Saying Goodbye Mini Scrapbook

My sister and her husband have rescued several dogs in recent years and Brother-in-law was especially fond of two Pit Bulls a few years ago.  He rescued one and one of their good friends rescued the second one.  Mercedes, the second dog, died recently and my sister asked me to make a mini scrapbook that she could give Mercedes' people mom.  I fell in love with the dog during the process and could see why she was so deeply loved.  I used my Cricut Elegant Edges to cut the pages ... and used a variety of other dies to make the content.  We grabbed most of the photographs from Facebook posts ... and I included a set of Nanny Pit pictures that I found online.

I purchased a set of paw prints to use throughout the book ... and purchased the Ruff You bone.

Meet Mercedes. What a beautiful brindle Pit. I use all kinds of elements in my scrapbook design ... the flower cuts match the real flowers in the background of the picture.

The black and white photos were some taken when she first arrived at the shelter. BIL made promotional business cards to hand out ... in an attempt to find a new home for her.

In her new forever home, she had a sister dog! "You are my Sunshine" seemed to be a perfect page theme, since Sister Dog was holding a sunshine toy in her mouth!  Sometimes you have to 'read the minds' of the subjects of pictures while scrapbooking! I guessed that Mercedes was watching birds in the pictures on the right hand page!

"Knick Knack Paddy Whack ... give the dog a bone" ... My BIL is a musician so I assume everybody who knows him must enjoy music! The music page on the left and the banner page on the right ... seemed perfect!

BIL spends lots of time training dogs at the shelter where he volunteers ... and Mercedes had learned to love him.  Mercedes' people mom referred to my BIL as Mercedes' "Daddy Dave" ... The picture of her wearing the headset in front of a computer ... made me think of a customer service rep ... and I'm sure Mercedes' was "Calling Daddy Dave"! One of the pictures on the right shows Mercedes meeting Daddy Dave after not seeing him for a few years. Of course, she remembered and loved him!

"Wags and Kisses" is a great theme ... and a similar tag was used to tie on a jar filled with candy kisses!  I enjoy using fabric and lace in my books ... so adding the lace butterflies was a natural.  You'll notice in the next picture ... that I added pearl eyes to the lady bugs!

Not sure what Mercedes was digging for in these pictures ... maybe her ball!  Dogs don't really need a reason to dig, but she is intent ... like she is looking for something.  Perhaps a critter!

We love our dogs ... and they love us back!  Mercedes had a couple surgeries and you can see 'in her eyes' that she just wants to get well and go outside and play!

The picture on the above right ... is Mercedes on her back ... sunning! The page on the left is actually a pocket, where I stuck several pictures of the Nanny Pits. At the turn of the last century, Pit Bulls were family dogs and they were highly protective of children.  They were used as "nannies" ... and that is a forgotten part of the history of this breed.  Look at these adorable pictures of Pit Bull family members!

In the following picture, you'll see Mercedes in her Halloween costumes ... and the picture on the right shows her happy face .... after she pulled the stuffing out of a toy!  Maybe she was looking for turkey and stuffing!

Here she is in a variety of Christmas costumes! Her facial expression makes me think she didn't really like getting all dressed up ... but she posed dutifully!

In the last two pages of the book ... I added another pocket ... and the final page suggests that the "Rainbow Bridge" is a happy place.  I believe that dogs go to Heaven ... and that I'll be reunited with every animal I've ever had someday!  They ... just like Mercedes ... are having happy times in their Heavenly Home.

The final step in making my mini scrapbooks ... is to add tassels of ribbon at each end of the binding spiral.  I do that for three reasons ... they are pretty ... they hold the spiral in place ... and they cover the raw edge of the spiral wire.

I'll be sharing this post with a few of the blog parties listed in my sidebar. 

Hope you are inspired!

Scottish St. Patrick's Day Table!

I'm reposting a St. Pat's tablescape from a few years ago.  Enjoy!



My daddy’s birthday is March 18th. He turned 6 on the day that one of the deadliest tornados in history hit his little town of Murphysboro, Illinois (1925). His family and most of their property were safe, but his memories of the event were horrible. As a child, he drove a team and wagon around town taking his mother to house after house to tend to folks who were not as fortunate.

By the time my dad reached about 70, he was plagued with two things on his birthday. People always wanted to talk to him about the big tornado … and I always wanted to have a St. Patrick’s Day themed birthday party for him! Both were equally bad! He’d tell people that he didn’t want to talk about the tornado … and he’d tell me that he wasn't Irish … that … if he was anything other than being an American … he was Scottish! He was big on being American!

Well Daddy, I’ve got news for you! St. Patrick wasn’t Irish either … he was Scottish! … and even though you aren’t with me anymore, I’m celebrating your birthday this year … Scottish - St. Patrick’s Day style!

Ireland’s Patron Saint Patrick, was born in Scotland, near Dumbarton in (around) 385. His parents were Romans living in Britain and were in charge of the colonies. Patrick was captured by a raiding party when he was 14 and taken to Ireland as a slave. Druids and pagans inhabited and ruled Ireland at that time.

Patrick grew close to God, but remained a slave for 6 years.

After having a dream in which God told him how to escape, he went to the coast and located some sailors who took him back to Scotland where he reunited with his family. He had another dream, though … and in it, the people of Ireland begged him to come back to them. He studied for the priesthood; was ordained; was further ordained as a Bishop and returned to Ireland in 433. He made friends with the chieftons, taught the lesson of the Holy Trinity by using the shamrock clover … converted the people to Christianity … and remained in Ireland until his death 40 years later.

We are celebrating with our Scottish Tartan plaids.  The blue/beige on the upper left of this collage is pretty close to the modern Douglas Clan Tartan.  I bought several spools of Douglas tartan ribbon (from Scotland) for my daughter's wedding decor ... and since then, we've bought every ribbon, fabric, plate ... etc.  that even closely resembled the various Douglas plaids!  The salad plate is also Douglas!  I've set the table this way ... to mimic the tartans ... and the flower of Scotland, the thistle ... This thistle pattern is Stengl pottery.  the green plaid dinner plate is Royal China (c1950s) and the salad plates and mugs are Jeffrey Banks (new).  I've used salt dips with spoons, because I'm serving a cod salad that will be better with some chunky Celtic salt.  Notice the winking eye on the glasses?

My centerpiece runs the length of the table and is composed of vintage St. Pat's cards, a silk flower garland studded with a few roses ... and some glittery shamrocks!    Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Valentine Brunch!

Miss Phoebe and her parents were traveling over Valentine weekend, so we celebrated with a brunch on the following Monday, which was a holiday! I made it easy, but delicious!  We had a buffet served from the kitchen counter and eaten in our laps in front of the television! Phoebe and I enjoy doing that ... because she never gets to do it at home!

I made a crock pot breakfast casserole ... biscuits and gravy ... had fresh fruit and delicious French Toast rolls stuffed with cream cheese and strawberry jam.

I love these heart-shaped serving dishes made by QVC's Temptations!

I found this beautiful table runner at our local Ross store a few weeks ago and draped it over the buffet counter.


Look at the detailed stitches and applique work on the end of it.

The French Toast Rolls are so easy to make.  You simply cut the crusts from soft white bread slices and flatten them with a cutting board ... spread a little soft cream cheese down the middle ... and drizzle a little jam over that.  Then you roll them up and dip them in egg/milk wash and gently fry them in melted butter! I sprinkled lots of cinnamon/sugar on mine ... refrigerated them until the next day ... and reheated them for 10 minutes in the oven. They were so delicious!

 I'll share this post with a couple blog parties, so make sure you click through to see the other posts!  Happy brunching!

NuWave Dinner for One!

I've been really busy lately and have been so happy that I have my NuWave oven!  I just never dreamed how much I would love this thing.

Here you'll see a little Cornish Game Hen ... sprinkled with a Chipotle Raspberry Seasoning (saltless) Salt and roasted for 17 - 20 minutes!  It just takes green beans about 8 minutes to roast, so I toss them in in the middle of the process.  So good ... and the skin, which I usually share with MeMutt ... was especially good!

Look at these yummy pork chops ... thin slices dredged in egg wash and seasoned bread crumbs ... with roasted Brussels Sprouts.  This takes 8 - 10 minutes and then I sprinkled a little bleu cheese and bacon crumbles over it.

One of my favorite go-to meals for just one is to pop a little pasta in boiling water and whip up an easy Alfredo sauce ... All you need is a tablespoon of butter slowly melted ... stir in about 1/4 cup of dried parmesan cheese, then add a cup of Half and Half.  Whisked all together, this becomes a smooth delicious sauce.  So, I NuWaved  a couple tiny salmon fillets and a handful of broccoli flowerettes ... That took 7 minutes!  I brushed the salmon with some lemon infused olive oil ... topped the fillets with Rosemary ... and tossed the broc in the same olive oil.  Delicious!

I'll be sharing this post with a couple blog parties this week, so click through to see the other posts!  Enjoy!

Pineapple Cake for Son-In-Law!

For several months last year, my son-in-law dropped hints about a pineapple upside down cake! I go to their house for Christmas Dinner, and I took the ever popular cake. I promised him that 2016 would be the year of the pineapple ... because it seems that most of the desserts I made in 2015 were flavored with orange! So ... this yummy cake was the second installment!

The cake is very moist and the icing is similar to what goes on top of a German Chocolate Cake ... Served warm, this was a fantastic dessert on a cold wintry evening! SIL made the coffee!

Pineapple Cake with Coconut Topping

2 cup flour

2 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp vanilla

¼ tsp salt

1 – 20 oz can of crushed pineapple ... include juice

I throw all the ingredients in the food processor and blend it well. Bake in a 13x9 inch dish for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.  I baked mine in two rounds and used the NuWave oven … 325 degrees at 25 – 30 minutes.

The topping is so easy. In a heavy pan, mix 1 can of sweetened condensed milk (Eagle Brand) and 1 stick of butter. After this begins to bubble together … remove from the stove and stir in 1 ½ ups of coconut and 1 cup of pecans (use your favorite nuts). Pour the topping on the cake while it is still warm.

This is delicious served warm, so we just set the cake in a warm oven while we had dinner! It was fantastic.

I baked this lemon pound cake in the NuWave and learned that you have to place things right in the center of the rack ... notice how is rose a little taller on one side!

Lemon Poppy Seed Pound Cake

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup sour cream

1 cup sugar

3 large eggs

2 teaspoons grated lemon zest (2 lemons)

1/2 teaspoon pure lemon extract

1/3 cup vegetable oil

Blend the ingredients together in the food processor and bake in a 9 inch loaf pan at 350 degrees for 50 minutes in a standard oven … or for about 30 minutes at 325 degrees in the NuWave infrared oven.  I like to sprinkle mine with Poppy  Seed before I bake it.  You can also blend it into the batter!

This breakfast casserole was quickly done in the NuWave! I cut it into small sections and froze them for a quick microwaved breakfast.

Sausage Breakfast Casserole

1 pound sausage

6 slices bread, cubed

1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

6 eggs

1 teaspoon salt

2 cups milk

1 teaspoon dry mustard

4 ounces mushroom pieces, drained

1/4 cup green bell pepper, diced

1/4 cup green onion, diced

Brown the sausage, bell pepper and onions. Mix all the ingredients together and pour into a 13x9 inch casserole. This can be immediately baked or refrigerated overnight and baked the following moning.

Bake at 325 degrees for 45 minutes. I made half this recipe and divided it into two small bread pans. I baked them in the NuWave at 325 degrees for about 20 minutes.

I'll be sharing this post with a couple blog parties listed in my sidebar ... so make sure you click through

Happy Birthday to Me!

Santa Claus gave my daughter a Nuwave infrared oven, and as soon as she started using it ... I coveted it! I treated myself to one for my birthday and I love it! This post is not a paid endorsement ... I don't do those ... but this is a great product, so I want to share!

If you cook for just a few and you want to follow a healthy diet, this might be for you! I try to conserve energy and time, too. This is a good tool to accomplish those goals!

I was sold, when I discovered you could cook from a frozen state in the same amount of time as a defrosted item. Often times, I buy a family pack of chicken breasts and freeze them individually in marinade or spice rubs. That way, they are oven ready ... so now they will go right into the Nuwave! I seldom fry anything, but who doesn't like that crunchy fried texture? This oven air fries and the result was wonderful!

This delicious venison burger and sweet potato fries meal was ready in 20 minutes! That isn't oil oozing from the fries ... that is the moist interior sweetness seeping through.

I peeled a sweet potato and cut it into strips; salted them; placed them on the bottom rack and cooked them for 12 minutes at 350 degrees. Then I added the top rack and placed two venison burgers (thawed meat) on it and baked for another 8 minutes. Wow!

I used the other half pound of ground venison to make some mini casseroles for the freezer!  This recipe is similar to the "John Wayne Casserole" of the 1960s! I browned the venison with a little chopped onion and green pepper. I added 3 Tablespoons of flour to the meat and created a roux. I added 2 cups of milk ... several grinds of fresh black pepper and a sprinkle of seasoning salt. I stirred the mixture until the sauce thickened; then added about a cup of shredded cheddar cheese and stirred it in so it melted smoothly. When I composed the casseroles, I added a cup of frozen green peas to the creamy meat mixture.

The base of the casserole is made of hash brown potatoes. I shredded 2 big potatoes and tossed them in a Tablespoon of olive oil ... added a little shredded carrot, minced onion and lots of ground black pepper ...  and pan fried them until they had crispy edges!

Stack the casserole with the potatoes on bottom and the creamy meat mixture on top ... with a final topping of crushed buttery crackers. Bake at 325 for 20 minutes in the Nuwave!

I'll be sharing this post with a couple blog parties that are listed in my sidebar. Click through and join the fun, but check out my home page first! You might find something else you'll enjoy.

No Snow Please

Southern Illinois has experienced horrible flooding for the past several days. Both the Mississippi River and the Ohio River are well out of their banks and on the Mississippi side, levees are breaking ... It is a terrible situation.

I really hope we don't have any snow this year. Could that be possible? I've decorated a little in the dining room ... but hope these snowflakes are the only ones I have to deal with.

A banner ... a glittery gold scarf ... some mercury glass candle holders ... gold snowflake ornaments ... and this pretty silhouette tree. I found the tree at 80% off this week at Hobby Lobby! So, the whole snowflake scape centered around the tree!

I still have a couple little Christmas trees up. The one at the corner of the fireplace may still be up in July ... decorated with patriotic things! For now, I've covered it with the gold snowflakes.

Hope your new year is filled with all the things that will make you happy and healthy! I'll be sharing this post with a couple of the parties listed on my sidebar, but please stick around my home page for awhile, so you can see my other posts!

Easiest Ever Orange Scones!

These delicious scones are so easy to make ... I just couldn't believe how good they were! I've made lots of scones, using several recipes ... but this is the one I will stick with. They are great with tea, coffee or a cold glass of milk!

The recipe is simple.  Gently mix together 2 cups of self rising flour, 1/4 cup of sugar (I used Splenda), 1/2 cup half and half, 1/2 cup of 7-Up and the zest of an orange. Don't over mix the dough ... and when it comes together ... pat it into a circle on your baking sheet and cut it into wedges. I barely separate the wedges. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 - 12 minutes. I like to sprinkle mine with poppy seeds before baking ... and if you want more of an orange flavor, add a little orange extract. You can switch lemon zest and lemon extract for the orange.

I'll be sharing this post with a couple of the parties listed in my sidebar! Make sure you stick around my home page before you move on to the party, though! You might find something else you'll enjoy.

Favorites From 2015

Gifts of Food

Every year, I have some folks who receive friendship gifts from my kitchen! This year, gingerbread and cheeseballs were on the list! Add a box of crackers ...a bottle of wine ... some flavored coffee or a six-pack of winter ale ... and you have a nice gift.

This kind of gift giving was instilled in me when I was a child. My mother made the most beautiful fluffy divinity and we shared it with neighbors. If you make divinity, you know you have to work quickly! It was always my job to follow her movements and put the candied cherry or the pecan half on top of the beautiful mound of sugary goodness while it was still warm and soft!

I thought it was important to instill the importance of "giving" in my daughter ... and now Miss Phoebe helps us cook and she goes with us when we deliver! It was pouring rain the day we made our deliveries this year ... but she pulled her hoodie over her head ... and tightly held the bagged tray of gingerbread as she made her way to the front doors!

I saw this cute gingerbread pan early in the season and I immediately started planning to use it! I used the recipe that came with the Wilton pan ... and used sorghum molasses in it.

The little oval plastic trays came from the Dollar Tree and I order saran gift bags in bulk because I use them to enclose door prizes, auction baskets and lots of other things throughout the year.

I made two flavors of cheeseballs.  You can find my recipe for Pimento Cheese right here.  Add an extra cup of shredded cheese and you should have the consistency of a cheeseball ... versus a spread. I rolled both flavors in chopped pecans.

The Asiago ball recipe is easy, too.  I use the food processor to make the work easy.  Blend an 8-ounce block of cream cheese with 2 cups of shredded Asiago and a Tablespoon of butter. After that is smooth ... add 1/2 cup chopped nuts, 1/2 cup dried cherries and 1/2 cup chopped dried apricots.

I'll be sharing this post with a couple of the blog parties listed in my sidebar, but check out my other posts on my home page before you move on!  Merry Christmas!