Gardener's Notebook

I bought this book and have used it the past few years.  It's written specifically for the area where I live, it's spiral bound for easy use, It's such a user-friendly book for the novice gardener - with a notes section, what to plant each month, how to care for your lawn, pests and diseases to be aware of, and more. It's a great gardener's manual for the Austin area - I hope you can find one for your area - wherever you might live!

Naan Pizza

Great veggie pizza, topped with slices of bacon:

I used Naan bread - a pack of two.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

In a skillet, fry two slices of bacon, drain and set aside.

Meanwhile place your Naan bread on a greased (you can use the bacon fat) baking sheet, and sprinkle with Fontina cheese.

In a pot of boiling salted water, boil 3/4 head chopped cauliflower and 1 cup chopped brussel sprouts for one minutes, drain, and rinse with cool water.

In a large bowl, mix the veggies with 1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes sliced thin, 2 T olive oil, 3 cloves chopped garlic, 1/2 tsp salt and generous amount of freshly ground pepper.

Spread the mixture over the Naan bread, top with bacon slices (broken in half) and bake about 8-10 minutes.

Enjoy....

Mandarin Mint

Found this beautiful candle at Altar'd State Store - but it's also available online - smells great - and the jar is so pretty and can be used when the wax is all gone!

My favorite is the Mandarin Mint...a great scent for spring.

Easter Fun

Today we attended an Easter festival, and two stations caught my eye - which are great ideas for your family gathering next weekend - if you have kids!

The first is "bobbing for donuts" - yes these are real donuts hanging in a tree!  Participants have to eat the donuts with hands behind their backs.

This second idea is like an arcade game, but it's shooting the eggs.  The backdrop is an old headboard for a bed! Cute, right?  Then the kids shoot nerf guns to knock over the eggs.

Weekend Picnic Salad

We cut this recipe out of our local newspaper, because the ingredients looked SO good!  And it did not disappoint!  What a great  mixture of tastiness that makes this chicken salad taste wonderful.

Instead of cooking a chicken, I opted to buy a rotisserie turkey breast, and de-boned and chopped it. Worked great!

Best Burrito!

My husband requested these burritos - from a family recipe given to me decades ago.  They are made with just a few simple ingredients:

1 lb ground meat
1 jar salsa (your choice)
1 can refried beans
1/2 onion, chopped
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
6-8 large flour tortillas

Brown the ground meat with the chopped onion, until meat is no longer pink, and onions are tender.  Pour in the salsa and the beans, and stir to mix, turning down the heat so that the mixture warms throughout.

In each large tortilla place cheese, then the bean/meat mixture, and fold in the sides and roll up.  I roll each burrito in a paper towel.  These taste even better the next day.  Just heat the microwave and enjoy...  (recipe makes 6-8 depending on how full you fill the tortillas!)

Broccoli Almond Salad

This salad takes very little effort to assemble, and it's very delicious!

Mix 1 T wholegrain mustard with 1 T sherry vinegar and 3 T olive oil in a salad bowl.  Season.

Chop one head of broccoli into small pieces and toss in the dressing.

Chop one avocado in half and scoop out bite size pieces into the dressing, using a spoon.

Toss to distribute the dressing, then serve with a handful of roasted almonds on top.

That's it!  (Double the dressing and broccoli if desired).

For Your Wrist

Lulu's online is a cute place for inexpensive jewelry - check out these bracelets!  Great for spring fashion!

Scarves for Spring

Have you seen these cute scarves for spring?  Check them out at Steinmart! 

pom pom scarf

tassel scarf

bloom scarf

Lost Socks

I saw this cute wall art/hanging for washrooms in a magazine recently, and found it on line at Birch Lane.  What a great functional piece for hanging up those missing pairs until they're found...or not...
And actually, this doesn't look hard to make it yourself with the right wire...and hooks!

Morning Mint

Shopping today in Bishop Arts District in Dallas, Texas I discovered this hand cream. I couldn't stop smelling my hands and feeling the softness, after I used it.  It's honestly the best smelling hand creme ever...if you like mint! Morning Mint Hand Cream!

Two Dish Dinner

We ate lunch at a place called All Good Cafe in Dallas, Texas today and my food was simple, yet so tasty - and here's what it was:

Frito pie - fritos, chili, tomatoes, onion and cheese.  The tomatoes made the dish!  And the chili was not too soupy, so that the fritos stayed crunchy - and it was served in a skillet.

Corn & Peppers - this was roasted corn on the cob, shaved off the cob,  and combined with red and green peppers - and it was the perfect accompaniment to the frito pie!

A great weekend supper/lunch to try!

Chicken Avocado Burgers

Tasty chicken avocado burgers are just three simple ingredients!

1 lb ground chicken
1 avocado in chunks
1 garlic clove sliced

Gently mix the avocado and garlic into the chicken - salt and pepper.

Fry in olive oil on both sides until completely done.

Serve on a bun with sliced onion and tomato!

Convertible Bag

Burke's Outlet is one of those stores that doesn't look like much, but every time I've walked in I've found a treasure or two.  You won't find this purse on line, it was in the store.  But they do have other cute options on line.

This time it was a Steve Madden backpack purse that's convertible - from backpack to shoulder strap - I love it!  You just pull the strap up and it is a purse, then you pull the straps sideways and it's a backpack!

They had two styles, this one and a two-tone black/brown.

So fun!

Homemade Corn Dogs

Homemade corn dogs - quick to make the batter - and super quick to fry them - and they'll be eaten quickly too!

Heat 4" oil in Dutch oven until a drop of the batter sizzles and browns.

In a bowl, mix 1/2 cup corn meal, 1/2 cup flour, 2 T sugar, 2 tsp baking powder, 1/2 to 3/4 cup milk, salt and pepper to taste - whisk.

Cut six franks in half and insert wooden skewers or lollipop sticks.

Prepare paper towels for the corn dogs after they're done.  Pour the batter into a tall glass. Insert each frank into the batter, then into the hot oil.  Use tongs to turn the corn dog so it's brown all around (fry about 3 at a time, 2-3 minutes each) then remove and let drain on paper towels.

Set out mustard and ketchup for dipping!

Steak for Two

Steak Dinner for Two:

Two NY Strip Steaks or filet mignon steaks - salt and pepper and lemon pepper both sides of steaks heavily.  Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes, let them rest for 15 minutes, then sear in a pan of olive oil until the crust is golden. (Mix worcestershire sauce with butter, lemon juice, and lemon pepper to pour over top).

Slice two baked potatoes into 1/2 inch rounds, butter both sides and sprinkle with salt, and place on a baking sheet lined with foil. Bake at 400 degrees about 30 minutes, turning halfway through, until both sides browned.  Top with cheddar and bacon crumbles, heat til melted. Serve with sour cream if desired.

Cut up broccoli florets and place on baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle sliced garlic and salt - bake at 350 degrees about 20 minutes until tips are browned.  Top with lemon juice and shredded Parmesan and lemon zest.

Pack it Up Cute!

I was in Claire's today, looking for little girl jewelry, and saw that the backpacks were all on sale $20 and under - and there were some really cute ones for spring/summer - for day trips and vacation!

Spiral Wrap

These wraps are great for lunch and so easy to assemble:

You'll need:

Roasted red pepper hummus
handful of shredded carrot
spinach leaves
lemon
avocado
edamame cooked and cooled (soy beans)
spinach tortilla

Spread the hummus, then the carrots, spinach, avocado and edamame, sprinkle with freshly ground pepper, and give it a good squeeze of lemon juice.

Roll up and cut into 1 or 2 inch spirals, and enjoy!

Tumbler Candles

Love, love these tumbler candles at World Market just in "thyme" for spring and Easter decor!  Check out all three scents!

Indoor Herb Garden

I LOVE herbs and I have an outdoor herb box, but I saw a video today on TV on The Chew of how to make an indoor vertical herb garden, and...I found another site with an even different version, too!

So...the picture is one idea of using mason jars, and the video link above is a second idea of using tin cans - pick your fave!

Reversible Dots

Found these cute reversible strap watches from Timex - printed on one side and solid on the other - check out the different colors!

"Sandaling" into Spring

Cute sandals from Aldo on sale....several styles...depending on the color you like!  Just bought a pair at their liquidator location!

brown 

black and white

white

Mini Pendants

Super cute sterling silver pendant necklaces on super sale this week at Kohls - great idea for graduation or Easter gifts - coming up!

arrow necklace

bird necklace

tree of life

Treasure Hunt

What a brilliant idea for kids this spring - going on an egg carton treasure hunt!  A friend of mine shared this on FB and I asked if I could share it with you!

Just collect a few of the paper type egg cartons, and let the kids paint each dip in a different color, using watercolor paint.

Next, go on a nature hunt looking for items to match each color and collecting them in the box, as you use all of your senses to hear, see, and experience God in nature!

Look at their fun finds!

Chicken Nuggets

Today we packed a bento box and included chicken nuggets I fried.  They were so easy and so great, alongside our sweet potato chips!

Preheat your oil while you prepare the chicken.

Take two large chicken breasts and cut into one inch cubes.  Soak in buttermilk for an hour.  Dredge in 1 cup of flour mixed with 2 tsp Cajun seasoning.  Fry in 2 inches of 365 degrees vegetable oil - don't crowd the pan - until crispy and brown!

Ice Cream in an Orange

This was a fun dessert to have for company!

Cut two large oranges in half, scooping out all of the wedges and pulp - set aside to eat later.

Fill each half with vanilla ice cream.  Drizzle  salted caramel topping over top, and sprinkle with crumbled granola bar.

That's it - super cute and easy.

Cauli & Tomatoes

This recipe is from Redbook Magazine, and not only is it super delicious and healthy, it comes out beautiful, as well! A great side dish for your dinner this week!

Fruit Salsa & Chips

Fruit Salsa with Chips - a great healthy dessert that tastes wonderfully delicious!

Mix  together 1 cup finely chopped strawberries, 2 peeled and chopped kiwi, one medium peeled and chopped navel orange, 1 can drained crushed unsweetened pineapple, with 1 T lemon juice and 1 1/2 tsp sugar - refrigerate.

Meanwhile heat oven to 350 degrees. Take six flour tortillas, brush each with melted butter, cut into wedges, sprinkle with cinnamon sugar (1/3 cup sugar mixed with 1 tsp cinnamon).  Bake about 7 minutes until crisp but not burned.

Arrange the chips on a dessert plate, with the bowl of salsa alongside!

Herb & Citrus Cobs

I LOVE corn on the cob, any time of the year.  And it's good, just with butter and a bit of salt, but there are other ways to serve it as well - lots of ways!

The two pictured here are:

fresh thyme, salt and pepper

lime zest and salt

Just boil your corn until it's done, drain, spray with butter or olive oil, and sprinkle your seasonings on top.