The Irish Laurel
It's THE SIMPLE THINGS . . .
Welcome Spring, Welcome Projects!
Be prepared…posting many photos!
Spring always brings beautiful blooms to our flowering pear trees! We are one large on in our front yard and some that line the back of our backyard. Love them!
Here in our state we have had a rainy wet spring. It brings out the lushness of trees, flowers and grass…but oh we are so over the cloudy rainy days!
Backyard in process!
Update on last years work:
- Replaced flooring on deck
- Moved stairs from corner to the side of the deck, to face the backyard (which equals more privacy!)
- Added more perennials,
- Added brick patio at bottom of steps
This years list includes:
- Adding more perennials,
- Adding fire pit by patio at end of steps.
- Adding lighting around fire pit.
- Building walkway from into gate into backyard.
In Honor of my Grandma Dot’s Birthday!
Today would have been my grandma Dot’s 113th birthday! She is no longer here, but honoring her today with one of her recipes.
Sharing a recipe that she made often and oh so good!
Grandma Dot’s Scalloped Corn
-
- 1 can creamed corn
- 1 can regular corn (drained)
- 2 eggs
- Small amount of diced onion
- small amount of milk ( about 1 Tablespoon)
- ½ cup Ritz cracker crumbs
- Black pepper
- In bowl mix both cans of corn together.
- Mix in eggs, milk, chopped onion. Stir until well blended.
- Put into lightly greased small casserole dish.
- Lightly sprinkle with black pepper.
- Top with cracker crumbs.
- Bake at 350 degrees for approx. 45 minutes until middle is set
- Note: can easily be doubled for more people!
Oh and as we are gearing up for grilling season…as least here in the mid-west, as spring gives way to summer. Steaks…grilling steaks. Sharing a link from The Pioneer Woman’s website. If you haven’t checked out her site yet…it’s a must. Anyway’s back to grilling…here is her link for “The 5 Best Tips for Cooking Steaks”. Enjoy!
Spring, April and Updates!
Welcome to Spring!
Since my last post in February, much has happened. The busyness of life sometimes just interferes with blog postings..the posts end up on a” back shelf” …waiting for me to get back to it! I’m back to it now!
In February we made a last minute decision to “get out of Dodge”. Sick of the cold and snow, we drove to Florida for a quick 4 day stay there. Worth all the driving. The 4 days were wonderful. We did have one day of mostly rain. But otherwise sunny and 80. Even the rainy day was 70 and we still did a lot of eating and shopping. Stayed at one of the Disney resorts and just loved sitting by the pool at the table and enjoying the sun shine.
Did I mention we indulged in Ghirardelli Sundaes…totally. We made those lovely sundaes our lunch, enjoyed it so much. The next day we came back and ordered them all again that days lunch! Totally lovely, enjoying our ice cream as we sat at the outdoor cafe, enjoying the warmth and sunshine! (The photo below is one of our “ice cream lunches”)
In Michigan Spring has finally arrived. We have had many warm days…actually earlier than normal, so trees, etc have bloomed a bit early. It’s just lovely! We have even mowed the yard already, because of hubbies early fertilizing, grass grew quickly and thick!
We are still working on replacing all our trim with the wider white trim. We love the look more and more!
Hubby and I have been taking online courses, which has slowed the trim updating. We are loving our online classes, it sure stretches one’s mind! He is updating his teaching certificate and I’m taking a course in HTML5 and CSS programming.
Coming in Future Posts:
- New deck look
- Fire Pit
- Book Reviews
- New Recipes
Happy “HEARTS DAY”!
Do you like celebrating Valentine’s Day? Even if you don’t have a special someone, you can make it a fun day!
I’ve gathered some great Valentine’s Day links you might enjoy exploring!
Layered Cherry Cheesecake from Lilmoocreations A dessert I’m planning on making!!!
Cherry Pie Heart Pops Are these fun and cute or what!???
The following are easy dinners to make!!
Meatballs with Ricotta and Marinara from Mennonite Girls Can Cook Does this look delish?!! or what!
Philly Cheese Steak Sloppy Joes Okay this would be good enough ANYTIME!
Meatballs wrapped in puff pastry and cheese A video with all the “how-tos” THIS..is to die for…this is on my “to make” list. When my husband saw he thought it looked great
Crafts Anyone??
Valentine Fortune Cookies Craft From A Thrifty Mom
A Valentine Craft Fortune Cookie, but a free printable
Valentine’s Day Crafts from My Sweet Savannah Crafts are so fun!
New and Improved Recipe Blog and Book Reviews
New for 2017 is my updated, redesigned Recipe Blog. See the link for the Recipe Blog at the top of this page. I’ve added new recipes and will be adding more through February.
Now onto my book reviews! I received two books at Christmas. Ones that I asked for and I LOVE both of them.
The first one is “Walking Butterly”. I can’t recommend it highly enough!! So well written and life changing! I follow her blog at Recovering Church Lady, her blog is wonderful…as you can tell by the title! Her writings, her thoughts, her sharing always touches my soul. Encourages me to grow in my Faith!
The second book is “Rare Bird: A Memoir of Loss and Love”…I’m about half way through it and again so well written. Again, I follow her blog also, An Inch of Gray..excellent!!
Love that it is now February! A short month and then March. Here in snowy, winter country…counting down to Spring is all important!
Check back more recipes coming and another review, but not another book!!
**NOTE: Please take my Recipe Poll new the top of the blog on the right! Would love your input!!
3 of My Favorite Things. Christmas Movies, and a free printable!
Our fireplace decorated and ready for a warm crackling fire!
A little fun post…have seen this going around so thought I would play along.
1.My 3 favorite books (besides the Bible)(truly impossible to narrow down to 3 books. I have read SO many that have touched me or are just plain good reading. I love biographies, fiction, non-fiction, politics, history)
- Little House books ALWAYS my Favorite
- I Have Lived a Thousand Years
- Alicia: My Story
2: My 3 favorite TV Shows (we don’t watch many tv shows, these are the only ones usually)
- Alaska The Last Frontier
- Sue: Life Below Zero
- The Blaze
3: My 3 favorite famous people. (really…there are so many more I would love to sit down and talk with.
- Dolly Pardon
- Glenn Beck
- Franklin Graham in a tie with Rabbi Lapin
4: My 3 favorite types of footwear
- My new tennis shoes
- My comfy fashion boots
- Slippers (l live in these in the winter!!!)
4. My 3 or 15 or 20 favorite Christmas Movies *THAT is hard..we start watching our collection of Christmas movies Thanksgiving Weekend…we have a LOT and love them all!
- Wonderful Life
- The Christmas Box / Time Piece
- Christmas Visitor
- ***At the end of this I will post ALL the movies we watch at Christmas, just in case you need some ideas!
5: My 3 favorite pieces candy (I don’t eat much candy, NOT because I don’t like it though)
- Turtles
- Ghirardelli
- Twix
6. My 3 favorite dining out places
- Olive Garden
- Logans Steakhouse – who can’t love the 2 full meals for $15.99 YUM
- Panera Bread
But seriously can YOU narrow it down to 3? 🙂
7. My 3 favorite hobbies
- Remodeling
- Painting furniture and walls LOL
- Crocheting and sewing
- WAIT….I have to add reading…love books!
8. My 3 favorite places to visit
- Disney World!! (Our favorite vacation spot, we try to get there every 4 years. So much to do and lovely dining)
- Smokey Mountains (Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg – the fires there broke my heart)
- Downtown Chicago (love the views, Navy Pier, shopping, Cheesecake Factory, and sightseeing!)
*** Below is our list of Christmas Movies
(Note – all of them I listed are GOOD! But the starred ones I’m really recommending especially because they might not be as well known)
- Family Man **
- Elf
- The Christmas Card **
- The Christmas Choir **
- A Time to Remember
- The Most Wonderful Time of the Year
- Santa Clause I
- Santa Clause II
- Santa Clause III
- Home Alone I
- Home Alone II
- The Christmas Box / The Time Piece **
- A Christmas Visitor **
- Borrowed Hearts
- A Dog Names Christmas **
- You’ve Got Mail
- The Christmas Miracle **
- What If?
- A Christmas Carol (with George C. Scot…the BEST one) **
- The Grinch (with Jim Carry)
- The Christmas Ornament
- National Lampoon Christmas Vacation
- Preacher’s Wife (with Whitney Houston)
- A Very Merry Mix-Up **
- One Christmas
- Trading Christmas
- Lucky Christmas
…and this is NOT the complete list..since we have the “Feeln” channel this year and have new ones to add for next year! 🙂 Happy viewing!
I found this free printable. Prints out beautifully, I have it framed and on one of my shelves above our TV, framed it in a white frame! Go to this blog for her lovely printable at full size: Deliciouslyyum.com/merry-christmas/
May your Christmas shopping list be almost complete, and your Christmas baking be filling your home with delicious smells (and eating!)
Deck the Halls…..
Dec. 13…11 days ..count them!!!….until Christmas Eve! Where we live we are pretty much guaranteed a white Christmas since this week a snow storm came our way, with more coming this weekend! YES it’s cold out, but there is just something magical at Christmas time to have the white fluffy stuff on the ground! At night all the outdoor white Christmas lights just look beautiful against the snow!! Now ask me in January how I feel about the snow! LOL!
During all the hustle and bustle of Christmas, the shopping, cooking, baking, wrapping, parties, cleaning…..sometimes…well a lot…the true meaning of Christmas gets pushed aside. Try to take time to reflect on what this season is about…the birth of the Christ child, the complete and total love God had for us, to send His Son to us. He cares about us…ALL of us….you… and all that our lives are about. The joys, the struggles AND the pain. Take time to de-stress,..yes it’s okay to just sit, to ponder, to relax, maybe read a book, sip on coffee or hot cocoa. Wishing you and yours a season of love, and care and may you enjoy this season of Love.
A photo of our lovely town decorated for Christmas
Our house is all decorated inside and out! Both trees up and decorated, one is in our living room, but it can be seen from the kitchen and dining room which I love and the other is in our lower level where the fireplace is!
Started my Christmas baking, some cookies and candy, but will save the cut-out frosted Christmas cookies to do with the 2 grand-daughters that live close. So miss having the CO grandkids here! Christmas time makes it’s especially hard, we miss them all so much!
Posting a few recipes!
First is Cake Balls….super easy!They have become a family favorite.
- 1 box of cake mix, any flavor will work. I have used cherry, strawberry and this year trying spice. Make the cake by the instructions on the box.
- 1 – 16 oz container of frosting (again any flavor that goes well with your cake flavor) use ONLY 3/4 of the container, more than that makes the balls too moist.
- 1 package of candiquik melting chocolate I use only the milk chocolate flavor.May also be called chocolate bark.Bake cake mix (follow the instructions on the box). Cool
- With your hands, crumble the cooled cake into large bowl.
- Mix in the frosting, again not the whole container, usually just 1/2 to 3/4 will do it.
- Refrigerate the batter to stiffen for a little while
- Roll into one inch balls. Place on a cookie sheet or carefully put in bowl.
- Place in your freezer, you want them very cold. If they are frozen they keep the ball shape better as you dip them into the melted chocolate.
- Melt chocolate according to directions.
- You can then dip cake balls into the melted chocolate with a toothpick or hold the ball and with a spoon cover the ball with the chocolate.
- They can be dipped in sprinkles (I used different colors and shapes of sprinkles), nuts, crushed candy canes etc. and also you can drizzle them with a lighter color of chocolate or white chocolate. Have Fun!
The other recipe is Chicken Pot Pie (also VERY easy and oh so delicious)
*side note…as I’m writing this blog our Chicken Pot Pie is baking away in the oven!!
- 1 to 2 cups shredded or chopped rotisserie chicken
- 2 prepared Pie Crusts (Pillsbury)
- 1 bag Frozen mixed veggies for soup (the frozen veggies for soup contain potatoes, THAT you want!)
- 1/2 block of room temp cream cheese
- 1/2 cup cheddar cheese
- 1 can cream of chicken soup
- Dried or fresh chopped onion
- Garlic powder to taste
- Pepper to taste
Instructions:
- Set out pie crusts until room temp (1/2 hour). Line pie plate with one of the crusts, making sure crust goes up the sides.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- Chop or shred the rotisserie chicken, set aside
- In bowl, mix cream cheese and soup, Add the mixed veggies, cheese, onion, garlic powder and pepper. Mix
- Add chicken to the bowl of mixture, mix until thoroughly mixed together.
- Put one of the pie crusts in the bottom of the pie plate.
- At this point, if you would like, you can bake just the bottom crust for about 5 minutes ( bottom crust will be fully cooked when whole pie is done cooking)
- Take out of oven, fill bottom crust with Chicken mixture.
- Top with the second pie crust. Crimp crust, then cut a couple of slits etc. on the top.
- Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes to 1 hour. Pie should be bubbly and top browned, but not too much!
- Serve with a crispy salad, and/or fruit and you have a wonderful meal!
Wishing you and yours Christmas Blessings!!
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Kathy’s Faith, Family, Food and Decor. Sharing of everyday moments.
