Friday, July 23, 2010

Follow Friday Forty & Over Blog Hop



Are you a blogger over 40?
Never Growing Old and Mother of Pearl It Is and Mommies Faves are co-hosting this Follow Friday Forty & Over Blog Hop!

Join in the fun and get to know your fellow bloggers!!

The RULES to join in are very simple!

1. Grab the button
2. Add your link to the list
3. Visit as many other blogs as you can
4. Follow the ones you like (and comment on their blog to say that you are following)

NOTE: PLEASE leave your blog address when you leave a comment!! I have had several people wanting to follow back but the blogger can't always be found through the google info page!!

This list is new each week. The links do not carry over. Please link up each week for new participants to find your blogs. It will be visible all week to visit the blogs listed.

Thursday, July 22, 2010

Twitter Hop Thursday



Welcome to Twitter Hop Thursday, hosted by Simply Stacie,The King's Court IV, Little Yaya's, and Review Retreat!


Would you like more Twitter followers and be introduced to more neat blogs and businesses out there? Come and join us!!

***Twitterer Of The Week***


They have selected a Twitterer of the Week from last week’s entries and the lucky winner is With Our Best!!! They will be in the #5 spot! They will choose next week’s winner from everyone who participated today.
1. Add your Twitter to the MckLinky (you only have to add it to one and it will appear on all).




2. Click on the Twitter for the five hostesses and follow each of them on Twitter. We will follow you back.



3. Follow as many people on Twitter as you like, but make sure to leave comments with links so they'll know where to follow you!

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Recipe Swap



http://honwhatsfordinner.blogspot.com is hosting a recipe swap. Visit her blog. Share your recipe. Get new ideas!

Tonight we will be having a simple dinner of sweet corn from the patch, sliced cucumbers from the garden, and Grilled Bleu Cheese/Bacon Burgers.

Grilled Bleu Cheese/Bacon Burgers
1 pound lean ground beef
1/2 cup crumbled bleu cheese
6 strips bacon, fried and crumbled
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper

Place ground beef in a bowl, working it apart with a large spoon. Add salt and pepper. Gently fold in bleu cheese and bacon. Form the mixture into 4 evenly sized patties. Grill on gas grill, charcoal grill, or grill pan until desired doneness is reached.

We'll have these with no buns, but serve with buns if desired and add toppings of choice.

Vegetable Garden

The vegetables in our 2 raised garden beds are growing---growing---growing! We've picked some cucumbers. The sweet corn patch is ready now! We told all our family to pick it NOW before the racoons get it.

We like to freeze sweet corn and have found an easy way for us is to cook extra batches on the evening that we prepare sweet corn for dinner. We cool it and cut it off the cobs and place in quart freezer bags, label, and freeze. When I make a corn casserole in the cold winter months with the forzen sweet corn, it is just delicious.

I used to do a lot of canning. I hope to get back to more of it. It's so nice to have home grown produce put up, whether it's frozen or canned.

Baked Corn Casserole

4 cups corn
1 cup milk
4 T melted butter
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 egg, beaten
2 T. Flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all ingredients together in a large bowl except corn. Stir until well mixed and then stir the corn in. Pour into a greased 8x8 pan or similar sized oval or round pan. Bake for 1 hour or until top is slightly browned and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

Welcome Wednesday Blog Hop


Welcome to the "Welcome Wednesday" Blog Hop, hosted by Take It From Me! Welcome Wednesday is a great way to meet new people and learn new things as well as increase your blog followers! So let's have some fun!!

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Tuesday Tag-Along

Tuesday Tag-Along blog hop, is hosted by Twee Poppets Review and Giveaway! This is a great way to discover new blogs while increasing the number of followers for your own blog.
Tuesday Tag-Along

Monday, July 19, 2010

Sunday, July 18, 2010

Sunday, July 11, 2010

Setting up for reception


I've mentioned it before, but remember to ask for help when planning a big event. We had 240 guests for the wedding reception and enlisted the Bridesmaids to help with the final set-up of setting the tables. The extra hands made it go quickly and efficiently! Thanks ladies! =)

Wedding Reception




My daughter got married on the beach in S.C. with immediate family there. We planned a get-together back home then for all their friends and extended family. We hosted it outside at our home.




Rented Tents, Tables & Chairs


Decorated


I prepared all the food


I will post the menu and tips & more ideas! =)

It turned out just lovely! =)

Friday, July 9, 2010

How to Celebrate National Sugar Cookie Day

July 9th - - - It's National Sugar Cookie Day! Here's an idea for celebrating today!

Moms and Grandmas...dig out your favorite sugar cookie recipe. Gather the kids and head to the grocery store (or your pantry if you are well stocked) and let each child select their "signature sprinkle/decorations". Then spend some quality time baking up, frosting, and decorating the sweet treat together. This is perfect for all ages and a wonderful way to incorporate some math lessons for the younger ones without them even knowing it. With your teen or tween child or grandchild this may provide a nice relationship building and conversation time in a non-confrontational and enjoyable way. Enjoy your baking efforts together and then consider making up some containers of cookies to share. Share your cookies --- visit an elderly relative or neighbor. They'll appreciate the visit probably more than the cookies and it will provide a lesson in kindness for the children. (Do check on the dietary restrictions of anyone you share your cookies with to make sure they can have sugar and/or other ingredients in your recipe.)

If you have a great Sugar Cookie Recipe...will you share it here? =)

Thursday, July 8, 2010

What's Up In The Kitchen?

We've heard it said, "The kitchen is the heart of the home". I find that to really be so true. I live in a farm house with a "great room" set-up. With the entry, family room, eat-in kitchen, and screened porch in an open layout, it really seems to make the kitchen the popular place! Working on my laptop, going over recipes and meal plans, having coffee, talking on the phone, visiting with friends, meetings...these are just a few of the things that happen in my kitchen other than cooking and meals! Sure I have a home office...so why do I almost always bring my computer to the kitchen (or screened porch) to get some work done? Do you find your kitchen to be the "hub" of your home?

Monday, July 5, 2010

Don't be shy in asking for help when hosting a big group!

Wow! Things have been so busy here and my blog has taken a back seat lately. I've missed it and am back! =)

Recently, I had another big cooking project! We hosted a Birthday Party and had 60 guests.
Menu:
Sloppy Joes
Hot Chicken Sandwiches
Pasta Salad
Potato Casserole
Birthday Cake/Ice Cream
(I had help with Fresh Mixed Fruit, Veggie Tray, Cheese Dip, & a cooler of canned pop/water....Thanks Kristen, Stacy, & Annie!)
Assorted Beverages

What a FUN party! We had lots of children and put up a Kiddie Pool, Bouncy House (Thanks to Michele for bringing it!), & Slide for the little ones. We did get soaked from a late day storm. We moved to the house for a bit, but everyone took it in stride. =)

Tips/Hints: Hosting & cooking for a get-together for a large group doesn't need to be daunting! Don't be shy in asking for help when hosting a big group. Decide on your menu and decide what you can handle and then ask friends and family for help with the rest. People most generally are happy to help and actually like being a "part of the action"!