The Jetson's have nothing on me!

On Saturday I play while Rosie, our robot cleans the floors.

Thanks for stopping by,

I hope you get to play too!

Jeweled jack o lantern

Remember those orphaned sock pumpkins?  It's October so they are getting ready for trick or treat with some garage sale ear rings.  Talk about a quick dress up!  All I had to do was remove the backings and push the posts into the pumpkin.

For directions on how to make a pumpkin from an orphaned sock, click here.

I'd love to have you as a follower.  If you'd like a "follow back" leave a comment.

Thanks for stopping by, hope you have a great week!

linking at:
Wickedly Creative Halloween Ideas
Handmade Halloween Party
Under the table and dreaming Sunday Showcase
Fabulous Friday @ Here Comes the Sun
One Artsy Mama Shine on Friday
Pintastic Monday Halloween Edition
Made in a day Halloween Spooktacular

I'd like to be better acquainted with George.

meanwhile...

It is absolutely okay

• that I did nothing Monday but buy my first pumpkin spice latte of the season and surfed other blogs.
• that I'm going to see the little grands...again!  The house work will be here when I get back.
• that I enjoy browsing the isles in Home Depot as much as hubs.
• that I still haven't returned Big Girl Grands book A Lion Among Men...I will finish reading it soon!
• that I don't like horror movies, but love friendly Halloween decorations.
• OK, maybe a few scary decorations too.
• that I'm not married to George Clooney. [sigh]

Glad you stopped by, hope everything is OKAY with you too.

Yard witches

It's time to start putting out the Halloween decorations...yeah!  Little Grand just loved the yard witch I had out last year, so I made one for her yard.  Fortunately for me, a neighbor replaced their fence a couple of weeks ago where I salvaged a few boards.  I also went through the garage finding paint and a cross piece for the hat,  making this DIY  project almost free.

Potato Sausage Dish

finding comfort in food

Our family favorite comfort food is this potato casserole.  I have made it for every family gathering and pretty soon family members had adopted it for their gatherings. We fondly refer to it as the "Tator Dish".  I love to make it because it's a simple recipe with simple ingredients.

I'm very happy you visited.

I hope you find comfort with your family too.

Cheesy Potato Sausage Casserole

Keywords: potato sausage cheese

6078170

Ingredients

• 4 large potatoes
• salt & pepper
• 1-2Tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 onion, chopped (I prefer a sweet white onion)
• 1 heaping Tablespoon minced garlic
• 10-12" sausage length, cut in bite size slices (we like Echredge and Holmes Pecan Smoked)
• 1 jar cheese sauce (sometimes we use cheese whiz and sometimes we use a cheese sauce normally used for nachos)
• cilantro (optional)

Instructions

Scrub, peel, slice potatoes in 1/2" slices crosswise.

Place in pot and cover with water.

Salt & pepper to season.

Turn your stove top burner on medium high and boil potatoes till tender.

From cold, to roiling boil, to done - takes about 20 minutes.

When done, remove from heat and drain potatoes.

While the potatoes are cooking, caramelize the chopped onion and minced garlic in the olive oil.

Add the sliced sausage pieces.

Continue to stir occasionally until the sausage is hot. (about 5 minutes)

Add the jar of cheese sauce just till hot.

Gently fold the cheesy sausage sauce mixture into the potatoes.

If you have some extra sausage, slice in 3" lengths and split length wise to garnish the top. Bake 350 F. about 15 minutes till it bubbles.

Remove and sprinkle a little cilantro on top.

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do nothing day

Today was a "do nothing day".  After keeping the little grands for the weekend, which was full of going to a balloon festival, driving to meet their mom 1/2 way on Sunday at my other daughter's country home, taking nature walk through the woods, attending a birthday party, staying up late to watch a movie, spending the night with my daughter and driving home this morning....I am pooped.  But pleasantly pooped.  After I stopped at Target to buy a few ingredients to make a favorite comfort food and my first Star Bucks spiced pumpkin latte of the season... I just crashed on my favorite chair and spent the afternoon surfing blogs.

But that's okay, and I give myself permission to just chill out today.

I'm happy I was on your blog surfing trip today.

Sailing with Balloons

few words, only a photo from the weekend spent with the little grands at a balloon festival.

Thanks for visiting.  I hope your weekend was full of magic too.

linking at:
Cowgirl Up 34

Orange Gum Drop Bars

Many years ago I lived next to a very sweet old lady known as "Homer's wife" who brought me these wonderful bar cookies.  She also gave me the recipe.  It is written in red pen on a long piece of cardboard in her own hand writing.  I enjoy pulling it out during the fall, the orange candies are fall festive and my daughter loves orange slices.



Orange Gum Drop Bars

Ingredients:

3 eggs, beaten
2 cups packed brown sugar
1/4 cup condensed milk (use that extra ounce in the icing)
2 cups flour
pinch of salt
1 Tablespoon orange extract
1 cup orange slice candy, chopped (hint: dip knife in flour before cutting and shake cut slices in a little flour to limit clumping)
1/2 cup nuts

Mix together in order given.  Spread in greased/floured pan.  Bake 35 minutes.  Ice while still warm.  Add some orange candy slices for decoration.

Icing:
1 cup powdered sugar
3 Tablespoons melted butter
1 teaspoon orange extract
enough milk to make icing easy to spread

Enjoyed your visit,

would love you to follow me. Leave a comment if you'd like a follow back.



 

linking up:

Keep calm & link up #7
Pintastic Monday #10


It's Okay #3

Yes, really, it's okay;

• to sit back and watch hubs cook lunch.  Wha-ho!
• to not recognize so many of the old people at my class reunion.  When did that happen?  (turning old)
• that some of my friends and relatives think making my own laundry soap is weird.
• to stand in front of the garage freezer and eat the last serving of ice cream, isn't it?
• that I had to fish for a compliment.  Hubs said, "It's hot". I said "Am I hot?" Hubs said, "Are my beauty naps working?" I said "yes!". Hubs said, "Then, you're hot!"
• to try Google Chrome for the first time and wonder...seriously-what was I afraid of?
• to not own an i phone...dang it.
• to stand in a field taking photo after photo of a breath taking West Texas sunset.

Thanks for coming by.  Your comments make my day.



  Embracing Friends blog hop Link it up Thursday #38

Sock Pumpkin

It's laundry day and yet another orphan sock has been added to a growing basket of orphaned socks!  Since I've been on an up cycle pumpkin binge lately...why not turn a sock into a killer pumpkin?  It was super easy, I made one while having morning coffee on my patio.

Basic supplies needed are:

a sock

scissors

needle

thread or string

fiber fill

twig

Cut the top of the sock off.

Pull one of the openings closed using thread then stuff with fiber fill.

Push the needle from the bottom through the fiber fill to the top.

Pull the top closed with thread.

Wrap the thread from the top over the side to the bottom.

Push the needle through the bottom up through the middle back to the top.

Pull the the thread tight.

This creates the pumpkin ribs.

Do this again to make 8 ribs.

Tie it off with a knot on the bottom.


Glue on a twig for the stem and you have a little pumpkin. 



I really like the white ghost pumpkins, don't you?

I'm awfully glad you stopped by, I hope you'll leave a comment.

P.S.  K is not just for the Knot in the string.  K is also for Kind of you to stop by!

linking up at:

Nifty Thrifty Tuesday #131
Primp Your Stuff Wednesday #63
Inspiration Friday at the Picket Fence
Happy Hour Friday
Beyond the Picket Fence
Common Ground Vintage Inspiration 106
Mop it up Monday

rural Texas

just Jeannie in rural Texas

This weekend hubs and I spent some time in Quanah, Texas.  It's a small rural town on Texas Highway 287 between Wichita Falls and Amarillo..  The town, rich with history, was named by the last free Native American Indian Chief, Quanah Parker.  Q was hosting a Fall Festival where I took several fun photos. 

Restoring their Brand on a Branding Board Display

Antique cars, motor cycles and semi trucks. Little Grand fell in love with this one!

QA&P Building was a hotel for railroad guests and workers.
It now houses a museum and hosted artists and book signings during the festival.

This old building was next door to the QA&P.

A bit run down but full of charm.

I just love these old advertisement signs.  The texture is fabulous!

This sunset was absolutely the icing on the cake that ended a

perfectly beautiful day out west.

Thanks for stopping by.  I hope you get the opportunity to visit rural Texas soon!

J is for just Jeannie! linking at

ABC Wednesday

 

I'm excited to be a guest poster at One Artsy Mama this week.  Amy and I woud both love it if you check it out.  You might even enjoy making one of the easy photo stands featured!

 

Thanks for stopping by, loved seeing you!

 

Serene Sunday

i reflect

 



No DIY, not many words.  Just a moment caught on film while out shopping.

 

Thanks for stopping by, I hope you discover a happy moment this week.

 

Apricot Burrito

Sometimes you just want something sweet but you don't want to make a big mess in the kitchen or wait too long.  Here is one of my favorite quick, easy recipes that can be made for one or for more in less that 30 minutes.  I made four this time.  Two for me and two for hubs.

Warm a few flour tortilla's in the microwave 20 seconds
Place heaping tablespoon full of fruit preserves on one side of one tortilla.
Roll tightly.

Fry in hot grease until lightly browned on both sides.
You can use a toothpick to hold the roll tight if you need to.

  Dust with powdered sugar.

Cool a few minutes and devour!

Ingredients:

Flour tortillas

Fruit preserves (I like chunks of fruit in mine)

Our favorite is Apricot Preserves, but you can use your favorite fruit.

Powdered sugar

Vegetable oil to fry them in.

Thanks for stopping by, I'd love it if you'd leave a comment and if you'd like,

you are invited to follow me.

It's Okay #2

It's Okay

To love a robot that dusts and mops my floors enough to give it a name. I heart Rosie.

To think shopping an antique emporium is like Pinterest in 3-D. Yes, I'm Pinterest addicted.

To cut my hair shorter because it's so dad gum hot, or am I having one of those old lady moments again?

To laugh at myself when my hairdresser mentions my roots are showing.  I told her that at my age it's helpful when you have to go to the potty so much at night to have a little glow in the dark grey to light the way.

To say to the hair dresser the cut feels great and then rush home to weigh because she said she thought she cut 20 lbs of hair off  my head today.

To be disappointed because she lied.

Chocolate Pie Pin-Win

Chocolate Pie is a Pin-Win

I had a favorite uncle that LOVED chocolate pie.  Any time you asked what he wanted or what you could bring him, he always replied "chocolate pie".  So when I saw this pie recipe on Crafty in Crosby's blog, I literally jumped up and headed to the kitchen.  The pie was easy to make and the taste is smooth as silk.  It is pinned to my favorite sweet surrender Pinterest board and has won a permanent spot in my recipe collection.  Uncle Ashley would have loved it.

 

I had everything I needed to bake it right away!



Head over to Crafty in Crosby for the full recipe and directions. 

Thanks for visiting, I hope you have a chocolate pie kind of day!