Cheap Frills

Making Butter

2015-04-05T13:57:00.000-05:00

I just upgraded my old KitchenAid mixer with this super-duper model. I went to YouTube to get some ideas and came upon this video on making homemade butter. I decided to give it a whirl and it turned out to be such a FUN experiment.

First thing, I bought heavy whipping cream, and decided on all natural, organic cream. I put 2 cups in my glass bowl with the normal beater attachment.

Next, I slowly started beating it, and increased the speed to the highest setting. WARNING, (live and learn) put the splatter guard or a towel over the bowl to keep it from spraying the entire kitchen. This is the stage where you can add salt, herbs, or garlic, or other spices for a variety of flavors.

The first stage of this process, the cream turns in to whipped cream texture. This is where you would normally add sugar and vanilla to make a dessert. Don't stop here though...

The next stage, after about 5 minutes, when the cream starts turning to a solid, all of a sudden a watery substance separates from the solids. Guess what? That is BUTTERMILK! Stop the mixer and pour off this buttermilk, but don't discard, use it for another recipe. I actually made mashed potatoes for a dinner party I was having and put it in the mashed potatoes. YUM.
After you drain the buttermilk, add some very cold ice water to the bowl and 'clean' the butter. Spin it around a couple of times and pour off. Repeat this process a couple or three times until the water is clear.

Final step: Scrape the butter off the paddle, and put butter in airtight container and store in fridge. I can honestly say this is the best I have tasted and it is organic. The whole process took about 15 minutes and was really fun.

My friends were impressed when I served in on cute little butter pats I purchased off EBay.

2015-03-08T21:59:00.002-05:00

Weekend Project-
We have lived in this house for 8 years and I have always HATED my kitchen island. It was a useless, worthless 3 x 3 piece of granite whose only purpose was to hold a decorative candle and a flower arrangement. On Friday, I just decided I was going to Google/Pinterest some ideas and come up with a plan. I love it when I get inspired to take on a new project, and I am NOT one to ponder and plan like most people do. When I decide to do something, I jump right in.

Here is what I came up with and it took me about 8 hours of quality time to get the finished product. The rest of the weekend I spent running back to Lowe's or Home Depot to pick up an extra tool, stain, sandpaper, etc. Thank GOODNESS, they are both within 5 miles from my home.

Here is the 'before' photo to show you exactly what I was dealing with...
The granite top weighs a TON, and I was not sure how I was going to lift it off. Fortunately my neighbor's lawn guys showed up, so I sweet talked them in to coming over and carrying it out to my garage. Perfect timing!

Early Saturday morning I headed to Home Depot with all my notes and list of items I would need to begin this project.

I told this Home Depot person what I was about to do and he stared at me for a moment, then said 'Ma'am,,,are you doing this yourself???' (Little does he know....)

I had him cut 2 - 2"x8"x8' boards in half to measure exactly 48" long. I made sure he knew to make allowance for the saw blade to take off a little more. I have a saw at home and could easily have done this myself, but hey,,,Home Depot does not charge for cuts, and besides, it fits better in my Tahoe!

I made myself a shopping list before I headed to Home Depot, and decided, I might just need a new tool or two for my collection. So, I bought my very own Router and band sander. (I tend to walk the aisles in Home Depot like some folks like to do at the grocery store....I usually find something I 'can't live without'. I LOVE that place!

....Oh,, and I bought me this really cool Pocket Jig. I saw it when I was doing my research and decided it would fit nicely in my tool box. So easy to use and it adds a lot of stability when joining boards.

The Pocket Jig turned out to be VERY useful for this project. I wanted to make sure that the planks stayed together snugly, and this was just the ticket. I pre-drilled the holes in preparation for the part where I joined the boards.

Gorilla Glue....what can I say...I can say that whatever you put it on, you better be DARN sure that is where you want it..It is really strong!

Here are the boards all glued together and clamped tight with the bar clamps. I have to let it dry for 24 hours to make sure it stays put. Off to watch a movie now,,,besides I'm pooped!

Here are the pre-drilled holes from yesterday. Now that the Gorilla Glue has dried I am adding the screws as an added measure to keep the boards together.

This is the underside of the counter top. I decided this was a good place to experiment with stain colors, and practice the wood distressing methods I found on the web.

To make the wood look old and create 'worm holes', I used a strip of wood and randomly screwed in 5 screws in one end of the strip. I slapped the stick all over the island top to make these holes.

We had this huge chunk of chain out in the garage, so I pounded the wood to death to create really big dents.

This is the handy-dandy new tool I bought for ME. A Ryobi Router. this is the coolest tool ever and very easy to use. It's amazing how this simple, relatively inexpensive tool can transform a piece of wood.

This is me after using the router. Who KNEW that the teenie-weenie wood shavings would blow out all over me, the kitchen, the living room,,,,,OMG,,,what a MESS!!! Note to self----next time, the router stays OUTSIDE!! This stuff was stuck everywhere.

This is not the HALF of it. Shavings were everywhere..Cleanup took longer than the entire table top project!

...but look at that really cool edge...it was worth the mess.

Here's a close up shot of the 'worm' holes and the chain dents. Can't wait to see this after it is stained.

This is the stain I opted to use after experimenting with a couple of other stain colors on the underside of the island top. It still maintains the integrity of the oak, but does not overpower. Besides, I already have dark cabinets, and dark hardwood flooring, so I wanted to bring in a little contrast.

This photo gives you an idea of the before and after effect of the stain. I really like how the stain pulls out all the beautiful detail of the wood grain. I used a sponge brush to apply and then as soon as I completed applying to the first plank, went back with a soft rag and gently wiped it off. The longer you let the stain set, the more it soaks in to the wood.

I love how the stain brings out the dents and the 'worm' holes. I was not sure how this was going to turn out, but I love it.

I took this before and after shot of the knot-hole to give you an idea how effective the staining process is. It really accentuates the beautiful details of the wood.

This is where I had to do a little more research. Some of the sites I read mentioned that using glossy lacquer finishes might 'yellow' over time, not to mention that they might not be safe for food preparation. I decided to go with a wipe-on butcher block oil finisher. I wanted to keep the island top on the 'old' side so figured this was the best option. Time will tell if I made the right decision, but hey...I have a fabulous sander and I can always go back and change it.

Here is the island top after the stain and butcher block oil. The overhead lights give it an 'orange' cast, but the photo below is really more like it. I just wanted you to see the overall look.

While the butcher block oil was soaking in, I took a trip to Pier 1 Import and found these darling woven barstools on sale. They were floor samples so I got a really good deal and they are the perfect height for the island. I love that I have a new intimate seating area for a casual meal.

So there you have it....This was by far, one of the most fun projects I have done. I can't believe I didn't think of this sooner. It makes a huge difference in my very small kitchen.

Ode to Red Wine

2015-03-01T15:00:00.000-06:00

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I love cute little cocktail napkins. Whenever I come across them I tend to buy a stash of them. World Market has a great selection. Here are some of my favorites.

....say about 5:30 this afternoon maybe?...

Without a DOUBT!

I just don't have the heart to toss these...I'm sure I could cork an entire floor in my home. This is only one stash. I have a couple more. Fyi, you will see a lot of Noble Vine corks. One of my all-time favorites is '337'. It is rated 92 by Wine Spectator and it is generally under $10 per bottle. Buy 6 and it is even less! My kinda deal!

Oh,,,THOSE kind of glasses....Now I get it...

The first miracle in the Bible I must add...John 2:1-11 :)

Need I say more??

2015-02-28T16:06:00.000-06:00

This is one of our nightstands BEFORE I got my hands on it. Our bed requires the aid of a footstool to hoist in to it. The nightstand was so low, I had to find a way to get it higher to match the height of the bed. Soo.......

.....with a little help from Pinterest, a trip to Lowes, and some creative risks, I put together a plan to make this work.

I had to figure out a way to attach the new 'legs' because the nightstand on Pinterest was not quite the challenge this one was. They only had to screw the new legs in to the bottom of the existing legs. Too easy~

I had to rig a way to attach some 1 x 4 boards to the bottom to have a foundation to put the brackets and the legs.

Once the foundation was in place, I screwed in the corner brackets that the legs screw in to.

Now what?? look at the ugly part where the new legs join the old part...ICK

Back to Lowes to get some decorative trim to cover up the 'ugly'. I LOVE Gorilla Glue...If you ever use it, you better be darn sure of what you are gluing down...it will NOT come apart once it is set.

Now the fun part....If you have never used Annie Sloan chalk paint, you don't know what you are missing. It is the most forgiving, slap-it-on paint you will ever use. Be careful though. Once you discover this paint you will want to paint everything in sight.

Here is the finished product. It only took about 2 hours to do two nightstands and now it is much more functional. Ta-daaaaa

OPEN

2015-01-31T10:44:00.000-06:00

Where have I been for so long??? Well, life and work get in the way sometimes so while cleaning out some old folders, I ran across my blog. It's a rainy Saturday morning and I am inspired to post some photos. With the advancements of the Iphone, it is much easier to take random photos without having to haul my huge camera.

I found this old 'OPEN' sign at a flea market sometime ago. It is so cool to sit out on my back patio with a glass of wine. I feel like I am at a bar.

Look at this gorgeous sunset! Picture perfect!

I love the glow of my neon sign reflecting on my back patio. So relaxing. I have Sinatra playing through the outdoor speakers. I'm ready for Spring weather so we can get back out there for Happy Hour.

Healthy Dinner

2012-07-22T20:34:00.000-05:00

I found the recipe for this yummy pasta dish in the September issue of 'Cooking Light'. I had most of the ingredients on hand and it was super easy to throw together. I love the crispy vegetables and the creamy sauce. I have been substituting almond milk in all recipes that requires. Almond milk is only 35 calories per cup and provides 50% more calcium than dairy milk and there are no added hormones.

Creamy Spring Pasta

3 Quarts water

2 ounces wheat bread crumbs

1 T butter

3 cloves garlic (divided)

1 1/2 cups diagonally sliced asparagus

1 cup frozen green peas

6 oz fresh fettuccini

2 tsp olive oil

1/3 cup chopped sweet onion

1 T flour

1/4 cup fat free, low sodium chicken broth

1 cup 1% milk (this is where I substituted Almond milk)

3 oz reduced fat cream cheese (I omitted this accidentally but it was good anyway. What the heck? Fewer calories!)

1/4 parmigiano cheese

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper

2 T fresh chopped tarragon

Bring 3 qts water to boil

Meantime melt butter in skillet and brown 1 garlic clove and add bread crumbs and saute til brown. Remove bread crumbs and wipe pan clean with paper towel.

Add asparagus and peas to boiling water for 2 minutes and then remove with a slotted spoon and rince under cool water.

Add pasta to boiling water and cook for 10 minutes.

Heat olive oil in skillet and saute remaining garlic and onion. Mix flour and chicken broth with a wisk and add to onion mixture along with milk. Remove from heat and add cheese, salt, pepper and stir until cheese melts. Add pasta, asparagus, peas and toss well. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs and fresh tarragon and serve immediately.

For the carrots, I just peeled and sliced diagonally and spritzed olive oil, salt, and pepper and roasted for about 30 minutes at 425 degrees.

BLING

2012-07-15T20:19:00.001-05:00

Another one of my craft moments. I saw some of these in an antique store in East Texas and decided to try my own version. These are so fun to make and very easy. It just takes a little patience stringing the beads on the wire and getting them arranged just the way you want them.

First, I purchased some salad spoons and forks from Bed, Bath, and Beyond for just under $3.

I used some beading wire and beads that I had on hand and a couple of wire cutters for trimming.

There is a hole in the top of the handle that you feed the wire through and twist over and over again to secure.
First, start adding a couple of beads at a time, wrap the wire around a couple of times to secure, then add a couple of more beads, wrapping the wire around the utensil a couple of times every time you add beads. Keep adding until you get within about 3" from the bottom of the handle.

I made myself this blingy cake server which was the first thing I made. I wanted to make sure I could do this before I started making them for my friends.

I made this salad serving set for my friend for her birthday. It was so easy and super fun to make. I will be making more. There are so many beads to choose from and you can just mix and match and create your own unique set.

By the way, I am totally addicted to Pinterest, so don't be surprised if you start seeing some of my favorite things posted. I have a whole list of fun things to try so stay tuned.

It's 5 O'Clock Somewhere

2012-07-13T06:56:00.000-05:00

A friend and co-worker brought me some beautiful peaches from his farm yesterday. I suppose I should have made a jam or perhaps a peach cobbler, but considering it was 100 degrees outside, I figured a peach daiquiri was more in line.

I threw two whole peaches, (sans the seeds, but left the fuzzy peel on) in to my blender, along with a squirt of fresh lime juice, Jamaican Rum, a splash of orange juice, and some ice cubes. The peaches were so naturally sweet, I didn't have to add any sugar. The clock in the background still shows CST since I forgot to move it forward in the Spring, but no matter what the clock shows, it was 5 O'Clock somewhere. YUM!

Naan Pizza

2012-07-10T15:39:00.004-05:00

My best friend is an excellent gourmet cook and always comes up with the best recipes with about 5 ingredients or less. I love it when we get invited over for dinner. Not long ago she came up with this 'Naan Pizza' made with Stonefire whole wheat flatbread.

You can find this flatbread at most grocery stores.

Here are the directions for this particular pizza. You can really get creative with toppings so find what you like and use it.

This is my friend's version:

One flatbread (feeds two, or one really hungry person)

Rub EVOO (extra virgin olive oil) over the bread

Sprinkle garlic salt around the rim for great garlicky crust

Top with fresh minced garlic

Two or three slices of bacon (fat removed) that has been chopped and sauteed

Very thinly sliced Roma tomatoes spread on top

Sliced green or black olives (I prefer feta stuffed green olives the best with the bacon)

Fresh basil

goat cheese sprinkled on top

Fresh grated parmesan cheese

Bake on pizza stone at 425 degrees for about 12-14 minutes.

Slice pizza in half (or not) and serve with a nice glass of Cabernet.

Check out the Stonefire website for more delicious looking recipes. Report back if you find a really good recipe.

Feeling Crafty

2012-07-08T16:49:00.000-05:00

This weekend I decided to play in my hobby-room upstairs and work on some craft projects I've been putting off. Some time ago I blogged about all the re-decorating I had done in my room, but I have added a few touches since then. I bought this zebra rug at a consignment shop a few weeks ago. It is and 8 x 10 and I practically had to remove everything in the room to get it in. I love it though. I spend a lot of time in here because it is my office, my treadmill/gym, my photography studio, my eBay room, my sewing room, and my all-around craft room. I could just live in there if there were a bed and a wine refrigerator. (smile).

Here's a photo of the room.

I dug out my sewing machine that has an embroidery attachment and some scrap fabric I've had forever and made some monogrammed coasters.
First I cut out 8 5" squares (since that was the size of the square template I had)and then 8 squares for the backing.

Next I embroidered the letter 'S' in the center of each square. I had forgotten how easy it was to use this machine, and now I want to make more stuff. I'll have to come up with some ideas. After you get the machine set up, you just push a button and it takes off by itself. I just sat and watched it sew.

After I finished all 8 of the top sections with the monogram, I scooted over to my serger machine and stitched the front and back sides together with a rolled edging. At first my thread kept breaking and I was getting really frustrated. After several attempts on a scrap of fabric, and resorting to the owner's manual, I figured out I had the machine threaded incorrectly. When I corrected my mistake, the sewing was a breeze.

Here is the finished product. This was a really quick fun project (well,,it was fun after I figured out the machine threading part) and I intend to make more for gifts.

I used all the stuff I had on hand already, but next time I will use a contrasting thread to make the letter stand out more. It's cute nonetheless.

Boot-Scootin' Boogie

2012-07-05T09:00:00.000-05:00

This past Friday I headed to the lake house, but had to make my usual stopover at First Monday on the way. Everywhere I looked there were gals wearing sundresses and tall cowboy boots. Young and old alike! It was so dad-gummed hot though, I didn't last very long. Every 5 minutes I could hear ambulance sirens so I'm guessing that folks were dropping like flies from the heat. I took off and headed for some indoor antique stores in the downtown square and then to the local winery for a little Texas Wine tasting. Hey,,,it was 3pm,,,,close enough to 'happy hour'. On Saturday I ventured to Mineola to check out the antiques, and ended up at a darling consignment store on the square. (you know me and 'used clothing'.) Right at the front of the store was a display of cowboy boots, and the pair I liked the best were JUST MY SIZE,,,,,,and on SALE! I couldn't resist. There's nothing more comfy than a nice broken in pair of boots, but the lady made me walk around the store for about 20 minutes while I browsed to make sure these were 'the ones'. I absolutely love them and I love the look. I'm not sure if this is just an East Texas 'thing', because everywhere I looked, ladies were sporting the boots and sundress. Trend or not, I love 'em! (had to use my IPhone and bathroom mirror since my real camera and tripod were not close at hand)

Goodwill Hunting

2012-07-03T12:01:00.004-05:00

This past week was my turn to host our monthly gathering of the BOS (Band of Sisters) gals. Since I am such a fan and supporter of Goodwill Industries and purchase about 90% of my wardrobe there, I decided to 'challenge' them with a Goodwill shopping experience. Each girl (5 of us) was required to come to my house wearing an outfit they had purchased at Goodwill. They were all shocked and amazed at the quality of the clothing and even more shocked at the price! Jeanne found a beige pair of pumps for $3.99 and ended up taking a similar pair back to Nordstrom that she had paid $$$ for. Sidney purchased several skirts and tops for a cruise she took a few weeks ago. Unfortunately, her favorite Goodwill skirt was 'borrowed' from her suitcase without her knowlege and never returned. We had such fun sharing our shopping experience and fashion show, I decided I needed to share it with you. Since then several of the gals have made return trips to their favorite Goodwill store. Enjoy my little fashion show.

I won the Lottery!!!

2011-07-19T20:02:00.001-05:00

Ok,,,I've always been a big fan of shopping thrift stores, but this time it really paid off. This past February, I bought a pair of Levi Jeans that were a perfect fit and priced at only $3.99. I took them home and laundered them, and as I was putting them on the next morning, I reached in to the right side pocket to 'straighten' it out. I pulled out what I thought was a price tag, and it turned out to be a tiny folded up bill. My first thought was that it was a dollar, but as I unfolded it, discovered it was a TWENTY DOLLAR BILL!!

I decided to hang on to that tiny one-inch square of currency and keep it in my car until I could decide what to do with it. Several times I found myself low on cash in my pocketbook to grab a quick soda or drive thru meal, and I refused to allow myself to use that $20. This past Monday happened to be 07/11/11. I thought this sounded like the perfect day to buy a lottery ticket. The only time I have EVER spent money on the lottery was to buy a couple of scratch-off tickets. I handed over the tiny square to the proprietor's wife who happened to be operating the cash register, and told her to just 'pick out some lottery tickets' for me. Her husband, the store manager, told her what to pick for me, and she handed over 4 tickets ($5 each) to me. I made them both 'touch' the tickets for 'good luck'. On Thursday, I remembered the tickets and decided to go online to check the numbers. I figured out the website and pulled up the games she had picked, and the first line of the first ticket had the same numbers that were on the website. I wasn't sure I was looking at it correctly so I punched in my ticket numbers again to confirm Sure enough, I had 4 out of the 5 numbers and ended up winning $1656.00!!! I took my ticket to the lottery office the very next day to just double check that I was right and the precious little lady behind the window, confirmed it. She said, 'Yep,,,you WON!!

They printed out my check (along with a W2 form, Ick!!) and handed it over along with a pretty cool T-shirt.

So,,Like I've always said. It pays to shop at thrift stores!!!!

My Favorite Makeup and Hair Stuff

2011-05-27T21:20:00.000-05:00

I was at my favorite 'discount' super store the other day to replenish my make-up and hair color supplies and decided to share with you the stuff I use. At one time, I used to pay high dollar for designer brand make-up and go to expensive salons for hi-lights. I decided to experiment with less expensive popular brands at the discount stores and boy have I ever saved a ton of money and I love these products.

This is a great face scrub. It has a hint of 'orange' fragrance, and has exfoliating beads. My face feels so polished after using. When I rinse it with cold water, it has a minty cool feel to it. Awesome stuff and I use it morning and night.

I love all of the Olay products for cleansing and moisturizing. I've tried just about all of them and I don't have a specific favorite. The age-defying products are great.

This is the foundation I use. The stores usually have a little swatch to put over your skin to find the best match. It also has suncreen in it. I love the mineral make-up as well. Makes your skin look super silky. To finish off my make-up, I spritz toner on my face with a misting spray bottle to make the finished look 'dewey'.

I have used L'Oreal Mascara for years and years. It is not expensive and I love the way it applies. No clumping or smearing. Great stuff! At one time they had Navy Blue, but I have not been able to find it for a long time. That was my all-time favorite. Now I use 'blackest-black'.

I use L'Oreal Eye Makeup Remover to remove the mascara. Super gentle and does not irritate my eyes.

Instead of paying hundreds of dollars on expensive salons to color my hair, I experimented with different products and found that these two were my very favorites. The Clairol Perfect Ten is perfect for me (pardon the pun). I use #7 for covering those blasted little gray hairs that are starting to pop out at the roots. It actually only takes 10 minutes to process. Next I put in blonde hi-lites by using L'Oreal hi-liting kit. I use 'Champagne'. These products are super gentle and very true color. I still get my hair cut by a professional. That's just a little too tricky for me to do myself. However, my stylist asked me who colored my hair, and I told him 'L'Oreal' and he was super impressed. He said my hair was in great condition and to keep doing what I was doing.

I believe most of the over-the-counter hair color products are super safe and I can honestly say that I have never had a problem coloring my own hair. I'd rather keep all that extra money and decorate something or shop at my favorite thrift store. I am OVER paying high prices when I can get the same or better results shopping discounts or over the counter.

Another Day,,,Another Shoe

2011-05-11T14:44:00.000-05:00

I love these 'Poetic Justice' shoes I dug out of the thrift store bin. I had to work really hard to find the matched pair, but it was so worth it. It's like a giant treasure hunt. Again,,,these shoes look almost new. Wonder why anybody would get rid of these? Super cute. If you look them up online, they are pretty pricey. I can handle $3.99 though. "One man's junk is another man's treasure". Don't know who to give credit for that phrase, but it is so TRUE! Look at the pretty detail on the bottom of the shoe.

Still more to come.

Betsey Johnson Shoe Find

2011-05-10T13:17:00.000-05:00

Seriously?? Someone grew tired of these Betsey Johnson 'Cinderella' heels?? Another lucky find while digging through all the shoe bins. These are amazingly comfortable to walk in. They look super high, but the toe portion is about an inch high so they are not treacherous to walk in. I'm walking around in them at work today. Love them...

More to come.

Cute Shoes!

2011-05-09T12:28:00.001-05:00

I found these at my favorite thrift store,,,along with 12 other pair. I know,,,,,I'm obsessed. At $3.99 each, how can you NOT? I had to work hard for these though. There were about 6 bins filled to the brim with donated shoes, and I found one shoe in one bin, and had to dig and dig to find the mate. It was well worth the broken nail don't you think? They're comfy and blingy. Just the way I like my shoes. I'll try to post the others soon when I wear them. I'm at work so just used my iPhone to capture a photo.

Another sitting area

2011-04-27T13:16:00.000-05:00

My projects always seem to grow hair! After I finished the patio from previous post, I looked around for ways to improve the area where our chiminea is. I've always wanted to do 'something' in that little area, but never knew what. I saw something similar to this in a magazine and decided to just copy the idea.

I went to my favorite hardware store and purchased some loose flagstones and some crushed granite to do this project.

Spider webs intrigue me. I snapped a photo of this one right before I ran in to it. The sun was shining right on it so I got a pretty good shot of it. Nature is so incredible. Have you ever just sat and watched a spider build a web? They do it so quickly and the pattern is so geometrically perfect.

The first thing I did was loosen the soil in that area around the chiminea to lay the flagstone. I didn't plan the layout, because I wanted it to be random looking.

Look,,,here's my little lizard friend again. This time she watched me from my little weather vane and she switched to green. Such a nosey little critter. She watches everything I do.

The final step of the project was to fill in the space between the flagstone with the crushed granite. I just poured it on top and then swept it with a broom to fill in between.

I love the chiminea, even in the summer time. If you burn pinion wood, it repels the mosquitoes and it smells wonderful.

There's nothing better than sitting outside after a long day, with a glass of wine, Frank Sinatra playing through the outdoor speakers, and the smell of the pinion wood. Ahhh,,,so relaxing.

I think I might install a misting system on the back patio as my next project. In August, it will be difficult to sit outside for very long without a cooling system. I already have a ceiling fan installed, but water just makes it about 5-10 degrees cooler. I need to do some reading to find out the best approach. You KNOW I will come up with something!

Until next time....

Patio Project

2011-04-17T22:26:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I looked out at my patio and decided it needed a MAJOR makeover. The concrete had been painted on a couple of times and was chipping and peeling. It looked horrible. I started using acetone to try to peel it off but decided that was going to take forever. I made a trip to the 'orange' store to see if I could find an easy fixer-upper. Lo and behold, at the entrance of the store this rubber tile was on display with beautiful patio furniture by Martha Stewart.

The sales guy convinced me that this was very easy to install, and since I didn't have exact measurements, I told him I thought the patio was about 12x12. I guessed pretty accurately! I only ended up with 3 extra tiles that I was able to return today.

These tiles are 18x18 and are made from recycled tires in landfills. What a GREAT idea!!

I replaced the bamboo shade on the side of the patio. The old one was faded and worn looking. Looks like I have a new friend. He stayed with me most of the day watching me work. So cute.

Looks like he 'posed' for this shot.

This tile was so easy to install. I just layed them down side by side, and used the clips provided on the parameter to secure them. I had to cut one of them to go around the support post. That was the most difficult part of the project. This stuff is super tuff.

I love the way this turned out. Such an easy project. It only took about an hour to install. What a difference!

I indulged myself and purchased the beautiful Martha Stewart patio set. I love outdoor living rooms. The weather has been so perfect lately. I want to take full advantage of being outdoors before the hot summer comes.

I think I'll go buy some hanging baskets tomorrow to finish out the 'room'. Spring has Sprung and I'm in my outdoor mood.

Have a nice week!

Cooking Inspiration 'Chicken Enchiladas'

2011-04-10T19:28:00.000-05:00

I have a million cookbooks, but one of my favorites is the Southern Living 'Our Readers Top-Rated Recipes'. All the recipes in this cookbook that I have tried have been awesome! I made these Chicken Enchiladas a few weeks ago and they were so easy and absolutely delicious. The ingredients are easy to find at the grocery store. I believe the fresh cilantro was the magic ingredient for the great flavor.

Instead of cooking my own chicken, I chose to select a flavorful roasted ready-to-serve chicken from Kroger's. I like to take short-cuts in cooking whenever possible.

Here is a shot of the filling for the chicken enchiladas. (Recipe will follow)

I stuffed each flour tortilla with the chicken mixture and rolled fairly tightly to get them all in the dish.

After the enchiladas were baked, I put the remaining ingredients on top.

I had some Fiesta Plates that I bought a few years back in Canton. I thought they would be perfect for serving the enchiladas. I prepared some Mexican Rice (from a box of course) and opened a can of Ranch Style Black Beans. They are much healthier than re-fried beans.

This was absolutely delicious! It only took about 15 minutes to throw it all together, and then took 40 minutes to bake. I think these are better than most Mexican Food restaurants we frequent. Give them a try!

Chicken Enchiladas

3 cups chopped cooked chicken

2 cups (8oz) shredded Monterey Jack cheese with peppers

1/2 cup sour cream

1 (4.5 oz) can chopped green chiles, drained

1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro (I think this is important!)

8 (8")Flour Tortillas

1 (8oz) container sour cream

1 (8oz)jar tomatilla salsa

Toppings:

diced tomatoes, chopped avocado, chopped green onions, sliced ripe olives, chopped cilantro

Stir together first 5 ingredients. Spoon chicken mixture evenly down center of each tortilla, and roll up. Arrange, seam side down, in lightly greased 13 x 9" baking dish. Coat tortillas with cooking spray.

Bake at 350 for 35 to 40 minutes or until golden brown.

Stir together 8 oz container sour cream and salsa. Spoon over hot enchiladas; sprinkle evenly with desired toppings.

Yield: 4 servings.

Happy Saint Patrick's Day

2011-03-17T19:23:00.000-05:00

Remember the old Shamrock stations growing up? Well they still exist in East Texas. I took the back roads through Kaufman and found two of them within a 5 mile distance.

My friends all know I'm a Maxine fan, and I got this from several of them today via email. Here's my favorite

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=alYZklUQNww

Latest Closet Update...SHOES!!

2011-03-12T22:12:00.000-06:00

I'm super bad about dumping my shoes in the middle of the closet floor at the end of the day because I'm too lazy to put them away. Several months ago I posted a closet update blog where I added shelves for my shoes.

Today, I took it one step further because I was falling back in to my undesireable behaviour of not putting my shoes away. I visited a friend of mine a few weeks ago who had a closet organizer person come to her home and organize her closet for her. I was literally drooling! I decided that I too, could be as organized if I put my mind to it.

I have tons of shoes that I just can't seem to part with. Most of them I have purchased at thrift stores for a ridiculously low price.

I got these for just $3.99 a couple of years ago and I have gotten many compliments. They are super tall, yet super comfy.

I went to the local 'Orange' store and bought a bunch of plastic shoe boxes for 99 cents each. I photographed each and every one of my shoes, went to a photo kiosk and printed all of them. I attached a photo to the end of each box and placed the shoes inside.

WOW!! What a difference! I can easily locate the shoe I need at a glance.

I found the perfect solution for all the flip-flops I have. ( A girl can NEVER have enough flip-flops,,,,,,REALLY!) I found this little flip-flop 'tree' that I hung on the side of the existing shelf. I've always had the over-the-door rack, but today decided to put my dressier flip-flops inside for easy access and removal.

I always feel so good when I get organized, even though I have to work very hard at staying that way. At least this will keep me motivated.

I'm in the mood to cook....maybe the next post will be a super recipe.. I'll dig.

FAT TUESDAY (aka MARDIS GRAS)

2011-03-08T20:43:00.002-06:00

I found these awesome masks at Pier I Import last week while shopping with my sisters. This is just a sampling of what they had, but these were a few of my most favorite. They were a little pricey, but so fun to try on.

We had King's Cake at work today and had a few beads scattered around for fun.

I've never been to Mardis Gras, but I can only imagine how colorful it might be if these masks are any indication.

I had to try them on and take self portraits with my IPhone 4. Thank goodness for the reversible camera.

Have a nice week. Spring is almost 'sprung'.

You know You're a Redneck If.......

2011-02-25T18:33:00.002-06:00

I took the back roads to Gladewater today to do a little antique shopping. I made sure I had my camera with me again because I was pretty sure I'd find some fun photo opportunities. Like this one...

So if this is TRASH,,,,why would you want to keep it??

I love the concrete blocks that line the dirt drive to who-knows-what. They must have had some leftover blocks, because they made the lovely entrance posts with a stack of 5, one single artificial stem of orange flowers, and a reflector light on both sides of the driveway. Talk about 'curb appeal'.

This place must belong to some creative auto mechanic that needed a 'lift' to get the engine out. Why not use the kid's swingset and borrow some of the blocks from the previous photo's driveway to create your own ? I wonder if the trailor at the back might be 'permanently' attached somehow.

Country Road

2011-02-24T17:58:00.001-06:00

These photos are so funny. I was making my way to Tyler on the back road, and had to double back to get these photos. Thank goodness I had my camera with me.

This thing was on the side of the road in front of some one's home. I supposed at one time it was maybe a 'Flower Bed'.

Just a mile or so down the road, I came across this rusted out shell of an automobile propped up on saw horses.

I wonder what the owner originally had in mind or what grandiose plans he had to 'fix-er-up'.

As soon as I got back to the lake house, the sky turned black and the sky fell.

Ten minutes later,,,it looked like this.

East Texas weather is very strange, but I really love thunderstorms on the lake. Things are already starting to bloom here. The azaleas will be out in a few weeks.