Something new for my kitchen...

Tonight, I made this little sign for the inside door of the spice cabinet.  Occasionally, my lovely daughters need a reminder of  equivalents for different measuring cups.  It all depends on the amount of dirty dishes in the sink.   I have to assume that I am not the only person in this world who can't maintain control over the dirty dishes.

There is nothing new to report on the home front.  The girls are both working at their respective jobs.  I am still at the same places.....either Celina ISD or the LOFT.  I love both of my jobs.  Baseball has begun and someday we will have Spring weather for a day or two.  The boys are happy.

Cinnamon Raisin Breakfast Biscuits

 Is there anyone else here in this world who remembers Hardee's and their Cinnamon Raisin Biscuits?    They were one step shy of greatness delivered through their drive-through window all hot and yummy.  Simply Amazing.

For whatever reason..... they came to my mind this morning and I knew that I had to attempt making them.   After skibbling over to Pinterest and searching for something similar,  I combined what I thought to be the best of several recipes.  This is what I ended up with.  They were quick and super easy.  They had the texture and feel of a scone.   I will most likely try to make these fluffier another time....maybe with a round of buttermilk and shortening thrown in for some extra calories for the yum factor.  The bottom line is that these were easy and could satisfy the crave.

2 1/4 cups Bisquick
1/2 cup raisins
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2/3 cup milk
2 TB sugar

Combine all that...Roll it out and cut into rounds like a biscuit.  Bake @ 450 for about 10 minutes.

Spread this glaze over it all while warm.

2/3 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 TB (about)  warm water or milk

Enjoy!

Chalkboard Coasters and other fun stuff.

Occasionally, I get a good idea.  This one started out at a gift shop near the Stockyards in Fort Worth.  The girls & I were shopping and I noticed the cutest little stack of coasters that were priced at 30 dollars for a stack of 4.  My first thought was........  Really?  Second thought.....   I can so do that!

The first stop was the local resale store.   I found stone coasters for this price.  Winning!
The second stop was the hardware Store for chalkboard paint.  It was 15 dollars for a quart.

I simply washed the coasters off with a warm rag and started painting.  

They needed more than one coat of paint.

The round ones were of a higher quality stone than the square ones.  Most likely,  I should have sanded the square ones down a bit.  The only painted coasters I found on Pinterest were made using the unfinished kind you can purchase at Home Depot.  The pinner said she found them for .15 cents and she had to prime her coasters first.  I purchased 8 for .29 cents.  I am still winning!

During the wait time I dragged out something else I purchased at the thrift shop.  It was kinda cute on its own.  It cost me $4.99.  I had other ideas for it.  

Did I mention it is metal???  Score!!

The surfaces need to be seasoned before you write on top.  This is easily done with a new piece of chalk.  Just turn it on its side and chalk it down.  Don't write anything at this stage.  Just rub the side of chalk everywhere and then rub it off with a dry rag.  I did this a few times..it was fun!

Tie them all together and give to a friend or invite a houseful over and share a meal.  Either way.........  They look beautiful!

That super cute painted clothespin magnet was only a quarter!

Now what else can I paint?

TONIGHTS DINNER WAS.........yummy.

Tonight I needed some good and easy comfort food.  Let me emphasise here.....EASY.   This is a take on a pampered chef recipe from a few years ago.  I changed it around a bit to meet my needs.  My children have always liked this...even with the veggies.  Go figure.

Philly CheeseSteak Roll

1 tube of Pillsbury Pizza Crust
1 container of sliced roast beef lunchmeat
1 package of provolone cheese slices.  (I bought the smoked flavor.)
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 white onion, chopped  (however much you like...I think I used about half)
1/2 stick of butter or olive oil  (whatever your preference)
Italian Seasoning
egg white..whisked

Melt the butter and add the onion & green pepper.  Saute until both are clear.
Roll out the crust onto an edged cookie sheet.
Spread the vegetables.
Put a layer of beef slices on top.
Add a cheese layer.
Roll it up lengthwise and seal shut.
I like to brush on an egg white and a few shakes of Italian seasoning.

Bake at 375* for about 25 minutes or until golden.

*depending on what kind of baking sheet you may have to use a spray of non-stick.

This one is for the homeschoolin' cajun.

And, yes, I will share it with anyone else who wants it.  The story behind this is that last week she was texting me about how she needed to find a teachers lounge.  HA!  Can you guess where I told her to go?   Well, just in case she wants a little privacy.......this little poster would look fabulous framed up and hung up properly on the door.

Resolutions & Reality

As the year 2012 draws to an end I suppose it is time to make some resolutions.  Here goes......

I will work out every morning at 5:30.
I will keep my house cleaner.
I will sweep daily.
I will vaccuum & dust daily.
I will walk the dog daily.
I will clean my glasses.
I will write letters...to all my  friends.  Everyone loves mail.
I will eat less junk food.
I will listen.
I will drink less Diet Dr. Pepper.
I will drink more water.
I will cook a good meal every day.
I will eat more salads & vegetables.
I will vaccuum & wash my car on Sunday Afternoons.
I will recycle more.
I will watch less television.
I will finish projects.
I will buy a lotto ticket.
I will win the lottery?
I will take more pictures.
I will budget more and spend less money on crap.
I will volunteer more.
I will stop wasting time on stupid time-wasters.
I will run a marathon.
I will blog daily.
I will try new things.
I will pray.
I will pray without ceasing.
I will take long breaths and relax more.
I will smile more.
I will give up all my bad habits.
I will make new friends.
I will forget & forgive.
I will read my Bible more.
I will read my Bible daily.
I will be more helpful to others.
I will learn a new skill.
I will make something from pinterest weekly.
I will hug my children more often.
I will stay more organized.
I will clip coupons.
I will give blood.
I will use up all the food in my pantry and freezer before I shop for groceries.
I will be a better person.
I will floss my teeth after every meal.
I will fold all the laundry and put it away immediately.
I will clean out my closets.
I will lose weight.
I will
I will
I will
I will
I will
I will
I will be thankful for my reality.

Many friends of mine  have been hit hard with reality this year.  Some have lost family members.  Some have been hit hardest with the word..."Cancer."  Other friends have gone through divorce, addictions, job loss or various other horrible-life-changing reality checks....all of which suck.

My challenge to all this year is to be thankful.  There is always someone around the corner who may have it worse.  Go out there friends and be Thankful.  Go out there and make the best out of every situation you are in.  Whatever it is.........do it.  Go out there.  Find some way to improve yourself.  Find some way to be thankful.

Take a class.
Learn a skill.
Join a Bible Study.
Volunteer.
Give.
Pray.
Stop complaining.
Improve.
I will.

Happy New Year Friends! 

Gingerbread Cookies

It seems only fitting that I should make gingerbread cookies at Christmas.  Any girl whose last name is Ginger and her classroom of children believes their teacher's name is Mrs. Gingerbread should be baking gingerbread cookies.  I have never made them until this year and have never really thought of it.   What a colossal mistake I have been making!  My 3 kids loved taking over with the decorating.  It was hysterical seeing what they tried with the icing.  I only had one jar of food coloring, green.  At least it was a Christmas color.  I bought a bag of M&M minis and a jar of sparkly crystal sprinkles.  The icing in the jar was good for flooding the cookies.  That's about it.

I found the recipe in the current reader's digest.  I hate name dropping but this one is Martha Stewart's favorite gingerbread recipe.  Well, it was her recipe.  Now, it is mine.

3 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1 1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Combine all that.

2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
4 teaspoons peeled & grated fresh ginger
1 egg
1/4 cup molasses

Combine all that and add the dry stuff.  Blend until it looks like cookie dough.
Divide it up into about 2 or 3 dough balls.  Refrigerate it or roll it out on a floured surface.
Cut with cookie cutters or a glass.  (I couldn't find my cutters.)

After you cut them....refrigerate them until they are firm.
Bake at 350* for about 12-15 minutes.  It all depends on how crispy you want them.  If I were doing a gingerbread house........I think I would bake them at least 15 minutes.  They will get really crispy.  I think that would hold the candy on the house better.

Surprisingly, enough...this was really easy.  I will do these again next year and forever after that.   Someday, with my Grandchildren.  Any cool grandma would plan something this extraordinary.   I may even get a house pattern and make a house next year.

The royal icing was way easier than I expected.  Meringue powder can be found at Hobby Lobby in the cake decorating section.

Royal Icing....2 cups of confectioners sugar
                      2 Tablespoons of Meringue Powder
                      3 Tablespoons of water.

Beat until soft peaks form and add more water if necessary.  It should be stiff enough to form soft peaks.  It should take about 10 minutes.