Happy Winter

Image Via Ritzy Bee Blog

1st June - officially winter... well theoretically in these parts. I stopped for a moment yesterday afternoon and pondered the fact that we still have our living room doors flung wide open.... way into the evenings. The afternoon air is still mild so the doors stay open. 

It is a bit chillier this morning though.... maybe because it knows it's the first of June?

I am a winter girl. Leggings, boots, scarves. I love the cold...like real cold... like not the cold here... which isn't really cold at all. 'Daywear' still involves peeling off the morning cardigan by lunch time here  ... but I will take whatever Brisbane winter has to offer this year....snuggled under a blanket now... so off to a good start :)

Happy Winter!

Philly Cheesesteak Sloppy Joes

Living near Philadelphia, we are big fans of cheesesteaks. Many restaurants near us make their own cheesesteaks and, of course, there are the popular restaurants in the city itself. SP even made his own version recently. So when I saw this recipe for Philly Cheesesteak Sloppy Joes on Kelly's blog, I had to give it a try.


These couldn't have been easier and the results were delicious. I added some green pepper for color and flavor and I think mushrooms would also be good. We only had two tablespoons of steak sauce left in the bottle, but that ended up being plenty. The cheese sauce is a great addition and made these taste like the cheesesteaks we know and love. I hollowed out the rolls to make a little bed for the meat mixture to sit in, which really helped keep everything together. I'll be making these again for sure.

Philly Cheesesteak Sloppy Joes
Adapted from Rachael Ray

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound ground beef
1 softball-sized onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
2 tablespoons steak sauce
1 cup beef stock
Salt and ground black pepper
4 dinner rolls
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon flour
1 cup milk
1 cup provolone, shredded

In large skillet over medium-high heat add the oil and then brown the ground beef, about 5-6 minutes. Add the onion and green pepper and cook another 3-4 minutes, until the vegetables start to get tender. Stir in the steak sauce and beef stock, season with salt and pepper, bring up to a bubble and cook about 2 minutes.

Split open rolls and remove most of the soft insides, leaving a bed to hold the meat mixture. Toast the rolls and set aside.

While the meat is cooking, melt the butter in a medium-size pot over medium-high heat. Stir in the flour and cook about 1 minute. Whisk in milk, bring up to a bubble and let thicken, about 2 minutes. Turn off heat and stir in the cheese.

To serve, place a scoopful of the meat mixture onto the bottom of the rolls, then top with the cheese sauce and replace the top of the roll.

Terrific Under Ten Tuesday #16

Welcome to Terrific Under Ten Tuesday!

Blogger was acting funny most of last week, so I was unable to leave comments on a lot of last week's linky party links. But I did visit each and everyone and enjoyed all your thrifty projects!

Here are a few I would like to highlight:

Happy Pillow Trio from Busy Home Adventures

Candy Bouquet Tutorial from Delightful Order

Burlap Garden Flag from Vintage Gwen

If you were featured today please grab and "I'm Featured" button from my sidebar to add to your blog! Thanks so much!

Now it's time for this week's linky party!

<center><a href="http://athomewithk.blogspot.com/"><img border="0" src="http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff267/MommasPrimitives/linkypartybutton-1-1.jpg"/></a></center>


Here are the rules:

1. Your project must be made or bought for $10 or less. Crafts, Makeovers, Thrift Finds, Recipes, Kids Projects...

2. Please do not link up Online Shops or Giveaways.

3. You can link up multiple projects.

4. Link to the specific post and not to the main page of your blog.

5. Add the Terrific Under Ten Tuesdays button to your post, side bar, or linky party list.

6. Visit at least one other project and leave a comment. We all love comments!

Then I'll feature some favorites on the next Terrific Under Ten Tuesday.

*By linking up, you give me the permission to use your photo(s) from your post.

More Lights

Head over HERE to see what I have coming in later in the year!

I love them to death but I am interested in your feedback..... be brutally honest.

A-M xx

AN ARRIVAL

Look closely... Do you see it?

MOMMA HAS A BABY!

I'm so happy for her! She let me get really close to snap some pics. I have no idea when the baby hatched, I just happened to notice more than one shape in the nest today.

HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY EVERYONE!

LET'S ALL KEEP THE BRAVE MEN AND WOMEN WHO SERVE IN OUR MILITARY IN OUR HEARTS TODAY AND EVERY DAY. AND TO ALL WHO GAVE THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE FOR OUR COUNTRY, GOD BLESS AND THANK YOU.

Spicy Asian Lettuce Wraps

My friend Melissa raved about these Spicy Asian Lettuce Wraps and then submitted them for one of the recipe swaps where the recipient also raved about them. I'm trying to cook out of my comfort zone while also finding healthier recipes that are more suited to the summer heat. This sounded perfect.


These were delicious, with just a hint of spice from the Sriracha and a vibrant burst from the cilantro.

I had some chicken breasts in the freezer so I used my food processor to grind my own chicken. I made the filling in the morning after Baby Girl and SP left for the day. The smell was intoxicating and I couldn't wait for dinner. I subbed butter lettuce for iceburg and served the wraps with white rice and Asian-Style Broccoli. Because I'd used chicken instead of turkey the filling was a little dry, but that can easily be remedied by upping the amount of sauce ingredients. I reread Melissa's blog entry after I'd made them and was kicking myself for not adding the water chestnuts she suggested - they'd make a great, crunchy addition so I added them to the recipe below so I won't forget next time.


I can't wait to make these again. Thanks for a real winner, Melissa!

Spicy Asian Lettuce Wraps
Adapted from I Was Born to Cook

2 tablespoons canola oil
1/2 cup red onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tablespoons ginger root, peeled and grated
1 1/2 lbs. ground chicken (or turkey)
4 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons Sriracha
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 small can water chestnuts, chopped
1/3 cup chopped peanuts
1 head butter lettuce (or iceburg)

Heat oil in a large non-stick frying pan, add onion and saute about 2 minutes, then add garlic and ginger root and saute another minute. Add ground chicken (turkey) to frying pan and break apart, then add soy sauce and Sriracha. Cook until the chicken (turkey) is brown and crumbling apart, and the sauce is slightly reduced, about 5 minutes.

While chicken (turkey) cooks, wash and chop cilantro. Remove the core end from lettuce and separate leaves. Chop peanuts and put in small bowl to serve at the table. When turkey is done, add chopped water chestnuts and chopped cilantro and cook 1-2 minutes more.

To serve: place chicken mixture on lettuce leaf, sprinkle with peanuts, and fold the leaf closed to make it easy to grab and eat.

Clutter

Image Courtesy Apartment Therapy.... how gorgeous are those books!

I subscribe to 'Zen Habits', a wonderful website about finding simplicity in the daily chaos of our lives ...clearing the 'clutter' (physical and cerebral!) so one can focus on what is important in life. This post, from Zen Habits, on 'Decluttering' arrived in my inbox last week.... so I thought I would share it with you.

I am not a minimalist. I enjoy a few beautiful things around me in my home but I do find, for me, that living with simplicity and lack of clutter does free my mind and gives me a sense of peace.

Confession - I do love my books though and have them stashed in boxes in the shed, waiting to fill a floor to ceiling bookshelf in the next home I build.... but that's about it for me ... for serious clutter/hoarding. My lifetime keepsake box is the size of a document storage box... a few of my own academic reports, cards from my boys, their report cards, school portfolios and photos, and one little baby blue outfit that each of my boys wore as newborns.....that's it. My shed? well that's my work, and it comes and goes.... my personal clutter is meager.

Having moved so many times in the last few years, I have really pared down what I own... what I need... what I use on a daily basis.... from kitchen bits and pieces to even makeup and clothes. Even living elsewhere during the floods, and thinking I was going to lose everything, made me realise how little I really need to not only survive but to keep with me for 'aesthetic contentment'!

Have a read of Leo's post HERE. How do you view clutter? Do you see it as clutter? ... as treasures?... as a reminder of insurmountable tasks?... as happy memories? ... or as a scourge in your life?

POSTING, FLOWERS, GRADUATION

I have edited this post after receiving a couple e-mails on how to fix our problems..

ROBIN at http://thecrankycrow.blogspot.com/2011/05/blogger-comment-help-if-youre.html has posted this…and also Pamela from http://seasonsofthyheart.blogspot.com/ suggested the same ‘fix’.

SHEILA over at http://seasonsofthyheart.blogspot.com/  said she has been commenting through Anonymous and then it will go through…so let’s try that!!
Thanks Sheila

SO PLEASE CHECK OUT ROBIN’S SITE AND MAYBE YOU TOO CAN BE ‘FIXED’.

But here’s my original post anyway….

SORRY EVERYONE...I'VE BEEN LIKE SOME OF YOU AND CAN'T POST COMMENTS.

I'VE TRIED MANY TIMES TO POST A COMMENT AND IT TAKES ME TO THE SIGN IN...I DO THAT AND IT TAKES ME BACK TO THE POST AND REPEATS ITSELF OVER AND OVER.

What in the world is going on with Blogger????

I see that some of you have many comments...why is that????
Am I doing something wrong???

On my last post here I got some comments and some bloggers had to e-mail me with their comments because of this issue.

I PROMISE I WILL GET BACK TO YOU THROUGH AN E-MAIL AS WELL IF I CAN’T COMMENT DIRECTLY.

Does anyone know what is happening - why some CAN and why some CAN'T???

Please let me say THANK YOU  to everyone who commented and e-mailed about my DECISION...still don't know what I'm going to do - as I was fighting this issue an order came in...LOL

I know there are down times with website sales...I've just never experienced it in the 6 years I've been doing this. Guess I can call myself one of the lucky ones. And a couple months with slow sales is probably very normal.

I will tough it out and see what the rest of summer brings. I do know I'm always busy at holiday time though.

AGAIN 'THANK YOU' TO EVERYONE FOR CARING AND HELPING ME WITH ALL YOUR WONDERFUL SUGGESTIONS.

 

IT’S GRADUATION TIME!
Yesterday our neighbors had a graduation party for the 5th and last daughter.
It was held in the street right outside our side yard/driveway...we attended for about 2 hours then retreated to the quiet of our house.

GERANIUMS…
I did get a few of my Geraniums out on Friday – I only put out a few this year and left the rest packed away. Seems as time goes on I do less and less of everything. The ‘less is more’ phrase is sounding better and better as I go along.

Simple pot on kitchen counter

In my trencher – this time I put it on the hutch in my den because and not on the dining room table  - I like the Goose in the grain box now – I guess found something I like better than the trencher there.

And then on the table in the kitchen by the back door. I have them sitting in one of my favorite tin dough risers.

And my most favorite is my Patriotic ones in the screen room with the Red and White Geraniums in the blue box.

Have a wonderful Memorial Weekend and remember all those who served our country and paid the price and for all those others went before us.

Karen

Asian-Style Broccoli

I got into a discussion on my life board recently that resulted in one of the women sharing a recipe for Asian-Style Broccoli. We love broccoli but sometimes I get tired of steaming or roasting it, so I was excited for a new recipe.


I still need to perfect the balance of salty and sweet, but this was a real winner. Thanks, erosa!

Asian-Style Broccoli
Recipe from erosa

2 tablespoons olive oil
4 broccoli crowns, cut into florets
2 garlic cloves, minced or grated
2 tablespoons fresh ginger, grated
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup chicken stock
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon corn starch

Heat oil in a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add in the broccoli, garlic and ginger and cook 2 minutes. Add a splash of water and cover the skillet, allowing the broccoli to steam (for crisp broccoli, 3 minutes).

Mix the soy sauce, chicken stock, brown sugar and corn starch in a small bowl until the corn starch dissolves. After the broccoli has steamed to your desired doneness, add the liquid to the pan, stirring to coat the broccoli in the sauce. Allow the sauce to thicken, about 2 minutes.

A Yearning for Yarn...

Mmmmm....lovely new yarns from Knit Collage arrived at Halfpenny Home yesterday, we've been waiting a little while for these so the excitement meter hand hit maximum!
Rolling Stone is one of the yarn ranges that sit alongside the very much loved Gypsy Garden ones that we are such big fans of at HH HQ - it gets non-knitters knitting and even fellas find it hard to resist a bit of a knit...

Gorgeous!

We were both especially taken by the scrummy Pixie Dust yarns - we've not had these before and they are amazing! Lumpy, bumpy yarns with angelina fibre for some heavenly sparkle...

Look at how lovely and green the Emerald Rainforest is.....sigh! I'm so eager to get out a pair of needles and knit one of these up but can't decide which one....

After these lovely crocheted apple cosies appeared on the cover of Mollie Makes we've all been making them - they're addictive! It gives us a good excuse to get the hooks out, use up some of those odd bits of yarn and (of course) choose a very special button with which to embellish them with!

A great deal of debate over the practicality of such fruit jumpers raged during knitting on Wednesday and following a recent trip into Ipswich I can report that they do indeed help to prevent your breaktime apple from getting bumped and grazed whilst rolling around in your favourite wicker basket....
The trip to Ipswich was to pick up the fliers for our 'crafty afternoon' which is on Friday 3rd June at Ipswich Waterstones. We'll be there from Noon with some of the projects from A Green Guide to Country Crafts, come along and say hello, it would be lovely to see you!

Janine at Ipswich Waterstones is really lovely and particularly good at promoting and supporting local authors like us and Katie Ward, a fellow 'tweeter' whose first novel Girl Reading has just been published.

There we are! We are those 'crafty'people...

Look forward to seeing some friendly faces there and perhaps even meeting up with some blog-buddies?
Nic and Jacqui x

Yesterday's Ponderings

Do you like my new boots? They were $40...I got them while I was away... yep, they are so not leather... for $40 how could they be... but they are perfect for knocking around on filthy, muddy soccer fields.

I only took my eye off the game to take this photo as big son was substituted off to take a puff on his ventolin (has inherited my tragic lungs).

'Little tacker' took a long shot for me. I think they are cool and comfy as.

Good advertisement for 'Pizza Capers'. They gave me that cooler for my birthday... so generous.

Speaking of 'tacker'... he got player of the week.... and big son scored 2 of his team's 4 goals. It was a big day. Another ad for Pizza Capers... they do a great Vegetarian Pizza... bit heavy on the garlic but super herbed up!

Now I did some pondering through my boys games yesterday. Conclusion and decision made. Life is short. I have a 'bucket list'. I am going to play soccer.

I never had the chance to play a team sport as a young girl. I so wanted to play hockey but I was never allowed to. It was music lessons for me. No sport. I do not want to leave this earth without having played a team sport. I want to be part of a sporting team, tackle the opposition, score goals and sit around and have a natter and 'after match drinks'... or whatever they do?.... tea and scones?

Fortuitous that the Division 7 Women's Team was playing after my boys matches. They're Mums and they're old.... like me! I had a chat to them and watched their game. They said I was welcome on their team. Hmm... and they have pink soccer boots.

I am purchasing a pair of soccer boots on Monday. I am going to start by training with my boys on a Thursday night. I love soccer. If I'd have had a girl, she would have played the game. 

My inner child is going to get her chance... finally... at the tender age of 44. I am so excited. Can I do this? Am I too old? Will it hurt lots? I hope I don't cry when I get tackled to the ground. 

Are any of you going 'radical' (my boys' assessment of the whole situation) as you get older too? Ticking off a bucket list?

Weekend Food

This past weekend I had a craving for a gooey, cheesy grilled cheese sandwich. I sliced some tomato to add color and freshness to the sandwich:


The next morning I used the rest of the tomato to make myself a tomato and cheese omelet with breakfast potatoes:

Here's what I did with my premier fabric.....

Hey guys! A few posts back I talked about the premier fabric and how it was on sale for $5.58 a yard. I spent my 5 bucks for 1 yard, and it was enough to cover both of these chairs I got at the thrift store for $14 a chair. I took off the awful fabric, sanded it, primed it, painted it black, and then covered with the new fabric. Here they are before.........

and after.......

and I also love this new lamp I bought at HomeGoods. :) I couldn't resist it........

I love the blown glass.....

It was $49 and I think it looks alot like this one, and mine was half the price.

Fleeting

Image Courtesy House Beautiful.

Cut short my trip away to attend a funeral yesterday. A friend lost his Dad unexpectedly. 

So sorry 'S'. I loved your Dad.

Puts everything in perspective. 

Cherish those you love. Do what you love.

Cheese Stuffed Tomatoes

Updated July 18, 2011 with a new picture. This time they didn't fall apart and I was able to make them with fresh basil from my garden.

I love tomatoes. I eat them every day and can never get enough, especially this time of year. I've been wanting to make these Cheese Stuffed Tomatoes for awhile, but finally put them on the menu this week.


We were grilling steak anyway, so I wrapped these up and put them on the top rack of the grill to cook. We both kind of forgot they were there, so they ended up cooking way too long, but they were still utterly delicious even if they were falling apart. I just wish the photo had been better. I can't wait to make these with fresh basil once I've got my basil plant growing this summer.

Cheese Stuffed Tomatoes
The Novice Chef

4 medium tomatoes
1/4 cup of your favorite breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons butter, melted
8 basil leaves, chopped
1/2 cup Monterey jack cheese, shredded
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Parsley for garnish

Slice off top of tomato, hollow out (leaving 1/2 inch thick shell), and chop pulp and set aside. In a medium bowl, combine bread crumbs, butter, basil, salt and pepper. Next stir in cheese and tomato pulp. Fill each tomato shell and then wrap each tomato individually in foil.

Grill, or bake (at 400 degrees) for 10 to 15 minutes, until cheese is completely melted. Garnish with parsley and serve hot.

No Steps

Fuzzy image courtesy Southern Living.... but you get the idea.... love those transoms!

Hmm, I would love to build a sprawling low-set house sometime in my lifetime. Land availability/affordability would be the only rate limiting step.... for the sprawling bit.

Featured in 'Southern Living', I am assuming this beauty is somewhere in the northern hemisphere.... but you do see this style here in Australia, 'the early colonial homestead', particularly down south.

I love the idea of no steps. How about you? I change my mind all the time.... 2 story cottage?... sprawling low-set?

Number 53 on the 'bucket list'... build a sprawling low-set house.... with no steps :)

I'VE GOT THE BLUES...AND PURPLES...

The garden is struggling a bit these days as we can't buy a drop of rain here in Florida. Color is not abundant except here in my collection of old buckets and other containers scattered about the back patio.

These blue salvias remind me so much of lavender, which does not do well in our normally wet climate.

They start out with buds that are white...

And then, they explode into these gorgeous blue blossoms. I've been experimenting with soft focus, hope you appreciate the effect...

Scaveola in two shades of purple make a pretty showing in my old triple sink.

Purple cat's whiskers in an old cast iron kettle frame the garden cottage in the background.

Oh and an update on mother dove. Still on the nest. Things are looking good.