Quick-N-Easy Lunch

My daughter sent me this new quick-n-easy lunch idea.

For under $2 my daughter keeps this Mezze Penne pasta dish on hand for those days she doesn't have time to grab lunch. She can microwave this in 60 seconds and be ready to eat.

National Dessert Day

I am a firm believer in EAT DESSERT FIRST! I found this crazy list of "National Days of Celebration," it caught my attention, because the first thing on the list was "National Dessert Month." All of the food in the photos have been posted with the recipe on my past blogs. Hope you enjoy this list of "National Days of Celebration." Which is your favorite day??

National Dessert Month--October 1-31

National Dessert Day--October 14

Lemon Bars

National Pie Day--January 23

National Pie Day--December 1

Peppermint Pie

National Pecan Pie Day--July 12

National Raspberry Cream Pie Day--August 1

National Pumpkin Pie Day--December 25

Pecan Chocolate Chip Pie

   National Cheesecake Day--July 30

National Pastry Day--December 9

National Applesauce Cake Day--June 6

National Spongecake Day--August 23

National Angel Food Cake Day--October 10

National Lemon Cupcake Day--December 15

National Fruitcake Day--December 27

National Sacher Torte Day--December 5

National Blonde Brownie Day--January 22

National Macaroon Day--May 31

National Sugar Cookie Day--July 9

National Apple Dumpling Day--September 17

National Plum Pudding Day--February 12

National Tapioca Pudding Day--July 15

National Indian Pudding Day--November 13

National Butterscotch Pudding Day--September 19

OU - TEXAS

BOOMER SOONER!!

Bobby's Burgers

Check out these photos of Bobby's Burgers...yummy!

Mushrooms, avacados, tomatoes, jalapeno cheese slices,

mustard, and hamburger pattie on grilled buns.

How yummy do these look?

 

Friday Foto

Western Table Decoration

My friend Pat made these cute table decorations for a birthday party.

She used a veggie can, sticks she got out of her yard, twine, glue

and some designs she printed off on the computer.

She put newspaper in the can to make the decorations stay

up right and some gravel in the bottom so they would not fall over.

 

This is a western theme decoration, but this time of year you could

do the same thing with pumpkins, ghosts, bats, wiches, etc.

to decorate a Halloween party table.

Pinto Bean Burgers

Check out this awesome recipe that popped up in my e-mail...

I LOVE the Dinner Tonight newsletters from My Recipes.

Southwest Pinto Bean Burgers with Chipotle Mayonnaise

Ingredients

• Burgers:
• 1/2 cup diced onion
• 1/2 cup dry breadcrumbs
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• 2 tablespoons minced seeded jalapeño pepper
• 2 tablespoons reduced-fat sour cream
• 1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 large egg
• 1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans, drained
• 1 (8 3/4-ounce) can no salt-added whole-kernel corn, drained
• Chipotle Mayonnaise:
• 1/4 cup low-fat mayonnaise
  Click to see savings
  
• 1 teaspoon canned minced chipotle chile in adobo sauce
• Remaining ingredients:
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 4 (1 1/2-ounce) whole wheat hamburger buns, toasted
• 4 romaine lettuce leaves

Preparation

1. To prepare burgers, combine the first 10 ingredients in a large bowl. Add pinto beans and corn; partially mash with a fork. Divide bean mixture into 4 equal portions, shaping each portion into a 3 1/2-inch patty, and refrigerate for 10 minutes.
2. To prepare chipotle mayonnaise, combine mayonnaise and 1 teaspoon chipotle in a small bowl; set aside.
3. Heat canola oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add patties to pan, and cook 4 minutes on each side or until thoroughly heated. Place patties on bottom halves of buns; top each patty with 1 tablespoon mayonnaise, 1 lettuce leaf, and top half of bun.

Lia Huber, Cooking Light
JANUARY 2005

Katie's Krops

Wow...this young lady is very very impressive...this is her story...

 

 

KATIE'S KROPS by Katie Stagliana

 

Great American Country will aired an episode of 'Great American Heroes' with Trace Adkins featuring Katie's Krops. I am beyond honored that they would consider me a hero but the truth is I am just following my heart, following my dream to end hunger one vegetable garden at a time. The real heroes are my friends, my family, my grantees and my supporters who believe in me and my dream.

 

Who are these heroes? My heroes are Miss. Lisa my Master Gardener who has been by my side teaching me everything I know about gardening since I was in the 4th grade. Mr. Bob & Miss. Linda who have opened their farm and the hearts to me and to Katie's Krops. They have even allowed a 48 foot greenhouse to become part of their landscape. There are the wonderful people at Summerville Baptist Church who, a year ago, took a chance on a young girl and her friends who said they wanted, they needed, to feed people in need in the community by hosting free healthy meals. They agreed and opened their kitchen, their Fellowship Hall and their hearts to Katie's Krops and the community and now we feed over 100 people in need in their church every month.

 

Miss. Cory, my former 6th grade science teacher is my hero. She left her job and followed her heart to Katie's Krops where she is now the Direction of Education for Katie's Krops. What do we pay her? Miss. Cory gets paid in smiles and hugs. She is my hero for being so courageous.

There is Mrs. Jewel, who one night sat back and watched as her son finished volunteering at a Katie's Krops Holiday Dinner. She loved what she saw and stepped up to help the very next day. She has not stopped since and has become a very important part of the Katie's Krops family.

My friends at Bonnie Plants are my heroes for starting the 'Bonnie Plants Third Grade Cabbage Program'. Your tiny cabbage seedling started my dream. You are my hero for allowing kids across the country to grow.

 

Mr. McNeill, the Director of Food Service at Pinewood Prep, is a hero to us all. Two years ago he agreed to help me and my friends with our very first Katie's Krops Dinner. We started by feeding 40 people and now we are feeding over 140. He guides us in the kitchen and has taught us all how to be amazing chefs.

 

If a school can be a hero than Pinewood Prep, my school, deserves that honor. They took a chance on a 4th grader who had a big dream and granted her a plot of land the length of a football field to start a garden to feed people in need. Four years later that garden is growing strong and producing a beautiful harvest for our community.

 

My grantees, kids ages 9 to 16, who took up the challenge to start vegetables gardens in their communities to help feed their neighbors, their friends, the families who are struggling to eat in these challenging times, they are my heroes. I know firsthand how much time and energy it takes to grow a garden but these kids do it and they do it with a smile on their face. Why do they grow? Because they too share a dream, a dream that kids can end hunger one vegetable garden at a time.

 

My heroes are the people who make donations to the not-for-profit of a young girl with a big dream. We couldn't grow without you. We are thankful for the people who send a $5 bill in the mail, to the wonderful people at Fall Creek Farm & Nursery who sent 700 blueberry bushes. I am overjoyed at the children who forgo birthday gifts at their parties and ask for donations to Katie's Krops instead. I so grateful that their are wonderful men in Colorado who would pack up a semi truck with a 48 foot greenhouse and 18 pallets of MojoGro and fly to South Carolina to meet that truck and help us build that greenhouse. Thank you for supporting our efforts. You are my heroes!

 

Mr. Don is my hero. He heard me speak at an event at Epcot, The Magic of Healthy Living the Weekend, and did not just listen to what I had to say he took action. He connected Katie's Krops with a support system that has allowed Katie's Krops grow and grow. Thank you Mr. Don for not just listening but for stepping up to help. You are my hero.

 

My amazing friends are my heroes. I love them with all my heart. They grow with me, cook with me, laugh with me and make my dreams a reality. I have the very best friends a girl could ever dream of. The best part...their parents are right there, by their side, helping us plant, helping wash dishes at every Katie's Krops Dinner, and since we are all too young to drive they make sure that we have rides to every garden, every dinner and every soup kitchen. To all of my friends parents, you are my heroes.

 

Lastly there is my family. How do I describe how grateful I am to have such an amazing family! My parents always work so hard, going out to work in the garden at crazy hours of the morning. My family goes to every dinner, every garden work day and could not be more supportive. Without all the hard work my family puts in Katie's Krops wouldbe entirely different. Without their belief in my dream, Katie's Krops would not be here today.

 

There are so many more people who are my heroes. They are the people who believed in a little girl with a big dream and never said, 'she is too young' or 'she wants to do what?'. These people said 'how can we help' and did. You are all my heroes and I hope you all you all know how much I appreciate your support and your help. These are the people who are My Great American Heroes!

 

Go to www.katieskrops.com

to see how you can help or start a Katie's Krops in your area.

White Corn Taco Shells

My daughter sent me this photo of her new favorite Taco Shells...

she says they are the best ever.

 

 

Fire Prevention Week Oct 7 -13, 2012

Fire Prevention Tips

A small fire can grow into a deadly one within one or two minutes. To help prevent a tragedy, closely inspect your home to eliminate potential hazards. Prepare your home for an emergency, and teach your family about the dangers of fire and how to escape.

 

When I was a young girl we were moving into a two story house. They were hooking up the gas cook stove and some how there was a swish of gas, that went to the gas hot water heater, and boom the house was on fire. It burned to the ground in a very short period of time.

 

We woke up the next morning, in our Uncle's school bus converted into a camper, with only the clothes on our backs. We did not have a brush to fix our hair, toothpaste or toothbrush, or anything else. That is a feeling I will never forget as long as I live. We had lost everything.

 

When  it comes to fire prevention, I am so thrilled that our local fire department goes to the schools and teaches fire safety. They give some great tips and these are a few samples:

Put a smoke alarm on every level of your home, outside each sleeping area, and in every bedroom.

 

Smoke alarms can be battery-operated or electrically hardwired in your home and are available at a variety of price points.

 

If you have hearing problems, use alarms with flashing strobe lights and vibration.

Test smoke alarms every month. Replace batteries once a year, even if alarms are hardwired.

Test your smoke alarms at night to see if your child will wake up and respond to the alarm. Children sleep more deeply and may not wake up. If your child does not wake up to the alarm, try an alarm where you can program your voice to alert him or her.

Mount smoke alarms high on walls or ceilings since smoke rises. Ceiling-mounted alarms should be installed at least 4 inches away from the nearest wall. Wall-mounted alarms should be installed 4 to 12 inches away from the ceiling.

Replace all smoke alarms every 10 years.

Consider installing both ionization alarms, which are better at sensing flaming fires, and photoelectric alarms, which are better at sensing slow, smoky fires, or dual sensor alarms.

Consider installing a home sprinkler system.

Plan and practice several escape routes and a safe place to meet outside.

Plan and practice two escape routes out of each room of the house. It is important to have an alternate escape route in case one is blocked by fire.

Have a designated person to help young children and others who might have difficulty escaping.

Fire drills should be practiced at least twice a year. Home fires and home fire-related deaths are more likely to occur during cold-weather months, December through February.

Practice your escape plan at night to see if your child awakes to the smoke alarms.

Designate an outside meeting place, so all members of the family can be accounted for quickly. Once you are outside, call the fire department or 911 from a cell phone or neighbor’s phone.

Halloween Foam Craft Card

Make this Halloween Foam Craft Card with your children. You can make the shape of a pumpkin like I did on this card or you could use black paper and white foam and make a ghost card. Any shape that is simple would be fun to make.

 

Piece of construction paper or card stock

Orange and Green Foam Sheets

Sharpies or crayolas

Hole Punch

Glue

 

First I cut my folded paper to fit in a envelope.

Then I drew a outline of the pumpkin

and colored in the eyes and mouth.

Next, I punched and punched and punched out the foam sheet dots.

Starting with little sections I applied the glue stick

 and put the foam dots on the pumpkin.

5" X 7" finished card.

You can write a personalized Halloween message inside!

 

Friday Foto

GREAT GRANDSON

Wine & Paint Parties Guthrie, Oklahoma

 

I watched Discover Oklahoma and they were featuring The Tipsy Artist in Guthrie, Oklahoma. Wow what a neat idea! My mother has been an oil painting instructor for many years, and I told my husband it was a good thing she did think of this idea...Mom's art studio is out in the country and would certainly require drivers to take the artists home. LOL....BUT, in Guthrie you can attend The Tipsy Artist lessons, and bring your own wine, then just go upstairs and stay at the bed and breakfast or they hook up up with a driver to take you to one of the other places to stay. This sounds like more fun than anything I have seen in a long time! Guthrie, Oklahoma is a neat town with lots of neat places to see.

Meet The Tipsy Artist!Create a Canvas of Celebration!
Birthdays! Bridal Showers! Bachelorette Parties! Baby Showers! Mother Daughter Teas! Custom Events! Let our special events team host your one-of-a-kind party, artist adventure or girlfriend getaway to ignite memories for a lifetime. Let us be your opening event, main event or post party celebration!
We'll do all the work so that you can relax and succeed with very own Tipsy Artist!
Tipsy Artist will provide the following: -Tiffany Bohrer, The Tipsy Artist as your Art Instructor.
-All art supplies: 16x20 Canvas. Brushes. Paint. Even the Aprons!
-Additional packages are available offering decorations, catering, wine tasting, live music, live models, personal chef and so much more!
Hosting locations include the stunning historical banquet hall of Granny Had One or The Galleria Grazioso with every paint & party amenity.
Private Parties start at $35 per person. Please call 405.822.0481 for more details.

Artist, Tiffany Michelle Bohrer has always held a passion for creating art. Like many artists, Tiffany’s creative journey began as a young child. Her first award winning art show was on the shores of Huntington Beach, California, at the age of four when she won “Most Original Design” for her sand building that incorporated seaweed into sculpture. Tiffany’s parents believed in her at a very early age and enrolled her into art classes with oil painting. Her talents were further cultivated at Texas Tech University when she received her Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Art with a Major in Studio Art & Painting and Double Minor in Drawing and Marketing. 

As an adult, Tiffany focused her artistic attention on creating her own original gift line of hand tooled metal spiritual pieces & modern motivational collage that have been shown across the country in hundreds of galleries, juried art shows and boutiques. A Celebrity Client list includes Bass Pro Shops Founder John L. Morris, Northern Exposure's Janeen Turner, MTV’s Todd Oldham and Dallas Cowboy's Troy Williams. Tiffany has also been seen on MTV Cribs & PBS/OETA "Utopia Joe" TV show as a Co-Star & Producer with her husband Joe.

Tiffany's passion for art goes beyond production and into the realm of a unique mix of teaching culinary and fine arts. She hosted her first Wine and Painting Exhibit at the Oklahoma Creativity Launch in 2008 with a Large Scale Community Canvas shared by 1000 special guests including Governor Brad Henry, Gold Medalist Bart Connor and many other prominent Oklahomans. She currently leads as Executive Director of Gallery Grazioso while teaching hundreds of students locally with her Tipsy Artist classes along with other volunteer efforts for Brave Art Kids and K.I.P.P.

Bohrer's mission is to manifest success and healing through exciting creativity & visual encouragement. Creating as she calls it “A Canvas of Encouragement” Her artistic projects represent a diverse blend of fine art, assemblage, hand-painted furniture, shrines, photography, interior design, TV production, graphic art, children's books and more than 15 years of art instruction for all ages.

To learn more about Tiffany, please visit her Artist Website at www.TiffanyMichelleDesigns.com

Grillin' with Gaines

Get Your Grill On With Bobby Gaines

Grilled Corn on the Cob

Country Style Pork Ribs

Asparagus

Summer Squash

This is an awesome meal to prepare on the grill.

Mexican Pizza

Mexican Pizza

My daughter sent me these photos and her recipe for Mexican Pizza.

Ready made Boboli Original Italian Pizza Crust

Jar of Cheese Sauce Dip

Refried Beans

Sour Cream

Shredded Cheese - Mexican Blend

Salsa

Pre-cooked Breast Strops

Taco Seasoning

Her instructions are to eyeball the amounts needed for the pizza.

Pre-heat oven 405 degrees.

Spread cheese sauce dip on crust

Mix together

Refried Beans

Sour Cream

Shredded Cheese

Salsa

Spread on Pizza

Put Chicken in a pot with the taco seasoning

and a litte water to get the flavor into the chicken.

Put on Pizza

Top with a layer of Shredded Mexican Blend Cheese

Bake in 450 degree oven for approximately 10 minutes.

You know me I would have to add onions and peppers:)

 

October Craft Time!

 

October is here!!! It is October Craft Time!!!

I love Halloween crafts...they are generaly the easiest to make.

You can recycle and resuse so many things to make Halloween crafts.

Supplies you can think about for Halloween crafts:

Veggie or soup cans

Lids

Craft Foam or Felt

Pipe Cleaners

Terra Cotta Pots

Acrylic Paints

Sharpie Markers

Glitter

White trash bags to make ghosts to hang outside.

Be sure to check the thrift store for supplies...

re: stuff a pair of overalls and shirt with newspapers

add a plastic pumpkin and hat to make a scarecrow

to sit on the porch.

OH the possibilities are endless!

 

 

 

 

 

 

What kind of Halloween crafts do you make?

 

Eureka Springs Arkansas Round House

If you ever get a chance to visit Eureka Springs, Arkansas you will love all the sites and beautiful little town tucked away in the Ozarks. The roads leading to Eureka Springs are filled with lots of curves and breathtaking views. I would suggest you do a little research on all the awesome places to see in Eureka Springs and check out all the little shops to find the most unique items.

While the Round House represents its connection to the Ozarka Water Company to most people, it has a varied past, just as the community in which it resides. The Round House stands on land first claimed by timber entrepreneur William Evans. By 1884, this land was subdivided into building lots as the new city of Eureka Springs boomed. William and Mahala Evans and their partners, David and Precious Bays, sold the land in 1886 to the Interstate Gas Company, which in six months sold to the Eureka Springs Gas Light Company, one of General Powell Clayton's enterprises. Located across the street from the railroad station, they built a limestone and rock pilaster base to hold a round metal tank containing coal gas (methane) for lighting the streets and homes of the city.

This large circular structure first appears on the street maps about 1892, identified as a "Gas Holder". In 1904, an eighteen inch thick walled limestone structureforty four feet in diameter was built to replace the metal tank. It was then used as a warehouse for bottled spring water sold under the trade name "Ozarka".

After Ozarka ceased operations here the building was used for various purposes through the years, including apartments, an art gallery, a restaurant and a nightclub. It was vacant for a number of years and fell into disrepair. Finally, it was totally renovated with an additional story added in 2002.

Tomatillo Sauce

I have never cooked with tomatillos, but after watching Melissa d'Arabian on her Food Network show Ten Dollar Dinners, I need to check them out. I love roasted veggies and she roasted the tomatillos.

Tomatillos are also called "tomate verde" in Mexico (which means green tomato) and are considered a staple in Mexican cooking. Tomatillo is a member of the nightshade family, related to tomatoes.The fruit of the tomatillo is green and about the size of a large cherry tomato. The inside is white and meatier than a tomato. They grow to maturity inside of a husk. They can range in size from about an inch in diameter to the size of apricots. They are covered by a papery husk which may range from the pale green color of the fruit itself to a light grocery-bag brown. The husks are inedible and should be removed before use.

Melissa d'Arabian from the Food Network

Has a new cookbook...order on line at

http://www.foodnetworkstore.com/

Tomatillo Sauce from Melissa d'Arabian

Ingredients

• 1 pound tomatillos, husked and rinsed
• 3 cloves garlic, unpeeled
• 1 Anaheim chile, seeded, deveined
• 1 white onion, quartered
• 1/2 jalapeno chile, seeded, deveined
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, plus more for sprinkling
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for sprinkling
• Juice from 1/2 lime

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Place the tomatillos, garlic, Anaheim chile, onions and jalapeno on a baking sheet. Toss the vegetables with the oil, salt and pepper. Roast the vegetables until the tomatillos turn a dark-green color and the onions golden brown, about 30 minutes.

Let the vegetables cool slightly. Peel the garlic and transfer all the ingredients to a blender. Blend until smooth, about 1 minute. Add the lime juice and sprinkle with more salt and pepper.

The tomatillo sauce can be made 1 day ahead, covered and chilled.

If you have never watched Melissa, check your local listings and watch her show. She has some awesome money saving tips.

Friday Foto

GG's Day

Today is GG's birthday...GG is my sister and my great-nephew's Grandmother

My great-nephew calls my sister GG...Happy Birthday GG

Here is GG and her grandson picking cherry tomatoes.

He is really looking at that cherry tomato.

In the photo below he is having fun at the park.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GG

(She is a CLASSIC....1955 Model)