JUST SIMPLE SOMETHINGS: May 2016

Parmesan Cheese Potatoes

I love the recipe books that are sold by schools and churches.The recipes are fast and easy....sometimes handed down from past generations. Most of them you can whip up from items you have on your pantry shelf.

Parmesan Cheese Potatoes

6 or 8 baking potatoes
1 clove garlic or garlic powder
1/2 cup oil
1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
pinch of oregano

Make two mixtures:
First mixture: blend together garlic and oil. set aside
Second mixture: combine bread crumbs, cheese and oregano. set aside.

Next:
Peel potatoes and cut into fourths. Roll potatoes in oil mixture, then in bread crumb mix. Place on a greased cookie sheet, be sure to spread them out.
Bake @ 350* for 45 minutes to an hour.

Here's where I'll be sharing:

Nifty Thrifty Sunday * Sundays at Home * Amaze Me Monday * Mix it up Monday * Make it Pretty Monday * Cooking and Crafting with J and J * Busy Monday * Keep it simple Monday * You're gonna love it Tuesday * Tasty Tuesday * Delicious Dishes * Inspire me Tuesday * Talk of the Town * Thrifty and Vintage Finds *Moonlight and Mason Jars * Before and After Wednesday *the Alder Collective * You Link it, We Make it * What's Cookin' Wednesday * Wordless Wednesday * Create it Thursday * Full plate Thursday * Throwback Thursday * The Pin Junkie * Anything blue Friday * Friday Finds * Photo Friday * Friday Features * Foodie Friday * What To Do Weekends

Beach art

Here's where I'll be sharing:

Wordless Wednesday
Photo Friday

Lovin' my Big Shot

The Big Shot is the greatest thing to come down the pike in card making!
Just lay down a piece of card stock, top it with the die, wind it through, and voila, you have cut outs!

There is such a variety of cutting dies available these days that it can become addicting. Sometimes I purchase from Amazon but Tuesday Morning is my favorite place to shop for dies. It's hit or miss and there may be only one of a kind but it's worth it. They sell them for about a third of the original price.

Recently, I cut some flowers out of watercolor paper for some cards I was creating. With watercolor, you can mix any amount of colors, a few or a lot.

Because the flower dies in the package come in different sizes, you can layer the petals to create a three-dimensional flower.

This is my finished card!

which lead to more cards...

The possibilities are endless!

Here's where I'll be sharing:

Nifty Thrifty Sunday * Sundays at Home * Amaze Me Monday * Mix it up Monday * Make it Pretty Monday * Cooking and Crafting with J and J * Busy Monday * Keep it simple Monday * You're gonna love it Tuesday * Tasty Tuesday * Delicious Dishes * Inspire me Tuesday * Talk of the Town * Thrifty and Vintage Finds *Moonlight and Mason Jars * Before and After Wednesday *the Alder Collective * You Link it, We Make it * What's Cookin' Wednesday * Wordless Wednesday * Create it Thursday * Full plate Thursday * Throwback Thursday * The Pin Junkie * Anything blue Friday * Friday Finds * Photo Friday * Friday Features * Foodie Friday * What To Do Weekends

Hummingbird moth

Here's where I'll be sharing:

Wordless Wednesday

Photo Friday

Loaded Nachos

Our room at the beach had a small but equipped kitchen.

So I decided to make some quick and easy meals. I figured the more money we saved on meals, the more we have for fun and entertainment, and shopping ♥

like the Carolina Opry, which was fantastic!!

Back to the recipe, these loaded nachos fit the bill.

Loaded Nachos

Serves 4-6

Total prep time: 25 minutes

1/2lb ground beef

13oz tortilla chips

16oz salsa con queso (Mission brand)

3 tomatoes, cubed

2 Large avocados, cubed (*optional)

green onion, chopped

1 can seasoned black beans

1-2 teaspoon taco seasoning

black olives
salt to taste

Preheat the oven to 400 F.
Place avocados, tomatoes, and onion in a bowl set aside.
Place ground beef in the skillet, and sauté on medium heat until meat is cooked thru about 5 minutes. Drain. Season with taco seasoning. Add salt to taste.

Place salsa con queso into a small cooking pan, cook on low for about 3-5 minutes, until the cheese is hot. Grab another pan and cook seasoned black beans on medium heat, add few tablespoons of water, cook until it starts bubbling, set aside.

Put tortilla chips on a baking sheet and place them in the oven for few minutes to warm up the chips. I really like the warmed chips!

Once everything is heated thru and cooked, now let's garnish your Nacho madness. First, sprinkle ground beef all over tortilla chips, add beans, drizzle melted salsa con queso cheese, and add tomato salsa. Serve while hot. Enjoy!

*I didn't add the avocados, I don't care for them but it was still delicious!

Let me know if you try these.

Here's where I'll be sharing:

Nifty Thrifty Sunday * Sundays at Home * Amaze Me Monday * Mix it up Monday * Make it Pretty Monday * Busy Monday * Keep it simple Monday *Tasty Tuesday * Delicious Dishes * Inspire me Tuesday * Talk of the Town * Thrifty and Vintage Finds *Moonlight and Mason Jars * Before and After Wednesday *the Alder Collective * You Link it, We Make it *What's Cookin' Wednesday * Wordless Wednesday * Create it Thursday * Full plate Thursday * Throwback Thursday * The Pin Junkie * Anything blue Friday * Friday Finds * Photo Friday * Foodie Friday * What To Do Weekends

Sunny-Side up

Here's where I'll be sharing:

Wordless Wednesday
Photo Friday

Spring Cleaning 101

Do you think that's me in the photo?
Heavens no...when I clean it's quite the opposite. Who's going to get all dolled up like this to clean?

They say every woman's either a cook or a cleaner. ... my family, we're the cleaners. I swear you could have eaten off my mom's floor even when she was in her 80's. I have to admit I'm not as fussy as I used to be when I was first married. I've learned there are more important things in life like ~~blogging and Pinterest~~ spending time with your family. A house is to be lived in. My house isn't dirty, but it does get messy especially when I'm crafting LOL

Here's my routine for spring cleaning:

First, I gather my supplies...a bucket, a good cleaner ( I like Murphy's oil soap) cleaning cloths, dust mop and my upright and canister sweeper. Once I had a neighbor that didn't own a vacuum... that just boggles my mind. How do you clean without a vacuum?

Then I empty the room as much as possible.

Take down the curtains, anything hanging on the walls and put away anything that doesn't need to be out.

Working from top to bottom, I use my dust mop to dust down the ceiling and walls. Next, I clean the blinds and wash the windows... I wash and wipe dry all the furniture and then use my canister sweeper on the baseboards and around the edges of the furniture... wipe down the baseboards if needed.

Then clean everything that was hanging on the walls or sitting on the desks (photos, knickknacks etc.)
Hey look... here's a photo of me and my husband that was taken 25 years ago at our son's wedding! My Hubby had hair back then...

Sorry, I sometimes get sidetracked. On to the bookshelf.

I used to have tons and tons of books but now that I have a Kindle I've been getting rid of most of them. I sorted through the bookcase and now I have a great stack to donate.