Welcome Back

Oh how I have missed you and have been awaiting your arrival. I have watched you grow through the winter and today, you showed your face.

I planted six Dutch Iris about 15 years ago at our old house and when we moved I dug up a few of the bulbs, They have since multiplied and I divided them again last year and they are all over. I love them. They are reminders of our wonderful days in our old yard where my two oldest played so much. 

Put the cutest darn chocolate eggs in my old Ball jar. Aren't they adorable? Love the colors of the season. Light and bright.

Linking to:
Seasonal Sundays
Funky Junk Interiors
Sunday Favorites
Sunday Showcase
Masterpiece Monday
Lamb Around
Blue Monday
This Blessed Nest
Fishtail Cottage

Lunch With Old Friends

                                                                                                                  

Tomorrow we will be spending the day with old friends we have not seen in a year. Their daughter is in a soccer tournament right around the corner from us and we were going to picnic and visit and watch soccer but alas it is supposed to rain. Since we are so close, I am hosting the lunch here so everyone can get out of the rain. Potato salad is made. Deli meats will be picked up early tomorrow and I am making my chili egg casserole as I think it would be nice to have something hot on a chilly day. I will share the recipe soon as it is perfect for Easter Brunch. Have a wonderful weekend everyone and let us all be thankful for old friends.

Where?

There is abundance in my life. My flowers are bursting forth and just look at my alyssum.

The sweetest little flowers don't you think?

But there is another type of abundance in my house and that is furniture. You remember the couch my MIL gave me. Well, the furniture in that room had to be moved and there was not space but in my bedroom. I actually like the chair in here though a bit dark but it makes a cozy spot.

But this sofa table. It has been in five places in my house and this was the only spot we could fit it. I know it looks stupid to have a sofa table at the end of your bed. It will probably become a laundry catcher.

Hate to get rid of it. It was hubby's grandmother's and I keep thinking it would look great painted. The kids have to move out someday freeing up space or taking some of this abundance.

Frugal Challenge Update - Cherry Picking

With rising food prices I am doubling my efforts to shop wisely buying items at their lowest prices. Today I had great fun. Two hours and three stores. I hit Target, Ralphs and CVS. I spent about an hour listing the deals I wanted and clipping the coupons. To conserve fuel I shopped in a circle and all the stores are only a few miles from where I live. 

And before you think we only eat junk food and drink too much soda, I am stocking up on things for this weekend as we have some friends and lots of teenagers coming to the house. 

I will have to pick up some produce but we have a great local produce market that has the freshest fruits and veggies at the lowest prices around. I can come home with 4 bags full of produce and fresh baked breads for around $10-$12. Can't beat that.

I am at a point in my stockpiling that I can cherry pick the deals and wait to buy other items when they go on sale again. This isn't always the case but for the most part it works this way.

Among the items I bought were two bags of dog food, baby diapers and wipes, shampoo, hair gel and Olay face wash and body wash. Tylenol, decongestant, meat and two containers of ice cream were also bought.

I squirrel away the snacks so the kids do not eat it all at once. I buy for upcoming holidays when I can get it cheap or free. The three bags of M&Ms will go in Easter baskets. All told I spent $69.27 for 65 items. At Target the checker was a young sweetie who was so surprised at my savings. I saved 26 dollars with coupons. I told her she could do it easily already working there. She was a doll.

We rarely eat dinner out and I cook most meals from scratch as it is the most economical way. I have a small garden too that gives us some fresh veggies in the summer.

Linking to:

Boost My Blog Friday

Trendy Treehouse

Hodgepodge Friday

Life as Mom  Time Warp Wife

Home and Family Friday

TidyMom  Keeping it Simple

Lit and Laundry

Homemaker Mondays

Best Ever Cole Slaw

This recipe was my mothers. We call it "Best Ever" cole slaw because my brother in law used to say it was the best ever. Make it hours before you want to serve it so the flavors co-mingle.

Best Ever Cole Slaw
One head green cabbage finely chopped (If the head of cabbage is huge you may want to add a little more of the dressing)
2 carrots grated (I use a box grater)
1 tsp. grated onion
1/2 c. Mayo
1/3 c. Sour Cream (I use lowfat)
1 tbl. apple cider vinegar
1 tsp sugar
salt and pepper to taste
Mix all together thoroughly and refrigerate until ready to serve at least a couple of hours, but longer is better. We like it creamy but you could cut a little of the mayo and sour cream to your liking.

Linking to:
Show and Tell Friday
The Brambleberry Cottage
The Charm of Home
The Girl Creative
Tidy Mom  Funky Junk Interiors
Food Friday
The Saturday Evening Pot

St. Patty's Green

Happy St. Patty's to everyone. A bit o' green on this day when we are all Irish.

A wreath that hangs on our front porch.

My mossy patio.

A favorite estate sale find.

Thinking of all the souls that have rested on this chair.

A fern in our backyard.

New spring growth.

Have a great day everyone!!

Linking to:
Vintage Thingie Thursday
The Shabby Chic Cottage
Somewhat Simple
Common Ground

Hum of Life

Today was a good day. Daughter #3 speedily on the mend and a lunch date with my two oldest daughters.

My house is full of lovely music thanks to many years of piano lessons. It is the hum of our lives.

Before lunch I snuck out for the first pedi of the year. Aah....

Sorry I have Barney Rubble feet.

Sums it up right here.

Order in the Kitchen

I have one of those minds that drowns in chaos and thrives in order. Now, I am not an organized person by nature and I have to work at it everyday to keep things in order. I love to open my cupboards and see exactly what I need right where it should be. That isn't easy with kids in the house. My simple old cupboards are a timewarp. So many of the items I own are from my mother and hubby's grandmother. She was the original owner of this house and every cupboard is lined exactly in heavy vinyl. Makes it so easy to keep clean. Why would I ever get rid of them. I can just see her taking exact measurements and cutting these all out with precision.

I have really purged the items in my drawers as I don't have a lot of them. People in the 50's just did not have all the gadgets we have now.

I always had spice bottles all over in my cupboard so I decided to contain them in labeled little baskets from the dollar store. It has worked wonderfully.

Let me know of any good secrets to organizing your kitchen. I am always looking for good ideas to make life easier.

Linking to:

The Thrifty Home

Time Warp Wife  All Things Inspired

Raising Homemakers

Elements Interiors  Pink Saturday

Don't Waste Your Homemaking

The Stories of A2Z

Alphabe Thursday  Funky Junk Interiors

Organize and Decorate Everything

Show and Tell Friday

5 Minutes Just for Me

A New Light for a Dark Corner

My family knowing my addiction to a certain store, gave me three gift certificates to enjoy. So you know I have been shopping. I have been looking for a little lamp to help light up the corner of my kitchen where I put my toy kitchen stove. I just fell in love with the little heart shape. So cute for the kitchen.

It adds just the right amount of light for what was a dark little corner.

Illuminates my new little hen.

Linking to:

Coastal Charm

Tabletop Tuesday

Toot Your Horn Tuesday

Faded Charm

Savvy Southern Style

PEACE

With all the distractions the last week, I have yet to load the editing software for my new camera. If you see fingers, toys and the like in the background of my shots then there you are. Real life. I am finding beauty and peace. A respite from all the news on T.V. Feeling thankful for my simple life. It is all so fleeting. In one moment it can be gone. Thank you to all my blogging friends for such kinds words and the beauty you bring to my world. We are lucky!

Linking to:

Tuesdays Treasures

Coastal Charm  Tootsie Time

A Return to Loveliness

An Oregon Cottage

The Trendy Treehouse

Thankful Thursday

Fishtail Cottage

Chicken Soup for the Weary

I have another child down in the house. This time with strep throat. We have never had that in the house before.
After a visit to the doctor this morning and a smoothie from McDonald's for the patient, a big old coffee for mom and her prescription, I came home to make a pot of chicken soup for my baby.
I always have the fixins for chicken noodle soup as I always save the carcasses from our roast chickens in the freezer. All you have to do is pop the frozen carcass in boiling water and let simmer for about an hour. I then let it cool a bit and pick it clean. Add the rest of the ingredients, which are staples and you have homemade chicken soup. One meal of roast chicken and another of chicken noodle soup. Now that's how you stretch a chicken. To me it just isn't the same unless you've boiled some chicken bones in there.
Please oh please spring come and swipe away the illnesses. Minor I know compared to what others are suffering with but who wants to see their kiddos sick. Let's hope we don't get it!
**Update: Someone asked what I put in my chicken soup. If I have cans of broth I use some of those and water with some chicken bullion if needed. Sea salt and pepper with parsley is our favorite. Of course diced onion, celery and carrots. Occasionally I will use dill as I love it that way but the kids aren't fans.

Easy Notsagna

I believe this is a Rachel Ray recipe but I don't remember exactly where I saw this though I have been making it for years. My family loves lasagna but it is a lot of work. When I saw this recipe I knew it was for me. All the flavors of lasagna but much easier to make. I rarely measure anything in cooking except for baking so I will do my best to give you a thorough recipe.

 Ingredients:
One package of Italian Sausage (I like ground)
One can or jar of Spaghetti sauce (I use my own homemade but have used pre made many times)
3/4 of a bag of noodles or about 12 oz. uncooked
2 c. grated Mozzarella cheese
1/2 c. Parmesan
16 oz Ricotta or cottage cheese
1 tsp. Italian herbs (Fresh herbs are nice if you have them)
1 egg

While boiling the noodles I cook the sausage until done and crumbled. In a separate bowl mix the cottage or ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, egg and herbs.

 Once noodles are done, drain and dump right back in the pot. Add the sausage and cheese mixture and stir well. Pour into a 13x9 pan and  top with shredded Mozarella cheese and bake for about 25 minutes in a 350 degree oven or until cheese is lightly brown and bubbly. Easy as that.

Sorry bad picture here. I had to snap quick as the family was pouncing.

Linking to:
Homestead Revival                                       


The Saved Quarter
Today's Creative Blog
Coastal Charm
Dishing It Up Recipe Hop

Tinkering

I just love to move things around. It's a sickness. Just puttering on this quiet Sunday morning before the kiddos are all up and chaos breaks out.

I moved my little lady bugs into my dry sink where I think they look great with my new red lamp I snagged with one of my giftcards.

Ladybugs seem to be popular this year. I love the little red things.

Okay I give. Blogger is making me insane. It keeps cutting half of my picture out. I give up and am going to work in the garden.

Linking to:

Seasonal Sundays  Making the World Cuter

Boogie Board Cottage

Not Baad Blog Hop

Met Monday

Mosaic Monday

K.I.S.S.  The House in the Roses

Rednesday