"My Favorite 8 Things For This Week"

I'm just going to jump right in because I absolutely love all of these favorite things this week..

1.  Someday when we remodel our laundry room, I would love it to be just like this..in fact I showed it to my sweet Mr. and he actually said 

"we could totally do that" eeeeekkkk..ok then I'll start dreaming for real.

2.  Right now, today in fact, I am still working on my art room. I feel like I have been working on it for weeks now and actually I think that is pretty accurate..it has gotten to that point where it needs more than just straightening up...it needs to be gone through and re-organized.  Other than the fact that I don't have quite the same window set up in my room, I sure would love it to be more like this, at least the office part anyway...hmmm...

3.  Ok...all I can say is uhhh HELLO!

Really, really love this, everything about this..I like both of these rooms..

Choosing is such a burden :-)

4. This is a way cuter way to separate my embroidery floss..and I even have clothes pins already...

5. Love this!

6.  Even though these don't match my kitchen by any stretch of the imagination, I just think they are dang adorable..

7. Seriously, is this not a really cool ingeniously creative way to use an old fashioned suitcase..

8.  My reminder for the week to come...I think this is not only darling but pretty simple but great reminders..

So there you go...

May you always find a favorite thing, everyday..!

Oh and be kind out there to one another..

Blessings again..

Me

"Oh How I Love A Good Saturday"

Yesterday was an over the rainbow kind of a day for all..

My Mr. and daughter the fabulously talented duo from www.2eesphotography.com

off to the fall Bridal Fair..well to keep a keen eye on the Wedding Photography industry here in good ole Spokane..

Son in-law at work, but off early as well to run by and pick up his Dad in-law for a 

 Micro-Brew tasting at a new neighborhood gathering called "The Manito Tap House"..

Several local brewers were there with the wonderful offerings to share..

Son at work, but soon to be done and off to a friends "Bachelor Party"..

and Me off early...

After leaving work I stopped off at my favorite grocery outing place to grab this weeks menu pickings..

Have to tell you that making a menu, making a list and sticking to it absolutely pays off in so many ways..I've known this for years, but have to admit that until the last year or so wasn't very good at it..

Now that my hubby and I are doing our best to follow the incredible financial and budget advice of the very wise Mr. Dave Ramsey

www.daveramsey.com

I am being quite diligent at my weekly planning.

New recipes with a few old favorites, keeping in season offerings in mind for the budget minded and of course most incredible flavor..

This weeks menu offerings came in at a total cost of just $60.07 for 3 of us and sometimes more..

pretty darn good huh!!!

So for this week, which for me is 4 days of cooking, 2 days of combining leftovers into new dishes and 1 day of "fend for yourself", these are my choices..

Beginning with this literally incredible recipe from the fabulous 

Ree Drummond of www.thepioneerwoman.com

Oh my gosh I do love this woman !!!

Sausage, Potato and Kale Soup...

Please visit her site through the link above..this soup is dated Oct 3rd 2011 and you can not only get this recipe, but follow along in the making with her beautiful photographs..

 It was a tremendously flavorful, beautiful soup and absolutely divine..

My Son In-Law was bowing to my soup making devices and coming from him, an incredible cook in his own rite, that is incredibly meaningful to me..thanks Ree!!

This last week my sweet Mom In-Law

bestowed upon me a very large zucchini, so after shredding all into several 2 cup packages for the freezer I decided to make this for breakfast...so yummy!!!

Paula Deen's Zucchini Bread

Ingredients

• 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3 cups sugar
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 4 eggs, beaten
• 1/3 cup water
• 2 cups grated zucchini
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, combine flour, salt, nutmeg, baking soda, cinnamon and sugar. In a separate bowl, combine oil, eggs, water, zucchini and lemon juice. Mix wet ingredients into dry, add nuts and fold in. Bake in 2 standard loaf pans, sprayed with nonstick spray, for 1 hour, or until a tester comes out clean. Alternately, bake in 5 mini loaf pans for about 45 minutes.

Offerings for the rest of this week are:

Pasta with Tomato Cream Sauce

another recipe from www.thepioneerwoman.com

dated September 9th, 2010

also from my own stash

Veggie Quiche

Herb Roasted Chicken

and Salisbury Steak with Parmesan Yukon Gold Mashed potatoes

And if I have time I am definitely going to make this

Crispy Southwest Chicken Wraps

From: www.melskitchencafe.com

using the leftover roasted chicken

1 cup cooked rice, warm or at room temperature
1 cup cooked, shredded chicken
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 green onion, finely sliced (white and green parts)
1/2 red or green pepper, diced
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
juice of 1 lime
1/2 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
2 cups shredded cheese (I used a combination of monterey jack and sharp cheddar)
Sour cream (optional)

6 burrito-sized flour tortillas

Mix rice together with chili powder, cumin and garlic salt. Add remaining ingredients except for cheese and sour cream. Sprinkle cheese over tortillas, leaving 1/2-inch border around edges, then arrange chicken and rice mixture down the center of each tortilla. (Optional: on some of the wraps, I dotted the cheese with about 1-2 tablespoons of reduced fat sour cream before arranging chicken and rice mixture down the center – it made the wraps delightfully creamy.) Roll stuffed tortillas, leaving edges open. Spray the tortillas all over with cooking spray.

Heat a large non-stick skillet (or griddle) over medium heat for 1 minute. Arrange 2 wraps, seam-side down, in pan and cook until golden brown and crisp, about 2-3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and repeat with remaining wraps. Serve.

Does anyone have a towel, because I am totally drooling now...

Many blessings to all for a most wonderful family filled weekend..

Me

"Rainy Fall Days There's Just Something Wonderful About Them"

In our neck of the woods (the beautiful Northwest), it has been

raining for the last couple of days..

Slightly dark and misty

That absolutely wonderful rain smell

and the sound...ohhhh how I love going to sleep to the sound of rain!

I actually quite like it, not too much of it at one time mind you, but I find it quite pleasant and refreshing and in the fall especially, quite comforting...

Wouldn't these be wonderful for a day such as this?

Oh my oh my...how adorable is this..not quite mean't particularly for rain, but I am thinking with an umbrella in tow...PERFECT in every way...

And this...just because

Such a lovely felted hat...but honestly, this mannequin head scares me!!! :-)

And

These of course need to be on my feet..

Ok I get that they don't quite match what I have going on above, but I'm not so much a matchy, matchy girl anyway..they are just peachy heaven though...

And lastly..

A SEE THROUGH UMBRELLA!!!  

OMG...how cool is this...protected from the rain, but you can still see it coming!

I gotta find one of these..

Oh and dare I say these..and then my day will be quite lovely indeed!!

Yummmmmmm...now thats what I'm talkin about!!!

and yes please on a couple of these..

Ok, I think I'm all good now...

Time to hit that road I mentioned..

Blessings of all kinds..!

Me

"Yesterday Was A Great Day and Today is Starting Out Pretty Darn Good Too!"

Yesterday, for me, started out as most other days, well except that it was my day off. With my job I have Sunday's and Monday's off. I love having one weekend day and one weekday, for a few reasons.

1.  My husband usually has photography jobs on Saturdays, so I might as well work anyway.

2.  One of my favorite days of the week is Sunday. For me, Sundays are truly family day. A restful day, especially this time of year, full of cooking, football, movies, putzing about the house, working in my Art Room, etc. Enjoying the company and all in my jammies if I wish.

3. Monday's...ahh Monday's. Alone in the house to do as I wish. Boys are at work,  or a day spent running errands, doing a little window shopping or real shopping, visiting the library, visiting with my "Sweet Mama"

This Monday was exactly what I described..

Some chores in the morning..

Errands in the early afternoon..

And then on to Barnes and Noble to meet my "Sweet Mama" for a chat and a coffee.

First of all it was my intention to pick up a couple of books that

the beautiful Mikal of http://mikalslanding.blogspot.com

had recommended on her blog..

and..

So excited for both..

I arrived a few minutes before my Mama did, grabbed the "School of Essential Ingredients, they did not have "Cold Tangerines" and headed to the cafe..just as I arrived, there she was..!!

Oh it was so wonderful and perfect to see her!..you see my Mama is quite the little spitfire, running around volunteering and galavanting on little trips with friends. In fact she is headed out this very day with her best friends 

(my GodMama Gigi and her wonderful Australian hubby Murray)

for a couple of days in Wintrop, Washington..

www.winthropwashington.com.. 

Anyway we gabbed as girls do and then it was time to go..me, to finish my errands and my Mama to finish packing..

As we were getting ready to leave I decided to put

 "The School Of Essential Ingredients" back.

You see I had promised my husband that I wouldn't buy any more books until I had read all the little beauties standing in wait in my various bookshelves..

My Mom was so proud, as only a Mother can be when her child honors a promise..see even at 54 years old, you can still make your parents proud!!! :-)

So off we went, with a little extra visiting at our cars, of course...the day was a beauty, in the mid 70's..

Me stopping at my local Hobby Lobby for some of these.

A stop at the grocery store to get the ingredients to make this for dinner, one of our favorites when we want something light..

Stars and Spinach Soup
Adapted from Ronzoni

Ingredients

1/2 onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 tablespoon olive oil (optional)
1 can (46 oz.) chicken broth
1/2 cup white wine (optional)
1 cup Ronzoni acini di pepe or pastina, uncooked
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon red chili pepper flakes
Salt to taste
1 package (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach

Directions

1. Cook and stir onion and garlic in hot butter and olive oil until tender but not browned.
2. Add wine and chicken broth and bring to a boil.
3. Add pasta, pepper, and pepper flakes; simmer about 5 minutes.
4. Add chopped spinach and simmer 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. Season to taste with salt, if desired.

Serves 8.

Heading home from getting groceries I decided to stop by the library, its on the way, and I thought..well I promised not to buy any new books..

Well lo and behold there it was

 "The School Of Essential Ingredients"

right on the shelf..oh my gosh was that a gift or what..

not only did I find the book, but I saved myself $16.00 to boot..

I also found these, which I have had on my list for some time.

and

and this movie..my husband loves anything golf..

Pay Dirt!!! I was so excited that I had to call my Mama right then and there..we both had a good chuckle over that one.

Such a wonderful, beautiful day full of blessings!

Today I am up early to see my Mr. off to the airport..

So with my extra time this morning I decided to make these and surprise my son when he gets up..

It is his day off and he loves anything pizza..

We will see if he likes..

Just a note..

I added a spoonful of pizza sauce on the top before baking, but next time I would double the recipe, add some sauted onions, peppers and mushrooms, maybe some olives and some parmesan along with the mozzarella.

I also would add cheese to the top before baking..

But the basic recipe is pretty darn good...just not cheesy and greasy enough for me.

Pepperoni & Sausage Pizza Puffs

From: www.plainchicken.blogspot.com 

Sausage & Pepperoni Pizza Puffs

adapted from Everyday Food
(Printable Recipe)

3/4 cup flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
3/4 cup whole milk
1 egg, lightly beaten
4 oz mozzarella cheese, shredded (about 1 cup)
2 oz mini turkey pepperoni, (about 1/2 cup)
4 oz low-fat sausage, cooked and crumbled
1/2 cup pizza sauce

Pre-heat the oven to 375°. Grease a 24-cup mini-muffin pan. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, garlic powder and baking powder; whisk in the milk and egg. Stir in the mozzarella, sausage and pepperoni; let stand for 10 minutes.

Stir the batter and divide among the mini-muffin cups. Bake until puffed and golden, 20 to 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, microwave the pizza sauce until warmed through. Serve the puffs with the pizza sauce for dipping.

Its now just 7:53 am and time to start thinking about getting ready for work..

May your day be filled with blessings..

Me

"Random Fallness"

I love Fall...I've totally said that before, many times, but for me it is the culmination of comfort in every way..

Fall Decorating

I absolutely think these painted pumpkins are adorable..hmmmm!

 Even though my house doesn't look like this, I have the chair and other things that would definitely mimic this look...love it, love it, love it..

Pumpkins and Mums, here I come...! 

How cute is this?

Simple yet earthy and warm...

So darn cute I can't stand it..

I'm soooo going to make these for my table or maybe my mantel..

Again, so simple, but so beautiful..

Fall Food

Quite possibly my very favorite part of fall..cooking comfort food..soups, stews, casseroles, baking!!!

These recipes are on my menu for this week..

Italian Sausage Soup
from Noteworthy: A Collection of Recipes from the Ravinia Festival

1 1/2 pounds Italian sausage (hot or mild), cut in 1/2" slices
2 large onions, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
28 oz. canned Italian-style tomatoes with liquid
42 oz. beef broth
1 1/2 cups dry red wine
1/2 teaspoon dried basil leaves
2 medium zucchini, cut in 1/4" slices
1 medium green pepper, seeded, chopped
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

2 cups shell noodles

Grated parmesan cheese

In large kettle, saute sausage until lightly browned. Drain and dicard fat. Add onions and garlic. Saute until onions are limp. Stir in tomatoes, breaking them up. Add broth, wine, and basil. Simmer for 30 minutes. Add zucchini, green pepper, and parsley. Simmer for 15 minutes more. If you intend to serve and finish all of the soup in one sitting, add the 2 cups of shell noodles during that last fifteen minutes and cook until they are al dente. If we will have leftovers and want to reheat soup the next day, we cook the noodles separately (in broth, if you have any) and add them to the soup (the photo above is my bowl, to which he adds lots of noodles for me; Andy's bowl is more soup than noodles). I hate mushy, next-day noodles. If you don't (hate them), just add them to the soup the first night and simplify your life. Top with copious amount parmesan cheese.

Braised Short Ribs with Creamy Polenta
kindly shared by www.williamsonoma.com

These flavorful short ribs perfectly illustrate how braised meat cooked on the bone can turn out succulent and tender enough to cut with a fork. The bones also enrich the braising liquid, which marries delectably with the cheese-laced creamy polenta. A bold-flavored Syrah or Zinfandel is ideal for the pot and the table.

Ingredients:

• 3 Tbs. olive oil 
• 6 lbs. meaty, bone-in, individual-cut short ribs 
• 4 tsp. kosher salt 
• 1 tsp. freshly ground pepper 
• 1 yellow onion, chopped 
• 2 carrots, diced 
• 6 cloves garlic, chopped  
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour  
• 2 cups hearty red wine  
• 3 cups beef stock or broth  
• 2 Tbs. tomato paste 
• 1 Tbs. minced fresh rosemary   
• 1 bay leaf 
• 1 cup whole milk 
• 1 1/3 cups quick-cooking polenta 
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus more for serving  

Directions:

Preheat an oven to 325°F. In a Dutch oven, heat 2 Tbs. of the oil over medium-high heat. Season the short ribs with 2 tsp. salt and the pepper. In batches to avoid crowding, add the short ribs to the pot and cook, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides, 5 to 6 minutes per batch. Transfer to a plate.


Add the remaining 1 Tbs. oil to the pot and heat. Add the onion and carrots and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion softens, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Sprinkle in the flour and stir well. Slowly stir in the wine, then the stock. Stir in the tomato paste, rosemary and bay leaf. Return the short ribs to the pot. The short ribs should be barely covered with liquid. If not, add hot water as needed. Bring the liquid to a boil. Cover the pot, place in the oven, and cook, moving the position of the ribs every 45 minutes or so to be sure that they are covered with liquid and are cooking evenly, until very tender, about 2 1/2 hours. Transfer the ribs to a deep serving platter (don’t worry if the meat separates from the bones), and tent with aluminum foil to keep warm.


Let the cooking liquid stand for 5 minutes. Skim off the fat from the surface and discard. Bring to a boil over high heat. Cook, stirring, until reduced by about one-fourth, about 10 minutes. Discard the bay leaf. Return the short ribs to the pot.


Just before serving, make the polenta: In a heavy saucepan, bring 3 cups water, the milk, and the remaining 2 tsp. salt to a boil over high heat. Slowly whisk in the polenta and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook, whisking often, until the polenta is thick, about 2 minutes. Stir in the 1/2 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano. Divide the polenta among warmed deep serving bowls, top with the ribs and sauce and serve at once. Serves 6.


Variation: If you have leftover short ribs, you can easily turn them into a divine ragù. Simply remove the bones, shred the meat, stir it back into the sauce and reheat until warm. Toss with freshly cooked pappardelle. 

The Lady’s Chicken Noodle Soup

From Paula's Home Cooking

5 stars based on 23 Reviews

Servings: 8 to 10 servings

Prep Time: 25 min

Cook Time: 1 hour

Difficulty: Moderate

Ingredients

4   bay leaves
3   chicken bouillon cubes
1   onion, peeled and diced
1 teaspoon Paula Deen Lemon Pepper Seasoning
3   cloves garlic, minced
1   2 1/2 to 3-pound fryer (chicken), cut up
1 1/2 to 2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
3 1/2 quart water
kosher salt and pepper to taste

For Step 2:
2 cups sliced carrots
2 cups sliced celery, with leafy green tops
2 1/2 cups uncooked egg noodles
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
3/4 cup heavy cream (optional)
1/3 cup cooking sherry
1 cup sliced mushrooms
Fresh parsley
2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
Paula Deen Seasoned Salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper to taste
crusty french bread, for serving

Directions

For the stock: add all ingredients to a soup pot. Cook until chicken is tender, about 35 to 45 minutes. Remove chicken from pot and set aside to cool. Remove and discard bay leaves and onion. You should have approximately 3 quarts of stock. When chicken is cool enough to touch, pick bones clean, discarding bones, skin, and cartilage. Set chicken aside. 

For the soup: bring stock back to a boil, add carrots, and cook for 3 minutes. Add celery and continue to cook for 5 to 10 minutes. Add egg noodles and cook according to directions on package. When noodles are done, add chicken, mushrooms, parsley, sherry and rosemary. Add Parmesan and cream, if using. Cook for another 2 minutes. Adjust seasoning, if needed, by adding seasoning salt and pepper. Enjoy along with a nice hot crusty loaf of French bread.

Recipe Courtesy of Paula Deen

Chicago Style Chicken Vesurio

What a wonderful Sunday Dinner...with a veggie filled salad,  wonderful crusty bread to sop up the juices and HEAVEN!!!

This recipe is from http://prouditaliancook.blogspot.com

thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

This recipe is one of the more classic ways to make Chicken Vesuvio, and is adapted from Harry Caray's Restaurant, Chicago
INGREDIENT'S :** One Bone In Whole Chicken
** Potato Wedges, about 4 Russet or 6 smaller Red
** Equal Parts White Wine and Chicken Stock 1 1/2 Cups each
** 10 to 12 Whole Garlic Cloves
** Frozen Peas
HERES WHAT YOU DO
1. Season your chicken pieces on both sides with salt, pepper, dried oregano and granulated
garlic.
2. Take a large heavy skillet, coat with olive oil, and brown your potato wedge's and chicken
pieces till nicely browned, then remove and place in a roasting pan.
3. Now throw in all your garlic cloves in the skillet and cook till golden.
4. Deglaze your pan with the wine, I used Pinot Grigio, and add your chicken broth.
5. After it cooks down for a couple minutes pour everything into the roasting pan with the
chicken and potatoes. The last 15 minutes throw in some frozen pea's.
6. Bake at 375F till chicken is cooked through, about an hour and 15 min's.

Make sure you smear that soft sweet garlic all over your chicken as you're eating this!

Buon Appetito!!

And Fall cannot be lived without several of these..

on my way to Greenbluff today to get some!!!!

And we can't possibly leave out

Fall Clothes

I love this look, but these boots are sooo not me! 

These boots are ME!

And of course the other boots up above except the tall 
fancy ones, like I said, I would break my neck 
and everything else I'm afraid..

At my age "low to the ground" is major!! 

My bag choices for this fall..hoping to find similar 
looks at the thrift stores...
I just know these are spendy, spendy!!

Enjoy your day wherever you may be..

May it be filled with faith,

May it be filled gratitude,

and may the smell of apple cider, the crispness of the air

and the changing of the leaves 

fill your heart with Thanksgiving..

Blessings Always,

Me