April Food Day

Rhoda of Southern Hospitality brought this to my attention and I am passing it along. Hope you will do the same...but just don't post about, please donate.

What you sow, so shall you reap! In other words, when you are in need of food someday...you will have it!

Everyday, the news is filled with the dire news about the current economic climate and a lot of us use the blogging community to take a break from the constant drumbeat. However, we can not ignore the fact that friends and family members, and even some blogger friends have lost their jobs because of the recession.

Former advertising executive, Chris Cox, the editor of Easy & Elegant Life, and fundraising professional, Meg Fairfax Fielding, editor of Pigtown*Design, have teamed up to create a blogger action day on April 1, 2009, which we are calling April Food Day – Bloggers Fighting Hunger. We are asking our fellow bloggers to create a post about this project and ask each of their readers to make a contribution to Feeding America (formerly Second Harvest), a national food bank with 200 member banks across the country.

People who never had a worry in the world now have to think about where their next meal is coming from. People who never would have dreamt that they would need help are now showing up at the local food banks. But when they get there, the shelves are bare. There is not enough food being donated to meet the sudden rise in demand. There is not enough money to buy the food for the food banks. There is not a general understanding that food banks need help to help fill their shelves.

Every dollar contributed provides seven meals or 10 pounds of food. A gift of $25 provides 75 meals. If we all post together and ask our readers to make a contribution on April 1, we can make a huge difference in our communities.

Click here to go to the donation page for the Food Bank.
Thanks everyone for taking the time to read this. I’m sure any help you can give would be appreciated. If any of you would like to post this on your blog on April 1st, that would be appreciated too.

God Bless!

Darlene

More Work On Our Kitchen

We started the kitchen remodel so long ago. I'm beginning to wonder if it will ever be done!

OK, Darlene..keep the faith!! Be POSITIVE!! It will be done SOON!!!

We are doing it all ourselves and we don't have much time at all. Hubby works 10 hours a day at his regular job and then works another 3-4 hours a day on our custom rug business. So work on the kitchen is sporatic. He did however make some time to hang the upper cabinet doors this past weekend...yippee!! Here is how they looked before.

I think they look beautiful if I do say so myself!

As you can see I did decide to keep the doors off of the cabinet above the microwave & above the refrigerator.
I wanted to break up the wall of cabinets and add something a bit unexpected...so I added baskets. They are so much easier to get stuff out of now. I just pull down the basket, before when the doors were on I always had to get a chair to get into those high cabinets.

Now on to working on the lower cabinets.

One day soon I hope to have this kitchen completed...sigh!

Darlene

Our Spring Break

Our Spring Break has officially come to a close...boo hoo! I loved having Callie home and loved being able to sleep in!! We went on a little getaway trip to Branson, Missouri. We stayed at a great Resort called, "Still Waters". It is located on Table Rock lake. We hoped we would be able to kayak and fish but we never got around to it. We went and saw the "Noah Musical" which I have to say was AWESOME!! If you get a chance to see it..DO!!

We also went to the Dixie Stampede...OMGosh, they sure do serve alot of food! It was even great tasting, which I didn't expect. The show was great too!
Of course, a trip to Branson wouldn't be complete without shopping, right??!! First stop, a store that sold silly hats.

Then on to a store that had amazing wood carvings!! I just love carved wood! Take a look at these! Way out of my budget.....but sure are amazing!
This is solid wood!!


Oh,, and this little boutique was so pretty! Great displays and so springy!




When we returned home from our little getaway trip we celebrated hubby's birthday. Callie & I brought him a bouquet of balloons to his work and then came home & baked him a caramel cake..yummy! When he came home from work we took him to a BBQ place for dinner and then he opened his presents.

On friday Callie and I were going to make one of those clay pot bird baths that I blogged about a couple weeks ago, but I had sticker shock when I went to Lowe's to buy the clay pots. Can you believe that it would have cost me $60 in clay pots to make one bird bath?? Well, that was out of my budget so we went to Hobby Lobby and found an Easter sign for Callie to paint.

We still want to make the clay pot bird bath, but we will have to wait for a sale.

Over the weekend, we actually did some more work on our kitchen cabinets. I will show you what we did on tomorrow's post.

All in all it was a nice spring break!

Darlene

My Late Birthday Present

Hubby finally got me a birthday gift!! If you don't remember what he originally got me for my birthday see my post here. To say the least I wasn't pleased. I know most men don't have that romantic gift giving gene, but hey can they at least try??

Well hubby returned the original gift and said he would keep his ears open for what I talked about wanting...hmmm, that's a start. Maybe I'll get him trained after all! LOL

So while we were in Branson last weekend everytime I said, "Hey look at this", he said, "Do you want me to buy that for you for your birthdy present?" I usually said "No" because I wanted it to be something he choose on his own without asking me and then surprising me with it. After a day of this we went into a Kitchen Outlet Store and I mentioned that I would like the Ice Cream Attachment for my Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer that I got for Christmas. Of course, he said, "Would like me to buy it for your birthday?" This time I figured I better take him up on his offer or I would never get my birthday present. So he proudly took it up to the register to pay for it. So it wasn't the heartfelt gift I dreamed of...oh well, I love him anyway and really like my new Ice Cream attachment!

I made French Vanilla ice cream on wednesday and it was delish!! Not too great for the so-called diet I'm suppose to be on, but hey...I had to try out my b-day present.

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Need now to find some low calorie ice cream recipes...maybe sorbet?? Let me know if you have any to share.

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Have a great day!!

Darlene

Getaway Weekend

It's official...Spring Break is here!

Both of our girls are ready for a week away from school, homework, tests, and clinicals (our 20 yr old daughter is in nursing school). Our oldest is going with a group of friends to Panama, FL....yikes! I'm not thrilled about this...please pray for her safety!!!

So we didn't want our little one (our 12 yr old daughter) to feel left out so we have planned a getaway weekend to Branson, Mo. She is very excited! Pray that we have nice weather! We are staying at a resort on the lake and they have alot of fun lake activities.

Here's a photo of a creative building on the main strip in Branson, it is the Ripley's Believe It Or Not Museum.

Then the rest of the week we are going to make our bird bath that I blogged about a couple weeks ago and do some other fun things together....so I will not post much next week as I want to really concentrate on spending time with my precious baby girl!! Ok, she's not a baby anymore, but to me she will always be my baby!

Have a Super Weekend and a Wonderful Spring Break!

Darlene

Spring Fluffing

Are you getting your home ready for spring? If you need some ideas, head on over to Rhoda's Spring Fluffing Party at her blog...Southern Hospitality.

I am so happy that spring is almost here!! Our pansies are sure loving the sun too! They are looking so pretty now!


Have I told you that I LOVE spring & summer?? Well, I do! I adore it!! We live on the lake and every fall they lower the lake about 10 ft so we lose the lake in our backyard until March 10th when they start bringing the lake back up to normal level. It is so nice to see the lake again in our backyard! Here's a photo of Callie that I took tonight. She loves to go fishing from our dock. Our cat & dog even enjoyed the spring evening air!


Our dog Shelby (she's 13 1/2 yrs old)
Our Cat Lola aka Kitty
She kept turning away everytime I went to take the picture...figures!


I can't wait to take our boat out on the lake! We bought it last summer and have spent so many great hours together on the lake with our girls. Looking forward to another fun spring & summer!

Aubrie relaxing on the boat
Our niece Dana on the wave runner
There's our little one ...Callie on the tube being pulled by the boat...what fun!!

Oh, and there's my hubby...the captain of the boat.

I haven't started planting any flowers in pots for our deck yet, but do have some big plans for the deck. Our deck is large (40ft X 14ft) in which we have a hot tub, outdoor dining table and I would love to add something like this....

I would love to have that and use one of the outdoor rugs that we sell.

Then I could have another area to decorate with lanterns, candles, pillows, etc...yeah!!!

Ok, let's head on in to the house. I added pussy willow branches to a vase and created a spring time display. (I know the nest needs some eggs...I haven't had a chance to get to Hobby Lobby yet) I will add 2-3 little blue eggs to the nest, I promise.

Happy Spring!

Darlene

Are you Making your Food Green Today?

In honor of St. Patrick's Day I am going working on planning a menu of green food for dinner tonight...I know I started late! Oh well, better late than not do it at all, right?! It's all about creating memories for my family..... so off to the grocery store I go.

Here are some great green food ideas for you. Let me know if you make any of them!

Who said playing in the "mud" wasn't a good idea? Made from a combination of chocolate cake, chocolate milk and frosting, these St. Patty's Day delights are dipped in colorful candy sprinkles and shamrocks for added luck - a festive twist kids will love.

Preparation Time: 20 mins
Cooking Time: 35 mins
Cooling Time: 1 hr refrigerating

Servings: 24 mud balls

Nonstick cooking spray
Wax paper
1 box (18.25 ounces) chocolate cake mix
1 bottle (16 fluid ounces) NESTLÉ NESQUIK Refrigerated Ready-to-Drink Chocolate Milk, divided
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs
1 container (16 ounces) prepared chocolate or white frosting
24 foil or paper standard-size baking cups
1/4 to 1 cup green candy sprinkles and/or shamrocks for coating

PREHEAT oven to 350° F. Spray 13 x 9-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Line baking sheets with wax paper.

COMBINE cake mix, 1 1/2 cups Nesquik, oil and eggs in large mixer bowl; stir until moistened. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes or whisk by hand for 2 minutes. Pour into prepared baking pan.

BAKE for 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in cake comes out clean. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Frost cake. Now for the fun part, drag fork across cake so that the cake is crumbly. Pour remaining 1/2 cup Nesquik over cake and stir well to form a cakey "dough."

SCOOP "dough" into 2-inch balls using ice cream scoop; place on prepared baking sheets. Refrigerate for 1 hour. Roll dough into firm balls (use plastic gloves, if desired), then dip tops (or roll entire ball) into candy sprinkles. Place in baking cups. Refrigerate until ready to serve (will hold 1 day). Serve cold.

Big Shamrock Cookie

Celebrate the 'eatin' of the green' on St. Patrick's Day with this edible shamrock.

Preparation Time: 10 mins
Cooking Time: 20 mins
Cooling Time: 30 mins cooling

Servings: 12 servings

1 pkg. (16.5 oz.) NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Refrigerated Sugar Cookie Bar Dough
Frosting, decorator icing, sugar sprinkles, candies and/or melted chocolate (optional)

PREHEAT oven to 325° F. Grease large baking sheet.

PLACE whole bar of dough in prepared pan. Allow to soften for 5 to 10 minutes. Using fingertips, pat dough gently to form an 8- or 9-inch shamrock shape.

BAKE for 20 to 23 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool on baking sheet for 2 minutes; carefully loosen cookie with a spatula. Cool completely on baking sheet on wire rack.

DECORATE as desired.


Tropical Avocado Smoothie

Refresh yourself on a hot day with this delicious drink from the Pacific Ocean coastal city of Buenaventura, Colombia.

Preparation Time: 5 mins
Cooking Time:

Servings: 4 to 5 servings

Pulp of 1 medium avocado
2 cans (12 fl. oz. each) NESTLÉ® CARNATION® Evaporated Lowfat 2% Milk, chilled *
1/4 cup granulated sugar or to taste
1 teaspoon grated lime zest (optional)
Crushed ice (optional)

PLACE avocado, evaporated milk, sugar and lime zest in blender container; cover. Blend for 30 to 45 seconds until smooth.

SERVE in tall glasses. Top with crushed ice, if desired.

NOTE: If a thinner drink is desired, blend in 1 cup ice cubes with drink ingredients.

* May use 2 cans (12 fl. oz. each) CARNATION Evaporated Fat Free Milk instead of Evaporated Lowfat 2% Milk.

Easy Cream of Broccoli Soup

This simple and satisfying soup, which can be made in less than an hour, is a good way to get broccoli into the tummies of fussy eaters. (Great for the lunchbox thermos, too!)

Preparation Time: 15 mins
Cooking Time: 20 mins

Servings: 6 servings

1 pkg. (16 oz.) frozen chopped broccoli
3/4 cup water
1 can (14.5 oz.) chicken broth
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter or margarine
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 can (12 fl. oz.) NESTLÉ® CARNATION® Evaporated Milk

BOIL water in medium saucepan. Add broccoli; bring to boil. Cover; reduce heat to low. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes or until tender; drain. Place half of broccoli and chicken broth in food processor or blender; cover. Process until smooth.

MELT butter in same saucepan over medium heat. Add onion; cook, stirring occasionally, for 1 to 2 minutes or until onion is tender. Stir in flour. Gradually stir in evaporated milk. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil. Add broccoli mixture and remaining chopped broccoli. Heat through.

Hot Spinach Dip with Cheesy Chips

Nothing quite beats the combination of rich and creamy spinach dip and crunchy warm tortilla chips. Serve this at your next party or as a midday snack on a cool afternoon.

Preparation Time: 15 mins
Cooking Time: 20 mins

Servings: 6

1 package (9 ounces) Spinach Souffle, prepared according to package directions
1 package (3 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon (about 2 1/2 ounces) grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons chopped green onion
Tortilla chips
TOPPINGS: diced tomatoes, chopped green onions and shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Green Bread

*makes 2 loaves

1 yellow cake mix
1 pkg instant pistachio pudding
4 eggs
1/4 cup oil
1 cup sour cream
5-10 drops of food coloring (or more)

Mix above well. Generously grease 2 loaf pans. Dust with a mixture of 1/4 cup sugar and 1/2 Tbsp cinnamon. Reserve remaining sugar mix.

Pour batter into loaf pans. Sprinkle remaining sugar mix on top.
Bake at 350 degrees for 55 minutes. (or til done)

Remove immediately from pans and place in plastic baggies and refrigerate!

Of course there is always the obvious green foods you could use like;

pickles, lettuce, green olives, cucumber, green jello, pishachio pudding, kiwi, broccoli, etc...

Hope that helps you get creative with your St. Patty's Day dinner tonight!


Darlene

More than a Song!

Please take the time to watch this video...Words cannot describe how the beginning of this video will make you feel. Sorry, happy, desperate, grateful.......sorrow and joy all mixed together! Please watch it!!!!!! THIS IS LIFE-CHANGING!
You won't regret it! I Promise you!
***scroll to the bottom of this page and pause the music...so that you can hear the video

Do you want $10??

JCPenney's $10 off $10 online discount code Budding good thru 3/21

http://www3.jcpenney.com/jcp/default.aspx

I got these pj's in the blue polka dot pattern...so cute!

Happy Shopping!
Darlene