Iron Bowl 2013

 

Are you ready to rock Jordan-Hare on Saturday?

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if you can't be here, where will you be cheering the Tigers from?  WAR  EAGLE!!!!

Happy Thanksgiving

Wishing everyone a very blessed Thanksgiving Day with family and friends.   

Remembering….50 Years Ago Today

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I had just come back from lunch and gone to my literature class when it was announced over the loudspeaker that President Kennedy had been shot and killed in Dallas.      Do you remember?

Let It Snow Pillow

I picked up this cute pillow today at Target….in the dollar bin!    No, it wasn’t $1.00 but $3.00…still a deal as I see it.     I *might* have got more than one!

This pretty turquoise/aqua color is my accent color in my den and sunroom.    

Remember the little peek I shared last week of the large monogram project I was working on?    I can’t wait to show you how pretty it turned out and where I finally got it placed.   

Burlap and Monograms

I really didn’t want to title this post “I Can’t Wait To Show You My Latest Project But I’ve Got A Terrible Cold” so I thought I’d cut to the chase and give you a little teaser!    

 

I’ll share where I got my fabulous oversized monogram and how and where I’m using it…..just as soon as I get over this head cold and sore throat!

Caramel Apple Cheesecake

 

Our power bill and gas bill usually have a recipe insert with the bill and over the years, I’ve added them to my recipe file.    When I saw the one for Caramel Apple Cheesecake I couldn’t wait to try it!    I decided to  make it when our granddaughter Taylor spent the night with us…she’s getting real interested in “helping” in the kitchen and she couldn’t wait to help me!    Here’s what you’ll need:

CARAMEL APPLE CHEESECAKE

• 1 can apple pie filling
• 1 graham cracker crust
• 2 8 oz. packages crème cheese
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 t. vanilla
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup roasted pecans, chopped
• caramel sauce

Mix crème cheese, eggs, sugar and vanilla.   Pour into crust and bake at 325 degrees for 30 minutes (more or less, depending on your oven). 

 

Pour apple pie filling on top of cheesecake.   Sprinkle pecans and drizzle caramel sauce on top of filling.

 

 

 

We shared this slice and let me tell you….it’s very rich!   I took 1/2 of the pie to my daughter’s house the next day so we’d have something sweet to eat while watching the Auburn-Tennessee game (War Eagle!) and my son-in-law snuck in the kitchen and ate it all by himself!    Taylor announced that she saw the empty pie pan in their trash can and that “daddy ate it all”!     Since my son-in-law loves anything caramel, and I usually give him a store bought caramel pie for his birthday, this is what I’m going to make him this year.

Let me know if you try it!

Country Living Fair 2013

This weekend (October 25-27) is the Country Living Fair in Atlanta, Georgia.    I’ve always wanted to go and this year I’m making it happen.       My daughter, sister and myself are arriving in Stone Mountain late Friday evening and getting up early Saturday morning to join the crowd.    This is my daughter’s birthday weekend and since she needs a “break” from kids and husband, this weekend get away is my gift to her.      Sunday we’ll be going to Ikea….neither she nor my sister have ever been.    What?!?!?   How could you live a mere 2 1/2 hours away from Ikea and have never been?    

 

 

 

(All photos via Country Living)

 

Every year I read all the fabulous stories about how fantastic the fair is so I can’t wait to experience it myself.     Are you going?    I’d love to say “hey” if you are.    Please let me know either by leaving me a comment or e-mail.

Happy Anniversary To My Daughter!

October 19, 1997

 

 

You both bring us much happiness and joy….not to mention two precious grandchildren!

What’s On The Menu - Beef Tips and Egg Noodles

I wish I was one of those cooks (and I use that term loosely when it comes to me) that has a fantastic meal planned for every day of the week and shops accordingly.    Around here, I‘m kinda fly-by-the-seat-of-yours-pants when it comes to having my meals planned out in advance….I’m the one that goes to the grocery store almost daily to pick up what we need for supper.    My daughter, who is a fantastic cook by the way, does much better than me and can improvise a recipe like no one’s business!    I used to be a better cook when my kids were little but now that it’s just the two of us, we eat out a lot (not always good) and therefore, I don’t really plan ahead.    But I’m trying to do better!

Tonight we had beef tips over egg noodles.   I know typically they are served over rice but my husband doesn’t like rice so I did the noodles instead.    It was really easy and since I put the beef tips in my crock pot, not a lot of tending to for me.

Here’s what I used:

After I browned the beef tips, I put the crème of mushroom soup, beef stew seasoning, half the jar of sliced mushrooms along with a good bit of water into my crock pot, then added the beef tips.    I cooked it on high for about 3 hours until the meat was tender.   Don’t forget to add enough water to make your gravy.    Fix your egg noodles about 15-20 minutes before you are ready to eat, cook according to the directions on the package.     I made some corn on the cob (cob on the corn as my granddaughter says!) and we had a delicious supper.   

 

Mmmmm, yummy for the tummy!   How do you like my “new” Pottery Barn dishes?     They really aren’t PB, but Dollar Tree!!!   Can you believe it?   I found them last year and bought all they had at my local Dollar Tree and bought more when I visited my sister last fall.    I now have 18 but would love to have 24.    My plate rack holds 12 and the rest are stacked on my baker’s rack.     They have held up great.    I love a good bargain, don’t you?

Welcome To My Fall Kitchen

I’m recently made some changes in my kitchen that I love….one being the addition of a chalkboard wall and the other adding the yearling calf head that I FINALLY got from Décor Steals to another wall.      So without a lot of chit chat let’s get right to it because, seriously, isn’t that what you’ve come to see?  

 

Here’s a view as I’m standing in the dining room.   My kitchen is a galley type and it’s hard to get the full view standing in the room (I just noticed my husband’s favorite yellow cup !)

 

 

I had planned on putting my yearling calf head inside a chippy old frame you’ll see on another wall but it was destined to be knocked off and I just didn’t want to risk it so I put it on the big chalkboard wall

Yes, I know I have a couple of empty frames and I’m looking for something special to put in them but for the time being, I don’t mind that they are empty

 

 

 

I still love my breadboard made especially for me by my sweet friend Diana over at Our Vintage Home Love.    I believe she’s offering them in her shop again….check it out!

 

Cozy little corner by the sink

Here’s the old frame I planned on using for the yearling head but it just didn’t work out.     My husband traced out the dimensions of the INSIDE of the frame onto the wall, I taped that off and painted it with more chalkboard paint.   I haven’t “seasoned” it yet and may not.    I used one of my boxwood wreaths inside and added an old white platter above (you can hardly see it in this photo).   I love the simplicity of the wreath against the black.

 

 

On our table I used a little runner I’ve had along with a chalkboard “think-a-ma-jig” I’ve used in several other places….topped it with a chippy old urn, fall candle ring and a painted pumpkin.   Added a scented little candle and another candlestick along with a sweet little faux pumpkin I picked up and I had my fall centerpiece for practically zero dollars!

 

You can read about this pumpkin and a turquoise one I made here.    

 

 

 

My kitchen has been through several metamorphosis over the last several years but I can honestly say that I’ve finally got a look that I’m totally in love with.   

I’m still adding some other fall touches in the house and will share those soon.     Thank you for taking time to visit me today!

Linking up to these parties:

Savvy Southern Style

The Scoop @Cedar Hill Ranch

A Stroll Thru Life

Fall In The Kitchen

Here’s a little peek at what’s happenin’ in the kitchen…..come back later in the week to get the tour.    

 

The chalkboard wall has turned out soooo good and I have another little chalkboard project in there that I’ll also be sharing.   

Tomorrow I’m taking my 93 year old mom for a Esophagagastroduodenoscopy (EDG).    She’s been having some choking episodes for about a month and her GP has referred her for this procedure.   Of course, putting anyone her age to sleep is always a risk….but she’s a tough one and has pulled through a broken arm and fractured hip in the past 2 years.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

This past weekend has really felt like fall around here.    When I stuck my head out the door early yesterday morning it was actually chilly (at least what we call chilly here in the deep South!).     My husband worked a ball tournament this weekend so I had lots of free time…..shopping and lunch with my daughter and granddaughter on Saturday and cleaning most all day Sunday.     Also putting the finishing touches on my chalkboard wall which has turned out amazing!   Photos coming soon….just cloudy around here today so waiting on some sunshine.

I have yet to put out my fall decorations although many bins are down from the attic waiting on me to dig through them.    I don’t decorate for Halloween anymore….just fall touches which will last me until right after Thanksgiving.    Hope to get that done this week.

Now onto the chicken tortilla soup.   This is a staple around here…..you can make it on the stove or in the crockpot…either way it turns out fantastic.    These photos are from last year but I use the same tureen every year and of course, the same recipe.

 

I picked up this little tureen at a flea market a few years ago for like $7.00!   I just though it was so cute and just the right size for soup for 2.

Here it is all filled up

 

Here’s a quick shot at a place setting from last year….I forgot I had those cute turkey plates!    Oh, and the stamped napkins are a project I did a few years ago

 

 

Chicken Tortilla Soup

 

• 6-8 chicken tenders

• 1 can Rotel tomatoes (undrained)

• 1 can corn

• 1 can cream style corn* (undrained)

• chicken stock

• 1 block Velveeta Mexican cheese (cut into cubes)

Cook chicken until tender.     After cooking, cool and then chop in blender.      Put chopped chicken and Velveeta cheese in large pot, add chicken stock and cook until the cheese is completely melted.  (I used almost one box of chicken stock).    Then add in the can of corn and Rotel tomatoes.  

Use the same method if cooking in crockpot….just remember to add the cream style corn just prior to serving!    Of course, if you use the crockpot, you don’t have to pre-cook your chicken.

Enjoy!

Chalkboard Wall

I love chalkboard walls and today I finally took the plunge by having one wall in my kitchen painted with chalkboard paint.    At one time I was going to paint another larger wall with chalkboard paint and frame out my yearling calf head from Décor Steal with an old frame I have but after giving it a lot of thought went with my original plan to paint the smaller wall area going into my laundry room.    I did cheat and have my painter come and paint it for me because of my frozen shoulder situation but I’m going to have so much fun decorating it when he’s done!    Of course, the problem for me is I’m going to have to wait 3 days to do that as the directions say to not “cure” (rubbing it with chalk) it until for at least that long.    But I  will be putting my touch to that wall by this weekend….can’t wait!

Now here are a couple of photos I took this morning and as you can see there is nothing staged about it.    Everything is a mess but I’m loving that wall!

The walls are painted in Latte and it’s a good neutral color that looks great with the chalkboard paint.   You’ll have to be sure and come back and see it after I put up all my “pretties”!

I’m debating on having the french door painted white to match the trim.   I don’t mind that it's black like the wall and I do have white trim (wish I didn’t have that 80’s chair rail but that’s another story).   I’m going to see how I like the french door painted black for a while and if I just don’t like it my painter will come back and paint it out white for me.    I’m going to be adding lots of white accents (frames, plates, etc) so I’m hoping that will off set the black door….what do you think?

Thank you for dropping by today!

Happy 1st day of Fall Ya’ll!

Today it seems like fall is right around the corner.   We still have quite a bit of hot weather around here but something in the air feels fall-ish!    I haven’t done any fall decorating yet but hope to in the next week or so.   It seems like just when I think things are about to slow down for me and I can blog on a more regular basis, “life” gets in the way and before I know it, another week has gone by and I’ve not posted a thing!    I am truly amazed at folks that post weekly and/or daily…my hats off to you!

Last year (yikes!) I started a complete make over in my son’s old bedroom.   I wanted the room to resemble the one we’d seen in the Southern Living Idea House in Senoia, Georgia.

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I have all the bedding and a headboard cut out…just waiting on me to put on me to complete the headboard. 

Here’s where I left off last year and I’ve added more pillows.   I really need to get that headboard finished because I think the room is turning out exactly like I envisioned.   

I want to make a little gallery wall in there on the wall you see as you enter the room looking straight ahead.    I have a lot of frames and a couple of photos printed out but also wanted to use something personal which would reflect the “little boy” that used to live in that room (now 39 years old)!    It’s the room he and his son stay in when they come to visit (daughter in law and granddaughter stay in another guest room).     I remembered he had made a sketch of a house plan our family had considered years ago….he drew it, put the cost of the home and the interest rate on the photo too!    I got one of the frames I planned on using and inserted that drawing into the frame.    It’s not “professional”  but its meaningful to me and hopefully will bring back that time to him when he sees it.    At one time he wanted to be an architect…thus the drawing.

 

This week is shaping up to be just as busy as the past couple of weeks.    Tomorrow my mom and I are going to have a mani/pedi spa day, Tuesday I’m taking her to the doctor, Tuesday is also my husband’s big 50 birthday, and I have lunch/dinner plans with some friends for my birthday which was on the 12th.    Oh, how I love to drag out my birthday a whole month!

My painter is coming to paint a chalkboard wall for me in the kitchen (I can’t due to my frozen shoulder situation) and I have a little project I’m working on that includes the yearling calf head I finally got from Décor Steals on another wall.    Since we’re hosting Thanksgiving this year, I’m trying to get a lot of things done around the house for that….we’ll see how that goes!

How’s the weather in your part of the world?    I think fall is one of my favorite times of the year…..the smells, the colors and FOOTBALL!    

Hope everyone has a great week!

I Bought Myself A Birthday Present

It’s a week away from my birthday but I bought myself something I’ve been wanting for a while now….a new upholstered headboard!    A little backstory first….about 4-5 years ago I ordered a custom headboard from Ballard’s in Atlanta.   It was described as “creamy pin tuck” and it I thought it would be just what I’d been looking for.    I eagerly awaited it’s arrived (about 6 weeks) and when it finally came I couldn’t wait to see how it would look.     When I put my white coverlet and pillows on the bed…I was horrified!    The headboard looked yellow…not the look I was going for.    I tried and tried to make it work but it never did.    Finally, I took two taupe linen curtain panels and sewed them together to make a slipcover of sorts….that looked much better and later I added a German grain sack in the middle….which looked pretty good actually…something like this:

 

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My Ballard's headboard was shaped like the one in the photo above

But I never got around to making the ties for the slipcover and probably never will….so yesterday I was in our local Kirkland's and they had “the” headboard on sale!    I couldn’t get it out of my mind and called the store this morning to see if it was a king size and it was!    I called my husband and told him I’d found “my” birthday present…I would sell the old one on Craig's List or the Bulletin Board (a local free advertisement)….and would he pick it up this evening.    He said he would when he got off work.    I called the store manager back and told her I was on my way to pay for it since she couldn’t take my credit card over the phone.     Here’s a photo from the Kirkland’s website:

 

And a description of the headboard reads as follows:

Upholstered in a beige linen fabric

Double row nailhead accents in a brass finish

High-density foam filling with a dacron wrap

Contoured headboard with knob feet in dark brown

The linen is a little darker than what the photo shows but I’m so excited I can hardly stand it!    Our wall color is very similar to the one in the Kirkland’s photo and my accent color is the pretty aqua as shown in the nightstand….so I think this headboard will really “make” our bedroom.

Happy Birthday To Me!

Happy Belated Labor Day and A Couple of Recipes

As the old saying goes “better late than never” right?   Now that Labor Day is behind us most of us are looking forward to cooler temps and fall decorating!    I know I am…I’m just trying to decide how soon I can put out some fall décor without my neighbors (and husband) thinking I’m off my rocker.   This is also a big birthday month around here…mine and my husbands.    He’s celebrating a big one and I can’t believe I haven’t planned anything for him….he’s not much for surprises and is a low key kind of guy (I almost said low life but that’s not what I mean)….we’ll probably just go out to eat or maybe make a quick trip out of town and that’s about it.   Any ideas ya’ll can give me for the Big 50 for a guy will be greatly appreciated!    And no, I’m not telling my age!

This past weekend we headed up to the lake for what will probably be the last time for us until our family Christmas get together there.    Although the weather man predicted 40% chance for rain, we didn’t get a drop, just some gorgeous sunshine.    And can you believe I didn’t take my camera?!     We cooked ribs, pork chops and steaks.    Everyone brings their own meat and my sister and I provide the rest of the food.   My contribution was marinated vegetable salad and Pineapple Orange Crème Cake…both of which I’ve shared in the past but are worth reposting again.   The cake is a Weight Watchers recipe and is only 4 points per slice…which makes it all the better!

Marinated Vegetable Salad

• 1=11 oz. can white shoe peg corn
• 1=16 oz.  can French green beans
• 1=16 oz. can green peas
• 1 med. onion – finely chopped
• 1/2 c. celery – finely chopped
• 1/4 c. bell pepper – finely chopped
• 1/4 c. pimento – diced

Drain vegetables, mix all ingredients

• 3/4 c. sugar (or a little more)
• 1/3 c. vegetable oil
• 1/2 c. white vinegar
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. pepper

Mix all together and heat until sugar dissolves.   Pour over vegetable mixture and keep in refrigerator overnight.

 

Pineapple Orange Crème Cake

• 1 (15 1/4 oz.) can crushed pineapple, undrained
• 1 (18.25 oz.) package yellow cake mix
• 1/2 c. egg substitute
• 1/2 c. fat free mayo
• 1 can mandarin oranges, sliced
• cooking spray

 

• 1 (12 oz.) container fat free Cool Whip
• 1 (10 oz.) package sugar free vanilla pudding mix

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Drain pineapple, reserve juices, set pineapple aside

Combine reserved pineapple juice, cake mix, mandarin oranges, egg substitute and mayo in large bowl.   Beat w/mixer until well blended.  

Pour into 13x9 baking dish coated w/cooking spray

Bake @350 degrees for 35 minutes or until done---cool on wire rack

Combine drained pineapple, cool whip and vanilla pudding mix in medium bowl on low speed until just blended.   Spread pineapple mixture evening over top of cake.

 

On a totally unrelated matter, we’re hosting Thanksgiving at our house this year.   For the last 4-5 years we’ve all met at Cracker Barrel or last year we went to my daughter’s house.    This year my sister and her clan are going out of town and it’s my daughter’s year to go to her in-laws so it will be a very small group of people (son and his family and my mom) around here.     I’m already planning the menu and hope to get a couple of projects done before then.     I got in my yearling cow head from Décor Steals  a week or so ago and have the perfect frame for it….I want to paint a chalkboard wall in my kitchen and use the yearling head and frame and some white plates…but I just can’t decide if I want to paint the whole wall or just the portion inside the frame….also with my “frozen” shoulder situation it’s a little hard to paint right now.     I don’t know why it’s so hard for me to make up my mind on this but for some reason it is.    I also need to finish up the upholstered headboard project we started last spring (yes, I said last spring!)……maybe I’ll get ‘er done before the end of this year!

Hope everyone has a great week!

Tasty Treats

Recently while cleaning out some dresser drawers in my daughter’s old room (now guest room) I found a “recipe book” her pre-K class put together.   This was a group of 5 year olds.    I had such a laugh reading some of these recipes that I thought I’d share some of them with you…you know, in case you might want to make some of these “recipes” for your family!   I have copied them (spelling and all) exactly how they were written all those years ago.   

Chicken: 

1.  2 cups oil

2.   A big chicken

3.   Kill the chicken

4.   Get a pan

5.   Put a little oil in the pan

6.   Put the chicken in the pan

7.    Set the temperature on 5 or 6 and cook it for 1 hour

6.   Then eat it

French Fries:

french fries

hamburgers

hot dogs

1.   Put grease in the big black bowl with the big handle

2.   Put it over the backboard

3.   Take a big stick and put the french fries in the bowl

4.   When it’s all cooked you have to put it in a big round circle with a paper towel under it

5.   Put french fries in the sink

6.   Put them in the bowl and then they’re ready

Roast Beef

Take a little roast beef.   Put in 1 gallon of Wesson oil.   Cook in the oven at 8 degrees for 15 minutes.   Eat it.

A Egg

2 lbs. milk

3 lbs. flour

4 lbs. sugar

First pour milk into a bowl.   Add 3 lbs. of flour.  Put in 4 lbs. sugar.  Then put in a little more milk.  Put it on the stove and cook it for 4 minutes.    Eat it.

French Toast

1 egg

3 cups milk

2 loaves bread

Dip the bread into the milk and eggs.   Cook it in a frying pan for 2 seconds.  Eat 2 french toasts.

Soup

Pour 2 inches of hot water into a pan.   Peel 4 potatoes.   Peel 5 tomatoes.  Put these on top of the oven and let them cook.   Put 2 inches of salt and pepper on them.   Cook them for 12 seconds.  Put in bowls and drink it.

AND FINALLY MY DAUGHTER’S RECIPE:

Hamburgers

1 slice cheese

catsup

mustard

mayonaisse

1 meat

Cook meat in oven.  Take it out.  Put it on the hamburgers

I hope you enjoyed this gourmet post brought to you by “Thompson’s Tasty Treats” (her teacher’s name) circa 1981!

Quick Hello

In my last post I said I was taking a little blog break and I’m still on break….but I wanted to check in and say “hello”.    This has been a hectic summer for me.   I’ve had quite a few health issues which started back in February.    It began with a Bakers cyst behind my left knee and I ended up with a severely torn meniscus.   I had surgery on June 10th and physical therapy after that.    During the time of my PT I developed a problem with my right foot which the doctor first thought was a stress fracture but apparently that’s not the case.   Right now we don’t know what the problem is.    In addition to that (!) I have “frozen shoulder”.     Good grief!   Now I’m going to PT for that and will go back to the doctor on Sept. 10th and maybe he’ll give me a shot.    I just don’t know what else can go wrong with me, hopefully nothing.    Do I dare mention that I have a bladder infection right now?   

I also mentioned that I discovered that the government stopped depositing my mom’s civil service retirement check.    Suffice it to say it took 2 weeks for me to get that straightened out….many  days before I could reach someone on the phone then on hold for 30 minutes….thankfully I got it straight and her monies are now back in her account.     When you’re on a fixed income like she is and you miss out on part of your income each month, it gets dicey real quick!

Lastly, yesterday I got word that a  friend of mine has passed away suddenly while vacationing in the Bahamas.    I just got a text that she had an aneurysm and was flown back to the States where she was declared brain dead.    I blogged about her house a few years ago here.     Everyone is in shock….she was only 62 years old!

The only good news I can report is that I ordered the yearling calf head from Décor Steals and it arrived yesterday.    I have a gorgeous old frame I’m thinking about using on a kitchen wall and putting the yearling head in the middle with my boxwood wreath and surrounding the frame with white plates.   I also want to paint the wall with chalkboard paint so the plates and yearling head show up but with my shoulder situation I can’t paint right now.    Oh well….at least I got my yearling head which I’ve been stalking for some time now.

It seems like everyone has got Fall decorating on the brain.   I’m not quite there but I am ready for some cooler temps and FOOTBALL!    Hope you all have a fabulous weekend.

Blog Break

I’m taking a little blog break…a lot of things going on that need my attention and I’m not able to do any projects or post inspiring () blog content.    There is a financial situation with my mom’s money that I’m trying to resolve and I’m also experiencing ADDITIONAL health issues!    I still get around to visiting some of my favorite bloggers and enjoy seeing all your talent.    Hope to be back soon!