A New Year = A New Look

Good Evening friends!!

Ever since painting my kitchen "Gingerbread Spice" it has been a love/hate relationship.  And, well since I don't believe in hate, something had to change.  I can't change, I've tried so it will just have to be the kitchen :)

After supper tonight I decided to start tackling the job of removing the wall paper.

It is going very quickly thanks to my clothes steamer.  Sure wish I'd had this when I was a kid peeling the paper off my mom's kitchen walls.  

Are you wondering what color/look I'm going to go with next?

Well you are just going to have to be satisfied with the contents of this box for now :)

But stay tuned because someday this year (LOL) I will let you see!!

Oops!!  How'd that picture get on here???  No more peeking!! Ya hear!!

Good night and stay warm!!

Christmas In the Kitchen

YES, A HOME IS MADE OF MANY ROOMS
EACH ONE HAS IT'S PLEASURES
BUT THE KITCHEN IS THE BEST OF ALLFOR FINDING HIDDEN TREASURES -- author unknown

I switched out my usual curtain for this lace, "Joy to the World" hanger my mother bought me several Christmas' ago. The light from outside makes this picture look washed out. I love how it brightens the kitchen.

One can't help but love this little guy wearing a pair of my boy's snow boots :)

Don't you wish that Christmas 
Was a Currier and Ives scene
Where the snow was falling softly
In the woods of evergreen
Where horses pulled the sleighsThrough the village and the fields -- Roger Turner

I prefer to decorate my Christmas' with snowmen and pine so that I can keep it up all winter long.

The lights twinkle and my youngest 2 have been thrilled with them ever since I put them up :)

Patches - my favorite snowman.  I love his colors!

He makes me smile :)

Sam love this big guy.  It's been a fun day pulling them all out and finding a special spot for each one.

Nothing like a pot of cones :) They are good for what ails ya!

Cinnamon cones make my table smell wonderful!

Today's extra-curricular activity: painting this sign. Love how it turned out. 

Happy birthday, Jesus
I'm so glad it's Christmas
All the tinsel and lights
And the presents are nice
But the real gift is You

Happy birthday, Jesus
I'm so glad it's Christmas
All the carols and bells
Make the holiday swell
And it's all about You
l ]
Happy birthday, Jesus
Jesus I love You

            -- Carol Cymbala

Partying at:

Crispy, Crunchy, Homemade Pickles

One of my favorite things to make in the canning season is pickles. Not sure why, but I love it.  I've never come across a store bought pickle that tastes as good. Unless you make kerosene pickles like Aunt Bea :)

The method that I have found to work best for me is to use Mrs. Wages mixes. Thankfully, the bent-n-dent store had a bunch of them for .50 ea. Yep, I bought every single one!! I was getting concerned that maybe I wouldn't have enough when it came time make the pickles. Pulled out all the packages and learned I had enough for 65 quarts of pickles. I think I'm safe for this year at least :P

Our 1st big picking. Don't look like many but they added up to 9 pints. YEAH!!

Simple tools of the process.

Don't ya just love progress :)

Those cukes will never be the same.

The result - crispy, crunchy, bread & butter pickles. YUM!

Interesting little note - I don't remember all the details but I was reminded today of when I was a little girl in Greene County PA. My mom and dad always had several large gardens and one year the local paper must of caught wind of mom's pickle making.  She still has the pictured article of her pickles :)

Blessings to ya!

Will be linking up with:

*Show & Tell

Pepperoni Bundles

Thought I'd share these tasty tidbits I made for the kid's and my supper.  Since my sweetheart is driving truck meal times when he is on the road have become more relaxed and kid friendly. :)

As most of us know by now, refrigerated biscuits and croissants in a can are no longer supposed to be eaten  as is. Well you can, but don't limit yourself to just that.  Below I will show you how I took 1 can of each and turned them into what I'm calling "pepperoni bundles".

*Unroll the croissants from the can.  Place about 1 tablespoon of shredded cheese and 2 pepperoni at the widest part.

*Fold them into bundles.

*Remove biscuits from the can.  Split each one in half.

*Sprinkle the cheese and about 4 pepperoni.

*Pinch closed with a fork.

Bake in a 375* oven for 16-17 minutes.

I served these with spaghetti sauce sprinkled with sugar. Yes, I'm one of those people who like my sauce to have a sweet taste to it :)  My boys loved them!!

Blessings to ya!!

Linking to:

"Show & Tell Friday"

Our S'more Version

The only kind of marshmallow worth eating is one that is cooked to a melty mess over hot coals.  My sweetheart took me to Lake Erie for Mother's Day and we discovered a melt-in-your-mouth kind of s'more.  We had giant marshmallows and chocolate, but no graham crackers.

We cooked the marshmallow until they were about to fall off the stick; slid a chuck of Hershey's Chocolate into the middle and TADA!!  It was so good!!  Simple I know :)

Blessings to ya!!

Mint Leaves

 One of the many things we like to grow in our country gardens is Mint.  May is when we harvest our 1st cutting of the year.  Our patch is still small since it was planted just 2 years ago, but already it has spread quite nicely.

This is what I have been doing this week besides laundry, dishes, cooking, etc. :)  The drying process is more time consuming then it used to be.  We have no attic in which to spread the mint out on a sheet.  So it has to be done in the dryer (pictured above). Sure does make the house smell good.
















My method for preparing "Mint Tea"
*Mr. Coffee Iced Tea Maker
*Coffee Filter
*Fresh or dried Mint leaves
*1.5 cups sugar
1. Fill the Tea Maker with water (per instructions)
2. Place coffee filter in tea bag holder
3. Fill with Mint leaves
4. Brew
5. Add sugar, water, and ice after it is done brewing.

It is a very simple process.  No brewing it in a sauce pan and then having to fish all the leaves out. It is a fast  and clean method, and produces the most refreshing Iced Tea you can imagine.  We have been told from our Northern friends we should bottle and sell it.

Blessings to ya!