Our Fun Life!

Pimento Cheese Spread

Pimento Cheese Spread

1 lb. Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese, grated by hand
1- 8 oz. jar Pimentos or Roasted Red Peppers, drained and chopped
1- 8 oz. pkg. Low-fat Cream Cheese; room temperature
1/2 c. Low-fat Mayo
1 tsp. Granulated Garlic
1 Tbsp. Dried Parsley
1 Tbsp. Dried Chives
1/2 tsp. freshly Ground Pepper
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire Sauce
Texas Pete Hot Sauce to taste

Combine all ingredients together in a deep mixing bowl. Cover and chill for 2 or more hours.
Serve on toasted bread, sesame bagels, crackers, pita points, or stuffed in cherry tomatoes.

 

Junk Market Style Decorating Magazine

As I wandered through the isles of Kroger, I came across this Magazine. Wow- what cool ideas! Inspired by this and the fabulous unique furniture and shelving at my favorite store Panopolie, I decided that I could find some cheap goodies to decorate the new house!
We are not planning to buy new furniture but are looking for things that could be made into something cool. There are a few places around here like the Habitat for Humanity warehouse and the flea market that sell unique and cheap items that need a little TLC.

I flipped through the magazine today while getting my car an oil change and inspection. There were several ideas that were just so fun. I don't go to garage sales and dumpster diving sounds disgusting, but hunting for things at cheap places sounds like fun. So on my way home, I decided to stop in at the local Goodwill. I found the cutest student desk and chair but it was $49- too expensive. I would have paid $10.

I did find these goodies for pennies that will be great in the new house:
1. the red metal 3D frame will match the red frames in my art studio
2. the 4 things in the back could be used as bookends but I plan to make 2 decorative shelves out of them
3. the 2 white frames will be repainted black and I will make something cool to sit on the one with the little shelf..these will go near the kitchen
4. the oval silver platter will be cleaned up, given a coat of metal paint, turned vertically, a hanger added to the back, and sheer ribbons holding my soldered picture charms will hang from the front- sounds strange but I can see it clearly in my head
5. the 2 metal mirrors will go in the 1/2 bathroom, instead of putting candles on the holder- I will put 2 decorative glass cups and fill them with little fresh flowers, there are little loops under the holders that I will also hang some soldered picture charms on w/ some crystal beads
6. and last is the 'made in England' silver candy/nut dish that I got for $2! It's a beauty. I will clean it up, run some sheer ribbon through the lower holes, and it will either go in the kitchen/family room to hold wrapped candies or it will go in my studio to hold buttons or something cute

My next goal is to find some cool and cheap tables and bookshelves!

Pillowcases and Gym Bags

I decided to switch projects this spring for my sewing unit and had my students make pillowcases in Part I and Gym Bags in my Part II classes. I just about flipped when one of my students came to school with the pink and orange fabric- YUMMY! Those are my favorite crafting colors.
The sewing lab was open after school for many days since it was hard getting everyone rotated on the 4 irons and 10 sewing machines that were set up. I had close to 100 students in 4 of my 6 classes needing to sew. I also made more detailed instructions so they could pretty much figure everything out with out my help. Their projects came out pretty darn cute IMO!
The district bought me a fancy embroidery sewing machine, 3 more sergers for a total of 5, and I also got 3 more regular sewing machines to use this fall with my students!! Yippppeeee!
Now I need to think of some more easy projects for beginner sewers.....

Decopatch Jar

Boy I sure had a fun time at Panopolie (beading and paper arts store) last night. I went to their "slumber party" where they showcased 2 demos, gave everyone fab goodie bags, had tasty food, and offered an evening of fun wearing your pj's.

I didn't wear my pj's but did make this cute jar. Decopatch paper is a fine quality tissue paper that does not tear nor bleed when decoupaging. I covered the jar with torn bits of the decopatch paper using a dry paint brush dipped in a little decoupage glue. Wire and beads were wrapped around it for a little whimsy. I plan to make some more jars in coordinating paper for my art studio to hold little tool goodies and flowers.

We also used a jig to help bend wire into shapes and then pounded the wire flat to make charms. Of course since I am such a klutz, I cut and smashed my finger with the special hammer while doing it. :-/

Before the night was over, there were 2 door prize drawings and I was a winner! I came home w/ a stuffed bag of awesome crafty things, a t-shirt, and a mug! What fun!

Chilled Strawberry Soup w/ Crunchy Waffle Dippers

Chilled Strawberry Soup w/ Crunchy Waffle Dippers

Ingredients:
1- 16oz. bag of Frozen Whole Strawberries
1 c. Low-Fat Buttermilk
1 1/4 c. Water
1/4- 1/3 c. Granulated Sugar
2 Tbsp. Orange Juice
Toasted Waffles, cut into strips
Toasted Pecans

Directions:

1. Place strawberries, buttermilk, water, orange juice, and sugar in a blender.

2. Start blender on 'chop' to cut up the strawberries and work the speed up to purée. Blend the mixture until smooth. Add a little more water if necessary.

3. Pour into small glass serving bowls and garnish with toasted pecans.

4. Serve immediately with crunchy waffle dippers on the side.

Makes 4 servings

Options: Top w/ toasted pound cake "croutons", crushed nutty granola, ground cinnamon, a sprig of fresh mint, fresh fruit, toasted coconut, and/or a drizzle of blueberry yogurt

Spicy Italian Sausage w/ Peppers, Onions, and Tomatoes

Spicy Italian Sausage w/ Peppers, Onions, and Tomatoes

Ingredients:

4-6 large Spicy Italian Sausage links
2 fresh Green Peppers, sliced
1 large Yellow Onion, sliced
2 fresh Garlic Cloves, minced
1- 14.5 oz. can of Petite Diced Tomatoes, undrained
2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
1/2 c. Water
1 tsp. fresh ground Black Pepper
1/2 tsp. Kosher Salt (do not substitute regular salt)
2 tsp. dried Oregano

Directions:

1. Warm olive oil in a deep skillet over medium heat. Add sausages and cover with a splatter screen. Turn sausages with tongs and brown on all sides. Remove from heat when cooked through and set aside.

2. Add peppers and onions to the same skillet and lightly brown.

3. Add minced garlic and lightly brown making sure not to burn it.

4. Add in diced tomatoes, their juices, and the water. Stir mixture. Place sausage links back in pan.

5. Cook mixture for a few minutes and then turn down heat to a light simmer for 20 minutes to blend the flavors. Stir and add more water as needed to keep everything slightly juicy.

6. Stir in salt, pepper, and oregano. Cook for 2 more minutes.

7. Serve hot as a main dish or on toasted hoagie rolls with sliced cheese melted on top.

 Makes 4-6 servings

Why did the chicken cross the road?

We didn't get the question answered, but Helen and I enjoyed the Beltline Tour d'Coop. Raising chickens in the city is becoming quite popular here. Many families got together and organized their 1st public tour. Their chickens are kept as pets. Eggs are eaten but not the chickens.

After seeing the adorable pictures and reading the accompanying information in the local newspaper, Helen and I decided to go on the tour. What fun that was!!!!! The neighborhoods were so quaint and the chickens were beautiful. It was interesting to see how each family built their coops- most from inexpensive or free materials.  I think all of them had varieties of Bantam chickens.

About a week later we got an email from Mr. Davis who was kind enough to offer a "Chicken Keeping 101" lecture. Bill and I attended his 2 hour lecture where we learned so much.

Why would you want to keep chickens?

• Production
• Pest Control
• Soil Improvement
• Beautiful Pets
• Nostalgia
• Stress Release
• Earth Connection
• Fun to Watch and Humorous

Each chicken could lay up to 300 eggs per year but the number decreases with the hen's age.

No rooster is required.

Etc.

After the fabulous lecture, Bill and I are considering keeping about 4-5 Bantam hens next to our garden. We are allowed to have them in the city we live in but not sure about the neighborhood covenants. We don't think they are written yet and we will probably be the 2nd family or so to move in. The chickens could be grandfathered into the covenants. We do not want a noisy rooster. We have about 2 acres of land and the neighbors will be far to our left and right.  No one can build behind us since it belongs to the US Army Corp of Engineers. It's the perfect backyard for chicken pets! We think they would look lovely incorporated into the planned garden but they would not have free roam of my actual garden since they would eat everything in site (except actual green beans I understand).

Mrs. Morgan-Davis grew a forage garden for their chickens which I think was very clever and pretty.
She had comfrey (which is great for them), rubus ground-cover, panicum, river oat, currants, quinoa, 'bright lights' chard, amaranth, and chicory. They also like grasses, herbaceous forbs, fruit and nut trees and shrubs. They eat most kitchen veggie and fruit scraps and even pick at melon rinds.

Info we received:

Web Sites-
Back Yard Chickens
Feather Site

Books-
Storey's Guide to Raising Chickens 
Keep Chickens!
Chicken Tractor 

Will there be chickens in our future? Maybe.

 

Mango, Black Bean and Corn Salsa

Toss the following together:

1 can black beans, rinsed

1 1/2 c. frozen corn, boiled 2 min. or 1 can niblet corn

1/4 of a red onion, chopped

1 ripe mango, cubed

1 small bunch of cilantro, minced

1 jalapeno, minced

1 cup tomato salsa or 1 cup chopped tomatoes

1 lime, juiced

1 tsp. ground cumin

3/4 tsp. garlic salt

Cookin' Up A Storm

Now that summer is in full effect, I have been cooking away. I'm trying to use up most of the 3 six foot tall bookshelves of food we hauled over here from the house we just sold so we don't have to haul it again in 2 months when the new house is done. This apartment does not have a pantry but does have plenty of wall space for the bookshelves. So surrounding our kitchen table is a grocery store of food. I have made a couple trips to the grocery store and a stop at the farmers stand to buy some fresh goodies and popsicles but other than that my goal is to clear this place out!

So far in the past few days I have made:
Spicy peanut noodles with seared pork medallions
Mango black bean salsa
White bean soup with bacon
Creamy tomato fettuccine
Marinated olive and vegetable salad
Jalapeno white cheddar spread w/ sun-dried tomato Wheat Thins
Spicy pimento cheese w/ rosemary olive oil Triscuits
Granny Smith cinnamon apple crisp w/ vanilla ice cream
Chocolate zucchini cake
Creamy cinnamon vanilla oatmeal w/ brown sugar
Chilled strawberry soup
Roasted corn on the cob w/ Old Bay butter
and cut up watermelon wedges + cantaloupe cubes

I am not one to follow a recipe unless I am baking so it has been fun throwing things together. Several of the recipes can be found in my recipe section on the side bar. Others I just took photos and wrote my recipe down to add to the kids cookbook. Will soon post them here.

The kids and I visited the local library today and left w/ armfuls of books. I am looking into gardening ideas for the new house. I will have a nice area to plant veggies, herbs, and flowers! Fun!!

Hunter just finished reading a book his grandparents gave him called Captured and is now reading The House on Mango Street for school as one of his summer reads.

Helen also received Girl with the Pearl Earring from her grandparents and has finished it. She selected 6 books today and is staring in on One hundred Years of Solitude.

Our local independent video store has a $1 section so we picked up 6 movies. They also have punch cards so on your 12th rental is free- that is usually when we get the new release movie to save $$. 

Gidget and Kitty visited the vet for the yearly check-up and shots. Poor Gidget hid her face in my arm the whole time and shook while Kitty hissed and put up a fight! LOL- They are such opposites.

Larkspur Party 2006

Nothing like spending a warm June afternoon touring a blooming garden and visiting with local art vendors. A local artist opens up her gardens to her art friends to sell their unique art. This was my second year attending and this time Bill came along!
Link to photo album:
Larkspur Party 2006