Aprons

Do you love Aprons? My grandmother wore one everyday working in a cafe. She wasn't the only one, most of the ladies in there had on aprons too! I always loved them. I have a pink one hanging in my kitchen. (Will try to remember to post a picture of it). Calamity Kim loves aprons too. She was just published in the new Apronology Magazine! To celebrate she is doing a GIVEAWAY! Be sure to check it out!!!!!!

Happy Birthday Annabelle!!!!

Today is Annabelle's Birthday! I sure hope she has a great day. I think all days are great with her. She has the most wonderful personality, very outgoing and always very lively.

I wish I could see her today. I hope mother and dad buy her a cupcake today, because she loves cupcakes.

Happy Birthday Annabelle! Your Gran loves you!

Annabelle's Birthday Party

Annabelle's Birthday Cake

Annabelle's Birthday Shoes

Annabelle had special shoes for her Birthday Party on Saturday! They were very cute! She had a great time. There was an Easter Egg Hunt, an Easter Bunny, lots of cake and ice cream and plenty of fun! I will post more pictures later.

Need Some Help

Problem seems to be solved. I have no idea how it happened but it is working now.  

If you know why some of my pictures are not showing up in my slideshow, please let me know.  They were working fine just a few days ago.  Now you see a ? instead of a picture on about 4 slides.  When you double click to go to Picasa, the pictures are there and you can see them on the slideshow.  

Please let me know if you can figure out my problem.

Thanks!

Please Pray for Conner

I want to ask everyone to pray for Conner.  He is the 5 year old son of Deidre and Stephen.  I work with Deidre.  This precious family learned this week that Conner has Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia (ALL).  This type of Leukemia has the most successful treatment rate.  He received his first treatment on Friday, March 20, 2009.  Please remember this sweet family in your prayers. Conner has a "Caring Bridge" site if you would like to visit, just type in connerholland.  

I would like to thank you in advance for praying for this sweet family during this difficult time.

Beef Stew - West Gadsden Cafe Style

2 Pkgs. of Stew Meat (around 2.5 - 3 lbs)

1 Can Tomato Sauce - 15 ounce 

2 Ribs Celery chopped very fine

1 Package baby carrots ( cut in 2 pieces)

Potatoes (cut up bite size)

1 Envelope Lipton Onion Soup Mix

Water

Salt and Pepper to Taste

Sprinkle of each of these:

Worcestershire Sauce

Kitchen Bouquet

Garlic Salt

NOTE:  I don't use a recipe for this........so you can use more or less of what you like the most. 

I put the tomato sauce in a Dutch Oven and add 3 cans of water along with the lipton soup.  Add all the other ingredients except the potatoes.  You will need to add more water when you get all your ingredients in the dutch oven.  Bring the stew to a boil and put a lid on it and turn the temperature down enough to keep the stew cooking at a slow boil or bubbly.  Stir often to make sure it isn't sticking.  I use a very thick Dutch Oven so mine never sticks.  Add the potatoes the last hour it cooks.  I usually cook this for about 3.5 to 4 hours.

I serve mine with cornbread and slaw, but you can choose whatever you like.  This would be good cooked in a crock pot too.

Please let me know how you like this!!!!  My family loves this.

New Ideas for Dinner?

Do you need new ideas for dinner at your house? I know I do. I cook the same things over and over. My First Kitchen is conducting a survey right now and she is giving away a set of My First Kitchen spices for free! She is trying to make food fun again. So give it a try!!!!!! She has wonderful recipes on her site also!!!!!

Annabelle and Lydia

I went to Birmingham on Wednesday night to spend the night with my sweet granddaughters.  I kept the youngest one, Lydia, on Thursday for Missy to work.  I loved it!  She is the sweetest baby.  She is no trouble at all.  Annabelle sang some new songs on Wednesday night.  I have added Teddy Bear and Mary Had a Little Lamb to the link on the left.  I may post a few more, she made up several songs.  She loves to sing into my iPhone.  If you listen you can hear a voice get very soft and then loud.  She watches the bars on the recorder go up and down as she changes her singing voice. At the end of her singing you can hear her say, "I want to hear it."

Something Handmade!

I was just over at Remodeling This Life and there was an offer to the first 5 people to post a comment to receive something handmade.  I jumped right in there and was the 5th person to comment!!!!!  

A few things:

1-  Your handmade "thing" from me will be a Christmas ornament.  That is the only handmade thing I can make to send!

2- You will receive it in time to hang on your Christmas Tree.

3- What I create will be just for you.

4- You have no clue what it is going to be.  I do not sew on a machine.  I am not all that crafty, but it will be something hopefully you will like.

I am so glad to be part of this, because I think it is going to challenge me to be more creative.  I love this idea of sending someone I may not know something to hang on their Christmas Tree.

The Catch is:

You must re-post this on YOUR blog and make the same offer to the first 5 people who respond on your blog entry, thereby continuing the fun!

Enter at your own risk!!!!

Share and Enjoy!

Going to See My Best Two Girls

Tomorrow I am going to Montgomery to a meeting for the day, meeting Deana at 6:30 a.m., much much too early. The only good news is I am spending the night with Missy tomorrow night! I get to see my girls! I will be keeping Lydia on Thursday while Missy works. I hope to get some new pictures to share and maybe I can even get Annabelle to sing us a new song to post!

It has been very cold since Sunday when we had a dusting of snow. Thursday the high is suppose to be around 70! Spring has to come very soon, the sooner the better for me. I am tired of being cold all the time.

Matt, my son has a Great Dane named Scooby. They live with me. Scooby had a very good snack this morning, he ate all of the Pound Cake that was left! I came home for lunch to find the 2 ziploc bags in the kitchen floor! I know better than to leave any food within his reach. (Which means not to put it on top of the refridgerator....he can get it from there too) I guess it means I will just have to cook another one sometime soon.

I will find a picture of Scooby for you all to see.  He is really a sweet dog, he just loves to eat!

A Snowy Day

Alabama woke up to a beautiful snowfall this morning. We don't see a lot of snow so this little dusting is a big deal for us. We haven't missed school for snow in the last couple of years. Some of us think that is a good thing, since we have built-in weather days. Since this is a Sunday snow, we won't miss school this time either. It is really pretty to look at and the roads are clear. The ground is wet, so there isn't a lot on the grassy areas but the rooftops and cars are covered.

Annabelle was getting ready to go play in the snow when I called earlier. I hope to see pictures of her playing in the snow soon.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Sunday. Lunch will be different today. I told my dad not to get out, I was afraid he would fall. Matt is going to deliver their lunch. Today our menu is lasagna, salad, garlic bread, and pound cake (recipe below). The pound cake I cook is affectionately call "Bertha's Pound Cake". Bertha went to church with us and every time there was an an occasion to eat, she always brought her pound cake. It has a wonderful crust on it and my family loves it!

Bertha's Pound Cake

1/2 Pound of Margarine
1/2 Pound of Crisco (sometimes I use the butter flavored)
3 Cups Sugar

Cream all of the above together

Then add 5 Eggs (add one at a time)

Add 2 Tablespoons of Vanilla to
1 Cup of Milk

Mix together 3 Cups Gold Medal Plain Flour with
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1/2 Teaspoon Baking Powder

Alternate adding flour mixture and milk. Cream together until well blended.

Pour in a floured and greased bundt pan. (This makes a large cake so be careful if your bundt pan isn't a large one) Be sure to only get the pan a little over half full. This cake will rise. I usually place most of the batter in my bundt pan and then I have enough for a small loaf pan too. The loaf cake might not take as long to cook as the bundt pan

Start in a COLD oven and turn temperature to 325 and bake for 1 hour or until done (insert a cake tester to test).

The secret to the crust is starting in a cold oven!!!!

I can't wait to hear how you like this one!!!!