menu plan monday ~ september 19, 2011

The kitties are still taking it easy…

cradle full of kitties

…but we’ve been busy! Saturday, we put the Christmas tree up in the master bedroom. It looks great! Today (Monday) my DDIL came by again to clean the scrapbook room for me, in prep for the holidays. Top to bottom, she did a wonderful job!

I didn’t think to take pictures until after we’d been working for a while, but here’s a before.

Scrapbook room before

And an after.

Scrapbook room after

Now I have space to work on some of those Christmas projects I have in mind!

Here’s the menu for the week.

Monday
Chicken Tortilla Soup in the Crock Pot

Tuesday
Cheese and Spinach Quiche…maybe a little ham…we’ll see…

Wednesday
Sushi

Thursday
Penne and Chicken with Mushroom Sauce
Green Salad
Corn
Steamed Sugar Snap Peas

Friday
Cheesy Enchilada Casserole
Tortilla Chips
Celery Sticks, Cucumber Slices, and Tomatoes

Saturday
Fridge Food

Sunday
Roast Beef in the Crock Pot
Mashed Potatoes
Steamed Green Beans
Corn
Green Salad

You’ll find more menu and recipe ideas at Menu Plan Monday.

~~Rhonda

storing stickles

I’ve been thinking about our annual Christmas Open House and trying to decide on an invitation design. I usually have it nailed down by now, if not totally done, so am feeling a little behind schedule here. While thinking about the invites, I was a bit sidetracked by my little bottles of Stickles. Stickles are glue/glitter that are used to decorate craft projects, scrapbooking pages, greeting cards, etc. I often use them on our Open House invitations.

If they are stored upside down, Stickles will go farther because the glitter glue will stay at the tip end of the bottle. I had pinned an idea for organizing Stickles bottles a few days ago and decided to do something similar with my own small collection. If I do it now, they will be ready for making invites when I’m ready…hopefully within a few days.

The idea I pinned used a sign board. I decided to just use the inside of a cabinet door. Nothing to sit on the counter. Out of the way, out of sight. That’s the way I like it. I started by putting a length of the hook side of self-adhesive Velcro tape to the inside of the cabinet door.

storing Stickles

I cut a small piece of the loop side of the Velcro (the softer side) to attach to each bottle of Stickles. I placed it at the bottom of the bottle, so that when I am using the bottle, the Velcro won’t be in my way. That would bug me.

storing Stickles

When each bottle had a piece of Velcro attached, I just stuck them on the Velcro strip inside the cabinet door.

storing Stickles

storing Stickles

I can swing my chair around, open the door, and pull off the bottle I need. Within reach and easy to use. Now all I have to do is decide on an invite design…

~~Rhonda

yes, we did…

decorating the "glass tree"

Today, my daughter-in-law and two older daughters helped decorate the glass tree in our bedroom. DH helped, too. It’s never too early at our house. Besides, it’s in the bay, out of the way. It’s not a nuisance. And it’s my favorite. Now I can enjoy it for the next few months.

decorating the "glass tree"

Pictures never do this tree justice.

decorating the "glass tree"

decorating the "glass tree"

decorating the "glass tree"

The tree is decorated with my collection of glass and spun glass ornaments, beaded chandelier chains and about 250 prisms.

decorating the "glass tree"

And the kitties were *pretty* good about it. Mostly, they napped in the cradle while we decorated the tree.

cat nap

It was fun and the tree is beautiful! One down…21 to go…

~~Rhonda

cinnamon roses

When I make a pie, I usually have some leftover dough.

what to do with that leftover dough

If the kids don’t gobble it up first, I make cinnamon roses with it. Just for fun. Just because.

To make cinnamon roses, roll any leftover dough out as though you were making another pie crust. I found these pictures while browsing my older photos. Not sure why I had so much leftover this time, but I must have made enough dough for more pies than I actually needed.

making cinnamon roses

You can spread butter over the dough if you like, but I skip that and just sprinkle it liberally with cinnamon and sugar. The blue shaker is our cinnamon sugar shaker. To fill that, I fill it with sugar, pour that into a small bowl, add a teaspoon of cinnamon and stir it with a fork to mix. Then I pour it back into the shaker and it’s good to go. It sits on the counter ledge, waiting for someone to crave cinnamon toast. Or for someone to make cinnamon roses…

Roll the dough so you have the longest roll possible.

making cinnamon roses

Slice the dough into 1/2″ roses. Another good reason to roll dough between sheets of waxed paper…it saves the counter when you slice cinnamon roses…

making cinnamon roses

Bake on any oven safe dish. 350 for about 15-20 minutes.

making cinnamon roses

When cool enough, enjoy! Just for fun. Just because. …I can almost smell them…

Baked and ready to eat

Someone told me she made something similar, but didn’t call them cinnamon roses. I have a vague memory that my mother or grandmother made these for us…and she called them cinnamon roses. Sibs, cousins, anyone remember that??

~~Rhonda

wish lists and stocking stuffers

Did you know there are only 101 days left until Christmas? No? Well, now you do. I’m already thinking about Christmas. Big surprise! May even put up my favorite tree on Saturday. Early for most of you, I know, but it’s my favorite, so up it goes!

Our family makes good use of the wish list feature on amazon.com. It’s so helpful to me, as I do most of the Christmas shopping for our family. Everyone adds a variety of things to his/her own wish list and I get to choose what to order. I’m thankful for those wish lists because it means my family will receive gifts they love, but will still be surprised as they won’t know what I chose to order until the gifts are opened.

Stocking stuffers are a bit harder. Usually the stockings hold a chocolate candy orange, some chocolate gold coins, and an ornament. But the other stuffers…what to give, what to give…??

Seems we always come through, even though this gift almost gets the best of me each year. These stockings look rather stuffed, though, don’t they??

the staircase was loaded

Here’s what I found in my stocking one year. Gummy candy, Snickers, and chocolate…can’t go wrong there.

stocking loot

This year, I’m keeping new ideas for stocking stuffers on one of my Pinterest boards. We’ll see if I follow through or not…

Does anyone have new and interesting ideas for stocking stuffers?

~~Rhonda

cookie sheet pie

I’ve made cookie sheet pie for at least 25 years. I came up with the idea when making pies to take to church dinners. A cookie sheet pie serves more people than two pies will, and it’s easy to transport. And it’s always well received. 🙂

I use a 13x18x1-inch pan (called a half sheet pan) for making cookie sheet pie. Forgive the well-used look of the pan in these pictures. I have four *well* used pans and three that still look brand new. Any time I’m making something that has to be cut in the pan, I use one of the older pans to save the wear and tear on the newer ones.

cookie sheet pie

peach pie

To make the pie, I follow the general recipe I use for fruit pies given in my post for raspberry pie. For the cookie sheet pie, I use the recipe for the sugar mixture, but add half again as much. The amount of sugar used is based on peaches in light syrup. If they were canned in heavy syrup, I think I’d cut the sugar back to 3/4 c.

For a cookie sheet pie, use this amount of the sugar mixture.

Mix the following together and set aside.
1 c. + 2 T. sugar
3 T. flour
3 T. instant tapioca
1 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
a few gratings of nutmeg (or a dash of ground nutmeg)

Make pie crust for two 2-crust pies. Roll out 1/4 of the dough at a time. See the raspberry pie recipe link for my crust recipe. I always roll pie dough between two sheets of waxed paper, using flour to keep it from sticking. Works great and makes it easy to flip the crust into the pie plate. Also makes wiping the counter a breeze. I tend to flip flour everywhere, but I don’t have to scrape up little bits of dough.

Line the cookie sheet with two of the rolled pie crusts, trimming the middle where the crusts meet (see trimming the top crust below) and pressing the two pieces together to form a seal. I’d already finished this part when I decided to take pictures and post the procedure…

Sprinkle enough of the sugar mixture over the bottom crust to cover it. Add the peaches (or apples or berries, etc.) to fill the pan. Sprinkle the remainder of the sugar mixture evenly over the fruit.

cookie sheet pie

Roll the top crusts and place on the pie.

rolling the crust

Using waxed paper to roll the dough makes it easy to pick up the crust and flip it over onto the pie. Once placed, the waxed paper can be peeled off and used to roll the next crust.

The crusts should overlap near the middle of the pie. That needs to be trimmed.

cookie sheet pie...almost ready to bake

Cut straight down through both pieces of top crust, but do not cut through the crust on the bottom of the pie.

trim the center

Remove the cut edge from the top of the pie, then carefully lift the other side of the crust and remove the edge from underneath. I don’t bother to seal this cut, though you may if it makes you happy. I’ve never had a complaint. 😉

trim the center

The edges of the pie crust may overlap the edge of the pan. Use a sharp knife and trim the crust. I trim it by cutting straight down. If you want to leave a larger edge so you can easily crimp the pie crust, roll the crust large enough to leave the amount you need for crimping.

trim the edges

Pieces of dough trimmed from the bottom crust before it is filled with sugar and fruit, as well as pieces from the top crust, can be used to fill gaps in either crust. Just press to seal. Don’t worry about cosmetics. This is a homemade pie. Rustic is OK.

trim the edges

I use a fork to make diagonal lines across the top of the pie, then sprinkle it with sugar. Why? Because that’s the way my Grandma Ruth always made her pie.

into the oven

Bake at 425 for 15 minutes, then reduce the oven to 325 and bake 25 more minutes. Your house will smell wonderful.

Cool and cover if transporting to another site. If you’re eating at home, it’s wonderful served warm with ice cream.

wanna bite?

Enjoy! ~~Rhonda

menu plan monday ~ september 12, 2011

Before I share our menu for the week, here are a couple of pictures…the first is of our granddaughters, soon to live 12 miles away instead of 12 hours away!

the grands

This is the bouquet for church Sunday, made with Jerusalem Artichokes, Queen Anne’s Lace, and Becky daisies.

Sunday bouquet

Both those pictures were taken with phones. It still surprises me that a phone can take a decent picture.

Monday
Hamburgers
Homemade Burger Buns
Salt and Vinegar Fingerling Potatoes
Cole Slaw with Peanuts and Raisins

Tuesday
BBQ Chicken on Homemade Buns
Veggies / Dip
Cookie Sheet Peach Pie

Wednesday
Tortellini with Ham and Fresh Basil
Steamed Sugar Snap Peas
Stir Fried Zucchini, Yellow Squash, and Mushrooms

Thursday
Honey Garlic Chicken in the Crock Pot
Rice
Steamed Sugar Snap Peas and Carrots

Friday
Mongolian Beef
Rice
Steamed Broccoli

Saturday
Fridge Food

Sunday
Spaghetti with Homemade Sauce
Green Salad
Peas
Corn
Garlic Bread

You’ll find more menu and recipe ideas at Menu Plan Monday.

~~Rhonda

autumn is sneaking up on me

With not feeling well so often and the temps being way too hot for so long, I haven’t spent much time outside for a while. But Monday was gorgeous out and I rode the lawn mower around, pulling the wagon for DH while he pulled weeds and cleaned up around the yard. I was surprised to see how advanced the fall garden was already.

The hostas are turning yellow, even as the blooms hang on.

Hosta under the redbud tree

The garlic chives are in full bloom which is always a good indication that fall is on the way.

Garlic Chives

Various shrubs are showing off their bounty. The red twig dogwood is full of berries the birds will enjoy.

Red Twig Dogwood

The beauty berry also has a bountiful harvest. I recently discovered that the berries can be made into jelly, so I’m going to give that a whirl in a week or so.

Beauty Berry

There are times I think the Sweet Autumn Clematis should be banned from the yard, but it is so pretty in the fall. It looks like a spring flower at the end of summer. It has a tendency to reseed itself and pop up even after several years. But in the right place, it is an amazing plant.

Sweet Autumn Clematis

Sweet Autumn Clematis

A few of the daylilies are reblooming right now, including this beautiful blossom ‘Dawn Ballet.’ The daylilies days are numbered, however.

Daylily 'Dawn Ballet'

‘Autumn Joy’ sedum is another iffy plant for me. If it would stand straight and tall, I’d love it, but it tends to flop in our garden. It does looks pretty here under the redbud tree, though.

'Autumn Joy' Sedum

The butterfly bush had its share of butterflies and bees. This Monarch stopped for a few minutes. It was beautiful against the purple-blue of the blossoms.

Monarch butterfly

The white boneset was hosting a buckeye butterfly as well as a herd of soldier beetles. It was covered in them! They were munching away at the pollen, ignoring the hefty breeze. I always wonder how something as fragile looking as a butterfly or a small insect can survive a windy day.

Buckeye butterfly one white boneset

The pampas grass is beginning to bloom. It sparkled in the sunshine. I wish the picture could show you how pretty that was.

pampas grass

pampas grass

My friend Charlene gave me a start of this grass. It is one of my favorites. So pretty on a windy day as it blows back and forth. Later in the season, it will have lovely plumes that will stay all winter, adding pretty interest to the garden.

miscanthus

I think some of the prettiest days of the year around here are in September and early October. The sky is so blue and the temps so comfortable, with a hint of autumn.

beautiful sky today

Last shot…our mailbox with the pampas grass in the background. We have a baby pampas grass that needs to be dug and moved, if anyone local wants it. Just let me know.

looking like autumn

Hop over to Tootsie’s site to see more gardens and beautiful blossoms.

~~Rhonda

picture puzzle blocks

Last year I made these puzzle blocks to use as stocking stuffers for my granddaughter. They turned out well, though I learned a few things. Like, don’t use a picture that will cut someone’s face into four pieces. And choose six pictures with very different coloring around the outside edges, if you can. It will make the puzzle solving easier for young children. An alternative would be to add a border of a different color to each picture, or to paint a border around the picture after it has been decoupaged.

wooden block picture puzzles

Choose six pictures you want to use, and print them on regular computer paper. I didn’t try them on heavier photo paper, but decoupaging works more easily with thin paper than thick paper. Cut the pictures to fit the size of your assembled blocks. I used six 1 1/2″ square blocks, though any size and number can be used. I trimmed my photos to 3″ x 4.5″ and then cut each picture into six squares.

Sand the blocks to remove rough spots (use sandpaper or a large emery board). Paint a base coat of white acrylic paint on the blocks and let the paint dry thoroughly. Sand with a fine emery board and wipe the blocks to remove any dust.

wooden block picture puzzles

Paint decoupage glue onto one side of a block. I used Mod Podge, which is readily available at Wal-Mart, etc.

wooden block picture puzzles

Paint some Mod Podge on the back of a picture square. It will make the paper curl. No problem.

wooden block picture puzzles

Adhere the picture square to the wooden block, sliding it to meet the edge of the block. Use your finger to press out any bubbles or wrinkles. If you don’t do this now, they will be a permanent part of the block.

wooden block picture puzzles

Top the picture with a coating of Mod Podge. While this picture dries, work on other blocks for the same puzzle.

wooden block picture puzzles

Sometimes, the picture doesn’t quite fit the block. Think about which side of the picture is the outside edge of the puzzle and slide the picture so that the outside edge of the puzzle is the overhang. Otherwise, you will be trimming off part of the picture that needs to match another block. You can trim it with a very sharp X-Acto knife or sand the edge when it is completely dry.

wooden block picture puzzles

I used an emery board to file the picture edge, after it had dried completely.

wooden block picture puzzles

Filed edge completed.

wooden block picture puzzles

One puzzle side done, though not dry yet.

wooden block picture puzzles

Keep working your way around the blocks, completing an entire picture at a time.

wooden block picture puzzles

When the Mod Podge is completely dry, spray or brush a coat of sealant over the pictures.

wooden block picture puzzles

wooden block picture puzzles

wooden block picture puzzles

wooden block picture puzzles

My granddaughter was so surprised to get a puzzle with pictures of herself and family members on it. My friend Tricia and I plan to get together to make some for this Christmas. A fun craft!

Update / Feb. 2016:

Four and a half years later, Tricia and I finally made block puzzles together! She made a set for her granddaughter for Valentine’s Day and I made a set for myself. You can see the one I made at this link: picture puzzle blocks 2

I also took the opportunity to update this tutorial a bit. If you have any questions, please ask.

~~Rhonda

menu plan monday ~ september 5, 2011

We’ve had some pretty hot weather this past week, but when I woke up this morning, the temperature outside was 57! I did a double-take…did that REALLY say 57?? Yes! A beautiful day! DH and I spent some time in the yard. He pulled tall weeds that are so getting away from us, and I drove the mower and wagon hauling weeds and branches to the compost pile and taking lots of pictures.

Sweet Autumn Clematis

Just look at that blue sky!

pampas grass

I’ll post more yard pictures soon, but, for now, here’s the menu for the week.

Monday
Grilled Chicken
Veggie Packets
Corn on the Cob

Tuesday
Lighter Chicken Enchiladas
Tortilla Chips / Sour Cream
Chopped Lettuce and Tomatoes

Wednesday
Tortellini Caesar Salad

Thursday
Broccoli Cheese Soup & Cheesy Garlic Biscuits

Friday
Crock Pot Chicken Cacciatore
Penne Pasta
Green Salad
Garlic Bread

Saturday
Fridge Food

Sunday
Hearty Lentil Soup

You’ll find more menu and recipe ideas at Menu Plan Monday.

~~Rhonda