Carol's Heirloom Collection

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Cup of Joe, Java, Coffee . . .

When I was a kid I hated the smell of coffee brewing in the morning. Back in those days coffee was made on the stove top or in an electric percolator.

It always smelled like something was burning & it made me sick to my stomach. In fact, it made me so sick I could never eat breakfast before going to school. Mother would give me a nickel to buy chocolate milk at school & I would drink it during morning recess.

Fast forward to 1974, my final semester of college.

I was student teaching & carrying 21 hours.

This is when I started drinking coffee in the faculty lounge.

I did not like the taste of black coffee, but I did like it with a little milk & sugar.

The cafeteria sent over a large pan of buttery, cinnamon toast every morning.

I was hooked on the great combination of caffeine & carbs!

Christmas 2009 Hubby & I bought a new coffee maker as a gift to each other.

I love my Keurig!

Fresh coffee in seconds.

I usually have 2 cups every morning, sometimes 3.

I still add a splash of milk and my sweetener of choice, Splenda.

K-cups in an apothecary.

We also make hot chocolate in our Keurig.

Dark chocolate or cafe mocha are the choices . . .

stored in my Mother's cookie jar.

Are you a coffee drinker, or do you prefer hot tea?

I'm linking with . . .
Wow Us Wednesdays
Table Top Tuesday
Time Travel Thursday

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Mighty Good . . .

I seem to be making a lot of posts about recipes lately.

One reason could be I really haven't gotten down to the business of redecorating the house after Christmas and I've been spending ~~too much~~ time pinning recipes & other great ideas. Most spaces & shelves are sparsely decorated with stuff just to make it look like somebody lives here.

Anyway, back to the subject of food.

Yesterday I cooked a mess of beans for our evening meal.

Sometimes when I cook beans I add a can of Rotel to spice it up, but this time I just used salt, pepper, garlic powder, worcestereshire sauce & ham chunks.

I also baked a pan of cornbread using a new recipe from Pinterest.

Buttermilk Cornbread Recipe

Ingredients

3/4 cup butter - melted

3 eggs - slightly beaten

1 1/2 cups buttermilk

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup cornmeal

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup sugar

In a large bowl, mix all the ingredients together.

Pour into a greased 9x13 pan.

Bake at 400 degrees F. for 23 to 28 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. I baked mine for almost 40 minutes because the first time I cut into it wasn't done. Lately I've been thinking my oven isn't working right.

I didn't have any buttermilk & had planned on making my own by adding a little white vinegar. Oops, I didn't have any. I just added 2% milk.

The cornbread was wonderful & the beans very tasty.

Of course we'll be eating beans & cornbread for several days, which means I won't have to cook.

I love leftovers!

I'm linking with . . .
Your Cozy Home Party
Table Top Tuesday
Share Your Creations
TGIF Linky Party

Monday, January 16, 2012

Big Bunch Of Beans . . .

This is one of our purchases from our Saturday shopping at Sam's.

10 pounds of beans for $8.64

nutrition facts

high fiber

low sodium

diets including beans may reduce the risk of heart disease & certain cancers

serving size 1/4 cup, dry

0 fat, 0 cholesterol, 15mg sodium, total carbs 22g, dietary fiber 14g, sugars 1g, protein 7g,

60 calories

Bottom line, beans are healthy & good for you.

They're cheap and easy on the budget.

3 cup bags enough for 8 meals

$1.08 per bag

Hubby & I both like beans & cornbread, but

we wouldn't want to eat them weekly, maybe every 6 weeks would be okay.

I did a little search on Pinterest for pinto bean recipes.

Here are a couple I may try.

Coriander-Chile Pinto Bean Dip

Tex-Mex Pinto Bean Spread

Now this next recipe looks interesting.

pinto bean pie

I'm not sure I'm going to try this one.

It's sweet, not savory, still not sure I'm willing to make it.

Do you blame me?

Sunday, January 15, 2012

Weekly Words To Live By #84 . . .

Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all you that hope in the Lord.

Psalm 31:24

Wishing you a day filled with hope . . .

Saturday, January 14, 2012

Something From Pinterest

Kari & the kiddos came over to hang out yesterday.

They stayed for dinner & she helped me fix the meal.

I Actually Made Something I Pinned On Pinterest

When I saw this recipe on Pinterest I immediately knew I would try it.

Tilapia Parmesan

2 lbs tilapia fillets (orange roughy, cod or red snapper can be substituted)

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

4 tablespoons butter , room temperature

3 tablespoons mayonnaise

3 tablespoons finely chopped green onions

1/4 teaspoon seasoning salt

1/4 teaspoon dried basil

black pepper

1 dash hot pepper sauce

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In buttered 13-by-9-inch baking dish or jellyroll pan, lay fillets in single layer.

Do not stack fillets.

Brush top with juice.

In bowl combine cheese, butter, mayonnaise, onions and seasonings.

Mix well with fork.

Bake fish in preheated oven 10 to 20 minutes or until fish just starts to flake.

Spread with cheese mixture and bake until golden brown, about 5 minutes.

Baking time will depend on the thickness of the fish you use.

Watch fish closely so that it does not overcook.

I did not have lemon juice. I substituted Miracle Whip for mayonnaise.

Kari mixed the ingredients . . .

and spread it on the Tilapia.

As you can see our dish doesn't look like the picture from Pinterest.

Next time I will use mayonnaise & see if that makes a difference in the browning.

I even baked it longer than the recommended 5 minutes.

It was very tasty and I will make it again.

Thanks for stopping by today, hope you'll visit again soon!

Happy pinning everyone!

Friday, January 13, 2012

Friday Show and Tell . . .

I have several recipes that are written in my Mother's handwriting.

It gives me a warm feeling when I see these cards.

They bring back sweet memories of the delicious things my Mother prepared for her family.

I thought this recipe was for egg custard in cups, but after reading it I saw it is was for a pie.

Mother's Egg Custard

2 eggs

1 cup milk

1/2 cup sugar

2 tbsp flour

Separate egg yolks. Beat these add 1/2 cup of the milk. In Measuring cup add the flour to the sugar. Mix these & to the mixture add the other 1/2 cup milk. Combine the 2 mixtures & stir. Add Vanilla if desired.

Pour this into a pie shell which has been places on the stove burner, on low heat, for about 1 minute or just long enough to blister but not to brown. Cook at 350 until firm. Beat egg whites with 4 tbsp sugar added. Spread the egg whites on the custard & brown. (3 eggs may be used to make a thicker pie)

Here are four of her custard cups.

Here's a recipe I found on Pinterest

Old Fashioned Custard

• 4 large eggs

• 1/3 cup sugar

• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

• 3 cups of whole milk, scalded

• Freshly grated nutmeg

1. Preheat the oven to 375˚F.

2. Beat the eggs slightly. Add the sugar, salt and vanilla; whisking constantly, slowly add the scalded milk.

3. Strain the mixture into the custard cups (I needed 7 cups); grate nutmeg over each custard, and place in a pan containing hot water. The water should cover the cups up to the level of the custard.

4. Bake for about 30 to 35 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center of the custard comes out clean.

Mother's recipe is for less eggs & milk. Also the milk is not scalded.

I'm going to use her recipe add 1 more egg, scald the milk & omit the flour.

I'll let you know how it turns out.

Linking with . . .
Inspiration Friday
Potpourri Friday
Crazy Cute Link Party
Pinning & Singing on the Weekend Linky Party
Seasonal Sundays
Table Top Tuesday

Thursday, January 12, 2012

Perfect 1st Snow . . .

Last night a fast moving snow system moved through our area.

I'd call it a perfect 1st snow.

No, it wasn't enough to build a snowman . . .

it dusted the deck . . .

sidewalks & streets are clear . . .

this morning the sun is shining . . .

Yes, it's the perfect 1st snow of 2012!

Now I'm ready for my 2nd cup of coffee.

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Simple & Symmetrical . . .

I decided to decorate the mantel with a simple symmetrical look.

These vintage skiers belonged to my Grandma Ruby.

I was always fascinated by them when I was a child.

I wish I knew where & when she bought them.

There are no marks on the bottom.

Disclaimer . . .
the mantel decor is subject to change when new inspiration strikes.
Stay tuned!

I'm linking with . . .
Wow Us Wednesdays
Treasure Hunt Thursday
It's A Party Creative Princess
Delightfully Inspiring Thursday Party
Share Your Creations
Thursday Favorite Things Blog Hop
Home Sweet Home
Potpourri Friday
Inspiration Friday
Flaunt It Friday
Seasonal Sundays

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Goals For 2012 . . .

I always have ideas floating around in my head about things a want to do.

This year I'm writing down my goals instead of just dreaming about them.

Here's a list of some things I want to work toward accomplishing in 2012.

* sewing projects for the grandkids, gifts & home.

* organize & purge closets, cabinets, drawers, attic & garage

* try more new recipes

* copy videos to CDs & scan old pictures

I'm going to be realistic & leave myself some wiggle room.

One day at a time!

"Live a balanced life-learn some and think some and draw and paint and sing and dance and play and work everyday some."
-Robert Fulghum
author of
All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten

linking with . . .
2012 Home Goals Party

Monday, January 9, 2012

Meet Sammy . . .

Christmas bling/decor is finally packed away.

Hooray!

As soon as the Christmas wreath was off the front door I replaced it with Sammy the Snowman.

Isn't he cute?

He was one of my classroom decorations for January when I did a full month of reading lessons about snow.

Sammy is not your ordinary snowmen.

He's an OSU cowboy.

As you can see he's dressed in orange & black and swinging a lasso.

This little poem is so cute.

He probably won't be finding any snow anytime soon.

The weatherman says no winter weather is expected in January.

As much as I love snow this forecast is okay with me.

Last winter was a record breaker here in Oklahoma.

(read about our 2011 blizzard here)

We need a little break.

I'm linking with . . .
Marty for Tablescape Tuesday

Sunday, January 8, 2012

Weekly Words To Live By #83 . . .

The Shepherd and His sheep . . .

I am the good shepherd;
I know my sheep and my sheep know me--
John 10:14

Wishing you a Sunday full of comfort knowing that He watches over you . . .