Addie by Grace™

Repurposed Metal Tool Box

2013-08-18T18:34:00.002-07:00

So, I just wanted to share the new life this tool box has as a table top accessory. Not only does it look beautiful, but it's also functional as a plant holder and it can hold your glass of lemonade or cup of coffee!

The lovely greenery of this great country yard help the tool box look right at home!

I'm always amazed at how beautiful old things can look if we just give them a new job to do. I'm always looking for an old thing I can use when I have a need for something functional or when I'm looking for any new items to decorate!

Hope you'll look around and see you can upcycle something, giving your surroundings a more interesting look!

No Knead Bread...FAST!

2013-01-06T11:44:00.001-08:00

Ever been in the mood to make bread but then found out you had to let it "rest" overnight!??

Crusty exterior with soft light inside, but not to doughy. Great for sandwiches too!

Well, since I'm not the world's best planner when it comes to cooking, do not own (or plan to ever own) a bread machine, this happened to many a times. Frustrated I set out to find a way to make bread on a whim, and make it without a huge production.

Thus....this simple recipe I perfected after making it only three times!

INGREDIENTS:
3 Cups all purpose flour
1 Tsp Kosher salt
1 1/4-oz envelope RapidRise Highly Active Yeast( I use Fleischmann's)
1 3/4 Cups warm water

REST TIME: 2 hrs
BAKE TIME: 40 mins @ 450 degrees

MIX all ingredients with a wooden spoon until well combined. Dough will be sticky.

LET REST for 2 hours in airtight container. I put mine inside my microwave. It will about double or triple in size.

KNEAD dough just until bubbles are gone and dough is smooth...about a minute.
At this point you could add flavors like: cheeses, garlic, olives, ect. This is right before kneading and forming into a loaf. I've only added garlic, but plan to experiment with adding other flavors!

SHAPE into bread shape(s). You can make one or two loaves.

Here is shaped it into two loaves.

COVER bread loosely with crinkled foil. I crimp the edges of foil to the side of the pan and with a long spoon lift the middle to make a "tent" for over the bread. If you skip this you may burn it!

BAKE on cookie sheet at 450 for 35 minutes covered, then remove foil and bake 5 more minutes until golden brown.

Result, beautiful and delicious bread with a nice crust and soft inside. This bread is not so think so you can slice it for sandwiches, or in rounds for crostini! ENJOY!!!

Pasta Puttanesca

2013-01-06T10:58:00.000-08:00

This meatless dish could not be easier to make and more delicious and healthy!

I love making with thin spaghetti or a flat noodle. The fresh parsley and basil give it an amazing flavor and aroma that is just irresistible! I first had this when my good friend, Debbie K. made this for me years ago in Fremont, CA.

I've added a few other ingredients I love, like the olives, parsley, and the capers, but the essence of the dish is the pasta, tomatoes, basil, and the wine.

INGREDIENTS:
Pasta - I use thin spaghetti, about 7oz/half a box.
1 Tbsp EVOO (Extra virgin olive oil)
4 Tomatoes, cut into bite size pieces (very chunky)
2 Cloves of garlic, crushed and chopped
1/2 Tsp Red pepper flakes
1/2 cup White wine
1/2 cup Basil, chopped
1/2 cup Parsley, chopped
1 cup Kalamata olives
1 Tbsp Capers
S&P to taste

INSTRUCTIONS:
Cook pasta according to package directions. Heat EVOO and add pepper flakes and garlic and as soon as the garlic starts to brown and you can smell it, add the tomatoes. Cook tomatoes for just a couple of minutes and add the wine and the rest of the ingredients. Season with S&P to taste and turn off the heat and cover the pan, letting the tomatoes cook in the steam for 5-10 minutes.
Serve over hot pasta and enjoy. I love having a glass of white wine with this dish.

DIY Gift Tags

2012-12-16T10:41:00.003-08:00

Gift tags are like birthday candles and umbrellas, everyone has them but can't find when you need them! And in my case, I can never seem to have "right" ones!!

Well, being that it's so easy to make/cut your own tags, why not just do that when you need them?

So, here are some examples I've done for this Christmas, but that I'm now (that I saw the light!) planning to use throughout the year!

Find shapes of tags you want to make, or use cookie cutters, jar lids, and just trace them on cardboard (I use recycled boxes from cereal, crackers, or alike!).

Save and use/upcycle interesting papers you get from all kinds of sources, save scraps of craft paper to make different shapes and size tags for birthdays, anniversaries, Christmas, Halloween, Easter, Housewarming, or ANY other gift tag-requiring event!

One other thing I do is save/reuse EVERY ribbon, string, or anything that can be used to wrap/tie gifts! Like below the brown/white rope ribbon was save from something else.

I also save tags from things I buy as templates to duplicate the shapes. Making your tags makes gifts that much more special I think!

Merry Christmas and happy gift tag making!!

HomeMade Croutons

2012-12-16T10:38:00.002-08:00

HomeMade Croutons

These deliciously crunchy & tasty little morsels are made out of old bread, from my own homemade bread, but you can use any bread you have! I'm actually not a big fan of croutons, unless they're homemade! Store-bought croutons are always either too hard or too light and void of substance, to me!

INGREDIENTS:
Half loaf of bread. Here I used my own homemade bread. Denser crustier bread works best.
3 Tbsp EVOO
1 Tbsp garlic powder
1 Tbsp onion powder
Salt & pepper to taste

BAKE: 10-12 minutes at 400 degrees

INSTRUCTIONS:
Preheat over to 400 degrees. Line cookie sheet with foil.
Slice bread lengthwise, like you're going to make a sandwich, then into slices at an angle, and finally into bite size cubes.

In a bowl just big enough for croutons or in a plastic bag and drizzle croutons with oil while tossing to get a bit of oil on each crouton. Then sprinkle salt & pepper to taste. And finally sprinkle garlic and onion powder, while tossing.

Spread on single layer on foil-lined cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Check them and see they're to your liking, and if not, bake for another two minutes. ENJOY!!

Turkey Orzo Soup

2012-11-27T05:55:00.002-08:00

Turkey Orzo Soup

Did you save your turkey carcass??
By The Way, there should be another name for carcass when it's used for cooking! I'm just saying.

Hope you did, I ALWAYS do and then we have turkey noodle (orzo) soup all weekend following Thanksgiving! I use orzo because the regular noodles soak up too much liquid and then become super large and soggy. Using orzo was my later mother-in-law, Carolyn's idea - not mine!

INGREDIENTS:
Turkey carcass (I also use the carcass of store-bought rotisserie chicken)
4 cups chopped celery
4 cups chopped carrots
1 yellow onion, thinly sliced

1 Tbsp dry thyme (or 4 fresh sprigs)
Salt & pepper to taste
1/2 cup green onion, chopped - optional
Tabasco sauce, to taste - optional

MAKES: 10-15 large bowls

INSTRUCTIONS:
In large pot add enough water to cover the carcass. Gently boil with onions and salt until meat falls off the bone, about 1 hr or so.

Remove/skim as much of the fat from the top as possible.
Take out all the bones and let them cool, then remove as much of the meat as possible and put it back in the broth.

Add the celery and carrots and cook another 20 minutes or so until they are tender. While veggies are cooking, cook orzo according to package directions, then add to soup. Taste and adjust seasoning to taste. DONE!!

SERVING SUGGESTIONS: I love adding freshly chopped green onions on top and a few dashes of Tabasco sauce for a bit of kick. ENJOY!!

DIY Dragon Pillow Case

2012-10-15T20:17:00.001-07:00

So, Toothless is my grandson West's FAVORITE dragon of all time!! So, I had to make him a soft pillow case so he could go to sleep every night with his favorite dragon and dream of riding him!

I found a what I thought would be an easy template for me to trace, cut and stitch on.

This TEMPLATE fit what I wanted just perfectly!

HOW TO:
1. Trace shape from screen on paper, or print and cut.
2. Spray adhesive on back of paper so it stick to your fabric, but still PIN in place for cutting ease.
3. Pin fabric cut out onto pillow case panel and stitch in place with a zig-zag stitch appropriate for your fabric. Here I used a narrow zig zag in med length and was easy to go around tight shapes
4. You can add a matching/coordinating ribbon if you like, and here the back was from an old pillow case with an eyelet trip so I used a ribbon on that.

My grandson's words when he opened the gift were "I LOVE IT....I LOVE MY DRAGON!!" Wow, what more can you ask for. Absolutely nothing!

And here, wearing his dragon slayer's gear and face painting, is my inspiration for making this pillow case. Note the amazing Toothless dragon on his cake, made my his mom!

Hearty Veggie Soup

2012-09-04T10:35:00.001-07:00

This wonderful soup is as delicious as it is versatile!

The base is potatoes, white beans, garlic & tomatoes. After that you can add pretty much anything you have in your fridge.

INGREDIENTS:

2-3 Medium russet potatoes, cubed into bite size cubes

3 Carrots, peeled and chopped

2 zucchini or squash

3 Galic cloves, finely chopped

1 Cup chopped parsley or cilantro

3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp red pepper flakes

1/2 white or yellow onion, chopped

1 14.5-oz can petite chopped tomatoes, you could add fresh as well.

1 15oz can Cannellini (or white) beans

8 cups water or broth (I use water), and sometimes a splash of red wine.

Salt & Pepper to taste.

1. Chop and measure everything. It's so much easier when you have everything ready to go in!

2. Heat the oil and add the garlic and red pepper flakes to a pot big enough to fit all the ingredients and be able to stir.

3. When garlic starts to brown and you can smell it, add the potatoes and onions. Cook about 3 mins while mixing them around.

4. Add the rest of the ingredients, EXCEPT BEANS & PARSLEY/CILANTRO. Cook for about 25 mins until carrots and potatoes are tender, then add beans and salt & pepper to taste.

5. Let the beans cook in the soup for about 5 mins. Turn off heat and add the parsley or cilantro and blend some of the soup if you wish.

NOTE:

Here is a version where IF you blend part of the soup it can be a bit thicker but the taste is pretty much the same. I use my immersion blender and place it in about three spots and blend for a few seconds just to give the soup a thicker body. When adding your water or broth use your own judgement to get the consistency you like.

Here is about how big I chop my veggies.

You can really use almost any veggie you like. Sometimes I use broccoli instead of zucchini, you can add mushrooms too. One thing I don't use is celery. It just gives a flavor I prefer in other soups, like chicken noodle.

After cooking the soup for about 25-30 mins I add the beans and let them get heated, about 5 mins and it's ready to enjoy.

Yard MakeOver on a BUDGET!!

2012-08-24T18:43:00.002-07:00

Okay, so I don't claim to be an "expert" in gardening... but I do profess to LOVE gardening. And just BEING IN the garden is a bliss for me! All my troubles disappear when I'm in my garden.

Here I'm starting with the AFTER...where the cosmos grew taller than me this year. This is a SIDE YARD by the way.

AFTER: Heavenly morning & evening walks took place here!

As a lover of gardening, and a frugal domestic diva, of course I always try to find ways to transform my garden (garden areas) with the least amount of money or effort.

Here you see what I mean. A few seed packets of Cosmos & Sweet William completely transformed this side yard in my house.

One thing that works for me is to spend a little time before & after I have to go to "work". It both clears my mind at the start, and relieves stress at the end of the day!

This is how it started out. You can see some stepping stones (it's what I saw) next to the fence, which I ended up moving to the middle and arranging in curvy pathway.

BEFORE: You can see the end of the gate at the end...looking toward the street.
When I first saw this I could "see" the possibilites!

It's nice to have a place to sit, rest, and enjoy he journey of a growing garden.

This is looking toward the backyard...notice the tall pine trees in the background.
An apple tree was later planted right before the trees. It was grafted with 3 types of apples!

Here you still see the pine trees but the Cosmos are just loving it here! The only drawback about Cosmos is that they're annuals. You just got to take them out at the end of the season, but you get to start over with something NEW! :)

This space evolved as the years passed and different beautiful flowers grow here, inlcluden even an apple tree.

What I did
Basically all I did here was just dig up around the whole area to loosen the dirt. Then I moved the "pavers" (anything I found around the yard) to form the path I wanted. I also installed a drip irrigation system to water things. Once I planted (scattered) the seeds and added other plants here and there as I came across something on the "discount shelf" a Lowe's it pretty much just evolved to what you see.

Enjoy playing in YOUR garden!

Easy Guacamole

2012-08-19T16:31:00.004-07:00

This guacamole is not just easy to make and delicious...it's also beautiful!

This is just one avocado's worth but for a big party it's almost part of the

centerpiece it's so pretty to look at.

INGREDIENTS

1 large avocado (for every 3-4 people. Less if serving other dip or hors d'oeuvres.

1 lg tomato, diced

1/3 onion, any type

1 Serrano pepper, finely chopped

(or 1 tbsp red pepper flakes, for hot. Less if you want it mild)

1/2 chopped cilantro

Juice of 1 lemon or lime

salt & pepper to taste

After cutting around the avocado, get the pit with your knife.

To get pit off the knife, tap the back of the knife on a cutting board, or similar surface.

Score the inside/flesh of the the avocado into small squares and coop out with a spoon.

Season all ingredients and gently mix to combine.

SERVING SUGGESTIONS

Here are some delicious tacos made with store-bought rotisserie chicken, but this beautiful thing can also be used as a TOPPING on any grilled MEAT or as part of any SALAD (make less spicy for this one)...oh, and who could forget with lovely crunchy CHIPS!

Garlic Polenta Cakes

2012-08-19T14:12:00.001-07:00

I happened to make the "heart-shapped" last Valentine's Day, but you can of course cut it this into ANY shape you want, depending on the occassion, guest, or menu!

1 Golden Pheasant's MICROWAVE recipe
5 garlic cloves (yes...I LOVE garlic!), minced
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (that's what I use)

PREPARATION
Peel and mince garlic. Mix polenta according to package directions. Heat oil and add garlic. Swirl or stir garlic until slightly golden brown and aromatic. Pour immediately over polental and stir to mix. Cook polenta according to package instructions.

If you're familiar with polenta you know you can have EITHER creamy, right after cooking, and serve with a sauce dish like Italian Sauge & Polenta. OR let it cool and cut into shapes and brown in hot oil (2-3 tbsp) until golden brown (when it's like candy to me!).

Serving suggestions:
I really wish more recipes would 'suggest' what they go best with. I love serving creamy polenta with anything that has a red Italian style sauce, and a protein, such as lamb or pork chops with a simple Cucumber & Tomato, or Tomato & Onion salad. ENJOY!

APPLE CRUNCH CAKE

2012-08-07T09:50:00.000-07:00

EASY, MOIST, DELICIOUS!

What I love about this cake is that it's as easy to make as it is delicious to eat!

And the few and common ingredients you need you probably already have in your pantry.

This is case is delicious by itself, or with hot beverage and you could top with whipped cream if wanted.

I use any apples I have on hand or that are on sale.

Dry ingredients.

(oops, didn't take a pic of mixed wet ingredients!)

Mixture will be lumpy. Here I added raisins (I was making it for someone who liked raisins), but I would not do it again, as I'm not a big fan.

Here it is...50 mins to 1 hr later. So MOIST yet CRUNCHY and yummy.

INGREDIENTS:
4 cups apples (about 4 apples), peeled and diced
1 3/4 cups sugar
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
2 eggs, beaten
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup vegetable cooking oil
1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional). I like using slivered almonds. If using walnuts or pecans add them after the all ingredients are combined, so dry flour doesn't get into the crevices.

PREPARATION
Preheat over to 375 degrees.
Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl. Mix wet ingredients in a smaller bowl.

Add wet ingredients, including apples, to flour mixture and mix well to combine. Bake for about 1 hr in greased 9x13, or smaller, pan.

Done when tip of knife comes out clean. Check at 50 mins, since some ovens run hotter.

NOTE: Usually you mix sugar with eggs & oil, but in this case adding it to the flour is part of what gives this its yummy texture & crunch.

Meeting his parents!

2012-07-30T20:50:00.000-07:00

After FIVE years of knowing my sweet and loving boyfriend, Chris, we headed out on our first "vacation" to OR to visit his parents, Molly and Peter.

We packed the dog, Tommy, and off we went. On the way there we stopped in Ashland, where we with Chris' friend, Steve and his wife Anna. Steve and Chris go way back to HS.

We had a fantastic dinner at Standing Stone Brewing Company(photo below), where I ordered their delicious Red Cabbage Cole Slaw...and got the recipe!

Here are Molly and Peter seeing us off in front of their home. Their home is so lovely inside...decorated in a Nautical theme with a ton of sentimental items from years gone by.

I came back home inspered to pull out all our treasures and display them so we can enjoy them every day.

This quilt was made my Chris' grandmother from her mother's old dresses! How lovely is that, right? I'll never throw away another piece of clothing again!

On our first day visiting South Beach, we went for a walk on the beach. It was sunny when we left the house and 10 minutes later we returned completely soaked and covered in hail!

You got it! The photo below was strategically cropped to hide the extra minutes on my "hour glass" figure!

Here Chris with uncle Larry, who we visited on our back, in Crescent City. Sshh, don't tell anyone, but Chris is hiding his sigarette behind him. Larry was so much fun to hang out with and I hope to go back just so we can spend more time with him. The end :)

Family Visit to PA

2012-07-30T20:24:00.002-07:00

Below is my daughter, son-in-law, and two grandbabies! I'm in CA they're in PA, where these pics were taken during my visit for my grandson's 3rd bday. It was a "How To Train Your Dragon" theme party and it was so much fun!

Kids pick flowers and inspect the garden

So yeah, when you have grandchildren you can't stop taking photos of them, and you thinkg EVERYTHING about them is cute...right down to their little toes!!

Here they are bird watching from inside the house, since it was just too darn hot to go outside.

Another Great Find

2012-06-28T09:54:00.004-07:00

This glass table with 4 chairs turned out more on the modern side. The chairs are not modern per se they just average low-end chairs, but painting them black gave them an "updated" feel and look.

Black is not a color most people think of when they want a "neutral" color. However, as you see here it can be a backdrop to any color you love! This entire set cost only SIXTY FIVE dollars on CL.

I look for great deals to stage my listings and when I'm done with them I resell them, since I can't keep them all.

Money-Saving Tips to Furnish Your Home!

2012-04-19T18:08:00.006-07:00

It is always my goal to NEVER pay full price for new furniture, because I can get great things at a fraction of the cost!

Take this queen size bed frame (with headboard & footboard) for example. I got at it a garage sale for $15! The guy threw in the mirror for free. I cleaned up the mirror and sold it on CL for $20....so, you could say I made $5 on the rest!

As you can see here, the whole thing was dirty, dusty and the mirror has stickers on it. The headboard had a crack where the frame latches to it, so I just glued with wood grue.

Once I removed the stickers from the mirror I sanded it a bit and cleaned it up. Here is in all its glory!

The entire thing was retouched with black flat spray paint and it was like new! I am a professional home-stating REALTOR, so the bedding you see here is just for staging...it's an air mattress.

Cute table make-over!

2012-04-11T07:23:00.010-07:00

As all you who know me may know, I love a bargain and see beauty where others may see only junk!

So, next time you need something, don't buy/over pay...RENEW!

As a Home-Staging Realtor, I am always looking for budget items to stage with, but I can't keep everything. This table is a good example of how to put life into things that seem to have no life left. I got it on CL for $20 and spent $8 on paint, plus used fabric I had to recover the seats. In all I estimate my total at $35.

I later resold it for $142 to a young couple who just loved it! Maybe I could've sold it for more but I wanted them to have it.

WHAT I DID: Cleaned the glass, painted the base and chairs, recovered the seats with some material I had. I as you can see I stencilled the word sit on each chair. I had another more fun design in mind, but making the stencil was easier with this simple word!

FOR THE STENCIL: I just printed out the word "sit" (again, I went for ease here!) and traced it on wax paper. If youd don't have a printer, you can tape the paper right on your screen and trace! Cut out the letters and sprayed the was paper with removable spray adhesive(get a bit tacky & sticky but not totally glues on), centered on the material and spray painted over it (using a brush didn't work for me!). You have to hold the can about 6 inches away and spray evenly and light coats until the shape is evenly painted. Let dry and remove stencil!

I used RUST-OLEUM Painter's Touch in matte black for this and other projects.
Once I stapled the material to the seats I trimmed the excess off.
Ta dahhh!!!! All in a day's work!

Chicken Albondigas with Mint

2012-04-02T14:06:00.008-07:00

This dish comforts me and takes me back to my childhood like no other! Growing up in Mexico, my mom grew mint in her herb garden and it's what gives this dish its delicious distinct flavor and aroma.

MAKES: 6 to 8 large servings

You can enjoy this with freshly warmed corn tortillas or by itself with just toppings.

Topping for this dish are fresh mint, lime or lemon wedges, chopped onion, and finely chopped green chiles and if you're up for it, toasted and crushed red peppers.

You mix all the goondess together and make a nice masa ball that holds together when you try to form a golf-size ball. It should not be too dry or too wet.

You want each ball to have a little bit of everything in it.

Drop the balls one at a time slowly into the pot. It only takes about ten minutes before they float to the top when done. You want a soft boil so they don't fall apart.

INGREDIENTS:

1 whole chicken (about 5 lbs) or chiken breasts and any other parts you like

2 cups corn masa for tortillas (masa for tamales is courser)

2 White or yellow onions (1 1/2 thinly sliced & 1/5 chopped for topping)

2-3 large tomatoes

1 mint bunch (finely slice about 1/2 to go into the balls & for topping)

2 eggs, beaten (keeps the balls from falling apart)

Limes or lemons for seasoning

Green and/or red chiles (optional)

Corn tortillas (optional)

Salt

From the chicken set aside about 1 1/2 - 2 cups of the breast. You'll thinly slice it and add it to the masa mix. Cook the rest of the chicken in enough water to cover the chicken completely. Season with salt and add 1 sliced onion and sliced tomato (1 to 1 1/5). Boil at slow boil for 20-25 mins until chicken is soft. Add a few mint sprigs.

While the chicken is cooking, beat egg a large bowl, add masa and remaining sliced tomatoes, onions, mint and salt to taste, about 1 tbsp (I touch a tiny piece of masa (once wet) to the tip of my toungue to taste).

Start adding warm tap water to the masa and mix until you can mix it all up into a big ball and start forming balls. TIP: I only form enough balls for 1 or 2 meals and save the rest of the masa in the fridge and make balls later as needed. This keeps them from falling apart when reheating the broth.

Drop balls slowly one at a time and let cook for about 20 mins. They will float to the top when cooked. Add water & salt as needed, as you add balls.

Serve hot with toppings of chopped mint, onion, green or red peppers, lemon, lime, and any chile of your choice. Warmed corn tortillas are sometimes nice with it too. Great for cold weather days. Enjoy!

Pan Roasted Green Chile & Tomato Salsa

2012-03-24T18:41:00.007-07:00

Once you make this sala you can use the concept to many any other sala.

INGREDIENTS:

5-10 Green Chiles

2 - 3 Roma Tomatoes

Cilantro

Limes/Lemons

Salt

Cut tomotoes in quarters and place in foil, skin side down. Pinch the foil closed leaving a little opening for steam to escape. Place the foil pouch in a shallow pan and put the peppers around it on the pan. Road at med heat for about 5-7 mins, turning the peppers when brown on first side.

Peak inside the foil to see if tomatoes are soft/cooked. There should be some liquid and they should look soft. Lift on a piece to see if the skins are brown. It's better it they turn brown.

Put the peppers in a pestol & mortar or in a blender. Once crushed add tomotoes and mash to desired consistancy. Add salt to taste.

You can add fresh cilantro if decired. Serve over quesadillas or any other food you eat with salsa. TIP: To control the hotness, reserve some of the peppers and add to taste.

These quesadillas are made with Pepper Jack cheese on corn tortillas. A squeeze of lime or lemon makes everything taste better.

Beef & Rice Albondigas

2012-03-24T09:29:00.005-07:00

This dish is a perfect example of what to do with your leftovers! Leftover ground beef after making meatloaf became Albondigas (Mexican Meatball Soup)!
I also make Albondigas with Chicken and cormeal. That recipe coming soon!

Brownining forms a nice tasty crust

Balls are slightly flattend so you only have to brown two sides
INGREDIENTS:
1/2 Lb ground beef
1/2 cup cooked rice (measure after it's cooked)
1 egg, beaten
1 carrot, chopped
1/2 cup chopped onion - divided
3/4 cup chopped cilantro - divided
3 chopped garlic cloves - divided
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
1 16-on can tamatoes
Oil (I use olive oil)
salt & pepper to taste
Lemon or lime (optional)

Mix the beef with rice and add the carrots, the egg, half the cilantro, garlic, and oninos. Add salt & pepper to taste. (put smidget of the mixture on the tip of your toungue). The mixture will a bit sticky, just wet enough to form golf-size (or smaller) balls. Form the balls.

Heat some oil (about 1/4) on a shallow pan and brown meatballs. When you put the balls in the pan, press lightly with your spoon to make them more "2-sided", as supposed to round. It's easier to brown them.

Remove them on to a plate and add the remaining onions, garlic, and cilantro to the oil. Saltee for about 5 mins and add your tomatoes. Any tomatoes you have will work.

Simmer about 3 mins and add the cumin, oregano, and 4 cups of water or broth. You could also use a cube or two of any bouillon you have. Bring to a soft boil add the meatballs. Let simmer for about 10 mins. Taste the broth and season as needed.

SERVE in a bowl with freshly chopped cilantro and a squeeze of lime or lemon and maybe a sprinkle of dried red papper flakes. DELISH!!!

My New Friend....CRAIG'S LIST!

2012-03-17T07:02:00.005-07:00

So a few days ago I got a desk & chair for $5 on CL , brought it home and "staged" it...and resold it for $40!

Wow, I'm thinking that at this rate of return I might do this more often. Here are the pics.

Giving New Life to Old Things

2012-01-29T08:16:00.000-08:00

So I just HATE getting rid of old clothes that are perfectly good!

Unfortunately, I didn't take a picture of the skirt this dress cam from, but it was super cute, eccept it "shrunk" on me!

So, ta da!! My darling
granddaugther, Maggie, now has a handmade dress made by me!
Never just throw away things. They can usually go on to serve a new purpose with little effort!

I used to love these brown drawstring pants, but then they "shrunk" on me! Luckly for me, I have a sewing machine AND a beautiful 8-month old granddaughter!

So, of the sew I went and the result is this cute dress, inspired by http://www.sarahclemensclothing.com/index.html

I love her clothing style and I thought it would be a great way for me to give new life to something that still had life left in it...and who to make a dress for? Maggie of course! I think she's gonna look like Tuesday, from The Addams Family in it!! :)

These light grey pants ALSO "shrunk" on me! Must be the water I'm using, LOL!! So I decided to use part of them to give a facelift to a tired old pillow that no longer went with anything.

Here you see the (middle) pillow that now coordinates lovely with our guest bedroom's color theme. I only used part of one leg for the pillow, so who knows where the rest will show up!

Green Chicken Enchiladas - Simple Delicious!

2012-01-26T17:54:00.000-08:00

These are SO easy to make, yet SO delicious! I want to be on a home-cook version of CHOPPED some day!!

You can served them as shown, with a simple "salsa" made with Radishes, Cilantro, Lemon, and Salt - or with Sour Cream and a sprinkle of red pepper flakes.

2 lbs (aprx) boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into bit-size pcs

1 yellow onion, sliced
5 Garlic cloves, chopped

1 28-oz Green Enchilada Sauce

2-cups shreded Monterey Pepper Jack cheese

Corn Tortillas about 16-20 (I love having leftovers!)

Cooking oil - I use extra virgin olive

Cook chicken with onions, salt and garlic. Drain broth (save for another use), and add enough green sauce to coat and moisten. Heat another five minutes.

Heat tortillas in a pan with a bit of oil. Put some sauce on a plate and get tortiall wet on it. Roll some chicken and cheese in the center and roll closed. Arrange in oven-safe pan,with some sauce on bottom. Do as many as you need to use all the chicken & cheese or just as much as you want, saving any chicken for another use. Like tacos! Top enchidas with extra sauce, sprinkle some cheese and bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 mins.

Cooking is easy! Recipe writing is not!

Visiting Kids in PA

2012-01-15T07:58:00.000-08:00

This trip was the absolute BEST! Visited for the first time, and we went to Palmyra, made Mexican Tamales with my daugheter for the first time, and she made Indian Garam Masala Chicken....DELISH!

Here are some pics.

Actually this is the last one taken on our way back to the airport.

He's so handsome!!!

The Magster and her beautiful smile.

Here we are in the Sacrad Grove at the Joseph Smith farm.

Moroni statue at Hill Cumorah

Mags & West in the Sacrad Grove

Here goes my posterity

West picked a flower adn gave it to Sister Beckman. What a charmer!

This was Emma Smith's kitchen sink, made out of poured cement.

I want to make one just like it!

This is a beautiful lantern at the front door of the large house.
I'm going to try to replicate this light for our patio!

This is the house the Smiths moved to from their original farm house. The fence is called a "worm" fence, you do not need any nails to build it.

I like the herbs being dried over the kitchen table. This is so old yet still so lovely.

This the small farm house (replica with some original materials) where Joseph Smith grow up. It is actually 2 stories! I need some inside puctures.

Here we are inside the small farm house.

It's in front of the living/dining room.

This is at the hotel where West practially just wrestles Mags all the time!

More Maggie torturing! She's constantly trying to get away!

The Graduate: 05/27/2011

2011-09-25T07:26:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I don't own a great camera, but I was far away and the room was dark! Here is Derek, my son-in-law walking across the stage as he graduates from Samuel Marrit with a degree in Podiatric Medicine.

Way to go, Dr. Derek!!!

Here we are outside with Derek's dad, brother, and West

Here he is with sis Lindsay and daughter Maggie

Here sis Jodi hold Maggie, again....that Maggie's everywhere!

With the wife and kids! Proud mom and dad!

The two grandmas and their treasures!

We're so lucky!

Couldn't ask for a better son-in -law!