TEMPTATION TUESDAY ON WEDNESDAY. WELL, AT LEAST IT'S NOT THURSDAY! ;)

Good morning everyone.  The first thing that I want  to say is my thoughts and prayers are and have been with those devastated by the Sandy Hook Elementary shootings.  I have cried I think every day.  It seems that you just start to think that you can move on and then there is another picture or story of the heroes or the innocent children.  It is very hard to bear, let alone try to understand.  I truly do pray that we as a country NEVER have to see or endure such a tragedy like this again.  I know that this is not very realistic but, I surely can hope for it!  I remember growing up and never even having our house doors locked at night.  My mom would leave her purse right out in the unlocked car in our front yard.  Those days are gone and far worse ones are here.  It is sad that our amazing country doesn't feel quite so amazing at this moment.  But, we do have to try and move forward and make things better for the children of our future.  I pray that as a nation, we can and will do that! 

Now, on a much lighter note, I need to get going with Temptation Tuesday!

 Yes, I do realize that once again,  I am late as usual.  I am a procrastinator through and through.  In my defense though it is a hectic time of year and add to that appointments and I very much tend to put things off for a bit.  That is.... until I am reminded that I need to post!  Thanks Samantha! ;PPPPPP  Well, I trust that you are all extremely busy right now as well so I won't drag out today's post.

I thought that maybe some candies would be the right thing to put on for today, so here goes;

TIGER BUTTER CANDY

1 lb white chocolate  (I use Bakers white chocolate and Nestle)
1/2 c peanut butter (I prefer the creamy but the original recipe calls for crunchy, you decide)
6 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips  

Melt white chocolate in microwave about 5-8 mins; stirring about once per minute.  It might take less time in your microwave.  Stir in peanut butter, quickly spread mixture on wax paper coated cookie sheet.  In a separate bowl, melt chocolate chips, about 2-4 mins.  Drizzle over the peanut butter layer and swirl it in using a knife to make the swirls.  Refrigerate until firm, then break into pieces.  Makes about 1 1/2 lbs of yummy delicious candy.  Looks great as a gift in a tin.  Very pretty but the best part is... very tasty!

PEPPERMINT CANDY

1 lb white baking pieces
1/3 c finely chopped crushed peppermint candy
2 tbsp coarsely chopped peppermint candy

Line a cookie sheet with foil.  Heat baking pieces over low heat, stirring constantly, until melted and smooth.  Remove from heat and stir in the 1/3 c crushed candy.  Pour the mixture onto the baking sheet, spreading around to make a thin layer.  Sprinkle with remaining 2 tbsp of candy and chill for about 30 mins or so.  Remove from refrigerator and pull out foil.  Break candy into pieces and store in an airtight container.  YUMMY!!!!

COFFEE SHOP FUDGE

1 c chopped pecans
1 can 14oz sweetened condensed milk
1 teas cinnamon
1 teas vanilla
3 c choc chips
2 tbsp strong brewed coffee at room temperature
1/8 teas salt

Line an 8" square pan with foil, and butter the foil; set aside.  Place pecans in a microwave safe pie plate.  Microwave on high for 4 mins., stirring after each minute; set aside.  In a bowl, combine chips, milk, coffee, cinnamon, and salt.  Microwave for 1 1/2 mins.  Stir until smooth.  Stir in vanilla and pecans.  Immediately spread into the prepared pan.  Cover and refrigerate until firm.  DELICIOUS!!!!

So, there you have it.  I hope that these recipes will help you get through your Christmas with a few small but easy to do recipes that make great gifts.  As well as munchies just to have on hand for all of your company!  Enjoy!

I hope that you all have a wonderful day. And I hope that the healing process has started for all of those affected by the horrific shootings! 

Warm and primitive blessings to you all!

prim_bug

TEMPTATION TUESDAY--- ON THURSDAY!

Good morning everyone!  The sun is shining here brightly but, colder than cold out!  Love the sun though.  I am so sorry for not getting this post out to you all sooner.  It has been a crazy week, as usual!  And I am just plain....... slow!  So sorry again! :(  Anyway, I do have the recipe that I hope you are all anxiously awaiting...... The Gingerbread!  This is the one thing that I am awaiting most on Christmas day.  There is just something about this recipe that tastes like Christmas should, if that is possible.  I know, I am a little strange today but, it really does make me think of an Christmas's ago!  It is probably just me.  That seems to be the usual for me...... strange!  Okay, let's get to the recipe.

MOM'S GINGERBREAD

1 egg
1/2 c sugar
1 c molasses
1/2 c oil
                          mix these first four ingredients together in a separate bowl

salt
2 c flour
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
2 tsp cloves
                        mix these six ingredients in another separate bowl

1 c boiling water

Mix the first mixture into the second mixture and add water.  Mix well.  Pour into a greased 9X13 pan.  Bake on 350* for 35 mins.

WHIPPED CREAM

1 container heavy cream
1/2 c confectioners sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Whip the cream until it starts to stiffen.  Add the sugar and vanilla and continue whipping until peaks form. 


This recipe is so simple and delicious.  I hope that it starts to become a favorite traditional dessert in your families as it has in ours. 

I hope that you are all closer to being prepared for Christmas than I am.  My goodness it seems like it has just come so quickly.  I am not the least bit prepared.  Not a shocker to all of you seeing as how I am doing my Temptation Tuesday here on Thursday! LOL!!!!  So like me. 


Well, I must say good bye for now and get my butt moving.  I have to go to see my sister perform her bell ringing concert this afternoon.  I am so excited for her.  She will also be featuring her artwork as well.  She has completed five gorgeous paint by numbers and they are all going to be on display.  She is so happy!  Got to love that!!! ;PPPPPP

Warm primitive blessings to you all!

prim_bug

TEMPTATION TUESDAY

Good afternoon everyone.  I hope that you are all having a great first week in December.  Crazy how fast it has snuck upon us.  This is unfortunately going to be a very short post.  My computer's hard drive (or at least that is what they think might be the problem) has gone.  Hoping to get it fixed on Thursday.  So for now I have to use my little notebook and it is very hard to see.  Therefore, a short post.  But, I did promise to post my most beloved recipe for this time of the year.  And, a promise is a promise.  So, here you are:

CHRISTMAS CARAMEL CORN

3-4 bags popped microwave popcorn
3 c mixed nuts  (these are optional--my family does not care for these in ours so I skip these but, some folks would rather enjoy them--so by all means do whatever works for ya)
1 c packed brown sugar
1/2 c Karo syrup (the lighter color)
1/2 c butter
1/2 teas salt
1/2 teas vanilla
1/2 teas baking soda

Spray a large roasting pan with non stick spray.  Combine popcorn and nuts in pan.  Bake at 240* while preparing the caramel. 

In a saucepan, stir brown sugar, corn syrup, butter and salt.  Bring to a boil over medium heat stirring constantly.  Without stirring, boil for 5 minutes.  Remove from heat;  stir in vanilla, and baking soda.  As you stir the mix will start to look a little frothy like and that is what you want it to look like.  Pour over popcorn and stir to coat.  Bake at 240* for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.  Remove from oven, cool and break apart.  Store in a tightly covered container.

Oh my gosh this stuff is highly addictive and anyone that tries it usually Loves it!!!! 

TIP-- When I am timing the caramel sauce and it gets down to about 30 seconds, I pull out my popcorn from the oven so that it is ready for the sauce to be poured over it immediately.  Just makes things easier.

TIP--When buying the Karo syrup, do not use the LITE in calories.  I tried this and the caramel does not cook properly.  It hardens into crisp, like taffy pulls.  It doesn't work good at all.  But, I do use the Karo Light color.  Just don't get them confused.  It took me almost a whole season to figure out what I was doing wrong with my popcorn a couple years ago--fixed it!  LOL!

TIP--If you are feeling a little adventurous..... try this, use 2 large bags of plain Bugles in place of the popcorn.  Oh my.... it is sinfully addictive.  But, it also cuts out popping time (I know, microwave popcorn and trying to save more time.  Too funny)!!!!

Ok, so I have now shared one of my most requested recipes with you all.  Now get to making some up.  This stuff makes up quite a batch and is great for bagging up for friends.  I think that you will find that once you make this, it is sure to become one of your favorites as well.

I truly hope that you all enjoy this.  Have a great week and I hope to be back next week with a better working computer.  I also will be posting on next Tuesday a family recipe from mom.  It is the best Gingerbread that you will ever sink your teeth into.  Just wait and see..... or taste!

Warm and primitive blessings to you all!

prim_bug

TEMPTATION TUESDAY---ON WEDNESDAY AGAIN!!!

Good morning everyone!  I hope that you all had a great week end after the big Turkey day!  It feels like Christmas is coming so quickly, all at once!  I am kind of freakin' out!  Too much to do and not enough time.... never enough money!  Oh well, that's the way it goes.  Don't need what you can't afford.  LOL!!!

On with my late recipes.  I had a really crazy day yesterday and really did not have a chance to post these until today.  (That's not my excuse every week, is it??!!) LOL! True story!!!!

The first recipe I want to share with you is the one that my sister brought home from the physical therapy re-hab center that she goes to during the day a few days a week.  Part of her therapy is cooking so she shared on of her favorites with me.  I made this for supper last night and I am kind of glad that I waited to post about it today.  Now I have made it too and I can fill ya in on what my hubby and I thought of it too......YUMMY!!!!!

LORI'S TACO SALAD

1 head of Iceberg lettuce
1 bar Cracker Barrel sharp cheese
4 tomatoes
1/2 c Miracle Whip
1 #hamburg
1  16oz bottle Catalina dressing--I used the fat free, it tastes just as good!
1 can of kidney beans
1 bag of Doritos

***Okay so now you are understanding the love of this recipe already, right?!!!

Saute the hamburg, drain.  Cut up lettuce and tomatoes, and place in a large bowl.  Add hamburg and kidney beans.  Cut up cheese into small cubes and add to the bowl.  Mix in the Miracle Whip.  Crush Doritos into small pieces (no larger than a half dollar).  Add chips and Catalina dressing just before serving.

Oh my Gosh---this was as good as it sounds.  I am kind of bad though-we don't like the healthiest part-the beans so I left those out.  I did add in an onion and next time I think that I will put in some black olives too.  This was so quick to make up and a fun supper as well.  Give this one a try.  If nothing more the Doritos should at least tempt them to try it.  It worked for me! LOL!!!


The next recipe that I want to share with you all is one that Samantha showed me before Thanksgiving and we decided to try these out for ourselves.  These little yummies were a delicious hit!  They are called Peeta's Stuffed Cheese Buns and you can get the recipe and photo here:   http://www.yammiesnoshery.com/2012/08/peetas-stuffed-cheese-buns.html  So the recipe tells you how to make these rolls home made but, I did not have the time to make these so I took a short cut and went to Wal-mart and got frozen Rhodes Dinner Rolls.  These are in a bag and you can feel the frozen little rolls.  They did not come in a tray, they are in a bag, loose.  Anyway, we thawed the rolls out on a greased baking sheet and covered them with non stick sprayed wrap.  After they had thawed, we stuffed them with string cheese.  Yes, I bought some mozzarella string cheese sticks and Samantha cut them into quarters and we stuffed each roll with two quarters of the cheese and then we folded and pinched the cheese in tightly and put them back on the pan.  I also thought that the garlic butter went on before they cooked so that is what we did next and then sprinkled them with some more cheese as per the directions.  We recovered them and let them sit in the refrigerator overnight and baked them right before the meal so they were hot and yummy when we were eating.  (You do not have to put them in the refrigerator overnight but, if you needed to it works out fine).  These were super delicious, because we were able to use a lot of little short cuts, they were quick and easy.  Not only will I make these again.....due to hubby's cravings, I already have.  And so has Samantha!

These recipes are both absolutely worth trying and definitely quick and easy.  I hope that you all get a chance to make some up soon for your families. 

*********Next week I will be sharing the recipe that I get most requests for and have only started sharing it this Fall!!  My Christmas Caramel Corn!  I can't wait to share with you!**************


I hope that you all continue to have a great day.  I am going to try and enjoy the few snow flakes that are falling around here!

Warm and primitive blessings to you all!

prim_bug

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

Good morning everyone!  I thought that I would take a little time to myself this morning and sit down and wish you all a wonderful Thanksgiving.  I hope that your day is filled with thankfulness, family, friends, love, caring, sharing, joy, peace, happiness, (this could go on for quite a while)!  I guess that what I am trying to say is:  Have a very Happy Thanksgiving!!  I hope that your day is well spent and enjoyed the way it should be.  Just don't forget to be thankful!  And remember those that are less fortunate.  Remember those that are serving our country and those that have served.  Remember those that were struck by Hurricane Sandy.  Just remember, no matter how bad it sometimes gets, we all have so much to be thankful for! 


One extra thing that I am thankful for this year is....... all of you!  Thanks so much for checking in with me.  I appreciate and love it more than any of you could possibly know!  Thank you all!

I hope that your day is Blessed and filled with Thanksgiving!   Enjoy!!!!!!!!!!




Warm and primitive blessings to you all!!!

prim_bug

TEMPTATION TUESDAY

Good morning everyone!  What a crazy and hectic week!  Just remember, we are all in it together!  And we are all doing this to spend a wonderful day with loved ones.  It is so worth it.  I have a couple of quick recipes for you today.  I hope that this first recipe might help you to keep your family happy while you may be preparing the last of your big feast. 

The first recipe is for a party mix, I got the recipe out of a magazine and I have made it several times.  I try to save it for around the holidays because that makes it a little more special when I do make it.  This recipe did not come from the Chex recipes so, I have had a great fear of losing it.  Now I don't have to worry. LOL!  One less thing that I have to think of.

GINGERBREAD PARTY MIX

3 c cinnamon chex
3 c rice chex
1 1/2 c cinnamon graham snacks (like teddy grahams)
6 tbsp butter
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp nutmeg
2 tsp vanilla
2 tbsp crystallized ginger, chopped
1/4 c white vanilla baking chips

In a large microwave bowl (do not use glass---last year when I was making up a batch of this, my glass bowl busted when I took this out of the microwave), add cereals and graham snacks; set aside.  In a small microwave bowl, microwave butter for 40 seconds or until melted.  Stir in cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and vanilla until blended.  Pour over cereal until coated.

Microwave uncovered on high for 5 mins, stirring every 2 mins.  Stir in ginger until blended. 

In a small microwave bowl, microwave vanilla baking chips uncovered on high for 1 minute, stirring every 30 seconds until melted.  Drizzle over snack.  Let stand until set.  Store in airtight container.

Oh my gosh, this is so yummy!!!!  If you could ask my family they would tell you the same thing.  It is a quick fix and has alot of good flavor.  We really enjoy it. 

For the second recipe I have chosen one that I got from the Food Network.  I saw this on TV and it looked so good that I had to make some up the very next day.  It was delicious!

CHOCOLATE RICE PUDDING

2/3 c white rice
3 c whole milk
1/2 c sugar
pinch of salt
1/2 c chocolate chips  ( I used white chips---WOW---that was good, next I want to try it with 
                                                     butterscotch chips----YUMMMMMM)
1 tsp vanilla extract

In a medium pot, bring 1 1/3 c water to a boil.  Add the rice, cover and turn the heat to low.  Cook until all the water has been absorbed and rice is tender, about 15 minutes.  Let cool until warm.

To the pot with the rice, stir in the milk, sugar and salt.  Bring to a simmer, turn the heat to low and cook until the mixture is thickened, about 10 mins.  (It took alot longer than that when I made mine)!  Remove from the heat, stir in the chips and vanilla and let rest for 5 mins.  Serve warm or cover and cool in refrigerator for at least 1 hour. 

Tip----- If you use the white chips and refrigerate any leftovers, the leftovers form a grittiness to them.  But, when you reheat the pudding it loses that grit.  And is smooth again.  My mom said that she thought it must be to do with the oils in the white chocolate...makes sense white chocolate can be difficult to melt down at times.  Just thought that I would share that info with you all.

I hope that you can give these recipes a shot.  We obviously love them and hope that you and your family will too!  Two more days til Turkey Day!  Have a good afternoon and happy cooking to you all! 

Warm and primitive blessings to you all!

prim_bug

CANDY CANE TUTORIAL PART 3, THE FINAL STEPS!

Good morning everyone.  I hope that you all had a great week end.  Ours was.... interesting.  I will leave it at that until the end of the blog today and then you will see for yourself.  Okay so, for today we will be doing step 3, the final step of the candy canes tutorial.  I did take some pictures but my camera does nothing to help out.  So sorry!  I am hoping that Santa will find it in his heart to bring me a camera this year..... if I have been good! 

Alright so the last blog was you papier macheing the canes and then you have let them totally dry out.

This is what you should have to work with now. 

I tried to get a close up of mine so that you could see how rough it is.  If yours are rough and bumpy that is what they are supposed to be like.  So, no worries..... until you get the sand paper out.  I think that this is the worst step to me.  It is a pain in the butt.  But, it is what makes the candy canes look the way that you want them to.

This is after I had sanded it.  Yucky picture but, the candy cane is pretty smooth.

I was trying to show you the difference in the sanded and unsanded.  The front candy cane has been sanded down and the on e in the back is waiting to be done.  Still bumpy and rough.

I wanted to try and show you when you are sanding the inside of the bend, I cupped the candy cane in my hand and then used my thumb to kind of sand it down.  It is really hard to explain but, you do want to be gentle with them too.  I put too much pressure on one of mine and it snapped.  Just kind of cradle it and sand it at the same time.  You can sand these down as much or little as you like.  I try to get any loose paper edges sanded down and if I rub over the candy cane I make sure that nothing is sticking out or rough feeling.  I used a very fine sand paper and I cut it into pieces that were manageable around the candy canes, like below;

After you are finished sanding these little guys.  You then want to go on and paint them all white.  I put two layers of white on to make sure that the newspaper didn't show through.  Let the white dry and then I take a smaller brush and paint the red or burgundy, whatever color you choose,  (I used Folk Art- Vintage white and Americana-Cranberry wine) stripes on.  I start at the bended tip and work my way down the candy cane.  Like this:

I just start painting the stripes on and work my way down the candy cane.  You can do this free hand like I did, you can go back and touch up with the white if you need to, or you can pencil in some stripes and then fill it.  I like doing it free hand because it looks like something that is NOT machine made.  The wiggles and off spacing just add more character to it.  But, if you prefer it more structured, by all means do it that way.  This is all about personal preference. 

Here is my first one, all striped up.  Nothing perfect about this little baby.  I am loving it though.  Now, at this point if you like the sparkly glitter you could do that.  I prefer mine darkened.  Make sure to give your paint a day or two to dry before you put the Lustra on.  Otherwise, (trust me from experience), the paint wipes right off with the wax. 

Quite a difference in what they start out as and what you can turn them into.  The last step for mine will be the Lustra Wax.

This is a "Fine European Hard Finishing Wax".  The color that I use is Dark Brown.  I get this at a local shop but it lists a website if you cannot find it in your area.  www.Lustersheen.com  I hope that this will help you out.  I use this stuff on everything.  If I get some old furniture at a garage sale or Goodwill, this is what it gets coated with.  Anyway, this is the final step to the candy canes.  You just rub this on with an old t shirt or something like that.  Rub on a little to begin with and then you just keep adding more and more to the desired darkness that you are looking for.  I tend to go dark on mine.  To me it just makes it look as old as I wish that it was. 

Well I hope that you have enjoyed the candy cane tutorial.  They look amazing on the tree, or anywhere for that matter.  If I had enough patience I would make these up for everyone I know and love.  I am not so excited about the sanding part though, not to mention the papier mache!  They are definitely worth the effort.  And there is nothing better than looking at ornaments and decorations that you have made to put on your tree.  Unfortunately, once you start, you don't want anything but, homemade.  You can't just pick up a box of those candy canes at your local Wal-mart! 


Now, for the part about our interesting, week end......!  See for yourself;

Meet Jackson!!!!!!!!!   The guy that works with my husband had to get rid of him:(!!!!!   I have a very special place in my heart for animals :)!!!!!  So, with the recent loss of Miss Frankie, and the big hole still in my heart.  Well, I couldn't bear to hear of anything happening to the BIG guy!  Look at that face!  The only thing about him that I do not like is that he is an outdoors dog.  He is about 5 years old and has been outside for his whole life. I personally like my babies to be in the house.  We have alot to do before we can even attempt to make this happen.  I am hopeful that by summer maybe Jackson will be in the house with the rest of the family but for now, he has to be outside:( !!!!!!

Hubby with Jackson!  At this point, I don't know who loves who more.  They have formed quite a bond since Friday already.  I can't imagine what they will be like in another month!  <3 

I love this picture of him.  He just sits and poses for you, like he knows that you are taking his picture!

And we cannot forget my little man-Jeffrey!  Unfortunately, Jeffrey hurt his leg the day that Jackson came.  He went to jump up on my bed so he could look out the window and somehow hurt it.  He has to walk three legged and is in quite a bit of pain.  I pray that he starts to come around soon. 

And, last but not least, my man Kayzer!  He is not too fond of Jackson yet.  He is one of the issues that we need to work on.  But, look at that face.  Is he adorable or what???!  I am a very fortunate person and I am very thankful for all of my babies! 

I wish that you all have a wonderful day today.  I hope that you are all prepared and getting ready for Thursday.  Good luck with your candy canes and if you get stuck or need any help, please feel free to leave a comment.  I will get back to you as soon as I can.

Warm primitive blessings to you all!

prim_bug

IT'S A RAINY TEMPTATION TUESDAY

Good afternoon everyone.  This is a late afternoon posting but, you gotta admit, I got the right day finally!  I hope that everything is going good for all of you.  It is rainy and foggy here.  It could be worse and snowing so...... I shall just let it rain and smile :) !!!!!!! 

For today's recipes I thought that I would share a couple of my moms recipes that I have had for a while.  I hope that you all enjoy them.  These are both great yummy treats to make up and share as gifts.  I still am having a hard time thinking that Thanksgiving is just over a week away.  Time sure flies by.  Enjoy it as it does. 

This first recipe is for some:

HOMEMADE NEEDHAMS

1 small potato
1 c shredded coconut
1 lb powdered sugar
1/2 teas vanilla
1/4 teas salt
2 squares of chocolate   (I just melt down some chocolate chips for this part)
small piece of butter

Boil potato until tender, mash and add sugar gradually.  Add salt, vanilla and coconut.  Grease an 8" pan.  Press mixture into pan.  Melt 2 squares of chocolate and add a small piece of butter to this.  Pour over potato mix and use the back of spoon to spread smoothly.  Allow to set. Cut into squares. 

These are yummy and my mom used to make these all the time. 


MOM'S MOLASSES COOKIES

1 c molasses
1 1/2 c sugar
1 c crisco
1 tsp each; ginger, cloves and cinnamon
1 c hot water
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
4 c flour approx- sometimes it needs a little more or less

Put shortening , sugar and molasses in pan and heat until the shortening melts.  Cool a little.  Put baking soda and powder in a bowl.  Add hot water.  Pour into the first mixture.  Stir in the flour and spices.  Mix until the dough is stiff.  Cool in refrigerator.  Roll out onto floured surface and and sprinkle dough with sugar.  Cut with mouth of drinking glass or whatever cutter you desire.  Bake at 350 for 12-15 mins.  

These are the BEST molasses cookies you will ever taste...... of course I am a little partial to the tastes that I grew up enjoying.  That being said, I still feel like these are the best molasses cookies that you will ever make.  Give them a try.  They smell so delicious while cooking and they are a nice tender cookie with such a great molasses flavor.  Sit down with a cup of coffee, tea or milk and have a nice little treat before all the holiday rush starts!!!  

I hope that you all will enjoy these family recipes and maybe make them a part of your family's traditions as well.  Have a great afternoon and evening.  Now go get baking.  I am sure that you know someone that would just LOVE one of those goodies above!

How are your candy canes coming?  I hope to have part 3 by Friday or Monday the latest.

Warm and primitive blessings to you all!

prim_bug

CANDY CANE TUTORIAL PART 2

Good morning everyone!!!  Happy Veterans Day to all those who served and are continuing to serve this great country that we are all privileged to live in because of our Veterans! (I know Veterans Day was yesterday but it is still being observed today too).  And, I don't believe that we can thank them all enough for what they do. So again, thanks to all of you!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  I hope that you all had a great week end.  We did here.  I feel as though I have accomplished alot.  For starters this part of the candy cane tutorial.  We are almost done.  Yeah!!  So, for today you will all need:
                               newspaper-cut into strips that are small enough for your candy canes
                               1 1/2 c water
                               1 c flour
                               1/4 c Elmer's glue
                               something to cover your work area
                               tote lid or something to place canes on so they wont stick
   *Make sure to take off your jewelry, this gets a little sticky and messy but, it makes you feel like a kid again. LOL!

Okay, to start you just mix your water, flour and glue in a bowl that is big enough to dip your strips of newspaper in.  Like this:

And I cut my newspaper in half and then cut it into little strips.  This is what mine looked like:

Nothing perfect about any of this.  One thing that I will stress to ya, after doing up a few of these.  I remembered just how sloppy it is to make these.  Make sure that you aren't wearing anything good.  I ruined one of my shirts because I thought that I would be careful enough, hahhhh!!  Careful has nothing to do with it, it is sloppy and messy. 

Anyway, the first thing you do is take a paper strip and dunk it into the glue mix.  As you pull it out, take your fingers and slide the excess glue off.  I basically slid the paper up through my thumb and finger.  That seemed to work well for me.  Then you start to wrap it around your candy cane.  I usually start at the bottom and try to wrap around the end first.  Then I try to twist a little and start to wrap on a diagonal up toward the top.  Your newspaper might rip and that's okay, just start from where it ripped and continue on.  I will tell you that the bend in the candy cane is kind of a ....pain!  Just work through it.  It is definitely worth it.  It doesn't have to be perfect either because once these little beauties dry, we will be sanding them down and taking care of the imperfections that we can't live with..... keep in mind though that some of those imperfections are what gives each candy cane its character.  I have a lot of canes with flat spots on them and bumps and each one is so different from the next.  You just gotta love em!!  So, this is what it looked like after I had put one layer of newspaper on:

Kind of sloppy, not perfect at all.  That's okay.  Now, you want to put at least two layers of newspaper around the whole candy cane because when you go to sand it down you don't want to sand through to the aluminum foil.  I would suggest putting three layers on but, it is up to you.  Do up all of your candy canes and place them on a tote lid so that they can sit undisturbed and easily moved for a few days to dry out. You want these to totally dry out before you move on to the next step because they can mold if you do not give them enough time.  So, here's a few more pics of mine:

I love the bumpiness on this one!  Awesome!!!

On this photo I was trying to show you the tips, and how they look when they are wrapped.

This is the next day when they had started drying real nice.

Same in this picture.  Dried out and looking good!

I tried to show you a little closer what they look like after a day of just drying.  They are coming along nicely. 

I need to get running now.  I hope this explains part 2 clear enough for you all.  If you have any questions please feel free to post them and I will respond as soon as I receive it.  I hope that you continue with a great day and I will be back on tomorrow with some recipes!!!!!

Warm and primitive blessings to you all!

prim_bug

PART ONE OF CANDY CANE TUTORIAL

Good morning.  For those of you who are still breathing and not shocked to near death (I know two blogs in a row), this one is for you.  So, yesterday after putting my recipes on here for ya.  I was thinking geesh, I need to get going on those candy canes.  Then I figured it would probably be best if I did it in little segments.  Especially where the glue part takes a few days to truly dry them out.  This way here, you can make yours along with me at the same time I am making mine.  That seemed a little funner to me.  It will kind of be like we are sitting here making our candy canes together.  Would you like a cup of Hot Vanilla or Hot Cocoa????  I want a Hot Vanilla! 

Anyway the first part of this is just your aluminum foil.  Simple, right?!  I remember a while ago I told you to start saving your pieces of aluminum foil for this and I hope that you all did.  Here's a look at my piece;

Okay, this was a piece of foil that I have used a few times for painting and dusting with cinnamon and spices.  It has been used it's fair share but, I am not done with it yet!  Depending on the size of candy cane you want, you start rolling up the edge of foil. Try to roll this tightly as you go.  I started with the small edge and rolled toward the top.

It's a fuzzy picture but, you get the idea.  There is nothing difficult about this at all.  Don't be afraid, this is all going to be covered up by another layer----the papier mache.  When you have finished rolling your candy cane.  I used about half of the sheet of foil.  You will just tear the foil off and wrap it around tightly.  When you finish it should look like this:

Okay.  That's not so hard now is it?  At this point you will want to tuck in your ends.  You just fold over a small flap on each end and kind of squeeze it on tightly.  It should  look like this:

Wonderful picture but, again you can kind of see what I am talking about here.  The next step is to put the bend in your candy cane.  That is basically it---- you just bend the tip over and form it into the shape that you want your cane to be.  Like this:

Voila!  You did it!!  This is the first step into making the candy canes!  Easy Peasy!!!!!  You can do these in the evening while watching television or take some time and craft away during the day.  From that one sheet of foil, I made three candy canes and they are all  different sizes.  You can do them as large or small as you want.  Just keep in mind, when you go real small sometimes the steps are a little more challenging.  After we papier mache these and they dry we need to sand down the rough spots.  That takes time and is very tedious.  On a small, small candy cane it would be a pain to me but, if you are adventurous feel free.  On a tiny tree these canes would look amazing!  I, myself do not have the patience to do that.  For those who do, have fun!  Here is a picture of the three that I made up of that one piece of foil:

There you have it, step 1 in the candy cane making process. 

Now, I would like to say that I cannot take credit for creating these.  My sister in law showed me how to make these about 3 or 4 years ago.  I don't know where she came up with this and I just want to say that I am not trying to take away from anyone.  I just would like to share with those of you out there, what was once shared with me. 

So, you all need to get your canes started and ready for Monday which I am hoping to have step 2 ready for ya.  That is the messy step.  You are going to need:

       newspapers-cut into small strips (to wrap around the candy canes)
       water, flour, and Elmer's glue

Sounds interesting, huh?!  It is fun but, messy!  I also use the lid to a tote container to put these on to dry for a few days.  You will want something like that, so that they can be flipped over often and not stick to.  I think that is it for today.  Get making your canes up.

Before I let you all go, I wanted to mention that Pamela over at: http://ourpioneerhomestead.blogspot.com/  has got an awesome feather tree tutorial.  She bought a small Christmas tree at the thrift store and turned it into an amazing little feather tree.  Great fun project for the week end........ just sayin!!!

Have a great week end all.

Warm and primitive blessings to you all!

prim_bug

TEMPTATION TUESDAY ON .... THURSDAY!!!!!!!

Hello everyone.  Yes, it has been a while.  I just got my butt whooped from Samantha because it had been so long!  YIKES!  She really does keep me grounded and I am very thankful for that.  I tease here a lot but, if not for her, I probably would have stopped doing this and let things go.  So Sam, thank you for those harassing phone calls.  Love ya girl!!!!!! 

Where I missed Tuesday (I was busy--- sister had a man here installing her new propane stove and I had to do elections.  Didn't get home from counting ballots until about 12:45 am.  Long night as well).  Not and excuse.... just sayin.  LOL!!!!!   I decided that I had better post my recipes.  So, for today I decided to post the recipe for what I made for supper last night.  Oh my word.  Crazy yumminess!!!!  I had seen the commercial for Philadelphia cooking creme and I decided that I would look up that recipe and give it a try.  I am always up for something new.  So glad that I did.  This was absolutely delicious.  I hope that you give it a whirl.  (Samantha---I think that your mom would Love this)!!

SHRIMP CARBONARA

1/2 # spaghetti, uncooked  (I used wheat thin spaghetti)
4 slices bacon chopped-  (I had my husband stop at the local store and pick up 4 slices bacon that they
                                          had cooked---that saved time and I didn't have to open a pkg and only use
                                          4 slices and put the rest away for another day.  It only cost $.54.)
1 # uncooked, deveined peeled, large shrimp  (I used the cooked frozen shrimp from the grocery store
                                                                           and I just pulled the tails off them and added them at
                                                                            the end so that they would just heat through)
1 c frozen peas
1 tub Philadelphia Italian Cheese and Herb Cooking Creme
1/4 c grated parmesan cheese
*I also added 1 pkg of fresh mushrooms when I added the peas
*I also added chopped green onions over the top when it was done
*When I cook bacon in the oven on a rack, I save some of the drippings in a small container in the refrigerator, for times when I need the extra flavoring, like this.  So, I added 1 tbsp in the skillet.


For the original recipe go to the Kraft recipes.com.  I started to put in on here as well as what I did but, it got to confusing to follow.  I am just going to put what I did.  If you are using uncooked shrimp---please use their recipe--mine is for the cooked shrimp.

Cook your spaghetti in a large pot.  While that is cooking; I added my bacon fat to a large skillet.  To that, I added mushrooms, peas and bacon.  I let that cook on a low temp. for a few minutes.  While that was cooking, I pulled the tails off the cooked shrimp that I had (these were on sale for $5.99 a pound).  I then waited for the spaghetti to finish cooking.  I didn't drain it, I added the noodles to my pan using tongs and let the water go into the skillet.  The little bit of water that went in with the noodle was very useful and I actually scooped out a little more to add in as well.  After that I added the cooking creme and mixed it all in.  This is where you might decide to put in a little more of the spaghetti water to help loosen everything.  Next you add in your shrimp and then your parm cheese.  Mix this in and let everything get warm through.  Then sprinkle with green onions and this is delicious. 

I hope that I did not make this more confusing than it was.  This only took about a half hour total to prepare.  I will be making this again real soon.  The hubby LOVED this and it was so easy.  I could make this one quite often.

For the next recipe I thought that I would share one that my niece Amanda shared from Pinterest.  This is the perfect recipe for the weather that we have been getting....snow!  This should help to warm you up.....

HOT VANILLA

1/2 c whipping cream
1 tbsp chocolate syrup
dash of cinnamon
1 c hot milk - per hot vanilla
2 tsp sugar - per hot vanilla
1/2 tsp vanilla extract - per hot vanilla

Start with the topping.  In a medium bowl, whip 1/2 c of whipping cream until it's frothy.  Add 1 tbsp of chocolate syrup and a dash of cinnamon, then continue to whip the mixture until everything is well blended and peaks form.  Makes enough to top about 6 drinks. 

For each hot vanilla, microwave l cup of hot milk and 2 teaspoons of sugar in a mug for 90 seconds.  Stir in 1/2 tsp of vanilla extract.  Top with a dollop of chocolate cream, a drizzle of chocolate syrup, and a dash of cinnamon.

Oh my yumminess!!!!!!!!!   What a perfect drink for when it is cold and snowy outside!   Love this!!!


One more thing before I let you go.  I wanted to show a picture of the candy canes that I hope to have the tutorial for next week.  I hope that you all like these.  I had a blast making them and if I remember right each step takes a couple of days.  So, I need to post the tutorial so that you all can make some for your Christmas trees!!!!!

I thought that they would look great on the Christmas table runner but, it didn't show them up as well as I had hoped so here's another look:

Aren't they amazing?????  I think that they are.  You can use these on anything or in anything.  On gifts, trees, in bowls, you name it.  You can make them any size that you want.  And to think that they are made using aluminum foil and papier mache.  So, even though I don't get on here every day...keep checking in with me.  The instructions as I remember them are soon to follow...!!!!!!!

I hope that you have all had a good week and continue on with a great day!  Still keeping in mind the poor people that have suffered so much devastation and loss.  Keep them in all our thoughts and prayers. 

Warm primitive blessings to you all!!!!

prim_bug

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

Hello everyone.  Happy Halloween to you all.  I hope that you have all got your costumes ready to go.  I just got the last of my treats picked up yesterday.  Can't wait to see all the little ghosts and goblins tonight.  I thought that I would show you all the photo of my needle punch that I have been telling you is all done.  So here's a picture of my new pillow:

I love, love , love it!  Especially where it is all done and made into the pillow.  This was a free pattern from Primitive Bettys.  She has got a ton of free patterns and you can use them for cross stitch or needle punch or whatever you transform them into.  This made up quick.... I just am slow!


On another note I wanted to share a quick photo with you all.  This one is for an up and coming holiday.  Yes, that's right, Christmas!!!!!   My Gingerbread men for my Christmas tree.  These were quick and easy to make up too!  Only these were real quick... like a day!  I got the tutorial on this project from Teri over at White Sheep Farm Blogspot!  I hope that you all go on over and check this one out.  Here's the photo of mine.  I still have more to make up though.

Love these guys and can't wait to see them adorning my tree!!!!!!!!!!  With many more friends too!

Anyway, I hope that you all have a safe and fun Halloween.  Enjoy all of your trick or treaters.  And by the way, I hope that none of you happened to pass out due to my blogging twice in the same week.  LOL!!!!!!

Warm primitive blessings to you all!

prim_bug

TEMPTATION TUESDAY

Hello everyone.  It's been a week again.  I shall not commit to posting more than once a week if I am going to continue to fib about it!  Sorry, again!   I did finish my pumpkin face needle punch though.  Unfortunately, I haven't photographed it yet.  Shocker there huh??  I also made up some of Teri from White Sheep Farm Blogspots gingerbread men for my Christmas tree.   These were adorable, easy and fun.  They have no sewing, no gluing, just simple fun.  I made up four of them and now I need to make up a bunch more.  They are very versatile because you can design them as simple as you want or as decked out as you want.  It's all personal preference.  Do yourself a favor and scoot on over to check it out and make some up for yourself.  I tried to put the link up here but my computer seems to be acting a little finicky lately. 

So, on to today's yummies, right?!  Well, I have decided to put two more recipes that Nancy shared with me up for you all.  These two recipes are going to get you in the mind set for holiday parties and get togethers.  I hope that you all give them a try they sound delicious and I hope to be making mine up soon too!!!!

The first recipe for you is: 


CRANBERRY MEATBALLS

2 eggs, beaten
1 c cornflake crumbs
1/3 c ketchup
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp parsley flakes
2 tbsp minced dry onion
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 lbs. ground beef

SAUCE
1 can cranberry sauce
1 c ketchup
3 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp lemon juice

Mix first 8 ingredients, add ground beef.  Shape into balls.  Bake at 350 for 20-25 mins. 
Combine sauce ingredients and cook until cranberry sauce is melted.  Put into crock pot and add meatballs.

TIP:  Nancy said that she doubles the recipe for the sauce. 

YUMMY!  My mouth is watering for this one already. 

BUTTERY CUT OUT SUGAR COOKIES

6 eggs
6 c flour
2 c sugar
4 tsp baking powder
1 c butter

Cream butter and sugar.  Add; eggs, flour and baking powder.  Chill dough for 1-2 hours.  Roll and cut out into shapes.  Bake at 350 for 10-12 mins.  Frost with Powdered Sugar Icing.

POWDERED SUGAR ICING

4c powdered sugar
4 tbsp butter
2-4 tbsp milk
1/2 tsp vanilla
food coloring, if desired

Mix above ingredients and spread onto cookies!   Yum.  Nothing makes you feel like a kid again at Christmas, than baking and frosting, oh yeah, and eating, sugar cookies!!!!!!!!!!!

Before I say good bye to you all today, I just want to day that we were VERY fortunate here in Maine to not have felt the devastating effects of Sandy.  For those of you who perhaps did, and your families, our thoughts and prayers are with you all.  I pray for those of you who may have suffered the worst of it, to get relief soon and hopefully the clean up and repairs will be quick.  Please know that you are being thought of often and prayed for as much!  Lots of love coming your way!!!!!

Warm primitive blessings to you all!

prim_bug

TEMPTATION TUESDAY

Good evening everyone.  I hope that you all are doing well.  Are you all enjoying Fall?  If you're not, you should be.  I love the rustling of the leaves on the ground, the cooler temps, the breezy days, the smells of Fall.  Get out and enjoy it.  I wanted to apologize for not being on here sooner.  My aunt had to go in for surgery today and I ended up getting home later than I planned.  Kind of through everything a little out of whack.  Sorry.  Anyway, my recipes for today are going to be from my great friend Nancy.  I had told her that I could use a few and she brings me in a notepad full!  So, many thanks to Nancy.

The first recipe that I chose is for:

SQUASH SOUP

1/4 c chopped onion
1 tbsp butter
3 c cubed, peeled squash (Nancy uses butternut or acorn)
1 medium potato, peeled and cubed
1 1/2c water
1 1/2 tsp chicken bouillon granules
1/4 tsp salt
dash of pepper
1/4 c evaporated milk

In a small saucepan, saute onion in butter until tender.  Add squash and potato, cook and stir for 2 mins.  Add water, bouillon, salt and pepper.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat.  Cover and simmer for about 15 -20 mins or until tender.  Cool slightly.  In a blender, cover and process soup until smooth.  Return to pan and stir in milk.  Heat through.            This makes 2 servings.

YUMMY!  This is a great recipe for this time of year.  Especially for these cooler nights!  Enjoy!


Another great recipe that Nancy shared with me is for:

PUMPKIN CHIP COOKIES

1 c pumpkin
3/4 c sugar
1/2 c oil
1 egg
2 c flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp milk
1 c chips
1 tsp vanilla

Dissolve baking soda in milk----set aside.  In a large bowl combine pumpkin, sugar, oil, and egg.  Mix well.  Add, flour, b powder, cinnamon, salt, and b soda mixture.  Mix well.  add chocolate chips and vanilla.  Mix and then drop by spoon full onto cookie sheet.  Bake at 375 for 10-15 mins. 

Yeah, it doesn't get any better than pumpkin chip cookies.  Go ahead and bake some of these goodies up soon. 

Hope to be on tomorrow (I realize I have been saying that every time I post and yet I never come back, sorry again).  I want to show the needle punch that I finished.  It's Halloween and I finished it ahead of time..... alright pick yourselves up off the floor.  I was just as shocked as you are. 

I also am hoping to be on soon with a tutorial for some candy canes to make to put on your Christmas trees.  You are going to love them!  They are made with paper mache.  Can't wait to show you all!

Warm primitive blessings to you all.

prim_bug

TEMPTATION TUESDAY

Hey everyone.  i hope that you are all having a great morning.  It's a little on the rainy side here but, the temperature is very mild.  Even though the rain makes it dreary there is a reason for the rain.  It just would be nice if like everything else, it would come when we wanted it to.  Unfortunately, things don't go like that.  But, it is kind of nice if you can kind of just accept it and know that it is needed, even if it is not here when you want.  I don't know, it just seems like it makes it a little better. 

Okay, so for today I have picked up a couple of new recipes for you all.  These are obviously not something that I have used over the years but, I did make them both up on Sunday and my family loved them.  The first recipe that I am going to put up is from Rachael Ray from the Food Network.  I watched her prepare this last week or the week before and it looked yummy.  I thought "ooooh the hubs will love this one"!   Sure enough, he did!  

BUFFALO TURKEY SLOPPY JOES

SLOPPY JOES;
3 tbsp butter
2 lbs ground turkey breast
celery salt
black pepper
2 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
2-3 ribs celery, finely chopped (more to garnish plate, optional)
2 peeled carrots, finely chopped (more to garnish plate, optional)
4 cloves garlic, finely shopped
1 onion, finely chopped
1 cup beer or chix stock
1/4 c to 1/2 c medium to extra spicy hot sauce, such as Frank's Red Hot
2 tbsp cider vinegar
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1  14oz can of tomato sauce
12 soft hamburger buns

BLUE CHEESE RANCH;
1 c blue cheese crumbles
1 c sour cream
1/4 c chopped herbs, such as dill, chives and parsley leaves
2 tbsp lemon juice or cider vinegar
1 large clove garlic, grated
salt and pepper
1/3 - 1/2c buttermilk

TOPPINGS;
chopped dill pickles
chopped raw onions or scallions

For the sloppy joes;  heat the butter in a large skillet over med-high heat.  When the butter foams, add the turkey.  Brown and crumble.  Season with the celery salt and pepper.  Add the thyme, chopped celery, carrots, and onions.  Cook, partially covered to soften, 12 to 15 mins.  Add the garlic.  Then deglaze the pan with the beer/chix stock.  Add the hot sauce, vinegar, Worcestershire, and tomato sauce.  Then simmer to thicken.

For the dressing;  in a bowl, combine the blue cheese, sour cream, herbs, lemon juice, garlic, and some salt and pepper.  Whisk in as little or as much of the buttermilk to the dressing for the consistency you like.

Serve the sloppy buffalo meat on rolls topped with the pickles onions and a dollop of dressing.  Serve additional dressing for the extra carrot sticks and celery sticks alongside.

Tip------  My husband cannot have hot spicy foods so I made these without the hot sauce and they were delicious.  So, if you don't like the heat..... leave it out.  They tasted very good and the blue cheese dressing on the top was a perfect taste blend with the sloppy joes.   We loved it and I hope that you all do too!


For the next recipe.  I am going to give you a kind of repeat of a recipe I gave you just a little bit ago.  Only this version is a short cut.  My niece Samantha found this great site called:  tablespoon.com.  Yum!   These recipes are short and quick.  They are just a few ingredients and a short amount of time.  Love, love, love this site.  I think that you will all enjoy it too!  So, for the next recipe, it is:


PUMPKIN WHOOPIE PIES

1 Super Moist Spice cake mix
1/3 c butter, softened
1  15oz can pumpkin
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
2 whole eggs
1/2 c milk
1 container cream cheese frosting

Preheat oven to 350.  Spray cookie sheet with non stick spray.  In a large bowl, add the cake mix, butter, pumpkin, pumpkin pie spice, eggs and milk.  Mix slowly for 30 seconds or until combined and then beat for 1-2 mins.  Batter will be on the wet side.  Drop tablespoon sized dollops onto cookie sheet (I used a small scoop).  Try to make them out to be the same size.  Bake for 10-11 mins.  Let them cool completely.  Frost a cookie with frosting and top with another cookie.  Store in an airtight container and refrigerate until ready to eat.

Tip--I didn't want the canned frosting so, I went to the bakery section in our grocery store and bought some of the frosting they use to frost the cakes they make.  They usually have a few different types and most of them will sell this.  It sure made it easy to make these little guys up.  And of course the frosting was delicious too! 

This recipe was quick and yummy.  So good!  I hope that if you didn't have time to make the recipe I posted for these a couple of weeks ago, I hope that you give these a try.  So moist and delicious with half of the ingredients and time.  That is a definite win-win!!  Don't forget to checkout; tablespoon.com.  I think that you will enjoy it as much as I have.

Hope that you all have a wonderful afternoon.  The rain here has finally started to slow down and maybe even stopped.  Yeah!  Now I need to go feed my birds and squirrels. 

Warm primitive blessings to you all.

prim_bug

TEMPTATION TUESDAY

Hi everyone.  It sure was a cool morning today when I got up.  What a change from what we have been enjoying.  I guess there's no stopping it now!  I have always loved Fall the most but, this one here I am having a hard time with.  It just is coming too fast now and I can't get myself going and ready for it.  Oh well, I shall suck it up and keep going because in the end, that is what we all do.  Life keeps moving and if you don't watch out it could pass you by before you knew it even happened.  So, I am trying to keep moving with it and do the things that I should.  For starters here are a couple of recipes for you all to give a try.  The first one is so simple and it is something that I glanced at in a magazine.  Of course when I went to find it, I couldn't.  So, I looked it up and found it on the Internet of course.  Probably most of you have seen or heard of these little guys but, I had not.  To me they were a great little gift idea.  With the holidays approaching and quick gifts needed to be made these are an ideal gift. 

PAINTED TURTLES

Rolos candies
Mini pretzels
M&M candies/Pecans or walnuts

Preheat oven to 350.  Cover cookie sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper.  Spread out pretzels on cookie sheet.  Place a Rolo on top of each pretzel.  Bake for 3-5 mins.  You want the Rolo soft when you press on it but not completely melted.  Remove from the oven.  Place on cooling rack (I didn't and they were fine).  Immediately squish a M&M candy or Pecan on top of each turtle.  Watch the caramel ooze out.  YUMMY! 

I called them painted turtle because once you add the M&M on top they became painted to me.  If you prefer the regular turtle candies by all means top them each with a Pecan.  There were many versions of this recipe so, if you don't care for this feel free to look up a neat new version of your own.  I feel that these would be great for even kids bake sales at school as well as for quick little gifts.  I hope that you all try this.  This one is a definite keeper.



The next recipe is for:

BROCCOLI HAM STROGANOFF

2 c frozen, chopped, broccoli
1 tbsp water
1 tbsp butter
1/4 c chopped onion
3 tbsp flour
1 can chicken broth
2 c cubed, fully cooked ham
1 c sour cream
1 can sliced mushrooms
hot cooked noodles

Place broccoli and water in microwave safe dish.  Cover and microwave for 3-5 mins. or until broccoli is tender, stirring once.  Drain, set aside and keep warm.  In another micro bowl, heat butter, uncovered for about 20 sec. until melted.  Add the onion and cover and microwave for another 2 minutes or until tender.  Stir in flour until blended.  Gradually stir in the broth and mix well.  Microwave uncovered for about 4-6 mins or until thickened and bubbly, stirring once.  Add the ham, sour cream, mushrooms and reserved broccoli, mix well.  Cook uncovered for 3-5 mins or until heated through, stirring once.  Serve over warm noodles. 

My husband LOVES broccoli.  And, I love quick and easy meals.  This recipe works great for the both of us.  There is no quicker meal to prepare than one done in the microwave.  It really is that simple and it is delicious as well.


I sure hope that you all get a chance to give these recipes a try.  We enjoy them here and I think that you all will enjoy them too! 

I hope that you all continue to have a great afternoon today.  I hope to be back maybe tomorrow as well.  We will see.  Thanks for reading! 

Warm and primitive blessings to you all!

prim_bug

OUR BELOVED MISS FRANKIE

Hey everyone.  Sorry I have been away for so long.  Obviously if you have followed my blog here at all you know that Miss Frankie is one of our dogs.  (If you are not a dog/pet lover, you probably will not care to read on any further).  My life revolves around my family and my dogs.  On Friday Sept. 28th Frankie wasn't feeling well.  Called the vet and they said she might just have a flu bug (I didn't realize that dogs could get a flu like humans).  They told me to give her some pepto bismol and to try her with a bland diet that evening.  Things didn't get better and in fact the next morning she was feeling even worse.  We brought her out to the vets and they did blood work and x-rays, physical exam.  The whole nine yards.  Well, when they brought us in they gave her three meds to try to help settle her tummy, help with the pain and I can't even remember what the other was for.  They then showed us the x-ray which wasn't so good.  She first off had alot of arthritis in her back and in her hips.  I thought well we will just get her the meds she needs to try and keep her comfortable at least- no biggie.  But, then they proceeded on to her stomach----- there was a huge mass (tumor) in there and it was forcing all of her organs to the sides of her stomach and forward.  It made it so that she couldn't eat or drink anything.  Nothing could get by this horrible thing.  They couldn't tell us for sure by the looks of the x-ray how big it was or if it was cancerous or if there were a bunch more.  That happened to be what they thought though.  So they told us to take her home Sat afternoon and give her the meds and see if that helped or not.  Unfortunately, the medicine didn't do anything.  By Sunday morning she could hardly walk (she could still wag her tail at me as I tried to encourage her to get up to go out).  I called my husband at work and he then called the vet.  I couldn't talk at that point..... I knew what was coming.  I was right! 

We decided to put her down.  It was the worst thing ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  We couldn't watch her suffering and there was no guarantees that they could help her.  I am crying my eyes out still as I type this to you.  But, I felt that I needed to at least explain where I have been.  It certainly was not on a vacation.  My eyes are still puffy and sore and my life just doesn't feel as full as it was.  I am definitely thankful for the two dogs that I still have but, my goodness she left a BIG hole in my heart. 

I would also like to thank all of my family and friends that were there for me over this past week.  You all know who you are.  Thanks a million and I love you all! 

Our beloved Miss Frankie:   

So sorry that I only posted two pictures but, they are still hard for me to look at and look through.  Look into those big beautiful eyes and all you see is unending unconditional love.  I will always love you Frankie!  
xoxoxo

Warm primitive blessings to you all!

prim_bug

TEMPTATION TUESDAY ON WEDNESDAY.... AGAIN!

Hey everyone, this is becoming a really bad habit for me.  Sorry, again!!!!! Hope that you all can forgive me once more.  As usual I have a list of excuses that goes on for miles so, I won't bore you to death with them.  I will just get on to my blogging.  I did however, want to leave you with a sweet taste in your mouth.... yeah, that's right.  Today's recipe is a definite no-no for those of you who are dieting or watching your weight.  But it is a huge YUMMY for the rest of you.  I got this recipe from a co-worker at one of my previous jobs years ago.  I hope that you like it too!!

PUMPKIN WHOOPIE PIES

2 c brown sugar
1c oil
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 (15oz) can pumpkin
3 c flour
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon

*I also add choc chips into mine.  Just a cup or so will do good!  Or, you could roll the pies in chocolate chips when you are finished assembling them.  Either way they are delicious.

Mix sugar, oil, eggs, vanilla and pumpkin.  In a separate bowl, combine all dry ingredients; gradually add dry ingredients into creamed mixture and mix well.  This is where you would add you choc chips and stir them in with a spoon.  Drop by tablespoon onto ungreased pan.  Bake at 350 for approx. 14 mins.  When you take them out put them onto a cooling rack.

FILLING;

2 c confectioners sugar
1 8oz pkg cream cheese
1 c shortening --I use less about 1/2 c to 3/4 c
1/2 tub of fluff
1 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla

Mix well.  Take one pie and spread filling over it and top with another pie.  These are so yummy good, you won't be able to eat just one.  These are also delicious put in the freezer.  I am not sure how long they will freeze for...... they never lasted that long in my freezer. LOL!

I hope that you get a chance to whip up a batch of these yummy little goodies for your family!  ENJOY!

Warm and primitive blessings to you all!

prim_bug 

NEW CARPET PHOTOS

Hello friends.  I trust that you are all having a nice fall day.  It is a bit on the chilly side here but, I am loving it.  The cooler air feels so nice to me.  The leaves are all changing color so beautifully.  Love fall!!!!!   It just feels like this is the way it is supposed to be. 

Okay, so I promised more pictures of the new carpeting right?!  Are you sure that you are ready for this?  Holy cow, this has been such a long time coming.  I absolutely love my new flooring.  Hubby says that I better, he doesn't plan on doing this again any time soon! LOL!  He doesn't have to worry, I am so happy with it.  Well, are you ready?

Alright, so the photo above shows the tile squares (we had forgotten about) that were under the carpet in the living room, that we pulled up and took out.  Lovely, huh?!  I shouldn't say anything bad, you know because they served the purpose for a great many years.  I was just very fortunate that this year we could make the change. 

Another before shot of the living room.  Of course my dogs are feeling quite photogenic in all of these.  Kayzer is in the living room here and Miss Frankie is coming in to see what's going on.

Pretty huh?  If you look closely you can see 4 different types of flooring here.  The new barn wood under Jeffrey, the brown square tiles also under Jeffrey, the plywood (painted white-yuck), and the bluish-grey tiles under Miss Frankie.  This was mostly covered up by a braided blue rug.  So, yes at one time there was over 5 different flooring's going on in here.  Unfortunately this happens to be the first room that you walked into.  Again, I made do with what I had and I am very thankful for what I have had for all these years.  I am also very grateful for the opportunity to improve on this too.

 

So, this picture gives you a pretty nice look at it.  I know!  Yes, our walls are next years project to finish up.  I call it my fifty-fifty room.  It is half done and half waiting.  I know that it doesn't look so pretty here but, stay with me.  You will be amazed at what a little flooring can do.

This is the living room after the installers left and I had vacuumed.  Oh my gosh.  I had to get down on the floor and lay on it.  It feels amazing.  The color of it goes so well with the stones around the fireplace.  Guess what?  I didn't pick this color for in the living room.  When we had Home Depot come out to measure up the rooms, they called us and told us they had a promotion going on and if we did both rooms with the same carpet it would save us over $500.00.  Well, I don't know about you but, that's alot of money for us.  I debated over it though.  I had originally wanted a mustardy color for out here.  I finally gave in on it though to save the money and be able to afford to get both carpets laid this fall versus getting just the front room laid now and getting the living room carpet laid in the spring/summer.  Thank God for this opportunity, I never would have gotten to see just how great this looks.  Sometimes if we just give a little the end result is so much bigger than what we actually anticipated. 

Yeah, you guessed it!  They LOVE it too!!  And, they wanted their pictures taken again. 

This is the living room all put back together.  Phew!!  That was one heck of a job!  You all wonder where I have been.......yeah!!! 

This is my television stand.  It was an old chest like box that I got for $35.00 at a junk store.  One of my sisters in law found it and had no room for it so, she called and told me about it.  I knew that if she loved it, that I would too!  Sure enough, I do!  Hubby put shelves in it for me and it has been the best entertainment center we have ever had, (the cheapest too)!!!!

This is looking out from my living room into the dining room, and if you look closely you can see a peek into the front room as well.  Oops, and don't forget Kayzer looking back at you! LOL!

Alright so about a month ago I showed you the pictures where the house joins in the middle and the split that got worse as the seasons change, right?  Well, the split is now covered by the rug.  That is why it is L shaped.  We would have just run the barn wood flooring straight through but, we needed to cover the split all the way across with carpet so it would have some give, and wouldn't split.  I am very happy with the way it came out though.  Took the photo before hubby finished placing the last transition strip down.  If you look closely you can even see Jeffrey!  I lose him in the carpeting now!  Too funny!


Same idea in this photo.  I just wanted to show the L shape, and that you can make it work however you have to.  I don't know why my picture went over to the left, but it did.

Better than the five different flooring's, don't ya think?!  I love it.  Totally and completely happy.  Don't let hubby know.  I don't think that he thought that was ever achievable. LOL!

Again, they have to try to get into the pictures. 

Now we are going to play a game;  can you find the Jeffrey? 

How about now?


He does kind of blend in.  Don't ya think?!  If I took my glasses off or my contacts out, I would lose him for sure.  LOL!

Well I hope that I didn't bore you all to death with my pictures.  I appreciate all of your support and kindness.  It is nice when you can improve on your home.  It makes you feel good.  Nancy just had all new windows put in her sun porch area.  It is awesome.  She and I share our home improvement stories and nightmares together.  If any of you are doing the same thing, I wish you all the best of luck.  And if you are out there waiting for next year to be able to do it...... be as patient as you can, it will get here and it will happen.  It sometimes doesn't happen the way we plan, but it happens the way it was meant to be.  And after you have a chance to sit back and look, you can usually see that it was better off the way it ended up.  Just keep the faith.  I did, it took over 10 years to get this.  I would never have appreciated it then the way that I do now.  I know that for a fact. 

Wherever you're at.... I hope that it is great there. 

If you didn't happen to go over to Pamela's blog at http://ourpioneerhomestead.blogspot.com/  the other day for the free cross stitch pattern, you need to go over soon because she added another free fall pattern as well.  And if you are a crow lover.....like I know some of you are, you aren't going to want to miss this one. 


Warm and primitive blessings to you all.

prim_bug