Sunday

It's a lazy Sunday here.
Barbecue ribs are in the crockpot.  They will be yummy with the potato salad and coleslaw leftover from yesterday.  These are so easy, just throw boneless country style pork ribs into the crockpot with a bottle of barbecue sauce and cook all day.  They are smelling soooo good!

And Salem is in his happy place.  He spends every morning there when it is sunny.

He's keeping an eye on the birds and chipmunks at the bird feeder.

I had a sudden impulse to crochet some placemats for my kitchen last week.  I found the perfect colors but I'm not sure I like how they are pooling.

This is a closeup.  I'm just doing single crochet, no pattern fot this.

I guess I will keep going for awhile and see how I feel about it when it's done.  I can always re-do it.


And the highlight of my week was our little soccer star....

Granddaughter #2 is the one with the blue head band.  The little girl with pink shoes is her cousin.  They are having a blast!  A soccer game with 4 and 5 year olds is very entertaining!

Hope your weekend was wonderful.
'Til next time
Peace

Treasures and Memories

There's nothing happening here.  Its a very quiet Sunday for us and I plan to spend much of it knitting.

I decided to show you a couple things in my house that I treasure.  Nothing is very valuable (that I know of).  So if you see something that is a genuine something-or-other and worth $$$$, speak up will you please?!

This little girl is a planter.   She sat on the windowsill in my mom's kitchen for as long as I can remember.   There was always a little plant growing in it.  It might have been some type of herb, but I'm not sure.  I keep her on my kitchen counter top next to the sink and she holds a dish scrubbie.  Every time I look at her I feel happy.  It takes me back to childhood and sitting in my mom's kitchen.  It was a warm, welcoming place....and always something yummy cooking.

I have no idea where my mom got it or how old it is.  There are no markings on it anywhere.  

Here is another treasure I found in the back of a cupboard after my mom passed.

I'm sorry it is upside down!!!  I cannot figure out how to rotate it, at least not from my tablet.  I could go to my desk computer and try, but let's just imagine it right side up for now, ok?

My mom made this.  I think it may be aluminum.  It isn't heavy.  It is a small tray about 12 inches in diameter.  The edges of it have been crimped up, a little like a pie.  It is a rose, upside down (sigh) and I believe it was etched on with some type of chemical.  They placed a stencil on the tray to cover the parts they wanted to stay shiny.  The dull, etched part feels slightly rough.  I could be wrong about the chemical.  I suppose it could have been done with some type of abrasive.  

I keep this on my counter top in the kitchen and it holds mail and bills and odds and ends.

I think of my mom everyday and miss her, but having some of these things brings back good memories and keeps her close.  She taught me to be kind and to forgive...she was a great role model.

I wish she had taught me to cook!!!  She was a fabulous cook and there was always something good in her kitchen.

I'm going to leave you with one of her recipes......

HEATH BAR COFFEE CAKE

Combine: 

2 cups brown sugar

2 cups flour

1/4 lb. Butter

Mix together til crumbly.  Reserve 1 cup

Combine:

1 egg

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup buttermilk

Dash of salt

Add above to sugar mixture.  Put in 9x13 pan.

Sprinkle with reserved topping mixture.  Crush 6 Heath candy bars, add 1/2 cup chopped nuts and sprinkle on top.

Bake at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes.  

I may have to try making this.  No wonder it's good.....2 cups of sugar and 1/4 Lb. of butter (is that 1 stick? sounds like alot).

She made this often and it was very yummy.  I think you could use toffee bits instead of the Heath bars. 

Let me know how it turns out if you make it.

Til next time

Peace

Reading and mashed potatoes

I love to read.  I have always been a reader.  I remember riding my bike to the library as a child and coming home with a pile of books.  Nancy Drew, Cherry Ames, biographies of famous people.  I think I read just about every book in the juvenile fiction section.
I raised 2 children who like to read.  Now I am working on another generation.

This is Hayley and Marley reading together.  Marley is in kindergarten this year and reading at 1st grade level right now.  It seems the "light bulb" went off and she is trying to read everything.

I take Hayley to the library toddler storytime every Tuesday morning. She loves to play with the toys in the children's corner and we always bring home a stack of books.  It can be a challenge to get her to leave though.  The very first time we went I finally had to pick her up and carry her out of the library.....with her yelling "help me!" all the way out!  I was mortified but they have allowed us to come back, thankfully.

In my last post I mentioned making crockpot mashed potatoes for Easter. I didn't include the recipe so here it is.

CROCKPOT MASHED POTATOES

5 lb. Russet or Yukon Gold potatoes 

1 stick of butter, divided in half

3 cups water

Salt and pepper to taste

1 8oz. block of cream cheese, softened

Milk, amount needed for desired consistency

Peel potatoes and cut into 1 inch chunks, then rinse with cold water

Lightly grease inside of crockpot with cooking spray

Place potatoes in crockpot and pour in water

Add salt and pepper to taste.

Slice half of the butter into small slices and dot on top of potatoes

Cook on high for 4 to 5 hours, until fork tender

Drain off all the water

Add cream cheese and rest of butter and mash with potato masher.

Add small amounts of milk until you get desired consistency.

You can keep potatoes warm in crockpot until ready to serve.

This made enough potatoes to feed 14 with some leftover.

You could also add garlic or sour cream....whatever your favorite mashed potato recipe.

It is a rainy day here....a perfect day to curl up with a good book.  I recently finished the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon and I feel like I need to find another big saga type series to read.  Any suggestions?

'Til next time,

Peace