I like Big Butts

As you know, I love Old English Sheepdogs.


I think I love these dogs because their behinds remind me of ..... um, myself!!!


Their butts are the only dog butts bigger than mine.



Sad but true.

Gardening: A Potting Shed

I had this shed built two years ago.





The workman put a cupola on it to hold my Old English Sheepdog weather vane. Isn't it cute.



We painted it to match the house.




Yes, it does have a refrigerator and a sink. But everyone used it for a dumping ground.



Good lord!!!


I bought these shelves at a yard sale for $5 for all my vases but the sink is facing the wrong way.




I love it but somehow it never was able to be the "cute" potting shed that I had pictured.

So two weeks ago, I and a helper painted the interior of this shed and we flipped the sink.

Organization: To Do lists

Most of us try to be very organized. I know that because you girls have the best ideas. Well, I love to do lists but seriously they get lost all the time. Taking my inspiration from Carrie at Blah, Blah, Blog, one of the blogs I love, she created an Idea Rolodex. Hers is prettier than mine but I didn't spend as much time on it.


I actually have two rolodex.



The one on the left, I use to organize all my phone numbers, to do lists and blog ideas.

The one on the right, I use to organize my blog ideas in some sort of calender.

These two little rolodex hold a ton of information and when I am finished with something on my list, I take the card out. I also have a running list of books I want to read, projects I need to work on and videos to watch. I prefer it to my iPhone because they are on my desk and remind me to look at them often.

Photography: An honestly, true picture

I love photography but am really, really a novice. Every once in a while, I happen to take a picture that captures the heart of the subject.

Let me explain this picture. My daughter ran cross country and she was okay when she ran with the girls. But she ran like the wind when she ran with boys. Her times would drop several minutes per mile.


I love this picture because she is praying with the boys. She is a godly woman who is competitive as heck, and loves running with boys. This picture captures all of that to me. And I love that her tag is out on her shorts. That is her too.

Lesson learned: Take your camera everywhere you go. I love this picture even though it is 10 years old. I will love this picture until the day I am 100.

Baking: Cherry Pie

For the holiday, I made a Cherry Pie for the family. Last year, at a fabulous Williams Sonoma sale, I bought these pie crust cutters for $4.99. I think they sold for $12.





Since I am making 48 quiches for a brunch in honor of my niece's wedding, I went with a store bought pie crust. Shocking, I know. Actually, they are very good. So I shaped one pie crust.



Rolled out the other pie crust and went to punching the cute cherry shapes out.

And cutting:


Everything goes into the fridge to re-chill, including the pie filling. Once everything is cold. I poured the cherry pie filling in the crust and topped with the cherries and leaves. Kind of a dressed up lattice topping for the pie.



Brush with egg and sprinkle with sugar.


Pretty and very good!!!


Cherry Pie

Ingredients

2 20 oz. cans of pitted sour cherries
1 c. white sugar
2/3 c. all purpose flour
1/4 t. salt
4 T. butter
1/2 t. almond extract

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 C). Make pastry and refrigerate.
2. Drain cherries, reserving 1 cup liquid. In a saucepan combine sugar, flour and salt. Stir in cherry liquid and bring to a boil, stirring often. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Mixture will thicken.
3. When mixture is thickened, add butter, almond extract, food coloring and cherries. Cover and refrigerate.
4. Pour cooled cherry filling into pie dish. Either make a lattice or cut out cute shapes in the pastry and place on top of pie. Brush with egg yolk and sprinkle with sugar. Bake 30 to 35 minutes, and cool before serving.

Happy Memorial Day

Please remember those who served and sacraficed.


I have two children in the military, two nephews and a niece in the military. Both my father and my husband's father served. My husband and his brother served and multiple uncles, cousins and a step father.

I am lucky to know them and live in a country where so many fine soldiers were willing to lay down their lives to preserve my freedom.

I honor and pray for them.

Confession: Why I love yard sales!

I found two of these boxes in a yard sale. It is a stash of embroidery thread and look how organized this is!!!!



I am organized but not this organized. You know that I am trying to learn how to smock and you use embroidery thread for the smocking thread.

How much did I pay for all this embroidery thread? $3 Each one of these is approximately $.50 each.

So get up early and you might find some treasures too!!!!

Gardening: Peonies Photo

I have a group of friends that absolutely do not need anything, that includes me. This year, I thought I would make them photo notecards with pictures from my garden. Since the peonies are blooming so beautifully, I took some pictures. But one stood out and I thought I could make it prettier with Photoshop and especially Pioneer Woman's actions. Actions are repeated steps you take in Photoshop. Pioneer Woman did all the work and if you have Photoshop, sorry, not you cannot use with Photoshop elements. Her actions are awesome and free!!!!


Straight out of the Camera:

f stop 4.0
ISO 250
Shutter Speed 1/500


With the Boost Action:



Quick Edge Burn Action:



Lovely and Ethereal Action:




Black and White Action:




Vintage Action:




PW Black and White Action:


Soft and Faded Action:

I think the soft and faded action is my favorite. One card photo down, seven more to go.

Cooking: Chipolte Lime Chicken Tacos

We love Mexican food at our home and I thought I would try a new recipe.

So you 1 large roasted chicken (about 4-6 lbs),


I cut up





In 2 Tbsp olive oil, brown the chicken pieces



Next, take these ingredients; 1/2 c. of each lime juice and honey 1/4 c. chopped cilantro, 2 large dried peppers, 1/2 onion chopped, 3 T dijon mustard, 1 T. tomato paste, 3 minced garlic cloves, 1 t. ground cumin, 1/2 t. allspice and salt


Then, chop 2 chipotle chiles in adobo




Add all the ingredients to a blender.



And blend:


After the chicken is browned, deglaze the pan with 1 c. water and 1/2 c. red wine. Add chicken, and the sauce back in the dutch oven. Cover and bake in 250 degree oven for 3 to 3 1/2 hours. Your house will smell heavenly.


Remove chicken and reduce the sauce by half on top of the stove.


Remove all the meat, you should be able to do this with a fork as the meat is so tender.

I chopped up an avocado, tomatoes and lettuce. Shredded some cheddar.


You have the most glorious chicken to put on your tacos, burritos or nachos. A little effort but so worth it.




Chipotle Lime Chicken for tacos

1 large roasted chicken (about 4-6 lbs), cut in 8 pieces
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 c. lime juice
1/2 c. honey
1/4 c. cilantro
2 chipotle chiles in adobo
2 large, mild dried peppers
1/2 onion, chopped
3 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp tomato paste
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp cumin, ground
1/2 tsp allspice, ground
1/2 tsp salt
1 c. water
1/2 c. red wine

Goal Setting: Learning how to smock

One of my goals is to learn how to smock. When I was young, my great aunt taught me how to smock but hey, I am old and forgot. So I signed up for a beginner smocking class and joined a Wee Care Sewing group. The Wee Care group sews and smocks fine baby gowns used for babies that pass away. By lovingly sewing these gowns, the group provides parents with a special garment for their child.

Although it sounds like a depressing task, I promise you this is a joyful group of women that know their gifts are being used to bless the families. I joined this group because it was an opportunity to share my gift of sewing but to meet talented ladies.

Since I am making my first gown, they let me borrow one of the small gowns to use as a model.

Look how delicate the stitching and the lace.

Here are a couple of these wonderfully talented and dedicated ladies.

One of the ladies cuts out the batiste:

So, here is the gown I am working on. The darker threads are used to hold the pleats in the fabricand act like a guide until you finish smocking. Once you are finished smocking the garment, the threads are removed and the stitching will hold the pleats. The gown is not as delicate as the first gown but I am improving.

Here is a closer look:

An accomplishment in progress. My goal was to sew baby gowns for my "future" grandchildren and friend's grandchildren. By practicing this skill now, I will get better. The learning curve is always steep but worth the climb.

So here is my question to you, What is your goal and how are you going to achieve it?

Baking: Strawberry Cake

Doesn't this look like spring? Since strawberries are in season, I thought I would show you a quick, easy and elegant dessert.

Start with a yellow cake mix. I froze these cakes to have them for an emergency, you never know who might show up and need cake at a moment's notice.


I used a pint of strawberries that were washed, sliced and macerated. A fancy word to say they were sprinkled with sugar and allowed to develop their own juices. Spoon them onto the first layer of yellow cake. Top with whipped cream or cool whip. I used cool whip.



Top with the second layer of yellow cake.



Add more cool whip or whipped cream and top with your strawberries. If I had had enough cool whip, I would have covered the sides as well.



Such a pretty dessert and took barely any time at all.

P.S. Thank you so much for all your kind words yesterday. You are all so awesome and I really appreciate it. I am working my way through the grief.