A Busy, Fun Day

I got to start my day doing things I love, canning and baking.

I made 12 jars of Apple Butter and 16 loaves of pumpkin bread.

Some of them are being gifted tomorrow, some later.

The house smelled so good. Imagine...cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg times two. In the oven and bubbling on the stove. 

Then at noon, my sweet DIL Lialani came over to give me a pedicure. This sweet girl has been doing this for me for at least 7 or 8 years. She does a wonderful job and it makes me feel so pampered plus it's about 1 1/2 hours of good catch-up time for us.

Just when I thought it couldn't get any better, my Mr.SS came in with a surprise. I didn't think we had any roses left on our bushes, but he found 5 late bloomers. Two red, two lavender and one yellow. The lavender ones smell so, so good. As he always does when he brings in roses, he said "Will you accept this rose?" He knows my obsession for The Bachelor. (I know, not a good thing to reveal about me, but I do watch)

Yesterday morning this is what the "new" front of our house looked like.

Today Mr. SS hung the Christmas wreath on my...

New Red Door.

Oh yes, it was a fun, busy day and  now time to

close this and go to bed.

Merry Christmas everyone.

                                                   

Pinterest Try Thursday



I wasn't going to share this, but had second thougthts.  So far, everything I have tried from Pinterest has worked out pretty good. This one...not so good. No, it was good, but could have been better.
So...I decided to share and tell you what I would do to make it better.

I didn't post all the pictures, but if you go to the link, it will tell you to put chicken breasts in the bottom of crockpot, add a box of stove top stuffing mix dry and add chicken soup, sour cream and a little water on top.
Well, the chicken and stuffing was way too dry. Mr. SS really liked the flavor and idea because he loves stuffing. It seems the mixture on the top stayed on top and never allowed the rest to get the moisture.

I'm going to try it again and put more water or maybe milk into the top mixture so it will filter down and moisten the chicken and stuffing.
So, there you have it. Just being real here. Not everything you find on Pinterest works...the first time anyway.

 team-t-adventures.blogspot.com

Okay, the next try was a success.  I pinned this last Easter and planned to do it in wool for this year, but you know how that goes. It was already too late to get it done for this year and I liked the design so I decided to  make a rug mug using the basic ideas.

                          holiday-crafts-and-creations.com                            

Here's my quickie version using machine applique and my embroidery machine. (Which is really behaving itself these days)

 However, I just couldn't resist doing these sweet little flowers. I didn't have wool, but used felt.
I had so much fun doing this, that I am more than convinced I want to do the wool for next year. Maybe I should start now.  I love hand work and think the wool applique will be perfect for me.

I have to tell you, I panicked last night. My computer seemed to crash. I  have been needing to get it to the doctor and procrastinated...imagine that.
Anyway, this morning when I turned it on...just hoping, I guess, it said Windows had to do an update and would restart.
Whew!!! I guess that was what was going on. But I'm taking no chances. Off to the S.W.A.T. Team.
Don't know what that means, but they take good care of our computers.


Keep on trying Pinterest and I will too. Sometimes, it's not such a good thing, but there is so much to try.
Come back and tell me about it...even if it doesn't work and I'll post a link.

I attended Bernina Club at my favorite quilt shop this morning. Suzanne had lots of goodies for us and a fantastic "make and take" Check out her blog here to see some ideas she tried from Pinterest.

God is Good!!
Life is Good!!


P. S. I almost hit the publish button and noticed that I had written "Life is Goo".  Had to laugh as I was fixing it. You know, sometimes "Life is Goo" but one thing you can always count on.

GOD IS GOOD!!

My Kind of Sunday

It's Sunday afternoon, it's raining and I have Split Pea Soup in the Crock Pot.

That's the setting for a perfect afternoon.

I'm sewing.

I put finishing touches on 3 of these:

A special friend of mine ordered one of these in purple at  one of my craft shows. I really make more of my time when I make multiples, so I also made one for a gift and an extra one. What is it with little girls and purple.

(this was another stash project...Yah!!)

I also got the little dress on the left started for a model for Strawberry Patches.

These are the cute candy fabrics they chose for me.

So fun!!

I had my granddaughter, Kobi with me for the afternoon on Saturday. After we got our nails all prettied up, we went to Strawberry Patches to pick out fabric for some purses from this new line they just got in. Kobi is the one who picked out her fabrics for her cowgirl skirt and wanted an animal print ruffle which I showed you here. 

I knew I wanted fabrics from a new line called Pam Kitty Morning by Pam McGinnis. Go here to see the whole line.  I think there was 50 or more bolts of cute, cute, cute, fabrics...all coordinating in all colors.

Kobi knows how I love Red and Blue, so we started with the Strawberry print and went from there.

I just love this little alphabet print and it comes in many colors too.

We had way too much fun. That was Saturday.

Back to my perfect Sunday afternoon...

I have Hallmark channel on and they are playing all Christmas movies. The music,  pictures of decorated trees, Santa Clauses and family get togethers, really put me in the Christmas mood.

Mr. SS is watching football and golf simultaneously. After making a Strawberry Banana Pudding Jello (a family favorite) and Corn Muffins with Honey Butter to go with the Split Pea Soup, we head up to the front house to share our meal and get a little grand kid fix.

Yep!! My kind of Sunday...rain, sewing, soup in the Crock Pot, Hallmark, and getting to see Mr. SS (who generally work 6 days a week) relax and do nothing. Add to that dinner with 6 of my grands and I'm sighing with satisfaction.

God is Good!!

Life is Good!!

Kona Banana Nut Bread

Friday night it was back home from Riverside for the weekend. These greeted me on the counter in our RV cottage. Most mornings, I start my day with yogurt and a banana, but I had forgotton to take these with me last week. They look pretty bad, huh?  But, they are perfect for one of Mr. SS's favorites:

Banana Bread

So, Saturday morning, I decided to bake my Kona Banana Nut Bread .

Mash Bananas ( I use 3 regular or 2 large size)

Chop 1/2 cup nuts (these are walnuts, but pecans are great too)

Mr. SS isn't too fond of nuts, so I chop them really fine.

Cream 1/2 cup butter and 1 cup sugar.

Add 2 eggs ( no grandkids around, so I ran (not a pretty picture) out to the chicken coop and literally stole 2 eggs from a little brown hen.  Beat well

Add mashed banana. (When I say "mashed banana" I always think of a "Wiggles" song.) My grandkids love the "Wiggles" If you don't know them, just ask your kids or grandkids.

To 1 1/4 cup flour, add 3/4tsp. baking soda and 1/2 tsp. salt and add

to mixture. Just mix this until it is incorporated. Don't over beat.

Mix in nuts.

Until my friend Ruth gave me this mini loaf pan, this recipe made one large loaf. I always had trouble getting it done in the center without being too done on the edges.

I now always use this pan. Be sure to spray well with a cooking spray.

I use my large ice cream scoop. One level scoop for each loaf...perfect.

I put them in my mini RV cottage oven and bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

As soon as they come out of the oven, I take 2 of them and a cup of coffee out to the shop for Mr.SS.

Besides  putting some finishing touches on the new cabinets for our little blue trailer, he is getting this table ready for me to paint. It is replacing the bankette (?) that we took out of the trailer. It is a small table we found last year at my friend MariEllen's shop in Long Beach.

I'm painting it white.

The table is so small,  that we have had trouble finding chairs that were small enough to look good with the table and fit in the small space.  Last weekend, I found these at a nearby Thrift Shop. They are vintage folding chairs. They are a heavy metal and very sturdy. I am going to paint them white and make a cute comfy cushion for the seat. A bargain at $15.00.

Back in Riverside this morning and lots of sewing projects. 

So...I'd better get busy. 

God is Good!!

Life is Good!!

Fudge is Fun

When asking my family what they wanted to eat during the Super Bowl, my 11 yr. old granddaughter, Drew said, "Fudge...Fudge is Fun" So we started a new Super Bowl food tradition in the Parks family.

I told her she would have to come down and make it with me as it takes a lot of stirring.

Her Mom said "Please take pictures and she can get credit for it in 4-H"

Well of course I would take pictures...a great blog post coming up!!

When she got here I had the ingredients ready for her and she did the whole thing by herself.

Pour in the sugar ("That's a lot of sugar!" she said) Add the evaporated milk.

                                                     

Now stir on medium heat until it comes to a rolling boil.  Boil for 6-8 minutes (we do 7). Stir constantly or it will burn.

Add the butter, chocolate chips and the marshmellow creme.

Right about now, I think I can hear a big "YUM"

I know my mouth is watering.

Drew's favorite part of this might be getting to scrape the Marshmellow Creme jar.

Opps!

Now more stirring (beating) until it gets shinny and pulls away from the pan.

For this part, it helps to have a partner and I helped out when she got tired.

Then pour into a wax paper lined pan. It should just pull away from the pan easily.

After licking the spatula, Drew gives it a big

Thumbs up!!

The recipe I have always used for fudge, my friend Suzanne from Notes from the Patch shared with me when we were just young wives and moms.

It has always been fail proof and yummy and as you can see,  Sew Easy.

See's Fudge

In Saucepan combine:

4 1/2 cups sugar

1 lg. can Evaporated milk

Bring to a rolling boil for 4-8mins. (I do 7)

Add:

1 pint Marshmellow Cream

3 sm. packages of chocolate chips

(I use 24 oz. because when it comes to chocolate...more is better)

1/2 lb. Butter

2 cups chopped nuts

(I don't use nuts, because...well no one in my family likes nuts except me)

Pinch salt

Whip until smooth

Stay tuned for the more of the "Parks Family Holiday" story.

Super Bowl Sunday!!

God is Good!!

Life is Good!



Montage Monday

Woke up this morning with the smell of rain in the air. I love cool rainy days.

Mr. SS is home this week making cabinets in the garage.  After making coffee, I felt like baking.

So my sweet hubby woke up to the smell of his favorite Hazelnut coffee brewing and this

warm Banana Nut Bread.

Since I was in the cooking mode, and cool rainy days shout SOUP to me, I started Navy Bean Soup in my crockpot.

It's early, and off to my sewing room to embroider a blanket for 8 month old Emmy that I should have done for her when she was born. I have done one for each of the grandkids and it becomes their "B"

The older ones still sleep with have theirs.

I didn't make the blanket...got it at KMart.

While my machine does the work, I am cutting out these little dresses for a sweet lady named Denise that saw these dress models that I did for Strawberry Patches a while back.

Next I'm off to Strawberry Patches to meet another sweet lady that they gave my name to.

She's pregnant and wants me to make this for her.

Many thanks to the sweet ladies at Strawberry Patches who have sent so much work my way.

The patterns and fabrics that they help their customers choose are so much fun to work with.

Today when I went in, they had helped Deborah  with everything from fabric and interfacings to snaps, zippers, etc.  It made her decisions easy and my job even easier.

I can't wait to start.

The afternoon was spent sewing and finishing up

this

Navy Bean Soup and Cornbread with Honeybutter

Well, there you have a good day for me.

Doing a little of a lot of things I love to do on a rainy fall day,

and making Mr. SS a happy camper too.

Can't top that.



Kentucky Spagetti

        Last summer when I went to Kentucky with my son and his family to visit my aunt and cousin, my cousins wife fixed this for one of our meals. She called it Chicken Spagetti, but the first time I made it for my grandkids, they named it Kentucky Spagetti.  The ingredients are simple and something most of us have in our pantry and fridge.

4 chicken breasts

1lb. of Velveta Cheese

1can Cream of Chicken Soup

1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup

1 can Rotelle (mild) or original for more of a kick.

1 lb. Spagetti noodles

1 cup chicken broth

Boil the chicken and spagetti at the same time.

While that is cooking, cube the Velveta and mix the soups, and tomatoes together.

Drain the chicken and reserve one cup of the broth.

Do you have one of these. It is called a Spider and has become one of my favorite tools in the kitchen. Thanks to Food Network, it is just one of the things I have learned about that makes cooking just a little easier.

I add the cheese to the hot broth and stir to melt it just a little. Drain the spagetti and put back in pan.

Add chicken broth and cheese to the other ingredients.

Chop or pull chicken and add to spagetti in pan. Add the other ingredients and stir.

Pour into 9x13 baking dish that has been greased or sprayed with cooking spray and bake for 1 hr. at 350 degrees or until bubbly.

About 15 minutes before it is done, sprinkle crushed croutons (I used garlic, herb) on top and "Voila" you have Kentucky Spagetti for dinner.

I am linking to 

Foodie Friday at Designs by Gollum

Click on the link above to visit and see what other bloggers are participating and see all kinds of yummy receipes.