Favorite Home Scents

Hello Everyone!

I should probably say...Hello Nobody...since I haven't blogged in a year and a half, and my few followers have given up on me.  I've thought about taking my blogs down, but then decided that someday I'll get back to it and I don't want to have to start over.  When I spend time at home, I realize how much I love being in my little farm-style house and that always makes me want to share things from home. Right now I'm on Christmas break!  I work so many hours during my extended school year, that home is mostly where I wake up to get dressed, and come to sleep at night.  It sounds awful when I say it, but it's where I am in life, and I know that it won't always be this way...and honestly, I do love my work.

This morning I was cleaning a little, enjoying being home, and lighting some candles in the house. I have used the Hazelnut candles from Wal Mart for so many years, that I think the scent has become my signature.  Their candles are very inexpensive and have as strong a scent as the expensive brands. My niece smelled this scent one day in a store and told her mom that it smelled like my house.  So, I'm still using those, but have found some delicious new scents (well, new to me) from Scentsy-Pumpkin Roll, and Cider Mill.  They are very fall-ish scents, and I do love them.

The other new fragrant home product that I'm enjoying is Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day products in the Geranium scent.  The Geranium scent is wonderful, and lingers for a good while.  I'm even using it to wipe down the inside of my car. These products come in so many "garden" scents, and in every possible cleaning product you can think of.  They clean, but smell so much better than other products.

What's your favorite home scent?

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/