Spring has sprung

It's here finally, spring has arrived.  I spent every minute possible last week working on the yard.  For the first time this year we had a whole week of 70's and sunny.  I planted, cleaned beds, mulched, added a couple of new paths and shelves.  I went to bed each night sore and exhausted and I LOVE IT!!  New signs of life are everywhere and flowers are popping open at a fast pace.

block shelves just like the college days for storing pots

bird feeder I bought at the end of the season last year and put away, I forgot I had it

mini roses in a pot as a center piece

spring bed room look

When I showed you our redone bedroom I said there was a whole new look for spring and summer.  Light, bright and airy.  Here it is.  Very little of the original look has changed.  A new bed spread, window valances, throw pillows and a couple of accessories.  A whole new look for around $100, most of that was for the bed set.  I had the fabric for the valances and pillows and shopped the house for a few accessories.  Sorry the picture of the valance did not turn out.  It is a long piece of fabric hemmed on each side, shirred on a rod and tied up with ribbon at three places forming scallops.  Pretty and simple.

Dusty hanging out in the window

This is a WWI era music stand to hold old records, it makes a great bed side table

Got to have flowers

spring break

Taking a little time to visit with family and do some much needed yard work.  Spring has finally sprung!!

garden find

At the same show where I found the weird little stand I found a crafter selling these garden ornaments made from horse shoes.  It weighs a ton and should last forever in the garden.  It stands about 6' tall and has a heavy base that goes into the ground so it won't tip over.  This is one of the most original ideas I've seen at a craft show around here for a long time, I love new and unusual things.

What is it?

I found this little stand at a show and even though I have no clue what it is I had to bring it home.  So far the guesses have been a coat holder for fairy clothes, an upside down plant holder and a very tall lightening rod. It's about 4' tall and the base is 8" across.  If you know please contact me.

cannoli strawberries

I love cannoli so when I saw this recipe I had to give it a try.  It was easier to make and a lot more healthy.
  3/4C ricotta cheese
2-4T powdered sugar to taste
1/2tsp vanilla
1 qt strawberries, washed, dried, stems and core removed
Mix everything but the strawberries and chips and put into a small plastic bag.  Cut off the tip of the bag and pipe mix into the hole you made when you cored the berries. Sprinkle with a few chocolate chips.
Note:  These were pretty and tasted great but the filling was skimpy and started oozing out before I served them.  You could fill them just before serving or just make the mix and use it as a dip.  I would also use mini chocolate chips next time.

Swiss steak

Easy prep then leave it alone to simmer.  Add mashed potatoes and a green vegie for the perfect comfort food meal.

11/2# round steak if the butcher will run it through the cuber it will be even more tender
1 onion diced
1 egg + 2T water mixed
3/4C flour, salt pepper, garlic powder to taste mixed together
2C beef stock
1/4C vegetable oil heated in a large skillet
Cut the meat into serving size pieces, dip in egg wash and dredge in flour.  Put into hot skillet and brown both sides, add stock and onion cover with lid, let simmer until fork tender about 1 hour.  Check it couple of times and if it seems to be getting dry add a little water, stock or red wine.

Sorry I forgot to take a picture of this one, but it was very good.

new toy

Kitties like to scratch and ours aren't deterred by loud noise, water or scolding.  Removing a cats claws is very painful for them and leaves them completely defenseless if they do happen to get outside.  AH came up with this vertical scratching post using two scraps of plywood, a cut down landscape timber and 100 feet of rope.  We stretched Harley out vertically to see how long to cut the post, screwed it together and tried it out.  A couple of squirts of Bliss Mist spray catnip and they were loving it.  The wood platforms will get covered with carpet scraps this weekend if we can get the cats off it long enough.  Cost free, except for the catnip spray.  It took less than 10 minutes to cut the wood, maybe 15 minutes to wrap the rope around and around, stapling it every few turns to hold it in place.

Callie before we even got the top screwed on, she looks possessed but it's just bad lighting.

risotto

I had never made risotto before so I decided to try out a package mix for the first time.  Dump the contents of the box in cold water, bring to a boil, turn down the heat to simmer and stir, stir, stir. when all the liquid was absorbed I added 2T of butter and 1/3C Parmesan cheese.  I served it with a quick stir fry of left over steak, onions, peppers basil and mushrooms call cut in tiny pieces.  Delish!  I call these kind of meals cleaning out the fridge dinners, just use what left overs you have.

out of shape

The first nice days that I can get out to work in the garden always show me how out of shape I am.  After several hours over two days this last week of raking, picking up trash, cutting back dead foliage, trimming roses and moving furniture I could barely move by Friday night.  My reward was seeing the rose canes greening up, the patio if not clean at least ready to sit on and the tulips and daffodils peeking through the soil.  AHH I love spring despite the sore muscles.

curb shopping

We were driving down one of the busiest streets in the big city when I saw this table on the curb.  I had AH go around the block and park around the corner.  I checked it out then went to the door and politely asked the man if he was giving it away.  He said yes so I drug it to the car and we shoved it inside.  We were down the road in less than 5 minutes.  The table is a wood base with an enameled top.  It is filthy but as soon as it warms up again I'll clean it up and it will be perfect.  Always keep your eyes wide open, you never know when you could come upon a treasure.

Already being put to use outside