Autumn's last fling....

Preserving Autumn Leaves


Try turning autumn leaves into decorative home accents.

The key to leaf crafts though is to keep the leaves from crumbling, curling or turning brown. On an ironing board place the leaves between two sheets of wax paper with the waxy side on the leaf. Cover with brown paper (like a grocery bag) and iron on medium heat. The iron will melt the wax onto the leaf, preserving not only its shape but its color.

"There are not more than five primary colors (blue, yellow, red, white, and black), yet in combination they produce more hues than can ever been seen”

~ Autumn Treasure  ~

Summer’s glory, Autumn’s crown,

Casts it’s treasure to the ground,

Red and yellow, orange and brown,

Spinning, twirling, round and round,

Waltzing slowly to the ground,

One last curtsy, one last bow,

Then kiss the earth and make no sound,

Paper jewels on the ground…waiting to be found.

~Caramel Apple Yogurt Parfaits~

 2 cups creamy vanilla yogurt

2 medium unpeeled apples  cut into chunks

 1/4 cup caramel topping

 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped
pecans or walnuts


Reserve 1/4 cup yogurt for topping. Divide remaining yogurt among 4 (8-oz) glasses or dessert dishes. Spoon 1/2 cup of the apple chunks over yogurt in each glass. Top each with 1 tablespoon of the remaining yogurt. Spoon 1 tablespoon caramel topping over yogurt. Sprinkle pecans over each parfait. Serve immediately!

Join us over here  for  " Mosaic Monday ".

~Words for life's journey ~

Here's some inspirational quotes about life from a "giant of a man..."
Please watch this video and be blessed!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8ZuKF3dxCY&feature=related

10 minute pumpkin....

I found this pumpkin craft somewhere on the internet and I thought it was a clever idea for only ten minutes of my time.

I bought 20 inches of pumpkin material (45 inches wide) and cut it on the fold giving me two pieces. (One for you and one for a friend).

Grab a roll of toilet paper and sit it in the center of one piece of fabric. Tuck the fabric into the center hole of the roll (no need to glue anything)

Cut a piece of brown paper bag about 12 " long and fold accordion style.
Add some raffia, if you've got any, fold in half and push it into the center.
I added a piece of green plaid fabric for leaves.

And there you are!...a instant fall decoration!

This is a re-post from 11/09/09. I thought it was worth repeating.

Southwest Zucchini Boats

4 Servings Prep/Total Time: 25 min.

Ingredients:
4 medium zucchini
1 pound ground beef
3/4 cup salsa
1/4 cup dry bread crumbs
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese, divided
Sour cream, optional


Directions:
Cut zucchini in half lengthwise; cut a thin slice from the bottom of each with a sharp knife to allow the zucchini to sit flat. Scoop out pulp, leaving 1/4-in. shells.
Place shells in an ungreased 3-qt. microwave-safe dish. Cover and microwave on high for 3 minutes or until crisp-tender; drain and set aside.


Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Remove from the heat; stir in the salsa, bread crumbs, cilantro, chili powder, cumin, salt, pepper, and 1/2 cup cheese. Spoon into zucchini shells.


Microwave, uncovered, on high for 4 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.
© Taste of Home



{My version}

I had 3 large zucchini so I decided to turn this recipe into a casserole. I added all of the above plus:
1 small can of corn
1 cup of brown rice ( cooked )
1/3 finely chopped pepper
1 can tomato sauce


I chopped the zucchini into small pieces and omitted the fresh cilantro. Didn’t have it…don’t need it!

Cooked @325* in a 13x9 glass dish until the zucchini was tender.

We really liked this....Enjoy!

Mosaic Monday

These photo were taken in Gatlinburg, Tennessee.

Mary, over at  "Little Red House" is our host  for
 ~ Mosaic Monday ~ Stop on over and join in the fun!

~ Weekly words to live by ~

Remember the tea kettle -
 it is always up to its neck in hot water,
 yet it still sings!

 ~Author Unknown~

Why don't you join us over at Tracey's blog?

What I like about Fall....

Indian corn and raffia

simmering homemade soup

plump orange pumpkins

wood-burning fireplaces

 

tattered scarecrows

bonfires and hayrides

homemade crusty bread

warm spiced cider

baskets of apples

a bountiful harvest

geese heading south

crisp fall days

piles of raked leaves

squirrels gathering acorns

canning jars of vegetables

warm bulky sweaters

 

And…vibrant autumn colors !!

Tell me what inspires you when the leaves turn...

It doesn't get any easier than this...

Blog Signature
I've thought about putting a signature on my blog for sometime now, but every tutorial I came across sounded complicated and involved downloading. Today, over at "Wandering Thought" I found easy directions that worked! If your interested, click on over...
Thank you Icy!


Picasa

• FREE and easy to use.
  
• easily uploads images and stores them.
  
• your original files are preserved as you edit images and edits can be easily undone.
• excellent set of easy-to-use editing tools and 12 different effects that you can try.
• and now you have the option to jump over to Picnik {another FREE editing site} from Picasa for even more editing choices.

Picnik
 offers all kinds of professional editing options with the ease of a click of a button. (Seriously! It's so easy!)

You can add vignettes, focal blurs, orton, sepia holiday effects, text and frames!
and so much more...

There’s also an upgraded version for a small fee But I’m content with the free version for now!
Check some of these out....

Mosaic Monday

 This mosaic is a collection of wall photos {the bottles} and dried flower arrangments in the master bathroom. Sage green and shades of purple.

I wanted a valance for the window and found the exact color of fabric that I needed tossed in a clearance bin at a local discount store for $1.oo ! Only problem it was 63"long. Before I shortened it, I just tried swagging it, bunching the corner with a rubber band... and it worked!

little wire - mesh shoes. 

Thanks for takin' the tour...
I'll be joining in over at "Little Red House" for Mosaic Monday. Come on over.

~ Weekly words to live by ~

Gotta have my lipstick. I don't ever leave home without wearing it. I have to say though...I apply it better than this little guy!
Not my quote and {not my dog, thank goodness }!!

Why don't you join over at Tracey's blog?

Need an attitude adjustment ?

Try Positive, encouraging K-LOVE radio

You’ll hear inspiring stories and uplifting music that can give you the positive attitude you need to get through your day! K-LOVE has radio stations all across the USA. You can go to the website and find the call letters for the station in your area.
 I have no desire to listen to anything else.

~ Mosaic Monday ~

"The falling leaves drift by the window

The autumn leaves of red and gold,

I see your lips, the summer kisses

The sun-burned hands I used to hold.

Since you went away the days grow long

And soon I'll hear old winter's song,

But I miss you most of all my darling

When autumn leaves start to fall."

- Autumn Leaves -

 Lyrics by Johnny Mercer

I'll be joining in over at "Little Red House" for Mosaic Monday. Come on over......

~ Weekly words to live by ~

Life would be infinitely happier if we could only be born at the age of eighty and gradually approach eighteen. 

 Mark Twain

Tracey, over at "A cottage Industry"

 is the host every Sunday for

 "Weekly words to live by".

Please stop by.....

~ Photo Friday ~

This week's theme is:

BURGANDY

I'm joining in over at "Photo Friday". Check some of the great photography over there...

Gooey Butter cake

Ingredients:

Cake:
1  package yellow cake mix
1 egg
8  tablespoons butter, melted


Filling:
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
8 tablespoons butter, melted
1 16-ounce box powdered sugar

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine the cake mix, egg, and butter and mix well with an electric mixer. Pat the mixture into the bottom of a lightly greased 13 by 9-inch baking pan.

 Prepare Filling:
In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the eggs, vanilla, and butter and beat together.

Next, add the powdered sugar and mix well. Spread over cake batter and bake for 40 to 50 minutes. Make sure not to over bake as the center should be a little gooey.


Servings: 6 to 8 servings
Prep Time: 30 min
Cook Time: 40 min
Difficulty: Easy


( Recipe courtesy Paula Deen and Random House Publishing )

Mosaic Monday

A collection of beautiful pictures from
this Victoria Magazine book:

{ The Romance of Hats }

I think that hat wearing is a lost art.

 I would have loved to live in the time period of beautiful hats!

I'll be joining in over at
"Little Red House"
for Mosaic Monday. Come on over......

Comfort Food...

Food, like a loving touch or a glimpse of divine power, has that ability to comfort.

Norman Kolpas


I must say, I very rarely get sick. In fact, for the last fifteen or so years, I 've only been to the doctor's office once a year for a general check-up. I was very surprised last week when the doctor told me that I have a hyper - active thyroid. Now I know why those hot flashes that were a thing of the past have returned!
Then this morning I woke up with a stuffy head and sore throat. I think my luck is running out.

 Time for some old-fashioned comfort food...

Homemade Chicken Soup

1 pound skinless chicken breast, cut in 1 inch chunks

¼ cup chopped onion
2 tsp. oil

2 cans (14-½ oz. each ) chicken broth

3 cups water

2 cups carrot slices

1 envelope Good Seasons Italian dressing mix { I found this ingredient very interesting }

2 Tbs. chopped parsley

COOK and stir chicken and onion in oil a large skillet on med.- high heat until chicken is cooked through.

ADD broth, water, carrots, and dressing mix. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; cover.

Simmer until carrots are tender.  
 
I had no intentions of going out for the ingredients that I didn't have, so here's my version with what I had:
4 frozen boneless chicken thighs, added to 3 cups of boiling water and add  the onions.
 Cook thoroughly, remove and shred chicken.
 Put the oil into a large skillet, add  shredded chicken and brown.
Add chicken broth and carrot slices to onion water. Add the browned chicken. I didn't have Italian dressing mix, but I did have ranch mix, {really, it's only spices} so I added half the envelope. Also I like noodles in my soup, so I tossed in a cup of fedelini noodles I had on hand.

And it turned out wonderful with lots of flavor from the dressing mix!

 This week I'm joining in at Tracey's blog for "Weekly words to live by"...stop over!