The Watson Family

Ten on Ten: February 2012

2012-02-10T22:06:00.000-05:00

It's not fun when someone has already filed taxes under your SSN!!!

Gearing up for Baby. Starting to buy diapers, etc with coupons and sales.

Back pain is no fun during pregnancy...

We were playing outside, but where on earth did the rain come from?

My little boy's cars all lined up for the Lego car wash...

Hey! Look what I found today! My toes!

I cannot begin to explain what great lengths it took to paint those bad boys.....

Time to read during Nap Time. :)

Grocery list....

Should I be this tired this early?

Time for a Tylenol if I'm going to sleep tonight...

Hard Boiled Eggs

2012-01-23T20:03:00.000-05:00

Hard boiled eggs... really?

Yes, really.

A few weeks ago I had a craving for deviled eggs and every time I went to boil my eggs I kept boiling them either too long or not long enough and was so frustrated.

Since when could I not boil a bloomin' egg? I've boiled eggs plenty of times before.

But I noticed I wasn't boiling eggs the way other people perfectly boiled their eggs. So, onto the internet I went to learn how to boil the perfect "hard" boiled egg.

Apparently I'm not the only one who has had this problem. There are tons of instructions out there for soft, medium, and hard cooked eggs.

And here is the perfect way to boil an hard boiled egg.

1. Bring your eggs to room temperature before cooking.

2. Gently place the eggs in a single layer in a pan with enough cold water to cover eggs completely. Approximately one inch of water over eggs.

3. Over high heat, bring water JUST to a rapid boil. As soon as the water reaches a rapid boil, remove pan from heat and cover egg pan tightly with a lid.

4. Set timer for 17 minutes for large eggs or 20 minutes for jumbo eggs.

5. After 17 or 20 minutes, remove lid and drain water from the eggs.

6. Transfer the eggs to a bowl of ice cubes and cold water after the cooking time is over.

7. Let eggs cool at least 10 minutes in cold water, then drain.

And then you have perfect, simple, hard boiled eggs.

Front Door / Entry Way

2012-01-13T11:36:00.001-05:00

So last week I posted photos on stripping the front door and limestone around the entry way. It was a messy job.... and that "somebody" that had to do it, was me.

I didn't post photos of the front door at that time, because it still wasn't finished.

The front door has been a huge thorn in my side. Originally when I stripped it, I let it dry out for months and then primed it and started painting it with Benjamin Moore's Heritage Red. It was a great color, but I was a little dissapointed in the finish. It wasn't as glossy as I wanted. I thought I would just "deal with it"... until some strange hazy areas started showing up on our door.

I went to our Benjamin Moore store and talked to the owner about what might be going on. He came out to the house a few days later and said everything looked fine... just use a fine steel wool, sand it lightly and re-coat it a couple of times. Well... FYI... that didn't work!

When one opinion might not work... get a second.

So, I went to another Benjamin Moore store, talked to the owner and another guy there and they came up with.... HARK!!... the door must be seeping sap. It's an old door, it is pine, and when I stripped the paint.... it might have started releasing sap again... which I did not know... is normal they said.

So they suggested I finely sand it down and use this...

They said to paint it on as my primer and it should lock out the sap or whatever might be trying to seep through.

At this point I wanted to go a little above and beyond to be safe, so I coated the door twice... thick.

And, since I wasn't happy with the finish my original paint gave me, they guys at Benjamin Moore mixed up a glossy latex... and they worked on the color to get it as close to the Heritage Red as possible. It wound up being a tad bit brighter, but good since our door is recessed a little and doesn't get much sun directly on it.

Here is the finished result... as of right now.... with the limestone and front door...

As you can see, we haven't chosen new hardware for the door yet.

Here is the original hardware on the door before we re-finished it...

Hank refinished the long hinges, handle and door knocker.... but we're not totally sure what we're going to do. We'll definitely reuse the long hinges, but might replace the door handle with something larger and nicer. We're looking around, but things are really pricey... or maybe we just have expensive taste. Go figure...

As you can see in the photo, the porch is a disaster, so we have to paint that too. That will give the front a major facelift. We also need new sconces on either side of the door. We also need a sidewalk from the driveway to the front door.

Need. Need. Need.

Give it time right? Everything takes time and money!! But thank goodness. We have color to our front door and things are starting to look more presentable on the front of the house! :)

Ten on Ten : January 2012

2012-01-10T21:49:00.001-05:00

Fresh flowers in the house are so cheerful!

Had to get outside and play before the rain. Expelling energy is very important around here...

I haven't had any taste for coffee. Well, that isn't totally true.... I mean, if it's a Pumpkin Spice Latte or a Quad Venti Extra Hot Peppermint Latte from Starbucks.... I might be tempted.... but at home, it's just a hot cuppa tea....

I literally dug around our attic for 30 minutes today searching for this book... only to come downstairs and find it in my son's dresser drawer. You can never start getting prepared too early... I don't care what you say. This book was a lifesaver with our son as an infant!

I'm only 29 weeks, but look as though I'm about to POP !!!

Going to make egg salad. I guess it can be a healthy snack, right?

Had another recipe/photo accepted on Foodgawker. It was a challenge to get photos accepted on this site!

Such a good doggie....

Make me stop eating!!!

So I got the decorations off... but the trees are still in the house...

Cheddar Cheese Biscuits

2012-01-09T22:25:00.000-05:00

Everyone loves Red Lobster's cheddar biscuits. They are so yummy and there are tons of people out there who make them at home. I'll admit... I've always gotten the dollar packet at the store and put my water in and viola... garlic cheddar biscuits. And I will quickly admit, they are great. But, it's time I made the real thing.

With all the ingredients on hand already, these were so quick to make. They were just as good as the packet from the store and when warm right out of the oven, they are just as good as Red Lobster's.

So... it's a win-win situation, right?

Let's bake them!

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Combine Bisquick, garlic powder and cheese in medium bowl. Stir in milk until just combined. Drop dough onto cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes.

While biscuits are baking, melt the butter and stir in parsley and garlic salt.

After 10 minutes, brush the butter mixture onto the biscuits.

Bake the biscuits for an additional five minutes or until golden brown on top.

Serve warm. Super yummy!!

All that was missing was a huge platter of Florida seafood!!!!!!!!!

Ingredients:

2 cups Bisquick mix
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar
2/3 cup milk
2 tbsp butter
1 tsp dried parsley
1 tsp garlic salt

No Fail Pound Cake

2012-01-05T15:08:00.000-05:00

Pound cake. So simple. So good. So easily eaten mostly by a seven month pregnant lady.

I went to the doctor today for my routine check-up. I stepped on the scale. Then I quickly stepped off the scale. My husband says, "What did it say"? I don't care if he knows. But I'd rather not know. The nurse chimes in, "Only five pounds in the last month... that's good". I say, "Is it?".... (sarcasm... I'm pretty sure she didn't get it...) Then she says, "You know.... you have to eat during the holidays.... all that good food."

Right. I get that. But I didn't plan on being Shamu's twin and feeling like a beached whale.

OK, that is a little extreme. But... really.... I hate the gaining weight part.

But you know what I do love? I SERIOUSLY do love eating. It's all my fault.

So, when I made this, like I've made it many times before, I thought it would last a few days and we would take a slice here and there for a sweet taste, etc. But by the time it baked and sat around for one day, I had demolished it down to about a three inch slice. I actually had the audacity to say to my husband when he came home from work, "You better eat that or I'm throwing it away." I mean.... really? Did it really matter at that point???

But it's good... and it's simple... and it's the perfect "not-too-sweet" to have around.

I think it's a pretty popular recipe similar to others I've seen online. But here is the recipe anyway.

Make it. But I would advise sharing it.... :)

Ingredients:

1/2 lb butter
1 3/4 cup sugar
5 eggs
2 cups cake flour
1 tsp vanilla

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Cream butter slowly.

3. Add sugar and continue beating at low speed for 10 minutes.

4. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition.

5. Add flour and flavoring. Mix thoroughly.

6. Turn temperature down to 300 degrees when you put cake in oven.

Bake for 1 hour and 15 min. (possibly a few minutes shorter.... check with toothpick!)

Blogs I Like to Read...

2012-01-03T10:52:00.001-05:00

Here's a list of some of the blogs I enjoy...

A Country Farmhouse

A Cozy Kitchen

Bakerella

Conservative Progress

Little Green Notebook

Secrets of Baby Behavior

Front Door

2011-12-29T22:59:00.002-05:00

It's been forever since we've updated on our house progress and it's probably because I'm ready to put my head in a hole with it right now. We've been catching up on so much painting..... two coats on all the trim that has gone back up and then painting the walls in the master bedroom, den, hallway, etc.

It doesn't sound like much, but it is, just take my word for it.

And, while painting and getting up and down constantly on a scaffold... I'm pregnant. Thank goodness our house is situated on our property where we can open just a few of our windows and the breeze will literally flow from one end of the house to the other and get the fumes out.... and yes, I've been wearing a heavy duty mask while painting. Hank cannot be trusted painting, so it has continued to be my task.

Again, just take my word for it.

One of the thorns in my side right now has been our front door.... well, actually the whole entry way.

We stripped the front door and left it bare to dry out for a bit. Then we decided to start on the limestone.

Like everything else around here, the limestone around the front door had previously chipped and been painted over and we decided if we're going redo it, then let's REDO IT! So, we started with stripping the limestone. If you put Peel Away on anything, within 24 hours the paint is literally sliding off the surface. So here is our entryway ready for stripping. Sorry for the ugliness, neighbors!!

I scraped.

And scraped.

I couldn't believe what a mess it was. Some parts were caked on for so long and hard that Hank had to get a grinder and get through the last layer of paint.

* Side Note: You see that work face? That is a Watson work face. When Grady starts doing that... then I'll worry.

After a lot of scraping and washing, here is the front area totally stripped of paint.

It was a lot of work, but totally worth it. The stone is so smooth and the door had a lot of bad paint on it and in addition to that, a lot of wood rot on the bottom. We bought a wood rot kit and did all of the proper repairs on it and primed over it.

We have primed and painted the limestone, but I really didn't want to show photos just yet. The front door has been one big nightmare for me and we hope to get it finalized this weekend. After we get it finished, I'll take "after" photos and post them.

Hope all of our hard work has been worth it! I guess we'll see. :)

Did We Share The Good News?

2011-12-29T21:47:00.000-05:00

I cannot believe that it has taken me this long to actually post our good news... I mean.... I'm only about 27 weeks late in doing so. But, if you were to see me... there is no hiding it... this little baby is definitely there!!

We don't know yet if it's a boy or girl.... and most likely we're not going to find out. It was so much fun waiting to find out when I was pregnant with Grady and so far we're heading down the same road. The only advantage at this point would be so we could paint the nursery, but honestly... that hasn't been important enough yet to find out the sex of the baby.

I think Grady understands to a point what is going on, but I'm sure he will be in a state of SHOCK when the baby gets here. So far he will pat my stomach and every now and then try to lift my shirt to say "hi" to the baby.... and a few weeks ago he patted my stomach and said, "baby, be safe". Ha! When I ask him if he wants a baby sister or baby brother he says, "baby sister"..... sure kiddo.... we'll see.

This is me a couple of weeks ago... and the happy big brother... who is just always happy to have his picture taken!!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Balls... A.K.A. Buckeyes!

2011-12-27T18:14:00.001-05:00

Raise your hand if you love anything with chocolate and peanut butter!

Really, who doesn't love something that is another version of a Reese Cup? These peanut butter chocolate balls are awesome. There are quite a few different versions out there, but this is the one I tried and it was a big hit. Most people call these buckeyes, but since I've never been to Ohio and am not a Buckeye fan... I'll just call them chocolate peanut butter balls.

These were very fast to make and pop into the fridge to set.

First, using your paddle attachment, combine the peanut butter and softened cream cheese.

Add the graham cracker crumbs and mix for just a few seconds until combined well.

Next, add the powdered sugar and melted butter.... mix slowly until it starts to combine, then speed up the mixer and get it mixed thoroughly.

When finished, the mixture will be a little stiff and dry looking.

In the palm of your hand, take a tablespoon size of the mixture and roll it softly into a ball. It should stick together and form well.

Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

In a double boiler, melt the chocolate until it is completely smooth and ready for dipping. You'll want it nice and warm so you can really get the peanut butter balls coated easily.

With a toothpick, poke the side of the peanut butter ball and dip or roll around the ball in the chocolate. You'll see here my toothpick accidentally went all the way through, but it will not matter when that chocolate runs down and sets over the hole.....

After all the balls have been dipped, place the cookie sheet in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or until the chocolate has hardened.

You can store these in the refrigerator for up to one week, but I doubt you will really need to test that theory. Plus, with just one taste... you will be reaching for more quickly. :)

Ingredients:

1/4 cup cream cheese, softened

1 1/2 cups peanut butter

1 cup graham cracker crumbs

3 cups powdered sugar

10 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
12 ounces semi sweet chocolate chips

Sour Cream Chocolate Chip Muffins

2011-12-11T15:44:00.001-05:00

I saw this recipe awhile ago online.... on Pinterest I think. I bookmarked it and have been really wanting to make them, but every time I think about it, I never do it! The other day I had a sweet tooth (what pregnant girl doesn't?!?) and the only ingredient I was needing to bake these, was unsalted butter. Lucky me, I was headed out to the grocery store. How convenient.

These were truly so fast to mix up and bake. And they are truly delicious. As soon as they came out of the oven, I broke one open, popped it in my mouth... while doing the breath in and out cool off thing... and then stood at the refrigerator with the doors open drinking straight out of the whole milk jug. Not only was it glorious, but it was pretty much at that very moment that I was glad my husband wasn't home because he would be telling me to NOT complain about gaining weight.... and if I WAS gaining weight, why was I pigging out? The baby needs it... I would have said....

Here is the recipe. Give them a try. You will not regret it. Well, unless you eat the whole batch and then step on the scale. But just don't do that. :)

Ingredients
1 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup granulated sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
1 cup sour cream
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
3. In another bowl, combine the egg, sour cream, melted butter, and vanilla extract, mixing well.
4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
5. Gently add in the chocolate chips until thoroughly combined.
6. Evenly divide the batter among the prepared cupcake liners so that the liners are about 3/4-full.
7. Bake until a tester inserted into the center of the muffins comes out clean, about 16-18 minutes.

Stationery card

2011-12-08T17:09:00.001-05:00

Seasonal Chic Christmas Card

Find unique and modern Christmas cards at Shutterfly.

View the entire collection of cards.

Ho, Ho, Ho

2011-12-05T15:54:00.001-05:00

So.... last week I'm on my laptop looking at photos and doing a few things online and my computer starts having glitches and acting funny and my internet closes out. I open it back up. The internet is running fine, then BOOM.... everything gets crazy on my screen and my computer crashes. Me... being me... I immediately start panicking and sweating and texting my husband at work... saying everything is wiped off my computer, that all of our photos of the past year are gone, all of my documents are gone and what on earth am I going to do?!?! He of course says it probably can be recovered and we'll have it repaired.... to which I respond.... that if it cannot, it's no different than having a house fire, that all of the memories from the past year are gone and what on earth am I going to do?!?!?!

Two days later, my computer is repaired and I have all of my photos and files back. I hate it when he's right (well, except this time). And he hates how I freak out. I yam who I yam.....

So, the real reason for this post was to show Grady cutting down his own Christmas tree. Wait, let me clarify. He chose his own tree.... Daddy cut it down. Trust me, Grady didn't miss any of it though.

Seriously, just give this kid a task... he's all over it. He looks like this when he takes out the garbage for me...

And he is so proud. He is such a happy boy... so full of life and personality!! He really finds joy in everything he does. We are so blessed!!

I need to get a photo of his tree decorated. It's the cutest thing!

Getting Ready for Christmas

2011-11-18T15:15:00.001-05:00

This has been a long week. The little man and I have cabin fever. He's had a terrible cold and the weather has gone from hot to rainy to cold to cold and windy.... so I haven't wanted him out at all. But since we have been inside, he's been so sweet to sit and watch cartoons and movies and then do some crafts later in the week. I know he's starting to feel better because his devilish side is coming back out and he's back to being obsessed with playing with his truck and semi toys. He is a little rascal..... :)

Next week is Thanksgiving and we're trying to wrap some things up here in the house to get the living room (construction room) cleared out so we can put our Christmas tree in there again. Hank and I have had the tradition of cutting our tree down the day after Thanksgiving and now that we have children (OK... just Grady and one on the way...) we want to make it a big deal for the kids. This year will be the first year that Grady can have his own tree. Hank and I will have the "Big Kid" tree and Grady and any siblings will always be allowed to have their own little tree that they cut down and decorate any way they want. We are super excited and I think Grady will have a blast with it. Today we started making some decorations for his tree.....

He made a huge mess and loved painting the pine cones. Maybe I can bribe him to pick up the rest of the pine cones in our yard if he thinks they are for his tree.....

I found some little felt balls at Target for $1...... gotta love Target....

So we made some miniature trees with ornaments....

We tried to make some clay ornaments with a flour/salt recipe I found online, but it was a FLOP! They didn't bake hard enough. So, next week we'll try another recipe I found for a baking soda clay. Hope that works better.

Until next time..... Happy Thanksgiving!!

Kid's Room Update

2011-08-25T10:15:00.000-04:00

I was just on my computer going through some photos and realized (even more) how lazy I've been about showing updates as we have finished projects around here. I have been taking pictures of the progress on a regular basis, but we stay so busy I seem to never show how things improve.... only the mess we begin with.

One room that is literally one step from being completely finished is Grady's bedroom. When we stared, the crown molding was chipping right off and falling onto the floor, the fireplace mantle needed to be stripped along with the window trim, baseboards, doors, etc. Hank replaced the two windows in this bedroom and one of them had a lot of wood rot that Hank repaired. The walls were in crazy shape... I posted about that here.

Here is a reminder of what the bedroom looked like before.

And here are a few pictures of what it looked like while working on it....

And... after finishing those walls, trim, windows and buffing the floors.... here is what it looked like. :)

Now of course we have a ceiling fan installed, curtains up and all the furniture in the room.... it's just that it's been difficult to get a picture when "the toddler" hasn't destroyed it with toys. I need to work on that... :)

We did leave the crown molding down.... until JUST last weekend. Ummm... that means a year looking like that! We had a huge stack of trim in our attic that needed to be stripped, but with so many other projects going on, we just told ourselves we'd get to it when time allowed. Thank goodness, most of our large projects are over and for the last couple of months we have been hammering away on that stack of trim. We really didn't mind... if all we had to deal with was an ugly area around the ceiling for awhile, we could do that. But, now that we're getting it all stripped, primed and nailed back up again... it's like a breath of fresh air!!!! So, this bedroom has the crown back up and hopefully I can get it painted in the next week or two.

I'll post updated photos soon... I hope.... :)

Chicken Fried Rice

2011-08-03T18:10:00.002-04:00

This is a great and simple recipe that my mom emailed to me a few weeks ago. My husband loves things like this and I remembered my mom making this every now and then when I lived at home.... so I decided I'd give it a whirl.

First start off by washing your chicken thighs (and I pulled off the skin) and adding some salt and pepper. Bake them in the oven on 350 degrees until done. I cannot remember how long mine baked... but I guess I knew they were finished because they were no longer screaming....

Get it??? heh... heh....

When the chicken is finished baking, take all the meat off the bone and set aside.

Scramble about four eggs... more or less depending on how much you like in your rice and then set aside.

Set aside about 1/2 can of small green peas... drained.

Cut up some green onions.... I like a lot of onions...

And lastly.... cook your rice. Again... however much you do or do not want. I think I made enough servings for four. And it was PLENTY!

Add your ingredients to a skillet.....

Then add your rice to the skillet. Mix it all together... and VIOLA!!.... you have a simple chicken fried rice dish!

You can switch this recipe up however you like.... add some water chestnuts, or chopped carrots, or celery... or get creative!

Add soy sauce to taste, throw a few egg rolls in the oven to eat with it and enjoy!!! :)

Ingredients:

Four chicken thighs
Six green onions
Four eggs, scrambled
1/2 can green peas
Rice (about four servings)
Soy sauce

Sweat & Anxiety

2011-07-12T16:35:00.008-04:00

The sweat would be Hank for all his hard work and the anxiety would most definitely be me.... well... because I'm that type of person.

The lot our house sits on is 1.5 acres and we have quite a few pine trees. It has been said there were even more, but over the course of time I guess some people cut them down and we know a few have fallen. One fell over the dining room a few years ago... which is why we have our new roof (we think). Well, for some reason, the HUGE pine tree right over the driveway was still going strong. Who would get rid of trees, but leave the one that is going to fall on the cars? Hank and I have been saying we need to have a tree weekend. Get all the dangerous trees out of the yard before our cars or house gets damaged. Not to mention that our little neck of the woods is notorious for small tornadoes... oh... and hello hurricane season! So, we finally set a weekend aside and decided to tackle the big one beside the driveway.

Meet Mr. Big Pine.

I was so dreading this...

I wanted no part of this...

But somehow, by being married to Hank, I'm kind-of married into helping with this...

So, we rented a man lift for the task.

Hank started cutting the limbs from the tree and I'm down on the ground (thank goodness) just waiting for my orders for the day.

I guess I was too busy running around and doing what I was "told" to do, that I didn't take too many pictures during the cutting of limbs. You see, in this Watson household, there is NOTHING worse than being needed for a task and NOT being one step ahead of the person who needs you.

Insert Example: Hank is finished cutting a few limbs and needs to move the man lift. He gets off the lift and limbs were not moved.

Hank: "Why are there limbs still here? I need to move the lift and I can't because there are limbs in the way. So now I have to move those?"

Celia: "I was taking photos... and you didn't tell me to move limbs."

Hank: "You can take photos later. Now we're wasting time moving limbs when they should have been moved already. You should always be thinking one step ahead of me."

Celia: (thinking to myself... "I don't care... I'm not a man... this is men's work.")

So, Hank got as high as the man lift would take him, he removed all of the limbs from about 40 feet down and now it was time to top the tree. Hank told me that he would cut the tree in a way, that when we attached a rope to it, attached the rope/chain to the truck, and I pulled the rope tight... the top of the tree would fall where we wanted it too.

I guess this is typical tree cutting stuff, but for someone like me, the first thing I can think of is... when I hit the gas to pull the tree down it will somehow swing and hit Hank... who is still 40 feet in the air... in the midst of sawing another 15-20 feet off the top of the tree... while I'm tugging on it.

My anxiety is starting to rise at this time.

Celia: "I'm just scared that the tree is going to hit you."

Hank: "How can the tree hit me if you are driving away from me, pulling it down with the rope and chain?"

Celia: "Well, what if it swings down funny and one of those limbs hits you? Then what... you go falling down from 40 feet!"

Hank: "Celia, I've done this my whole life and that is impossible. Just do what I tell you and it will be fine."

Celia: "You don't understand. I have never done this and I don't know what to expect. And don't get smart with me... crazier things have happened! Freak accidents!"

Hank: "It's my life up here... if I didn't think you could do it... do you really think I'd be making you do this???"

Celia: "I'm sweating... I think I might pass out... I can't do this..."

Hank laughs... (not nice Hank)

Hank: "You get in that truck, put tension on that rope, keep your eye on me. I'm going to start cutting the tree. When I yell at you go "GO!"... you floor the gas and "GO!". That tree will fall away from me. Oh, and if at any point you see the tree starting to fall before I do... you just gas it and go!"

Celia: "Oh my goodness... and you are going to make me decide that?????"

So, I had no choice. Marriage says for better or for worse, right? Blah.

Hank started cutting the tree. He stops and tells me to put tension on the rope. I move the truck a little forward. He cuts more. He tells me to put more tension on the rope again. He starts cutting again as I keep tension on the rope... and then he screams, "GO, GO, GO!!!!!"

Seriously... I'm not exaggerating... I was so petrified... and literally sweating with anxiety... I floored that truck! And when the top of the tree fell down... the limbs stuck into the ground so hard, that it jerked the truck so hard... I felt like I had whiplash!!!! Hank said he could hear the truck being jerked to a stop! OK, I'm actually laughing right now... but I'm not kidding....

Here is the tree!!

And here is my mark on our yard.

And here is my husband laughing....

I don't know if this gives you any idea of how big this tree was? Maybe you had to be here...

And then he made me do it all over again for the rest of the tree.

He has no mercy.

Love,

Survivor

Kitchen "Before" & "After".... Whew!

2011-07-10T23:13:00.005-04:00

We finally had our backsplash go in and I am finally getting around to uploading the photos. It's such a relief to have the kitchen finished... for the most part. We still have a few things to do... pantry doors and trim around the ceiling and baseboards. But, overall.... it's complete!!!

Please... bear with me and let me remind you of what the kitchen looked like before...

These were not the original cabinets, but they were old and nasty. The lower cabinets were literally one LONG cabinet. It was crazy pulling them out of there. The floors were originally red oak, like the rest of the house, but linoleum had been placed over them... a few times. The windows were original and paint was chipping everywhere. And there was no way I was putting my food in that refrigerator and cooking in that stove. The ceiling light... wasn't even centered...

And this is when we ripped everything out to start over.

And here are the end results!!! Everything is new. We pulled out the old windows and replaced them.

New custom made cabinets with granite countertops. And had tile put down.

We had a small desk built to put beside our refrigerator... where is was just open before.

We installed lights above the sink and workspace area.

We put in recessed lighting throughout the kitchen ceiling.

And.... when we installed the new windows, the trim was not original to the house and it was a mess.

So, Hank had to build new trim around each window and doorway.

And last... but certainly not least... we had a new backdoor installed.

It's such a relief to have this finished (besides a few small tasks). We LOVE our new kitchen. And to be honest, when we feel overwhelmed with everything we are still doing... it's nice to walk in there and see the end result. It helps us "keep on keeping on" with the rest of the house!!!

Ten on Ten!

2011-05-10T22:26:00.001-04:00

Last month I completely forgot to participate in the Ten on Ten! :( Then today, mid-morning, I remembered what day it was! Here is my Ten on Ten... in my world. :)

Good morning, Son. I have no idea what you are doing...

The apples are growing on our tree!

Who doesn't need a good cup of coffee?

Goofy kid. Loves water.

After we played outside today, we came in and I gave Grady a bath and then I jumped in the shower. When I got out of the shower... I found these in the hallway. His training pants.

Guess he took matters into his own hands.....

This is who I trip over 50 times a day.

Nap time means I can finally paint my toenails.

Yummm...

Coffee after dinner. :)

My husband and I destroyed the apple pie. We are pigs....

This post is linked to: Ten on Ten

I Won!

2011-04-14T16:37:00.002-04:00

I. Never. Win. Anything.

I really don't. Some people just have the luck... they run into famous people in airports, find money on the ground in the parking lot, win things. Well, that has just never been me. Until now. Well.... not "now"... just twice in one week. I'm sure this will last me a lifetime.

My first score? A whole book of stamps on the floor in Target. I grabbed those bad boys up and didn't look back twice. I needed those and have been putting off buying a whole book. I'll just pretend the Stamp Fairy dropped them right in my path for me. (thank you!)

The second thing I won? A pair of earrings! Ashely's blog, Under the Sycamore, has a group of sponsors each month and they each do a "giveaway". You look at each sponsors Etsy shop and enter by leaving a comment stating what your favorite item is. I think everyone pretty much enters with each sponsor, but I won with Elizabeth Williams Jewelry.

And... my earrings finally came in the mail today!

The box was packaged very nicely with a handwritten "congrats" on the back of her Etsy business card. That was a nice, personal touch!

I chose the Rosalie earrings with the black quartz about the leaves. They are perfect! I love them. She also has the same earrings with clear or moss aquamarine stones above the leaves. It all depends on what you like! I like the black because you cannot see the hooks underneath.

I love them and cannot wait to wear them soon!

You can visit the Etsy shop here... Elizabeth Williams Jewelry.

And, thank you, Beth!

Butternut Cake

2011-04-07T10:10:00.001-04:00

I have to get away from making only SWEET recipes. I think I have become a better baker and not a better cook. Somehow I just don't seem to care to experiment or learn to cook better. I have a huge sweet tooth and I guess I always flock to making something sweet. I'm sure my family would be a little happier with some variety at the dinner table.... but since I haven't gotten there yet... HERE WE GO!

This is my great-Aunt's recipe for Butternut Pound Cake. I asked for the recipe a couple of years ago and she quickly gave it to me. I was a little surprised... some people act stingy with recipes. Trust me, I know... no one will ever get the cheese straw recipe from me. But, nevertheless... I like recipes given to ME! ;)

This recipe is called for a pound cake, but I think she used to make it layered sometimes. I cannot totally remember. But, when you want more icing, layer it and everyone will be happy.

This isn't your birthday type cake... this is more of your sit around and take a slice here and there or with a cup of coffee type of cake. It's good. It's subtle. It's yummy. And I recommend you try it!

Cake:

1 1/4 Crisco
6 eggs
2 cups of sugar
1/4 tsp salt
3 tsp Vanilla Butter Nut flavoring
1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Mix the crisco, eggs, sugar, salt and butter nut vanilla flavoring until light and fluffy.

Add 1/2 cup of sweetened condensed milk. Mix well.

Sift the flour and baking powder and add to the fluffy mixture. Mix well on high speed.

Bake for 1 hr 30 min for pound cake. Bake 40 min for two layer cake. (just make sure you test whether a fork or toothpick come out clean) Baking times may vary depending on oven!

Frosting:

1 stick of margarine or butter
1 pack of powdered sugar
1 8oz cream cheese
1 tsp butter nut vanilla flavoring
2 cups finely chopped pecans

Mix butter, cream cheese and flavoring until fluffy. Add powdered sugar one cup at a time, blending on high speed in between each addition. Lastly, add pecans and mix well.

This icing recipe is enough for three pound cakes. You can freeze whatever you do not use.

Enjoy!

Chocolate Pound Cake

2011-03-11T10:29:00.004-05:00

This chocolate pound cake is so quick and easy.... I made it on a whim.

I've never had chocolate pound cake.

Have you?

Where have I been....

Anyway, the other day I sold our china cabinet and buffet from our dining room. To be honest, we don't really have a dining room right now considering it is in utter chaos, but I sold it because I don't really like it and when we finish the remodel I will want larger furniture. So, the woman came to pick up the furniture and silly me had not even cleaned everything out yet. As I'm taking everything out... I'm answering to questions like, "do the place mats come with the buffet"?....... "um... No, those are my place mats.... that's why I'm taking them out".... and "why is this in here"?... "well, because until you hand me cash, it's mine"!..... and in my china cabinet I find a stack of recipes wrapped in a rubber band. I just threw them to the side and hadn't thought twice about them.

Then, mid-morning Thursday, I remembered I had those recipes and looked through them. That is where I found this recipe. It was written down on a well worn piece of paper. And... for someone like me... who always has a sweet tooth... I whipped it up real quick and baked it.

It was really good and a nice change from regular pound cake. My husband absolutely loved it.... so I've let him eat most of it... rather than let the cake stick to my thighs.........

Ingredients:

2 sticks butter
1/2 cup Crisco
3 cups sugar
1 cup milk
5 eggs
3 cups plain flour
4 tbsp cocoa
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Mix dry ingredients together. Cream the butter. One by one, add all the other ingredients. Beat well.

Bake 1.5 hrs. You might want to check to see if it's done a few minutes early. You do not want it dry!

This post is linked to: Hearth & Soul Week 39

Ten on Ten!!

2011-03-10T21:26:00.001-05:00

One photo. Every hour. Ten hours.

I was reading Under the Sycamore today and found out about A Bit of Sunshine's Ten on Ten Project.

On the 10th of every month, you take ten photos... one every hour... for ten hours. You put them on your blog and link back to A Bit of Sunshine's blog. It's been so interesting to look at the other blogs on there and see what goes on in everyone's day to day life. I thought.... I can do this. I should do this. I'm terrible about pulling out the camera and documenting my day. So, I'm going to try and participate every month. I will enjoy practicing taking photos and looking back at previous months.... things change so quickly.

Here's to my March Ten on Ten!

Win a Tamron 18-270mm lens on MCP Actions!!

2011-02-21T14:42:00.000-05:00

Here is a link to win a Tamron 18-270mm lens on MCP Actions site!! I entered as many times as allowed and am keeping my fingers crossed that I could win this! Who couldn't use a free lens for their camera? And who couldn't use this focal length? If I had this... I might actually be able to take some photos of my little boy without him running from that camera and then wanting to see the photo immediately! HA

Go here to enter and good luck on winning!!

Time to Plan

2011-02-13T21:58:00.001-05:00

It's time to plant a Spring garden!! We have gotten a little behind on our garden planning this year and are quickly trying to decide what we want to grow. With everything going on around here, it's easy to get distracted! We've been cleaning up the yard a little bit and attacked our grape vine a few weeks ago. I hope we didn't kill it.... it has thick, old roots and hopefully will produce good grapes this year. Also, we have two pear trees and an apple tree. Yes, an apple tree in way down here! They are very old and were absolutely full of fruit last Spring. Unfortunately, we had not purchased the house in time last year to properly fertilize them and prune them. Then, when we signed on the house, we had to immediately get to work on the interior, etc. This year we hope to take care of them and see how well the fruit do.

Hank has found some great raised bed plans online and we are deciding which one we like best.

Here is The Sussex. I really like the simplicity... just a square, uniformed shape. Very simple.

This one is the Stafford. The top left corner bed is not only a raised bed, but has another raised bed within it. I like having a bench in the garden, but I'm not so crazy about the small bed in the center. We could just leave that one out.

Next is the Westminster. I just love the shapes of these. Again, I really like the bench on one edge and the small circle could contain the herbs. I don't really know what I think of the small rectangular bed, but we could decide on that as we go.

And lastly is the Trowbridge. We like the shapes, still has room for a bench, still has the small circle to keep the herbs separate, etc.

I think our favorites are the last two... the Westminster and Trowbridge. We really like how these look neat, clean and orderly... season in and out. Our yard is plenty big to do this, so size is not an issue for us. The beds are not too big or wide and therefore should make the planting, weeding, etc easy. I like how I should be able to reach in and get to everything... and not have to step in and ruin anything.

Which design do you like? And what are you planting in your garden this year??? Any ideas and tips would be helpful!!

Lemon Pie

2011-02-11T10:20:00.005-05:00

My husband just told me that this is the "no name lemon pie". It's not quite a lemon meringue... not quite a lemon cream... but I guess a lemon pie.

Shortly after Christmas I posted my lemon meringue pie that I make for holidays and mentioned that I had been given another recipe that I needed to try. On Christmas day, my aunt quickly jotted down the recipe that my great-grandmother used to make for lemon meringue. I thought it would be more of a comparison, rather than a totally different texture. There is truly no comparison. To me, they are just different pies.

This recipe is really very quick. I literally decided on a whim to make this today. When the little king went down for his nap, it took me about 35 minutes to make.

I already had some pie dough in the freezer, so I rolled it out and placed it in a pie dish. I use PW's pie crust recipe and keep some in the freezer often. Let it thaw for a few minutes and I try to roll it out while it's still pretty cold.

Poke the crust with a fork, line with aluminum foil and pie weights. Bake on 400 degrees for 12 minutes, remove pie weights and foil... and continue baking for 8 more minutes or until golden brown.

Pour the condensed milk in a mixing bowl and add the lemon juice. Mix well.

Add the egg and mix together.

Pour into the pie crust.

Then prepare the meringue. Take the two egg whites and cream of tartar and beat on high until frothy. Slowly add in the sugar. Beat until stiff peaks form.

Scoop the meringue out onto the pie and smooth it out over the pie. This is such a thin layer of meringue, that I didn't even try to form peaks. I didn't want to get too far down into the filling.

Bake on 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until meringue is browned.

The pie came out perfectly. I have to admit... while preparing it.... I thought it was a strange mixture and it couldn't possibly be right. I was definitely proven wrong when it was finished and I tasted it.
It's wonderful!!

Ingredients:

One pie crust

8 oz of Eaglebrand sweetened condensed milk

2 egg yolks

1/4 cup lemon juice

Meringue:

2 egg whites

1/8 tsp cream of tartar

8 tsp sugar

This post is linked to: Hearth & Soul Vol. 35

Shepherd's Pie

2011-02-06T22:43:00.005-05:00

I've learned that it's best to make a one dish meal at some point every week. My husband gets home late sometimes and it's easy to just dish out something with a spoon. This is such a simple recipe... should I even be posting this? But to be honest, I used to never be able to find a shepherds pie recipe that I liked. This one we love. It's so simple and the flavor is just right with the onions and green beans in it. Even for those of you that say you can't cook... you could do this with your eyes closed. :)

Begin by chopping up and boiling your potatoes....

While the potatoes are cooking, chop up an onion. Brown your meat and throw in the onion.

Cook them for several minutes and drain the fat. Set them aside.

In a large baking dish, line the bottom with green beans.

Sometimes recipes call for corn too... it's all up to you and what you like!

Then layer with the beef and onion mixture.

When you potatoes are finished boiling, drain and leave a small amount of water in pan. Then add butter, sour cream and some milk. To be honest... I always just "eyeball" this. I think the recipe truly calls for one tablespoon butter and one tablespoon of sour cream... but I load it up, mix it and then add more sometimes.

I want really creamy potatoes.

Layer the potatoes on top of the beef mixture and smooth it out.

Repeat the whole process again. Layer until dish is almost full.

Top with shredded cheese, cover and bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees.

This is a wonderful, filling, comfort food! Enjoy!!

Ingredients:

Potatoes (4 or 5)

1 lb ground beef

1 large onion

1 can green beans

1 tbsp milk

1 tbsp sour cream

1 tbsp butter

salt and pepper to taste

shredded cheddar cheese

This post is linked to: Hearth & Soul Hop vol. 34

Swedish Tea Ring - Redux!!!

2011-02-01T15:22:00.003-05:00

So, in this household, it's no secret that yeast and I don't get along. Any recipe that I make with yeast has to be made at least twice. The first time is a flop with text messages to my husband during the day that say, "it's not rising", "it's too sticky", "it's not getting firm enough", "was I supposed to dissolve it first"?, etc etc etc. See, my husband can actually tell me more about baking than I can tell myself. He used to be in the kitchen often when his mother was baking and somehow just saw enough of this and that to give me help when I need it. So, here is another recipe that had to be made a second time.

The first time that I made the swedish tea ring I couldn't get the dough to rise properly. This time, I didn't add quite 5 cups of flour... it was more like 5 (scant) cups of flour. When I combined everything, I started with two cups at once... and then added a cup at a time so I could see how it was combining. Like I said, not really five full cups of flour.

When the dough had doubled in size, I punched it down and turned it out on a floured surface. It really was so much better this time. Much easier to roll out and work with. Don't forget... add LOTS of butter. The more butter you add, the more moist it will be inside.

And LOAD it up with everything that you want. You can't have too much. Just ask my thighs....

Form into a circle, seam side down. Make your cuts on the top of the dough and turn the dough out slightly. This will make it open up beautifully when baked.

Another thing I learned this time around... it only took about 12-14 minutes to bake. The recipe calls for 25-30 minutes and it was really dry for me. I know all ovens are different and this time I basically kept my eye on it until I saw the top browning slightly. It was a much shorter baking time and it was so much better.

This typically makes two small rings... and I think I ate a whole one by myself. This is such a wonderful dessert!!! So worth the second time around! ;)

Ingredients:

2 pkgs yeast
1/4 cup lukewarm water
1/4 cup shortening
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk, scalded
5 cups all purpose flour
melted butter
brown sugar
cinnamon
nuts

Bake at 375 degrees for 12-14 min. (keep your eye on it)

Milk & Honey Bread

2011-01-31T17:18:00.004-05:00

This bread was delicious! I have only baked bread once before a few months ago and saw this recipe on Tasty Kitchen. I had all the ingredients in my kitchen, so I decided to quickly give it a whirl.

Begin by melting your butter in a pan. After melted, remove from heat and add milk, honey and yeast.

Allow the yeast to dissolve for a few minutes.

You can really taste the honey in this bread... so yummy....

In a mixing bowl, combine salt and about two cups of your bread flour.

Add your milk/yeast mixture to the dry mixture and "mix" on low speed until combined well.

Slowly add in your last cup of flour with your dough attachment until a ball is formed.

Place dough in an oiled bowl and coat your dough with oil too. Cover with a towel and allow to rise until doubled in size.

When dough is ready, punch down and turn out onto a floured work surface. Knead dough slightly and you can either truly form the dough or just dump it into a greased bread pan.

This time, I actually formed mine. It was like, folding... then kneading... then folding, etc.

I think I did it correctly though....

If you form your loaf, make sure you place it seam side down in the pan!

Allow to rise again until doubled in size.

Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

While it's warm... SLATHER with butter and enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 tbsp butter
1 1/4 cup milk
1 tbsp honey
3 cups bread flour
2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
3/4 tsp salt

Paint Stripping

2011-01-16T22:54:00.002-05:00

So, while most people would think that we're living in "squalor", we have been in our new house for five months and are still working on so many renovations. We have definitely learned that we would tear out bathrooms, rip out kitchens, replace windows, paint... and do it five times again... before we would want to strip more paint. Stripping paint has been the most time consuming project of this whole house. Why couldn't we just move in and paint? You can't paint on top of chipped paint. And it all was chipping. Seventy-five years of crown molding, doors, windows, baseboards that were originally painted with oil based paint, were at some point coated with latex by previous owners, which means this caused a chain effect of chipping all over the house. So, when we bought the house last February, we immediately gutted the bathrooms downstairs and kitchen. While remodeling those rooms, we (Hank) were also replacing windows in those areas (13 windows)... and replacing sheetrock, etc. As we did this, room by room we started pulling down crown molding, trim around windows, doorways and any other area that could be removed and stripped.

If it couldn't be pulled off, then it was stripped in place (mantels, baseboards, door jams, etc). Now, lets keep in mind, we have FIVE mantels, THREE downstairs bedrooms, TWO bathrooms, ONE den, ONE formal living room, ONE formal dining room, ONE breakfast room, TWENTY doors, TWENTY-TWO sets of window casings... and I'm sure I'm missing a few things in between. It's all being stripped. Are you exhausted yet? I AM. Our attic has tons of trim waiting to be stripped, sanded, nailed up and re-painted. While our main living areas (kitchen, bathrooms and bedrooms) are mostly finished and livable, we haven't even started on some rooms. We use our den as our TV room/family room... while the formal living room and dining room are work spaces.

We have trim lined up on the wall waiting to be sanded, tables out for stripping, trim set aside on the floor waiting to be stripped. We keep the doors closed so the "little man" will not get in there and we work on the weekends and some nights during the week... if we have the energy.

Here is an example of stripping paint. Lots of paint. Thick paint. Old paint.

It's messy, it's obnoxious, it's tedious, it's messy, it's exhausting, it's time consuming, it's messy.

The only good thing about this is how nice the wood in our house is. It's not like some new houses these days. It's hard wood, quality wood, with wood grain that shows through even when coated with new enamel paint. It has character. It's beautiful. And I know one day when we're finished (better be by next Christmas... you reading this Hank??)... we will sit back and appreciate all that we've done. It's a labor of love. But I'm ready for it to be over.

Blueberry Scones

2011-01-11T10:58:00.003-05:00

Awhile back I made my first scones.... and while the first time they were a FLOP, the second time they turned out well. So, I wanted to try a basic blueberry scone. Nothing too sweet or complicated.... and I LOVE anything with blueberries! I used the basic ingredients from the first scones and switched this one up a bit. They worked really well and taste perfect.

First, mix all dry ingredients together... flour, sugar, baking soda and salt.

Then, with a fork or pastry cutter, add your chilled butter (cut in pieces) to your dry mixture and "cut" the butter in until it resembles large bread crumbs.

Mix an egg and heavy cream together and add to dry mixture.

Then add blueberries... or any other fruit/filling you'd like... and stir until it just comes together.

Turn your mixture out onto a cold surface. The mixture will be very crumbly.

Form into a circle with your hands and roll out slightly with a rolling pin. Cut into triangles.

Place scones on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a baking mat.

Bake at 350 degrees until edges are slightly browning

Let scones cool completely and then ENJOY! ;)

Ingredients:

3 cups All Purpose flour
1/3 cups sugar
5 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 sticks butter (chilled)
1 egg
3/4 cups heavy cream

Linked to: Hearth and Soul Vol. 30

I Wish I Could Share...

2011-01-05T16:48:00.002-05:00

But I can't! It's funny how many times I have seen cheese straws on recipe blogs lately. I love cheese straws. When I was little, we would go to my great-grandmother's house and she would always have this little covered storage container on the buffet in the dining room. The one thing I knew I would find was wax paper.... the one thing I wish I would find was a cheese straw. If they were there, I would slowly sneak back and continue to grab "one more". Children have a skill with this... you know, to make it look like you really haven't eaten any. We've all been there... don't lie to yourself.

I've never seen cheese straws like hers anywhere else. I've seen long straws, short straws, squiggly straws, but none shaped like this. Even the ingredients that I see on other recipes is completely different than those that my great-grandmother made. I have bought some too... expensive ones that do not compare in flavor and texture.

No one in my family makes these cheese straws. Thank goodness my grandmother gave me the recipe... and thank goodness I can make them just like my Mama Brown did. I will never give away the recipe... and I hope it stays in our family. If I could sell them I would... trust me, they would be the best you've ever had. But the recipe? No way.... ;)

Mushroom Rice Casserole

2011-01-02T16:09:00.002-05:00

You do not have to be a mushroom lover to like this dish. I speak from experience... I loathe mushrooms. But in this dish you can hardly taste them. I guess that actually defeats the purpose of putting them in? I have no idea. Maybe it's that they add just the right amount of flavoring to make this dish special. I'm not going to lie.... this dish is rich... and it uses a whole stick of butter. But it's sooo yummy and it's one of those dishes that is better as leftovers or even the next day. Something about it "sitting" seems to make it even better.

This is super quick to make and perfect as a side dish. Enjoy! ; )

Ingredients:

1 can french onion soup
1 can beef consume
1 small can of mushrooms (4 oz, pieces and stems)
1 cup of rice
1 stick of butter - melted

Pour all ingredients into a baking dish and stir them together slightly. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until top browns.

This is linked to: Hearth & Soul Hop vol. 29

No Bakes

2010-12-22T22:42:00.000-05:00

Hank came home a few weeks ago and said that a man at work had some "No Bakes". Hank asked if he could get the recipe and the man said he'd ask his wife. Well, she won't tell the recipe, so we had to find one as close as possible and do taste tests.

If you hate taste tests, raise your hands....

Hello? Anyone raising your hands?

I didn't think so...

I think we got the recipe right, but Hank said they needed more peanut butter. I'm sure it's up to you and your preference. You can use creamy or crunchy peanut butter depending on the texture you like. These are super easy, so good and last for quite a while when kept air tight... if you can keep your fingers off them!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup milk
3 tbsp cocoa
2/3 cups peanut butter
1 tsp vanilla
3 cups of oats

In a saucepan bring butter, sugar, milk and cocoa to a boil. Let it boil for one minute so the temperature will be hot enough so the cookies will "set up" correctly. Some people even say to boil up to two minutes. One minute worked well for me. Take saucepan off heat and add peanut butter, vanilla and oats. Stir together completely and drop spoonfuls onto waxed paper. Let them set up and cool.

He's a Typical Man

2010-12-22T22:17:00.001-05:00

Sweet Pickles

2010-12-16T21:21:00.008-05:00

This is my Great Grandmother's recipe for nine day sweet pickles. I remember being a small girl and always seeing them on the table for family holidays at her house in Bainbridge, GA.... there was no way I was touching them.... I hate pickles. It wasn't until I was older and "fixin'" my own plate that I started eating them and never thought a thing about it. They were the "sweet to my salty" and I liked them... along with everyone else. I still hate pickles, regular pickles that is, but these are no regular pickles. Many people want to confuse them with "bread and butter" pickles, but they are nothing of the sort. They are a perfect addition to most meals and can also be used as a substitute for sweet relish when chopped up.... or simply eat them out of the jar... all by themselves. Just you and the pickle. ;)

These are great for family gatherings, holidays, Christmas gifts.... or for your own guilty pleasure.... without TOO much guilt. :) If you are interested in buying/ordering some of the 8 oz jars, you can email me at: Browniessweetpickles@yahoo.com. There are also jars for sale at Harvest Moon Market right outside of Bainbridge, GA on Hwy 84.

Lemon Meringue Pie

2010-12-09T14:45:00.003-05:00

This lemon meringue pie is great! I have used this recipe for a few years now and it's super easy to make. My aunts gave me the recipe that they said my great grandmother used.... so I'll have to try that one and see which one we like better. This year I made my own crust, which is Pioneer Woman's recipe. I made it and froze it ahead of time and I think it worked perfectly!

Ingredients:

1 whole 9 Inch Pie Crust
6 whole Lemons
1-¾ cup Sugar
¼ teaspoons Salt
¾ cups Cornstarch
6 whole Egg Yolks
2 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
6 whole Egg Whites
½ teaspoons Cream Of Tartar
½ cups Sugar
Preheat oven to 425 degrees (F).

Roll out your pie crust in a pie plate. Repeatedly poke crust with a fork, line crust with foil and top with pie weights. Bake for 12 minutes, then remove foil and weights and continue to bake for 8 more minutes. Remove from oven and let cool while you prepare the lemon filling.

Grate 2 tablespoons of lemon rind and squeeze 3/4 cup of lemon juice from lemons… set these both aside for now.

Mix sugar, salt and cornstarch in saucepan. Add 2 1/4 cups water and the lemon juice to saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring as needed, for 15 minutes or until thick and bubbly. Remove from heat.
Beat egg yolks in a bowl and stir half of the hot lemon mixture into the yolks. Next, stir the lemon/yolk mixture back into the remaining lemon mixture in the saucepan. Put back on a medium heat burner for one minute, then turn off heat, add butter and grated lemon rind. Pour lemon mixture into baked pie crust and set aside while you make the meringue.

Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees (F).

Meringue: Beat egg whites and cream of tarter in mixing bowl on high speed until foamy. Continuing on high speed, beat in sugar, a small amount at a time. Continue on high speed until stiff peaks form.
Spread as much meringue as you like over the pie and swirl into peaks.

Bake pie on the lower rack at 325 degrees (F) until meringue temperature registers at 140 degrees. I usually just keep my eye one the meringue and and remove the pie when peaks are browning. This takes about 25 minutes.

Cool for at least two hours before serving. Enjoy!

This is linked to:

Hearth & Soul Vol. 28

Cream Puffs

2010-10-03T22:55:00.010-04:00

These cream puffs were a family favorite at my grandmother's house every summer. There were two things we wanted to eat while we were there... rigatoni and cream puffs. And she ALWAYS made us cream puffs. This recipe is simple, fast and easy. And the taste is perfectly light and sweet.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter - 1 stick
1 cup boiling water
4 eggs
1 cup sifted flour

Ingredients for filling:

1/2 pint heavy cream - 1 cup
instant vanilla pudding
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Put butter and water in a saucepan and bring them to a boil. Once boiling point is reached, add flour all at once and stir vigorously. As soon as the flour is mixed in completely, remove from heat and add unbeaten eggs one at a time, beating until thoroughly mixed between addition of eggs.

Drop by spoonful on buttered sheet, 1 1/2 inches apart, shaping with handle of spoon as nearly circular as possible... having mixture slightly piled in center.

While the puffs are baking, make the cream and refrigerate.

Bake for 30 min.

This is linked to:
Hearth & Soul Vol. 17
Meatless Mondays
Temp My Tummy Tuesday

Beach Vacation

2010-09-28T22:19:00.001-04:00

PW's Vanilla Bean Scones

2010-09-27T22:20:00.000-04:00

So it's no secret that I'm obsessed with Pioneer Woman's recipes. A while back she made her version of Starbucks vanilla bean scones.... and they are wonderful. They are super easy and not too sweet.

Here are the ingredients you will need:

Flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, unsalted butter, one egg, heavy cream and two vanilla beans.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Start by scraping out the inside of two vanilla beans. Put the vanilla bean "caviar" in 3/4 cups of heavy cream to soak for 10-15 min. You can also chop up the remaining vanilla bean and soak it in the cream to get as much flavor out of it as possible.

Stir together and set aside... it's getting "yummy".

Stir together your sugar, baking powder and salt.... then add to your flour and stir them all together.

Cut up two chilled sticks of butter and add them to the flour. Use a pastry cutter and cut the butter into the flour.

Take your time and cut it until it resembles crumbs...

Mix one beaten egg and vanilla cream together...

... and make sure you scrape all that GOOD STUFF out ...

Add the egg and cream mixture to the flour and mix gently with a fork until it comes together. The mixture will be pretty crumbly... and that is good...

Turn dough onto a floured work surface and work into a rectangle with your hands. Use a rolling pin to roll out dough to 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch thick. Use a knife to trim off edges and make a straight edge.

With your knife, cut lines vertically and horizontally... you will have squares. Then cut again diagonally across the squares to make small triangles.

Transfer to a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or baking mat. Bake for 18 minutes or until right before they turn golden. Allow them to cool completely.

Again, scrape out one vanilla bean and allow the "caviar" to soak in milk. Then, mix the milk/vanilla into the powdered sugar and whisk together. Dunk each scone in the glaze and allow it to set completely.

These will keep for several days... but mine were gone by the NEXT day! ;)

This post is linked to: Hearth & Soul Volume 16

Swedish Tea Ring

2010-09-20T16:56:00.018-04:00

My mother-in-law has makes this tea ring and it's SO good. I was given the recipe and finally had the chance to make it. It's a little time consuming, but worth it. Give it a try!!!

Here are the ingredients you will need:

2 packages yeast, water, shortening, sugar, salt, eggs, milk, all purpose flour, butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, nuts

(note to self: ignore the unfinished window trim and backsplash in this photo)

Start by scalding the milk so it will have time to cool while you prepare other ingredients.

In a mixing bowl, add shortening, sugar and salt. Then add to scalded milk. Cool to a lukewarm temperature.

This needs time to cool so you can add the yeast! And by the way... DISSOLVE the yeast before you add it... which I DIDN'T do the first time...

Add the dissolved yeast, beaten eggs, and about half of the flour. Beat well. Add the rest of the flour and beat until dough is soft.

Turn out on a floured work surface and kneed until satiny. It will literally be a little shiny and pliable.

Put dough in a greased bowl, turn to grease top and cover until doubled in size.

When doubled in size, punch down and turn out on floured work space again. Split dough in half and shape into rectangles about 1/4 inch thick. Brush with melted butter. Sprinkle with brown sugar, cinnamon and nuts.

Shape into rings and place on a greased baking sheet. Cut dough with scissors at one inch intervals... ALMOST through rings. Turn slices slightly, cover and let them rise until doubled.

Bake for 25-30 minutes. But be careful... don't let the inside get too dry!!!

Cover with coffee cake icing and enjoy!!

Recipe:

2 pkgs yeast
1/4 cup lukewarm water
1/4 cup shortening
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk, scalded
5 cups all purpose flour
melted butter
brown sugar
cinnamon
nuts

Bake at 375 degrees for 25-30 min.

This post is linked to: Hearth & Soul Volume 15

Happy Wednesday!!

2010-08-11T16:31:00.002-04:00

This is what I want to be like when I am old. I will have to learn to play the piano... but this is what I want to be like nevertheless....

Boog Man

2010-08-05T16:33:00.004-04:00

You might be a little boy...

But you are still my baby.

Buffing the Red Oak Floors

2010-08-04T11:15:00.012-04:00

We are finally a couple of weeks away from moving in. We're going to start moving some furniture in this weekend and getting the bedrooms ready to live in. It feels so good to be at this point... seeing real results, having things clean, moving out all of the trash and using the house as a house.... not a construction site. I'm so excited to have our BIG kitchen to cook and bake in, our new bathrooms to use just as we planned them... and finally, are big yard for Grady to run and play in all day.
This past weekend we got on our hands and knees and did some of the final floor cleaning. Apparently our floors have been refinished before.... you can see some of the marks that previous owners left in the wood while sanding, etc. But who knows how long ago that was. All I know... is that we needed a good polishing when we bought the place.... but now six months later, tons of trash, dust, pieces of tile scattered all over the wood... and anything else you can imagine... the floors looked downright damaged. We even had tons of stripped paint and chemicals all over the hardwood. Thank goodness.... thank goodness.... all of the spots came up.... and thank goodness.... due to some old fashioned elbow grease, floor wax and a buffer.... this is how our floors turned out.
The look incredible. They are so slick and shiny... we literally almost slide while walking barefooted throughout the house. Grady will be hilarious in there. I'll have to get him socks with tread on the bottom! HA

Guest Room

Grady's Room

Master Bedroom

We also buffed the hallway and den, but I didn't take pictures of those rooms.

Some of the rooms still need to be painted. The walls are going to get banged up anyway.... so some areas we'll just do after we've got it all in. :)

Dear Hank,

2010-07-27T16:17:00.005-04:00

Today we've been married four years and I love you more than I did the day I said, "I Do". You have been a wonderful husband and a fantastic father... and I feel so blessed to say that you are MY husband. I prayed to meet someone like you and the Lord truly heard my prayers and blessed ME with YOU. You are my very best friend and I look forward to many more years together... watching our babies grow.... turn into "people" (yuck)... and hopefully, one day, sharing grandchildren together. Maybe we'll be the old couple that others see sitting on the front porch swing holding hands... and they even kind-of look alike (not so sure about that part). Anyway... thank you for being the best husband ever and I love you with all my heart.

With that being said..... could you please forgive me for this???.......

And this?...

And.... this?

I promise that it did not "sit" in the car.... I had the air on FULL blast. I mean, the cupcakes that Grady and I ate didn't look like this... even though we ate immediately... but who's being so picky on timing. And.... the icing is your favorite part anyway... so it will taste the same at least?? I'm sorry. We are supposed to be celebrating how we love each other anyway... not cake. Right?... Right?...

P.S. I love you.

Loves water.... anywhere...

2010-07-12T10:55:00.004-04:00

The weather has been so nasty lately and to keep Grady occupied for a short amount of time I let him play in the hot tub. I dump all of his toys in there, add bubbles and turn on the jet... and still... he's mostly obsessed with playing with the faucet and literally shooting water all the way across the bathroom! He cracks me up.....

And he's also obsessed with drinking from faucets or water hoses.... maybe it's a "boy thing"??

First Haircut...

2010-07-08T12:00:00.004-04:00

Grady got his first haircut yesterday. He was so sweet and well behaved. He only got a little "trim", but nothing tames those curls!!!!

Kitchen Countertops

2010-07-06T11:08:00.006-04:00

Our granite was installed last week and it looks great! Hank got our water lines hooked up to the refrigerator, installed our sink fixtures, garbage disposal, dishwasher, etc. The kitchen is finally fully functional!! We're currently trying to get our tile guy scheduled to do our backsplash... and after we move in, we'll finish the crown moulding, baseboards, window trim and recessed lighting. We're getting closer!!! :)

Sweet Pickles

2010-06-29T10:32:00.005-04:00

Today my great-grandmother's sweet pickles... which I now make... were featured on Life in the Slow Lane at Squirrel Head Manor and submitted to Two for Tuesdays (on girlchef). Thanks, Tina!

Check out Tina's article below and also go to her site for fabulous recipes!

Brownie’s Sweet Pickles for 2-for-Tuesday

Pierce

Do I have your attention with this photo? Would you be thinking, "Seriously...she's eating deviled eggs and washing them down with wine and is trying to pass this all off for the Real Food theme?!"

Don't be too quick to judge because I have a very nice story for you and yes, it's about Real Food.

Let me take you back in time for Two for Tuesdays. Years before blogging, computers, convenience foods……….back to a time when great grandmother grew many of the vegetables she used to nourish her family.

What you see here is not just a jar of homemade sweet pickles.

You are also looking at a legacy; a tradition brought alive by a young woman named Celia who brings the sweet memories of her childhood into tangible new memories for her husband and son. The young lady has duplicated her great grandma’s recipe. Now I know I would rather eat a pickle from a hand made traditional recipe instead of one from that smart-ass stork with the Brooklyn accent, peddling Vlasic pickles.

A short story: Celia’s great grandmother “Brownie” grew cucumbers and from some of those cukes, she made sweet pickles. From what I’ve been told, the great grandmother was a phenomenal cook but the pickles really stood out as a specialty. When she died five years ago, the homemade jarred gifts from her kitchen were missed by her family (as was great grandmother, obviously).

Celia figured out the correct ratio of ingredients and duplicated Brownie’s recipe. Sharing them with family, watching them enjoy something from their past that brought pleasure to the palate as well as reviving memories of a loved one …… I can’t think of a finer tribute.

I have enjoyed them right from the jar ........

but I also used them in deviled eggs and found them to be a very complimentary addition.

No need to post a recipe for deviled eggs...you know it; just mix the mayo with the yolks, salt and pepper, a pinch of garlic powder....mince some homemade pickle and there you have it! I added a bit of shredded cheddar and smoked paprika. (Well look, I gave the "recipe" anyway)

Oh, and why are these pickles called Brownie’s? I was told this was the nick-name Celia’s great-grandfather called his wife. I think great-grandmother “Brownie” would be mighty pleased to know her sweet pickles are enjoyed by so many people.

This humble offering is basic real food (our theme at 2 –for-Tuesday) and since I had the pleasure of trying these homemade beauties, I had to share. If you are a sweet pickle fan, I highly recommend them. You're in for a treat!

By the way, these pickles are available for purchase locally in the Tallahassee and Southern Georgia area or through through the mail. Just order via this address:

BrowniesSweetPickles@yahoo.com

Cheers to real food and keeping traditions alive!

Wainscoting in Bathrooms

2010-06-28T11:44:00.006-04:00

The wainscoting was finally finished this past week. Thank goodness I no longer see concrete walls. I love the way it turned out. The original bathroom never had baseboards, but the trim guy milled some to look just like the rest of the house... he even did a smaller version for our chair rail. I love it... just matches the other rooms perfectly!! The Hall Bath is a dark charcoal and the kid's bath is a rich chocolate. We are still undecided as to whether or not we should paint the ceilings the same color? Or should we even go a shade lighter on the ceiling?? Or leave it white??? We will be putting the original crown moulding back up around the ceiling... and that's white. What should we do? (click on photos to see larger picture)

Hall Bath

Kid's Bath

Who needs a dart board???

2010-06-27T22:14:00.006-04:00

We have finally gotten to the point where the major "destruction" of the house is over with and we're on to seeing progress and finalizing some rooms. We've decided that we're going to get our major living spaces livable and as completed as possible and move in. That means our formal living room and dining room will be closed off and completed after we move in... a.k.a. Hank comes home and works in the evenings, etc. Our downstairs bathrooms will be fully completed, the master bedroom, little man's bedroom, the kitchen, breakfast room, and as much of the hallway as possible. Our third bedroom downstairs will basically be a furniture storage room for now and we'll get around to that "whenever". Last weekend was finally time to work on Grady's room...

This is what it looked like before........

We've pulled off all the crown moulding so it can be stripped of paint and we've also stripped all the doorways and baseboards in the room. They've been sanded and primed now. As we were getting ready to prime the walls, we noticed we needed to spackle the nail holes... no big deal, right?.... seriously.... were they used as a dart board? I'm still finding some that we missed...

I'm so excited to get his room painted and make it a "Little Boy Room"!!

Happy Thursday!

2010-06-24T11:54:00.003-04:00

I love my little man...

2010-06-15T23:16:00.002-04:00

He's growing up too fast....

Kitchen Cabinets

2010-06-14T11:35:00.005-04:00

Our cabinets finally went in! We're so happy to finally see some progress in the kitchen... we already have our appliances, so those will go in soon. We have replaced the windows in the kitchen... and have a small desk that goes by the fridge, but they are not in these photos. Our granite countertops have been ordered and we're waiting for the guys to install them. Then.... the backsplash will go in, the window trim will go up, and we'll be finished in the kitchen!!! Whew!!!!!! :)

Our electrical panel is in the kitchen and we had no idea what we were going to do to cover it up. It was an eye sore. Our cabinet guy came up with this handy-dandy little idea. Worked perfectly!!

New Walls!

2010-06-10T16:52:00.006-04:00

We finally have walls back up!!! It's great to finally see some progress where we saw open studs for awhile! Hank had a guy he knows come up and do our hardcoat on our sheetrock. It's great... it's just like the other old walls in the house... perfectly smooth.

Kitchen Nook / Breakfast Room

2010-05-04T11:50:00.010-04:00

Unfortunately, one day Hank bent over and his "back side" almost went through one of the walls in our kitchen nook. The wall seems to have had some water damage at one time and were soft. Another wall was bowing out and the ceiling was pretty bad too. So, we decided to just take all the wall board down and replace it. This was unexpected, but if we just get it replaced now and make the mess now... then we will not have to do it later down the road. When we got ready to put it all back up, we saw where some boards are bowed and the walls were crooked. Now Hank has to do some re-framing, rip the other side of the wall out (which is in the dining room), get it all right and back together. This also means we had to remove the original, never removed, crown molding in the dining room. As Hank removed some of it... the thick paint literally peeled off the molding in sheets... and also started coming off the walls in sheets. There is no way I can paint over all of that... so we'll "peel" the old paint and start over in the dining room. Hopefully the pictures can do some of this story justice.... maybe you just have to be there. :) It does seem like projects "grow" sometimes.... it will be worth it in the end. Right?... ?...

Before

During

In the original blueprints of the house, there was a built in china cabinet in the breakfast room. At some point it had been removed and sheetrock put over the opening. We will leave this space open and have a china cabinet rebuilt with the original plans.

The other side of the breakfast room... the Dining Room

Kitchen Cabinets

2010-05-04T11:39:00.003-04:00

We are so excited about our soon-t0-be new kitchen! We are having our cabinets custom made... for a couple of reasons. First, our kitchen layout was really hard to work around because of it being an older home. They originally had a archway coming in from the back door and a walk in pantry. The kitchen was much smaller back then. At some point, owners cleared out any walls and opened the whole kitchen up... therefore... some things HAD to be left in their places (the sink, stove, ect). We also have three windows in the kitchen... each are a different size. So, it was beneficial to us to have someone come in, see the kitchen and work with what we had. Second, after pricing cabinets in town and elsewhere, we realized we could take that money and put it towards handmade, custom cabinets.... and get much more bang for our buck. The quality is excellent.... really worth the price! Here are our cabinets so far. We will have some traditional raised panel front doors and some glass front doors. Also, we are having a work desk made and that will go on one side of the kitchen... with a built-in book shelf above it... with glass front doors. :)

Tile in Hall Bath

2010-04-20T11:12:00.007-04:00

Here is the tile work in the Hall Bath.... we still have a lot of work to do on the walls, etc.........

Spring is in the Air!!

2010-04-15T22:18:00.003-04:00

Clematis flower

Bathroom Ideas

2010-03-19T11:02:00.006-04:00

One of things Hank and I are most excited about are the bathrooms. We knew we wanted to go with white to keep the bathrooms looking as "clean" and "crisp" as possible. Also, down the road when we feel they need a "facelift", we can always change the look through new paint and accessories. Hoping to keep the old fashioned or vintage look of the house, we've chosen hexagon tiles for the floors, subway tiles for the shower and wainscoting for the walls (to cover the concrete portions). We found a few pictures to give us some ideas... hopefully the bathrooms will turn out right. The tile is going in this week and next week. We'll get to see some of the results this weekend..... super excited!!!

via Apartment Therapy

Rascal

2010-03-17T23:27:00.004-04:00

Kitchen demo

2010-03-17T16:11:00.008-04:00

Well..... HANK was supposed to post this, but he's not cooperating... so here I go...

YUCKY! Yucky, yucky, yucky. The kitchen was just nasty. Filthy. The cabinets were old and let me say again, filthy. The floor was layer upon layer of linoleum. The pantry door was a bi-folding door that had been "rigged" to not fold anymore and had wheels attached to the bottom of it so it would swing in and out... well, roll in and out? Does that make sense? Guess you had to see it... Anyway, we knew none of this was really an issue... we wanted to rip it all out and replace it. We budgeted for this, so it wasn't really an issue. When we decided the kitchen demo day arrived.... I started feeling really bad for Hank. The cabinets, however old they were, had been built into the kitchen walls.... literally. To take them out was basically taking them out in one piece. I cannot begin to tell you how heavy they were. Some parts of them smelled like fat lighter. (With some of the wiring that needs to be done in the kitchen, I guess that wouldn't have been a good combo.)

We originally hoped the linoleum would come up and we could refinish the red oak floors underneath to match the rest of the house. We even thought if we didn't want to deal with the "refinishing", we would paint the floors... but still have the great look of the thin slats of wood in the kitchen and breakfast nook/butler's pantry. Well, as we wrestled... (Ok... so I wrestled to keep it out of Hank's way... obedient wife) ... with the linoleum, while Hank ripped it up, we started to realize our floor plans were changing. There was a third layer of linoleum tiles that had been applied straight to a tar vapor barrier... ON TOP of our red oak floors. :( It took a while on our hands an knees scraping/chipping those up. The floors must have been beautiful once. It even shows in some spots where they are still a great color, etc. But overall, they are just ruined. We're having to go with tile.... they are being laid as we speak... errr... type.

We are still deciding whether or not we want a glass tile backsplash. We also are having our cabinets custom made... which we're really excited about! They will be red oak with a light stain on them. We still have some old paneling to pull down around the pantry and put sheetrock up and some crown molding to replace. At least the major work has been done in there so far...

And here is the floor ready for tile:

Removing the Steel Tub

2010-03-17T12:02:00.008-04:00

He did it all by himself..... flex that....

Kitchen

2010-03-17T11:33:00.006-04:00

Kitchen "Before" pictures....

Kid's Bath demo... aka: Jack & Jill Bath

2010-03-12T11:06:00.003-05:00

A Step Back in Time

2010-03-12T10:47:00.005-05:00

While we were cleaning up the Hall Bath from it's "wall destruction", we came across this piece of newspaper... stuck to the concrete. It's as though they were using newspapers from Thomasville as part of their vapor barrier while doing the concrete walls. It's funny... that 73 years later... in March... we're re-doing the bathroom. Seventy Three years ago... in March.... they were starting it. A little step back in time.... :)

Hall bathroom demo

2010-03-09T16:35:00.006-05:00

We have pulled off all the original sheetrock. The walls were not the traditional plaster, but instead a sheetrock with hardcoat on them. The lower half of the walls are a concrete wall... which we decided to keep. They have stood the test of time thus far and will be the best moisture barrier to last another 75 yrs. Hank spent hours and hours on his hands and knees with an air chisel chipping away the tile floor. We were determined to get rid of it and have the new tile flush with the hardwood over the thresholds. It will be well worth it!!! (sorry Hank) The tub still has to be taken out...

Bathrooms "Before"

2010-03-09T16:19:00.005-05:00

Here are our bathrooms "Before" pictures. They are the original tubs, small art deco tile and weight sash windows. UGLY

*click on pictures to see more detail

New House

2010-03-07T19:57:00.008-05:00

Can you say meant to be? We found this house in Cairo while looking at some property. When we drove past it we both took a double take. Approximately a year late we saw it on the internet for sale. We placed a bid, they accepted, and now we are neck deep in renovations with no signs of slowing down. The house was built in 1935 by an attorney in Cairo. There have been a few upgrades over the years, and structurally the house is in phenomenal shape. The house is 2,800 sq. ft. and has 4 bedrooms, 3 baths, a formal dining room and living room, a kitchen nook, and an extra room that could be considered a den. Our main goals at first are to renovate the kitchen and baths, scrape and paint every single solitary square inch of this place. We will basically have the credentials to be professional painters when we finish this place!! So, please enjoy the pictures, and have fun reveling in our misery as we work ourselves to the bone to create what we hope will be a nice home. :)

18 Months Old

2010-02-23T15:29:00.002-05:00

What You Laughin' at????

2010-02-16T11:09:00.004-05:00

Watching Cartoons

2010-02-08T11:27:00.002-05:00

Best. Doggie. Ever.

2010-02-02T19:24:00.003-05:00

Christmas Time

2010-01-07T21:19:00.006-05:00

This boy loves his bed......

Poor buddy was sick...

Christmas Tree Farm

2009-11-27T23:26:00.007-05:00

Beach Vacation 2009

2009-11-20T22:43:00.011-05:00

Pumpkin Patch

2009-11-20T22:11:00.004-05:00

Out in the country,,,

2009-11-10T21:42:00.004-05:00

Bath Time

2009-11-10T21:21:00.006-05:00

I wish I knew what they were saying to each other...

August - September

2009-11-10T21:00:00.001-05:00

2009-11-10T20:49:00.003-05:00

Happy 1st Birthday!!!

2009-11-10T20:40:00.001-05:00

2009-06-21T22:43:00.003-04:00

I'm a good eater...

Ahhh... a teething biscuit... I can get that in my mouth...

See? I'm doing it...

You want it???

Good... cause it's all gone...

Well... almost... and I made a mess...

Random...

2009-06-21T22:30:00.003-04:00

First Day Pulling Up

2009-06-21T22:21:00.003-04:00

This was Grady's first day pulling up on his own... boy was he proud and happy!!!

2009-06-21T22:14:00.003-04:00

Grady 6 months / family portraits

2009-03-01T14:54:00.013-05:00

The Little Man

2009-02-10T20:37:00.007-05:00

The Little Man is almost six months old and now sitting up on his own! He is still working on his balance... but getting stronger. He is also trying so hard to crawl. He can get up on his hands and knees... but just rocks back and forth real hard. He'll figure it out soon!! And soon.... We'll be chasing him all over the house!!! :) We can't wait!

Christmas Season

2008-12-24T13:28:00.004-05:00

Food, Rollin & Fun

2008-12-24T13:18:00.004-05:00

Grady has started rice cereal... and had his first taste of fruit... bananas! He made such a sour face and then decided he did like them! It was too cute and he's being a good boy with eating. Holding that mouth open for more!!

Also, Grady first rolled over in October. We found him in his crib on his back in the middle of the night. It has happened a few times since, but now he's figured out how to go from his back to his stomach... and he cannot stop! Even while changing his diaper he's rollin' away!

November

2008-11-21T22:51:00.005-05:00

Seagrove, FL

2008-11-21T22:39:00.005-05:00

Grady had his first beach trip this November. And there will be many more to come! :)

The latest...

2008-11-11T16:26:00.003-05:00

Here is Grady looking around while being held by daddy.... and he's holding his eyebrows up... hmmm.... remind you of anyone??

Grady wakes himself up every morning around 6:00 and roots around. We will finally go get him and bring him to bed with us. This is how he sleeps between the two of us....

Grady sporting his slippers... and holding his first rattle from his great aunt Carole.