Perfect Night Out

When Dad golfs on Wednesday nights starting in April and ending in September my guys and I have a night out.  We have been doing this for a long time and I feel they really look forward to it.  This last Wednesday was such a beautiful night, I don't think we had one like this since last year.  We did things that all of us like.  The first thing was to eat at Steak and Shake-this is Sam's favorite place, after that we went into Game Stop, another favorite haunt for the guys then we went putt putting.  I needed to be outside as I am in my office for many hours a day.  There was just a nice breeze, music, laughter and we had a fun time.

Sam won, then Kevin and Mom pulled up the rear. 

Since we were so close to the mall we stopped at Barnes and Noble-Kevin and I love bookstores.

We spent about 30 minutes there. 

When we walked out the sun was setting, the breeze was lightly blowing and the great big flag by the highway looked so majestic I had to take the picture. 

A nice end to a nice evening with my guys.

Wonderful Bread

I tried a new recipe for bread today.  It turned out soft and tasty.  I am definitely using it again.

Here is the recipe.

Honey-Whole Wheat Bread

2 pkg. active dry yeast or I used a jar of yeast and 4 1/2 tsp. worked for me.

1/2 cup warm water

1/3 cup honey

1/4 cup shortening

1 T. salt

1 3/4 cups warm water

3 cups whole wheat flour

2 cups white flour

Dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup warm water in large mixing bowl.  Stir in honey, shortening, salt, 1 3/4 cups warm water and the whole wheat flour.  Beat until smooth.  Mix in enough all-purpose flour to make dough east to handle.

Turn dough onto lightly floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes.  Place in a grease bowl, turn greased side up.  Cover; let rise in warm place until double; about 1 hour.

Punch down dough, divide into halves.  Flatten each half with hands or rolling pin into rectangle.  18X9 inches.  Roll up tightly, beginning at one of the open ends. Flip both ends under and placed into greased bread pan.

Let rise until double-about an hour.

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Bake until the loaves are golden and they sound hollow when tapped.  30 to 40 minutes.  Pull out and rub a stick of margarine over the top to coat with margarine. 



Framed

I just picked up this picture I got framed from Northside Galleries.

My friend Theresa brought it from Assisi, Italy.  It is a print on canvas then there was some overlaying of paint on some of the poppies.  I just love it so much.  It is going in my bedroom and goes well with the Ivy Chests that I got recently.  Thank you again Theresa, I do cherish this.

All Cleaned up

From This

and This

He does have a nice bunch of great hair.

To This.

Everybody had a nick name at camp.....Sam's was Mohawkins.

Pretty Clever.

The sweatshirt is because he still isn't used to the air conditioning.

Delivery

Here is a new chair and ottoman for the upstairs.  See how well it goes with the rug?

Also ordered an ottoman to go with the chair.  It goes so well with it.

Here is a step shelf that belongs in the sunroom. It fits that spot perfectly.

This little birdcage was formerly my Mother-in-Laws.  It was a light green.  I have given it a new coat of black paint.  I am going to get an African violet to put inside of it. 

Everyone is home now

Sam got home yesterday from working a boyscout camp for 8 weeks.  He is sporting quite a new doo, the soft Mohawk.  It had to do with some kind of skit.  I had to get a picture before he had it neatly cut.

Kudos to Sam for working up at camp and sometimes losing their water and electricity during the hottest July on record. 

We picked Kevin up from Minnesota on July 12th.  He had a fantastic time and will for sure go back next year.  These are prestigious awards he won.  A high award in canoeing and also in archery.

He also received his canoe paddle of which he decorated and polyurethanes on his own. 

Now we are preparing for college (Sam and I) and Senior year for Kevin.  He starts the earliest on August 17th.

Thursday we have an appointment for the Senior Picture.  Where did that time go? 

Herb Pot Update

Here are my sorry looking herb pots.

I can definitely get smell off the catnip but the leaves are so small the cats would probably be insulted if I tried to give them a piece of the plant.

I don't know if my poor result is from a combination of inferior dirt and the heat, but I will try again next year for sure. I am not disillusioned at all.

I cooked a chicken in the slow cooker and had to do something with it so I am making homemade chicken noodle soup.  My it does smell good.  It called for the herbs marjoram and thyme and I had some, but I thought it would have been nice to go to my "pots" and get some fresh.  But I didn't plant those flavors. 

Here is a picture of my simmering pot.

I like chunks of everything instead of chopped.  That way it is easier to remove the offending piece of vegetable that the person doesn't like.  I am meaning Kevin as he doesn't like onions.  When he was little he called them 'yunyions'.  He likes the flavor just not the actual yunyion.

I will have this tasty soup for my lunches this week.

Here is the recipe.

I found it in a Taste of Home

Heartwarming Soups Magazine and then did it "My Way".

Chicken Noodle Soup

1 cooked chicken done in a crock pot, cut or pull apart the cooked meat.

In a large pot add:

2 1/2 quarts of water

3 tsp. salt

6 chicken bouillon cubes

1/2 medium onion cut into large chunks

1/8 tsp. pepper

1/4 tsp. dried marjoram

1/4 tsp. dried thyme

1 can of baby carrots

1 cup chunked celery.

 Let simmer until vegetables are tender.

Add the noodles and cook till soft.

Enjoy with warm bread, and a cool side salad.

to cool off

Tom's new sprinkler.

It covers a lot of ground.

IT'S HOT and DRY.

Here are some pictures that make me think cool.

Why you are looking at them, play this sound of rain.

I knew it would be this way.

After we had all the rain in the spring.

Why....I don't know.

But we will get through this.

It will get better.

Who doesn't love a snow cone to let melt in your mouth.

Aaaaah, the look of green, wet grass.

Frozen Cokes, so cold and refreshing.

Niagara Falls, amazing amount of water.

If you go on the Maid of the Mist,

when you get close to the falls,

the mist and the power of the falls cools you off.

I love these water fountains to walk in.

You never know when they are going to start squirting.

The kids have such fun with them.

flash mobs

I think these are just the neatest thing.  I hope I get to see one in person some time.
People are just happy and dancing in the streets.  How great is that.

Here are a few I have found.

furniture

This is one of the new chairs and ottomens.

This chair is so comfortable, immediately.

This is one of a pair of matching ottomens.

We got these as extra sitting room that is mobile and doesn't take up much space.

My collection of colored glass for the mantle.

I got this idea from an insert that was sent from Better Homes and Gardens trying to sell the magazine.

That little insert had lots of good ideas.

You can see it below.

Books

When at the library a few weeks ago I found this fabulous book.

I enjoy it very much.

So much, I had to have one of my own.

So I ordered it off Amazon used books.

I always try to use the BetterWorld Books because this person is in Indiana and I get the books in jig time.

Here is a sampling of the pictures.

Lots of ideas.

I just think these two rooms are so pretty with the checks, and stripes. Of course you know I love the book shelves. 

The one chair is covered in chenille.

So pretty.

Sometimes I like to just pick up no brainer romance stories.

I am a sucker for a good romance.

This one took me probably 7 days to read.

It wasn't a "I just have to finish this" book.

It is set in 1925 in Missouri.

It is during prohibition and is a fight between the bootleggers, the police and the crime people of Chicago.

In leu of the Casy Anthony case I decided to find a book on the JonBonet murder case since no closure had ever come about.

This book was written by a detective on the case. 

I have come to my own conclusion about the murder and I wonder if you would come to that same conclusion.

Money talks, the police have to control the crime scene and we will never truly find out who snuffed out that beautiful life.

Guest Cottage

As we are getting our new bedroom furniture piece by piece we are slowly moving the current furniture down for the guest room.

I ordered this sign from the Pottery Barn because when you are in the room it is like you are all by yourself.

It is nice and quiet with an attached bathroom.

We will eventually put it on the wall.

Here is the bed put together with a new skirt and shams, quilt and duvet.

When in Minnesota we stopped at Two Harbors and they were having a Heritage Festival.

I was looking for handmade rag rugs and hit the jackpot.

This red and green one goes well beside the bed.

This blue and black one is downstairs in the basement.

On Tom's side of the bed is green, black and red.

My side has one with many shades of green.

The disabled make these rugs along with many other things.

People donate clothes and they make them into rugs.

I had a hard time deciding which ones to buy.

Little Robin

One morning I heard that little Robin chirping and found that he had made his way up on the wagon.

These trees are outside of Eau Claire Wisconsin.  I thought they were very unusual as they look like they were all trimmed like that.

This is not a sign that can be found in Indiana.

I don't think he wants us to travel anymore.  He has taken up residence in my suitcase. 

still waiting

I have been watching the progress of my matching green chest from the earlier post "piece by piece".  It had been stopped in Hodgins Illinois since June 24th, so I called UPS last night.  They looked into it and said that there were no other scannings of that piece and that I should have Pottery Barn start a tracking investigation.  Well when the word investigation comes up that never seems to be good. 

I called Pottery Barn to start this "investigation", he immediately said that their policy is to replace the piece.  I said innocently (picturing that is has just been missed) why don't you just call UPS to look into this.  Well he said sometimes these things just come up missing.  I said you mean someone swiped it?  He said.....uhhhh huh.  So somebody out there has a stolen chest in their house.  Shame on them!

Pottery Barn is sending the replacement by July 21st.  I hope it makes it to its destination and that the thief isn't trying to get a matching set, like I am.

Pictures from the last few days

Recently we have been having some fabulous sunsets.  This sky was such a beautiful color, I just couldn't not share it with you.

Some fireworks the neighbors were lighting.

Here it is with a slow shutter speed.

This little guy is a baby robin.

He does a lot of chirping.

I thought I was going to have to do a rescue as he got startled and flew into the pond. 

I have not seen robins floating on water ever. I didn't know if they could swim since they don't have feet like ducks.

He stayed afloat but got himself quickly as he could back on dry land.

I now have my hutch full of books.  It was like meeting many old friends while I was unpacking them.  Have I Mentioned that I love books?

New Recipe

I found this recipe in the May 2011 Country Living Magazine.

I love a good bread recipe and this was was Great!

I just used what I had on hand and it turned out fine.  I used 1% milk, regular sugar, regular flour, a pkg. of active dry yeast.  Be sure to give yourself at least 3 hours to make this recipe.  It tasted fantastic dipped in the olive oil, pepper and Parmesan cheese.  Click on the picture to make the recipe larger.

Book Review-A Little House Sampler

I picked this book up when we visited Pepin Wisconsin-the site of the "Little House in the Big Woods".

I had not known about this title and enjoyed it immensely.

It had early writings and thoughts from both Laura and her daughter Rose.  These were before the writing of the Little House Books as Laura was 60 years old when she decided to write the books. 

One thing I learned was that Detroit named one of their branch libraries after Laura and it is now called the Wilder Branch Library.