OBX

Have you ever seen those oval stickers on people's cars with the letters 'OBX'???
I never knew what the heck that meant until recently. About five months ago our friends asked us to join them camping at Camp Hatteras which is in Rodanthe, NC on the outer banks.
Ohh... OBX = outer banks.. DUH! We are about 90% packed and ready to go, I have a ton of food in the fridge and freezer already!!! We plan to leave at about 5am tomorrow morning. Pete and Julie left today and they said it took them about 7.5 hours. That is not to bad.... we could probably get away with only stopping one time, if I don't drink to much liquids :')

Card Reader

In case you did not notice, I have pics again!!! I ordered a new card reader for my imac. The cool thing about it, since it consumes a USB port is that is has two USB ports on it!! So, you actually gain a port... How cool is that?? Not that I have anything else to plug in right now, but you never now. So, now I feel like I can blog again. Cuz, to be honest, w/out pics, I was just not myself.

So, here is a cute pic of a Bee on my bee-utiful lavender plants. :')

slouchy couchy

We have had this chair and couch for about 6 years now. OMG.. time flies. I have been meaning to pull all the filling out, pull it apart and restuff them for quite some time. I finally got started on the oversized chair. It's back actually has two chambers of stuffing. I got started on the top one. I sat on the floor for at least an hour pulling it apart, then put it back in the casing. I think my legs went numb a various points at least five times. At which point, I had had enough. So, I put it all back together and will get to the other chamber another day. I have three huge pillows on the couch to do still...

first zukes

We planted our garden early, so most of our seeds did not make it. I did get a few zucchini plants!!

Calling all Smores lovers

While watching tv the other day I saw this advertised.
www.microsmores.com You are supposed to make them in your microwave anytime you want a smores without fear of burning yourself.

Splashup

http://www.splashup.com/
I came across this today.
It looks neat, it is an online photo editing site. I'll let ya'll know if I try it.

" Discover Splashup, formerly Fauxto, is a powerful editing tool and photo manager. With all the features professionals use and novices want, it's easy to use, works in real-time and allows you to edit many images at once. Splashup runs in all browsers, integrates seamlessly with top photosharing sites, and even has its own file format so you can save your work in progress."

Mrs. Sterwarts Blueing

https://www.mrsstewart.com/pages/laundryhelp.htm
Has anyone ever heard of this, or used this?
It looks interesting.
I am especially interested in the salt garden kit.

Making cookies from scratch

I think most of us know how to make cookies from scratch, so it always amazes me when someone asks where the tube of dough is to make cookies. I think Kaylie really enjoyed making cookies the old fashioned way and to tell the truth it was my first cookie tower. I have to tell on myself though. We put the cookies in the oven and set the timer. Then we went to the sewing room and were making Kaylie a belt when suddenly I started smelling burnt cookies. We threw them in the trash outside and sprayed tons of room deoderizer so when her Dad came to pick her up he wouldnt smell our mistake.

Cucumber Salad

I've been lurking on this blog.. http://www.polkadotcreations.com/blog/?p=522
and found this recipe.... I need to remember this for the next party I'm invited to.

Ingredients

1/3 1/4 50 50 1 teaspoon 1 tablespoon 2 tablespoons 1/4 teaspoon

English cucumber — peeled Yellow onion Green grapes — seedless Red grapes — seedless Coriander Jalapenos — from a jar Lime juice Salt

Directions

1. Cut cucumber and onion into large chunks and process in the food processor for 5-10 seconds.
2. Add all remaining ingredients to the bowl and process on pulse 6-8 times until finely chopped.
3. Cover and chill at least one hour.

Recipe By :Lisa Clarke, adapted from a recipe in Cooking Light’s “Grapes” Article of Summer 2002
Weight Watchers Points: 1 per 1/2-cup serving

Notes

• It’s great with tortilla chips and is supposed to be good with grilled chicken, although we haven’t had it that way.
• This makes for a very mild salsa. I usually increase the jalepenos for more of a bite.

Brain Fart

Thought I'd share a brief brain fart moment...Last night I made myself a range top smore. Nothing like the beauty of graham crackers, chocolate bar, and marshmallow toasted over an open burner on the end of a fork. I slid the gooey marshmallow off using the graham cracker...mmmmmm....and then I stuck the fork in my mouth to get that last bit off....Crissy says you can actually see the individual tine marks in the blisters on my top and bottom lip. What happened to the smore, you ask? I ate the damn thing anyway, and it was good. Hope everyone is having a good week!

peach pickin time

last night Tif called and invited me to go with them peach pickin. I never saw peaches picked from a Bobcat.

good morning, be sure to check out the update for Lyle's farm at www.knoxie.shutterfly.com he has concrete walls now. You know how if you raise one little cherry tomato plant you end up with thousands of cherry tomatoes, well I was googling this morning and found this recipe I think I will try.


Pickled Tomatoes (Mom) Ingredients
PICKLE JAR INGREDIENTS
Grape leaves
Cherry tomatoes
PICKLING SOLUTION
Water
1 qt Vinegar (white)
Dill seeds
3 qt Water
Garlic cloves
1 c Salt
Black pepper, whole
1/2 ts Alum
Instructions for Pickled Tomatoes (Mom)Let tomatoes stand in cold water a while, then wash (in cold water). Drain and put in jars. For each pint jar, put in a teaspoon of dill seeds, 3 or 4 cloves of garlic and 8 to 10 peppercorns. Tuck a grape leaf into each jar, over tomatoes. MAKE SOLUTION: Combine vinegar, 3 quarts of water, the salt and alum. Bring to rolling boil; lower heat and boil 3 to 4 minutes. Pour into sterilized jars up to shoulder (line). Seal immediately with sterile lid. To sterilize jars, put jars in pan of water upside down. Boil water and cool. (Water is sucked up into jars.

Chocolate Mint

Hey Ya'll... Long time no blogging. Just been busy, Brett and I are both done with school. Brett had his last baseball game last night, so we will have a little more time on our hands. I was not feeling well today, so I decided to stay home. In the hopes of lifting my spirits, I decided to try to find some uses for all that Chocolate Mint that is growing out front. I have pineapple mint also.

First idea I came across, was tea. So, I got my two 1 gallon size pickle jars out of the closet and put several tea bags in each, 1/2 cup of sugar in each. Then stuffed a bunch of chocolate mint into one and pineapple mint in the other and put them both out into the sun on the front walk. So, later on today we'll try that.

Second idea was banana bread with the mint. So, I whipped up some batter, pulled the leaves of the stems then chopped the leaves up real good and added to the batter. That is in the oven right now.

Third idea was to make simple syrup. So, I have that simmering on the stove right now. That site said to use the syrup as the mint and sugar components of a mojito. So, I may be running out for some light rum later on today.

Sorry, no pics today. Since I got my new imac, I have not quite yet gotten the camera and photo tools set up.
Take care, I'll chat at ya'll later.

Mother knows best

I've missed chatting it up with you guys here on the blog. For an all too brief moment the world outside lured me away, but with the advent of the air conditioner, I am back on the net. My latest wish list find is here you should check this bad boy out! An automatic cigarette rolling machine that makes a pack in 5 Minutes! Way cool.

I've started going to a foot doctor...I've decided that I'd like to be able to walk when I'm 40. My feet aren't really any better, but the arthritis medication they gave me is doing wonders for my back! Right now I'm on the hunt for appropriate shoes that don't look like they belong on an 80 year old man. Leather boxes with velcro straps in white just don't appeal to me. Something promising that I've found are a new style of crocs. If nothing else, I could wear them when I'm not at work. I've been put off by the bright colors and sandal style in the past, but now there is an alternative. Not super cool, but not too bad.

I had a great birthday; it lasted about three days. Crissy and I took a jaunt to Champaign for tiramisu and book shopping on Sunday...Monday (the day) she made me bruschetta burgers for dinner (YUM) I got a Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake at work (YUM) and I drank a bottle of Black and Blue (YUM YUM). Tuesday I had two more cakes at work from the folks that weren't there on Monday. Let's face it, I love sugar.

Gonna have to make a trip to the Depot on my day off, much as I hate to do it. The bedroom door knob just randomly fell off, and porcelain doesn't fair well in a fight against tile. I'm feeling that need to kill off vegetation again, so I'll probably also get some spray killer to help in the war against the stuff growing behind the garage. Oh how I miss the days when you could just pour whatever noxious chemical (like gas) you wanted to in your yard and the neighbors wouldn't call the EPA. Oh well, those days, along with corporal punishment, are long passed.

Don't be strangers!

Crissy's new sauce

Tzatziki

Ingredients:2 cups plain yogurt2 teaspoons pureed garlic1 teaspoon salt2 cucumbers, peeled, seeded, grated ( use large holes on grater)1/2 teaspoon black pepper2 teaspoons olive oil
Drain yogurt for 1 hr. in cheesecloth lined strainer. In bowl, combine yogurt, garlic, 1/2 tsp. salt. Sprinkle rest of salt on grated cucumbers, drain for 10-15 minutes. Add drained cucumbers to yogurt. Drizzle with olive oil, mix well. Note: This is wonderful with salads, as a dip with crackers. It is a Greek recipe.
This recipe from CDKitchen for Tzatziki - Cucumber Sauce for Gyros serves/makes 3 cups

Red Dog digging

RD was digging the hole for the septic tank and the only way to see the bottom was to stand and dig. I thought it looked cool.

watching the world southern illinois stlye

I know we are going at a hectic pace, but dont forget to check in with the blog and just say you are alive, that you had a great birthday, thrift shopping is fun, the beach in the bahamas is awesome, it is to darn hot, i miss you all

Dharma Trading Co.

This is a textile craft supply store, it is a really cool site to buy all kinds of dyeable fabrics and supplies..  I want to orders some stuff for Brett and I to do.  Tanner likes to dye clothes as well, I still have T-shirts that we never did from the last time he was here. 

blue and white quilt

Here is the blue and white quilt i worked on last week. I used a new method of quilting called twice quilted. I did all this quilting and when I washed the quilt the quilting disappeared. oh well that is the breaks

new rugs

I finally finished the blue jean rugs and have warped up to do some brown and green rugs. I love the new rugs, cause they cut down on how often I have to sweep the kitchen floor.

Travelin' Again

I hope everyone had a wonderful mothers day, daughters and mothers alike, that is.  I had a very lazy day.  We took the camper to Tanya and Adrian's for their 5th Annual Cinco De Mayo party Friday night.  Stayed through Sunday at about noon then drove home.  We were totally wiped out by the time we got home, so we laid around.  So, I told Brett... I would really love for my mother's day present to be for someone to run out get us a pizza for dinner.  So, that is what we did.   Not a bad day at all.

So, on to the title of this post.  Charlie will be on travel for about seven days.  He is leaving Wednesday.  His flight is at like 6am, so he'll have to leave here at about 4am.  UGH...  he is heading to Chicago for a couple of days then on to San Diego for a couple of days.  He should be home by next Wednesday. 

Brett has a game this Saturday, but other than that my only plans are to get caught up w/ the cleaning around here.  NOT fun. 

Oh...  this will be my first full week back as full time.  I'm not really thrilled about that either, ha ha...

Grilled Bruschetta Chicken

Well, with grilling season being here I thought I would share one of our favorite recipes. This is so good we usually have to make twice as much, because everyone makes a pig of theirself and eats 2 helpings. The kraft foods website has a lot of good recipes and you can sign up for a free magazine to come in the mail every season.
I think next time I make this I will try putting diced onions in with the tomato mixture.


Grilled Bruschetta Chicken

Prep Time:5 min
Total Time:30 min

Makes:4 servings

1/4 cup KRAFT Sun-Dried Tomato Dressing, divided
4 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves (1 lb.)
1 medium tomato, finely chopped
1/2 cup KRAFT Shredded Low-Moisture Part-Skim Mozzarella Cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil or 1 tsp. dried basil leaves

PLACE large sheet of heavy-duty foil over half of grill grate; preheat grill to medium heat. Pour 2 Tbsp. of the dressing over chicken in resealable plastic bag; seal bag. Turn bag over several times to evenly coat chicken with the dressing. Refrigerate 10 min. to marinate. Remove chicken from marinade; discard bag and marinade.

GRILL chicken on uncovered side of grill 6 min. Meanwhile, combine tomatoes, cheese, basil and remaining 2 Tbsp. dressing.

TURN chicken over; place, cooked-side up, on foil on grill. Top evenly with tomato mixture. Close lid. Grill an additional 8 min. or until chicken is cooked through (165ºF).

Happy Mothers Day!!!

No Fishing For Me

My neighbor had invited me to go on a chartered fishing trip several months ago.  I agreed.  It sounded like fun.  Only hitch was that we had to leave our house at 4am to get to Chesapeake Beach by 6am.

Well, the captain called and cancelled our trip tomorrow because of the weather and rough seas on the bay.

So, I have to admit, I'm a little relieved... 

New Recipes

Good morning girls, hope everyone is fine on this Monday morning. I tried a couple of new recipes from the food network that I thought I would share with you.

Crab Rangoon Dip

2 cans crabmeat drained
1 can campbells cream of shrimp soup
2 8 oz pkg cream cheese cut in cubes
1 tsp worchestire sauce
2 tsp soy sauce

Mix your ingredients together and pour into oven safe dish. Broil for 10 to 15 minutes. But I would keep an eye on it . Dont try to cream the cream cheese first it is supposed to be in chunks. She fried Wonton wraps but I just used tortilla chips or bread like for Brushetta.


Rootbeer Brownies

1 1/2 cup flour
2 c sugar
2 sticks softened butter
1 tsp salt
4 eggs
2 tsp root beer extract

Mix all ingredients and bake at 350 for 28 to 32 minutes. I frosted it with powdered sugar icing that I had added Rootbeer Scnapps to but you could use the rootbeer extract if you wanted to. This is a Paula Deen recipe, but she made Orange brownies using orange extract. I thought you could use any kind of extract, not flavoring to make brownies. Just makes us a cut above everyone else.