Happy February!!!

Saturday is a kickback day except when I have nothing for dinner!  Then I have to plan a meal, go to the store to pick up what I need to make the said meal and then make the meal.  So, there goes my relaxing Saturday and the day when I was going to finally work on a project for me.....namely my ironing board cover.
But the broccoli is being roasted and the water is heating for the pasta and I am making broccoli, pine nuts and goat cheese pasta except I have no pine nuts so I use pepitas (pumpkin seeds) and feta cheese instead of goat cheese and broccoli and spaghetti.  It is easy and healthy and so good!  Here' s the recipe

 I also got ingredients for an old recipe I used to make my family...Butterscotch Snacking Cake.  I couldn't find the original recipe but I found one that is close that I'm going to try.  The one I used to make fit a 9 X 13 pan and had no frosting but it was so flavorful and moist we all loved it!  I don't use many prepared foods anymore but this is a throwback recipe that calls for it.  If it turns out like the old one I will definitely share the recipe with you.

I took my walk and it is gorgeous here today....50's or 60's and tomorrow is supposed to be 73 F!!!
Time to go jump in the lake which people are always suggesting I do!  I did finish the mitten part of the mitten and now on to the 'fiddly' part....the thumb........wish me luck!

 I watched an excellent movie last night............"The Guernesy Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society" on Netflix.  I read the book several years back and it was very good and the movie was too!  I highly recommend it.
Here are your 'tidbits' for today............isn't this pretty?  No directions but how hard can it be?

I'm not sure about this but I will try it.  You see I love Brussel sprouts and I'm not sure I want to try and improve on them...............here's the recipe

Has this ever happened to your dog?  LOL!

Enjoy your weekend!
Happy Trails!!!

Industrious Friday!

I was busy today and got a lot done which feels good!  I wrapped the presents for the new baby, made out the card and another one and mailed one and dropped off the present at the pharmacy.  I took a pamphlet on grief to one of the pharmacy techs as she lost her brother last year and her mother is having a hard time with it still.   I stopped by the bank and cashed a check then I went to the grocery store and got the ingredients for Cowboy Queso except instead of the beer I am using beef broth. 
I cleaned the tub, entered Priscilla and Chelseas's drawing for tomorrow (The Real Housewives of Cross Stitch on You Tube), folded and put away a load of clothes and paid a bill.  Then I took my walk and came back and got to work on the bedroom.........
more dusting of baseboards and vacuuming............

then I polished the dresser.............

here is one of those little drawers I forgot to show you last night..........the one on the other side looks exactly the same and it is also empty.............

 That's as much as I got done today but I'm happy with it.............then I got "treasures" in the mail!
 I received this lovely handmade card from Farside of Fifty (on my right sidebar) with a sweet note on the inside...............

 but she also sent 2 cross stitch booklets with Christmas ornaments in them!  They are small too so I could probably get a bunch done!  Guess who will most probably be receiving one next Christmas?
These are so cute!  Thank you, Connie!  I will definitely have fun with those!

I worked on the mitten and except for the thumb, I am almost done.............

 That's it for today's "industriousness"!  Here are your "tidbits".................how to care for your wooden utensils

Here's the recipe

These are so sweet...no instructions but sort of basic

I'm always looking for a good bread recipe....it's from Red Star Yeast so it must be good!  Here's the recipe

Have a good laugh on this one....I did!

Happy Trails!!!

Dark and dreary here...........

The rain stopped but it is so dark and dreary I had to use the flash to take pictures.  Not very interesting pictures as I cleaned out another dresser.......2 empty drawers and 1 full of my summer clothes.   They were full of more of Jim's things of which some will go to Salvation Army, some to the grands and some to me.  I'm going to make some things out of his clothes...in memory of.  Not sure what yet but at least I have the materials.

 There are 2 other little drawers which I totally forgot about.  I'll show you those tomorrow when I clean them out.  I use this dresser for storage as it is old and hard to open and shut the drawers.
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I was going to do cross stitch and try and catch up but now I 've misplaced my reading glasses that I use for cross stitch....this is what happens when I clean!  I lose things!  So, I decided to continue working on mitten #1.  I am almost done with the thumb gusset. 

 

I did take my walk in the dreary outdoors but the fresh air is always nice.  I had to return a call to Compassus which is the hospice type organization that supported me and my family while Jim was in the hospital.  They send me letters and pamphlets every month and give me numbers to call if I need anything.  Well, I haven't called but I did today to thank them and I did have one question about the way Jim died that kept haunting me.  They had told me it might take time for him to pass because he was young and had a strong heart.  He was resting peacefully and all of a sudden had a seizure.  He had never had one before and I yelled for the nurse and she came in and by then the seizure had stopped.  She checked his heart and said "He's gone".  I didn't think of it at the time as I was in shock but it has bothered me for the past 6 months.  So, I called today and asked.  He said he wasn't a doctor and he would try and get one of theirs to call me although the doctors that took care of Jim were from the University of Iowa Hospital where he was a patient.  I knew Jim was going to die.  I wasn't in denial about that but it wasn't anything like what they told me to expect so I would like an explanation.  People have seizures all the time but they don't necessarily die from them.  What bothered me was the nurse had just been in and pushed the button for his pain medicine....phentynol.  It happened less than 5 minutes after she left.  It's bothered me ever since.  It wouldn't make a difference in the outcome but I guess I would like an explanation because 6 months later it is still bothering me.  I hope I get a callback.

So, now for your "tidbits" for today.............

Here's the link 

I thought this was interesting...........

 

I'm sure this isn't healthy but it sure looks tasty!  Super Bowl Sunday is a holiday right?  Remember, I eat whatever I want when it's a holiday.Here's the recipe

 And for a little humor...very little lately!

 Happy Trails!!!

Uh oh...I gave in to my sweet tooth today!

Yes, I  spent $20 on a health cookbook only to turn around and make a cake today!  Talk about fickle!
But it was very good...of course I had a piece of it already! LOL!  Excuse the flash but it is really dark here today.

 I worked a bit on my Sunday Santa as I didn't on Sunday.....

 and the mitten is coming along...the cuff is done and soon I will be doing the thumb gusset.........

 I also did some cleaning in my room again...........vacuuming and doing the baseboards and next to the wall with the small brush attachment.............

 I did laundry and took my walk and made several phone calls.  I read some of my Peach Cobbler Murder by Joanne Fluke too.
Here's your "tidbits" for today................

 look at this cute vintage fabric at the Fat Quarter Shop! 

  and if you don't want to sew you could crochet these cuties.............here's the pattern

 and then....more vintage...............love!  No directions just inspiration........

 and for game day.....some healthy eats.............here are all the recipes........

 but it wouldn't be complete without a little humor...............

Happy Trails!!!

The Christmas Mystery is solved!!!

Remember at Christmas time when I received a photo card from a lovely family and I had no idea who they were?  Well, I sent them a Christmas card back and confessed that I had no idea who they were and I was so sorry as they looked like a lovely family I would like to know.  I asked them if they would please write me back and let me know as it was driving me crazy.  Well, I got a note in the mail from the wife.....she's my financial person in Cedar Rapids, Iowa!!!  Duh!!!  I've never met her in person so of course I didn't know what she looked like but we both got a good laugh out of that one! So, I do know that lovely family...well, at least one of them.  She is a wonderful gal and they are on my Christmas card list now for sure!  So glad the mystery is solved!  See, I told you I had "people".
 Yesterday I forgot to show you my sale candles at Walmart and to tell you they are slashing the prices of their 'winter' scents!  I got the big candles for $3 and the little ones for $.75!  I love a good deal!  I'm sure it is happening at all the Walmarts.

   I finally finished cleaning out my nightstand which has 4 drawers..........I added a few more things to the top drawer; a little sewing kit, and headphones and portable tape and cd player, I have some bibles and prayer books and a bin with bookmarks in it.  The gold bag holds hand creams and lip balm.  Oh, and there's a deck of cards in there too.

 The 2nd drawer holds a ruler and my notebook paper for journaling every morning.........

My old tablet and nothing else......

 and the last drawer is totally empty!  BTW, I use scrapbook paper to line my drawers...easy peasy especially with those pieces you will probably never use............

I did take my walk today and I got all the groceries put away and the kitchen cleaned up.  That's about it for today!  Oh, I did have one of those healthy toast breakfasts this morning:  whole-grain toast with ricotta cheese, basil,

and strawberries....it's a keeper!  Later I had some popcorn and a banana for a midday snack and then tonight will be some toast and my fat-flushing soup which I really like!
I also did some work on my charity mittens..............not much but it's a start!

Here are your "tidbits" for today............ this looks Swedish to me and I love the hearts hanging in the window.................no directions just inspiration............

I looked for instructions for this but they were in Spanish............but again, it's pretty self-explanatory.

This one is easy peasy!

and for a little chuckle at the end of the day.............

Happy Trails!!!

Burnt Toast.....that's me...happy but toasted!

I did it all today....well, almost all.  I washed my hair this morning, cleaned Miss Grace's litter box and watered the plants.  It was a beautiful morning and it ended up being 60 F and sunny!  I made my grocery list and took off for Walmart.  It's supposed to rain the next couple days so today was perfect for being out and about..........

 In addition to groceries and supplies I got some "treasures"............you're looking at my new ironing board cover........after I sew it together that is.............there's the batting, the backing and the cute yellow cherry fabric for the top!

I also got some ribbon and thread for it too.........excuse all the paraphernalia lying around...I was trying to get my soup on the stove and I hadn't put the groceries away yet except the perishables and I was hurrying to get the blog written and posted and I stuck a walk in there too! 

 I got a new smaller cookie pan as all I have are huge ones from when the kids were home and I had to make zillions of cookies.........

Plus, a new small fry pan that matches the one my daughter got me.  My little one was shedding all that cancer-causing stuff so I figured I should probably get rid of it..........wait a few years and they'll discover that this coating causes cancer too...............

 I got a glass measuring mug/cup.....the big Pyrex one..............I had plastic and they cracked.....

 

BH&G now sells essential oils at Walmart so I got one.....I use them for all kinds of things but right now I put it in my ironing sprayer to make my freshly ironed clothes smell yummy....this flavor is lavender and sweet orange....

and because as I age I  look like death warmed over I bought myself some lipstick so I might look a little more lively!  I don't wear much makeup but a little blush on and some lip color makes me feel better when I look in the mirror...I hope it's a good color as you can't really try them on....

 and for the best treasure of all..............look...look....look!!!  A recipe book filled with recipes to help you live to be 100 years old!!!  Saved from the bell!!!  LOL!  I just happened to stroll through the book section and there it was!  It was no accident!  God wanted me to get it so I could lower my blood pressure.....thank you, Lord!

I know there are no guarantees and I have no control over anything but a girl has to try!  I'd really like to get my house in order before my times up! LOL!  Is that asking too much?

My fat-flushing soup is on the stove and I am going to get my jammies on and kick back!

Here are your "tidbits" for today.......I think these were being sold on Etsy but that was years ago when I pinned it and it didn't tell the store name...I'm pretty sure you could make these without a pattern.......... 

How sweet (pun intended) are these for Valentine's Day?  Compliments of Susan Branch (click on it to make it  larger)

this cracked me up..............I'm still laughing!  So true!

Happy Trails!!!