Chocolate Chip Cheese Ball

Here’s a twist on the traditional cheese ball. Serve this with other dessert items. Kids will even like this one.

8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/4 tsp. vanilla
3/4 cup confectioners sugar
2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
3/4 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup finely chopped pecans (optional)

Beat cream cheese, butter, and vanilla till fluffy. Gradually add sugars; beat until combined. Stir in chocolate chips. Cover and refrigerate 2 hours. Roll in nuts if desired. Serve with graham crackers, teddy grahams, or animal crackers.

If you are looking for more delicious recipes to try hop on over to Colleen’s weekly recipe at And Baby Makes Five.

We Have a Start

Finally, after a very soggy spring and summer, the building of our home has begun. Trees have been cleared from the lot, the hole has been dug and the block work is almost finished. The digging was suppose to be done this past week, so we were pleasantly surprised when we saw the amount of work that actually was completed.
There was a crew of 11 men working on Saturday. Talk about hot, exhausting work. The temperatures were in the mid 90’s.

Beating the Heat

I can’t believe how hot it’s been lately. The temperatures have been in the 90’s with a heat index over 100 degrees. Today the high was 96 degrees. Even at 11:00 PM it is still hot. (The temperature is 87 degrees, but it feels like 92 degrees.)
Since it’s too hot to spend much time outside, I I’ve been spending a lot of time crafting. I’ve been sewing string blocks and half square triangles. I’ve decided to take part in the Charm Pack Quilt Along that is being hosted by Karrie over at Freckled Whimsy. The best thing is I’m using fabric from my stash.
I also prepared several hand stitching projects that I can do in the evenings while watching television. I’ll share some pictures of those in the next several days.

What’s Cooking?

Addison's favorite playtime activity is playing with her play dishes and pans. (These were dishes that my son played with.) She even pretends to fix food for her doll and stuffed animals.
This past weekend I found the perfect kitchen playset at Target.  It’s just the perfect size and I love the colors (red and white). Aren’t those little checked curtains adorable? The best thing is that this kitchen set is made of wood. It should withstand the wear and tear that two toddlers will give it.
Let’s peek inside. Plenty of room to store dishes and food. I couldn’t resist the matching dishes. I found the little blue microwave at Toys R Us. The turntable actually operates and it dings when the “pretend” food is ready.    So, what’s for dinner? 

Snips and Snails

Snips and Snails and Puppy Dog Tails ...
That's what little boys are made of!

My son and daughter-in-law are expecting another baby in mid November. They just found out that they are having a boy. Addison has already learned to say the word brother. She will be 18 months old tomorrow, so she really doesn't understand how this will change her world.

We are extemely excited to welcome another grandbaby into the world.

Ready for Crafting

Whew, it is finally done. The craft room has been cleaned from top to bottom. I’ve sorted through every cupboard and every bin and organized all of my supplies. Here’s what things look like now. I haven’t seen a clean surface for quite some time. There is no guarantee that it will stay this way. I’m anxious to do some crafting tomorrow. My husband has to work a 12 hour day and since the temperatures are suppose to be in the 90’s I think I will stay holed up inside.
I purchased two plastic storage bins for my fabric. It is now sorted by color. I also purchased a new sewing basket. (Hmmm…probably wouldn’t hurt to jump on that threadmill occasionally.)  A clean surface to do some cutting on. To the left of the cabinet is an old crate that I have my idea notebooks in. On top are bins with scraps for a string quilt I’m working on. This is the table I do my sewing and scrapbooking on. My father made this bookcase for me when I was still teaching. It is now used to store craft books and magazines. (There are more magazines behind those cabinet doors.)And of course, every crafter needs a spot to relax and do a little hand stitching.

It Has to Be Done

Even though our new home won’t be completed for another 5-6 months, I decided it would be easier to go through all the cupboards and closets now and do some pitching and sorting things out for a yard sale. We also just listed our house for sale and the photographer comes tomorrow to take pictures.
Well, I’m down to the two most difficult areas the basement and attic.  I’ve been working on the basement the last couple of days. Our basement has a finished family room and craft room.  There is also an unfinished area that tends to be the dumping ground. I’m working in the craft room today. Whew!!! How did I accumulate so much fabric? And the bigger question is what project did I purchase this stuff for?  I purchased two plastic storage carts, and I’m in the process of sorting fabric by color. I have also decided in the future I should first go through my stash before purchasing more fabric and keep the the fabric and the pattern together.  Here are the before pictures:
Hopefully this will make the moving process easier. At least I will have my craft supplies organized.  Right now I have several tall cabinets to store supplies in. In the new home we will have a bonus room that will be used as a family room/craft room. Most of my craft supplies will be stored in a walk-in closet.
I’m also looking for suggestions for a cutting/sewing table. Right now I use the counter top (pictured above) and a collapsible cutting table (purchased at Joann’s) to do my cutting for both sewing and scrapbooking. I have an old kitchen table I have my sewing machine on.  Neither of these are going to the new house. I’d love to have something like this:

This is from Pottery Barn and is a little pricey, so I’m looking for other ideas. I’d love to know what works for you. I’ll post my after pictures tomorrow.

Pecan Chicken Salad

Chicken Salad wraps and sandwiches are one of my favorite summer time meals. Several years ago while vacationing on Hilton Head Island I had a chicken salad sandwich that was particularly good. The waitress said the special ingredient was honey, so I went on a search for a recipe to try. This is one I found that I like.

4 cups cubed cooked chicken (I often just use canned chicken.)
1 1/2 cups seedless grapes
1 cup pecan pieces
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream
2 Tablespoons honey (or more to taste)
1 teaspoon poppy seeds
White or black pepper to taste

Check our Colleen’s blog, And Baby Makes Five for more recipes. Every Friday she has a recipe swap.

New Fangled Gadgets

When I purchased my new car last fall, I really didn’t think getting all the gadgets, especially a GPS system was something I needed. The dealer didn’t have any cars in the model I picked out without these fancy gadgets. He offered me a deal I couldn’t refuse. Well, let me tell you it didn’t take long to fall in love with some of these features. I really like the back up camera. While on vacation my husband and I got a chance to really try out the GPS system. What a traveler’s dream! No more having to hold and refold those awkward sized maps. No more anxiety about what routes to follow. My job consisted of typing in the addresses of the places we wanted to stop at and the hotel addresses. Then all I had to do was sit back and enjoy the ride.

This system really came in handy as we located some of the shops I’d read about on Linda’s blog, Behind My Red Door. 

The Purple Onion was one of our stops. I purchased several small pictures and stitcheries here. I wish I’d had room for some of the furniture pieces. I saw a sage colored pie safe that I would have really liked to have purchased.

Another shop I wanted to see was The Walker Homestead. I knew in advance that it wasn’t going to be open on the day we were traveling through, but I wanted to see what it looked like anyway since we were close. My husband was a good sport, but when he saw the unpaved road that led to the shop, he was skeptical. He soon discovered that the GPS system even works on those small backroads. I’m keeping these addresses programmed into the GPS system for the next time we are traveling. I’ll also make sure we are going to be traveling on a day all of these shops are open.

Maine:The Way Life Should Be

Our final destination for our vacation was Bar Harbor, Maine. We stayed at the Bar Harbor Inn. It is located right on Frenchman’s Bay. Our room had terrific views. We were able to watch the 4th of July fireworks from our balcony.
We spent five days here. Each morning after breakfast we went to Acadia National Park and did some exploring.
This is a picture of the front entrance to Bar Harbor Inn. The cooler temperatures really help these flowers thrive. (The cooler temperatures and low humidity are two of the reasons I like to visit Maine in the summer.)
One morning my husband and I went for a walk on the Hunters Beach trail. This trail winds its way along the creek that eventually ends at a rock covered beach along the ocean. It sounds like applause for a job well done as the waves move across the pebbles.
From the Park Loop Road these are the kinds of views you have. Absolutely beautiful!
There are over 45 miles of carriage roads throughout the park. These roads are reserved for those on foot, on a bike, or on a horse. Carriage rides are also available from a local stable.
Jordan Pond House is a stop you must make. Many trails and carriage roads are located nearby, so this is a great place to stop for lunch or dinner. We enjoyed a lunch on the lawn that overlooks Jordan Pond and Bubble Mountains. The popovers and strawberry jam were delicious.

Along the Coast

One of our stops along the Maine coast is Ogunquit. We were lucky enough to find a parking spot at Perkins Cove. We skipped the shops and headed directly to Marginal Way. Marginal Way is a walking path along the rocky coastline. This path connects Ogunquit and Perkins Cove. The weather couldn't have been more perfect and the views were spectacular. I could linger here for hours.

Next, it was on to the Rachael Carson National Wildlife Refuge near Kennebunkport, Maine. This is a short easy walk that provides views of a salt marsh. The path winds through the forest to a river overlook and the white salt pannes.

Before heading to our final destination, we stopped in Camden, Maine and had lunch at a restaurant right on the docks. I loved the lobster traps and flowers.

Angel Pudding Cake

If you are looking for an easy (plus lower calorie) dessert to take to that family get together, then this might just be the recipe for you to try.

1 loaf angel food cake, cubed
1 (3.9 ounce) package chocolate pudding
1 (8 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed

Place cake cubes in a greased, 9 x 13 inch pan or glass dish. Prepare pudding according to package directions and spread over cake cubes. Spread whipped topping over pudding. Refrigerate 6 hours. Cut into squares to serve.

You can find more recipes over at Colleen's weekly recipe swap at And Baby Makes Five.