Ok, haven't we all had that moment in our lives where we look around at all the stuff we have accumulated over (insert # of days, months, years here)? I am currently having one of those moments! My bestie, haven't figured out her pseudo name yet, is an organizer. We should all have one of those in our lives. She bites her tongue, but I know that she itches every time she goes into my basement to use our laser printer. My basement has absorbed a lot. I am ashamed to say that we have not gone through things that we took from my father-in-law after his death 11 (wow!) years ago, my mother going on 5 years ago, and his aunt 2 1/2 years ago. The problem is, DH and I are both "sentimental savers".
So, it is my quest to purge my basement! And I am doing a pretty good job so far I think, but I know that once I am done, I could probably still have another garage sale in a few months with the stuff behind/underneath the stuff I am selling now. I like to post pictures on this blog because I think that it adds a nice bit of "interest" but, if I may be frank, I am ashamed to do it! I am currently doing the sort between, if we have another baby, am I going to want this? Will I be able to get the same thing from another garage sale when/if that time comes? Is the space in my basement worth more to me than having this at the ready IF we have another one? *sigh* If I only had all the money in the world, I would give away almost everything and just start over again when that time comes, but sadly I do not have all the money in the world and will have a small budget to deal with at that time. And, as my organizing bestie as said to me, I will want to buy new things too!
I keep reciting to myself, the thing does not contain the memory, your heart contains the memory. If you haven't used it or seen it in 12 months, you do not need to have it in your life. If you don't love it, it doesn't fit, or you don't get compliments on it, you don't need it. Yes, I listen to all those shows I have watched. Implementing is harder than reciting though.
I am hoping that by the end of this weekend, I will have a fatter wallet (for a much needed trip to see the fam) and a much more open feeling basement. It will not be miraculous yet, but more organized will be an improvement. Maybe I will post a pic of before and after once I know what the after looks like. :o) Ok, I just laughed at myself!
I hope you enjoy your day!
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Wasn't that three day weekend wonderful? The weather in Northern Illinois was great except for a brief interruption by mother nature dropping buckets of water on us! My boys had a blast with the inflatable pool and their newest favorite toy - squirt guns!
So, we went to a friend's Serbian church for their holiday picnic. On the church grounds they have pit roasters where they roast pork and lamb and it is delicious! They also have a selection of different types of pastries which I will not attempt to butcher spelling! Suffice it to say, everything tasted wonderful and I would love to try and duplicate some of the fare at home! That might be a post sometime in the future.
I HAD to bring something to the picnic, I am one of those people that hates to go anywhere empty handed and I usually try to bring something homemade. So, I made this recipe again:
http://darlingdoodles.blogspot.com/2011/11/gobble-me-up.html
The cookies are pretty yummy! They were a hit with all the kids when we went to the water park a couple weeks ago. This time, I added a little Almond Extract in addition to the vanilla. I think it added a little extra flavor without being too much. Here is a pic:
Needless to say, I have to get on my bike now and tow the boys around! Too much eating this weekend! Hope you enjoy your day!
So, we went to a friend's Serbian church for their holiday picnic. On the church grounds they have pit roasters where they roast pork and lamb and it is delicious! They also have a selection of different types of pastries which I will not attempt to butcher spelling! Suffice it to say, everything tasted wonderful and I would love to try and duplicate some of the fare at home! That might be a post sometime in the future.
I HAD to bring something to the picnic, I am one of those people that hates to go anywhere empty handed and I usually try to bring something homemade. So, I made this recipe again:
http://darlingdoodles.blogspot.com/2011/11/gobble-me-up.html
The cookies are pretty yummy! They were a hit with all the kids when we went to the water park a couple weeks ago. This time, I added a little Almond Extract in addition to the vanilla. I think it added a little extra flavor without being too much. Here is a pic:
I imagine the people at my husband's work are happy to have the leftovers this morning too! They go GREAT with a cup of coffee....hence why I sent them away! :O)
Sunday, May 27, 2012
Roasted Tomatoes with Cheese
Hi! I tried a Pinterest recipe last night....but I tweaked it. I have to apologize for the picture I am uploading because my camera in my phone kind of stinks. New phone in August, I promise. Anyway, the idea for these came from this pin: http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/baked_parmesan_tomatoes.html
I had BIG tomatoes so I cut off the top with the yucky core in the middle and then I cut a 1 inch thick slice and then had about the same size left of the bottom. I preheated my oven to 450 with the convection on. I placed the tomatoes on a broiler pan lined with foil for easier clean up. I pretty much used all the same ingredients, but in a different order. The original recipe said to put the herbs and oil on top of the cheese but that just didn't make sense to me. It's the tomato I want to flavor, not the cheese? So, I sprinkled about 1 teaspoon of EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil) on top and then sprinkled them each with Onion Powder, Italian Seasoning blend (has oregano, basil, majoram, thyme & rosemary), and some Garlic Powder. Then, I generously covered the tops of each tomato with a 4 blend Italian Cheese. I have to say that they were pretty delicious.
Here is the quick reference recipe:
2 BIG Tomatoes with tops cut off and then sliced into 2 1-inch thick slices
4 Teaspoons EVOO
4 Teaspoons Italian Blend Seasoning
1 1/2 Teaspoons Onion Powder
1 1/2 Teaspoons Garlic Powder
1/2 - 3/4 cup of Italian Blend Cheese
Bake in a 450 degree oven for 15 minutes. I used the convection feature on my oven and I thought it browned up the cheese very well. Here is the pic:
I had BIG tomatoes so I cut off the top with the yucky core in the middle and then I cut a 1 inch thick slice and then had about the same size left of the bottom. I preheated my oven to 450 with the convection on. I placed the tomatoes on a broiler pan lined with foil for easier clean up. I pretty much used all the same ingredients, but in a different order. The original recipe said to put the herbs and oil on top of the cheese but that just didn't make sense to me. It's the tomato I want to flavor, not the cheese? So, I sprinkled about 1 teaspoon of EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil) on top and then sprinkled them each with Onion Powder, Italian Seasoning blend (has oregano, basil, majoram, thyme & rosemary), and some Garlic Powder. Then, I generously covered the tops of each tomato with a 4 blend Italian Cheese. I have to say that they were pretty delicious.
Here is the quick reference recipe:
2 BIG Tomatoes with tops cut off and then sliced into 2 1-inch thick slices
4 Teaspoons EVOO
4 Teaspoons Italian Blend Seasoning
1 1/2 Teaspoons Onion Powder
1 1/2 Teaspoons Garlic Powder
1/2 - 3/4 cup of Italian Blend Cheese
Bake in a 450 degree oven for 15 minutes. I used the convection feature on my oven and I thought it browned up the cheese very well. Here is the pic:
I was thinking that you could probably use a good Italian Dressing in place of all of the oil and herbs....just a drizzle on each slice of tomato and then top with cheese. I might try this in the future and let you know how it comes out. I also have some Wildtree Smoked Mozzarella & Tomato Blend seasoning mix that I was thinking might also do well in place of the herbs in the recipe. Obviously, this will be tried at least a few more times this summer. And probably at least once or twice on the grill because we all know how it stinks to have the oven on battling with the AC during the summer! Let me know if you try this! It went great with my chicken breast that I topped with Greek yogurt and Parmesan cheese. My husband also liked it with his roasted Tilapia. I just can't get into eating fish.
Thanks for stopping by!
Yes, I do believe that I am now a Blogger!
So, for my first post, I thought I would explain where the name and concept for this blog started. It all happened 36+ years ago (YIKES) when my Mom gave birth to a baby girl! This after having 3 boys and then a long break from childbirth in between. She used to love to tell everyone that when the doctor told her that I was a girl, she didn't believe him so she had to pull my diaper down and check!
My Mom had always loved her boys, but what Mother doesn't want a little girl to dress up and do "girly" things with? She was a stay at home Mom (for the most part, some part time jobs in between) so she and I did those things during my childhood, baking cookies and cakes, planting flowers, sewing, crocheting. I really enjoyed doing that stuff with her, until my ugly teen years arrived. Suddenly, the idea of growing up to be a "Suzy Homemaker" was ludicrous to me! I wanted to write books and travel, and children? No, that's not for me! In fact, I took every elective that was available that did not pertain to the home or making of it in. any. way. It wasn't until my senior year that the small town high school that I went to ran out of electives and I was forced into a home economics type of class, I chose cooking and complained about it every single moment of every class. Thank goodness, I never insulted my Mother about her "job", I just avoided anything that would set my path in that same direction. I know that she wanted me to take sewing because she had always wanted me to learn the proper way of doing it because she had taught herself and knew her way wasn't always right. She always looked at my friends sewing projects and would ask me why didn't I have one....I would just say, I didn't take that class.
The years went by, I went to college for journalism with the full support of my Mom, she always believed in her children, we could literally do ANYTHING in her eyes. There is something powerful to be said about a Mother like that, I now find it inspiring. I worked for an insurance agency and became a pretty successful agent in the small town I grew up in. As a matter of fact, I sold insurance to a very special guy that soon became my husband. And, wouldn't you know it, he wanted children! And, so did I.
Eventually, my husband and I got transferred to Illinois by his employer and I had to hug my family and say goodbye. Of course, I visited home as often as I could, and I still do, but nothing replaces being just a short drive from those you love the most. And, most importantly, my Mom only got to hear about the new things I was trying to do with our new home. She wasn't there to help me decide what flowers and bushes to put in our yard, she wasn't there physically to help me pick out curtains. She wasn't there to look at me with that smile that only a Mother has when her child has become what she had always hoped she would be.
You see, a career wasn't important to my Mom. She always knew I could do anything, but what was most important to her was that I had love in my life and that I had the skills necessary to take whatever I had in front of me and make it mine. It didn't matter if it was a garden, or a piece of cloth, or a chicken (lol), or a struggle that is your cross to bear in life. She knew that if I was a well rounded person, I would be able to make the most of anything. So, here I am, the vision that she had 36 years ago, I am My Mother's Daughter. And, I am proud to say it.
My Mom had always loved her boys, but what Mother doesn't want a little girl to dress up and do "girly" things with? She was a stay at home Mom (for the most part, some part time jobs in between) so she and I did those things during my childhood, baking cookies and cakes, planting flowers, sewing, crocheting. I really enjoyed doing that stuff with her, until my ugly teen years arrived. Suddenly, the idea of growing up to be a "Suzy Homemaker" was ludicrous to me! I wanted to write books and travel, and children? No, that's not for me! In fact, I took every elective that was available that did not pertain to the home or making of it in. any. way. It wasn't until my senior year that the small town high school that I went to ran out of electives and I was forced into a home economics type of class, I chose cooking and complained about it every single moment of every class. Thank goodness, I never insulted my Mother about her "job", I just avoided anything that would set my path in that same direction. I know that she wanted me to take sewing because she had always wanted me to learn the proper way of doing it because she had taught herself and knew her way wasn't always right. She always looked at my friends sewing projects and would ask me why didn't I have one....I would just say, I didn't take that class.
The years went by, I went to college for journalism with the full support of my Mom, she always believed in her children, we could literally do ANYTHING in her eyes. There is something powerful to be said about a Mother like that, I now find it inspiring. I worked for an insurance agency and became a pretty successful agent in the small town I grew up in. As a matter of fact, I sold insurance to a very special guy that soon became my husband. And, wouldn't you know it, he wanted children! And, so did I.
Eventually, my husband and I got transferred to Illinois by his employer and I had to hug my family and say goodbye. Of course, I visited home as often as I could, and I still do, but nothing replaces being just a short drive from those you love the most. And, most importantly, my Mom only got to hear about the new things I was trying to do with our new home. She wasn't there to help me decide what flowers and bushes to put in our yard, she wasn't there physically to help me pick out curtains. She wasn't there to look at me with that smile that only a Mother has when her child has become what she had always hoped she would be.
You see, a career wasn't important to my Mom. She always knew I could do anything, but what was most important to her was that I had love in my life and that I had the skills necessary to take whatever I had in front of me and make it mine. It didn't matter if it was a garden, or a piece of cloth, or a chicken (lol), or a struggle that is your cross to bear in life. She knew that if I was a well rounded person, I would be able to make the most of anything. So, here I am, the vision that she had 36 years ago, I am My Mother's Daughter. And, I am proud to say it.
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