Not really cat food but ornaments offered by Purina’s Fancy Feast cat food.
I have all of the ornaments that Fancy Feast has offered over the years, 1984-2009. The 2009 ornament is the tree topper. I love these ornaments but they do limit my color choices. They are just perfect for my skinny tree.
These ornaments started out in 1984 and for 12 Fancy Feast cat food labels and $2.99 you got the ornament. It was made by Russ (stuffed animals). To this day they are the same price plus the same number of labels. That just amazes me. But , of course, Fancy Feast cat food has certainly not stayed the same price.
This is a sack from the store that my Dad managed for 30 years. DUKE & AYRES I am going to frame it in one of the vintage frames I have. This is a project that will take some patience, which I am good working at. This is hard to see but is a yardsale money apron that I made from a towel. I put a note pad in one of the pockets to show it actually has pockets. I’m a horrible not very good seamstress but it will do.
I also made a curtain for the guest room. Sewing kinds of things just blow my mind but I do enjoy doing them-----when they work.
I have a tendency to have holiday overload. Not on family and friends and the holiday per se but on the decorations. I think it is because I plan them so far in advance.
I get overloaded on Halloween but tend to enjoy the Thanksgiving decor more. It is more subtle at our home. Christmas decor on the other hand, is much more festive and lively. I am going to try and hold off on decorating for a little while longer. I hope to hold out until Dec. 1. But I have already started gift wrapping and revamping a few things. I am keeping them in the shed for a while to hopefully keep the overload from happening.
This was in the original box!! I found it in this weird attic type place in our bathroom. Older homes have weird places in them. We also have a trap door in our bathroom closet. Hope we never have to use it but it is very near the outside opening to the crawlspace so I guess we could escape if the need arose.
This ugly thing was in that weird place and I don’t know where it came from. I removed the plastic holly and the glass shade. Then I painted the plastic candle and candle holder a cream color. It is staying in the shed for now. Today was sunny but windy. So I worked in the shed. It will soon be too cold to work out there but fine for storing my goodies.
When we moved into our home in 1973, there were lots of hidden treasures and just plain old junk. Today I was cleaning out the last closet on my list and came across these old things. They were in our home when we moved in. Some were in the garage and some were just in closets. I have no idea what to do with them but don’t dare throw them out.
They are made of wood that I can tell is really old and the oval ones and the one above are covered with a plaster-like material.
I like the white bamboo one above best. I need to get it fixed. Notice it has a string to hang it. The others have wire that is attached with screws.
I hate that the stand one is missing the top.
These were the only pictures included with the frames.
This dirty, old needle work wasn't found here but I think the shoe form was. The shoe form was with the frames in the last unorganized closet.
Even though these things were found 36 years ago, re-discovering them is a wonderful pleasure. Having all my closets cleaned out and re-organized is a huge, wonderful pleasure.
These are just the best things ever. I got the recipe from Paula Deen's site. I use these as gifts and everyone just raves about them. They are very easy to make but very messy---at least messy for me.
Lemon Blossoms
1 18.5 oz. pkg yellow cake mix 3 1/2 oz. pkg instant lemon pudding mix 4 large eggs 3/4 c vegetable oil
Glaze: 4 c sifted confectioners' sugar 1/3 c fresh lemon juice 1 lemon, zested 3 T vegetable oil 3 T water
Preheat oven to 350.
Spray mini-muffin tins with cooking spray. Combine the cake mix, pudding mix, eggs and oil and blend well with electric mixer until smooth, about 2 min. Pour small amt. of batter, filling each muffin tin half way. I like the smaller ones better so I don't fill even half way. Bake for 12 min. Turn out onto a cup-towel.
To make glaze, sift the sugar into a mixing bowl. Add lemon juice, zest, oil and 3 T water. Mix with a spoon.
With fingers, (this is the messy part) dip the cupcakes into the glaze while still warm, covering as much fo the cake as possible, or spoon the glaze over the warm cupcakes turning to completely coat. I dip the bottom and spoon the top. Place on wire racks with waxed paper underneath to catch any drips. I set my racks on cookie sheets to catch the drips so I can use it again if necessary. Let the glaze set thoroughly. about and hr, before storing in containers with tight-fitting lids.
This makes about 5 dozen depending on the size of the cakes. Be sure not to fill the tins full because they are just so much better when they are small and crispy.
I had a picture but it just didn't do them justice. When I went back to get a better picture, they were gone. I had given about half of them away and the other half just vanished. Nicky and I don't eat them so...........just saying.
I found this little metal star at $Tree and thought it would be just what I wanted for the hutch.
Just a little spray paint and it is just what I had in mind for this spot.
Yesterday we got Mother's chores done and then Mike built my little porch for the shed. Now it is much easier to get into.
We have a couple of bank meals coming up. I am anxious to see what is served. They are catered by Dining Around, which always has something different. This is a fun time of the year. Lots of get-togethers and celebrations.
These are the little nests we found while trimming bushes. One of them was lined with plastic bags!! The little bird was a gift from Heather, the girl that cleans for us. I love it. Mike found the eggs a couple of years ago. They were on the ground after a high wind and I have had them in a cupboard all this time.
Today is work day at my mother's. Lots of hard and dirty work but hopefully it will be done for a while. We moved the table into my shed yesterday. I think I'm really going to like doing messy crafts out there. I have it all set up for glittering.
Today is my husband's birthday. I asked him what he'd like for lunch. We are so into simple pleasures---he asked for potato soup and pecan pie. I made the pie at 4 a.m. and got the soup on when I came home from exercising. I kind of played it by ear but it actually turned out good.
I'm calling it:
Baked Potato Soup
2 cans of chicken broth 2 large potatoes cut into cubes
1 can of evaporated milk 3 T butter salt and pepper to taste
1 16 oz. carton of sour cream
Boil potatoes in the broth until tender. Add the milk, butter, and salt and pepper. Boil for 15-20 minutes and add the sour cream. Cook on low heat until the sour cream is dissolved.
This ratty, useless old drawer is now a shiny clean ribbon caddy.
This disorganized ribbon drawer has been rummaged through too many times. So, from messy to organized.
I love how it turned out.
I have one more ratty old drawer and lots more disorganized ribbons. Tomorrow I am going to pick up 2 more dowels, paint that old drawer and organize more ribbons.
My new shed sure has helped me want to get more organized.
I had an old warped chest of drawers in the old shed. The drawers were warped so badly that they couldn't come out. This thing was so ugly. It had been brown, red, yellow, and white. I salvaged 2 drawers. Here is the before. I have one of them painted and the bottom removed. I'll have to wait until we finish chipping and shredding and then maybe get the holes drilled in it for dowels. Hopefully that will get done today. I think it will make an easy way to carry my stash of ribbons from the shed to the house.
I was in the middle of several projects when Mike decided we needed to trim bushes. We worked for 6 hours yesterday and got lots of mulch. We have a pile of debris in the drive way waiting on us to chipper it up this morning. Hopefully that is it for a while. I love getting this all done but hate the doing. I'd rather play with my 'projects.'
One little plus to all that work, we found 2 really cute, dainty birds nests. I have them Lysol-ed and now I need decide where to display them.
This is my great-nephew, Rhett. He had a very bad day yesterday. First, he busted his lip night before last while trying to use a trick or treat pumpkin as a stool. The next morning he got a huge goose egg on his forehead while running down the hallway with his hands full of toys. Then the poor little guy stepped on a dead bee. The stinger was apparently still active and stung the bottom of his foot. On top of all that, he has a sinus infection. Life is hard when you are just a little guy. At least he got to ride on the tractor with his Dad as a little treat. I sure hope things get better for him fast!
Jack My youngest Sugarplum. He is definitely one of a kind. He is the kind of kid that is an only child. That is---if he'd been born first, he'd more than likely be an only child. Just kidding. But he is a handful.
Jack is home sick today. In fact he went home from school early yesterday after throwing up on a little boy. That poor little boy and poor little Jack. Jack never means to do these types of things and is always so sorry. But he is just the type of kid that has a lot of, lets say, adventures. Ah, pre-K Ah, Jack.
I have put the cauldron in the shed to wait for next Halloween. We don't have a turkey roaster but we do have a Showtime Rotisserie.
It sure makes a good turkey too.
I redid this:
It now hangs on the back door and looks pretty good---not as good as Amelia's but I am satisfied.
In typical me fashion, I bought a plaque that had the holes cut in wacky places. So I just covered it with a napkin and then added some letters.
Thanksgiving decorations are much more subdued than the Halloween and Christmas ones. I tend to not get as tired of them. But I do love decorating for Christmas. We have actually already bought several Christmas gifts. We are giving more practical gifts this year. Mostly due to the fact that the sugarplums' rooms are crammed packed with toys. They will get toys from us but also more practical things. I always thought that Christmas gifts from grandparents needed to be totally frivolous things that were badly wanted by the little ones. I still do to a point but houses can just hold so much. It is still fun to find just the right thing for them though. Sugarplums are such pleasures. I'm going to work on the idea of donating some of their toys. The older sugarplums will definitely go for it. Jack..........not at all.
I'm not making this. I have made it and it is very easy to do. But it is my favorite pie. My mother-in-law makes it every Thanksgiving. I only have it once a year but I always begin to crave it about this time of the year.
Margaret's Chocolate Pie
2/3 c sugar 1/3 c cornstarch 2 c milk 3 egg yokes 2 T butter 1 t vanilla Milk Chocolate Dove Bar (this is what makes it so good)
Blend the sugar and cornstarch together. Mix in 1/2 c milk and then the rest of the milk. Slightly beat the egg yolks and add to the mixture. Cook until thick.-----in the microwave!!! (this is what makes it so easy) Remove from the heat and add butter and vanilla. Add chocolate while the custard mixture is still hot.
Pour into a baked pie shell. Add meringue and bake until it is brown.
Now, I've made this without meringue because I wasn't good at meringue until I found this recipe:
USE A BIG BOWL Marshmallow Creme Meringue
3 egg whites dash of salt 1 c marshmallow creme
Beat the egg whites and salt until soft peaks form. Gradually add the marshmallow creme beating until soft peaks form. Spread over pie filling to the edge of the crust. Bake 350 degrees about 12 minutes.
Never fails--it is wonderful.
Margaret also uses the custard recipe for her coconut pie which most of the men at the Thanksgiving table love. She never has less than 10 different types of pies and cakes for this feast.
Left over roast and the stock that has been cooked in a crock pot 1 C mini carrots 1 C chopped celery 1 potato diced 1 envelope of brown gravy mix 1 envelope of onion soup mix 1 can of broth
Put all the above into a crock pot and cook on high until the carrots and celery are done. Then simmer for 2-3 hours. Of course it can cook all day long.
This is how I do stew but it is so easy to adjust. We love the meaty shoulder roasts. I cook it in the crock pot for one meal and then use the left overs in this stew.
I serve it with bread machine French bread. Yum
The house smells wonderful with the bread and the stew cooking. This is just the perfect meal for a dreary, wet day.
Yup, I know I'm a math major but this is sugarplum math not regular math. Here is how it works: One coughing sugarplum + one more coughing sugarplum = one coughing nana. So far Granddaddy is ok. Hope he stays that way.
I've been sick for over a week now and there doesn't seem to be an end anywhere in the near future. Nothing seems to help for long so I'm just staying inside and enjoying a life of leisure. Well, except for not being able to talk for coughing. I can still eat though so no biggie on the talking. My abs are so sore I'm hoping when I get well they will be nice and firm---yeah, right.
Maybe next week will be better. It is suppose to be sunny next week. Tomorrow and Friday are going to be rainy again but then a several nice dry days are forecasts. I hope that is true.
One sad little thing that is going to come about by my illness---for the first time since we moved into this house 36 years ago, we aren't going to be able to hand out treats on Halloween. I just don't feel like it and with so much anxiety over the H1N1 I don't want to chance infecting anyone with anything. Mike will be out of town until later in the evening so our treats are going to just stay in the big black cauldron we use each Halloween. The treats will be put to good use though. We are going to donate them to Campfire and Church. I just wonder how it will feel to hear all those happy Trick or Treaters going by on our new sidewalk and not be able to sit on the porch and give them a treat.
It's not even Halloween yet! But I couldn't resist these things from Dollar Tree. My problem is that I start thinking about decorations so early that when I finally get things out---I'm tired of them in no time. Need to work on that.
This is the type of project I need to be spending my time on. This picture is Amelia's. http://amelias-musings.blogspot.com/ (She also has some great Christmas blocks.) I love her plaque. It is just so pretty and the colors are perfect and she did such a neat job on it. She even put real chestnuts on it. Very creative!
I told her that I had a plaque, some paint and the letters. I wanted to copy. HA!Here is what I have so far.
I totally botched my paint job so I tried to do a little antiquing of the letters. That's what I get for doing spray painting in the damp rainy weather. Impatience is what it is.
I will work on it after the sugarplums go home and see what I can come up with. Sugarplums and projects don't work well together. But they do inspire. This is one I'm working on that was inspired by the Sugarplums.
I bought this brand new for less than an dollar in the 70s. The variety store in the town we moved to in 73 had been in the same family's hands since it opened. The old lady that ran it was in her 80s and was the daughter of the man who first opened its door. She still had LOTS of the original merchandise and lots of things from the 40s and 50s. I bought several tin toys and this sifter. I found it on ebay for around $10. I don't want to sell mine. I'm going to sift with it. This is the last of the treasures I had tucked away in the old shed.
Today A.J. and I went to see Where the Wild Things Are. It was good. He enjoyed it. I'm glad Jack didn't get to go because to me, it was for an older child. Very good lesson to learn. A.J. goes home tomorrow and Jack comes to stay for a couple of days. What pleasures my grandsons are.
Pictures from ebay 2 man timber saw that my nieces found in their granddad's barn and gave to me. They didn't want it back.
Cotton corders or combs that were in our house when we moved in.
Cotton scale that was also found in our house.
Hay saw. The farmers used this to saw slices of hay from the hay stacks. A friend gave it to us.
Today it is sunny, at last. A.J. and I are off to our local museum with several items to donate. The pictures above I got from ebay. I never could get good pictures so I just copied. I also have some old tools that my husband's uncle gave us and an old mirror that came from a super old hospital. The wife of the doctor who owned the hospital was a friend of my mother's. She gave it to her and mother gave it to me. It is so heavy but just 18x12 inches. It has a brass frame. All these things are way too old for a yard sale and I didn't want to put them in an antique shop. None of the family wanted them so our little museum will make them a perfect home.
Only we call it chicken enchilada 'DISH' because I am serving it to an 11 year old boy. Boys and casseroles mesh. At least that is how it is at our house.
I halved this because it makes 10 servings.
3 C shredded, cooked chicken 1 pkg taco seasoning 2 C salsa 9 fajita-sized tortillas 1 can refried beans, warmed in microwave 8 oz. sour cream 3 C shredded cheddar cheese
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Mix chicken, taco seasoning, 1/2 c. water and salsa in a skillet. Simmer on Med. heat for 10 min. Coat a 13x9 inch pan with Pam. Cover bottom of pan with 3 tortillas, over lapping. Pour on chicken mixture. Cover with 3 more tortillas and spread warm beans and sour cream on them. Sprinkle half the cheese over beans and sour cream. Cover with 3 more tortillas and top with remaining chicken mixture and remaining cheese. Bake for 25-28 minutes.
I don't eat some of the ingredients so I just did small tortillas for Mike and A.J. It sure does look and smell good.
I love this little Dollar Tree frame. Is is plastic but the size and shape and ribbon hanger are unique. I put a monogram B on some off white fabric to make a cute hanging for the bedroom.
This tin of birds from Dollar Tree looks good on my shelf. I have so much green in this room and this tin is a perfect color.I decided not to paint the mat for the picture. I have lots of these watercolors. The artist sent them to me as Christmas cards over the years.The Halloween Mantle
I finally got this right. I trimmed this pot of mums back severely in Aug. and they actually bloomed the first of Oct.
I want to welcome you to my blog. My life is richly blessed with an abundance of pleasures--great and simple. This blog is mostly about the simple ones, crafting, decorating, gardening, baking, Goodwill browsing and yard sales. I also occasionally blog about my greatest pleasures, my grandsons, my husband, my friends and Nicky Noodle, the ultimate cat. Please feel free to look around a bit. I'd love to meet you if you care to comment. Come back any time.
I love these ornaments but they do limit my color choices. They are just perfect for my skinny tree.
Pictures from ebay
