What Came Over Me??!

Must be spring fever. I really don't know what came over me! I'm blaming it all on Pinterest!  I have said many times before that I am not the world's best baker. Everyone knows I am not good at measuring. I am the first to admit that. That being said, when I do bake I think I try too hard. Since I am not much of a sweets person, I usually only bake when I am having someone over. But, I DO love pastries...and lemon...and so, when I saw this recipe (from thelovenerds.com blog) for lemon blueberry scones cross my Pinterest page, I put it in my file. And then, when I was shopping the other day, I grabbed up some fresh blueberries...and the rest, as they say, is history.

These were very easy to make. The cold butter was actually totally cut into the dough using the paddle attachment of my stand mixer and it worked PERFECTLY. So much easier than using a hand-held pastry cutter! This recipe made 8 pretty large scones. I tasted one and I'm glad I did. They're good but there are a few tweaks I will make the next time I make them-and I will make them again. They need a bit more lemon in the scone itself but the fresh lemon glaze is delicious! Never under estimate the value of fresh lemon juice and zest! Just need to know someone is coming to help me eat them or I will really be waddling soon!

Since I have already made my 4th of July craft for this year-and, there are NO others on the horizon that I am dying to do, I have actually found myself looking at Halloween ideas. Remember, I do like to get my Halloween craft and gift ideas done over the summer so I have more time to enjoy the holiday! I'll let you know where this crazy road leads! Stay tuned.

It's What's For Dinner

I watch a lot of cooking shows. They really are my favorites right now. I love to eat...and, I love to watch other people cook. I enjoy cooking but I don't enjoy the time it takes to plan, shop, prepare and clean up for a simple meal when I could probably be just as happy with something way less time consuming. And now that it is just my husband and me at home, everything I DO make ends up lasting many, many meals.

And so, it even took me by surprise when I was watching "The Chew" the other day and saw Michael Symon make "the world's best baked ziti" and just KNEW that I was going to be making that dish soon! You would think I would save it for the next time we had company but I think seeing Clinton Kelly dive into it and come out with gooey mozzarella cheese all over his chin was the deal breaker. I wasn't waiting for company!

And so, when we were at the grocery store the other day, I picked up the ingredients. This is not an inexpensive dish even though it has no protein. It has lots of fresh cheese and fresh herbs. It also is not the healthiest of choices, but I still could not help myself.

And so, today was the first chance I had to put this little beauty together. It also has a lot of steps, so it isn't all that quick either but somehow the promise of that gooey cheese running down my chin drove me on!

I was boiling up 2#of ziti as I was making the sauce so I had to get out the "big guns" for this one! I love my pasta pot but I don't use it very often because it takes so much water hence, so long to get it to a boil!

This stuff was DELICIOUS!!! It is definitely a keeper recipe-unlike a lot of the other new recipes I have tried of late!

I would rather have sprinkled basil over the top, but I used it all in the cheese mixture. Next time I will make sure to have enough but the fresh parsley was acceptable.

It's a good thing we love this so much as there is LOTS of it left! Next time I will be sure to invite some company! Stay tuned.

I Must Have the Vapors!

I'm not sure what has come over me but I just had to make an orzo salad today. When we had dinner at the Grand Floridian this past weekend, I tasted an orzo salad that was delicious. Then, when I was sitting right here at this keyboard this morning, I looked down and saw a small piece of paper with a very sketchy, minimal outline of an orzo salad. I vaguely remember writing it down when I saw it on a blog. It really isn't a recipe but a list of ingredients. I went to my Pinterest boards to see if by chance I "pinned" it from the blog-I didn't- and then I went to my new blog reader, Bloglovin', to see if I could search for content like I could in Google Reader. If I could, I couldn't figure out how.

So, armed with just the ingredients, I kind of chopped and added until I was happy. Still would like to tweak the dressing because it isn't like the one at Disney, but I am happy with it for now. It has orzo, baby spinach, black olives, toasted pine nuts, sun-dried tomatoes, capers, shaved Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and Paul Newman Parmesan Roasted Garlic dressing.

I needed a large bowl to toss the salad so I got out a favorite of mine. I actually bought this bowl and the serving pieces to give as a wedding gift but I loved them so much, I ended up keeping them and giving a gift of money. Let's just say there is lots of orzo salad to eat in this house this week!

Isn't that a beautiful bowl-and isn't that a beautiful salad? So much going on here. I will catch you up soon. Stay tuned!

Disclaimer!

After our recent trip to the blueberry farm, I wanted to make something with some of the berries before I froze the rest.

This is how I was taught to treat blueberries back in the day when we were dragging taking our kids in the heat of the summer to help us pick. Once you get them home, pick over them pulling off any small little stems that are still attached and discarding any that are too over/under ripe. Then, give them a good rinse and spread them out on paper towels on cookie sheets. Let them dry well. Then, you can freeze as many as you want and they will freeze individually and not stick together. I love frozen blueberries. I eat them like candy. This method keeps them the best way for future baking or cooking.

Once the berries have been frozen, they do lose their firmness if they are ever defrosted so use them frozen. The rest of the clean berries I put in a pretty crystal bowl and keep up front in the refrigerator. Funny how when they are presented in that way, both my husband and I find ourselves grabbing a handful each time we pull open that door.

Since I picked so many berries, I got the urge to bake something-thought one for us and one for my daughter's family as a thank you for taking me along would be nice. But, I was in no mood to head to the store so I had to search Pinterest for a recipe that I could make with what I had on hand-and that is usually not much exciting these days!

For some reason, I had 3 oranges in the frig-don't even remember where they came from-so that probably wasn't a good thing-but orange and blueberry sounded good so I got started.

I found a recipe for orange-blueberry breakfast bread. It was fun to make as it went together a little differently than a normal quick bread and it looked nice when it was done. Unfortunately, it didn't live up to my expectations. It was a bit bitter-probably from bitter orange zest. I might actually try this one again with oranges that I actually remember buying. If it turns out better I will share the recipe. For now, imagine how good it MIGHT taste-next time!

I actually wrapped up the loaves after a little taste and put them in the freezer for a few days. I guess the flavors had a chance to meld a bit because it tastes a bit better than before and it is extremely moist. I have high hopes for next time-and I think I know where I can find some blueberries...stay tuned.

TLC

So, as is so oft the occasion in our home, plans that were made yesterday for today have changed. I have a pretty rough cold and didn't think people in church would be happy sitting so close to me as I try to stifle coughs and sneezes. So, we didn't get to church today. That would have meant a lovely at home day except I am feeling so crummy, I have NO energy!

Don't know if it is the cold or the cold meds I am taking, but I have absolutely no energy at all so, even though I am home, I am still not really accomplishing more than reading and probably a movie later today.

But, I did wake up hungry (starve a fever...feed a cold-and all that), so my husband offered to make me some eggs and hash brown potatoes-total comfort food to me...and not something that we do all that often. So, of course, I then thought of the scone mix I bought in Mt. Dora and was able to "stir up the energy" to make a half batch. These things are delicious! And, really very easy-just add whole milk and vanilla to the mix. I threw in a few craisins even though there are a few currants already in there. 18 minutes later we had warm, fresh scones. And, since I found the Devonshire cream (to me a combination of butter and heavy cream) last week at "The Fresh Market", just the addition of some raspberry all-fruit preserves and we were in business! Good thing we don't live any closer to Mt. Dora or I would be in serious trouble-just saying! I love these things!

Is there any wonder why I might be feeling just a smidge better? Maybe it is just all of the TLC I am receiving. Stay tuned!

Summertime....and the living is easy!

I love it and I hate it. I don't have any large projects ready to go and it is so lazy around here that I can't get myself out of the house to buy supplies. Let me clarify that last remark...there are plenty of large projects that could be done (take down the 4th, clean out closets, organize just about anything, etc., etc.) but they are not large projects I am interested in right now! That means I kind of roam the house and yard looking for any small something to do. It got so bad this morning that I ended up sitting outside and looking at the crape myrtles. I really cut mine back this year so they are just now blooming. We have a master gardener here in town who blasts everyone every year when we cut back our bushes. He says they are trees and should be left to grow as such. I really have no problem with that except that mine get so tall and the blooms are so high that I don't get full enjoyment out of them. So, every few years, I go against his advice and chop away. And I am so glad that I do because they are putting on quite a show this year!

Here is my little shadow. This dog loves people so much. She will follow one of us no matter where it leads. I love having her here. She is so smart that sometimes when she "talks" to us, we know exactly what she means...kind of scary, huh?

I made some lists of things I need for my next project or two, so I am hoping I will be out and about tomorrow to pick everything up. Until then, when I just couldn't stare at another crape myrtle a minute longer, I decided to make some brownies for my hair dresser who just had his gall bladder removed and my youngest daughter to help fortify her through these last few weeks-we hope-of home renovation and moving. And whenever I need brownies.....

...this is where I head. Do you recognize that lady on the recipe? How can anything by Paula Deen not be good? This recipe is called "Southern Pecan Brownies" and can be found all over the blogs.


I am not a huge fan of chocolate. If it comes down to appetizer or dessert, I'm all over the savory every time. But, a few years ago, I was heading off for a weekend reunion with friends from high school. I wanted to take along some munchies for the long gab sessions I knew we would have and I also knew that most people love brownies. I came upon this recipe and I must say, I think these are the best brownies I have ever tasted and if they are anywhere near me, I will make sure to save room for at least one. I will be packaging them up pretty soon but I tell you, they are fair game until then!

Taking Jennie out to dinner tonight and then off to see how the house is coming along. Hopefully the next time we talk, I will have much to tell you. I can only stand this lazy, hazy summer stuff so long! Stay tuned.

Soup Is Good For the Soul

I live in Florida. I know that our winters aren't anywhere near as bone chilling as those up north, but to those of us with "thin blood", 31 degrees can be daunting!

We have had a few nights around that temperature although I will admit that it has warmed up pretty nicely every afternoon. In any case, this is when I am on the look out for comfort food. And, since my comfort food almost always involves carbs-and lots of them- I was looking for something a little healthier.

Have I mentioned how much I love Pinterest? I still like to peruse recipe books but time has been short of late. One trip to Pinterest and I found 2 soups calling out my name. The first is called "The Best Vegetable Soup". I think it must be a WW recipe because it says it is worth "2 points". I chose to make it because I am a vegetarian (well, I think I am more of a pescatarian but who cares). I truly LOVE vegetables. I really can't ever get enough. This soup has them all. And then, the recipe gives you permission to add any more that you want-although I guess when you are cooking you always have that option. I am one of those people who pretty much follow a recipe so I loved it that this soup even had brussel sprouts. I got even more wild and crazy and added in some cauliflower and spinach. It is delicious-especially when you are dunking a fresh cheese pesto ciabatta roll into it! With lots of butter! Told you I love those carbs!


The second recipe I tried was Tuscan Vegetable Soup-also delicious but very different. The first soup is tomato based. This one is not. It does have 1 fresh tomato.It also has cabbage along with celery, onions and carrots. Then, lots of fresh spinach and cannelloni beans. So good.

While these soups will warm my belly, I need the candles lit and a fire in the fireplace to really warm my soul. I guess I am not a gourmet of any kind. I really don't care much about what I am eating. It is all about the ambiance of where I am eating and who is with me. That truly makes the difference and a bowl of soup at home with my hubby at my side on a chilly evening can make it seem like all is right with the world. And so it is for the moment!

Taste of Autumn

After being out in the beautiful crisp autumn air, I wanted the smell of autumn in my house. What to do or where to go? Straight to my "autumn" board on Pinterest where I have pinned so many ideas that I probably won't ever live long enough to try them all. But the recipe for "pumpkin doughnuts" popped out at me. They are actually mini-muffins rolled in melted butter after baking and then rolled in a sugar-cinnamon mixture. How could they be anything but delicious? And delicious they were! I will definitely make them again. They even got a thumbs up from the 3 and 2 year olds in my family. You can go to my boards via the button on this blog and try these yourself. Let me know what you think,

After sampling a few doughnuts to make sure my energy level was up to par, I headed back to my project of the moment-an alphabet book for Hudson. Consider this my sage advice to future grandparents-or parents for that matter. Be careful what you do for the first because you're never sure how many more are to come. I should have remembered this from when we bought our first daughter a new car. I should have learned my lesson. When grand daughter number one was about 3, I decided to make her a book using photos I wasn't scrapping. I filled 2 pages per letter and when I couldn't find a enough photos to work with that letter, I filled in the pages with stickers or pictures. It was very well received and Hannah used it to learn not only her letters but the spelling of lots of words.

Fast forward two years when grand daughter 2 was going on 3. I decided to do this again and then for the next 3 as well. Now I am at number 6 and his birthday is next week. I am going to be out of town all this week so I kind of put myself in super drive. But look at my house. It looks a lot like my husband's office where he swears if I clean it up, he won't be able to find anything. Now remember, I have a room devoted to crafting. Why am I using my dining room? I was actually just going to separate the pictures out there but before I knew it I had just shoved some things aside and started. And before I knew it again, I had so much going it would take longer to pick up and move than continue working in the mess!

I have finished A-O so I am beginning to feel that I will be able to get this done on time. Hope Hudson enjoys this book as much as I have enjoyed making it for him. I always love looking back at all of the memories. How fast time seems to go and how much fun we have had! Kind of makes me sad that there is only one book left to go! If I were smart, I would start soon!!

What Has Come Over Me?

I told you I wasn't a "summer" kind of girl. As soon as my house is decorated for autumn my mind starts processing all things fall. It truly doesn't matter that it is still in the 80s outside...I suddenly think of warm, cozy autumnal things and soup is always right up there on the list.

I posted that I made a tomato-roasted red pepper soup last week. It reminded me how much I love to make soup not to mention the fact that it makes many brainless meals after it has been done and "what are we having for dinner?" is one of my least favorite things to hear in the whole world! It's too much pressure and even though I love good food, I would usually rather spend my time doing something more fun than cooking. I like cooking O.K., but I would so much rather be crafting, gardening, sewing, decorating or spending time with my family!

So the bug got me again today and I figured why not? I would make another big pot of soup and we would live on it for the rest of this week. Only problem with that is that I made one of my all-time favorites and I could literally sit with the pot and eat until I fall over!

This is a pot of Vegetable Soup with Vermicelli from Martha's cookbook "Entertaining". I not only love that cookbook but I love that recipe. I make it more often than any other soup. I love pasta, so I always add more vermicelli than called for and hence, I always have to add more stock so that there is a hint of liquid in the soup. I also use almost all vegetable stock (it calls for chicken) with just a touch of chicken for some body. I am not much of a salt person, but this soup needs a fairly good amount to bring out all of the other flavors. It is made with extra virgin olive oil and lots of fresh veggies so it is relatively good for you-if I could eat a bowl without having a huge hunk of buttered bread in my other hand for dunking.

Since I have "pinned" so many soup ideas, I think I am going to start trying one new recipe a week. I'll let you know what I find out there. Stay tuned.

Where Do We Go From Here?

This is how we spent Wednesday evening followed by a wonderful dinner with 2 of the sweetest people ever!


And here we were on Thursday afternoon. The bunny got up off of his chair when he saw the kids coming and I think his size scared Presley. She didn't want to have anything to do with him - except for the chocolate candy he was giving out - so we thought this picture said it all!

I can't believe that Easter is now a thing of the past and that we are almost into May! We had an incredible holiday and hope you did too!

On Thursday, daughter #3 arrived with her 3 kids. Their daddy is staying with us while they are trying to relocate and sell their house and it is always special when their whole family can be together. After our visit with the bunny, we mostly swam, ate and swam some more!

We had a quiet Friday with more of the same, but Nana had a few projects she just had to throw in. The first was for the boys to make bird's nests to give to everyone for Easter. We used a simple recipe that I used when I was teaching kindergarten. Back then we used them for "H" week and called them "Heavenly Haystacks". They're a mixture of chocolate chips, peanut butter, peanuts and Chinese noodles. What could go wrong with that mix? It was easy for the boys to do on their own. After they had scooped the nests, they filled them with chocolate, candy coated eggs. YUM!

The boys were the official candy makers but every high tech process such as ours needs quality control and Presley was only too happy to help us out!

Then that night, I made up some shaving cream "paint" and the kids went to town. They had so much fun. They started out very carefully painting the walls of the surround but it didn't take long before they were finger painting everywhere - including themselves and then designing their new beards and hair. I always love playing with shaving cream as it is so easy to clean up and everything smells wonderful afterwards.





On Saturday morning, we were all on our way to Gainesville. The weather was picture perfect and we had the most marvelous two days. I have so many pictures to share, but I will save those for another day. Jen and the kids just headed home so I am going to do a few chores so that I don't realize how quiet and lonely the house is. I'm sure I'll get used to it again, but I enjoy the energy that 3 children bring to a house - reminds me of the good old days.

Tomorrow I will be taking down my Easter decorations and not sure where I will be going with my decorating. I know there will still be some spring but it has been so long without a holiday for decorating that I'm not sure I will remember what goes where. Stay tuned.

Just a quick peek at our weekend. Since I decided that I will take whatever picture I can get as long as we're all in it, I kind of love this picture. Presley didn't cry the entire 5 days she was here - except now and with the Easter bunny. I think the dog scared her or something. We have others where she is smiling, but then several other people look horrific - including me - so this will be our shot for this year! I love these kids so much that I really don't care and they wanted to get out and hunt for Easter eggs! Every one was totally humoring me at this point because they know how much I love my pictures and I love them all for that!