 ferns in hanging baskets, I usually stagger them, fern, flower, etc. I just haven't found any flowering basket I like this year, and they are $27/pot, only a 12" one, too! When you need 11 BASKETS that can be pricey.

I got pink impatiens to grow by the deck. The hummingbirds like the bright pink ones. When I did private duty home care on Dr. Jack's wife, she told me that hummingvirds love plain old pink petunias. I discovered that they also like the bright pink vinca. Last year I had some swarming my pot outside the front door, they came by around 10-10:30 PM.

Going to grill some rib eyes tonight, my favorite steak. I also went to Fareway to get chicken and ham salad today, our favorite.

Steve loves garlic stuffed olives. We used to treat ourselves when they were $5/jar, now they are $7/jar. OUCH, we are going without.

Leslie, no call yet from that Wilton instructor. I gave her 3 phone numbers to call me, we'll see. I spoke to Phyllis at the restaurant this Am, she'll be interested, and Suzanne will, too. So that is 4 so far. hehe, conspiring already.

WHEW

I got accepted to be in a glass bead exchange on Friday, I need 30 bracelet sized beads ready, wrapped for dangling on a bracelet and shipped by Monday. When I initially emailed the gal to ask if I could be an alternative if somebody cancelled at the last minute, she told me no.........then when 3 people cancelled she contacted me again.

Last night after work I started making the charms, I got 10 made, worked until 1:30am. Got on the internet and surfed for 45 min. then set the kiln to ramp down. Got to bed at about 2:30am. This morning I slept until 8:30, got up, went to breakfast, then to the nursery to get bedding plants and mulch and some wrought iron trellises to put my clematis on...got home about 10:30 am, (sat in the restaurant and talked to Suzanne for 45 minutes OOPS!!!). Then we got home and decided we needed to go to the city. Did all that and just got home. Haven't been surfing the net, catching up on blogs or making beads. I forgot my cell and realized my BFF Sandy and my daughter have been trying to call me..........

It's been a great day, now I'm off to the studio while Steve naps.

Friday, May 29, 2009

Cute Measuring spoons

Bakerella had all things cupcake on her blog today. Karen and the grandkids love all things cupcake, I really love the measuring spoons. However, my practical side says I should not pay $20 plus $5 shipping for them........so I won't, but they are too cute. I know people that have roosters in their kitchen, those would be cute, and the sunflowers, and the teapots and the teacups. OOOOOoooooh. I had fun looking there.









I'm working on getting somebody to come teach those cake decorating classes!!!

Recipe Friday May 29, 2009 Pecan Caramel Clusters

This is something I plan on making at Christmas time, they look great in the magazine and Taste of Home website, the reviews are good, too.

Pecan Caramel Clusters

Ingredients:
1 package (14 ounces) caramels
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons butter
2 cups coarsely chopped pecans
4 ounces white candy coating, coarsely chopped
4 ounces semisweet chocolate candy coating, coarsely chopped


Directions:

In a microwave-safe bowl, combine the caramels, water and butter. Microwave, uncovered, on high for 3 to 3-1/2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds. Stir in pecans.
Drop by tablespoonfuls onto greased baking sheets. Freeze for 15-20 minutes or until set.
In a microwave-safe bowl, combine candy coatings. Microwave, uncovered, on high for 1-2 minutes, stirring every 15 seconds; stir until smooth. Dip caramel clusters in coating; allow excess to drip off. Place on waxed paper-lined baking sheets. Chill until firm. Yield: about 2 pounds.

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Redbox movie rentals

Have you rented from Redbox? The boxes are everywhere, I love the website. You can find a movie, then ask where it is according to your zip code. You can also reserve the movie. The best part? It is only $1. They'll also send you an email every Monday to let you know the new releases. Cool!

Oh, there is another BEST PART: you can return to ANY Redbox.

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Jon and Kate Season 5

I am done watching this show, I am so angry at them I could scream. Marriages are supposed to last, that is what the vows are for, and they said them TWICE!!!

Neither one of them said they would fight for their marriage, neither one was there for the other.....HELLO, you need to fight to stay married, not give up. I could smack them both. Kate is such a strong willed, stubborn person, I thought for sure she would tell Jon she was going to stay married and he was just going to have to work out his issues. Believe me, they are his issues, he is immature, insecure and doing things to sabotage the show so Kate will be humiliated enough to stop filming. Then his sorry rear will have to go out and work to support all 10 of them, or better yet, pay child support for all 8 kids. What a fool. He has forgotten what it takes to work for a living. He couldn't support them all before, which is why the show has been such a blessing..........he needs to MAN UP!!!

I've spoken my piece on the Jon and Kate fan site listed on my blog....let me know your thoughts.

Did I mention I am angry???????

Monday, May 25, 2009

Memorial Day Recipe test

I'm making this dish before Isaac comes home to see if we like it...also, next time my daughter and her husband are here, we'll try it then, too.

This one is before the sauce went on:









This one after the sauce:











EDIT****
We did not like this recipe at all. But then after it sat for 2 days it had lots of flavor.......then we ate it....

I also got another cast iron skillet at a flea market today, it is all seasoned and ready to go. It should have been sand blasted, but don't know anybody that does it, so I cleaned and seasoned it myself. Also got a blue willow plate for 50C.......woohoo, I collect you know.










This recipe came from Carries Sweet Life:


Jumbo Stuffed Shells

* 1 (12-ounce) package jumbo shells pasta
* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* 1/2 pound thick-cut pancetta, cut into 3/4-inch cubes(couldn't find pancetta, so I used chicken breasts roasted in the oven)
* 2 pounds frozen spinach, thawed and drained
* 1 (15-ounce) container whole milk ricotta
* 1 cup grated asiago cheese
* 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
* 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

Sauce:

* 1 tablespoon butter
* 1 garlic clove, minced
* 1 cup cream
* 2 cups grated asiago cheese, plus 1/4 cup
* 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
* 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

For the shells:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta.

Warm the olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the pancetta or cubed chicken and cook until lightly golden, about 5 minutes. Remove the pancetta from the pan with a slotted spoon and transfer to a large bowl. Add the spinach, ricotta cheese, asiago cheese, pepper, and nutmeg. Stir to combine. Stuff the shells with about 2 tablespoons of the spinach mixture each and place the stuffed shells in a large, buttered baking dish.

For the sauce:

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the cream and bring to a simmer. Turn the heat to very low and add the 2 cups asiago cheese, parsley, and pepper. Stir until the cheese is dissolved. Pour the sauce over the shells. Top with the remaining 1/4 cup asiago cheese. Bake until golden on top, about 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve immediately.


Here's a picture of the birds nesting in my wisteria:












Steve working on the walk between the garage and the house:



Friday, May 22, 2009

Cute Bike!

Go to the site and they will put you in a drawing to win a bike!!!

Madsen Cycles Cargo Bikes

Thursday, May 21, 2009

Grandkids leave preschool for summer

Olivia and Stella, Noah and Brady, the kids love the preschool teacher, so fitting that they would get a pic with them.





I have the I WANTS for Drika B

I want this bag.............


Monday, May 18, 2009

Grandkids are so much fun

Miss O loves dresses, I buy them when I can find them at a 'reasonable' price. Right now Kohl's has a ton for $10/each on clearance. I can hardly stay away! Here's pics of Noah and Miss O.............

Noah wanted to send pics with the spider on his face because he wants to creep me out........I really LOVE the rubber snake that looks so real he tosses in my lap all the time.

Notice their balloon creations, the colors? They crack me up!!







Holiday weekend is coming!

Steve has been working on the walkway between our house and the garage. The bricks get all wonky from the ants carrying the sand out from under them, the rain isn't helping the situation, either. This will be the 3rd time in 5 years he's redone it. The goal is to have it done by the weekend so we can take the 3 days and do something fun.

I have photos, will post them tonight............I plan on spending 3 days torching. Since I get up pretty early in the morning, I can get in 2 or 3 hours torch time before it gets hot outside. I can't wait!!!

Saturday, May 16, 2009

Pendants for exchange and my Grandkids

I can't take decent photos of my work, I finally ordered a photo cube and decided I will get serious about taking better pictures. I would like to post them more often, but can't get good enough pictures. Have a new camera, but haven't taken the time to mess with it......evenings are short when you work 60 min. from home.

there's Olivia sitting at the soccer field watching Noah play, Noah in his uniform,he is the one with his head turned toward his coach with his arms crossed. They are so little compared to the other team!! He has scored in every game they have played. Two nights ago he scored the only goal........he loves it when he scores!!! He's a little competitor like his Dad, his dad played soccer all through school. He wins at everything, he was also the chess champion, so has brains, too. Noah is going to be like his Dad..........

There we are watching All Dogs Go To Heaven on Sunday before Aunt Wendy and Jen returned with their mommy from the scrapbook retreat. I got caught undressed, I had showered, but didn't have my clothes on.......Miss O came to the bathroom door to ask me if I ever ate breakfast in my pajamas. I told her I did, so we ate breakfast in our jammies. THey nearly got me into trouble because I was supposed to be dressed, packed and ready to go. My son in law told me, 'They are here' I grabbed my suitcase, ran up the stairs and told them to cover for me. When they walked in, I heard Noah tell them I was in the bathroom and would be right out. I was brushing my teeth and pulling on my jeans all at the same time. I came downstairs with my self all presentable in 5 minutes. I packed on Saturday night, so I was ready. It was so wrong to have to leave them.


My little sister who is an awesome photographer came over and took some photos of my beads. These last 2 photos are much better!!









Friday, May 15, 2009

Generous family and Recipe Friday May 15, 2009

Karen made this when we were there a couple visits ago. It is very good, and I like that you can put it in the fridge and bake the next day.

PEPPERIDGE FARM FRENCH TOAST BAKE


1 LB. LOAF PEPPERIDGE FARM CINNAMON SWIRL BREAD
6 EGGS
3 C. MILK OR CREAM
2t. VANILLA
1t. CINNAMON
CUT LOAF OF BREAD INTO CUBES AND SET ASIDE.
MIX THE EGGS, MILK , VANILLA AND CINNAMON IN A BOWL.
MIX EGG MIXTURE WITH THE BREAD UNTIL EVENLY COATED.
POUR INTO GREASED 9X13 PAN.(CAN PUT IN REFRIGERATOR OVER NIGHT AND BAKE IN THE MORNING) BAKE AT 350 FOR 55-65 MIN.
SERVE WITH FAVORITE SYRUP.

6 SERVINGS

I have a brother in law that just bought a house in Stockton, Mo on the lake. He is in the process of getting the top floor remodeled. He is so incredibly generous, any family member can use it whenever we want. It is 2 hours outside of Branson, a little over an hour away from Springfield, and 1.5 hours south of Kansas City. We're excited to have this vacation option! Thanks, Scott. He and his wife just married 2 years ago, they are the sweetest, kindest, most generous people I know.

My sister, Deanne can't be forgotten, she has access to some condos that we use from time to time, it is a generous thing and not at all taken for granted. I wish I had something like this to offer to folks. I would be all over it!!! Now, to concentrate on winning that silly lottery!!

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Paula Deen Bakeware

We've been buying Isaac different items for his apartment after he gets out of school. I think the Paula Deen cookware and bakeware are very masculine in color, I love the olive green bakeware dishes with the dark chocolate brown interior. So pretty. Today Baker's was selling all of the bakeware for 50% off, I got the 9x9, the 9x13 baking dishes as well as the 2 cup liquid measure to match and the prep bowls in a package of 3, so cute!! I love them, it will look nice with all the other things we have purchased.

I'd love to get him the pie pan, the covered round dish and the loaf pan, but they didn't have any there on clearance. Guess I'll be running around to different stores to see if they have any!! What we don't do for our kids, eh???

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Mother's Day Pictures

Look Uncle Isaac, pictures of the kids. They must have asked about you 20 times! The only thing that would have made this weekend better would have been for you to have joined us! Love you!!!

We got the balloons from Target, they provided a ton of laughter watching them fly all over the room!

I love how Miss O always has her arm on her brother, she looks up to him, it's so cute. I have a couple photos of him at his soccer game. He scored 2 goals!!! GO NOAH!!!






Saturday, May 9, 2009

Mother"s Day Give-A-Way

I'll give away 1 of the floral glass pendants to the the first person to comment. Color is your choice. You can email me your address via the profile. Good luck!!

Friday, May 8, 2009

Recipe Friday May 8th: Slow Cooker Pot Roast

Steve has the walkway between the house and the garage torn out again. The ants keep taking the sand out from under the brick, which causes the brick to tilt from one side or the other. It causes a hazard during the winter when it is coated with ice or snow. This time he is doing an all out remodel of that area.

When you work in the yard and your wife isn't home to cook for you, it's nice to have something tasty to put in the crock pot. A hot meal done instantly at the end of a hard day of yard work is really nice. Steve and I have always used crock pots to our advantage. The first one we received was for a wedding gift. He didn't like the idea of leaving an appliance turned on all day with nobody in the house....The first time we used it he was sold on the idea! The roast was juicy, the potatoes and carrots were done, and dinner was ready when we walked in the door from work! We have since worn out 5 of the silly things, we own 2 different crock pots now, each has it's own use. The smart crock pot is a gift from my little sister, I use it for things that I want to cook, but not be overdone, once it is finished cooking, it switches to a 'warm' setting.

We cut this recipe in half when we make it because there are only 2 of us. It's delicious, if you want to make the whole recipe for leftovers, it's even better warmed up in the microwave the 2nd day.


Slow Cooker Pot Roast


INGREDIENTS:
• 2 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed cream of mushroom soup
• 1 (1 ounce) package dry onion soup mix
• 1 1/4 cups water
• 5 1/2 pounds pot roast

DIRECTIONS:
1. In a slow cooker, mix cream of mushroom soup, dry onion soup mix and water. Place pot roast in slow cooker and coat with soup mixture.
2. Cook on High setting for 3 to 4 hours, or on Low setting for 8 to 9 hours.

Thursday, May 7, 2009

Omaha Symphony Show House

My daughter and I used to go see the designer homes every year. This one would be so much fun to see BEFORE the designers redo it. Alas, I am going to see my grandbabies, so will have to miss it.

Mother's Day Travel

I'm going with my sister Wendy and my daughter's HS friend to visit the grandbabies. The girls are going to a scrap book convention, I'm going to watch the grandbabies so my daughter can take off for a weekend with my sis and her BFF from High School.

It's going to be a fun trip, and a good Mother's day! I can't wait. The grandbabies really have no sense of time, but keep asking when we are coming, the only way to make them understand that it is 2 more days is to tell them they have so many more nights of sleep before we arrive.

Each morning this week on my way to work, or when I am at my desk one or the other of the grandkids will call to tell me "Only 3 more sleeps"....the next day, "Only 2 more sleeps' and so on. Today Miss O got out of bed, I got a texted picture of her with "1 more sleep" as the caption. In anticipation of my arrival, she has moved to the back of the van, saving me a seat in the middle seat of the van. She is also talking about having 'girl' time together. If you don't speak 4 year old, that means 'take me shopping and buy me ice cream'. It's going to be a fun time.

Noah Benoah has a soccer game on saturday, it will be fun to watch him. He's gotten the idea of how you play the game, he scored 2 goals in one game last week, in another he scored 1 goal and assisted in 2.......his dad is pretty athletic and competetive........it's the whole tree and fruit thing. HA!!!

I saw Isaac 2 weeks ago, so am happy to say I will see both of my kids this year around Mother's day. Life is good.

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Floral Lampwork Beads

I am in an exchange on the glass forum, been working my tail off making floral glass beads, then stringing them into pendants. I can't take good photos, but you get the idea.

Sunday, May 3, 2009

Kid Rock: All Summer Long

This song reminds me of the carefree days of our youth. I played it a couple times while playing 'Luxor 3'.........which is a stretch, I am on level 11:5 right now and am getting my rear kicked. I can only play a couple rounds before I get bored and move out to the studio, clean, or cook, but it distracts me for awhile. This weekend I am going to see the grandbabies! Grandpa has to stay home.........it'll be a fun time.