It's just a Tuesday!

And the next thing I am going to do is post some pictures of the anniversary card I made for my son and daughter in law for their 3rd. So here's that..... 

And now some photos from the Jackson Walk to Cure Juvenile Diabetes......



The release of the balloons!



Did you see these?







Sooo cool!



Like I said, cool





Some good people!



Some eats and drinks





The first one back!

These pictures are a bear to line up!  I don't think I'm getting used to the new way of doing this! Do you know of an easier way? Really, do you?

Anyway the Jackson Walk tallied up $ 110,000 which is about 30,000 less than last year but the good news is the donations are still coming in!  Hopefully we make the goal of $140,000!

Now I can start working on my Christmas cards along with some birthdays coming up.  I feel like it's been forever since I sat down for days and just made cards!  I miss it.
And while I'm doing this I am also working on the Comedy Murder Mystery Dinner I hope to have in March 2011.  THAT is going to be a riot!!! Can't wait!  So many exciting things going on!

See you tomorrow and remember....Enjoy every second of your day!











Another weekend that was full of stuff to do

It felt like a really full weekend!  Is that a good thing?  It was full on Friday as I slept most of it away!  My hubby switching to days has really got me this time!  I stay up late with that 'stupid' box on and expect to be able to stay up all day! Grrr!  Now here it is Sunday night and I have an anniversary card to make and get in the mail in the morning cuz it has to arrive by Wednesday!  It has to.  And yet here I am on the computer.  I yi yi!!! 
I made a mean 'stew' today.  Stew.....my mother called it.  It's really a hearty beef vegetable soup with a tomato base.  I grew up with it being called stew.  My hubby let me know it was a soup, (probably cuz he thinks it can't be a meal without a meat, a potato, and veggies, on a plate).  I tried to explain all that was in the 'stew' and with some cornbread........OH MAN IS THAT A MEAL!  Southern style!!  Yumm
I also made two, not just one oh no!  I made two apple pies.  I had a sliver about the size of a butter knife on it's side and OMGoodness was it good!  Here is the best apple pie recipe I have ever used:

Grandma's Apple Pie

Preheat oven to 425 degrees

6 to 8 medium apples ~ I used 4 granny smiths and 3 galas
pie crust ~ I used Pillsbury that you unroll in a pie plate
put same sized apple slices in pie plate (not to full)

Measure these carefully in a non stick sauce pan:
1/2 C butter
3 T flour ~ I used wheat
1/4 C water
1/2 C white sugar
1/2 C brown sugar

Stir over medium heat for 5 minutes then pour evenly over apples.

You can use the second pie crust for the top.......or do what I did and put a crumble over the top made of the following:

1/4 C flour (again I use wheat)
1/4 C brown sugar
2 or 3 T butter
                      cut this using a fork or pastry cutter until 'crumbly' and spread/sprinkle on top of pie.

Bake for 15 minutes at 425 then lower the heat to 350 and bake for another 35 to 45 minutes

I know it's hard to do but wait till it cools before cutting!

So a little more tomorrow as I have got to get that card done!  Pictures to follow!
Be sure to take some time to enjoy every second of your day!

It's the end of hump day and....

I am so tired.  It takes a lot out of me to have company and all that goes with having company.  We had a great time and it was worth it.
We made a trip to the local farmer's market and I picked up some grain and some dried fruit and dried green bean chips that were really good!
We walked in the Walk for a Cure and as a family we raised a total of 515 dollars!  That was a great help to speed up finding a cure!!! and it was lots of fun and we met some really nice people and got some good information!
We canned 17 quarts of grape juice that is going to taste amazing in about 3 months.  It wasn't too bad doing those especially when someone, (my good son), took all the stems out for me/him! Thanks honey! 

Well more tomorrow and remember to enjoy every second of your day!

It's hump day!

What does that actually mean?  Does it mean that it's the middle of the week?  Does it mean relations (wink wink) are gonna happen?  It's a on going discussion in my house.  Hubby thinks it means it's the middle of the week and I think it's the other....you'd think he'd see it my way just cuz of the benefit to him!  lol  Guess he's rather be right!

I have been hanging out at About55 a lot lately.  I started a group for crafter's and I am hoping that it takes off!  I love to share my cards

I'm still trying to figure out the new format of this blog!  It sure didn't want my words to line up with the left after I added my pictures!

Anyway, these are two of my latest birthday cards and I can't wait to start making cards again!  I have to wait until Monday because I am spending a lot of time fundraising for the Walk to Cure Diabetes which is this Saturday and I have my son, his wife, and the 2 teenagers coming to walk with us.  So it is bound to get a little hectic around here.  Not to mention I have to clean the house for company which is always more than just the daily clean.  All this and tomatoes are still coming in along with the raspberries and grapes!  Yummy!

My sugar is a little on the high side but I'm contributing that to the fact that my body has not turned around yet! 

Please remember to Enjoy Every Second of YOUR Day!

The day of rest!

If only it was a day of rest, it would be wonderful. What would I do if I could do anything at all? I would listen to my music really loud, not answer the phone, not cook anything, and make cards all day without any interruptions because the dog wants out! Fat chance of that happening.
The yard sale is over and I am left with (what I think is) good stuff! Most of the items will go to the church/school sale that I help with once a year. Now that's a tag sale!!! Too bad it's the same weekend that the next town over has theirs! They have great clothes at that one....I have heard!
Today is the last day of hubby's vacation and I really appreciated his help in the yard sale, cuz without him, I probably would not have had it at all!
Now it's time to clean up the mess that I left in the house all week while preparing for it!
The blood sugars have been high and low through this process and it doesn't surprise me at all. Now this morning I am at 250 and I will take coverage plus extra for my coffee.
We (hubby and I) made great roasted chicken tacos with a slaw dressing for the top. It was so good. And with that I made some jalapeno poppers.
Yum! The tacos were from a recipe by Claire Robinson and the poppers were from Emeril Lagasse. Here are those if you would like to try them:

Chipotle-Lime Chicken Tacos

Ingredients
1 bone-in, skin-on whole chicken, rinsed and dried
Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
1 lime, zested and juiced (lime halves reserved), plus 1 lime, zested,
1/4 cup water
1 cup crema
2 chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, finely minced into a paste
8 (6-inch) corn tortillas, warmed
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Generously season the chicken, on the outside and inside of the cavity, with salt and pepper, to taste. With your fingers, put some of the lime zest under the skin of the chicken. Sprinkle the lime juice over the chicken and put the halves into the cavity. Put the chicken in a roasting pan, breast side up, and add 1/4 cup of water to the bottom of the pan. Roast the chicken until the internal temperature registers 165 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer, when inserted in the thickest part of the thigh.

Remove the chicken from the oven to a carving board, let sit until cool enough to handle.

In a small bowl, combine the crema, minced chipotles, remaining lime zest, and salt and pepper, to taste.

Once the chicken has cooled, pull the meat from bones and shred.

Put some of the shredded chicken on each tortilla, top with chipotle crema and garnish with some zest from the remaining lime. Serve with lime wedges.

Grilled Corn Slaw

Ingredients
4 fresh corn on the cob, shucked
1/2 red cabbage, sliced
1 lime, juiced
Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
1/2 cup crumbled queso fresco (cheese)
Handful fresh cilantro leaves, roughly chopped
Directions
Heat a grill pan over medium heat.

Grill the corn on the hot grill pan, turning periodically, until cooked and grill marks are all around the corn. Set aside to cool.

In a large bowl, toss the cabbage with the lime juice; season with salt and pepper, to taste, and set aside.

Once the corn has cooled, cut the kernels off the cob and add it to the bowl with the cabbage. Taste for seasoning and adjust, if necessary. Add the crumbled queso fresco and cilantro leaves and stir to combine. Serve as a side dish or use as a taco topping.

Notes
If you are not a fan of cilantro (the soap tasting folk), try flat-leaf parsley or even celery leaves.

I love to use a pinch of cayenne pepper or spicy paprika or even cumin instead of black pepper for a spicy kick.

To make this a creamy slaw side, try tossing in 2 tablespoons of Greek yogurt or whipped avocado!

From Emeril:
Fried Kicked Up Jalapeno Poppers

Ingredients
Vegetable oil, for frying
12 fresh large jalapeno peppers
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup Monterey Jack, grated
6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
1/4 teaspoon Essence, plus 1/4 teaspoon, recipe follows
1/2 cup all-purpose flour plus 3 tablespoons, divided
1/2 cup milk
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 1/2 cups panko bread crumbs
Directions
In a deep-fryer or heavy-bottomed stock pot add enough oil to come 1/3 of the way up the sides of the pan. Heat oil to 370 degrees F over medium heat.

Cut a slit lengthwise in each pepper down 1 side to create a pocket. Leave stem intact and remove seeds if desired.

Combine cream cheese, Monterey Jack, crumbled bacon, and Essence. Place mixture in a zip-top plastic bag or large piping bag. (If using a zip-top plastic bag, cut and remove 1 corner of the bag, large enough so that the bacon will squeeze through.) Squeeze mixture to the bottom of the bag and fill each pepper with as much of the cream cheese mixture as will fit. Press slit edges of the pepper together to seal.

In a small bowl, combine 1/2 cup flour, milk and egg. Place remaining 3 tablespoons flour, panko crumbs, and 1/2 teaspoon of Essence in a shallow bowl or plate, and stir to combine.

Working in batches, dip stuffed jalapenos into the milk batter and then roll in the panko mixture, pressing to coat.

Working in batches, if necessary, gently place jalapenos in preheated oil and fry until golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from the oil and drain on a paper-towel lined plate. Cool slightly before serving, as the cheese is extremely hot.

I didn't have any essence of Emeril, so I used a little papricka, a little cumin, a little chili powder, and just a touch of seasoning salt. I added sea salt and cracked pepper to taste.

This took a while to prepare, longer that the 10 minutes stated cuz of the prep! but it was worth it! Dinner was so good and unusual for us.

I'm taking the left over roasted chicken and making a stir fry for dinner today, I think that will be quick and easy!

Everyone remember to enjoy every second of your day!