Gobble, Gobble and Where's the Beef?

Who says turkey is just for Thanksgiving? I love turkey and this recipe is oh so simple. The turkey is so moist. I don't remember where I got this recipe, but it's become a family favorite. The leftovers make for some great sandwiches.

Orange Cranberry Turkey

1 turkey breast

1 jar of orange marmalade

1 can whole cranberry sauce

Mix marmalade and cranberry sauce. Place turkey breast in crockpot. Pour marmalade and cranberry sauce mixture over turkey. Cook on low for 8 hours.

Another recipe I tried out this week was Cheeseburger Flatbread Melts. They were delicious. While you are visiting Kevin and Amanda's blog be sure to check out some of the other recipes Amanda has posted. She's some cook. I wonder how she stays so skinny?

Cheeseburger Flatbread Melts

Kevin and Amanda

Spring Envy

One of the downsides of having a brand new home is there are no spring flowers to enjoy. I live in a fairly new subdivision, so the other homes in the area are also void of flowers. The front of the house was landscaped before we moved in, so there are some shrubs and a few trees.  I also have sod, which is a hugh improvement compared to some who only have yards of mud. All of this rain has added to the problem of working outside. Ohio has experienced the 5th wettest April in history. So I've been gathering ideas and enjoying the pictures that many of you are posting on your blogs. Our new home is situated in an area with a tree line preserve at the back and side of the house, so I will have to do some research as to what to plant since the yard is mostly in shade. I love the natural woodsy appeal and want to keep things very informal and relatively easy to maintain.

I thought I'd share with you a few blogs that have given me some ideas of what to do. If you have a favorite plant or gardening tip, please let me know.

Circa Home Living

I loved the barrel in this picture. I had a couple of trees that had to be cut down, so that left me with just the stumps. I think a rain barrel filled with impatients might look nice perched on the stump.

Cozy Little House

Since red is my favorite color, this pot caught my eye. I have several plastic pots that could use an overhaul. I wonder if they made a red spray paint for plastic.

The Charm of Home

I actually have a stone frog similar to this one. Ferns would be a perfect addition to the tree preserve at the back of my property. The patio sits close to this area, so I'm thinking natural plants and perennials would be the perfect addition.

The Painted Quilt

I've always liked Bleeding Heart, but have never had a place suitable to grow them. After doing my research I found that this plant grows best in partial shade and blooms in April and May. I must get to the garden store this week, so I can enjoy the pretty blooms this plant has.

A Latte Quilts

Paula at A Latte Quilts plants Coral Bells to attract hummingbirds. What plants do you have in your garden to attract hummingbirds?

Sunny Simple Life

Elaine at Sunny Simple Life uses lots of containers in her garden. Check out her post. She has some excellent gardening tips and her containers are beautiful. I love the flower combinations she uses.

Saturday is suppose to be sunny and warmer, so I will be heading to the garden center to pick up a few plants. Next week's forecast also shows some days with sunshine. Yeah!!!!! Can't wait. I'm ready to do a little puttering outside.

Mantel Makeover

How long should it take to make over a fireplace mantel? I spent most of the morning trying out different arrangements. Usually my mantel is very plain.

Before

I wanted to use what I already had, so off to the basement I went to dig through some boxes of things I never found a home for when we moved in. I made a quick trip to Hobby Lobby for some silk flowers to fill the crock. This is what I came up with.

After

Close Up - After

I also put away all my Easter decorations and added some new decor to the kitchen counter/bar. I purchased these silk geraniums several weeks ago at a little shop nearby called Prairie House. It may be raining outside, but it's starting to feel a little little like spring indoors. And the best thing about these geraniums is that they don't have to be watered or deadheaded.

Linking to these parties...

Debbiedoo's Newbie Party

Metamorphosis Monday @ Between Naps on the Front Porch

Amaze Me Monday @ Dittle Dattle

Inspiration Point

Ever have one of those nights where you just can't sleep? Well, last night was one of those nights for me. So after tossing and turning for several hours, I decided to get up and do some web surfing and catch up on some blog reading. Some of my best inspiration comes from the ideas posted on other people's blogs. I thought I would share a few of my finds with you.

Raspberry Cream Cheese Pretzel Salad

I love raspberries and jello salads, so this sounds like the perfect combination. I can't wait to try it. Jamie at Jamie Cooks It Up has some wonderful recipes on her site. If you are looking for something different to prepare this week hop on over to her blog.

Posh Pillowcases

I've been wanting to make some new pillowcases for the guest bedroom. This tutorial caught my eye because it combines my newest addiction.... crochet. Check out Cassie's tutorial at You Go Girl.

Serving Tray Makeover

Janet posted this simple makeover at Today's Fabulous Finds. I have one of these trays stashed in the basement just waiting for a makeover. It has a duck painted on it. Remember when ducks were the decorating craze?

Strippy Charm Pouch

Kim posted this tutorial at Moda Bake Shop. Isn't it cute? I think I even have all of the materials to get started on this project.

Mantel Makeover

My mantel is in desperate need of a makeover. Debbie's makeover at Debbiedoo's has provided me with some inspiration. 

Well, it looks like I have my work cut out for me this week. I guess I better get some sleep before starting on these projects.

Cross Stitch Chemo Cap

This hat is a variation of the pattern I posted about yesterday. You can find the pattern at Crazy Cappers. The change I made was in rows 9-11. I used this special cross stitch in these rows.
Rows 9-11 -- Skip one stitch, 1 half double crochet in next stitch. Now go back and make 1 half double crochet in skipped stitch. Continue this pattern around the hat.

This picture shows the hat made with the original pattern. It's the one laying flat on the cutting mat.

This picture shows a close up of the hat with the special cross stitch variation.

Happy Easter

Hope everyone has an enjoyable Easter weekend with family and friends.

Head Huggers

I have a basket full of yarn left from previous projects. I think I’ve found the perfect project to use up the yarn. Most of us have known someone who has had to deal with cancer and the hardships of chemotherapy. If you check out the Head Huggers website you will find knitting and crocheting patterns to make chemo caps. There’s also a link for local groups. I found a local group called Crazy Cappers. I used the pattern they had posted to make the three hats on the bottom. Don’t you just love the shell edging on this pattern? The red variegated hat is made with a cotton yarn called Sugar’ n Cream. Cotton is the perfect weight for summer. The other three are made from a medium weight Red Heart yarn. The hat on top is made from this Cross Stitch Skullie Pattern. This pattern uses a half double crochet stitch and a crossed stitch. The hat worked up rather small. I like the cross stitch in this pattern so I’m working on adjusting the pattern from Crazy Cappers and adding this cross stitch into it.If you like to knit or crochet, then you might want to try making a few of these hats. This is the perfect project to do while watching television and benefits a wonderful cause.

Another Finish

The calendar may say spring, but the temperatures say winter. So instead of working out in the yard, I’ve been doing some more crocheting.  This will be another charity afghan. I used a pattern from the Project Linus website called Baby Bobbles. I wanted an afghan a little bigger than what the pattern was written for. Instead of casting on 101 stitches, I cast on 150. This made this afghan more of a lap size which will be more appropriate for an older child. This afghan is heavier than the last one I made, but will be perfect to cuddle up with on a winter night. Again I choose to use a variegated yarn. I love how these variegated yarns work up. 

Blueberry Cheesecake Bread

 

I’m working on organizing all those recipes I’ve clipped from magazines or found on the Internet. When I ran across this one, I decided it would be a good addition to dinner.

Easy to prepare and delicious. This one is a keeper!!!

1 large box blueberry muffin mix (I used Duncan Hines Whole Grain)

Filling:
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/2 tsp. almond extract
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. lemon juice
1 egg

Topping:
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon

Preheat oven to 375º. Prepare muffin mix per package directions. Pour half of batter into greased 9x5 loaf pan. Combine filling ingredients and beat on medium speed until well combined. Spread filling over muffin batter and top with remaining batter. Prepare topping and sprinkle over batter. Bake for 45-55 minutes. Cool and store in the fridge.

Another UFO Finished

I've had this cross stitch piece laying around for years. I just added some scraps and made it into a small pillow. I have quite a few cross stitch pieces that need to be finished into wall hangings or pillows. Many of these will go into the gift bin.

My Retreat

Follow me up these stairs to my retreat. I’m so lucky to have a room in which to do my crafting in. This room also serves as a family room/office.

On one side of the room you will find the crafting/sewing area. The oak library table is used for sewing and digital scrapbooking. When I’m not sewing, I can just slide the machine to the back of the table and pull out my laptop to blog or to do my digital scrapbooking. To the right of the cutting table is a bin that is holding my UFOs. I’d like to eventually either purchase or build a more sturdy cutting table with storage below for the projects I’m working on. Out of photo range is an oak secretary that holds office supplies and craft books.To the right of that is a bathroom. This is a major asset. No more running up and down the stairs.

Storage in a craft room is essential. This room has a large walk in closet. On one side of the closet I placed a bookshelf on the back wall. This shelf is used to hold my scrapbook supplies and quilting magazines.

To the left of this shelf I had wire shelves installed. My husband thinks I must be the plastic bin queen. I’m still sorting through my supplies, but hope to eventually have each bin labeled. 

On the right side of this closet is the attic access. We aren’t using the attic space for storage, but I wanted something on this  wall that would be easy to move in the event we needed to get into this space. This is where I put my two rolling fabric bins. Above this is a wire shelf that I have batting stored on. I think this closet is my favorite thing in this room. There’s plenty of room to store supplies, but now I can just shut the door so all the clutter is out of sight.

Across the room from the crafting area is the family room area. This is the perfect place to do some hand sewing and to browse craft books and magazines.

Tasty Breakfast Casserole

I'm always on the lookout for easy and tasty meals to prepare. I love breakfast foods, but when you are working breakfast usually ends up being a bowl of cereal. So sometimes, breakfast foods end up being served for dinner. If Bob Evans can do it, then why not at home. This casserole needs to be prepared the night ahead.

1 lb. lean bulk sausage
6 slice white bread, cubed
2 Tbsp. butter, melted
1 1/2 cups shredded cheese
5 eggs, beaten
2 cups half and half
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. dry mustard

Brown sausage and drain excess fat. Toss bread cubes with melted butter and arrange in greased 9" x 13" baking pan. Top with sausage and cheese. Combine all remaining ingredients and mix well. Pour over casserole dish and chill overnight. Bake at 350 degrees for 40-50 minutes.

This would be the perfect meal to enjoy on Easter morning, especially after the early morning sunrise services. Enjoy!

I'm Hooked on Nook

Ever since I was a child and I learned to read, I've loved books. (No surprise that I ended up with a career as a reading teacher and librarian.) I love books and probably always will.  After moving box after box of books in our latest move, I decided it was time to limit the books I buy to craft and decorating books. There's just not enough room to store all of these books. First I had to purge my collection by selling some at Half Price Books and donating the rest.

Of course, I'm still going to be a reader so many books will be borrowed from my local library. I also decided to join the e-book craze and purchased a Nook.  It's not going to replace the feel of holding a real book, but it does have other advantages that I enjoy. I can have immediate access to e-books if the public library doesn't have the book available. I also like the convenience of being able to download samples of books before I actually decide to purchase a copy. Why a Nook instead of a Kindle? With the Nook you can download e-books from the public library and transfer them to the Nook. And just think, now I'll have more room in my luggage, instead of packing it with four or five books. It's just the right size for tucking into my purse. Have any of you jumped on the e-book bandwagon?

No Idle Hands Here

In the evenings I like to watch a little TV, but I'm not one to have idle hands. I also decided when I retired to use some of my free time for charity work, so I decided to pick up my crochet hooks and do a little stitching while watching televison, but first I needed a little refresher. I purchased Teach Yourself Visually Crochet. It is a great book for the beginner or for someone who needs a refresher like me. The directions and pictures are easy to understand. I found a local charity that makes blankets/afghans not only for babies but for children of all ages going into foster care. Then it was off to Joann's to pick out some yarn. I found this purple varigated yarn I thought would appeal to an older child or teenager.

I decided to go with an easy pattern. I used a size I crochet hook for this project. I started with a chain of 150 stitches. I used the half double crochet stitch for the entire afghan. Once I had the size I wanted I did a border of four rows of single crochet around the entire afghan.

Easy-Peasy and a great way to be productive while watching TV.

Spring Decorating

The sun is shining, but it is still pretty chilly outside. I don't know about you, but I'm sick of winter. I'm ready to get outside to putter in the yard and do some front porch sitting. Since I can't do anything about the weather, I decided I could at least bring a little spring indoors.

Come on In

Moving to a new home is hugh decision and a ton of work. It has been almost four months since we moved into our new home. The boxes have been unpacked and for the most part the decorating is done. We are finally at the stage we can enjoy quiet evenings at home or spending time exploring our new community. We are absolutely loving everything about the community and home we have chosen. There were two factors that sold us on this house; the location and floorplan. We moved from a small community that offered very little to do. We now have plenty of cultural and outdoor activities and shopping choices. Plus we are now only 15 minutes away from our son and his family. This is also a home we feel we can grow old (older) in. It is basically a ranch with a bonus room upstairs.

Come on in for a peek.....

This house has a large front porch. We will be putting a couple of black rockers on the porch as soon as it warms up. This area gets a lot of shade. I can't wait to spend time out here rocking and reading. As you enter the front door you are immediately drawn into the great room/kitchen. The open floor plan was a must for me. In our previous homes the kitchen was closed off from the living area. On the right of entryway are two bedrooms and bath. To the left is the dining room.

The great room is the area where we spend most of our time. It is a comfortable space to read, relax, watch television, and spend time with family. I do most of my blog reading and hand stitching in the recliner by the windows.

This area had to be child friendly, so anything fragile is put on the shelves in the television cabinet. There is also a child size table and kitchen center for our granddaughter to play at.