on friday.... i gave my two aunts and cousin a

birthday party! my mom and cousin hali came to celebrate, too!

the table was set with tacky

vintage souvenir china laid upon a chenille bedspread--makeshift tablecloth...

we sipped cheap white wine from large mouthed canning jars. and,

our napkins were mismatched hot pads. all in attendance, were required to wear vintage hats from my little collection and very tacky retro aprons. all were such good sports and without hesitation... choose hats and aprons to wear!

we're holding signs that say hi aaron- my cousin in new york university film school. his gramma and mom are back row left. we sent this through facebook-- in hopes to make his day.

what would a party be... without an antique glass urinal to pour your water from?

lunch was a massive garbage salad... with just about everything in it. and beer bread with herbs sprinkled on top. and parmesan cheese.

between the downpour of raindrops.. i picked rhubarb and baked a rhubarb cake in canning jars.... cool-whip and lots of it...was dropped on top! note: aprons in the background!

after the mid-day feast... i planned a garden craft,
which my new friend cassey told me about. we all sat around the chenille covered table, giggled and made glass wind chimes!
on tomorrow's post.. i'll share the instructions and snaps!
smile, wink, nod!

no more boring brownie blues!

i know you've been wondering, "how can i make my brownies-not so boring..

... not so blah in that rectangular baking pan?"

and not to mention how miserable they looked when cut... crumbly and gooey.

well friends... sleep easy tonight! because i found a fun trick!

drum roll.......

i mixed a betty crocker mix up, poured half the batter into one of these bowls and the other half in the other bowl. make sure to spray-grease the bowl for easy-slide out! bake as directed on the package--but you'll need to watch the time yourself-because of thickness! then i just sprinkled a little powdered sugar over the plate, turned out the baked brownie cake onto a plate and antique bowl, then sprinkled some more powdered sugar. humbly, i think it looks pretty impressive. and it was so super easy to do! i imagine, you could use any bowl that's oven-safe.

see now, aren't you glad you came here?

your boring brownie blues are over!

smile, wink, nod!

what's baking on wednesday?

zucchini muffins with strudel topping!

scrumptious!

***********************************

2 c. flour

1 1/2 c. sugar

1 c. nuts or raisins

1 c. oatmeal

1 tbsp. baking powder

1 tsp. cinnamon

4 eggs beaten

2 c. shredded zucchini

3/4 c. oil

beat eggs. add sugar and oil. mix. stir in dry ingredients. mix. add zucchini and nuts or raisins.

topping:

1/2 c. brown sugar

1/2 c. chopped walnuts

1/3 c. plus 2 tbsp's flour

1/3 c. plus 2 tbsp's butter

mix and sprinkle over the muffin batter!

you are welcome

to cut and paste this recipe...

(along with the muffin picture!)

to wordpad and print yourself off a copy!

smile, wink, nod!

what's in the bag?

for just pennies, last fall i picked up a stack of vintage linens and fabrics. after washing and pressing them and cutting them up... i pulled out my sewing machine and started creating reusable gift bags. on one of the linen's, i cut and pasted some quirky clip art and ran it through the printer. then, i very shabbily sewed the clip art to the linen. below, you'll see a couple of the bags, which i made out of a cross-stitched pillowcase.

now, i betcha you're wondering what's inside those gift bags? well, i'll tell you.... it's "dilly beer bread mix," inside a ziplock bag. i attached a holiday brad to close the bag and printed off the recipe and how-to instructions. the recipients will also get a can of beer to add to the mix.

(below is a snap of the beer bread after it's baked.. i like putting the bread into different sized bowls and baking.)

the mix is super easy to make... just take 3 cups of self-rising flour and 3 Tablespoons sugar. you can add any herb you'd like or none at all. i added dill seed to my mix, because i have tons of it leftover and dried from my garden. i've also had this with basil and parmesan cheese.

this is the recipe i attached. you are more then welcome to use it... just copy and paste and print it off.

dilly beer bread in just 30 minutes!

Spray a bread pan and it’s sides.
Pour a can of beer in a microwave safe bowl and heat for 1 minute or slightly longer.. Just enough to warm up the beer. Then, dump the beer bread mix in a bowl and add the warm beer. Mix real good. Pour into your greased bread pan. Put the good-smelling bread dough into a cold oven. Shut the door and turn the oven on 350*. Bake for 45-50 min.

getting down and dirty!

getting down and dirty in this nice november weather in michigan! here's a snap of yours truly planting handfuls of antique pink hollyhock seeds. i planted them in a big old row along our barn. i've always loved the look of hollyhocks standing in a parade of bloom along old barns! now, i hope to have my own display!

i also got the knees of my blue jeans dirty, while planting garlic and egyptian onion seeds. i popped the seeds and cloves in each slot of this recycled horse window (above). i am hoping, in the spring, when they begin to show growth, i can just slip this screen off and i'll have "martha stewart perfect" rows!

i also re-did our little bird and squirrel feeding habitat. freshened it up with dried sunflower heads, fresh-dead branches (oxy-moron) and dead asparagus sprigs, which provide a soft and light protection. well, i think it does, anyway.

today calls for rain. i'm planning on making chicken tortellini soup in the crock pot and homemade bread.

*****************

penny and robin... thanks so much for the blog award! i appreciate it and i enjoy your blogs as well. you can find robin's blog, pardon my dust and penny's diosa domestica on my sidebar!

pumpkin cookies and pumpkin pot holder!

today, i followed in my fall tradition of baking pumpkin chocolate chip cookies. i actually made jumbo pumpkin chocolate chippers. i dropped these with a huge spoon... and baked them for 20 minutes. here's the recipe: pumpkin chocolate chip cookies! i doubled the recipe and ended up freezing two large ziplock baggies of the dough.

in between our homeschool classes, i sat and made this happy pumpkin pot holder, from 100% recycled wool. it was originally going to be a pillow, but... i have way to much clutter sitting around... and ugh, so well.... i thought, maybe a pot holder would be nice. and it is. i used it when i pulled out my piping hot, pumpkin chocolate chip cookies. smile, wink, nod.

guess what's wrapped up in newspaper?

hundreds of green tomatoes. okay not really hundreds... but probably a good 50. we had a frost last week... and, since our garden was still producing like wildfire... i..... in a fever went out and gathered the harvest (doesn't that sound so quaint and lovely?) it really wasn't as pretty as it sounds... i was picking by flashlight, it was cold and the boys were out working late. plus, my socks kept slouching down in my wellingtons...which irritates me as much as a migraine. not pretty. however, i am sure... when the snow is flying and our local grocery store is selling their tomatoes for $4.99 a lb, we will enjoy eating our own homegrown tomatoes.

my grandma and as well as other atomic aged housewives, used to wrap their tomatoes in newspapers... store them in a cardboard box (only layer 2 deep) and they will slowly ripen up to christmas. you keep them in a cool, dark place. my vintage basement is perfect for that!

i also gathered a bushel basket of eggplant. i've froze enough eggplant over the last few weeks... i need no more. however, thanks to mr. google... i found this excellent, excellent, amazing roasted eggplant soup recipe that you can freeze. it's the best! click here if you'd like it! (i didn't use goat cheese and i added cumin to taste, and only added 1/2 c. of cream)

crockpot soup recipe treasure hunt!

how about a really good crockpot potato-onion soup recipe? one that is so darn easy, that even an 11 year old can make it! "sure you're probably thinking, that sounds great! i'd love it!!" well then, just click on over to my twisted education blog and find it on my latest entry.... you'll find a link on that entry... this is sort of like a recipe treasure hunt, isn't it? click: twisted education! for the record, we used fat-free evaporated milk and it was just fine, nice too since it didn't make us feel "pudgy!" smile, wink, nod!

i made seven cents & chicken tortilla soup recipe you can freeze!

i had a great experience in wallyworld today. with coupons in hand and a little planning... i was able to get 5 items FREE... and if that wasn't enough...walk out with .07 cents extra!

here's a snap of the products i came home with: 1 smithfield bacon (it's BLT time here in michigan, ya know!)m, 2 klondike ice cream bars, 1 glade soy candle and 1 glade essential package of vanilla candles!

well, then i sauntered by redbox... feeling sort of cocky with the money i saved... and thought we deserved a saturday dvd... so i checked out "the life of bees." have you seen it? i hear it's great!

over the next few days, i'll be posting a few soup recipes... that you can freeze! i did. i added various end-of-the-garden vegetables for extra oooooomph! the one i'll share tonight is excellent! It's CHICKEN TORTILLA SOUP! (i also served herbal beer bread in place of the chips and sour cream.)

1 tsp. olive oil

1 c. chopped onion

2 garlic cloves, mince

2 c. shredded chicken

1 c. frozen corn (i used fresh)

1/4 c. dry white wine

1 tsp. cumin

1 1/2 tsp worcestershire sauce

1/2 tsp. chili powder

2 (14.25oz) can no salt added chicken broth fat free

1 (14.5 oz) can diced peeled tomatoes undrained

1 (10.75 oz) can condensed reduced fat reduced sodium tomato soup

1 1/4 c. of crushed salted baked tortilla chips

1/2 c. fat free sour cream

Heat oil in a dutch oven over medium-high heat. add onion and garlic: saute for 2 mintues. stir in chicken and next 9 ingredients (chicken through tomato soup): bring to a boil. reduce heat and simmer one hour.

to freeze: ladle soup into family sized rotions, into freezer containers.

to reheat: reheat from defrosted or frozen, in a covered pot. ladle into bowls and top with tortilla chips and sour cream.

thursday!

i could of ate this entire spread of grilled garden vegetables. i picked white eggplant, green beans, dug up potato's, cut up a green pepper, and one big onion. tossed it with extra virgin olive oil, sea salt and fresh basil. grilled it for 20 minutes. oooooh-la-la! and the burnt ones were the best!

other stuff? i made freezer soup with our garden vegetables: chicken tortellini and tomato-dill. we homeschooled.... not an easy day. click here for the justified details... and a little bit- ummm, i mean a lot of pre-teen attitude raging around and then ran errands. is it friday, yet?

blueberry banana bread!

doesn't this blueberry banana bread sound luscious? it's from my dear blog friend teresa in texas! i'll be making this tomorrow...after a trip out for bananas! the picture above was taken at my mom's house a couple of weeks ago! note: blueberry print tablecloth that matches the blueberry dessert! she is just too perfect. smile, wink, nod!

Blueberry Banana Bread
3 cups flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 T baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups quick cooking oats
2/3 cup canola oil
4 eggs
2 cups mashed bananas
2 cups fresh blueberries

Mix flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Stir in oats. Add wet ingredients and then fruit, stirring just until mixed. Pour batter into 2 greased loaf pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 60 minutes. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then remove to wire rack to completely cool. When cool, wrap and refrigerate for several hours before slicing.

Teresa in Texas
August 25, 2009 3:47 PM

okay, i'm going to brag a little. meet my first and only girl cousin... dr. c., m.d. she's an ob/gyn doctor. voted one of the top 10 best in detroit. she's also a saint. a breast cancer survivor, and has a sense of humor that would make you fall to your knees...trust me! did i mention how creative her mind is? and how wild she can dance at family weddings? all true.

we recently connected to go blueberry picking, talking, catching up on who saw what bird and where, gardening and flowers, books, tasha tudor, a farmhouse in new hampshire, knitting, obama, make-up, our childhood and other odd details of life.

she made a mouth-watering basil bread. and, always one to be generous with everything she has... she gave me the recipe!

since i'm nice like her... i'll share it with you, too:


3 cups self rising flour
3 tablespoon sugar
12 oz. bottle of beer warmed up in the microwave about 2 min.

mix well. add 1/2 c. basil. mix. put it in a cold oven. turn the oven on to 350*. bake for 40-45 min.

we both agreed you could use any kind of herbs. i sprinkled Parmesan cheese on ours. my boys flipped over this. yours will, too. and so will you. smile, wink, nod.

farm and farm food!

the thing i love about this time of year... is the harvest and preserving of homegrown vegetables. my grandpa loved it, too! above is his picture! he was a farmer... grain and beef. i once heard on national public radio, that... farmers, good farmers are the most intelligent people on earth. i'm not sure those were the exact words.... but, you get the jist.. the program went on to say how farmers need to be: veterinarians, builders/handi-men, weathermen, mechanics, financial investors, agricultural scientists, electricains and have patience, and the list goes on. more often then not, farming isn't a career that is much revered. well, not to me... i just love farmers! such a hard... yet rewarding life. and, most all of the farmers i know... know God.

last night we had a delish dinner of stuffed zucchini boats.

i also had enough stuffing to stuff these peppers from our garden... i used taco rice, laura's lean beef, swiss chard, celery and onions all the veg's were plentiful in my backyard. i topped it with parmesan cheese and homemade bread crumbs. excellent... what especially made it was....the crunchy homegrown celery! the peppers are stuffed and in the freezer waiting for a cold fall night!

we have a super lot... lot, lot, lot of zucchini... i canned 4 jars of zucchini relish. i'm thinking this would be excellent on pita bread or a good cracker! and of course turkey hotdogs over an open fire!

smile, wink, nod.

potatoes, homeschooling, and free bags of dog food...

standing in front of redbox today, i pushed the button for this dvd... "faith like potatoes." we're watching it as i type! if you're interested in what it's about... click here: i'm interested in what it's about! so far, it looks to be a wonderful christian-family movie!

i also picked up two free bags of dog food at pet supply plus. here's a coupon for a free 4.4 lb bag. i only had to pay tax. one bag alone sells for $14.! phenomenal deal! you're welcome to print as many coupons out as you need. you might even pick a bag or two up for a friend!

last night, i went to a homeschooling through high school mini seminar. it was different. it validated many of my opinions on technology training at a young age and socialization.

today, i signed up for our homeschool co-op classes... if you're interested to see what we're doing click here: i'm interested in what they're doing!

dinner tonight? italian chicken, corn on the cob, long grain rice and fresh salads.

i miss reading your comments... smile, wink, nod.

just peachy!

today was just peachy. the weather was wickedly humid (i truly love the humidity!)... making my hair spiral out of control. i spent all morning cleaning and pushing myself on the treadmill. i spent time with a good friend... ice cream (vanilla) and a walk through goodwill. a leftover spaghetti dinner and tonight i went to a mini seminar on homeschooling your high-schooler.

there's a reason for the peachy picture. recently, i had about a dozen peaches... very ripe. on-line, i found how you can freeze peach pie filling. so, i did. it's very easy....

combine gently:

sliced peaches (about a dozen)

1 cup of sugar

3 tbsp. flour

nutmeg and cinnamon to taste

line a pie plate with foil, pour the mixture into a pie plate (i made three pie fillings), stick the pie plates into the freezer, when froze, take out and pop out the pie filling and place into a freezer bag. discard foil. label and freeze. you can use this in peach pie or in a cobbler this winter!

yummmmmmmmmmm! smile, wink, nod.

i love this chick's hat!

i thought maybe i should share a favorite summertime...okay, anytime-you-grill-outside marinade for chicken shish kabobs... a recipe, my little family loves! it's easy, too!

chicken breasts cut up into shish kabob sized pieces

1/4 cup of lemon juice

1/4 cup of lime juice

1/2 cup of honey

1/2 cup of orange juice

salt to taste

marinade in the fridge for 1/2 an hour (or longer) before grilling. discard marinade.

thread onto skewers alternating what i have on hand: zucchini, onions and peppers.

grill until done.

with this meal, i also grilled ears of corn on the cob. i've never in my life, ever grilled corn on the grill. have you? it is so easy... i look forward to doing it always!

-- just peel back a bit of the husk, wash and get the silky strands off, whisk with butter and herbs, fold the husks back up and soak the entire ear in water for 1/2 and hour. toss on the grill... i used the top shelf of our grill... and let steam for 1/2 hour. (although i let ours steam for 20 min. and it was fine.)

smile, wink, nod.

*picture above was taken at our local 4H poultry barn. i love this chick's hat!

all around the mulberry tree...

my in-laws recently discovered a couple of huge mulberry trees in their woods... and told us to help ourselves! so we did. twice. we hauled and climbed up three ladders. and came home with 7 cups total. i froze most of them...but was excited to make this "mulberry cobbler, baked in a jar." it made my small, little kitchen smell cozy. after baking, i topped them with foil and a red ribbon...and gave them to friends and family, who had stopped by that afternoon. the smallest jars worked perfectly for single friends and dieters. must serve warm with whipped cream or ice cream! smile, wink, nod!

U is for Underground Treasure!

we don't really like radishes. but, i do plant them for my disabled neighbor denny, who is quite fond of them. with all the humidity and rain lately...they've popped right out of the earth!


i've been saving this recipe since last summer. radish butter. it sounded interested and very easy. so.....

i whipped up three batches! tripled the recipe. and although the recipe suggests to use it in pumpernickel bread, which i'm sure is fantastic... i only had ritz crackers. of course i had to sample it...and it's absolutely scrumptious! it has just a tiny hint of the tangy flavor...yet not overwhelming. my husband who wrinkles his nose up over these underground treasures... even liked it.

i had fun being creative with lunch! ritz cracker, radish butter, turkey pepperoni topped with fresh basil. i can't wait to try it on corn-on-the-cob!

i've stored them in canning jars in the refrigerator. now, if you could stop off at the grocery store and pick up a big loaf of pre-cut pumpernickel bread, i'll share this with you while we chat out in my flower gardens! smile, wink, nod.

friends, ferns, flavored vinegars and freebie's!

Today's letter of the day..."F!"

As in....making flavored vinegar with flowers! Just clip a few handfuls of chive flowers, wash them well, pat dry and pack loosely in a jar. I added a bit of garlic, oregano and rosemary...then funneled white wine vinegar into each jar. Sealed the jars and set them in my dark pantry. In a week or so, I'll mix it with good olive oil for garden salads!

F is for FRIENDS! After running a few morning errands today, imagine my surprise when I pulled in and found this little package, sitting on a tray with other kitchen goodies (recipe cards, notepads, etc.) waiting for me by my garage AND all tied up in sweet ivory muslin, tied with a black polka-dotted ribbon! Inside, were fresh eggs! My good friend Rhonda had stopped by and went out of her way with this act of kindness. Which made me smile all day!

F is for transplanting FERNS!

I stopped at a garage sale today... they were selling perennials. Can you believe I don't have a single fern? Well, I do now.

F is for FREEBIE'S!!

free sun-maid raisin cookbooks!

aveeno shampoo/conditioner!