My Coffee Bar

Several years ago, my sister had a wet bar in her home that she set up as a coffee bar. I loved it and decided that I would build one when I built my house. We used space that is under our stairway. We have had many coffee pots in the bar and have currenly become Keurig addicts!

Have a wonderful day friends!

I'm linking up with Delightful Order today!  Be sure to visit this wonderful site!

It's pretty complete will all the coffee fixins'

Close up of the drawer handles

Close up of the cabinet handles

Small baker's rack with coffee and tea paraphernaila...little gifts from friends who know about my coffee addiction!

My friend, Julie, made this coffee quilt just for the bar

Half opening into my dining room

It smells great in here!

Scenes From Our Independence Day Parade

You have to love small town America! We're still patriotic here, we still pray at public gatherings, and community is important to us. We still have trains that run through downtown on a daily basis.  But twice a year...once for our County Fair, and once for the Fourth of July..the trains are shut down so we can gather to watch a parade.  Hope your 4th was blessed!





All ages from young....



To more mature!



Summer Squash...Cajun Style!

Our friend and my husband's co-worker, Renee, has been supplying us with squash, tomatoes and peppers this summer.  We've eaten them in omelets, salads, frozen some peppers for cooking later, and cooked all the squash the way my cajun mom taught me.  Here's the recipe:

Peel, seed and cut up the squash, about 6 small or 4 large (keep a few seeds..they're very nutritious)
Dice 1/2 large onion
Put bacon grease if you have it ...(I used olive oil..but bacon grease tastes better) into a black cast iron skillet

(And..by the way, no self-respecting cajun girl ever cooks a cajun dish without her black cast iron skillet.Mom gave me mine (used) when I got married...it's probably in the neighborhood of 60 years old!)

Start cooking the onion and squash together
Add salt, red pepper, black pepper and 2 T. raw sugar
Cook and stir until it is tender and brown.

This is how it starts out...



This is how it ends up..smokey, caramelized and delicious!



Homemade Bisquits

We love homemade bisquits on the weekends. My old recipe comes from my Better Homes and Gardens cookbook from 1968. It's a treasure! Instead of using shortening, like the recipe requires..I now used organic butter. The bisquits are very flaky and delicious, with crusty tops and bottoms!

I'm not sure when I got this...may have been a wedding present.

2 C. of flour/sifted

1 T. of baking powder/non-aluminum

1 t. salt

1/3 C. butter cut in

3/4 C. milk

Mix all.  Roll out..thickness is up to you!  Bake at 450 for about 12 minutes. 

It's falling apart, but I still use it often.

Vintage bowl...good size to use.

Cutting in the butter.

We like them pretty thick.



I love baking on clay...everything cooks better.




Final Product



My new favorite preserves!

Homemade Chicken Pot Pie

I've been making this for years...my family loves it!
(and I'm linking up with http://serenitynow4amanda.blogspot.com/)

Two pie crusts
Place one in the bottom of your dish
Mix cooked chicken (about 2 breasts)
Chopped celery, onion, carrots
Frozen Green Peas
Three chopped boiled eggs
One can of cream of anything soup
Thyme..preferably fresh
Salt and Pepper
Top with second crust/cut out with chicken cookie cutter
Bake for about 20-30 minutes in 400 degree oven...just watch!

Be sure to use your cookie cutter!

My "Chocolate" Bunnies

I love chocolate..truly, more than anyone I know!  Many years ago I saw a ceramic chocolate bunny, and fell in love with it.  Since then, I've been collecting them each year when I find them.  I haven't seen any out this year, but they come and go.  Sadly, I dropped one when I was decorating my mantle...hope I can replace it.  Enjoy my bunnies, and have a blessed Resurrection day!



The chocolate bunny gang...



Chocolate bunny boxes...

My sister made this chocolate bunny tassel

Details

He's the distinguished one.



Up close...

I'm linking today with http://thetablescaper.blogspot.com/

A Couple of Lunch Recipes

I like to have high-protein lunches since high-carb lunches make me sleepy!  I am sharing two recipes for hummus and chicken spread.  I usually make these on the weekend and then pack them in small containers in the freezer.  I'll pull a couple out each week to take to school, they're thawed by lunch. You can buy these little containers at a Dollar Tree store, and keep them in a zippy bag in the freezer.  With some whole grain crackers, or vege slices, they are a perfect (and delicious) high protein lunch.

Hummus (I try to buy organic items)

2 cans of chick peas

1/3 bunch of parsley

1 lemon

1 clove of garlic

olive oil to texture

cumin to taste

salt and pepper to taste

Put all of the ingredients into a food processor.  Use olive oil and lemon juice to make a spreadable consistency.

Chicken Spread
2 cooked chicken breasts
1/2 cup of pecans
1/2 cup of olives
1/4 cup of red onion
mayonnaise to consistency

Put all of the ingredients into a food processor.  Use the mayonnaise to make a spreadable consistency.

Pink Saturday!

After almost of year of nursing my husband who had a stroke (he's much better), I'm starting to feel a little free...and wanting to do some of the things I used to do..like blog!  So, I'm joining in the fun with Beverly at How Sweet the Sound, and playing Pink Saturday!

I've been a pink girl for quite some time.  When I was in graduate school, I met with a professor for an independent study I was doing.  I reached in my purse to grab a pen...and he looked in my purse and said.."My...it's pink in there!"  I hadn't thought about it much until the other day (approximately 5 years later) when my sister looked in my purse and said the same thing!  So, I'm sharing the contents of my purse...and the pink camera and computer with which I created this blog!  Happy Pink Saturday, friends...I've missed seeing all of you!



My purse...not sure where the red coin purse came from...will work on that!







Love my pink computer and camera!



Happy Birthday to Me!!

My daughter sent me this beautiful flower cake for my birthday!  No calories!!

Snow Day in Texas!!

I love being a Texan, but I'm not all that crazy about the weather.  Most of the time, it's okay...but there are those 108 degree days...thank you, Lord, for a pool!  There are also lots of very cold days...and my school is an older, open concept school without hallways, so the minute I step out of  my office, I'm outside.  There are days that my coat never comes off. 

I'm not complaining because I think I do much better when it's not cold, and there are more of those days.  But sometimes I long for snow.  I've never lived in the north, so I've never really had a white Christmas.  I have lived in New Mexico, and remember snow days where you still had to go to school...an unknown concept in Central Texas.  We had a pretty good snow day this year.  It had been cold enough for several days to stick to the ground.  I didn't actully get to see it..it happened during the night.  But, as soon as I woke up, I took pictures.

Looking out my bedroom window

No swimming today!

My driveway

Sorry birds!

Looking down on my deck...the wind blew over chairs and rugs