Move Along

The beautiful journey of today can only begin when we learn to let go of yesterday.

Dr. Steve Maraboli

Great Cage Cover-Up for Your Dog

I saw this in a magazine and thought it was a great idea.  Personally, we are animal lovers and I immediately loved the idea of being able to camouflage something as big as a dog cage.  This couple built their table just a little large than the cage so they could slide the cage out the end or on the side.  She took fabric panels and cut them down and made a pocket at the top for tension rods and hide the rod under the table apron.  If you wanted to go all out, I've seen some really cute animal fabric and you could make your own curtain for each side. 

Just love this idea!  :)

Wishing You a Beautiful Day

Whatever your religious belief, I wish you a beautiful day with your loved ones!

What A Wonderful World!!!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8WHKRzkCOY

A Cup of Gratitude

I'm drinking in a big cup of Gratitude this morning.  The picture in the background are my favorite people in the world plus our Star Dutch.  He was just a twinkle in his mom's eye when this picture was taken.  My cup is running over this morning with gratitude and thankfulness.  You are probably thinking it's not Thanksgiving are you looking at the wrong month on the calendar.  No, I know what month it is, I just can never say thank you enough for my life, my family, our friends and the journey!

I don't want you to get the wrong idea, life has not been perfect but real happiness doesn't come from having enough money, or the perfect job, or the right mate or anything physical.  It comes from inside.  I was thinking this morning of some of the things we have been through and at the time they seemed so hard but after you've been through the testing or trial, you can look back and feel good that you came through, that you learned some important lessons and that you are a better and stronger person for the experience.  But today I'm glad I'm on the other side of some of the testing and that I can look at them and know that I came through and I feel for other people who are going through their trials and I hope they learn what they need to learn and they come through their testing being a stronger person.  It's hard to have resilience, to not give up and to remember that part of success is failure.  And I love this quote, " you have failed when you stop trying." 

Whatever your issues may be today, I pray for your strength, determination and that you will never, never give up.  I encourage you to take the time to sit and think about all the things you have to be thankful for, it's just wonderful to sit in a quiet room alone.  I also love this quote, in fact, it hangs in our family room, "Let us be silent that we may hear the whisper of God."  Emerson

Always, much love~

Good Thought!

Kindness in words creates confidence. Kindness in thinking creates profoundness.  Kindness in giving creates love.

Lao Tzu 

Pinterest and Pie Crust

My daughter actually signed me up on Pinterest and I love looking at all the recipes and decorating ideas.   If I don't watch myself, I can spend too much time looking at this.  Before I know it, two hours have passed. What I wanted to tell you about in case you haven't seen it are the pie crust ideas on Pinterest. They are literal works of art.  I enjoy making pies and I can't wait to try some of the ideas I saw.  For the holidays, take one of your favorite pies and make it a show stopper on your dessert table.

Mistletoe Picture

I found this cute picture at Hobby Lobby.  I think it made a cute vignette on our mantel. 

An Informative Ted Talk

This information is a must!  I hope you will take the time to listen to this Ted Talk it is about 10 minutes.        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0s__qs0cBek

Gary's Cheese Ball

My husband is becoming quite the recipe saver from the internet.  He found this cheese ball recipe and it turned out to be really good.  If you are a bacon lover you will love it.  I do this only in December for Gary.  He really loves cheese balls and he is a snacker so he enjoys being able to go to the frig and pull out his cheese ball with some crackers and have a snack.  It is also good to have on hand for company who stops by.  You can add some some carrots, sliced cucumbers and celery with a vegetable dip and have a great little snack for friends.

This recipe also suggested making the cheese mixture into small bite size balls and sticking a pretzel into each ball to pick it up.  I thought this was a great idea for parties.  It takes more time to make individual cheese balls but it's a great idea.

12 ounces of cream cheese, softened
1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese
1 teaspoon garlic powder, (I used 3 medium size garlic cloves and minced them)
1 teaspoon paprika
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
8 slices of bacon, cooked and finely chopped
1/3 cup finely chopped fresh chives
1/3 cup finely chopped pecans

Mix together cream cheese, cheddar cheese, garlic, paprika and salt and pepper.  (I also added the chives and pecans because I wanted them on the inside of the cheese ball instead of a garnish for the outside.)  When this is well combined shape into 18 small cheese balls or one large one and refrigerate for one hour.

In a shallow bowl or on a plate, stir together cooked bacon, chives and pecans.  Roll the balls in this mixture and insert a pretzel stick.  If not serving immediately, wrap loosely with plastic wrap and keep in the frig.  Let these sit at room temperature 15 minutes before serving.

My Latest Junk Store Find

I was at a junk store in Chickasha recently and found this.  I loved the way it looked and it reminded me of a dome cloche that sets over plants.  My original intent was to put it in my flower bed among the flowers and maybe plant something in that opening.  But I was talking to the owner of the store and he told me it was an onion basket.  I did a little research but didn't find anything that looked quit like this.  I'm looking for some fake onions that I can put in it.  I really like the way it looks in my kitchen.

Kale Apple Salad

There are a lot of recipes these days for kale salad and there is a lot of similarities between them all. 
I made this one for dinner last night and Gary and I really liked it. The kale, apples, and dates are all supposed to be cut very thin, but I didn't take the time to do that.  It was passed our dinner time and we were very hungry.  :)

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon honey
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 bunch kale, ribs removed, leaves very thinly sliced
1 honey crisp apple (or another variety crisp tart apple), cut into matchsticks
1/4 cup dates, pitted, sliced into thin slivers
1/4 cup walnut pieces
1/4 cup Parmigiana Reggiano cheese flakes
2 slices bacon (optional)

Make the dressing by whisking together the lemon juice, olive oil, Dijon mustard, honey and 1/4 teaspoon salt.  In a salad bowl add the kale and toss with the dressing to coat all leaves well; set aside for approximately 10 minutes while preparing the remaining ingredients.

To matchstick the apple, cut it in half, lay it on the cutting board skin side up, slice thinly toward the core.  Take the apple slices and stack them together and slice again to make matchsticks.

In a skillet over medium heat, toast the walnut pieces.  Stir often and watch closely to avoid burning.  Once done, transfer to a small bowl and set aside.

Cut the bacon slices into thin strips.  In the same skillet used to toast the walnuts, cook the bacon bits over medium heat, stirring frequently until nicely browned.  Once done, transfer the bacon bits to a small plate or bowl and set aside.

Add the apples, dates, walnuts and cheese to the kale.  Toss well and top with the bacon before serving. 

Serves 4

Bert and Miss America

This is my oldest and dearest friend.  We have know each other since we were probably five years old.  We grew up in the same neighborhood 3 houses between us.  There are so many memories from grade school, to junior high and then high school not to mention all of our neighbor escapades. The one I will tell you about is Bert and Miss America and it has stuck with us through the years.  To this day I receive many cards and gifts from her, signed Bert.  :)

My mom had several friends who were in Eastern Star (a masonic organization for women) and they would give me all of their long formal dresses and high heels.  I loved to play dress up.  There were two other girls in our neighborhood and we would gather at my house and have a Miss America pageant and my dear friend was always Bert Parks.  The rest of us girls would decide what state we were from and we waited in the garage until our state was called by "Bert" and then we waltzed out of the garage in our long dresses and high heels and made our way down the run way (which was a long sidewalk to my dad's dog pin where he kept his birddogs) LOL.  I wish we had this on video.  The ending to this story is she always let me win "Miss America." So, to this day I'm Miss American and she is Bert.

I can never begin to tell you how much I admire her and of all her accomplishments.  She never went to college but was second in command with the IRS at one time(I don't know her official title) and she teaches at Auburn University several times a year. In fact, during her interview with the IRS position they couldn't believe she hadn't attended college. I've never know anyone with her sense of humor.  I told her she missed her calling, she should have been a comedy writer because she is hilarious!  She holds a special place in my heart and I love her very much.  She lives out of state and we don't get to see each other very often.  But we keep in touch through e-mails.

The picture above was over the Thanksgiving holiday.  Her niece and I helped her with a surprise birthday party for her sister who turned 70.  I always cherish the time we get to spend with each other.  She is the "godmother, I call her the godgrandmother" of my grandson.  Dutch got to see her for the first time at this party and he became quit smitten with her.  Maybe, she will make more trips back to OKC. :)

Last Rose of the Season

I usually post the first roses of the season.  They are so beautiful and perfect.  But this little one popped up on my rose bush and I had to bring it in.  It was so perfect!

Thanksgiving Centerpiece

This was my centerpiece for Thanksgiving.  I have wanted to do a natural centerpiece using flowers, fruits and vegetables.  This didn't turn out exactly the way I wanted it but it was ok.  My daughter brought this little place mat for Dutch.  I thought it was a cute idea.