Foodie Friday - Still working the crock pot!

Here in the Mid-Atlantic, we're still having some of those really chilly damp Spring nights. The kind when you really want something hot and warming when you get home from work. So I'm still cooking with my crock pot.

You may wonder why my crock pot has a little "skirt" around the lid? -- what's sticking out is the edge of the crock pot liner.

If you cook in a crock pot and haven't used these yet - I can tell you they're a life altering product! You'll NEVER have to scrub and scrub and scrub and scrub the inside of your crock pot again!

So what is that yummy smell that's greeting me when I open my front door? One of our very favorite crock pot recipes. For us I put in about 8 boneless skinless chicken tenders. I cut up 1 1/2 medium sized spanish onions. 1 green bell pepper cut into chunks. 1 can diced tomatoes and 1 can rotel tomatoes (if you want it spicy). Italian seasoning and garlic salt. Then I turn it on low and let it cook all day.


Now, food cooked in the crock pot, usually isn't the "prettiest" food presentation, but it's good hearty eating. Sometimes I spoon this over rice, tonight I cooked about a cup of pasta. Toss a salad and a little garlic bread and we've got supper on the table!
For more good food (and some of it's even "pretty"!) - check out "Foodie Friday" at "Designs by Gollum".
See ya!

Tablescape Thursday - Easter

If last week was a manly sort of tablescape - this one is all about Easter fun for kids - anything but manly.

Here's an overview of the Easter table.

A look at the place setting. White plate with this years Cracker Barrel Easter salad plate. I love the basketweave and the bunny with all the spring flowers. The cloth napkins are placed between plates. I used blue, green, yellow and pink napkins -- all colors of the tablecloth and in the plates as well. Each place has a water glass with the paper napkin in it and a small footed sherbert cup with Easter shred and a tiny chocolate bunny and two eggs.

A close up of the Cracker Barrel plate. I was lucky to get these 25% off! I also got two egg cups, but I'm not using those today.

Here's a top view of the sherbert cup.

Same cup from the side.

Looking at the centerpiece. A bunny on toe with eggs. The basket tray has Easter shred and a "sugar" bunny, three eggs, three ducks and a creamic egg.

She's just got the sweetest little face.

A close up of the basket of Easter goodies.

One more picture of our dancer - this reminds me of all the dance recitals for Katy - the costumes and the toe shoes. Fun days.

The twins are too young to eat at the table just yet - but I've set a place for them anyway. Here's one little bunny cup - this side shows Mama bunny and daughter bunny.

This side shows Daddy bunny and son bunny.

Here's a cup that was a gift when our son was born - almost 30 years ago.

This shows the other side.

This is a close up of the tablecloth - I've had it for years and can't remember where I got it. Maybe Garden Ridge.


Last we have a Easter platter I've also had for years - this came from Walmart. I hope that you've enjoyed a look at "Easter on the table" at my house. For more wonderful tablescapes, be sure to visit Susan at "Between Naps On The Porch" - no matter what your style, there's always a table set just for you!
See ya!

Metamorphosis Monday

After our daughter Katy was married I asked her what she wanted to do with her wedding dress. Save it? Sell it? Give it to somebody? Preserve it? She decided that she didn't want to preserve it but would like to find something special to do with the dress other than keep it to hand down to a possible daughter some day.

This is a little closer look at the dress, but the detail just doesn't show up. After much thinking, Katy finally decided she would like to someday make a christening gown for their first child out of the dress. Obviously to be used by any other children that came along. So I saved the dress for such a time. Three years later, she became pregnant with twins! When we found out they were both girls we knew that we would need to get two dresses out of the gown. We talked with a seamstress at our church to make the dresses, however due to a injury to her wrist she was not going to be able to sew. My son-in-laws grandmother was asked and accepted the opportunity to make these gowns. She said it was really hard to cut into the wedding gown at first and she was a bit nervous because she hadn't made anything for a long while.

Katy picked a simple pattern because she wanted something plain, that would show the beading and embroidery of the material.

The two little gowns could not have been any sweeter.

Here's a close up of the material.


Even the little underslips are pretty. What a sweet and meaningful metamorphosis this was. I just love that these were made for the girls by their great-grandmother - what a lovely tradition and heirloom.

Easter "fluff"

Oh I've had so much fun putting out my Easter decor (and adding new pieces). It seems that now I'm a Grandmother - I'm decorating with the eye of a child again -- funny how that happens! Here's my little table filled with a child's Easterscape. A small tea stained "rag" bunny - so sweet. A little bunny tea set and my stone bunny.

Here's a closer look at the "Bunny In The Garden" tea set - when my girls get a little older - we'll have a tea party with Nana.

Here's my little lamb under the bell jar. Looks like he has plenty of "grazing" grass. I've looked and looked for a bell jar - but all I've found around here have been over budget for me -- this was a happy find in Atlanta last weekend at Ross.

Here's my little bunnies with my topiery (I made that for a baby shower for my daughter last year) Loved the "pink" grass. (For the shower it was filled with baby sox rolled up to look like roses - so now it has pink grass instead)

An overview of an Easter explosion on my sideboard!

Peter Cottontail with his "backpack" of eggs - I believe he's left one for me in my sugarbowl. Thanks Peter!

Two bunnies on the sideboard -- they have their choice of eggs or carrots - (I think they'll want the carrots, don't you?)


I missed out on the "bunnies on a stick" - but here's some eggs on a stick instead. Some of these will probably hop on over to my Easter table next weekend. Hope you've having fun with Easter fluff at your home!
See ya!

Paying It Forward (passing it on)

Many of you already know the lovely kbeau of "Life In The Slow Lane" - isn't she just the sweetest? Always so encouraging and leaves such kind words for this new blogger. Just a heart of welcome. So I hopped right on her "Paying It Forward" blog and I was one of the first three to respond. I can't wait to see what she has in store for me. If you would like to be a part of this --- all you have to do is be one of the first three to leave a comment on this blog and you will get a package from me (then it's your turn to "Pay It Forward") -- I'll even let you "pick a door" (remember that game show) -- Behind door #1 we have a pampering package - put together just for you! -- Behind door #2 we have a little bit of "Martha decor" - that would be "me Martha" not "The Martha" - you can check out my blog and see a bit of "my style". Behind door #3 is a random surprise (Even I don't know what it might be) - but after checking out your blog or sending you some questions - I'll be thrifting just for you!) And guess what -- in this case all three of you can pick the same "door". Hope you enjoy!
See ya!

Spring "Manly" Tablescape!

I had a bit of a challenge this week because I wanted to do a tablescape for an upcoming birthday dinner for my father and father-in-law. I was hoping for something both springish and not so girlish. Mostly in the spring we see the flowers and bunnies, chicks, etc. Love it all, but not the look I was going for.


This is a placesetting. I have my clear glass charger with a gold rim - next a pewter dinner plate - next a china salad plate with a bird scene. I asked my pocketbook if I could pleeeeeeeze get some of the spode woodlands salad plates with the birds or dogs on them. But my pocketbook said "nooooooo waaaaaaaay". I just hate it when my pocketbook is cranky ... don't you? Anyway, pocketbook said, "You'll just have to be thrifty - and you only have $25 to spend." So off to e-Bay I went and after several days of looking, I found these china bird scene salad plates - eight for $24. These are dated 1940. It give me the look I was hoping for. I also have my pewter goblets again and the restaurant supply flatwear. The napkins are a mint green and each of the plates has just a touch of this green in it.


I found this tan linen tablecloth at "Finders Keepers" in Atlanta last Saturday. It just barely covers the top of my table - so I layered it over a dark green tablecloth. I love the white edgeing - it's not too lacey. I can "see" this for a summer beach look tablescape sometime in the future.


You might remember these two pheasants I got on e-bay a couple of weeks ago for 99 cents! I have them as my centerpiece. First I've got my picture frame with some brown crinkaline. The female is elevated on a small footed plate. These birds hava a wonderful bronze glaze on them that doesn't seem to show up in the photos. The person who sold them said they had been sitting on a bookcase for the past twenty years and just needed a new home. When they're not on the table, they've been on the mantle of our greatroom. This side also shows a large china egg box.


On this side of the birds I've got a small nest of eggs hopefully this helps with the "spring" look.


This is a close-up of the china egg that was given to me several years ago by a special friend at work for Easter. She has since passed away, so it is very special to me. She was a wonderful lady from Scotland who used to teach at the Adult Education Center where I work.


These next pictures show the six plates I'm using. Each has a different bird with a young bird. We're saying that each one is a "Daddy bird" with his young one (Since this is our Dad's birthdays!)








Our last picture is an overview (sideways!) of the table. Sort of plain - but I'm hoping that I've got the look of a man's birthday celebration. Our dad's mean the world to us and we're so glad that we get to celebrate their birthdays again - they both have some medical issues, but are doing pretty well. My dad will be 84 and my father-in-law will be 86. We're so blessed! To see more tablescapes, please go to "Tablescape Thursday" hosted by Susan of Between Naps On The Porch.