Sunday, March 12, 2017

Week 64, 3-12-2017

Thoughts and Quotes: I expect to pass through this world but once. Any good therefore that I can do or any kindness that I can show to any fellow creature let me do it now, for I shall not pass this way again.       William Penn

Muffin Tin Monday: Blueberry muffins to use up what I had in the freezer, as they're on sale this week and I can restock.


BLUEBERRY MUFFINS

3 cups flour
1 cup sugar
4 tsps (1Tbs +1 tsp) baking powder
1 tsp salt
2/3 cup milk
1/2 cup cooking oil
2 eggs
2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
4-5 Tbs sugar for topping

Heat oven to 400°.

Combine the first four ingredients in a large mixing bowl and make a well in the center.

Mix the milk, oil, and eggs and pour it into the well.

Stir just until dry ingredients are moistened.

Fold in blueberries.

Fill greased muffin tins (or paper baking cups) 2/3 full. Sprinkle sugar over the tops.

Bake 20-25 minutes.

Note: Recipe makes 24 muffins – easily halved to make only 12 if you wish.




Tidy Up Tuesday: My mouth, not my poor neglected house. Time to get my teeth cleaned. Things have certainly changed from when I grew up. My dentist's office was upstairs, and my knees would be trying to buckle by the time I got to the top, because I knew what was coming. Back then, we were only sent to the dentist if we had a problem. The dentist would whip out that needle and jab it into my gums with no pre-treatment of any kind. No wonder I was terrified. 

This week I took this photo in the hygienist's section. It was like flying first class.


Where to Wednesday: Ruby Tuesday is advertising that their salad bar has been expanded, and we wanted to see for ourselves. The only thing I noticed was that the cucumbers are now chopped instead of sliced, they've added thinly sliced bell peppers, there are some new salad dressings, and the plates are smaller. It's all you can eat, but maybe this way they can cut down on waste. Some people load up and then find they can't finish. 

Try Something Thursday: I tried to get a new battery for my car, but had to wait for one to be ordered in.

Friends Over Friday: Joey came over Friday, but not to be entertained. She brought my birthday "cake": my favorite - cherry pie.



And some flowers.


And the gift bag she made.


Holding the dies she used to make it.


And some new stamps.


Getting older just got better.

Tasting: Our VECC lunch was at Mim's this month, and she made an Italian feast. 

The Table


Tossed Salad


With homemade Italian viniagrette


Sausage and Peppers


Polenta


With Homemade Marinara


Fresh Asparagus


And rolls and butter


Almond Cake and Ice Cream for dessert



I wish I had some right now.

And begonias for our party favors




Thank You: To Chosen Niece Terri for my beautiful flowers.



And to all my friends and family for the gifts and cards, some handmade:


Thank you: To Katie for inviting me to her card class where we made three awesome cards.


Tablescapes: Finally, the last February table is finished. "Yearning for Spring".






And March should be easy-peasy.  I've done all four Tablescapes already:

Turquoise Spring



Ivy



Red Tulips
(I purchased the paper napkins at the tulip festival in Pella, IA, and just had to use them)



Pink and Green Ruffles




The March Tea is finished. It's the one I posted on Year 2, Week 5.


So that leaves only two Theme Dining meals. "I'm Going Green" lunch and "Tulipmania" brunch. Whew! Then I'll be on schedule. Hope to finish both by next week, and I'll have two weeks to clean and work in the yard. 

Theme Dining: I've decided to add Baked Ziti as an alternative to Lasagna for the Buon Appetito dinner.

BAKED ZITI

Olive oil or butter for greasing baking dish
1 lb hamburger, optional
8 oz dried ziti
16 oz ricotta cheese
3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
3 cups spaghetti sauce
1/2 cup grated Parmesan

Heat oven to 350°.

Grease bottom of a 13” X 9” baking dish.

Cook ziti in boiling water about 8 minutes to al dente stage.

Mix ricotta and half the mozzarella in a large mixing bowl and add ziti and toss to cover.

Spread half the spaghetti sauce in the baking dish.

Add ziti mix and cover with remaining sauce.

Sprinkle remaining mozzarella over top; then sprinkle Parmesan over.

Bake 20-30 minutes or until bubbling around the edges.

Note: If adding hamburger: Cook, drain and stir into spaghetti sauce.



The Pepper Report: When I went out to feed the feral kitties (Stormy, Sunny, and BJ), Pepper slipped out the door and didn't want to come in. I just let him sniff around and it wasn't long before he was sitting at the door, wanting to come back inside. It was a cold day and after all, he IS a housecat now. 


Tips: My son found this on the internet - a way to save money so you can eat out more often. Click HERE  and then giggle.

Transferring: Where to Wednesday to Tuesday. This week at Hula Hawaiian Kitchen at noon. It's at 1730 East Repulic Road (the Southgate Center just east of Touch). Click HERE.


HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY

HOPE YOU FIND THE POT OF GOLD

GET READY FOR SPRING

CELEBRATE SOME NATIONAL DAYS
Monday is Good Samaritan Day
Tuesday is Potato Chip Day
Wednesday is Pears Helene Day (for recipe click HERE)
Thursday is Artichoke Hearts Day
Friday is Corned Beef and Cabbage Day (of course)
Saturday is Sloppy Joe Day
Sunday - take your pick:
Poultry Day or Chocolate Caramel Day

THANK YOU FOR SHARING MY LIFE







12 comments:

  1. Hello Sweetheart!! I'm catching up from my big weekend. And I didn't know I missed your birthday!! So HAPPY BELATED GORGEOUS SOUL!! I hope you had a wonderful day and wishing you a very blessed year ahead!
    Annie and I haven been making plans for a future fun Spring box to send your way - so we'll include some belated goodies in there. ;)
    Wow - things have changed at the dentist! Mine doesn't get that "fancy", but they do give me glasses to wear for the bright lights and play nice music. Plus, he's really nice and gentle and likes to make sure everything feels "pain free". So I'll take it. Good luck with your appt!!
    That Italian feast looks SO good! That Mim sure can cook! And I"m copying down that baked ziti recipe. Yummy!!
    And I love all the Spring tables! So pretty. ;) That yearning for Spring one is SO PRETTY! And I love the Ivy one too. It speaks to my gardening soul - plus red rose favorites and that I love red and green together like that. Every single one was beautiful, though. Some of my very favorites you've done yet!
    I'm so jealous you get to think gardening, flowers and yard work thoughts. ::sigh:: I promise I'll be a good patient girl though.
    Give Pepper (& yourself) a giant hug from the North! xoxo

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I had a great birthday, and I'm looking forward to another great year. I did, however, get stir crazy finally and took off today and went over to the border and went casino hopping all by myself. They all give some free play during your birthday month, and I needed a forget-everthing-and-have-fun day, for tomorrow we get back to business.

      How exciting! A Spring box. The Carrie and Annie Box of the Season Club. So happy I'm a member.

      My trip to the dentist was just my cleaning. I didn't need any of the things on the list. As a matter of fact, they did have the TV on and tuned to a cooking show, so I was a little peeved that I couldn't see it and the sound was off - just closed captions. I was flat on my back with my mouth open.

      Mim is an excellent cook. I'm emailing you some of the VECC archives of her past meals.

      I really did want to use that Yearning for Spring Table, but I didn't want to take time, so just took it apart and told it to be patient - its time will come.

      Any yard and garden thoughts have been put on the back burner - really cold here now, with freeze warnings. And I passed Andy's Frozen Custard stand at 10:00 p.m. and there was a line so long, the cars were clear out into the street. Go figure. Missourians love frozen custard.

      Just came home and fed Pepper his wet food. Going to hop over and see your Homemaker Monday post.

      Love to the five of you. I know Ruby is one of the family. Big hug, P

      Delete
  2. Belated Happy Birthday!
    Thank you for the gorgeous and inspiring post. I was already totally in love with your photos of the Italian lunch, and then there were all those flowers and cards and tablescapes!
    Yes, the tablescapes... I think I had pinned some of your photos in the past, but then decided to deactivate my Pinterest account (not enough time for it anymore). If I could, I would pin all your tablescapes. They are wonderful, cheerful, elegant, inspiring...
    Thank you for sharing. Have a happy and sunny weekend!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Your table settings are so pretty and will set the scene for your tasty food. I love the colours you use for each themed lunch. Glad Pepper wanted to get back in now he's a house cat:)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Pepper is wanting to venture out a little, now that it's warmer. He slipped out again last night and the two Weather family kids, Sunny and Stormy hissed at him and did not want to make friends.

      Delete
  4. A belated happy birthday wish to you.

    LOVE the tablescapes. The colors, the themes...all of it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Glad you like it, because there's much more to come.

      Delete
  5. Hi Patsy, Happy Belated Birthday! I think a cherry pie, flowers and hand-made gift bag are the sweetest gifts! Love all the beautiful tablescapes - such pretty details and colors. I especially love the 'ivy' one. I am into 'green' these days! You've attended some lovely luncheons, too. Love your hand-made cards and that you feed the feral cats. One year I had nine.....someone let a whole family go and I managed to tame one of the kittens and bring him into the family. The rest didn't trust anyone, but I fed them every day for years. Thanks for the great recipes and for your sweet and kind visits. Hugs xo Karen

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Aren't I a lucky girl? And I still have a few flowers (now in a small vase) which have lasted over a week.

      Pepper, my housecat, is the uncle of the gray and white kitty known as BJ. I don't know if you remember, but he's the kitty who was badly injured last July and spent four weeks at the vet's office. That's how he became a housecat. His wounds weren't entirely healed and I couldn't turn him back out. Besides, I wanted him neutered. He's very social and wants no part of that vagabond life anymore. We've decided he probably got in a car engine because the wounds were not made by an animal. He'll always have one lopsided ear, but his hair seems to be growning back in the bald spots over this eyes and on his right leg.

      I just learned that one of the "feral" cats I've been feeding was adopted five years ago and gets two meals a day at home. And the black and white spotted kitty with a collar I was so worried about is not lost at all, but lives up the street. I think I've been feeding too early and these two come for a mid-afternoon snack to tide them over until their owners get home from work and feed them.

      So I really have only four I'm feeding right now. Plus Pepper. My cousin was a big kitty lover and fed lots of kitties. She left me a little money, so I feel I'm only carrying on her work. And I don't want her to haunt me because there are hungry kitties outside my door.

      Thanks for your sweet comments. I always look forward to Friday to see what the Five on Friday gang has been up to.

      Delete
  6. Hey, I'll take some of that almond cake too please! Happy belated St Pat's.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It was wonderful. Mim hasn't given me the recipe yet, but I hope to have it for posting soon. She's such an excellent cook, I always look forward to her lunches.

      Delete
  7. I could "kill" for blueberry muffins ! I love them ! Each time I have the opportunity I eat them. They are not so well known in Belgium. Beautiful pictures !

    ReplyDelete