MERRY CHRISTMAS ETSYKIDS TREASURY

I hope everyone had a very merry Christmas. Here are a few one my favorite Christmas creations by EtsyKids designers.

Christmas Iron-On Shirt Transfer

by

Tea Party Designs

Christmas Bibs

by

Happy Babee and Beeyond

Red Baby Booties

by

The Desig Nest

Christmas Patchwork Blanket

by

Sweetie Bugs

Check out my other EtsyKids Christmas selections in my treasury, MERRY CHRISTMAS 2013.

ARTWORK TREASURY FOR BOY'S ROOM by Snazzy Snugglies

Enjoy the vibrant colors of the art work treasury, Beautiful Art for Boys, by Snazzy Snugglies which features 16 Etsykids designers.

by

nJoyArt

by

BabyChicksDesigns

by

Mia4Art

9-11 ANNIVERSARY

Americans will never forget that tragic day when terrorists destroyed the twin towers and part of the Pentagon. Needless to say, their cowardly actions caused much heartache. 

FOOTBALL SEASON IS HERE - 100 TAILGATE RECIPES

•  Hot Sausage Dip
• Whether you're at the game or cheering from home, kick off your tailgating party with our first-string collection of snacks, spreads, and dips. For starters, scoop up this hearty sausage dip and keep it warm at the tailgate party in an insulated casserole dish carrier.
• INGREDIENTS
• 1 pound ground hot pork sausage
• 1 (10-ounce) can diced tomato and green chiles
• 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
• Corn chips
• DIRECTIONS
• 1. Cook sausage in a large skillet, stirring until meat crumbles and is no longer pink; drain well.
  2.  Drain diced tomato and green chiles, reserving 1/4 cup liquid.
  3.  Stir together sausage, diced tomato and green chiles, reserved liquid, and cream cheese. Spoon into a lightly greased 1-quart baking dish; sprinkle with Cheddar cheese. Bake at 350° for 20 to 25 minutes or until bubbly. Serve with corn chips.

DUAL PURPOSE FOR STRAWBERRIES

Today, I'm starting back on my blog.  I recently had a double mastectomy and am on my way back to normal day-to-day living.  I do have one remaining surgery to finish the reconstruction. I was delighted to hear one of my favorite fruits also helps to whiten one's teeth. Dual functions - nourishment and dental hygiene rolled into one! 

According to Redbook:

They may be bright red, but malic acid, a chief component of this summery fruit, acts as a natural astringent to remove surface tooth discoloration, says Dr. Irwin Smigel, president of the American Society for Dental Aesthetics. Fresh, juicy strawberries taste great in any meal—salads, desserts, cereal—and are widely available at farmers markets this time of year, so getting your daily dose is both simple and delicious.

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY

I looked for a Mother's Day graphic before we went to church and decided to use the cover of our church bulletin!  Happy Mother's Day, Mom.  Wish you were here for a hug!

PRODUCTIVE WEEKEND WORKING IN SOME OF THE BACKYARD FLOWER BEDS

 Texas Flower Bed

 Purple Fox Glove and Irises In Tree Ring

 Wax Myrtle Corner Bed

 Asiatic Lillies, Irises and Begonias

 Tree Ring

Crepe Myrtle, Irises and Begonias

 View of Flower Beds I Worked On This Weekend

FIRST DAY OF SPRING!

HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY

DALLAS ARBORETUM IN THE SPRING TIME

The grandkids had a great time at the Dallas Arboretum yesterday with their friends. It is such a lovely place in which to see the spring bulbs in full bloom and has lots of play areas for the kids. It is currently working on another children's addition that should be open in a few months.

POPE FRANCIS APPOINTED TODAY

New Pope

The new leader of the Catholic Church is the Argentine Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio who has taken the name of Pope Francis.  Bergoglio, 76, is a Jesuit from Buenos Aires and is the first pope from South America.  He is also the first pope to take the name of Francis.  The new pontiff stepped onto the Vatican balcony dressed in white to address the roaring crowd in St. Peter's Square where he humbly and calmly asked for the peoples' prayers.

CREPE MYRTLES

Crepe Myrtle Info

The crepe myrtles are among the most satisfactory of plants for the South: showy summer flowers, attractive bark, and (in many cases) brilliant fall color make them year-round garden performers. Check out this website for gardening advice on them.

STRAWBERRY-BANANA SMOOTHIES

Strawberry - Banana Smoothie

What a great way to start off the morning or have as a light dessert.

Makes 6 to 8 servings

2 (10-ounce) packages frozen sliced strawberries
1 (11.3-ounce) can strawberry-banana nectar
1 large ripe banana
1 cup vanilla low-fat frozen yogurt
1 cup 1% low-fat milk

In the container of a blender, combine strawberries, nectar, banana, yogurt, and milk. Process until smooth.

MY MOTHER'S DINING ROOM TABLE

I inherited my mother's dining room table when she died. This was a sentimental piece of furniture for me because I remember the family eating our evening dinner on it daily when we lived in a small town. When my parents moved to the country and built a home; it was moved to the basement since we only had a big kitchen which included a large dining area. Through the years it was used for a variety of things. My little brother had it for a few years and "refinished" it. By the time I received it, it had a dark finish and only 2 remaining side chairs. I had a furniture builder strip, repair, and reconstruct the table into two separate desks. The desk shown above is mounted to the study's window wall alcove. It has 2 newly made side cabinets with drawers attached to the desk. The other desk shown below is mounted to a wall shelf unit. The remaining two chairs will be refinished and assembled to complete the project.

I am so pleased to have this re-purposed furniture to enjoy. I hope my mom and dad are pleased with the way it has turned out and that it will be used daily by one of their children.

DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME IS HERE

HOW TO FROST CUPCAKES BY GLORIOUS TREATS

How To Frost Cupcakes

Have you ever wondered how to beautifully frost cupcakes and which decorating tip to use? This post has a good video tutorial to show you how.

(Left to Right)  Large round tip, Open star (Wilton 1M), Closed star (Wilton 2D), French tip

To frost cupcakes, you’ll want to use a large (sometimes called jumbo) decorating tip.  The four most common shapes (openings) are shown above.  The Wilton 1M and 2D are often available at craft stores, the others you may have to buy on-line.  Glorious Treats likes to use a coupler to hold her tips in place, for these large tips you’ll need a large coupler as well.  Large tips can also be used without a coupler, by simply setting the tip inside the bag, then filling with frosting.

VAN CLIBURN RIP

Excellent Pianist

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY EVERYONE

RED VELVET "STRAWBERRIES" CAKE POPS

If you want to try something unique for Valentine's Day, try these chocolate covered red velvet cake pops that look like strawberries!  Check out the recipe at Lindsay Ann's Dollhouse Bake Shoppe.

MUSTANG RACING IN TEXAS!

The nice spring weather this weekend brought out the Mustangs!  Racing has begun on our street!

ICE CREAM VALENTINE TREATS

Cupid's Ice Cream Treats via Parents.com

Ingredients

•  1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

•  3/4 cup cocoa powder

•  3/4 cup (1-1/2 sticks) butter, softened

•  2/3 cup sugar

•  2 large eggs

•  1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

•  2 pints strawberry ice cream, softened

Make It

1. In bowl, combine flour and cocoa. In large bowl, with mixer on high, beat butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla until well blended. Reduce mixer to low, and beat in flour mixture. Divide dough in half. Wrap and refrigerate 1 hour.

2. Line 9 x 13-inch baking pan with plastic wrap. Smooth ice cream evenly into pan, and freeze 1 hour.

3. Heat oven to 375 degrees F. On floured surface, roll dough out to 1/4-inch thickness. Using a 2-1/2-inch heart-shaped cookie cutter, cut out hearts, then transfer to baking sheet, 1 inch apart. With tines of fork, prick the tops of the cookies. Bake 12 minutes. Cool 2 minutes and transfer to wire racks. Cool completely.

4. Using same cookie cutter, cut out heart-shaped portions of ice cream. Sandwich between two cookies, and place in freezer until ready to serve.

• 
  

SPRING IS HERE!

My first iris of 2013!

ETSYKIDS TEAM WINTER 2013 SHOPPING GUIDE

Check out all the unique and lovely creations in the new EtsyKids Team Winter 2013 Shopping Guide!

Perot Museum of Nature and Science

Thanks Carol and Victor - the grandkids and I enjoyed our visit to the Perot Museum of Nature and Science today.  Great adventure!