Drunken mousse

I don't care for instant pudding but the sugar free cooked kind is hard to find sometimes.  I picked up a box of instant and wanted to jazz it up a little.
1 box instant chocolate sugar free pudding made according to package directions except replace 1/4C of the milk with chocolate liquor, you could also use rum or coffee liquor.
1/2 of a container of sugar free Cool Whip mixed into the pudding before it sets up.  let it set up and enjoy.  For and extra kick I crushed Oreo s into ours before serving. You could also add chocolate chips, cherry pie filling or more whip cream.   Kind of defeats the purpose of using all that sugar free stuff doesn't it?

happy birthday

Happy Birthday America.  Enjoy your holiday, spend time relaxing, having fun, visiting with friends or family.
Never forget you live in the best country in the world.  Despite our differences and problems we are truly blessed to be here.  It is an honor and privilege we should never take for granted.  While you are celebrating say a little prayer of thanks for all your blessings and for  those who have served or are serving in our military to let you keep those blessings. Our service members and their families sacrifice so much so we can continue to be free, they are all heroes.

Sweet garlic chicken

For each boneless skinless chicken breast you want to bake use 2T olive oil, 1T brown sugar and 1 clove garlic saute for 2 minutes in the olive oil.  Preheat oven to 450.
Line a cookie pan with foil and lay your chicken on it salt and pepper and drizzle on olive oil on each side.  Make a paste of the cooked garlic, oil and sugar and spread on one side of the chicken.  Bake for 15-20 min until the juice runs clear and the chicken is cooked through.  I think this would be great with boneless pork chops too.

patio update

The patio is coming along nicely and we hope to be finished soon.  The yard still looks like a combo of construction site and park.  We are ready to be finished and moving on to the next project, not yet determined.

piles and piles and piles of bricks

almost to the end

lots of broken bricks I would like to figure out a way to crush them up and use them in a path

Latest update:  The above pictures were taken two weeks ago.  We have now reached the end of the patio itself and are ready to put in the edging and planting bed around the tree stump and glue the fire pit together..  Most of the piles of bricks are gone and I only need to clean a few more if needed.  I think it's about party time.

There will be a circle planting bed around the tree stump.  I need more places to put flowers.

We have a friend in a wheel chair who visits so we made an entry wheel chair friendly.  That's it in the lower right corner.

Cleanup time then I can start decorating.

re purposed garden

I love to take old things I find around the house or at sales and re purpose them into useful garden objects.  that's what I did with this lamp, I stripped it out, gave it a coat of paint and turned it into a stand to hold a bird feeder.  Less than 30 minutes and I was done.

I have had these standing picture frames from the dollar store for years and unearthed them cleaning out a closet.  I didn't have to do a thing with them.  I just put them behind the cucumber plants to use as trellises.  Easy, quick and free.

crazy neighbor

No not my neighbors, all of them are pretty sane.  That's what my neighbor told me after she helped me hang this chandy in a tree in the front yard.  It was $6 at GW and all I had to do was cut off the top mounting plate and use twine to hang it in the tree.  It will look great with candles for our next party.  While I really like my neighbors, I don't really care if they think I'm crazy.  Crazy is lots more fun than predictable.

junking finds

I have managed to hit a few rummage sales this year but I've been hitting it big at the Habitat for Humanity Restore where I volunteer lately.  Most of the prices are great and there is a high turnover on merchandise every week.

little tables $5 each just a little paint and repair on one of them and they will be great

Beautiful oak dresser mirror, AH's dresser needs one

what not shelf, paint it white and distress

this is the biggest colander I've ever seen, soon it will be a hanging planter

kitty yard art $1