Friday, December 31, 2010

HAPPY NEW YEAR

The old year departed, how swiftly it flew,
'Tis gone, and with rapture we welcome the new.
We trust a bright morning will dawn on your eyes,
And sunbeams unclouded illumine the skies.
Then wake from your slumbers, our serenade hear,
We wish you a Happy, A Happy New Year!
Author Unknown


Thursday, December 30, 2010

Overnight Carmel Rolls

This was the first year that I made these and was totally impressed with this recipe.  Not only does it use yeast but also baking powder.  I had not used a yeast recipe that had both before.  They turned out GREAT.  I will use this recipe from now on. 


This Betty Crocker Cookbook that I got this recipe out of I bought the first year we were married.  It is out of print now..  I found another used one on Amazon and picked it up because my original cookbook is falling apart.  It is called Betty Crocker's Baking Classics and has a red cover with a beautiful double layer chocolate cake on the front.. Looking at Amazon right now, there are some new and used ones listed.  It is one of the very best cookbooks I've got, and I recommend that you pick up one. 




Banana Bread

I had 5 bananas just sitting around waiting to become banana bread today.  You know, they were soft and perfect for the mashing.  I looked in my quilters cookbook for a banana bread recipe.  This one was called Best Banana Bread-I didn't think I could go wrong with that one.  It's very good-I didn't put any nuts in it though. 

BEST BANANA BREAD
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup shortening
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
3 cups flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2/3 cup sour milk
3 very ripe bananas
1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Cream together sugar and shortening.  Add eggs and vanilla and mix well.

Sift together flour, baking soda, and salt.  Add dry mixture alternately with sour milk.
and bananas to creamed mixture, beating until well mixed.

Add nuts if desired, reserving 2 T to sprinkle on top of loaves for garnish.

Pour into 2 lightly greased full sized loaf pans.

Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Cool in pans for 15 minutes.

Turn out onto foil and wrap immediately.  


Earthquake!


I was sitting in my studio this morning and at 7:59 it sounded like a huge gust of wind hit the window. Then the floor shook and the cats looked up from their sleep. I looked outside and there was no wind at all and there were no storms in the area. It was very strange, but having felt an earthquake a few years back I decided that must be what it was. It only lasted one to two seconds. About 15 minutes later the news people did come on and say there have been reports coming in.

Here in Northern Indiana we don't get a lot of earthquakes so it is big news. I'm just glad it was no bigger.

Great Stuff

I hope that you like my new banner.  Trying to keep it all fresh for the new year.



I took other pictures of some great stuff I had received.  Two beautiful scarves (I keep being told it is the year of the scarf) and a blingy metallic green bag.  I am crazy about all of these items.  A luggage tag that goes with my blingy bag but can also go with my new set of luggage.  I was told that my husband decided to get me these roller bags after our trip to Detroit for Thanksgiving.  I believe it was after his shoulder was almost dislocated from the socket from my heavy bag that he had to carry.  It is a great set, 3 sizes of roller bags, a garment bag and a carry on.  I guess his pain was my gain.  It was a total surprise.

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Book Review-Open House by Elizabeth Berg

As I had mentioned in a previous post, this book was sent to me by my friend Colleen in Georgia as we exchange books that we enjoyed. 
It can be found on Amazon 
This book is a very easy read and since I had the time it took me only six hours at the most to read. 
The book is about a women named Samantha who was 42.  She and her husband had an 11 year old son.  She knew that her marriage was becoming stale and her husband was becoming distant.  She tried to speak to him about going to a counselor and working out their problems but he was not interested in that.  He ended up moving out and the book is about her journey of finding herself and coping with the emotional roller coaster that she had to go through.  Along her journey she met many new people and found a side of herself that she had left behind when she got married and was raising her son.  I enjoyed this book and gave it 7 out of 10 stars. 

Adding to the New Years List

1.  Cleaning out my Inbox-(and keeping it that way).

2.  Finishing Three Quilts

3.  Drinking More Wine (They say a glass a day is good for you!)

4.  The usual-walking more, eating better.

5.  Painting and crafting more. 

6.  Worrying less, stressing less.

TO BE CONTINUED.....

7.  Trying a new recipe each week. (I have really great cookbooks that need to be used.)

8.  Going to bed earlier so I don't sit down to quilt or watch t.v. and fall asleep.  I think I will be more productive at work too, maybe I won't have the 2:30 sleepy time.

MORE TO COME.....
9.  Lastly-being more choosy about what I buy.  Charging less and paying more with cash.

That's enough to put on my plate for a year.  

The calm after the storm

With the holidays over and I have this week off from work I have to say I have not had a lot of "get up and go".  I have had a case of the "Blog Block" too.  I have taken a couple of pretty pictures and hope this gets me started back on the right track again. 

My sister Linda got for me these really pretty bright towels to go in my new kitchen.  I just love them and thank you so much!

My niece Angie also got for me this whisk with the beautiful multi-colored striped handle.  She and I always admire the striped coffee cups on the show "Two and a Half Men".  They look similar to this handle. 

Another niece of mine, Wendy game me this lovely blue bird.  She picked it up on a trip and it is replacing another bird she had gotten me.  I had a cobalt blue bird sitting outside and one night some teenagers were messing around taking things from people yards and replacing them with other things.  My cobalt blue bird was a victim of that bunch of shenanigans.
  The little ones I found on half price after Christmas shelves.  They were too cute to pass up. 

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Looking Ahead and Behind

It has been a year since we started the moving process and it has been great.  We have met so many new great people in this year, from the builders of the house, to the neighbors, to the people in town, to the installers of our dish, decorative tiles, flooring, cabinets,the people at church to even the people who bought our old house.  We have had a really fun time. All our friends that helped us move were invaluable.  What is the girl scout song....Make new friends but keep the old, one is silver and the other is gold. 

We have had a graduation party and then Sam move onto college and he became a full time driver along with having a girlfriend. It has all been a new experience and it's all been good.

Tom and I have been on a whirlwind tour this past month.  We have been to parties every weekend either big social gatherings or just with friends.  Kevin mention that "you and Dad have been really social lately".  I guess we have haven't we? and it's been fun.

Our mail has brought surprises too.  I have heard from friends whom I haven't heard from for awhile.  We have gotten pictures in our cards of families we haven't seen before, and my that was really nice to see. We have gotten surprise gift cards, books, planners, we even sadly heard about an old friend passing away. 

My Dear Friend Colleen in Georgia sent this wonderfully useful, pretty planner for me to start the year out.  It is not only a planner but a journal.  She is as much of a book lover as I am.  She and I exchange good books we have discovered so she also included in my package a book by Elizabeth Berg, titled Open House.



The introduction in the planner says it all about books.

"There is not frigate like a book/To take us lands away," wrote Emily Dickinson.  So true!  How often have you been transported to another place and time, introduced to fascinating characters and caught up in their stories simply by opening the pages of a book?  Books can be informative and transformative, a challenge and a comfort.  They can help us see the big picture and immerse us in minute details.  They can recapture history, give us insights into the present, and offer hints about the future.  In short, books are amazing!

And that my Friends is why I like books!

Tom and I have been working hard to get our Christmas Cards out.  It is the best way to let people know about our new address etc.  We ran out of cards, so I have had to make some.
Here is the one I made last night.

I made 5, they are collectors items, since they are limited editions.  Ha!




Another Dear Friend Leah, we always exchange Lang Calendars and it is always fun to see which one I get this year.  I sent her a Dear Friends one that has cats and dogs as we are mutual animal lovers also. This year I received the Country Sampler calendar, which I love.  In my package she also sent a book she found enjoyable.  Dewey-the Library Cat as she is also a book lover. She likes to be organized too, she needs a journal like I received too!

Lastly I have been thinking about the New Year.  I have started compiling a list of things I am going to try to do.  
The first one.....
Empty out and organize my inbox on the computer.  
When they give me a lot of space, I just don't take the time to empty it.
I have 8600 messages, let alone that doesn't count what I have sent!
If they would only give me a small amount of space I would have to empty it out but they are very generous-those techie people.  
My work computer is just as bad until it tells me I have no space left.
As my Mary at works says, "people are liquid-they fill the space they have".
Ain't that the truth!"

Dumb thing I have done this season.
Had packages delivered to my old house.
I rushed to check out and didn't check the correct address.
Apparently I am not used to living here yet.
Good thing we became friends!   

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Green and Pink Glass

I unpacked a box of depression glass tonight.
Here are some pretty pieces.
Separated dishes, shot glass, a stopper and salt and pepper shakers.
20 to 25 years ago my Mom and I would go to antique shops and look for interesting pieces of depression glass.
We really had a good time with it.

Close up.

Candy dish with a ladle.


All of the pretty colors.

Quilts in Progress

I have started digging out some projects to work on.
These were patterns from the Kansas City Star in the early 1900.  It was a Sampler Challenge but I only got 3 done.
I am thinking of making a king size quilt for our room.



This I started a long time ago.
It needs another border and then it will be time to quilt it.

This is a CJD memorial quilt.
CJD-Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease
It is appliqued and  unfortunately I have many more hearts to put on it.

I have 3 different things to do, quilting, applique and piecing.
That should keep me busy for the winter.

Pretty little package


I reused some packing paper by ironing it.
Then I stamped the Merry Christmas onto the ribbon.
And then stamped the flower onto the packing paper, then wrapped it.

Sunday, December 12, 2010

Things I Love #2


My Camera.
It's a Nikon D-40.
It came with two lenses and a battery charger.
I have not conquered all the controls yet but It goes many places with me. 
It was a very good investment. 

The second thing I love is online shopping.
Today I got the shopping done due to using it.
As you know I love books.  I acquired an amazon .com card. 
It is my own bookstore at my finger tips. 
I have to watch myself when I browse.
It is too easy to order, that's why I don't watch QVC.


Today was a Good Day

Today was my birthday.
I am not afraid to tell that I turned 51.
It was a cold and snowy and very blustery day, and I decided we should take some family photos to remember and log this day.
They turned out pretty good!
I have had lots of well wishers on facebook and it is much appreciated.
I got a really cool hand sweeper that I had asked for and it is now charging. 
I will have that later as a "Things I Love" segment.
I have gone to party's and have eaten out so much it is almost sinful...but very enjoyable.
Sam got me the Toy Story 3 movie that we sat and watched this morning!
It was fantastic.
Kevin got for me another movie which we didn't watch today, but soon.
All in all it was a great birfday as my Dad used to call it.

This picture is top notch.  It turned out so good!  My 3 guys.

Another family one in front of the Christmas tree.

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Things I Love

Cuties
How can this not be something that is loved.
The name just evokes a smile.
They are just the right size for a lunch.
They peel easily.
They are seedless
They pull apart with no juice dripping.
They are very tasty and give you the vitamin C for the day.

They are in season, I got this bag for $3.99!

When I turned 30 I decided I needed to splurge and buy some good face lotion.
My Mom used Clinique and so I thought I would give it a try.
Here I am 20 years later still using it.  My face thirsts for it if I don't put it on.
It has no fragrance, and just soaks into my skin.
If I were Oprah I would put one under everybodys seat. 
I also got a special bottle that is larger for breast cancer awareness and they were giving away key chains. They offer this just a couple times a year.  I use one keychain on my flash drive so I don't lose it.  Along with all this I buy from the Clinque/club. I know what colors I need and it comes right to my door plus you can choose samples and order it right on line. 

New Recipe-Sour Cream Streusel Bars


Warm Streusel Cake


One of my Big Lots finds

Here it can be found at Amazon.
The recipe is on page 163.

I made it for my co-workers and they seemed to really enjoy it.

INGREDIENTS

1/2  cup butter
2/3 cup granulated sugar
3 eggs at room temperature
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup sour cream

FOR THE TOPPING
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 cup pecans, finely chopped
4 T. butter chopped

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
grease  the sides and bottom of a 9 inch square baking pan
Make the topping first using a knife or pastry blender to cut the butter
add all ingredients and mix well together

 In a large mixing bowl cream the butter until soft then add the sugar and continue beating until the mixture is light and fluffy.  Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each one.  Sift the flour, baking soda and powder together and add to the butter mixture.Fold in the sour cream.
Pour half the batter into the prepared pan then sprinkle half the topping mixture.  Pour the remaining batter on top and sprinkle on the rest of the topping mixture.  Bake for 60 to 70 minutes until browned.



Monday, December 6, 2010

Hey Santa

Through the years I have received a nice collection of Santa's.

Made from all different materials.  Some handmade and others store bought.
It's a delight every year when I open the box.

Fun, Fun, Fun.

This is our little tree for the basement.  It has predominantly glimmer, glass ornaments.
The old quilt at the bottom came from Tom's side of the family.  It is getting worn out but is still sweet.  I should fix it some time.

The following will be closeups from the tree.
The largest ornament-Santa.

Being a big baseball loving family we were happy to find this one.

Saint Francis is another favorite.

Mr. Star Santa resides at the top.

This was given to us by Angie T. it's too cute with our names on the list.

The newest....a beloved Detroit Tigers ornament.

Sunday, December 5, 2010

Smelling Good

My sister and brother-in-law brought us this neat housewarming gift.

It should be filled 1/3 full of the fragrance oil
Then the wick should absorb it for approx. 20 minutes.
The wick should get lit and then snuffed.

Then this top gets put on and the smell will diffuse through the top.
The smell will last for a day and a half.

My smell is very nice and enjoyable.
The purifier is to add to the fragrance oil if it is too strong.
I didn't need it.
Below is a picture of all the different containers.

Darn Cat


Anytime I have something new, Stonewall decides he needs to be the center of attention.
I keep my camera in this drawer.
I had left it open and there he is.
Acting all shy and he won't look at me.
Finally with a whistle or maybe a shaking of he treat bag..
he looks at me.

Everybody looks good in sunglasses and a bow tie!

Christmas Decorations

We got a good portion of the decorating done this weekend.
The stairway received some garland and poinsettias along with Christmas pillows from friends.
The quilt I made a few years back.
Quilts are perfect to put in this spot.  It is viewed right as visitors come in the door and it would be hard to put pictures in this area.

A good view of the lovely red poinsettias.

This nativity I painted when we were first married.  I worked in downtown Lafayette, IN and there was a ceramics store a couple of blocks away.  I would go down there on my lunch hour and found these.  Tom worked many different hours and I was home alone in the evenings.  This passed my time very nicely.  It is now about 30 years old and there are some chips but all in all it is still beautiful to me.

The finished decorated tree in the daytime.

Here is the tree top angel we call Gloria.  She also is almost 30 years old.  I picked her up on a shopping trip to Merrillville IN.  She has survived well.

We enjoy a very full tree.

Here it is at night as I play with the flash and shutter speeds.

Moving the camera sideways.

Moving it up.

Gotta always keep track of the days till Christmas.

I love my snowman collection picked up on my own and also given to me as gifts from very dear people.

My newest one is the guy with the star on his head and also holding a star and he looks like he is singing.

Boy am I glad I didn't sell this corner cabinet!

Simple yet elegant decorations.  We have gotten a little snow today.

Here is some snow blowing off the roof.