In the Storm

Oatland Island

I finished a page in the Boy Scout book using this same template and thought it would make a great page for the boys' and I trip out to Oatland Island on Thursday. It was one of those summer plans on my list. Jeff and the boys do so much together with boy scouts that these times with the boys, just them and me have been wonderful. We had a great morning. I surprised them first off. I pulled in slow so they could read the sign. John exclaimed, "I love this place!" While the heat was unbearable, we'd come with ice water and we all took care of each other. The boys were very caring. We plugged on and got finished in time for a picnic lunch that we had packed.  

Thursday finished off with a 1200 meter swim and dinner at Jalapeno's!

Zucchini Mozzarella

This was fabulous! Lots and lots of vegetables. 3 zucchini, a green pepper and an onion. We enjoyed the flavors and the just right vegis.

Zucchini Mozzarella

1 lb. Jimmy Dean hot sausage (roll)

3 zucchini, sliced in rounds

1 green pepper, sliced and halved

1 Vidalia onion, sliced half

4 garlic cloves, chopped

1 can Garlic and Onion Delmonte spaghetti sauce

1 Tbsp. Italian seasoning mix

4 C. Italian cheese blend, or mozzarella, or mozzarella and parmesan (whatever floats your boat)

Brown the sausage in a large skillet. Drain, and remove from pan. Saute the zucchini, peppers, onions and garlic in the same pan for 2 minutes. Add the seasoning and one last stir.

In a 9x13 glass dish, coat the bottom of the dish with some of the spaghetti sauce, sprinkle half the sausage evenly over the sauce. Layer half the vegetables over the sausage. Cover with 2 cups of cheese. Repeat all layers finishing with the remaining two cups of cheese. Bake in 350 oven for 25 minutes.

Pleae enjoy!

Christmas List in July

It is fast coming. You know. Christmas. I want to give everyone a chance to see my list for Christmas. It's all about options and so they can check the list twice and they're gonna find out I've been mostly nice. But I know that occasionally I can be naughty. But please don't hold that against me.

1. Anything from this post.

2.  

I'd love a Cricut Expressions. Please don't be fooled by the price here. Come Christmas, baby, these can be found at half price. http://store.scrapbook.com/nm-29-0300.html?t12-13=cricut

3.

I love the idea of a pitcher. Although this probably will be used as a planter for a flower arrangement in my living room or on my dining room table.http://www.potterybarn.com/products/great-white-pitcher/?pkey=cpitchers-decanters

4.

Aren't these fun! I love adding things like this to my list. http://www.potterybarn.com/products/glass-drink-dispenser/?pkey=cpitchers-decanters

5.

Just in case I don't get around to make a chip and dip set with pottery. http://www.potterybarn.com/products/mezze-chip-dip-condiment-tray/?pkey=cserve-bowls

6.

I love this! I know - it's weird. But I serve a dessert (or something) every Sunday evening for small group and this would be so much fun to use. http://www.potterybarn.com/products/founders-pedestal/?pkey=cplatters

7.

I really love this. Love the color. Love the style. Love the size. It reminds me of those way cool bags that Stacia always carries (which I loved). http://www.etsy.com/listing/51486729/new-kylie-in-orange-messenger-style?ref=cat2_gallery_5

8.

This is really for my camera. My camera deserves a lovely bag like this. Especially if I'm just out and about. I think my camera would feel really sad if it didn't get a Christmas present. http://www.etsy.com/listing/51917115/custom-digital-slr-hobo-camera?ref=sr_gallery_32&ga_search_query=camera+bags&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_page=2&order=&includes[]=tags&includes[]=title

 

9.

Yummy necklace. http://www.etsy.com/listing/51682917/coconut-heishe-and-pearl-necklace-with?ref=sr_gallery_18&ga_search_query=aqua&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_page=14&order=&includes[]=tags&includes[]=title

and the matching earrings too!

 

10. I would also like to take The Photographers Workshop with Karen Russell. It is her online photography class.

 

See, that wasn't so painful. Happy shopping. I know I will be. Happy that is. 

10 Things

1. Zucchini Mozzerella for dinner tonight with Ceasar Salad - yum

2. We have a meeting tonight with our financial advisor - yuk

3. I've finished 18 pages on the digital book I am making for Georgia Boys' boys scout troop and their summer camp - yeh

4. School begins again in less than a week - yuk

5. The boys and I are going to Oatland Island tomorrow and have a picnic - yeh

6. I'm sure we'll go to Jalapeno's for dinner too - yum

7. I'm hoping we'll swim too - yeh

8. I need to put clothes away - yuk

9. I'm gonna go do my Bible study right now - yeh

10. I am so ready for fall - yeh

Teriyaki Sesame Stir fry

 

This was amazing. Perfect amount of spaghetti noodles. I'll stir fry slightly less time following the recipe instead. The combination of flavors was awesome. We definitely ate our vegi's with this recipe. 

Teriyaki Sesame Stir fry

4 4-6oz boneless skinless chicken breasts, visible fat removed
about 2 cups or 4 servings of spaghetti pasta
1/3 cup + 1 tbsp Teriyaki Sauce
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 medium (about1 1/2 cup) thinly sliced zucchini, halved
1/2 cup shredded carrot (about 2 carrots)
1 1/2 cup thinly sliced baby mushrooms (about 10-12)
1 1/2 cup Vidalia onion, sliced thin, halved (1 large)
1 1/2 cup broccoli heads (2 heads)
1/2 cup chopped green onion (2 large head green onions)
1 tsp ground ginger
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 T. toasted sesame seeds

2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1 tbsp sesame oil or extra virgin olive oil
Olive oil cooking spray

Directions:
Prep all ingredients first (including pasta): Chop all vegetables, cook and drain pasta, and place chicken breasts in plastic bag and pour 1/3 cup teriyaki sauce over chicken breasts. Refrigerate for at least an hour. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a 9x13 baking dish with tin foil (bottom and sides) for easy clean up. Place chicken breasts in pan and pour marinade overtop. Bake chicken for 25 minutes, flipping at halfway mark. Remove and slice into thin strips. Set aside.

Drizzle olive oil in a stir fry pan (I used my big cast iron) with olive oil and add in crushed red pepper and garlic over medium heat. Add vegetables and stir fry. After a minute, add sesame oil and 1 tbsp soy sauce and mix until vegetables are coated evenly. Stir fry until vegetables just begin to soften.

Add pasta and chicken to stir fry pan and mix. Add remaining soy sauce, 1 tbsp teriyaki sauce, and ginger and mix well. Stir fry for 2-3 minutes.

Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds and toss briefly. Remove from heat and serve immediately.

Spicy Sausage and Cabbage

 
Very yummy and now in my go to file. The potatoes got a little mushy so next time I won't bake them as long. I'll probably put the hot sauce and vinegar on the table and let everyone serve themselves (especially since the sausage is spicy hot). Otherwise, yummy and keeper-worthy to make again.

Spicy Sausage and Cabbage

¼ C. butter

3 russet potatoes, baked almost done and sliced

1 large Vidalia onion, halved and halved again

2 pkgs. Spicy smoked sausage, sliced

1 head of cabbage, sliced (shredded) thin

Salt to taste

Pepper to taste

4 dashes hot sauce

2 tsp. white vinegar

In a large cast iron skillet, melt butter in the pan. Add the potatoes to brown and the onions. Salt and pepper to taste. Add the sausage to brown. Place all the shredded cabbage on top of the onion, potatoes, and sausage. Stir regularly to combine. The cabbage will begin to cook down. Don’t allow the ingredients to stick. Add the hot sauce and vinegar. Stir to combine. Serve.

13

John and Jarrod are 13 today. Teens. Yikes! But they are so much fun. And a struggle too! We are going today to pick up their birthday present. All we've told them is that they're in the shop getting fitted. What they are going to find when we pull up to Wild Cat Archery are compound bows and arrows. They will get to shoot today at the range also. Bass Pro missed out on an amazing sale because no one came to help us that night. So Jeff went to Wild Cat and picked out some awesome bows. I'm excited for them. I know they're going to love them.

Sliders

 
This is the first of several new recipes I have made this past week. I have several more to make this week coming up. If you like Krystal's, or White Castle, you'll love these - only more! My family scarfed up 20 of these in no time. I served them with corn-on-the-cob smothered in butter. Needless to say this was not a 'healthy' meal.

 

Sliders

 

½ C. minced onion flakes

2.25lb ground chuck (80/20 lean)

20 good dinner rolls

Montreal Steak seasoning (or other favorite

7 slices American cheese (we’re gonna’ try chipotle cheddar next time)

20 dill pickle slices

Mustard to serve

 

Evenly sprinkle the minced onion flakes on the bottom of a 9x13 pan. Gently press the ground chuck on top of the onion into one big patty. Sprinkle with seasoning and bake in a 400 degree oven for 20-25 minutes. Using a turkey baste (one of those suction thingies), suction all the grease from the pan and pat the top with a paper towel. Layer the cheese evenly over meat and put back in the oven until just melted.

 

Remove from oven and let rest 5 minutes. Cut into 20 squares (rectangles). Slice open and separate the dinner rolls. Put pickle slices on one half of roll. Using a spatula lift each patty out and fill each roll.

 

To eat, serve with mustard. True sliders should only be eaten with mustard. You knew that, right? No one but no one puts ketchup on sliders. Ok, except 2 Georgia boys.

 

These were fantastic!! There are 4 people in my family, 3 boys (2 Georgia boys and 1 Hoosier Man) and me. I ate 2 sliders. You do the math!

Daily Rounds

These are but 10 of my daily rounds of sites I visit (if I'm on the computer). Thought I'd share them and spread the yummm!

1. I have enjoyed Ali Edwards for years. Her creativity is amazing. She is cutting-edge and inspiring.

2. Karen Russell. Amazing photographer. She is that closet kind of funny too. And loves her family immensely. I would love to attend (online) her photography class.

3. The Pioneer Woman is my all-time favorite site. She makes me laugh. And we’re so alike. She has four kids. I have four kids. Her hubby is Marlboro Man, mine is Hoosier Man. She loves to cook. I love to cook. She lives on a ranch. I love in Savannah. She's skinny, I'm not. She's famous, I'm not-so-famous. Ok – so we’re not that alike. But still there is a bond. Ok – so she has know idea who I am. But I have made her recipes. That should count for something.

4. For the Love of Cooking is probably my favorite recipe site.

5. I’m not sure why because she is not my style at all, but Elsie Flannigan's - A Beautiful Mess  is inspiring. Or, maybe I’m just a closet beautiful mess.

6. I have only recently started visiting Donna Downey's site. But her creativity wows me. Again, very not- my-style, but inspiring nonetheless.

7. Another good recipe site. Deep South Dish is from Biloxi (where my daughter is at right now) and she usually cooks up good southern food.

8. Another site I’ve recently been following is Cathy Zielske . I’ve always liked Cathy’s simple style. Love her digital style too. I even have both her books (have had them for years).

9. While technically it is under Pioneer Woman's main site it screams it's own. Tasty Kitchen is the brainchild of Pioneer Woman and an abundance of good recipes with lots of variety. In fact the majority of my recipes for this week came from this site.

10. Katie's site is not your typical scrapbooking site. For some reason though I come back again and again. She brings easy ideas and inspiration. It's because of her that I bought my yummy alphebet plates from Target that I use in a bunch of my food photos. That should be a good enough reason.

Of course there are more, more, more but from even these you can see a pattern food and scrap (ooh, that would be a great blog name).  

10 finds, wants, loves...

The internet is a wild place. At your finger tips are many lovelilies. Here are 10 finds today, or wants, or loves.

   

This Lovely is orange - yes! But, oh, so yummy! I love the shape and color. I'm really in to this.

Au Gratin Dishes. Actually, I've always called them Cavitini dishes because my mom used to make cavitini for my birthday dinners. I really want these. I want to make cavitini for my boys and I can't make cavitini without cavitini dishes.

 

My living room is calling for this planter. It is rugged, and the colors are fabulous.

 

 

Oh my. Food would look lovely on this. Well, at least, for those pictures of food - especially desserts. It is whimsical, bright, beautifully painted. Love it.

 

 

Another living room find. This Family Rules sign would fit nicely on my entry way wall. The little shop will change up rules for you too!

 

My food would taste better if I was wearing this lovely - I just know it would.

I could write many thanks in this journal. I see a pattern of colors in my selections today.

I have been coveting these babies for years. The've varied in colors - but I love the old-fashioned, retro, 60's style of these suitcases - and what about the color! Oh, my!

 

 

This will be in my hands before the summer is out. It is one of those summer plans that I really want to do with the boys. Can't wait. 

 

 

Check those wall decals from Pottery Barn. What a fun calendar - so much more fun then a phone app - come on. My hall way wall is calling for them; of course I'd have to paint the wall first.

 

Enjoy the journey!