RETRO ROCK & ROLL

Well good morning boys and girls! How are you doing on this humid hump day? Its wet and gross here courtesy of another tropical wave in the Gulf! Its an early morning here as my animals in the bedroom are freaking out for some reason! Getting into everything, jumping and running around, and being very vocal! I am going to assume its the barometric pressure changes again, because its effecting them ALL! Made for a rude awakening. I so have to say HELLO and WELCOME BACK to Susan this morning! Congrads on your little bundle of busy-ness! Hope all is well and so glad to have you back! And to my lovely mom, that bandana reference gave me nightmares! LMAO kidding, but it DID give me a good laugh!

OK here on 60's week, I want to talk about something I absolutely love... MUSIC! Popular music entered an era of "all hits", as numerous artists released recordings, beginning in the 1950s, as 45-rpm "singles" (with another on the flip side), and radio stations tended to play only the most popular of the wide variety of records being made. Also, bands tended to record only the best of their songs as a chance to become a hit record. The taste of the American listeners expanded from the folksinger, doo-wop and saxophone sounds of the 1950s to the Motown sound, folk rock and the British Invasion. The Los Angeles and San Francisco Sound began in this period with many popular bands coming out of LA and the Haight-Ashbury district, well-known for its hippie culture. The rise of the counterculture movement, particularly among the youth, created a market for rock, soul, pop, reggae and blues music produced by drug-culture.

Significant events in music in the 1960s:

Elvis Presley returns to civilian life in the USA after two years away in the U.S. Army. He resumes his musical career by recording "It's Now or Never" and "Are You Lonesome Tonight?" in March 1960.

Motown Record Corporation founded in 1960. Its first Top Ten hit was "Shop Around" by the Miracles in 1960. "Shop Around" peaked at number-two on the Billboard Hot 100, and was Motown's first million-selling record.

The Marvelettes scored Motown Record Corporation's first US #1 pop hit, "Please Mr. Postman" in 1961. Motown would score 110 Billboard Top-Ten hits during its run.

The Four Seasons released four straight number one hits

In a widely-anticipated and publicized event, The Beatles arrive in America in February 1964, spearheading the British Invasion.

The Mary Poppins Original Soundtrack tops record charts. Sherman Brothers receive Grammys and double Oscars.

Lesley Gore: At age 17 hits Number one on Billboard with "It's My Party" and '64 with Number 2 "You Don't Own Me" behind the Beatles "I Wanna Hold Your Hand."

The Supremes scored twelve number one hit singles between 1964 and 1969, beginning with "Where Did Our Love Go".

The Kinks release "You Really Got Me" in late 1964, which tops the British charts; it is regarded as the first hard rock hit and a blueprint for related genres, such as heavy metal.

The Grateful Dead was formed in 1965 (originally The Warlocks) thus paving the way, giving birth to Acid rock.

Bob Dylan goes electric at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival.

Cilla Black's number one hit "Anyone who had a Heart" still remains the top selling single by a female artist in the UK from 1964.

The Rolling Stones have a huge #1 hit with their song "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" in the summer of 1965.

The Byrds release a cover of Bob Dylan's "Mr. Tambourine Man", which reached #1 on the U.S. charts and repeated the feat in the U.K. shortly thereafter. The extremely influential track effectively creates the musical subgenre of folk rock.

Bob Dylan's "Like a Rolling Stone" is a top-five hit on both sides of the Atlantic during the summer of 1965.

Bob Dylan's 1965 albums Bringing It All Back Home and Highway 61 Revisited usher in album focused rock and the "folk rock" genre.

Simon and Garfunkel release The Sounds of Silence single in 1965.

The Beach Boys release Pet Sounds in 1966, which significantly influenced the Beatles Sgt. Pepper album a year later.

Bob Dylan is called "Judas" by an audience member during the legendary Manchester Free Trade Hall concert, the start of the Bootleg recording industry follows, with recordings of this concert circulating for 30 years – wrongly labeled as – The Royal Albert Hall Concert before a legitimate release in 1998 as The Bootleg Series Vol. 4: Bob Dylan Live 1966, The "Royal Albert Hall" Concert.

In February 1966, Nancy Sinatra's song "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'" became very popular.

In 1966, The Supremes A' Go-Go was the first album by a female group to reach the top position of the Billboard magazine pop albums chart in the United States.

The Seekers are the first Australian Group to have a number one with "Georgy Girl" in 1966.

Jefferson Airplane released the influential Surrealistic Pillow in 1967.

The Velvet Underground release their influential self-titled debut album The Velvet Underground & Nico in 1967.

The Doors release their self-titled debut album The Doors' in January 1967'.

Love release Forever Changes in 1967.

The Jimi Hendrix Experience release two successful albums during 1967 Are You Experienced and Axis: Bold as Love that innovate both guitar, trio and recording techniques.

The Beatles release the seminal concept album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band in June 1967.

The Moody Blues release the album Days of Future Passed in November 1967.

Pink Floyd releases their debut record The Piper at the Gates of Dawn.

Bob Dylan releases the Country rock album John Wesley Harding in December 1967.

The Bee Gees release their international debut album Bee Gees 1st in July 1967 which contains the pop standard "To Love Somebody".

The Monterey Pop Festival in 1967 was the beginning of the so-called "Summer of Love".

Johnny Cash releases At Folsom Prison in 1968

1968: after The Yardbirds fold, Led Zeppelin is formed by Jimmy Page and manager Peter Grant, with Robert Plant, John Bonham and John Paul Jones; and, released their debut album Led Zeppelin.

The Band releases the roots rock album Music from Big Pink in 1968.

Big Brother and the Holding Company, with Janis Joplin as lead singer, becomes an overnight sensation after their performance at Monterey Pop in 1967 and release their massively successful second album Cheap Thrills in 1968.

Gram Parsons with The Byrds releases the extremely influential LP Sweetheart of the Rodeo in late 1968, forming the basis for country rock.

The Jimi Hendrix Experience release the highly influential double LP Electric Ladyland in 1968 that furthered the guitar and studio innovations of his previous two albums.

Simon and Garfunkel release the single Mrs. Robinson in 1968 featured in the movie The Graduate.

Woodstock Festival, 1969Sly & the Family Stone revolutionize black music with their massive 1968 hit single "Dance to the Music" and by 1969 became international sensations with the release of their hit record Stand!. The band cemented their position as a vital counterculture band when they performed at the Woodstock Festival.

The Rolling Stones film the TV special The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus in December 1968 but the film is not released for transmission. Considered for decades as a fabled 'lost' performance until released in North America on Laserdisc and VHS in 1996. Features performances from The Who; The Dirty Mac featuring John Lennon, Eric Clapton and Mitch Mitchell; Jethro Tull and Taj Mahal.

The Woodstock Festival, and four months later, the Altamont Free Concert in 1969.

The Who release and tour the first rock opera Tommy in 1969.

Proto-punk band MC5 release the live album Kick Out The Jams in 1969.

Captain Beefheart and his Magic Band release the avant garde Trout Mask Replica in 1969.

The Stooges release their debut album in 1969.

The Flying Burrito Brothers released their influential debut The Gilded Palace of Sin in 1969.

Ahh, I love lots of those artists! My head starts that slow psychadelic sway to Jefferson Airplane's "White Rabbit", my arms swimming with the Beach Boys, and my hips swiveling to the king! Yes, no one will ever beat the king! LOL now, I don't know about you, but reading all those rockin facts puts me in a retro rockin craft mood! How about you? Today I am gonna recycle some vinyl LP's... you remember those? I think my favorite craft to do with old albums is the Rock & Roll Bowls. But you can also make things like jewelry and jewelry holders, or even notebooks and journals! So here ya have a couple of craft ideas to recycle/repurpose those old LP's that might not be playable anymore but ya just can't bear to part with them! Enjoy!



Craft Idea of the Day: Vinyl LP Record Bowl

Materials:

1 old vinyl Record
Oven proof dish
Oven mitts

Directions:

This recycled LP vinyl record project is a great recycled crafts project. It is created by manipulating the melted/soft plastic of the record after it has been heated in an oven.

Records can be bought from op shops, thrift stores or garage sales. (Don't forget FREECYCLE TOO!) If you don't want to destroy the classics look for damaged or cracked albums.

always wear oven mitts as the plastic is hot. Never leave it unattended in the oven and work in a ventilated area in case there are fumes or any type.
Start by heating your oven to it's highest setting around 250 Degrees Celsius or 480 Fahrenheit.

Place a sheet of aluminum on the bottom of your oven purely as a precaution in case it melts beyond rescue to avoid a massive clean up job.

Take your record and place it onto the oven tray over a bowl to help it shape and slide it into the hot oven. It will only take a few minutes for the record to become soft and flexible. Using your oven mitts take the record out as soon as it looks soft.

It will start to droop and deform when it is becoming soft, that is when it is ready to work with.

Place the oven mitts on and working quickly remove the bowl and the record from the oven. Turn the bowl the right way up and push the record into the bowl to shape it into the same shape as the bowl or work it into shape over the bowl if your bowl is small.

You will only have around 30 seconds to work so work quickly, if you are too slow or don't like the shape of your bowl then place it back into the oven and start again.
Allow it to cool and its ready to use.

You can also use these bowls for planters by drilling a few extra holes into the bottom or better still turn them into a funky hanging basket for either plants or storage.



ADDITIONAL Craft Idea of the Day: Vinyl Record Album Cover Notepad

Materials:

Record/ LP Album Cover
stack of computer paper
Hole Punch
Cord, wire rings or curtain loops
Scissors

Directions:

This record album has been recycled into a retro note pad for my desk by using a funky looking vintage album.

Start by taking your retro album cover and cutting it down to form a front and back cover for your note book.

I used recycled (printed only on 1 side) standard printer paper for this notepad, but you could use any sized paper your like.

Cut your covers out of the album cover and stack them all together with your inside papers to form the booklet.

Take a clamp or some clothes pegs and secure the stack of papers together. This allows you to punch the holes without the papers moving around.

Take a pencil and mark out your holes and then punch them using a punch and hammer. If you have a small press punch you will need to work a small stack of papers at a time, making sure to keep the holes well aligned with each stack.

Once you have made your holes it is time to bind the book.

There are several ways in which to bind your book, you can use cord and loop it through, you can tie ribbons and bows through each hole, You can make wire loops and you could even use recycled shower curtain rings, which will make your book easy to flip through.

You can recycle your cover onces your book is filled by taking it apart and adding a new stack of paper.

Ok let's talk about some delicious love! I am talking about FOOD my retro readers! From time to time, I love to pick up and read the latest copy of Better Homes & Gardens, and I think its interesting to see what advertising reflected back in those days... well I happened across this and, well, just see if you remember any of the ORIGINAL ads... I know I do- not because of age, but exposure! (Thanks mom!)

Better Homes & Gardens, October 1969:
Imperial Margarine (stick & tub), Pillsbury Create-a-Cake mix (recipes using Pillsbury cake and frosting products: Fudge Ripple Cake, Topsy-Turvy Pineapple Cake, Cherry Crmble Squares, Easy Cheesy Lemon Bars), V8 Juice, Ovaltine, Chicken of the Sea Tuna, Campbell's Manhandlers Soups (Vegetable Beef), Campbell's Vegetable, Tomato and Cream of Mushroom Soups (with recipes for Souperburger, Upside Down Pie, Burger Bean Cups), Nabisco Shredded Wheat, Chase & Sanborn coffee, Del Monte Raisins (& Prunes), Dinty Moore Beef Stew, Chiffon Margarine, Wilson's Certified canned meats (Hickory Smoked Pork Loin, Pork Roast, Corned Beef Brisket, Beef Roast, Turkey), Kraft Miniature Marshmallows, Chef Boy-ar-dee packaged dinners (Spaghetti, Tetrazzini, Stroganoff, Goulash, Lasagna, Macaroni & Cheese, Rice), Bisquick (new), Jell-O Pudding & Pie Filing (vanilla, with recipe for Pecan Pie), Stouffer's Frozen Spinach Souffle, Cool Whip (plastic tub), Cling Peaches (canned), Pepperidge Farm Apple Strudel, Betty Crocker Pudding (chocolate, ready to serve, can), Snow's Clam Chowder, Kraft Caramel Topping (also strawberry, butterscotch, vanilla caramel, chocolate caramel, chocolate fudge, chocolate syrup, pineapple and walnut flavors), Nestle's Semi-sweet Toll House Morsels & Butterscotch morsels (with recipes for quick party mixes: Choco-Scotch dandies, Munchers, Sticks 'N Straws, Choco-nut Chewies, Buttersotch Mix 'Ems), Kraft Macaroni & Cheese Dinner, Betty Crocker Ready-to-Spread Frosting (vanilla, chocolate, milk chocolate, butterscotch, Sunkist lemon, & dark dutch fudge), Kellogg's Cocoa Krispies (with recipe for cocoa peanut logs), Arnold Golden Brick Oven White bread, park's Sausages, Nescafe coffee (instant), Domino Brownulated sugar, Greenwood's Sliced Pickled Beets, AND the Amana Radarrange microwave oven "Flameless Electric Cooking."

It is so cool to see all those familiar, trusted name brands! Shoot, I have to have at least a dozen or more in my house right now! LOL! Ok, so as like today, chicken was an inexpensive protein to feed the American family during the 60's. The creative domestic engineers of the times found numerous inventive ways to recreate the yard bird LOL! I personally LOVE chicken! Homecooking, chicken, good music... yep I have a 60's spirit I think LOL! Well today, I bring you another groovy 60's dinner dish to eat & enjoy!



Baked Chicken Breasts Supreme

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups Plain yogurt or sour cream
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon celery seed
1/2 teaspoon Hungarian sweet paprika
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
8 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
2 cups fine dry bread crumbs

Directions

In a large bowl, combine first eight ingredients. Place chicken in mixture and turn to coat. Cover and marinate overnight in the refrigerator. Remove chicken from marinade; coat each piece with crumbs. Arrange on a shallow baking pan. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 45 minutes or until juices run clear.

Ok folks, that's all for me today. I hope you've had a rockin' good time and will swivel and sway on back here tomorrow for more groovy fun and excitement! I'll see you then my hippie friends! Peace, Love, and tons of HUGS!

1 DOWN, 5 TO GO!

Good morning everyone! How are you doing today? I am ok… a bit tired really but good. We had a weird night around here and for some reason I got really spooked. I would not let DH sleep cause I was so freaked out. It was strange. I even slept with a few "protective items" in my pillow and by my side of the bed. I don’t know why I was so stressin, but oh well. I need to apologize to Cyndi and anyone else who got disturbed when they read yesterday’s title. I really didn’t think about anyone thinking I was leaving until I read your comment last night. I figured the title was fitting seeing as I was talking about the band director, the graduating seniors, etc. I will try to watch how I word things from now on. I try to give you a interest-peaking “teaser” by making up clever titles, but it seems like this was a poor choice. Please forgive me.

Now… I am proud to announce that I finished one of the 6 projects I have been working on... Madison's room! I really have such a wonderful daughter. She said she “doesn’t deserve all of this” but in fact, she really does! So I made it a doozy! She screamed, almost cried and then took pictures with her phone and sent it to all her friends. They were loving it but jealous. So let me share the wonderful results with you!



This is the view when you are standing in the doorway. I made pillow cases for the brand new pillows Mom and Dad gave me for her room. The white pillows with the blue Band logo on them are actually towels. Small “hand” towels the kids must have each year to sit on in the stadiums so they do not snag their uniforms when they sit down. I bought 2 extra ones and cut some of the fabric with the notes to match as backs. Then I stuffed them and sewed them shut. Aren’t they cool? She took one on a band trip one time and everyone wanted one LOL! Looks like I should make a few more huh? LOL!



This is a closer view of the things hanging on the wall over her bed. The 4 picture frame has 2 of the marching pictures and 2 of her patches from her freshman year. I have to get another frame to put up some from this year. The wooden pennant and treble clef I painted the school blue and DHS stands for Dickinson High School obviously. The ribbons on the pennant are music noted LOL!



This is the wall on the side of her bed. Each of those Homecoming mums I handmade for her for the past 4 years. In between the mums are wooden painted music notes. Down the “flag” of each note is painted the years she is in High School and in the base of the note is her yearly band picture for that year. Hanging from the ceiling all over the room are plastic music notes with glitter. These are actually Christmas ornaments I found at Hobby Lobby. For the last couple of years I have bought all the silver ones of these I can find with the intent to do something like this from her ceiling.



This is the view of one of the corners of her room. We had a camo blue pillowcase we were gonna use on the bed, but didn’t have enough material for 2. So I wasn’t quite sure what to do with 1 stray pillowcase. So, I folded it in half and pulled it over the chair as a seat cover. Pretty neat huh? Then there is her wind spinner in the corner (that I still have to get a motor for), curtains, desk accessories, a hat rack, and the “graffiti art” her Dad made for her room.



As we move counter-clockwise around the room, you see her dresser and the other window curtain. Hanging from the window curtain, are little metal music notes with crystals on top. The crystals will hopefully catch the sunrays and dance very pretty on the walls throughout the room. You can also see the clarinet clock on the wall and the clarinet lamp on the dresser. Yes, before you ask, that is a REAL clarinet that was made into a lamp. She better take VERY good care of that as I cannot afford to replace it!! There is also a ceramic money box and numerous vases, centerpieces, etc that she has now on her dresser for decoration. Some will be used at her birthday party.



Ok this section of wall is no more than like 3 foot wide I think. On the right (when you are facing it) is the big closet (which you see now has the drapes as “doors”), and to the left is the entrance door. So, I wondered what to do with the little space. Now I was going to put the hat rack on top of these boards, but it was too long. SO, I hung the big treble clef over the message center. On top is a normal bulletin board that I tucked the matching fabric into and directly underneath is the white dry erase board. The letters are wooden and painted to accent the black and white stuff. I went ahead and put some pictures from freshman year that were not in frames on the bulletin board. I wrote her a note on the white board too, but AFTER I took the picture (hey SOME things will remain private LOL).



Here is a close up of the dresser so you can see the clarinet lamp and such a little better. You also see a clay pot “gum ball machine” I made her, her music bracelet, “piggy” bank, candy cane bouquet, and even a picture of her and her BFF Katie. I think its pretty cool! I really hope she enjoys her room. I get tickled every time I have went in there. It has been a project I have been “collecting” stuff for the past 2 years. To see all the bits and pieces come together and make one awesome completed project that she loves is the greatest feeling in the world. It makes me feel I did something RIGHT as a mom! So we have 1 project down and 5 more to finish LOL!

Ok, its time to get crafty! Now mom made a suggestion about patio crafts for people who live in apartments. I think that is a great idea, seeing as I used to BE an apartment “dweller” LMAO! There are lots of things you can do to “dress up” your patio. You can make unique wind chimes from tiny terra cotta pots, seashells, etc. You can make a bird bath, some outdoor party lights, tin can luminaries, wind socks, planters, and more! I tell ya, I love terra cotta pots! With a cute paint job, they can be sooo different. One time I painted lots of terra cotta pots in different “veggie” themes and made “rows” on my patio. It was pretty neat! You can also make things like seat covers for chairs, grill covers, and other things you have to sew. BUT if you use outdoor canvas, you can have a durable decoration that is machine washable! Now who doesn’t like that!? Today I want to show you a craft I just thought was very frugal. If you have a larger patio (like I did) this would be a great thing to make and sit on in your little “container garden field”. Make sure to read through some of the comments on this one for added ideas and instructions!



Craft Idea of the Day: Concrete Bench

Turn two $4.00 bags of ready mix concrete into a lovely garden bench. This bench is about 36 inches long by 18 inches wide. I took some old 2x4's and made a form for the seat and two forms for the legs. I mixed the concrete and poured it into the forms. I let it set for 4 days and removed it from the mold.

Now I have a beautiful garden bench that only cost $8.00. They are at least $50.00 at your local home improvement center.

By John from Haysville, KS

Ok, now if you are like me, you read a nice recipe and see a pretty picture and you get hungry real easy! You maybe even get the mouth watering and the tummy grumbling LOL! You know our barbecue week is coming to a close. Have you enjoyed it? What was your favorite recipe? Well around here we get roasts a lot and I am always looking for something yummy and different to do with it. This recipe will give you a roast that melts on your tongue like butter when you bite into it. Well worth the time and effort! And for dessert, a super crispy piece of dulce de heaven!



BBQ Chuck roast

Ingredients

1 (5 pound) chuck roast
1 cup barbecue sauce
1 cup teriyaki sauce
1 (12 fluid ounce) can or bottle beer
3 teaspoons minced garlic
3 teaspoons thinly sliced fresh ginger root
1 onion, finely chopped
3 teaspoons coarsely ground black pepper
2 teaspoons salt

Directions

In a large bowl, mix barbecue sauce, teriyaki sauce, beer, garlic, ginger, onion, black pepper, and salt. Place the roast into the marinade, cover and refrigerate for six hours, turning often.

Preheat an outdoor grill for indirect heat. Remove the roast from the marinade, and pour the marinade into a saucepan. Bring to a boil, and cook for 5 minutes. Set aside for use as a basting sauce.

Thread the roast onto a rotating barbecue spit above indirect heat. Cook the roast for two hours, or until the internal temperature of the roast is at least 145 degrees F (63 degrees C). Baste often during the last hour with reserved marinade.



Grilled Pineapple Milhojas

Ingredients

2 (5 ounce) cans sweetened condensed milk
3 sheets puff pastry
12 pineapple rings
1 pint citrus sorbet of your choice

Directions

To make homemade dulce de leche, remove and discard labels from cans of condensed milk. Place the unopened cans into a large saucepan and pour in enough water to cover by 1 or 2-inches. Bring water to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium, cover, and simmer for 3 hours. Drain, and allow cans to cool to room temperature before opening.

Meanwhile, cook the puff pastry sheets according to package directions and allow to cool to room temperature. Pour the dulce de leche from one can evenly over a sheet of puff pastry. Place a second sheet of puff pastry over the first, then pour on the remaining can of dulce de leche. Top with the remaining puff pastry sheet, then cut into 12 triangles.

Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat and oil with cooking spray, or preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat. Grill the pineapple rings until warm and nicely marked.

Serve each triangle on a dessert plate garnished with a grilled pineapple slice and a scoop of citrus sorbet.

Ok everybody. I hope you have enjoyed seeing the finished project that is my DD’s room (I was quite proud and she seems to like it), and all the great crafts and food! Meet me back here tomorrow and we will have more great times and wonderful adventures! And I hope to have some great pictures from the Band Banquet tonight too! See you tomorrow… HUGS!

PRE-CONCERT MUNCHIES

HI there everybody! How are you doing this chilly morning? Its about 39-40 degrees here but it looks like the sun is coming up. Tonight is the night for my daughter and I to receive our present from my brother... the Trans-Siberian Orchestra concert! Trouble is, I'm not feeling real well. I fell asleep at 4pm yesterday and just woke up about an hour ago! For me, that's not good... but at least I succeeded in not going to the store to go shopping with the crazy people! LMAO!

I did manage yesterday to get 6 homemade TV dinners made and the calculated cost of each was about 43 cents... not too shabby huh?

I specifically fixed one the way I like it and marked it as mine, so the little piggies better leave it alone! LOL! I think when they go back to school on the 4th, I'm gonna cook a bunch up... gonna start planning those meals now. I want to do some Chicken Fried Steaks I know, but the rest I'm not sure...

Are you hungry? I know I am and I'm sure as soon as an aroma of food starts traveling through the house, the rest of the people will begin moving around and flocking to the kitchen LOL! Who needs an alarm clock when you have the scent of cinnamon in the air LMAO! OK so this morning I am making egg cups and pumpkin waffles with apple cider syrup... that's sure to get them up and moving!



Egg Cups

The fun thing about these is you can add lots of things you like or just stick to the basic... here is the "basics"

Ingredients

sliced luncheon meat/cold cuts
shredded cheese
eggs
refrigerated shredded hash browns

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray muffin tin lightly with butter flavored non-stick spray.

2. Line each muffin well with the sliced luncheon meat (it should take about 3-4 pieces for complete coverage). Next add about 2 tablespoons of shredded hash browns. Then add 2 oz. of shredded cheese. Finally crack one egg ontop in the cup (or you can crack one egg in a small bowl, scramble it, then pour it on the top).

3. Bake in the oven for about 15 minutes or until the egg is cooked and the meat on the sides is crispy. Serve immediately.

I don't remember where I saw this idea, but I tweeked it and made it my own. I've added fresh diced veggies to my husbands, cooked bacon to them, salsa, you name it. That's what makes them so fun! You can add whatever you want really! Now time to try out the new waffle iron with some yummy pumpkin waffles with apple cider syrup!



Pumpkin Waffles with Apple Cider Syrup

Ingredients
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin
2 cups milk
4 eggs, separated
1/4 cup butter, melted

APPLE CIDER SYRUP
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup apple cider
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons butter

Directions

Preheat a waffle iron according to manufacturer's instructions.

Combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, allspice, ginger, salt, and brown sugar in a mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, stir together the pumpkin, milk, and egg yolks. Whip the egg whites in a clean dry bowl until soft peaks form.

Stir the flour mixture and 1/4 cup melted butter to the pumpkin mixture, stirring just to combine. Use a whisk or rubber spatula to fold 1/3 of the egg whites into the batter, stirring gently until incorporated. Fold in the remaining egg whites. Cook waffles according to manufacturer's instructions.

To make the syrup, stir together the sugar, cornstarch, and cinnamon in a saucepan. Stir in the apple cider and lemon juice. Cook over medium heat until mixture begins to boil; boil until the syrup thickens. Remove from heat and stir in the 2 tablespoons of butter until melted. Serve warm.

Now that you can hear your stomach screaming at you to go eat LOL... I'm gonna go start my breakfast buffet for everyone. Keep your fingers crossed that I get to feeling better so that I can go to the concert tonight with my brother and the girls. If I can't I know it would break his heart! If you go out today, be careful! Some people have to deal with crazy traffic, some with crazy weather, and some with BOTH! So be safe and I'll see you tomorrow! HUGS!

READY, SET, BAKE!

Morning kiddies! How are you doing this morning? Are you excited yet? A new week, a smaller countdown, and a tired blogger here! We had the High School Band Christmas Concert and Tea yesterday and the kids did so wonderful! They made me cry! Then of course, I didn’t look forward to socializing with the stuck up moms or the moms that just don’t care during the year but try to make a good show on this day. I can’t stand hypocrits really… aggravates the tar out of me cause I know what these kids go through all year cause they are all at my house! And you could tell too! I had 5 platters on the snack table LOL and the kids were hanging out with me and calling me mom! Had a couple of glares from the other adults but its ok… that crap doesn’t bother me! I find it kind of humorous actually. My DD is the one on the end in red LOL looking so festive!



Then when we got back, we had about 10 minutes rest before I forgot I had an order due THIS MORNING! Sew, I stay up sewing til late into the night to get this order done. Guess it just slipped my mind until I saw the material sitting on the end of the sewing table! It doesn’t happen that often though… guess I may be trying to spread myself too thin lately.

I found an article online a while back that gave some ideas for gifts under $10 but I think most of them were pretty lame on their own but could maybe be cute dressed up/paired with other things… I don’t remember the site though. “There are hundreds of great gifts that can be purchased or made by hand for under $10, gifts that are both thoughtful and frugal at the same time. Put them in an inexpensive basket or wrap them with a pretty ribbon and you'll truly have a beautiful gift--without breaking the bank!”- I couldn’t have said it better myself! “I know you've probably heard it before but it's really true that you don't have to spend a lot of money to find that perfect gift for someone. Just be sure to put some time and thought into it and your gift will be well received”... Our family and friends usually appreciate our time and love more than anything, so something to show how much time and effort we put forth on them is a precious thing. I found this out many years ago, and I for one love handmade Christmases! Here's a few of my favorite inexpensive gift ideas that they had on the list... followed by the way I would make them “better” LOL!

Child's artwork, framed- there is no way to improve on this one!

Holiday serving bowl or platter- better be puttin’ some homemade goodies in/on it LOL! YUM!

Makeup brush set- make a fabric makeup tote bag to hold the brushes/makeup to accompany this!

Set of dish towels- sew some pretty fabric strips across the ends and make it special!

Locally made or homemade BBQ or steak sauce with basting brush- Add some other sauces or BBQ tools or a grilling cookbook found at like the half-price book store or with a coupon at other stores!

Handwritten copies of your favorite recipes in a spiral to make a Specialty cookbook- cover the spiral with some pretty paper or fabric and you have a very special gift!

Christmas ornaments- what can you say here? Not much as the possibilities are endless on what kind of ornament you can make! We painted puzzle pieces one year and glued them together to make an Autism Christmas Wreath… and gave those that year! People loved them!

Any of these items are cool if you put them in jars or a pretty basket:
Homemade special jams or mustards
Homemade cocoa mix in a pretty jar
Home baked bread, include recipe
Homemade cookie mix with instructions for baking
Variety of bread mixes
Home baked cookies!
Homemade Pancake or waffle mix and a bottle of syrup
Homemade Muffin mixes with muffin pan
Homemade baking/sweets mixes along with a special baking pan

I hope you will be inspired by this list, after all, it's not the amount of money you spend for a gift that matters the most, but that you cared enough to give something special.



Craft Idea of the Day: Gift Baskets
Take any of those ideas up there and place them in a pretty basket and you have a great gift that people think you spent hundreds on! Have you seen some of those places where you can buy those? They cost hundreds sometimes for a decent basket! So what’s better than taking your homemade creations and sprucing them up a bit!? And it doesn’t have to be a “basket”… lots of containers will work! Example- for a gardener, get a plastic pot, or a road trip just cover a cardboard box with an old map! Auto detailing, buy a wash bucket, baby, get a cheap small laundry basket, cooking/baking/kitchen- use a colander, pot, pan, skillet, you name it! See, the possibilities are endless! All you need is a little imagination.

So, are you ready for the relay race we call holiday cooking? LOL Well strap on your boots and spurs and hold on for the ride, cause its gonna be a fun one! I promised you 1 craft, 1 dinner, and 1 sweet each day until Christmas Eve so you could adorn your tabletop, under your tree, and your life in general with unique ideas! And as you have seen, there are days where you have received a lot more than one idea or food… just cause the mood hits me LOL! I’ve put on a big pot of “garbage stew” to cook all day LOL that will be served with cornbread or dinner rolls. I called it “Garbage Stew” not to gross anyone out, but because if I didn’t use up the ingredients, they would have had to become garbage. So this is a good way to use things that might soon spoil… hense…



GARBAGE STEW

Round steak cut, stew meat, or whatever beef you may have cut into cubes and browned with butter, salt pepper and garlic powder in a skillet for about 5 minutes or so. USE THE JUICE in the pan after cooking too for flavor!

1 bell pepper, onion, carrots, potatoes (raw), and other veggies cut up in chucks or diced (your preference)- basically whatever you have that will soon be going bad!

1 can of diced tomatoes

1 jalapeno or hot pepper for "kick" (make sure it is fresh and deseeded- omit if you don’t want too much spice)

1 can of kernal corn, drained

seasonings: (I use) garlic powder, salt, pepper, parsley... just use whatever you want...LOL put them in on top of everything in the pot.

broth: you can use a can of beef broth or I use the juice from cooking the meat, 1 cup water and 1/2 cup flour.

Once you brown the meat throw everything in a crockpot/slow cooker, mix well, and cook on high for about 1 hour, then lower heat to low and cook for about 8-10 hours. Then yummy stew! and your house smells good too! Make cornbread or an accompanying bread with it... this freezes beautifully too! See it’s a fun recipe that gives you the basics, but you can adjust to your liking! Now, I got a hankering for somethin’ sweet this morning! Here is the baking for the day (courtesy of Taste of Home):



BROWN SUGAR CUTOUTS

Ingredients
1 cup butter, softened
2 cups packed brown sugar
3 eggs
2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground ginger

FROSTING:
1-1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 to 3 tablespoons half-and-half cream
Green food coloring, optional

Directions

1. In a large bowl, cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and lemon peel. Combine the flour, baking soda and ginger; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours or until easy to handle.

2. On a floured surface, roll out dough to 1/8-in. thickness. Cut with lightly floured 2-in. cookie cutters. Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350° for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown. Remove to wire racks to cool.

3. For frosting, in a small bowl, combine the confectioners' sugar, vanilla and enough cream to achieve spreading consistency. Add food coloring if desired to some or all of the frosting. Decorate cookies. Yields: About 6 dozen.

Now don’t go freaking out on me… I know I didn’t frost the ones in my picture!! I simply sprinkled colored sugar on them before baking. Still yummy… you can do either, or just eat them plain. They are really good!

Ok my dears… I’m off to bake, Bake, BAKE (and sew and clean in between LOL). Hope you enjoyed this rather winded blog and I will see you in the morning! HUGS!