It's a Party(napkin)

I have a lot of different 'issues'.  

I'm going to write about one of them on today's blog post.

I collect napkins.  Cocktail and dinner sizes.

I collect all kinds of napkins.  

In the picture below is a napkin over 24 years old. (Extra wedding napkins)

There is another napkin that is 20 years old.  (my #1 child had his #1 birthday)

I need help!

In all honesty, however, I have 4 or 5 each of these napkins. 

The next time we had a family party I couldn't celebrate the event with four napkins.... so, I had to go out and buy more.  If you figure that on an average every year we would have a least 4 birthday parties, holidays like Christmas and Halloween and then special events like graduations and picnics in the park .... and through the years I have just collected them in a box .... but only 4 or 5 of each.... I have lots of unused pretties that I couldn't just throw away ...

.... a pile of fun napkins!!!

As a 'new years resolution'.... I have decided not to purchase every day paper napkins for the kitchen table.  

In 2015 we will use up all of our party napkins.  We will use them every day and make each day a remembrance of all the special parties we've had in the past. It will be a party of napkins.... not on special days.... but every day.... until we run out!

Use up, reuse, recycle ....It will brighten our kitchen table..... every day!

Shiny and New

Thanksgiving has come and gone.

The kids were home for a few days for their fall break.  Now they both have gone back to school.

The two inches of snow we had on the ground melted with sunshine and 46 degree temperatures this weekend.

And, the few bucks we had in our pocket are definitely spent!  

One surprise purchase was a new microwave.  Ugh, right before our Thanksgiving feast!  Thank goodness for early Black Friday sales.... we hope, we think we got a deal.

I started to reheat some left overs and the microwave light came on.  The keypad worked as I entered the time to reheat, and the turntable inside rotated as the power started.  Three minutes later I pulled out my food, and it was still cold.  That was weird!!!!

I tried again.  Nothing happened.  Then I put a glass measuring cup filled with water and powered up the oven.  Lights, motor and turntable all worked.... but the water was still cold.  Something was wrong, but what?

The hubby and I ran errands and one of them was stopping at our local appliance store.  The magnetron tube was kaput and we had run out the warranty about a year and half ago.  The part would run us over $170, not including labor.  All said and done, to repair the unit would cost up to $300!  Yikes!

That was information from the parts department.  From the sales department they told us a replacement for the same current model was on sale for Black Friday deals.  He gave us a price of $320.  A new unit for 20 bucks more?  Maybe.

So, the hubby checked online and found a 'great' deal at a big box store near his office and was able to find the exact microwave we wanted for $250.  

Right before the big day I had a shiny and new, working microwave.  I am very thankful.  And I am very blessed.

One Potato, Two

Just like any new fad or trend ... it got started for a number of reasons.  Someone saw it and filled a need or a void.  It's possible that the trend setter tells all about how and why it started .... but sometimes it's not known who started it or why .... and when you see a lot of people getting on board and following, you can't help yourself but be part of it too.

 

It's simple and it's positive, finding hearts in all of nature's elements!  They reveal themselves everywhere!

 

Moved by a simple message that beauty, and love, radiate all around us, ready to inspire, uplift, even heal in some small way, if we're open to receiving them. This according to my initial Google search on 'finding hearts in unusual places'.  Here

 

Throughout this past year, I have found hearts in an sun filled illuminated Grapevine leaf in Missouri, to a small rough rock embedded in the ground on a Geocache hunt. And it's true.....they often reveal themselves to those who are ready to receive them!

Over the weekend I opened my 8 pound potato bag and the first potato I pulled out was the one above.  Surprised, I had to go find my iPhone so I could take a picture.  This potato was too big to be baked with the evening meal, and I really didn't want to spoil my heart find .... so I pulled out the next potato ... and look....

... a baby heart.  Worthy of another picture.

 

Finding hearts in dirt and garbage has the same sort of spiritual quality, only the heart shape is more universal. Its magic comes not just in the power of sharing it, but in the new way people begin to look at the scenery around them — and the different ways they find to connect with a simple shape.

 

And this too, relates (in my mind) to my Year of Possibilities.  Finding something positive, learning to bring my SHINE on and working toward sharing and Brightening Someone's Day!

 

Finding hearts is not only fun to do, but it's a positive reinforcement that there is a lot of good happening in the world.

The Weekends Over

I must admit that I miss writing on my blog! 

There have been others who I have followed and they say the same thing. 

Sometimes life gets in the way!  A new project needs more attention!  Sometimes I don't feel I have anything to say! (That is amazing)

But when you get down to the nuts and bolts of it.... writing blog posts for almost 7 years has become habit forming, and when I don't do it for awhile... I feel a part of me is just not right!!!

This 'work' thing obviously is something that has gotten in the way.  It takes away a good chunk of the extra time I used to have.  Blah, blah.... you get it...

I've not lost ALL of my creative fun time!

It's POSSIBLE to find time... just a bit harder to fit it in and sleep as well! 

If you continue reading my next blog post, you'll see that I took a class on making up-cycled belts into cuff bracelets.  I made a few more over the weekend!!

 

I was able to make 4 cuff bracelets out of this one white belt.  (One painted strip not pictured hasn't been made into a cuff yet) 

 

I think I love them!!! 

 

Today is my day off, and I'm going to check out a few other hobby stores to see if I can find the appropriate supplies.  I want them to look more worn and shabby like.... too perfect and then I can see the mistakes. 

 

If not so perfect.... the 'mistakes' seem intentional.... get what I'm saying???

 

Still recovering from 8+ yards of mulch we laid in our flowerbeds on Saturday.

 

And finally, to end this updating type of post .... after getting more acquainted with how wine is made and the different ways wine tastes depending on the food .... we've decided to have a wine and cheese dinner every couple of weeks.  No cooking, just a lot of chopping, finger foods and trying new cheeses, sausages and of course different wines!!!!  

 

This is what our dinner looked like on Sunday ... it was very yummy!

 

Here's to a bright new week!!!

Shine on!

 

 

Team (kevin) Bacon

With 2014 being my Year of Possibilities
 .... if I think it
.... I can do it!!

During the Christmas/Winter break my 20 year old son and I were talking food.  Now that he has lived in is own off campus apartment for more than a year and a half, he's had to fend for himself ... no more dorm food.

We set him up with the basics: pots, pans, wooden spoons, spatulas, mixing bowls, measuring cups etc... and a few recipes.  On those days when there is a little extra $$ in the food budget and he gets tired of the Ramen noodles he likes to try family recipes.

All the pictures below were attempted by me, a 'seasoned' cook ... but inspired by a conversation we had.

While growing up my mom cooked a lot.  We had the basics, hamburgers on the grill, boiled hot dogs, meat loaf, pot roasts, split pea soup ... good All American standards.  And on special occasions we had some traditional German food.  Food that my dad grew up with.

Beef Rouladan was one of those traditional foods.  During this past break my son had a friend over whose family heritage is German as well.  Kyle thought he would 'trick' me to see if I knew what Evan was having for dinner.... as I was tossing chicken for our Chinese Stir Fry. 

They both seemed surprised that I knew about Rouladen ...  a German meat roulade usually consisting of bacon, onions, mustard and pickles wrapped in thinly sliced beef which is then cooked. In some countries, the roulade is also known as "beef olive".

 

My meal was as wonderful as it looked!  Yum!  And sadly, Kyle did not partake in this delicious home cooked meal.  He went back to school to start his 2nd semester as a Junior at the University of Iowa.  Oh, I'm not that bad of a tease... the idea was brought up the day before he left.  I need to 'perfect' it before he comes back 'home' to visit!

 

And look!  This week my mom even sent me her recipe.... sort of. 

 

She was taught to make it from my dad's stepmother.  It appears that some recipes call for pounded meat to surround bacon and others call for the meat to surround a pickle spear ... just like any food, the recipes change by region, and by what the family has on hand to create the meal.

 

If you'd like my recipe, I'd love to send it to you ... just email me at prdesigns1@sbcglobal.net.

 

I'd love to hear from you ... but too, with modern technology, you can just as easily Google search to find the hundreds of varieties of Rouladen recipes.  Team bacon or team pickle?

 

I'm learning to become an expert in Possibilities!

Apple before Atari

If you were to do a search on Pinterest... probably with any search engine, really ... and put in the word APPLE.... where do you think the Internet will take you??

Apple Computers, Macintosh, Steve Jobs, iPads... pods, tunes etc.... and way, way, way down the list it might actually bring you to the fruit. 

Who would have thunk that Sir Issac Newton's discovery of the Universal Law of Gravitation when an Apple fell on his head, would be completely forgotten and refer solely to a company that wanted their name before Atari in the phone book.

 

An apple a day keeps the doctor away???

 

I hope so.  I've eaten 13 apples so far this year.

 

And then I thought of  some other Possibilities . . .

 

I baked an apple pie. 

 

I'm not much of a baker.  I know I can do it... as Rachel Ray always says... you have to be more precise in following the recipe or you can ruin the end results.... too much salt, not enough corn starch, too much oil.... See, I don't want to have to EAT my mistakes.  So, it is quite possible for me to bake an apple something!

Next it's possible to create an apple, there are watercolors.

 

No transition from baking to painting.... boom! Just like that I did this.  It makes me giddy! 

 

Yes, you can all say I'm an artist.... but do you know how many kinds of artists there are ? .... I gave myself permission this year to explore the possibilities and I'm trying new things! Watercolors vs. a pencil doodle.... something quite different all together!

 

I have found an excellent and reasonably priced tool ...  YouTube.  You can learn anything there!!

 

I just put in the search engine Watercolor Apple Tutorial and followed along.

 

I wont be inviting you to my gallery opening any time soon... but it's possible!!!

 

Dwell in Possibilities ~ Emily Dickens

Outdoor Dining Experience

 

It's Labor Day weekend! 

 

Honestly,  until I just wrote those words ... I didn't realize how timely this weeks' simple pleasure is.  Funny how this stuff works sometimes.  I give all the credit to my sub-conscious that is probably working overtime here on my blog! (And also give credit to it for my spelling errors and run on sentences.... it's out of my control)

It's the beginning of a new school year and it's the end of summer (for all those who actually think summer is the first day of Memorial Weekend and the last is Labor Day weekend)  I've had this discussion before.... summer actually ends Saturday, September 21.

 

Any way you look at it, having an outdoor picnic is a fun way to enjoy the great outdoors!

LET'S EAT!!!

 

Although shish-k-bobs are more of a barbecue type of food... why not go gourmet when picnicking in the backyard?  For some reason, presentation of the food makes it seem like it tastes better!!!  I've separated the vegetables from the meat.  We've learned over the years, and it seems quite obvious now... our vegetables were always quite crispy, while the meat may have been under cooked.  Then I figured out to separate the skewers and have separate veggie and meat ones. Voila`

 

 

Although we are no longer salt fans, we do marinate both meats (and sometimes the veggies) in tasty McCormick Grill Mates packets (of course frugally purchased as a loss leader for $1). Good ole zip lock bags, cut up meat, a little olive oil and water.... add the Chipotle Pepper marinade pack and as stated on the packet.... it truly is FLAVOR you can see!!

 

We squish the meat in the bag for a few hours while it's being refrigerated and right before we are ready to grill.... then I stick the skewers in!

 

 

Uncork a tasty bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon wine and add some fresh baked bread and it makes for a perfect.... end of summer meal!

 

Week #35 LIFE'S simple pleasures - a picnic

 

Pack up your food in a pretty basket, don't forget to add the napkins and make sure your iPhone camera is charged up ... get swept off your feet, create an attractive setting and discover the fun to be had with an outdoor dining experience!

 

Be Safe!

And

Brighten Someone's Day!

Picnic 101

Enjoy nature's beauty and get swept off your feet with an outdoor dining experience you're sure not to forget.  Create a fabulous outdoor setting by tossing out your black and red plaid blanket in one smooth motion as you find that perfect grassy knoll to settle down and get comfortable.  It's time to open your rattan picnic basket filled with American classic foods that will satisfy your culinary palette as you sit back and relax.

 

Wow!  Those words sure make a picnic sound FANTASTIC!!!!  It's a combination of phrases I found in some picnic advertisements. I am very happy to know that some of the LIFE'S simple pleasures are really a lot of fun and simple things you can do with family and friends. As simple as you can get.... put food in a basket/cooler, pick out a destination (it can even be the living room floor on a rainy day), bring the bug spray and enjoy the great outdoors!!!

I'm not going to give you specific recipes, just a general idea of some of my successes. 

I used to boil corn on the stove top.... I still do, but now as the water just starts a rolling boil I add a teaspoon of granulated sugar and a generous splash of lime juice before I put the shucked corn in.  You might have locally grown SWEET corn, but ever since I found this suggestion.... my corn has never tasted better!

 

The key to a great grilled burger is the FRESH ingredients.  After I make the ground sirloin patties (we enjoy the leaner meat) ... I learned to flatten the center more than the edges..... so it looks like a slight saucer shape.  There used to be a meat tenderizer that we found at WalMart, Dales.... haven't been able to find it lately.  I think we can order it online... it's really tasty... but not worth the effort at the moment.  So, I use a dash of Worchestshire Sauce and a little salt and pepper.  We like a fresh toasted Kaiser roll and some zesty pepper jack cheese.  My burger above is topped with a sliced tomato from my own garden and few lettuce leaves.  That first bite to the last was super juicy and delicious!

 

Standard picnic fare food you want it to be easy to eat, fork only, or finger foods (no knives) easy to transport and things that wont spoil quickly: potato salad, macaroni salad, watermelon, deviled eggs, bread, cheese, cold cuts, grapes, olive, potato chips, veggies, cookies and a beverage.  Last but not least....

 

The ultimate camping out... cookout ... open fire (or in this case, microwave) delicious dessert s'mores. 

 

I found a new way to enjoy that gooey chocolate flavor over at Kevinandamanda. She combined a Ritz cracker with a Reese's Peanut butter cup and marshmallow and made that sweet treat even better.  Here is my attempt at it.... still using the boring graham crackers.... but as you can see... I almost licked the plate clean! Just think of the possibilities but switching out the crackers and the candy bar!!!!

 

Week #35 LIFE'S simple pleasures - a picnic

 

Hope you stop by again and see what other ways we've created our picnics!!

Who Do You invite to a Picnic?

If ants are such busy workers, how come they find time to go to all picnics? Marie Dessler

If you just happened upon my blog, Welcome!! 

If you are an old friend, thanks for continuing your support by visiting me today! 

I am having fun creating my blog. 

I like change.... honestly I do!  I am fearful sometimes at 'change'.... but most of all, I get bored doing the same ole same ole.  So, if you visited me last week, my blog MIGHT have looked different (finally figured out how to put my custom header at the top of the page).  Today, I'm working on the watermark for my photos (that's my signature line... so in case someone wants to try and copy my great photos and use them as their own).... and who knows what will happen next week. 

So, stay tuned for my fun!

 

This entire year on my blog I'm dedicating myself to find LIFE'S simple pleasures.

L-learning

I - inspiring

F - feeling

E - evolving

S - shining

 

I'm seeking out FREE or relatively inexpensive ways to enjoy the simple things in LIFE.  We are into Week #35 of 2013 and this week I'm exploring picnics.

 

I truly enjoy eating (some) my summer meals outdoors not if it's 96 degrees like today with the heat index of 104 degrees ... well, if the conditions are perfect.... no bugs, low humidity and a light northeast breeze.

 

Well, I'm still working on coordinating my photos with my post... but if I took a picture a few months ago, sometimes I didn't quite capture what I might be writing about.  Today I wanted to point out a few of the different places we've had a picnic.  My pictures look more like I'm showing you the food... I am... so I'll just tell you the different places we've had a picnic.

 

Not shown.... don't you like that in a yearbook photo?  We've had a few picnics out the back hatch of our Honda ... but here are some of the other places...

 

Top left: our city's namesake.  Around 100 years or so ago when the Lake froze over in the winter a local ice company recalled how Crystal clear the lake was and perfect for creating the blocks for some of the first ice boxes (refrigerators) in some of the local Chicago areas, transported by horse and cart.

 

Top right: Local watering hole that was transformed from a Vulcan rock pit, to a beautiful recreation park.   A few weeks ago I commented here on my blog about our Kayak adventure.

 

 

In the above picture left: a scrumptious cookout with some lovely wine in our backyard oasis.

 

Right: company picnic held at the Picnic Grove in Six Flags Great America.

 

I can't help it, but I like a nice picnic and some great food! 

 

Can you believe all the people who blog about their food!!!!  I must admit.... it's kind of fun.

Come back tomorrow when I give a few recipes for some of that fine picnic cuisine!! Yummy!

Hey Good Lookin, what ya got Cookin?

What are the smells and the sounds you feel when you think of summer time???

I think of fresh popped popcorn at a county fair and the ice cream truck coming down the street.  Having fun and squeals of delight jumping into a pool or a lake.  A scent of sun tan lotion mixed with bug spray.  Cicadas chatting in the trees. The hot pavement that smells of tar melting.  The fresh newness of the school supply section in Target!!

 

There is also camping out and cooking out.  Bonfires and firing up the Barby.  In the summer time I like to grill out.  A leisurely dinner on a Saturday night.  The food is fresh and it tastes so good.

 

 

Week #31 LIFE'S simple pleasures - summer time

 

I've made some fun creative greeting cards before with summer themes.... but I can't seem to find them when I need them.  One is a really cute Weber grill with the steam flowing out the vent on the round cooker with wheels.  And the other one is a cute S'more character.  But all ya gotta know is.... if you think it... I can create it for you!!!! Customized greeting cards are my specialty!!  But they will cost ya more than a boring old grocery store card!!!

 

Vegetarian - Indian phrase meaning bad hunter.

 

Brighten Someone's Day!

Strawberry Red

Who would have ever thought that taking pictures of your food would be exciting and mouth watering! 

With the ease of technology and a camera on my phone, I can take pictures pretty much where ever I go. (Better watch out!!) And with my 'own' blog... I can post yummy goodness, fun and whimsical creative greeting cards, totally interesting family up dates and what ever the heck is out my picture on the world! 

We often pick 12-15 lbs of strawberries early summer time and I cut them and add sugar to then freeze for later in the year.  I can't think of any better way to eat this yummy goodness but on some pipping hot pancakes on a lazy Sunday morning...powder sugar makes you go.... awww come on... that is heaven!!!

Movie Review: Went and saw Argo (with Ben Affleck) yesterday.... excellent movie and we highly recommend it!!

What About Blogging?

The above picture is an extreme close up of our New Year's day brunch.  Off of Pinterest I found a scrumptious looking dish that used 8  Pillsbury crescent rolls, cheese, 5 scrambled eggs and 8 slices of bacon. Once it's baked you can top it with your choice, I used fresh salsa. It was very delicious!

Simple and to the point card. Cuttlebugged the pop out red with Swiss dots. Added a few score lines above and below the heart to give the card some definition. I really wanted to punch the heart on the bottom of the card, but it really depends on the orientation of the punch.... I never realized that before.  Unless you use die cuts where you can place it anywhere on the space.... you may be punch limited!

I started my blog on October 9th 2006.  Blogging was farely new.  At first (and I still do) think it's a great way to journal your day and practice writing skills.  Unless something happens to the World Wide Web, my pictures and stories, my joys and my sorrows are here FOREVER!!!

I recently read a great article (what's a magazine again??) here at the Inspired Room , titled "What I learned about Blogging".  Stay with me here, I found the article on FACEBOOK through a cyber friend (that's what I call someone who I never met in person, and most cases I just follow their blog, website etc.... ) This said friend pointed out that the author of the Inspired Room used some of her artwork she copied off Pinterest and didn't give her credit. Here in lies the problem.... it's so easy to COPY or CASe off the internet.  Yes, all artists should give credit where credit is due, but when it's copied from a blog to another blog and then to Pinterest, some things get lost in translation......

This is just a tease of my point and what the article said.  I will continue this topic on tomorrows post, so as not to bore you to death with a long post. Something to think about until then, why do people blog? 

Come on back and visit me again, when I tell you the rest of the story!

Send out FuN MaiL!

It is a brand new year!!!  Happy New Year everybody.  If you are interested, my sidebars on my blog here are full of information.  If you'd like a synopsis of 2011, click on the Robinson Replay, it's my Christmas news letter!  If you just want to see greeting cards and paper crafts that I make, click on the little lady in yellow, she will take you to my card blog. And if you want to follow along 365 days of pictures (didn't quite make it, but there are a lot of fun pictures) click on the icon with the camera!  I found the great way to design 2012 (above) on Pinterest.....

I'm up for pretty much anything and wanted to try the Oreo Cookie Cupcake recipe.  Photos of yummy food, how awesome is that?  If you are just dying to try this recipe and can't find it when you do a google search, just email me, and I will forward you the recipe.  My email can be found at the top of this blog!

Sent out HNY!!! cards this year.  Had to be a little different.  It's a shy little penguin with a big NEW YEAR wish of joy, peace, love and happiness! Send out FuN MaiL!!!!!

Check back often and see what I'm up to!!!!

Seeing Red

I kept on seeing people pin a similar picture to their boards(that's all foreign words if you: Don't know what Pinterest is and don't know that people pin their interests to their own board or spot to keep wonderful, fabulous ideas to copy, share or just enjoy)  obviously I had to take the challenge on and create my own Pumpkin Cake.... So I bought the cake mix, had the pumpkin (for some other lofty idea) and finally decided and clicked on the photo until it took me back to the original post and read the recipe for boxed yellow cake mix and the can of  pure pumpkin.  Just mix the two ingredients together for two minutes until the powder and pumpkin are one, cook at 350 for 28 minutes and it turned out like this ↓

It's very moist and tasty!!  I was going to put a cream cheese and powdered sugar frosting on top, but it really tasted good 'plain'. Because I don't often think outside of the box, I really am glad I found Pinterest and other search engines, I'm having fun being enabled.

I went out again Geocaching yesterday, and searching for some red foliage.  Found both this time!  What a beautiful fall day.  I'll take 120 more please!!!!

You don't have to be crazy to work here... we'll train you. ` pinterest

FREE!

From Gluten that is.....

Yummy cookies I made over the weekend.... you don't have to be Gluten FREE to enjoy these.  My family loved them right out of the oven.  We brought them to a PACKERS win party!!!

edit: yes, there is NO flour in this recipe

1 cup Peanut Butter

1 cup Brown Sugar

1 egg

1tsp Baking Soda

1/2 tsp Vanilla

Mix

Add 1 cup mini chocolate chips or whatever you would prefer.

Preheat oven at 350.  Mix all ingredients.  Make balls approximately 1 to 2 inches.  Bake for 12 min or until the preferred crispness.

Keep calm, nobody else knows what they're doing either!

~ pinterest

Found, a cute Bunny

- Spring Day Well, a simple picture post. Although I have been cre8ting (making a baby album) all other paper crafts have been put on the back burner. Nothing new to show... so I'm going back in the archives. Found this cute bunny card.

Great dinner last night.... Caprese Lasagna.... not tomato Ragu sauce.... but chicken broth with fresh tomatoes, basil and mozzarella cheese... no bake lasagna noodles.....so good. Yum! Tonight it's baked French Onion Soup.... we only have 3 'special' bowls though.... ones that can be put under the broiler... the other one... Sissy was drying it, holding the handle and the rest of it fell on the ground and smashed in to smitherines!!!! She didn't drop it... weak handle? Tiny fracture from washing or dishwashing??? Now we are down to three!!

Sunny day and 47 degrees at the time of this post.

I 'dislike' Spam

- All kinds

My spam email is full....all teh time, but I check it, there might be 'something' important in there. I was going to say I 'hate' spam, but that is a bit harsh. The more I delete, the more seem to just pile in there. I'm not opening it, just delating when the inbox has more than 15.... a few hours later.... more spam. I don't like the other SPAM either. Had it a few times when I was a kid.... was it 'really' cheaper than REAL meat?? In our house now, we try not to buy meat from Hormel at our local deli ... both DH don't have a taste for it....we remember it to be yucky!!!. Don't they make it look real yummy in the picture?

Sorry, no new cards ... the job is getting in the way.

Stay tuned for the next adventure!!!

Chocolate Yummy

- The adventure
- New Camera

**tease** I'll talk about the adventure another day!

...Now let's get to the yum!

Look how great these pictures turned out!!! Look how great these double dipped chocolate pretzels turned out! Extreme close up.

Thanks to my parents... I got a new camera for Christmas and the rest of my presents for 2011. Stay tuned to adventure info and another new blog coming my way.... 365 pictures..... a picture a day for the new year!