While we were in New Orleans the first part of January, home actually had some temps in the 70s.
We got home in time for winter. On the thirteenth…sleet. DH and DD had a ball.
Four days ago, I was glad to see the sun shining and the daffs coming up.
Now we’re shivering under sleet.
And expecting 1-3 inches more tomorrow.
That means postponing our trip to NC to visit the grandbabies. ::sigh::
~~Rhonda
A year ago last summer, DD made a Citty Club (kitty club) for Buttercup, Zak, and Zilli. The Citty Club has a dance floor and a “mirrored” ball hanging from the ceiling. The ball is made from aluminum foil.
The Citty Club comes complete with rules. 🙂
Waiting…waiting…waiting…
Here comes Zilli now…
Where’d she go?
Zilli played hard…now it’s time for a long cat nap.
~~Rhonda
We were on the north edge of a winter storm Monday. Ended up with one inch of solid sleet. Today (Wednesday) it’s still a solid sheet of ice. Tomorrow’s temps are supposed to be in the low to mid 50s, causing a lot of melting. With the second “snow day” off school and DH’s day off work, DH and DD had a great time playing on the sleet. They went to the city park and did donuts on the parking lot. Pulling DD behind his bike in the snow is something DH has been doing for several years. She’s getting older and bigger…this may be the last year for it.
They did this for a while, then came home to get me to come over to take pictures.
So much fun! I stayed in the car…
They had a great time! The conditions were perfect.
Coming into the driveway.
After this, I managed to get the car stuck on the sleet. DH had to dig it out. Now they are on their way to church to sled down the hill in the parking lot. I’m staying home. 🙂
~~Rhonda
We eat a lot of popcorn at our house. I was watching “Good Eats” one evening and saw Alton Brown cook his corn in a brown bag. I tried it myself and it works great. I am sure not all microwaves will work the same, but here’s how I do it.
I use brown lunch bags, 1/4 cup of loose popcorn, and a stapler or a chip clip to close the bag.
A quarter cup of popcorn is the perfect amount for this size bag. No need to add oil. I have read online that some people like to add some sugar to get “kettle corn,” but I haven’t tried that myself.
I used to staple the bags, but now I use a chip clip that is entirely made of plastic. No metal parts or springs. I popped two bags in a row with the clip once and the clip got too hot and started to warp. I do have two of the same kind of clip, so now I alternate them. I like the clips better than the staples, though they work well, too.
I’ve done some online searching of this method and some people warn that the staple may cause the bag to catch fire. I have never had that problem. I also saw a few sites that recommend merely folding the top of the bag down two or three times, but when I did that, it opened and I ended up with popcorn all over the microwave.
Pop the bag into the microwave.
In my microwave, it takes one minute and fifty seconds to pop a bag of corn. You will have to experiment with your own microwave to figure out the perfect setting for your machine to make a bag of corn. It doesn’t take but a few extra seconds to burn the corn. If you do burn it, open the bag outside or don’t open it at all. Stinky!
Full bag…done.
I like the clip better because it allows me open the bag without tearing it. Then I’m able to add olive oil and salt to my corn, close the bag and shake it to coat evenly.
If you use staples (which are so small they work fine in the microwave, BTW) the bag should be opened by tearing it down the middle from the top. If you try to take the staple out, it can come loose and might fall into the popcorn. I speak from experience.
Doesn’t that look good? Easy to make, and healthier and cheaper than the microwave bags you get at the store.
PS…I’m editing this to note that I no longer use a staple. I just make a “paper staple.” Fold the top of the bag over twice. Crease well. Tear through the folds in two places, near the middle of the fold, about an inch apart. Fold the small part between the tears down and crease well. Voila! A paper staple.
Editing this again to say I now use a piece of tape to close the bag. Fold the top over twice, crease, and tape. Easy.
~~Rhonda
Not sure how she got to be ten whole years old, but facts are facts. The day started with special pancakes. DH takes requests. 🙂
DD had a full day. After school DH took her to Dairy Queen for a treat while I finished decorating the cake. I met them at school, took DD to music lessons while DH did some shopping. We went to one of DD’s favorite restaurants for supper, then back home for cake and ice cream. After opening presents, DH and DD went next door to visit Grandma, taking a piece of cake to her.
We have had the kitty cake pan for years. I’ve made lots and lots and lots of kitties! In many different colors. Had to decorate this one in a hurry. DH and I went shopping for a dining room table and chairs yesterday and were home just in time to get this done before taking DD to music lessons.
What does a ten year old girl like to unwrap? Littlest Pet Shop, horses, a book about science experiments, a pair of bluejeans with a top, and some DVDs.
Dad enjoyed watching her open presents. Seemed very odd having only DH, myself and DD here for a birthday celebration.
Adding to her collection.
She said she had a very happy birthday.
~~Rhonda 🙂
Today I worked on some of the kitchen cabinets, “decluttering” and sorting and putting away. I didn’t take a before picture of the cabinet over the stove, but here are some of the things that came out of it. They are now wrapped and in a box for charity. If my kids want any of these, they’d better speak now or forever hold their peace. I will find a home for the painted creamer and sugar bowl. DDs, want them?
Here is the cabinet after. Mug free and lots of new space. I am not sure what will go up there. Maybe a couple of casserole dishes I have in the pantry.
The cabinet to the right had quite a few things in it that I never or rarely use. A cheese grater, a veggie chopper (do use that at Christmas time for nuts), a couple of boxes of coffee filters (moved one to the pantry), bread pans (to the pantry), old postage scale (charity), a measuring cup for skimming fat (charity).
I moved the bowls I don’t use as often to the top. The serving bowls I use all the time and they stayed on the bottom. I love having these at the stove. Makes it so easy to dish food for the table, right off the stove or out of the oven. Most of my measuring cups are in the dishwasher. They will go on the middle shelf. The red object on the bottom shelf is my Thermapen. It’s an instant read digital thermometer, a Christmas gift from DH. Love it! The papers on the door are recipes we use often: Homemade rolls, Cranberry Bread, Pancakes, and Pie Crust.
The next drawer (to the right of the stove) didn’t have much in it and I didn’t take a before picture. The large whisk is in this drawer because it doesn’t fit in the kitchen tool drawer.
Spices. This drawer smells good! I do have other spices…oregano, basil, parsley, dried onion, etc., that I buy in larger quantities and those are contained in a box in the corner cabinet.
I got rid of some. And found I have some duplicates. The drawer is less crowded now. This drawer is the second one to the right of the stove. I love having my spices in a drawer. So easy to see, so easy to grab. The drawer is between the stove and the corner of the counter, right below where I put together recipes, assemble dishes, etc. Very convenient.
The lower cabinet to the left of the stove holds garbage bags for the most part. I wasn’t even sure what was in the back of this cabinet.
I removed old floral foam, an ice shaver, two bowls I didn’t recognize, a dozen tiny flower pots, and three cooling racks I never use. The top shelf now holds a plastic bin for my bouquet supplies which I use every week from March through November, and it holds DH’s fudge pan. Fudge is the only thing this pan is used for, so we store it here rather than in the pots and pans cupboard. When I begin making bouquets again, I will store floral foam behind the garbage bags.
The drawer over the garbage bag cabinet was a sort of catch-all. Labels for school, coupons for the store, two long wooden spoons, a ladle, miscellaneous junk, etc. And it had a few recipes in it.
Whoa! Where’d it all go?? The labels are going to school tomorrow, the spoons and ladle are going to church, and the recipes went to the recipe binder. The red kitchen took belonged to my MIL and DH uses it when he makes fudge. I don’t know what will go in the drawer now. Maybe I’ll move a few things over from the kitchen tool drawer when I get to it.
The pots and pans cupboard had a few unneeded items in it. I got rid of the juicer, the teapot, and the old green Dutch oven. Now we have more space for the pots and pans. The toaster was moved to the shelf as we do not use it unless we have company at breakfast.
After I put everything away and had lunch, I took Christmas down in the bedrooms of our two older daughters. DD#1 will be home for a wedding in a few weeks and DD#2’s room will be occupied by guests coming for the same wedding. Once DH gets all those Christmas boxes carried on up to the attic, the rooms will be ready for occupancy. While I was upstairs, I cleaned out under the sink in the hall bathroom. I wanted to tell someone “it’s not MY fault!” when I looked under there. Quite a mess.
But now it’s neat and tidy. Everything else was put away elsewhere.
Back downstairs, I tackled the knife drawer. Not tooooo bad before…
But definitely nicer after. I got rid of a few old knives and did some rearranging.
The kitchen tool drawer was the worst thing I decluttered today. Too much stuff in too small a space.
But look at the after!
I moved the chip clips to the drawer to the right of the stove.
And all serving utensils went to the drawer to the left of the stove. I *knew* I’d find something to put there. 🙂 I plan to find some boxes or dividers to organize these items, but I think they are going to work well here.
We spent about an hour and a half in the basement this evening while severe storms rumbled through. Now it’s about time to get DD ready for bed and I am going to spend some time reading. I’ve had a productive day…now for some down time. ~~Rhonda
My friend Mary and I hosted a baby shower for another friend, Wendy, this past Sunday afternoon. We like to have “open house” showers…no games…just visiting. Doors are open between 2:00 and 4:00 p.m., come when you like, snack as you like. DH opened the afternoon with a devotion featuring Jacob and the fulfilled promises of God as the theme. We are grateful to God for His fulfilled promises, for the generations to come who will grow to love and honor Him, and for the many blessings He has given this particular family.
Mary arranged for the cakes and they were lovely! One chocolate, one vanilla…delicious! And look at those cute little booties!
I made a variation of Daniel’s Cookie Bar Bites for this party.
And here’s how they’re made…
After baking and cooling the cookie bars, I used a small 1 1/4″ heart-shaped cookie cutter to cut the cookies. Next time, I won’t cut the edges off the cookie bars before cutting the hearts. That would have given more stability to cutting near the edge of the cookie bars.
Years ago (while in college), I found this little heart cookie cutter at a yard sale in a tin with lots of other cookie cutters. I use it every year at Christmas when making Sour Cream Sugar Cookies.
Cut, dip, sprinkle…cut, dip, sprinkle.
A helpful tip…when dipping these, I turn the heart over and make the bottom of the cookie bar the top of the heart. The heart on the left is bottoms up. You can see how uneven the top of the cookie is on the heart to the right.
The heart on the left was dipped with the top of the cookie bar up. The one on the right was dipped with the bottom of the cookie bar up. Dipping with the bottom up gives a more defined shape and a much smoother coating.
I used almond bark for dipping the cookies. I melt it in the microwave for 3 minutes at 50% power, then stir to melt any remaining lumps. If the coating gets too hot, it will sag on the cookies and have a rough uneven finish.
Cute and easy. They just take a little time to make. I watched Dr. Who and a little of “Ghandi” while I made these. 🙂
~~Rhonda
This is now:
::sigh::
Pippin spends a lot of time sitting on the railing of the back porch, peering in through the kitchen door. He may be spending this evening in the shed, though, curled up in the hay bales. The news is predicting 6-8″ of snow for us this evening. We shall see…but I am so ready for spring! If you are, too, here’s a taste of what’s to come.
The peonies and irises make a beautiful show in May.
Peony ‘Krinkled White’
Iris ‘Raspberry Blush’ is one of the first irises to bloom in our yard. It comes on strong and looks beautiful!
Baby robins in the redbud tree.
One of my favorite irises ~ ‘Immortality.’ This is a beautiful flower and a great rebloomer providing it gets plenty of moisture. Smells wonderful!
Columbine has a habit of coming up all over the place. 🙂 The purple flowers in the right foreground are honesty, otherwise known as “money plant.” They, too, pop up all over the place, but we don’t mind. They are beautiful in early spring and, later, they form a pretty seed head that is useful in dried arrangements.
Peony ‘Bowl of Cream’
Irises come in so many lovely colors and combinations.
And my favorite peony…’Sorbet.’ What’s not to love??
I can almost smell spring…soon, I hope! ~~Rhonda
The downstairs bath has a garden themed tree, full of pictures from our own yard. It’s surprising how much bigger that bathroom seems after the renovation done by https://www.kitchencapital.com.au/bathroom-renovations, we were able to place our Christmas tree down here.
The garland is simply silk flowers (red and white carnations and roses) cut apart and tucked into the branches, in a long spiral all the way down the tree, with a garland of ivy. The ivy and the lights stay on the tree during storage.
To store the flowers, I put them in a plastic bag. They are placed on top of other items in the storage box and I haven’t had any problems with crushing. They look fine each year.
I made the picture ornaments on the tree. Some are decoupaged onto balls.
In this picture, you can clearly see how the edges of the pictures are clipped to make them fit the curve of the ornament. That’s a pawpaw blossom above the butterfly, BTW.
Some ornaments are simply printed, cut into circles and laminated.
DD#3 on the wood chip pile. It’s springtime…the bridal wreath spirea is blooming. They always remind me of home. We had the same kind of spirea along the driveway.
We collect hostas. This particular one has beautiful variegation.
Weeding. A perpetual occupation, though not necessarily for DD#3.
The balls are stored in a plastic bag. I put tissue paper around the picture ornaments and the rest (all green) are just plopped in the bag with the wrapped ones.
The storage box for the downstairs bath…the plastic bag on the left has the silk flowers, the one on the right has the ornaments. Other items in the box…the fabric for the tree skirt, a tin (to the right of the pillow) containing a small five piece glass nativity for the bathroom counter, the bubble light night light wrapped in red tissue paper, a pillow from the wing chair in the laundry room, and a wheelbarrow decoration from the laundry room.
After finishing the bathroom, I also put away what remained of Christmas in the laundry room. The small garden tree in the laundry room had been removed a few weeks ago, so there wasn’t a lot to store.
I “unwrapped” our children’s baby pictures in the hall and put away everything on the hall counter opposite the pictures except the grandbaby tree. That will stay up for a few more weeks.
Last evening we had our 4H meeting here which was good incentive for putting away this part of Christmas. Takes me a long time to get it all put away, but I don’t mind. 🙂
~~Rhonda
Sponsored, partially, by: https://www.kitchencapital.com.au/bathroom-renovations
As I removed ornaments from the living room tree this year, I took pictures of a few of my favorites to share with you.
I made this ornament a few years ago, one for each of our five children, using pictures from Christmases past. It was a fun project and one I have adapted to other ornament themes, including an ornament with pictures of DS#2’s and DDIL’s two cats.
I imported the pictures I wanted to use into Print Shop, cropped them, sized them, then printed the pictures using a color inkjet printer (HP 5500, I think). I tore around the pictures, clipped them to make them fit the curve of the ornament, then decoupaged them to the ball. When dry, I sprayed them with a sealant. Easy to make.
My sister gave this ornament to me after a particularly bad infestation of lady bugs one fall. Their little legs are on tiny wires and jiggle madly with every movement. I think she found it at a truck stop. 🙂 This is one of the few ornaments I store in its original package, to protect it while in storage. Most fragile ornaments are wrapped in tissue paper and stored together in cardboard boxes which are then placed in plastic storage boxes.
My sister also gave these ornaments to me. She made them from salt dough. They have the cutest expressions. Wish I had more…maybe that’s a project I need to note in my Christmas Notebook for next year.
This is one of my favorite ornaments. DD#2 made this little guy while in summer camp when she was younger. He’s supposed to be Jesus, as stated on his front, but I think he looks a lot like Hitler…
As our children leave home for homes of their own, they take their ornament collections with them to decorate their own Christmas trees. I told DD I was keeping that ornament when she leaves one day, but I did put it in her box of ornaments this year, she will be glad to know. 😉 He’s just so cute…and he makes me laugh every year when I pull him out of the storage box.
My most favorite ornament is another one DD#2 will inherit one day. I blogged it here.
~~Rhonda