OH!!!!! Is this cute or what!!!!????? I stopped at the Thrift Store on my way to Wally World and there it was. I was really looking for some extra measuring cups but since they didn't have any I looked around and found THIS! I am old enough to remember Dick and Jane and Spot too!
It is framed under glass and was only $13.00! I know, Nancy Jo, not as good as the prices you get but I wasn't letting this one go! It had my name on it! Well.....not literally but you know what I mean.

So sorry I haven't been on.....I'm still recovering from the "germs" the grandchildren left me and also I've been having problems with subscriptions at Mary Jane's Farm and yada, yada, yada.
But here's a little of what's been going on here in Horseshoe!
Here is a quiche I made last night that was SO easy and SO good but it is not too filling so I had 2 big pieces plus they suggested having some crusty bread and a salad with it....neither of which I had made.

Butter, for ramekins

Coarse salt

1 package (10 ounces) frozen broccoli florets

6 large eggs

1/2 cup half-and-half

1/4 teaspoon ground pepper

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese (3 ounces)

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Butter four 8-ounce ramekins (or a 9-inch pie dish); set aside. Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Add broccoli; cook 1 minutes. Drain well; transfer to a cutting board, and blot dry with paper towels. Chop coarsely.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, half-and-half, 1/2 teaspoon salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Stir in broccoli and cheese.
3. Place ramekins on a rimmed baking sheet. Ladle broccoli mixture into ramekins, dividing evenly. Bake until golden brown, 35 to 40 minutes. Serve with crusty bread and a mixed-green salad, if desired.

Per serving: 266 calories; 19 grams fat; 17.2 grams protein; 5.9 grams carbohydrates; 1.7 grams fiber

This recipe came from www.pbs.org on their Everday Food t.v. program that comes from Martha Stewart's kitchens. I watch Everyday Food on Saturdays here in Arkansas and they have great recipes. I went to Walmart grocery shopping today and got several recipes worth of groceries so I will update you on how they turn out. They were all from Everyday Food.

Lizzie seems to be working!

My sourdough starter, who is named "Lizzie", came through once again this weekend as I made Mary Jane Butter's cinnamon raisin, nut bread. It is great although being ill lately has been very detrimental to my taste buds.

I have been doing nothing but laundry and blowing my nose the past few days and I am convinced that I have used a tree's worth of it so far.

But I am slowly catching up and even did some ironing today but now I need to go lay down.

Trying to "catch up".....

Here is my first quilt block that I made at my first quilting class last Tuesday. It is a Jacob's Ladder block. Don't look TOO close.....it is my first after all. I have to have a Log Cabin block done by this coming Tuesday and I had better get going!

Whoa Nellie!!!

Oh boy......I didn't think I would ever get back to this blog again! First I had company and then I got sick while they were still here and for a few days after they left. In fact today I got up with a "coughing jag" that I could not quell at 3:30 a.m. so I just keep "keepin' on" until I get too tired I guess.

My company was my son, Ben with his son Uriah and my daughter Amy with her son, Sam. We had a ball and made a lot of good memories and those grandbabies are darn cute but a little "germy" evidently.

Here is the sign out in front of my friend, Jamie's quilt shop. There's her phone number too if anyone wants to call her and buy from her or get her to quilt for you since she has 2 long arm quilting machines. I bet she is less expensive than some you may know! Cute sign huh? This is where I am taking my Beginning Quilt Class on Tuesdays from 10:00 - 2:30. Next week I will post the quilt we will be making....also very cute!

Here is my quilt material for my new quilt that I will be making in my Beginning Quilt Class! I am so excited because although I have tried almost every type of craft...quilting is one I have shied away from. I love these colors and the fabrics. We were to pick out 10 fabrics in darks, mediums, and lights. I had the hardest time with the lights since I LOVE the darks! They kept telling me to "go towards the light" but I kept wanting to go "over to the dark side"! LOL!

It is time for Spring cleaning or rather ANY cleaning around my place would be an improvement. I have WAY too many irons in the fire but I digress. I am going green and today is St. Patrick's Day...how symbolic! I am replacing my chemical/store-bought cleaners with homemade "green" cleaners. PBS has been having their "pledge week" and of course they bring out all the BIG GUNS and one was Graham Haley of "Haley's Hints" so I ordered one of his cleaning books but also wrote a few recipes down to test before ordering and the above was his carpet and upholstery cleaner. Well......my BIG dog just happened to throw up BIG TIME on my beige carpet the other day. IT was a big mess to clean up and it smeared into the carpeting and left a yellow stain even after using commercial carpet cleaner on it. So, I whipped up Haley's recipe which is the following and you can see the result...FANTASTIC!!!!

CARPET & UPHOLSTERY CLEANER:
1 tsp vinegar
1/2 tsp ammonia
3 Tbs dish soap
3/4 C water

Put in a "foaming" bottle and mix. He said you could get "foaming" bottles at the drugstore but being the PACKRAT I am I had saved a foaming hand soap bottle from Bath & Body! It worked perfectly! Now, I need to go back and clean all those new "free" chairs I got! A woman's work is NEVER done! Happy Spring everyone! OH......forgot to mention one of the handiest gadgets I have that I highly recommend. For about $20.00 I got a label making handheld machine at Wally World. I label everything with it....files, bottles and containers, even drawers! LOL!
Trust me...I need all the help I can get!

Saturday was baking day with my sourdough starter and here are the results. The cake is carrot cake with the infamous cream cheese icing. I am not a big cake person because many times the frosting etc, is just TOO sweet for me but this turned out excellent I must say! It was Julie's (Willowcreek) recipe from Mary Jane's farm blog on "Bread, the Mary Jane Way" . It called for raisins but I don't care for them so I left them out and instead of walnuts I used pecans. I didn't want to eat the whole thing (and I very well could have it was THAT good!) so I took 2 pieces to each of 3 neighbors....I keep telling myself "be the change you want to see in the world" so that's a start!

The pizza was also great. I had Italian sausage, red onion, tomato sauce, fresh mushrooms, red pepper (on sale! and cheaper than the green can you believe it?) and Provolone cheese and Italian 5 cheese blend on it. I used my parents old stone for baking it but the bottom was a little too soft for my taste (I like crispy crust) so next time I think I will just put it directly on the oven rack without the stone. It's the best pizza I have ever made so I think my Italian relatives were helping me from above!

One question...does anyone know how I could "dress up" the cake a little for company? Like should I sprinkle some grated carrot on top? Cooked or raw? It looks a little plain and I know sometimes chefs put something on items to tell the "eater" what is on the inside. Any ideas would be appreciated to "gussy up" my food....they say you eat with your eyes first but personally....my food goes straight to the mouth!

Okay...there is LOTS to blog today! I have been a busy little bee.....here is a before picture(s) of my guest bathroom and here is after...I certainly hope you can tell the difference! LOL! Anyway...I tried removing wallpaper from drywall that had not been sealed properly....what a mess....but finally researched and asked around and found out how to fix it all....VERY proud of the result and I have never mudded or messed with drywall compound before plus there were deep holes in the drywall too. I still have a lot to do in there but the worst is over!

This is just one small corner of my friend, Jamie's The Quilted Heart Quilt Shop....it is just the cutest best decorated quilt shop in all of Arkansas! Yea Jamie!!!! Every Wednesday we gather after she closes the shop and we bring our supper and our projects which can be anything and we stitch and talk and laugh and have the best time. I feel very blessed to have this group and I really look forward to it each Wednesday and NOW I am starting a Beginner's Quilting class at Jamie's shop on Tuesday nights so I will show you my progress (hopefully I will have some) while taking the class. Can they REALLY teach and old dog new tricks???
This is Sally, quilter extrordinaire....she and her friend Dian (not in the pictures) are going on a quilt spa retreat and have been working on their "challenge" quilts which are turning out SO CUTE!
This is Jamie....the owner and sole proprietor of The Quilted Heart.....a nicer and more talented gal you will never meet and decorate???? She could teach the experts....everything she touches turns into cute and marvelous immediately! She's holding up a bag of wool squares she's been cutting for months now....you should see the cute stuff she makes with them.
This is Linda and she is hooking a wool rug that she designed herself! First time she has ever done it too.....this gal does everything and anything and she is good at it right out of the box!
No, I did not make this.......Jamie's daughter , Kelly did! Cute cat quilt just waiting for Jamie to quilt it on her long arm quilting machine. The little pony tail belongs to Abigail....Jamie's grandaughter.

It's Spring in the Ozarks!

Yes...it's Spring here for sure! I hung 2 loads of clothes out and the wind is really whipping today and they dried in record time. The daffodils are blooming everywhere....they come up in the woods all around here too. The white blooming tree is in my side/front yard and is a Bradford Pear. It's about the only tree that didn't get damaged from the ice storm. So, for those farther North.....get ready! Spring is on it's way to you too!

I found it!!!! Whew!

But now the batteries went dead so this was all I was able to get pictures of before it bit the dust. The dish I got at the moving sale and it is from Portugal and has a little chip but I love the dish! It has all kinds of frogs and leaves and it has some Portugese potter's name on the bottom.
The chair I got from a friend yesterday who is"downsizing" and it was FREE!!!! It came with the arm covers and the matching ottoman and matches my bedroom carpet which I don't like but for now it is just fine and it was FREE! That is 3 FREE chairs in a week! WOW! I think I am going to clean my garage and have a little thrift store of my own 4 or 5 times a year....hmmm....not a bad idea. The town will only let you have 4 or 5 sales, be they garage or otherwise, per year. Yes, I think this is what I am going to do! I'll post more after I get batteries for the camera. It was in my craft bag because I took it with me to my Craft Group who I was going to photograph and then forgot! LOL!

Where oh where is my camera?

What a week this has been....was yours like that....it made a "whooshing" sound as it flew right by me! And I found a Thrift Store today...a real one. Of course, it in no way compares to Nancy Jo's but then I would go broke if there was a store like that near me! But it benefits a local pregnancy center which always makes it easier to spend when it is for a good cause. But I will just have to tell you because I cannot find my camera. I know it's here someplace but I'll be dipped if I can find it right now. Anyway....when I do I will catch you up on the pictures. Wait...let me go look one more time...NOPE....I probably put something on top of it.
Anyway, it wasn't too much stuff....just 3 things. A Lee Ward's embroidery pillow kit never even opened, the LAST Jan Karon book of the Mitford series which I haven't read and a "moose" shelf. Yeah...without pictures it just doesn't do it justice. But.....there was also a beautiful table that I fell in love with but couldn't get in my Tahoe by myself but a friend is going with me tomorrow and we're taking her truck! YES!!!! Now, that's a friend! So, I've got to find that camera cuz you've GOT to see this table...Happy Dance, Happy, Dance, Happy Dance!!!!

Hungry, hungry, hungry!!!!

The recipe is really simple: 6 hardboiled eggs, chopped, some green onions chopped, mayonaise, currry powder and salt and pepper. This watched pot is NOT boiling!
Ready, set, go!
Almost ready...above....there are chopped green onions in the bottom of that bowl too.
Here's the finished sandwich on my own sourdough bread.....YUMMO as Rachel Ray would say!

Okay....bread maker extraordinaire I am NOT! But I am sticking with it! I was really good with my little breadmaker but now I have crossed the line into natural yeast via sourdough. This is my 2nd baking from my loving and living starter named "Lizzie" in honor of my Mother. This time I made San Francisco sourdough bread made from a recipe shared with all of us by Ronna on Mary Janes Farm chatroom. It tastes scrumptious...but don't let it fool you...there were some errors along the way....1) I did not add enough flour so the dough not only rose but it spread 2) do not put both loaves on a cookie sheet TOGETHER....I ended up with siamese loaves and 3) do not heat the oven even if you turn it off, to help your bread dough rise.....you get a crust WAY TOO EARLY! And 4) do not use a vacuum sealer to prepare your loaves for freezing....they now look just like the pancakes I made last week! Oh well...it tastes great and looks aren't everything, I oughta know!

Free!!! Free!!! It was FREE I tell you!!!!

Do you believe it???????????? I am still pinching myself....Ouch! I went to the "flea" to pick up my stuff since they are closing and these 2 chairs were there and I asked if they were for sale and the owner said no, but you can have them for free if you'll get them out of here. No need to tell me twice!!!! I went home and emptied all my stuff, called a friend to help me and the rest is history! They're mine...all mine!!!! Now, they have a few spots but no tears and I will shampoo them good and see how it does or if need be reupholster and/or slipcover. Aren't they just awesome...for Free???? My friends wanted me to go "junkin" with them today but I told them no, I had to get my stuff at the flea. I bet they can't top my "buy of the day"! I'm jumping up and down I am SO HAPPY! Oh.....did I tell you there are 2 of them!!! YES!!!!! A matched pair!

Needlework projects I'm working on.......

I am hand-quilting a little "doll" quilt...my first quilting project with help and advice from my quilting friends and a girlfriend that has her own quilt shop. Wednesdays at 4:00 p.m is when my Craft Group meets and we are a varied bunch....quilting, embroidery, rug hooking, punch needle, penny rugs and felted wool projects. We used to meet at each others house and the hostess would serve a meal and then we would "craft" but since Jamie opened her quilt shop, we meet there and just pack a supper to take with. Her shop closes at 4:00 so we have the whole place to ourselves! It's really nice because she has the cutting tables, sewing machines, iron and ironing table and of course ALL those pretty supplies!!! And GREAT camaraderie to boot. She also has 2 long arm machines and does long arm quilting for people too. If anyone wants her prices just let me know...I think she is probably pretty reasonable compared to other parts of the country.
My other project is crocheting 7" x 9" rectangles for Warm Up America. TheresaB on Mary Jane's Farm chat room started this and many of my fellow farm girl sisters are participating. I had one panel done but then discovered I was doing it wrong so I took it apart and am starting over. But I need to get a "move on" because these gals are really pumping them out and I am slower than snail do-do! But it's all fun and challenging and I love it all....so many neat projects and so little time!
Oh!!! And here are my pansies that have bloomed ALL Winter despite it all.....they're like farm girls......pretty and delicate but strong and dependable too!

This was my reward for balancing all those bank statements! I received my flour from Mary Janes Farm that I ordered plus she included my chapter kit (I'm going to start a chapter here in our Tri-County area called The Tri-County Farmchicks) and a bumper sticker and one of her organic chocolate bars...YUMMO!!! Thank you Mary Jane...you Sweetie you!!!!

Ugh! Bills, balancing checkbook...woe is me!

Okay....I haven't balanced my check book in awhile...okay so it's been 7 or 8 months....but I do log on to the bank's website and make sure I have money in there. It's not like I'm out bouncing check or anything but I switched pc's because my other one got hit by lightening so I had to start over with VISTA (Yuck!) and Quicken which I always liked better than Microsoft Money and I lost all my financial data so I had to start somewhere balancing so I did but then couldn't find the following month after I started it sooooo.....to make a short story even longer I figured the bank statement would turn up eventually and it did....so today I balanced 10 months of statements! Yippee!! Yahoo!!! I had the statement all along...it is the dating on the outside of the envelope that tripped me up...oy vei!!!