Literally

1. Collected by Fritz Karch.  I have actually already checked out this book but I will tell you that I really enjoyed thumbing through the pages of items collected and ogling at all the stuff.  I did learn a few things too.  For instance, I have some vintage linens that have the name Vera in the bottom corner and I learned that it is Vera Neumann and some other interesting things.  

2.  Modern Pioneering by Georgia Pellegrini.  I already rented this one too.  I will admit that at first glance through the pages I wasn't too impressed and set it back down for a few days.  When I did pick it back up and really looked at it I felt differently.  She has some good tips on cooking and gardening and some pretty good looking recipes.  I really like the small tips in the corners and plan to write several of them in my journal for later.

3.  Captain Phillips dvd.  My sister Mary Evelyn actually recommended this movie telling me that she and her husband were on the edges of their seats through the whole movie!  

4.  Leonardo the Terrible Monster by Mo Willems.  I am currently hooked on Mo Willems children's books.  The kids loved this book and I love any book that makes them laugh.  And laugh they did at this one.  It says at one point that the monster wants to scare the tuna salad out of someone.  They thought this was the funniest thing they had ever heard.  I have more Mo Willems books on the way.

5. The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo.  I am on the wait list for this one and it is only available on over drive from my library.  Meaning it is a downloadable version that will have to be returned too.  I normally don't like renting books this way because downloading it eats up our internet time.  So I am thinking about buying the actual book.  Anything that can make cleaning up feel like magic sounds good to me.  I am looking forward to a different approach at being a tidy person and it making total sense.  Things like that generally stick with me.  

P.S. I do take suggestions on reading and movies. If you have seen or read anything good lately please let me know!

A Recipe

This recipe is from my own stash.  I made it up from my fondness of deer meat and my double fondness of the luscious aroma of wine floating in the house when I'm cooking.  Even the next day it is wonderful.  I was craving this dish on Monday so I decided to make it Tuesday night.  Thinking I had all of the ingredients, forgetting about the mushrooms and onions totally, and at a complete loss of directions as I could not find the recipe I had written anywhere.  Nor was I convinced that I had ever written it down.  I logged on and looked all through my blog just knowing I had posted it sometime.  Finding nothing here, I looked back through my dove hunt magazines with no luck.  I though about a blog that I had begun for my father-in-law's farm, that didn't last... the blog not the farm, but couldn't remember any log in information.  I decided to wing it and was not as pleased with the results as I would have liked.  My craving was some what satisfied I guess.  The deer meat was gone anyway when we were done.  So today I researched into the blog from 2010 once more with better luck.  I found my recipe and am now sharing it with you.  I am also printing it out for my cookbook and will most certainly have record of it here now.  Yay!

I hope you enjoy it as much as we do.  It is one of my specialties that Shaun says is "cruise boat worthy."I think it makes the house smell like you just walked in to the Melting Pot.  And now that I have found it Look Out!  It will probably be on the menu for next week too!

On The Menu

On The Menu is a series in which I share recipes that will grace our table and pallets from all over.  Here's what I have found this week!

Orange Gumdrops

Photo and recipe credit: Maeghan from thewaytohisheartblog                     

I just happen to have a father who just happens to love the old fashioned orange slices who also happens to have a birthday coming up.  This is for sure something I want to try and make for him for his birthday.  I can't wait to try them myself!

Honey Yeast Rolls

Photo and recipe credit: Maeghan from thewaytohisheartblog                    

            

Sometimes it pays off to browse through a new blog and oh my goodness don't these rolls look divine?!  The look like the rolls they used to serve at the mess hall at Beersheba Springs Hotel on Monteagle Mountain.  If they taste at all like them I will be in shear heaven!  I feel these will be the perfect accompaniment to any comfort food like roast or fried chicken.  

Image Inspiration

Image Inspiration is a new series where I share images found all over the web.  Sometimes they are images that inspire me to make the craft shown, maybe something in home decor that inspired me to make a change in my own home and other times it may just be something I found beautiful and wanted to share with you.  A lot of time I will print out images for my journal and write down what about the picture inspired me.  I have a whole lot of fun doing that!  And here's where my sharing it begins!

Felt Heart Garland

Photo and craft credit: www.danamadeit.com    

I am always looking for new ways to decorate the day care for different holidays and months.  Since it is so early in January and I have plenty of felt pieces on hand, I believe I have plenty of time to create some heart garland strands... if my sewing machine will act right!  I spent this afternoon at the day care cutting out my hearts from felt.  I wound up getting 12 and sometimes 13 out of one sheet of felt.  I used red, hot pink, light pink and white.  Now to the sewing machine when I get home.  Then all I need is a red string of lights and I am ready to decorate the DC for February!

Lake Cottage Bedroom

Photo credit: ROSE HIP on Flickr, found on nestprettythings.tumblr                         

I stopped and googled at this picture for a minute then swiped it for my journal.  I love the yellows in the picture above the bed.  I also like the washed out wood walls, the hobnail bed side lamps and the array of pillows.  I want to make pillows from all the vintage fabric that I have.  Probably needed to be on my goals list.  

Meal Planning List

Credit: Liz at Lifeinyellow.com

I love this idea!  I would like to order one pad of these please.  I am a big list maker (although I vowed when I turned 40 to stop making lists... didn't happen).  This one you can take right to the grocery with you and when you get home it goes on the fridge so everyone knows what's for supper!  I went through a meal planning phase where I planned ahead for a month.  I really enjoyed not having to worry about what to make when I got home from work.  It was already planned out and the ingredients were all there.  Maybe I need to start that up again now that I think about it.  This list would help tremendously!  It has a free printable too.  Or you can copy and paste it into Word or whatever, turn it and get two on a page.  I do wonder why the list has only four days.  I generally cook all seven days... most of the time all three meals.  I need a notebook!