Simple Friday Night Fun

One bag of salad split between 2 large bowls, topped with leftover roast chicken, chopped mangoes (frozen/thawed work great!), chopped cucumbers, sliced avocado, bacon pieces, fresh raspberries or blueberries (just picked from my garden), and sprinkled with feta cheese, walnuts or almonds, and pepper.  A simple dressing of olive oil and red wine vinegar (1 to 1 ratio)  drizzled on top kept it heart healthy and made a lovely, refreshing, and filling Friday night dinner for my husband and I.

 We eat at the dining room table 5-6 nights a week, but when Friday night is also old musical movie night, we take it to the living room.  Living it up, simple style!  :)

The simple pleasures are the best ones.  Enjoy your weekend!  What old musicals do you love to watch year after year?

Take care,

Donna

Mini Frozen Meals

A morning of cooking ahead from items in my freezer, fridge, and pantry, allowed me to take some mini freezer meals to my aging parents this week!  A whole cooked chicken (marked down and cooked in the slow cooker the day I bought it) and some precooked ground beef made this a much faster task. Less than 2 hours including clean up.

First I got all of my ingredients out and ready to use.

Secondly I chose my music to cook by.  Being a child of the 70's usually makes me turn to my Pandora Carpenters Radio Station.  :)

A muffin tin and a mini loaf pan worked great for this project.  I lined the mini loaf pan with foil since I was unsure if the frozen pot pie would pop out well, but that wouldn't have been necessary.  I also sprayed the pans with cooking spray which was a help.

I made Lasagne Soup using this recipe without the ricotta cheese topping..it is SO GOOD!  I did add 1/3 cup of grated parmesan cheese to the soup at the end, and it was the crowning touch.  Easy, too.  And some instant Idahoan Baby Red mashed potatoes to which I added a large dollop of plain Greek yogurt and topped with grated cheese and bacon pieces.  I also made an easy Chicken Pot Pie (using a can of cream of chicken soup and 1.5 cups of cooked/cut up chicken) and put in the mini loaf pan.

I flash froze everything in my freezers (uncovered) and when solid, I was able to pop them out quite easily with the tip of a knife.  Into freezer bags they went, on which I had written the name of the dish and any instructions.  I baked crescent roll dough that I cut into rectangles, and packaged them in a separate bag before adding to the pot pie bag.

The crescent roll rectangles are ready to crisp in the toaster oven and add to the top of the heated pot pies.

I thought it would be handy for my mom to have some mashed potatoes cooked and ready to add to a meal.

Last but not least, I baked up a package of peanut butter cookie mix with added mini chocolate chips.  My Dad's eyes brightened when I carried these in the house.  He loves chocolate and peanut butter together.  :)

This technique would be easy to use to freeze some of your family leftovers, for individual meals for yourself, your family, or your favorite elderly folk.  Give it a try and let us know in the comments below!

Thanks for stopping by!

Blessings!

Donna

The 15 Minute Project Girl

Hello friends!  It is a quiet evening here, and we are waiting on a storm to arrive.  I love storms during the day, but at night they can be a bit scary for both man and beast.  Our little poodle/Italian greyhound mix dog is 13 and she gets scared when we even mention the word 'rain' or 'boom booms' (our silly talk for thunder.)  So I hope they come and go before bedtime or I will have a little friend in my bed tonight.  :)

This post is about a little trick I'm using to help me get big projects started and sometimes even finished.  A big project looms large to me...I'm really a quick project person.  I like to see results right away and not spend hours on one thing.  The trick I have learned is to spend 15 minutes at a time on something, unless I really want to spend more.

For instance, gardening.  I LOVE flowers.  All the color and cheer and the little bouquets to bring in and the butterflies and...you get the picture.  But by late July I am pretty much 'over' working on them in the humidity.  I hate to sweat.  That's a problem in the summer isn't it?  Ha!  But if I go outside and work on the garden and flower beds for just 15 minutes, I can get some things done and not get too hot. Tonight I tackled the spent Black Eyed Susans.  In 15 minutes I got them cut back and thrown away, plus pulled weeds in another small bed.  Ta Da!  Then I came inside without feeling like I needed a shower, plus knowing that I got another part of the yard back into shape.

My little friend Gracie kept me company.

Another big project on my summer list was to clean the tile grout in our bathroom.  Oh how I dreaded it.  But one day I mixed up the potion (see the recipe above) and gave it 15 minutes.  The success was unbelievable!  This recipe really works!  Leave it on for 5 minutes in each grout line before you scrub with a toothbrush and you'll be amazed at the difference as you can see in my photo above.  I worked on this project 3 different times for 15 minutes, and it was all done.  

I make handmade cards for my Perfect Darlings business (on Etsy and on Facebook HERE.)  Sometimes getting myself started on a new set of cards feels like a big job.  But if I take 15 minutes to choose a design (here I was using vintage book pages) and papers to coordinate, then lay it all out on my ironing board (such a fancy work space!) then I feel like the job is 1/3 done!  It's easy to come back later and get started with the fun part...creating!  PS..if you 'like' my Perfect Darlings Facebook page, you'll be eligible to enter a drawing for free product very soon!

In 15 minutes you can take a couple of photos of something you want to sell, list it on Facebook or Neighborhood Next Door, and wait for your sale.  This sweet girl sold in 24 hours.  

Redecorate your fireplace mantle for the season in 15 minutes.  Especially if you took a photo of how you did it last year at this time and can refer back to it for quick inspiration.  I have started a private Facebook photo album of my mantlescapes so I can quickly locate the pictures of previous designs and do them again.

Write a letter to your grandchild in 15 minutes.  We have 2 little grands going back to school this week, so it was a good occasion for sending them a real letter in the mail.  :)

And even start decluttering your home in 15 minutes.  This little pile came together on Sunday, and I plan to add to it before I take it all to the Evansville Rescue Mission Thrift Store for donating in a few days.  I purge our house 2-4 times a year, but can always find more 'stuff' that we don't need or use any more.

So there you have it!  Are you a 15 minute project girl too?  What kinds of things do you work on for 15 minutes at a time?  Organize a drawer?  Wipe down baseboards?  Read a magazine?  Dust the house?  Order photos online?  I am creating a Summer 2018 photo book online, just a few minutes at time so I don't go crazy.  Those things are so tedious.  :)

Thanks for stopping by!  I have more posts planned...come back soon!

Blessings,
Donna

Snapdragons of Many Colors

Long ago, I blogged about a form of miniature greenhouses made using milk jugs...you can read about that HERE.  I used that little trick again this winter to start seedlings!  A sprinkle of tiny  Snapdragon seeds in one of my outdoor milk jug greenhouses at the end of February, brought tons of little seedlings to transplant into my many flower beds by April/May.  

The fun has been seeing how MANY different colors of Snapdragons I have!  They are truly beautiful, vibrant, easy to grow, and will bloom til October.

Are you ready for a little visual tour of my Snapdragons of Many Colors.  Some of the photos were taken after a big rain, so you'll see a few tiny splatters of dirt.  Watch for the peach and yellow mixed ones...my favorite.  "Cue the music...."

Ahhhh, wasn't that refreshing?  They look so cool and vibrant in the heat of July.  So glad the rabbits haven't been interested in munching on these little beauties and that they will keep me company far into the fall.  

What's growing well in your garden this summer?

Thank you for stopping by!  

Blessings,

Donna

Puppy Puppet...Made in Minutes

Hello friends,

Good evening...I'm just sitting here in the living room relaxing with my husband, son, and puppy-girl, Gracie.  She's 13 years old, but still very puppy-like for the most part.  It's been a full day of housework, gardening, and alittle card making.  By 8:00pm, I try to just 'sit' and relax.

Earlier this Spring, our 3 year old grandson, Sawyer, was sick with a virus for several days.  I wanted to send him a Get Well card so he could get some fun mail.  But I really don't like to send cards without something fun in it...either a letter or a small gift.

I remembered a paper puppet tutorial I had 'pinned' on Pinterest long ago, and gathered up the supplies to put one together to slip in his card, quickly before the mail lady came.

I found my tutorial at familyfun.com but since that website isn't working tonight, I'll post the tutorial from another website at the end of my post.

You just need 1-2 pieces of paper, some glue, and a marker.  I also punched some 1/2" white  paper eyes and used a hole punch with black paper for the pupils.  Here's how Sawyer's Puppy Puppet turned out.

This little puppet can also be a frog with a change up in eyes (and no ears) as you'll see in the tutorial.  It's easy to whip up a few to have on hand, for sending a little gift across the miles to a favorite child.  These would also be fun to make with your grandchildren, kids you babysit, or your own kiddos.

Click here for the tutorial LINK.

Thank you for stopping by!  Here's hoping for a good night's sleep after last night's fiasco...Gracie is afraid of storms, and woke me up many times last night because of that.  :)

Good night from Gracie and I in Southern Indiana,

Donna

Tip Toe-ing Back Into My Blog...

Hello Friends!

I've been gone from my blog for 2 years.  I've been teaching preschool, and that took most of my time and creative energy.  :)  It was fun, rewarding, and exhausting.  I love children.  But since I've decided to just substitute teach at preschool next year, I'm having fun getting back into the creative pursuits I enjoyed before.

I have no idea if anyone will still see this and read it...if you do, I would soooo appreciate a tiny comment of "I'm here!" or something like that.  :)

The pursuit I am enjoying most right now, is that I've re-opened my Etsy shop, Perfect Darlings.  Instead of foraying back into the world of sewing travel organizers, I am creating with my first love...pretty papers and old books.  Here are a few photos of the cards I've been making:

There are more, involving darling old books, but I'll save them for another time.

In other news, we have 5 GrandDarlings now with a 6th on the way!  Isn't our little 6 month old Emmett just darling?!

He will have a sweet little boy cousin joining the family in July.  Such adventures they will have!

Thank you for stopping by!  I'll be back with flowers, crafts, recipes, cards, and life.

Summer Blessings,

Donna 

Current Favorite Lunch + Happy Sunflowers = July 2016

Howdy Ho, good neighbor!  With fresh produce from the garden available daily plus my  new low sugar/low carb eating plan, I am craving this fresh salad this summer.  I can eat it 3 days in a row, and still be excited about it.  Good crunch, zesty dressing, and tangy tuna.

I used to mix these ingredients together in a big bowl for my lunch, but the visual lost it's appeal halfway through eating it.  Ha ha!  So now I make a little Cobb Salad type of arrangement, and it looks and tastes great til the very end.  Pick 3-4 of your favorite raw veggies and cut them up into cubes.  I personally love radishes, cucumbers, and tomatoes.  Make a little pile of each on your plate.  I also love cold, white beans for this salad.  Rinse them out of the can, and use about 1/3 of the can for this plate.  Next, add a tasty pile of tuna (in water) for a yummy protein.  And last but not least....

I like to drizzle on my favorite homemade salad dressing.  I make this Italian dressing in a pint jar, and just stir and spoon it on to salads, cucumbers, or this favorite salad.  Tastes so incredibly much better than store bought dressing.  And it's simple, preservative free, and made with items from your pantry.  This salad is especially nice because you can customize it to your liking.  Use cooked chicken in place of the tuna.  Add feta cheese for a tangy twist.  Forget the beans and use cooked quinoa if you like.  The possibilities are endless.

Joanne Littlefield...if you somehow see this photo of your Italian dressing recipe, just know that I've been making it ever since you taught it to us in your cooking classes in the 1990s.  Delish!

We had some torrential rains today.  In fact we've had ALOT of them this summer in southern Indiana.  But even a rainy day view out our dining room door is a happy view thanks to this ONE Sunflower plant that is monsterously huge and full of sweet flowers.  The Goldfinches are a big fan...they are picking the seeds out of the flowers one by one.  :)

Thank you for stopping by!  Sleep Tight!

Blessings,
Donna