Happy New Year

Charcoal

Happy New Year!!!!!

Dining Room Tree

(click to make larger)

Dining Room Tree Top

Sloppy Joe's

1 pound lean ground beef
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon prepared yellow mustard
3/4 cup ketchup
3 teaspoons brown sugar
salt to taste
ground black pepper to taste

1.In a medium skillet over medium heat, brown the ground beef, onion, and green pepper; drain off liquids.
2.Stir in the garlic powder, mustard, ketchup, and brown sugar; mix thoroughly. Reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Native American Wildlife/Native American Indian

4X4 Pressboard Canvas
Native American Wildlife/Native American Indian Collection
Due to the fact that this is painted on pressboard it gives two different dementions when standing at a distance and up close

Theses are now displayed at The Frame Shoppe/Gallery Selma Alabama

Justin Townes Earle

With Justin 2009 Starkville Mississippi

At Johnny Cash Flower Pickin' Festival

Justin Townes Earle will be on David Letterman Jan. 5th 2011

More details to come

Christmas 2010

Mom's Yummy Bars

6 cups Corn Flakes
1 cup Sugar
1 cup Corn Syrup
1 cup Peanut Butter
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

Add Sugar Peanut Butter and Corn Syrup to large cooking pot and heat on medium till all is smooth and creamy.Take off heat and fold in cornflakes.

Transfer into 9x12 cake pan and chill in refrigerator for an hour.

Melt semi chocolate chips and drizzle over cornflake mixture one it has been firmed for an hour.

Keep stored in refrigerator in air tight container.

Homemade Chicken Soup

Ingredients:
3 to 4 lbs. chicken thighs
5 cups water
3 bullion cubes
2 carrots diced small
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 celery stalks, finely diced
2 tbsp. fresh parsley, minced
1 large onion, chopped
salt and pepper (to taste)
additional seasonings of your choice (to taste)

Directions:
Boil all low for about 2 hours remove thighs and debone. Add chicken back to stock pot.
This is your base stock.
Let simmer for most of the day on low.
Adding rice or noodles to the pot will make it thick and gummy. I choose to make both to the side and add as needed to your bowl just before eating.

Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese also added to the end result is always a favorite of mine

Craisin Walnut Rice

Ingredients
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup orzo
1 1/2 cups long-grain white rice
About 2 2/3 cups chicken stock
A generous handful dried, Craisins by Ocean Spray
1/3 cup walnut pieces, toasted
4 scallions, thinly sliced

Directions
Heat the butter over medium heat in a sauce pot. Add the orzo and toast until golden. Stir in the rice, add the stock and cranberries. Bring to a boil, and then reduce heat to simmer. Cover and cook until tender, 15 to 18 minutes. Fluff the rice and combine with walnuts and scallions to serve.

Overcome

It will be a year in a few days... some will call it a mothers nightmare while my daughter corrected me yesterday and told me it was a blessing as I beg to differ but as she sat and talked to me I found out just how strong my little girl has become

On the morning after Christmas I received a disturbing phone call from a sheriff at the hospital in Montgomery Alabama.. my daughter and son in law and friend who fell asleep at the wheel were all in a horrible accident and in the emergency room. We live 1 hour and 20 minutes from that hospital and yes it was the longest ride of my life.

Daughters injuries : blow to the head , crack in jaw in two places, left ankle reconstructed with metal plate right hip fractured and was in a coma for 4 days

Son in law :Several teeth knocked out, reconstructed jaw and cheekbone, fractured bones in right foot.

Friend: Punctured lungs and cracked ribs

As the year has passed so much in the lives of these three taken place..

Friend Jamie.. is soon to be a daddy and so proud of him!

My Son in Law Gary... He was back to work in 1 month although I thought that it was too soon but he proved me wrong in the very winter cold of 2010 he pushed on and told me, "Kat , I have to take care of my family" That was the day that I saw the little kid that ran all over my neighborhood who was now married to my daughter become a man I Love You Gary so proud of YOU!

My Daughter Celia... With her fractured hip and reconstructed ankle she could not put pressure on it for three months. Well if anyone that is reading this knows Celia, we can all in agreement laugh and say.. "Not happening".She was up in a month and bound and determined to not accept any help in fact I wanted them to stay with me for awhile till they got back on their feet and it lasted 1 week.I can actually laugh for the first time about that day but I was in tears all kinds of things were coming to my mind as I do oh so often... playing out of bad scenarios in my head.
They did just fine!

Over the past few months till this day my mothers words often come to mind, "We come from a long line of women that have overcome and she will do just fine" My mother in the 1960's was secretary for the director of admissions at the University of Notre Dame whom has always been an inspiration to me as well.
Now a little "Mama Bragging" Celia has completed her first semester back in college along with her real estate, working a full time job and taking care of her husband and step son.

Yesterday my daughter taught me about herself.. she has become determined and has set her goals high and as I sit here with a few happy tears I just want to add to this and say I Love You Celia and am so Proud of YOU

Wind of Change

J. E. Terry Elementary 2010 Christmas Program

click on photo to enlarge

J. E. Terry Elementary 2010 Christmas Program

Kindergarten Class

Grandma Kitty Kat was so proud of you

9th from the left

Front Hall

2010 Decorating Front Hall

Tender Sweet Chicken

1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 cup apple pie filling (pureed in food processor)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 apple
1 box Stove Top dressing mix
1 cup Craisins®
1/2 cup chopped Walnuts
salt and pepper salt and pepper
2 tablespoons oil
1 3 to 3.5 pound chicken, washed and dried
Instructions

1.Salt and pepper the inside of chicken and oil the outside.
Cut core and dice apple. Mix the dressing according to the directions on the box.
When the dressing is finished add apple,Walnuts and Craisins® . Stuff the chicken, cover with foil and bake at 350F for 1 hour or till almost light brown
In a saucepan, mix lemon juice cinnamon and apple pie filling. Simmer for three minutes, stirring often. When chicken is done, uncover and pour glaze over chicken and bake uncovered for 30 minutes, basting frequently.

Franklin, N.C.

View from my mothers porch

Corky's Night Out

Oreo Mint Balls

Oreo Mint Balls

Ingredients
6 oz. (3/4 of 8-oz. pkg.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
1 pkg. (15.25 oz.) DOUBLE STUF OREO Cool Mint Crème Chocolate Sandwich Cookies, finely crushed (about 4 cups)
2 pkg. (6 squares each) BAKER’S White Chocolate, melted
6 drops green food coloring
2 Tbsp. chocolate sprinkles (or crushed mints)

Directions
MIX cream cheese and cookie crumbs until well blended.
SHAPE into 40 (1-inch) balls. On wax paper covered cookie sheet place and let firm for about an hourin refrigerator.

Mix melted chocolate and food coloring until well blended. Dip balls in chocolate; place in single layer in shallow waxed paper-lined pan. Top with sprinkles.

REFRIGERATE 1 hour or until firm.

Store: Store in tightly covered container in refrigerator.

How to Make Cookie Crumbs: Crushing OREO Cookies is a cinch with a rolling pin and a resealable plastic food storage bag. Or, process the cookies in your food processor or blender.

How to Easily Dip Balls: To easily coat balls with the melted chocolate, add balls, in batches, to bowl of melted chocolate. Use 2 forks to roll balls in chocolate until evenly coated. Remove balls with forks, letting excess chocolate drip back into bowl. Place balls in prepared pan; let stand until firm.

* Be creative Nutter Butter Cookies, Mint Chocolate Oreos, Double Stuff Mint Oreos

when using Nutter Butters top with nuts .. come up with your own idea for toppings! It's fun!

Woodsy Christmas

Struffoli

Struffoli
Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis



Ingredients
Dough:
2 cups flour, plus extra for dusting
1 large lemon, zested (about 2 teaspoons)
1/2 large orange, zested (about 2 teaspoons)
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 stick (2 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces, at room temperature
3 large eggs
1 tablespoon white wine, such as pinot grigio
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Canola oil, for frying
1 cup honey
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 1/2 cups hazelnuts, toasted (see Cook's Note)
Vegetable oil cooking spray
Sugar sprinkles, for decoration
Powdered sugar, for dusting, optional
Directions
For the dough: In the bowl of a food processor, pulse together 2 cups of flour, lemon zest, orange zest, sugar, salt, and baking powder. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles a coarse meal. Add the eggs, wine, and vanilla. Pulse until the mixture forms into a ball. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.


Cut the dough into 4 equal-sized pieces. On a lightly floured surface, roll out each piece of dough until 1/4-inch thick. Cut each piece of dough into 1/2-inch wide strips. Cut each strip of pastry into 1/2-inch pieces. Roll each piece of dough into a small ball about the size of a hazelnut. Lightly dredge the dough balls in flour, shaking off any excess. In a large heavy-bottomed saucepan, pour enough oil to fill the pan about a third of the way. Heat over medium heat until a deep-frying thermometer inserted in the oil reaches 375 degrees F. (If you don't have a thermometer a cube of bread will brown in about 3 minutes.). In batches, fry the dough until lightly golden, about 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. (The rested and quartered dough can also be rolled on a floured work surface into 1/2-inch thick logs and cut into equal-sized 1/2-inch pieces. The dough pieces can then be rolled into small balls and fried as above).


In a large saucepan, combine the honey, sugar, and lemon juice over medium heat. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sugar is dissolved, about 3 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat. Add the fried dough and hazelnuts and stir until coated in the honey mixture. Allow the mixture to cool in the pan for 2 minutes.


Spray the outside of a small, straight-sided water glass with vegetable oil cooking spray and place in the center of a round platter. Using a large spoon or damp hands, arrange the struffoli and hazelnuts around the glass to form a wreath shape. Drizzle any remaining honey mixture over the struffoli. Allow to set for 2 hours (can be made 1 day in advance). Decorate with sprinkles and dust with powdered sugar, if using. Remove the glass from the center of the platter and serve.


Cook's Note: To toast the hazelnuts, arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 350 degrees F oven until lightly toasted, 8 to 10 minutes. Cool completely before using

Christmas Help

click image today

My Granddaughter helps me with the giant lollypops I made and calles then balloons.

She wonders why they do not float.

Grandma Love You!!

Quiet Snow

Look of Love

i carry your heart

i carry your heart with me
E. E. Cummings

i carry your heart with me(i carry it in
my heart)i am never without it(anywhere
i go you go,my dear;and whatever is done
by only me is your doing,my darling)

i fear
no fate(for you are my fate,my sweet)i want
no world(for beautiful you are my world,my true)
and it’s you are whatever a moon has always meant
and whatever a sun will always sing is you


here is the deepest secret nobody knows
(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud
and the sky of the sky of a tree called life;which grows
higher than soul can hope or mind can hide)
and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart


i carry your heart(i carry it in my heart)

Edward Estlin Cummings (October 14, 1894 – September 3, 1962), popularly known as E. E. Cummings, with the abbreviated form of his name often written by others in lowercase letters as e.e. cummings (in the style of some of his poems), was an American poet, painter, essayist, author, and playwright. His body of work encompasses approximately 2,900 poems, two autobiographical novels, four plays and several essays, as well as numerous drawings and paintings. He is remembered as a preeminent voice of 20th century poetry, as well as one of the most popular.