Command Central
You know how best laid plans quickly go astray? That’s what happened to me and my home decorating projects. A year after we moved in, I finally have my sewing/craft room in place. All the fabric neatly ironed and folded on my work top are those chosen for my Master Bedroom quilt.
Comfort Food at its BEST!
Today’s post serves to address lots of issues. I’ve been lazy for the last several months, and everything has suffered: cooking, cleaning, blogging, photography, sewing – oh, the list goes on. I’m venting. (more…)
The boys are becoming used to the idea of dessert when they have dinner with their Mimi. I mean, what are Mimi’s for if they can’t indulge their adorable grandchildren. Right? So not to disappoint, I whipped up this yummy banana sheet cake with a butter cream cheese frosting over the weekend. Everyone thought it was a big hit! Especially the frosting – a thick layer to satisfy anyone’s frosting craving.
Such a simple and quick way to enjoy a summer treat. So loved are s’mores, it’s a favorite flavor of coffee, ice cream, breakfast cereal, oatmeal, coffee and coffee creamer, and even vodka. (Can’t understand the vodka thing – I’ll have to give it a try . . .) America has a love affair with s’mores. With this recipe, you can enjoy these tasty treats year ’round.
Isn’t Avocado Salsa really Guacamole? (more…)
Wow, has it been four months? Yes, indeed. Four months since my last post. Six months since my life changed forever. Oh, I’ve been busy alright. Little did Richard know when he came with me to Indiana at Christmas that in just four months, we’d be moving our household on a return trip to Indiana. “Never again!” were his parting words as I jetted away in March to seal the deal on our condo. I have to agree. I’m not going to move again anytime soon. All the while, my husband and our dog, Auggie, have held down the fort in Billings – packing, packing and more packing. It’s a huge undertaking.
My husband loves cinnamon rolls. I mean, he’s got it bad. And after a look at what I turned out, who could blame him?
A while back, I went through some of my magazines, and the Food Network Magazine, May 2013, was left on the top of the pile. “That’s what I want!,” Richard exclaimed. “And I want lots of cinnamon and raisins!” OK, OK – I got the message.
It’s still snowing in Montana. It’s still snowing in Indiana. It’s cold and snowy everywhere I go. Cold and snow are following me. Don’t invite me over, unless you want snow and cold. I’m not getting many offers. I imagine it’s cold and snowy where you are, too. Unless you’re my son, who happens to live in Tampa, and sends us pictures from his patio, outside, overlooking Tampa Bay with no ice or snow, and a reported 70°. He’s kind of a smarty pants.
When I visit my family in Indiana, or make breakfast for my husband, I frequently ask them what are they hungry for. Without exception, everyone asks me to make biscuits & gravy. And it one of my very favorite breakfasts, too.
The next words to the chorus of this song written by Taylor R. Dean are, “Lord, I can’t go back there!” But that’s exactly where we’re headed. “Back home again in Indiana,” sang Jim Nabors. After eleven years in Billings, my beloved and I are returning God’s Country, the lovely Midwest.
Not that I have anything bad to say about our stint here in Big Sky Country, but it’s time for a change, and “the times, they are a changin’.”
Richard and I have talked about moving for a few years now. After the arrival of grandbaby #3, I couldn’t wait any longer. So at Christmas, my husband suggested that we look at a couple of properties. We found a condo we liked very much, and a month later, it is ours
Moving may be a few months away. And I’ll be picking out wall colors and deciding what to take with us. Even though there’s 12″ of snow on the ground, both here and in Indy, and our overnight low was -20°, I’m already looking forward to someone else maintaining the lawn.
Stay tuned for more Indiana developments!
I love cherry desserts. Good fresh fruit isn’t too easy to find in the dead of winter, especially in Montana. But why not use frozen fruit? Yep, I’ve got frozen cranberries left over from the holidays on hand as well as a lovely bag of dark, tart, pitted frozen cherries. Yippee!!
Richard and I love the roasted chickens from Costco. They’re juicy, fragrant, properly seasoned, and cheap. I mean, when you can buy a whole roasted chicken for the same price, or cheaper, than a whole raw chicken, there’s no debate. We buy them often, and use every bit of the chicken, even the drippings in the bottom of the container. Follow me, and let’s see how the leftovers are magically transformed into a hearty, comforting chicken pot pie!
Pot pies are perfect for a variety of reasons. First, they’re absolutely delicious; the perfect comfort food. Second, it’s easier to get picky young eaters to devour dreaded healthy vegetables when they’re smothered in a creamy sauce encased in a baked flaky, buttery crust. And lastly, it’s a good way to use up leftovers. I frequently have vegetable odds and ends wrapped in the fridge eager to become part of something fabulous. Use phyllo dough, puff pastry or your own homemade pastry crust for a crunchy topping.
