sparkling center piece

After the over the top decorating of the Christmas season I'm ready for something a little simpler.  I just looked around the house for clear candle sticks and containers.  I filled them with white candles and set them on a pretty tea towel.  Almost instant decorating.

I'm back

From this week on, hopefully I will be able to make regular posts to this blog.  Knee replacement surgery is no fun.  It is painful and the recuperation takes a long time.  I could not have gone through the last three weeks without all of the prayers, meals, emails, cards and calls.  Each one has brightened my day.  I have been so blessed to have AH here every step of the way as well as my SIL Cathy, MIL Sara and sis Paula.  They have waited on me, cheered me on during therapy, kept the house running and most important, to the animals anyway, kept us fed and happy.
 My hope is that next time you know some one who is recuperating from surgery, sick or housebound you will remember this post and pass that same caring on to them.  No matter how small the gesture seems to you it will mean the world to the recipient.

faux roll up shades

We repainted the living room and kitchen over the holidays, you know I couldn't just let it go at that.  I have to move things around, revamp and redo.  I decided to redo the window treatments and roll up or stagecoach shades.  They don't really roll all the way down to the bottom of the window but they are adjustable.
Measure the length you want you shade to be most of the time and add 24-30" to the length, plus 6" for hems.  Make the width 1" wider if you're lining(highly recommend it) 2" if not.  Attach your lining and fabric together like a pillow case, then fold over, press and sew hems.  Press and you're done.  If you aren't lining fold in your side seams press and sew then add hems.
Cut a fabric tube(ask any where that sells fabrics they usually throw these out, or use a thick dowel)  It need to be 2" narrower than the shade.  Run heavy duty double face tape along the hem of the fabric and press on the dowel or tube.  Roll up to the desired length and tie with ribbon, cord, fabric strips whatever goes with your decor.  I wanted mine to be very discrete so I used 6" tulle tie in a knot, turn the knot to the back side or tie in a bow, adjust and there you have it.  Simple shades, if you make them the full length of the window you can let them down all the way for light control.
Here are the shades and the other fabrics I'm using in the rooms.

tray redo

I had picked up this ugly rusty tray at a rummage sale for .50.  I figured for that price I could stick it under a plant to catch water drips.  When I began doing projects for the kitchen/living room I changed my mind.  I loved the shape of the tray, just not the way it looked.  I painted it flat black on the back, front sides, and just a little way on the flat part.  I let it dry overnight.  I used news paper to make a pattern of the front of the tray, cut the fabric and attached with glue and 3 coats of Mod Podge.  When that was all dry added 2 rows of cotton cording just to cover the rough edges and give it a more finished look.

Best Chicken

Another guest post by my sis Paula.  She's a fabulous cook

The Best Roasted Chicken

We eat lots of chicken it is so versatile and goes a long way; this roasted chicken recipe is great even for a fancy dinner.

The seasoning and vegetables can be changed to suit your family.

Sorry about no photo but I cooked this for a company dinner and we got so excited we didn’t remember to take a pic. Until it was a messy plate of bones, but trust me it was golden brown moist and juice and nice and hot.

Set oven to 425.

Wash your bird (4 to 6 lbs.) inside and out being careful not to splatter yucky chicken water all over.

Salt and pepper inside,

 Stuff the bird with

 1 lemon cut in ¼

 1 onion cut in ¼

  Fresh herbs I like parsley and thyme a small handful will do.

Prepare your pan with 3 or 4 ribs of celery lay in the center of the pan for the bird to sit on, place the bird on top.

Next pour 2 tbs. melted butter or olive oil over the top of the bird and salt and pepper generously

You can stop at this point or you can add vegetables I like to add

1 large onion cut in 1/8

2 or 3 lemons cut in ¼

2 or 3 stalks of celery cut in 3” pieces

3 or 4 carrots cut in 3” pieces

6 or so small potatoes Peeled or UN peeled whatever your family likes

Place the vegetables around the bird

Place the pan in the oven and bake uncovered for 1hour and 25 minutes

Remove from oven and let sit 15 to 20 minutes

Carve the bird and plate with the vegetables all around  squeeze the lemons over the chicken to add extra flavor.

  I have made this chicken with a distinct Italian flavor using Dry Italian salad dressing mix in place of the salt and pepper inside and out, and adding fennel  and roma tomatoes with the other vegetables, skip the potatoes and make a simple pasta side dish.

If you have any leftovers keep them we will need them for upcoming recipes

frozen fruit cup

I"ve been trying to make up a few things to eat when I come home from the hospital.  As wonderful as he is AH is not a cook.  Sometime when I'm not feeling well something light and cool tastes the best.
2 cans lite fruit cocktail
1 can mandarin oranges
2 bananas sliced
You can use whatever fruit you want
mix everything together and put in small disposable cups freeze until solid then put in a bag and label.  Let them sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes before eating.
If you put this mix in small dixie cups and added a popsicle stick, you have instant fruit pops for the kids.

guest post flowers

I need flowers !!!

It’s January it’s cold and it’s gray, I live in Indiana what should I expect.

The need for flowers runs through me all year long so I have to find ways to have them without going to the local florist.

The first photo is of little balls of fluff. Wool roving soaked in hot water and dish soap then gently pulled patted and stretched around small Styrofoam balls left to dry overnight, then pushed onto some fallen branches from  the last storm. I also made a few little green leaves and hot glued them to the branches. The whole bunch is pushed into a big glass vase filled with water softener salt.

You could also just paint the Styrofoam balls with some puffy paint

The second photo are my favorite  button flowers use your imagination stack up some buttons run a wire through them, cover the wire with florist tape add a few leaves and you have an instant flower.

Use what you have and remember even a weed is a wild flower to someone. 

bionic woman

If you are reading this on 1/7/13 this is the day I am getting a knee replacement.  The pain and discomfort had slowed me down  more than I care to be.  I think this is my body's way of saying, you better take care of yourself.  I had the other knee done three years ago.IT AIN'T FUN!!  I am looking at at least three weeks of pain, frustration, physical therapy and being housebound.  After that it's at least 3 months until you feel like your old self, just in time for gardening.  I think I'm dreading it more this time because I know what's coming.  Thank goodness I have a great team headed by God, a talented Dr and AH to take care of me.  Due to the heavy pain meds you can't be alone for a while after you get home from the hospital.  I have Andy's sister Cathy my MIL Sara and my sister Paula all coming to stay with me.  I can also call on my neighbors, church family as well as other friends for help.  AHH the advantages of living in a small town.  Posts may be spotty for the next few weeks as I get back up to normal.  Bear with me though, with all that down time I'm bound to come up with tons of new ideas.
My sis Paula and a couple of friends will occasionally be filling in.  I love haveing talented friends and family.
Keep on praying.

Fresh start

After the kids had gone home last weekend we decided to start on a new project.  We had made up our minds that while AH was off a few days during the holidays we would paint the kitchen and living room.  OK I decided then begged and whined until Andy gave in.  It had been years since we had painted and the rough old plaster walls were really starting to look bad and the white wood work was even worse.  So we put all the Christmas stuff away, removed everything from the walls and cabinets(a major process), cleaned, and patched holes.  Finally we were ready to paint, that's the easy part, it's the getting ready that takes so long.  Four days later almost everything is back in place and you can walk through the rooms without tripping over paint cans, moved furniture or ladders.
The paint we chose was Glidden flat latex in Celery Sticks.  It's a light spring green, while the old paint was a darker, gray green.  It really brightened up the rooms.
Now to get all the art projects I have in mind and the sewing done.



East wall of LR



North wall buuilt ins



West wall LR needs art work.  I have a large primitive sign in mind.




Above pellet stove in kitchen

Lots more work to do, but the weather is nasty so who wants to be outside.

cookie baking

I once had a sign in my kitchen that read "A messy kitchen is a sign of a great cook."  Well I must be an expert as messy as I am when I cook.  Unfortunately there is nobody to clean up except me.
Any way I made the dough for these cookies ahead of time and let the kids frost them.  They turned out great and we ate them all before I got a picture of the final product.
Thanks to Pinterest and cookingwithkaryn.blogspot.com for the recipe.

Melt Away Cookies
2 sticks butter, softened
3/4C corn starch
1/2C powdered sugar
1C flour
Mix together roll into small balls, flatten with a glass dipped in sugar
350 10-12 min
Cool and frost
3oz cream cheese soft
1tsp butter
1C powdered sugar
Food coloring and sprinkles if wanted

I only got about 16 cookies out of the batch so I doubled the recipe