1861 - 1911 How Ridiculous You Look My Dear

This picture was my Grandma Shea's - then my Mom had it hanging in her bathroom that we wallpapered for her at the Amadore Apartments in Saginaw. Then when she moved to the McArthur Condo it was in her bathroom. Then my sister, Jane took it home after Mom died - mmmmm..... I wonder if it is in her bathroom. For my retirement she scanned it in and put it in a frame and it is in my bathroom now. This is sort of scary that we have a bathroom art tradition!!

Anyway - I finally found it online - on a Russian site I think! The caption reads: 1861-1961 How Ridiculous You Look My Dear

I always wonder which woman has said this!

Casino Fun

This was the Monkey's Slot Machine

This was the Siberian Tiger Slot Machine

When we were up north this week we stopped at several Casino's because we were winning! This really doesn't happen often and when it does we just go with the flow! We ended up with about $300 in winnings.

We saw at the Turtle Creek Casino that they have an H&R Block on the premises - YIKES - I bet it is really cheap to get the taxes done, if not free, and that they even hand you your refund in cash so you can gamble it away!!!!

We never lose more than $40 when we go gambling and usually only go about once every couple of months. So this was fun - but you can bet your shorts we aren't getting our taxes done at a Casino!!!

Apple Pie

Apple Pie Recipe

FILLING
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 TBS all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• Pinch of salt
• 8 medium sized tart apples sliced very thin – I use Cortland
• 2 TBS Butter

CRUST (recipe makes one double crust):
• 2 1/2 cups white flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 sticks butter
• 8 tbsp. ice water

Directions:
Heat oven to 400 degrees.

Filling:
Peel, core and slice the apples. Try to keep the size of the slices thin.

Mix sugar, flour, nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt in large bowl.
Stir in apples.

Crust:
Measure the flour and salt together into food processor.

Add the chilled butter pieces to the bowl. Pulse several times

Add the ice water. Pulse just until the dough holds together (add a bit more water, if necessary).

Turn the dough onto Saran wrap and shape into 2 balls, flatten and refrigerate for ½ hour at least – 4 hours even better

Put dough on a lightly floured surface and roll out

Pour filling into pastry-lined pie plate.

Dot with butter

Roll out the second ball of dough and cover the top of the pie. Use your fingers to pinch the edges together and cut a few slits in the top

Bake 40 to 50 minutes or until crust is brown and juice begins to bubble through slits in crust.

Happy Birthday, Dad

It is your 97th birthday! I know you are all celebrating with your friends and relatives. Do you celebrate today or maybe you celebrate May 4th as your birthday in Heaven! Well anyway, down here on earth we still wish you a happy birthday today! Love you.

Sunshine, Snow and Beauty

The sun and snow makes Little Traverse Bay a color that I think I would say is Prussian Blue. It is the prettiest deep blue with frothy white waves. The snow and rocks surrounding the water and the sun on Harbor Springs on the other side of the bay made for a picture perfect morning.

We have had the nicest two days in Charlevoix, Traverse City and Petoskey. On our way home this afternoon.

Camping

Thinking about Sheala going off to college next year already has me thinking about our "last" summer before everything changes.
So I told everyone I want one weekend camping this summer. Even Jesse who thinks camping should include a motel instead of a tent!
Javie and Ayva think it is a great idea. They both want to go, Javie remembers our one overnight trip and he says he wants to sleep in the trailer with Nana and Papa.  Ayva was too little to remember, but said, "I want to sleep with you too, Nana and your dog." I answered her, "I don't have a dog, Ayva Schmayva." She said in her sing song way, "Yeah you do, on your bed!"
We do have a dog stuffed animal on our bed. I guess he's going camping with us.

Food Blog Search

Look on the right hand side of my blog, scroll down, click on the Food Blog Search - you can type in any recipe and it will give you the results of hundreds of food blogs that have that recipe.  You can also add the widget to your blog or website.

AAAAHHHH Martinez!!!!

Didn't you stretch?????

OH YUM! Roasted Sweetness

We were at Meijer and there were tons of grape tomatoes on the sell fast display.  They still looked great and I actually only threw out about 7 tomatoes after washing and drying them.  We were going to a potluck at church and I bought tons!  I looked up an Barefoot Contessa recipe and used that as a base recipe.  Covered two cookie sheets with foil and doused them with a mixture of:

1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
4 cloves of garlic minced (I used my planer - I love to mince garlic that way)
1 TBS Mrs. Dash
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp garlic powder

Roast at 450 for 20 minutes.  They were sweet and juicy and YUMMMMMMMY! You can toss with pasta and serve warm, or put them on garlic toast just the way they are or east them room temperature. 

Cutting Bacon

When making quiche I like to cut the bacon into smaller uniform pieces before cooking it. I find that if I put it in the freezer for ten minutes before cutting it the pieces stay together and cut easily.

Removing Wax

You can put glass candleholders in the microwave oven on low power. After a minute the wax will melt off - be careful the glass may be hot and the wax will be very hot. If the candleholder is made of metal you can't put it in the microwave, but you can use the opposite method - freeze the candleholder in the for an hour, the wax will come off very easily

onions

When cutting onions, put them into the freezer for about 15 minutes before slicing and dicing. The cold causes the little particles that spray into the air to become crystallized. Now you won't shed any tears when cutting them up.

Green Peppers

Did you know that peppers with three bumps on the bottom are sweeter and better if you want to eat them raw or make a salad?  Peppers with four bumps are better for cooking!

Left Center Right

I cannot wait to buy this game, I am such a dweeb.  I told Pat when we went to Target there was something there I wanted to buy - couldn't remember it - walked through the store trying to remember what it was.  It was the game we played at Bill and Amy's on New Year's Day.  Now I have to make a trip to Target today.

Gabriel Dawe Inspiration

Inspiration from Gabriel Dawe - Art and Environment Easter?

Pirates Aarrgh

We had so much fun. Ayva and Javier dressed up like pirates in costumes that Papa and Nana bought. Then they had to follow clues

go to kitchen pans
go to bathroom shelf
go to piano
go to Nana and Papa's room

and the treasures were under the bed.

We had soooo much fun

Sunday Dinner

Having Martinez and Jacklin family for Sunday dinner.

My own version of Tandoori Chicken - hands down best chicken ever

Worcestershire Sauce - several drops
Franks Red Hot - few drops
Cinnamon - teaspoon
Smoked Paprika - teaspoon
Cayenne Red Pepper- 1/2 teaspoon
Ground Cumin - teaspoon
Oregano Leaves - teaspoon
Fat Free Plain Yogurt - 1 pint
Fat Free Sour Cream - 1/2 pint

Mix all together and add 12 - 15 boned, skinless, chicken thighs. Let marinate at least half hour. LET EXCESS DRIP OFF AND THEN GRILL.

Pork Roast on the rottisserie
Marinate in Tablespoon Dijon mustard, 1/4 cup wine, juice of one orange, rosemary and thyme. Put on rottisserie and discard marinade. Make new one orange juice, olive oil, garlic, Mrs. Dash, salt, pepper. Brush on every 15 minutes. Delicious

Pinned Recipes
Broccoli - good
Smashed Potatoes - everyone loved them
Zuccini - oven fried - pirate power coins -
making one box of Kraft macaroni and cheese for the littlest picky eater!

A Quick Trip to the Scrapbox

We decided to go to Ann Arbor to buy ends of rolls of newsprint to wrap the hostess gifts I sell at craft shows.

So I texted our niece, Ellie and their family met us there.

Aunt ME and Uncle Pat had fun with them. Pauly and Rett send me a picture on your Mom's phone of something you made from your bag of goodies.

My Favorite Household Tip

Here is the best way to degrease a pan when doing your dishes. After washing the pan let the water drip out of it, squirt some dish soap into the pan and use the flat of your hand to swirl it all over the bottom and sides. The pan gets squeaky clean.

Funky

Well, I wouldn't call it the flu because thank goodness neither of us has been in the bathroom. However I did have chills and a crampy feeling and Pat felt "funky". I didn't even write at all yesterday or today - I must have been sick!

But I'm feeling better so back to my writing.

Cookie Fruit Tart

Javier and Ayva and I had such fun in the kitchen today.

I prepared everything before they got here. Cut all the vegetables for the salad and cooked the sausage for the pizza. Rinsed the fruit and baked the cookie for the tart.

Then they assembled everything.Lots of tasting, licking and fun.

April 1st

Countdown to Opening Day is on! Can't Wait! I Miss My Tigers!

90 Days