Memorial Day

My grandma still calls Memorial Day "Decoration Day". This is not surprising, since my Grandma, being now 83, does lots of things the "old fashioned" way. She still takes vases of flowers, wreaths, and little statues to the cemetery to honor those who are there. She pulls the weeds, if there are any, around my grandpa's tombstone, and the tombstones marking the final resting places of her parents, her brother, aunts and in-laws.

I can't remember the last time I attended the military service that was held in that cemetery. I remember the men in uniform; that they fired guns. I was little and I remember thinking it was pretty loud. I don't know of any services like that in the town I live in, though I am sure they exist...somewhere... people assembling to honor and to remember those who died fighting for our freedom. Someone honors them, right?

I didn't even know those people, nor they me, so it seems odd to visit their graves, to mourn their passing. Though it is not odd to my grandma. It is as natural to her as is baking a pie or making homemade noodles. It's just what she does; how she lives. And although she knows that the younger generations do not always honor these traditions, she carries on. She carefully chooses just the right flowers, then dutifully delivers them and arranges them. She pays her respects.

In my mother's generation few people, it seems, still visit the cemeteries regularly. In my generation there are fewer still. In our mobile society, most of us do not live near the burial sites of our ancestors. (though any of us could honor any number of fallen soldiers in local grave yards.) And yet we don't...at least not with any regularity.I wonder how many of my peers have even attended one of those loud gun-firing ceremonies.

When my grandmother passes away, will there be flowers on her grave? Little statues of bunnies or angels to attend her plot? Who will pull the weeds that spring up after the rains? And what about the graves of my parents? Will anyone remember the soldiers who died, the loved ones who passed?

If not me, then who?

How to Roll Silverware

I already showed you this shot of the "fancy" tea party we had for the Daisies.

Take note of the silverware.

Can you find it?

I am going to show you how to roll your silverware just like they do in a restaurant.

Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

Step 4

Step 5

I used a grosgrain ribbon and some fabric glue to fasten it.

You can get really creative here.

I made these daisy clips for the girls out of silk flowers and large gems.

I used alligator clips on them.

Step 6

Just slip the clip under the ribbon. 

When the girls sat down to eat, they had a pretty table and a new hair clip too!

Just My Imagination

So tonight I am folding laundry and the TV is on. Now, you know I don't watch much TV, but I love me some Nanny reruns. That Fran just cracks me up!

Anyway, a commercial came on for frozen lasagna.  

I have bought the great big frozen lasagna at Sam's before. You know, the one in the red box. ;) I'll admit it.  It's pretty yummy and it makes me feel like I just served a good meal to my family.


Until I saw this commercial, that is.

Perhaps it was my imagination (not!), but the narrator said something like *****'s Lasagna, made with real ingredients.


Has it come to this? Really?


I'm sure they did not mean to mislead the customer into thinking they meant "natural", as in occurring in nature, you know, naturally. Because that would misleading. Dishonest even. Right?


 I am sure what they meant to point out was that the ingredients are real. As in, not like that other brand that makes their lasagna out of imaginary ingredients.

Right?

This is a good thing because, let's face it, those imaginary lasagnas aren't very filling.



P.S. come visit me on F.B.

A Spray Paint Makeover

A couple of weeks ago I went to some yard sales in town and scored some great treasures, which I have been working on fixing up. You know, in between trips to school, baseball, tae kwon do, and the grocery store.




These painting projects required no skill whatsoever. I promise.


What they did require was some patience. When spray painting anything, but especially metal, you have to be patient enough to paint several thin coats. One thick spray will run and drip (eeeww!!!) and is more prone to chipping. From what I have heard. ;)


This watering Can was faded, chipped and in need of some TLC.

I used Krylon's Fusion paint for plastic and metal and am finding it to be more durable than the other spray paints, even though the all-purpose spray paint says it will adhere to metal. They forgot to mention how well it might or might not adhere! LOL




It was that easy! I think I wiped it off a little first and then went to town. I gave it a full day to dry in between coats.

Doesn't that look bright and sunny now?


Oh! While I was at it, I sprayed that old chair too, but I forgot to take the before pictures.


Have I ever told you I have a {thing} for chairs? I do. Love 'em!


Here is what I did.

1. Sand. I think I used 150 grit.

I have no idea what happened to that watermark, just ignore it. Pretend it isn't there. Obviously, I am having a hard time with these darn things...they are travelling all over my pictures! And I swear I have not even had one margarita. Really.






2. Paint entire chair with matte black spray paint. (I have no idea if it makes a difference that it was flat, but it was. Just reporting. k?)

3. Let it sit in your garage for like a year. Or maybe 3, but who's counting?

4. Spray paint over the black with a nice coat of your favorite color of spray paint. You know what I chose.
Do not try to cover it all! When you see the black peeking through, back off...especially at cracks and corners.

I think this chair was not real wood to begin with, which is why the distressing was so easy.


Whatever it was, I {love} it!


And as for the watering can, it also came in handy here:

OK. This is the worst picture ever because you can't tell it is a watering can, but it is. And there will be more on this and the branch that is growing from it later.

Well, that's what I have been up to. And just one of the painting projects I have tackled this spring. I hope I'll have time to share the others with you soon!

Tell those you love that you do.

Daily Affirmations

This seems like the perfect thing to share with you today. One of these days I will have time to really think and write again, but until then, you will know what I am doing. Upstairs, in the bathroom mirror.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Sour Cream Coffee Cake

Besides all the things I posted yesterday, this weather has put me in the mood to bake. I have been baking and baking. This is not good in light of the fact that I have recently lost 10+ lbs. (yeah!) But a baker's gotta do what a baker's gotta do, so I stick to recipes that everyone loves so that there is less around for me to eat. sneaky, huh? 



I always keep these ingredients on hand in case I need a quick "coffee cake".  I always know it will be gone by the end of the day since my husband and my kids love it even though they all have reputations for being picky.
My mom was a little bit famous for making this cake when I was growing up. It is one of the few recipes I will endorse that involves a mix, but this one is an old family favorite so I wouldn't have it any other way. Mom always made a simple vanilla glaze for the top of it, but I have fallen in LOVE with this frosting from Pioneer Woman's cinnamon roll recipe. I cannot stop making it! My kids actually groaned today when I made some and said "Mom! Enough with the Maple frosting!" Yes, it's true, I am an addict.

As always, the recipe is printable by clicking the title.

Sour Cream Coffee Cake

Ingredients
cake:

1 box yellow cake mix

1 box instant vanilla pudding

1/2 C. water

1/2 C. cooking oil

1 C. sour cream

4 whole eggs

Mix all ingredients together and beat for 4 minutes or until you think it's done.  

topping/swirl:

1/2 C. sugar

1 tsp. cocoa

1 tsp. cinnamon

Directions:

Prepare Bundt Pan by greasing and flouring, or spray with baking spray. Pour 1/2 the batter into the pan.

Sprinkle about half of the topping over the batter. Cut through the batter with a knife to swirl it in.

Pour the rest of the batter into the pan.

Sprinkle the rest of the topping on top and cut through it again. 

Bake at 350 for approximately 50 minutes.

Let the cake rest in the pan until cool enough to touch it. It should pull away from the edges of the pan. Gently, turn it out onto a serving dish. 

Glaze with frosting if desired.

Tip: Sometimes the edges of this cake get very dark due to the cinnamon/cocoa. Do not be alarmed. But I do suggest keeping the swirl away from the outermost edges because the sugar can scorch easily.

 

I hope your family enjoys this as much as mine does!

Feeling Funky

I have to confess that I have not really even been on my blog in like 3 or 4 days. That is very unusual for me. But I've been in a bit of a funk. You see, here in Illinois, it is cold and rainy and (did I mention it is freakin' cold?) I have been totally uninspired.

What do you do when you are in a funk?


Well, allow me to walk you through mine.



Here's me trying to cross the Target parking lot to bring you the latest deals:


Alas, I gave up on that one. :(





But, wait!
Here's me trying to paint something to enter into The CSI Project's paint challenge:

But, I got rained on and had to abort the project. I'll bring you lots of news about that real soon.





Here's a shot of me giving Turkey a haircut:
Oh, you didn't know I had black hair and a mole on my nose? Whatever.



I have been entering giveaways like a mad woman because it seems like a good way to pass the time till the sun comes out again. Here's a shot of me nursing my hands back to health after all that keyboarding:




And after all that, I still can't seem to come up with anything that will flip your skirt.

So I am signing off. I hope this weather improves, because between this funky weather and the last 2 weeks of school, the only thing I can come up with to talk about is...




OK, well, you know me. I'll find something.

:)


PS. Join me on Facebook for more current updates and musings. See you there. :)

Flowery Memories

So remember when I asked you to guess my favorite flower?

Did you get it?

Not irises, though I just LOVE the song by the GooGooDolls.

This lilac is called Miss Kim. Not my favorite, overall, but look how lovely she is up close!

 I'll give you another hint:

they are blooming here now.

But these are not them...

My favorite are

PEONIES!

When I was a little girl, I used to spend lots of time at my great aunt's house. She had 5 children; the 2 youngest were girls! (I had all brothers). They were about 4 and 5 years older than me so they taught me all kinds of stuff. Good stuff. I loved going there. My aunt would cook, we would play, paint nails, etc. It was a great place for a kid.

I would call this picture PROMISE, if I were going to name it.

This peony was actually just growing in my mom's yard. 

It's now been cut and is sitting on the dresser in my bedroom. So beautiful.

I can't get over this one. Her name is "Cora Stubbs"

 
So anyway, back to the story:

My aunt lived in her parent's former home. There was a large garden in which my aunt worked many hours. She taught me how to snap beans. In the open part of the yard where we played, along one side, was a row of old fashioned peonies. They were the "double" kind that were cream colored...but when you looked close, the centers were pink. They were my great grandma's peonies.

My cousins taught me how to shake out the ants before we brought our fresh cut treasures into the house.

I have loved peonies ever since then. I still love them now. I love their big, extravagant blooms, their delicate scent and their infinite variety.

I just can't get enough...

All photos that I did NOT take have been linked to their source: Klehm's Song Sparrow, who just happens to be the growers of some of the finest peonies in the world.

Teaching Table Manners

Continuing with the topic of manners, I began to consider table manners.

I believe that the best manners are habits, so, for the most part, we try to practice good manners at home in the hope that the kids will not totally embarrass us in public. :) Though I have never taken the time to write them down before now, we do have a few rules in our house regarding the dinner table.


 Here they are in no particular order:

1) Everyone MUST wear a shirt to the table, even if you are a boy and you're hot. duh! (actually this goes for the entire kitchen area, but I am really adamant about it at the table.) No exceptions.
2) Absolutely no intentional expelling of anything. period. (you get my drift.)
3) Absolutely NO FEET on the table, even babies.
4) General manners apply, such as inside voice, no interrupting, no singing while others are trying to have a conversation and say "excuse me" if you make a mistake.
5) No THROWING ANYTHING, unless it's by me. (kidding)
6) All four legs of each chair must be on the floor at all times.

7) Give thanks before you eat. This includes blessing the cook and saying thank you.

8) Use a napkin! No wiping hands on the table, top or bottom.

9) Clear your own dishes. (even the little man helps with this one!)

10) Wait to eat until everyone is here and we have prayed.

11) No dogs in the kitchen AND no dogs in the eating area when food is present.

12) Swallow your food before you speak.


The only other things I can think of are not really rules, like "if you stick your hand inside your cup, you lose your drink."  and "wipe your mouth/chin, for pete's sake!"  :)



Here are a few rules I'd like to work on:

1) Use good posture at the table.
2) Put your napkin in your lap before you begin to eat.
3) Always begin your request with "please pass the..." or "would you please pass the.."
4) Wait your turn to speak. (The noise level can be quite deafening some times.)



What are your rules at the table?

Monkey Bread

For ten years or so, Superman has been asking me to bake Monkey Bread. Since I do not like canned biscuits, I have just ignored his requests... until yesterday.

When I saw this recipe on Pioneer Woman, I knew I had to try it. If it's good enough for Ree, it's good enough for me! (this woman is a wiz in the kitchen!) You can find her version of Monkey Bread here. I am  planning to make it again using Ree's cinnamon roll dough instead of the plastic canned biscuits, but I have to admit, this was really yummy. 

One word on mine vs. hers: notice that mine is drier looking. There is a reason for this. I used an angel food cake pan instead of a bundt pan because my bundt is all fancy and not flat like hers must be, judging from the picture.

Learn from my mistake: do not try the Angel Food pan! The sugary-liquid leaked out of the 2 piece pan and started a fire in my oven! No matter what you might hear, I did NOT panic. I did panic a little when I realized the smokey-burnt taste had soaked into the top layer of the biscuits (a.k.a. monkey balls, but you didn't hear that from me!) Luckily, the rest of it was just fine, but I do think I will have to make it again, you know, for the sake of the art. ;)

Oh! And these arrived:

courtesy of Katrina at My Life as a Married Girl

Curry Chicken and Brown Rice

It is virtually (but not entirely) impossible for me to plan blog posts. As soon as I think I know where I am going, a stroke of genius hits me and sends me reeling in another direction. Today that direction is towards the kitchen.

It is unexpectedly cold here in Illinois, so even though I had been in grilling mode, I felt the need for a hot, wholesome meal last night. I turned to a relatively new-to-me dish that really delivers in the comfort food department. Although this is only the second time I have made this chicken casserole, I know this recipe is going into the permanent file.  Do not let the curry scare you. I was a little intimidated because the only curry I am aware of eating had been at restaurants in dishes that tasted very exotic to me. I figured the kids would hate it. This dish tastes and smells wonderful. Trust me. (in truth, MVP picks out the raisins, but so what!)



As always, I have made this recipe printable so all you have to do is click the title to print it out.



Curry Chicken and Rice

1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 Tbsp olive oil

1/4 tsp salt (or to taste)

1 medium onion, chopped chunky

1 tbsp finely chopped fresh ginger 

2 tsp. curry powder

1 1/2 C. chicken broth

1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1/4 C. golden raisins

4C cooked basmati rice (brown, if you have it)

1 large or about 1 1/2 red bell peppers, chopped into bite sized chunks

1/4 C. slivered almonds

Cook rice according to directions. Do NOT overcook the rice, as it has to bake too.

Heat oven to 350.

Coat 9x13" dish with Pam.

Saute chicken in olive oil and season with salt and pepper, as you like it. (I leave mine pretty bland.)

Remove from the skillet, but keep it warm.

Add chopped onion and ginger to skillet. Cook 3 minutes.

Add curry. Cook 1 min.

Add broth and heat to simmer. Add chickpeas, raisins, almonds and chicken. Cook for 1 min.

Spoon rice into prepared dish.

Spoon curry and chicken mix over the top of the rice. Try to distribute evenly.

Scatter chopped peppers over the top.

Cover with foil.

Bake COVERED for about 40 minutes. You can choose to remove the foil for the last few minutes to dry it out some if you like the texture of baked rice.

I completely forgot to take a picture after it was baked (but it looks almost the same) or after it was plated, since it was being gobbled up so fast!

The taster-testers were CRAZY-happy!

**NOTE** 

This blog post title refers to BROWN rice because that is what the original recipe called for, but I cannot find brown basmati in this one-horse town, so I changed the recipe. Sorry for the confusion. 

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