Pretty..............Ugly?!

 (Black Butterfly Headband by kaang)

      Hi! ^_^ I'm not here for a long drawn out conversation tonight...*and you can stop hooting and clapping at any time! LOL*...but I did wanna share some pretty things, and some ugly...*scratch that*...some 'not so pretty' things that I made myself! ^_^

      The header photo is showing one of the pretty things! I love pretty butterflies on a headband, don't you?!!...And the only thing they have in common with my 'Ugly Wuglyee' style bedroom slippers is that they both have black coloration included on them!

 (Crochet House Slippers, Gray, Black, and Olive Green by wuglyees)

      Of course, my slippers also have other colors! Some charcoal gray and black print, and olive green soles! :-) ...

      They're like some 'throw-back' colored slippers from my favorite generation...the 70s!! ^_^ *♫ Staying Alive, Staying Aliveeeeeeeee! ♫ :-)) ... What can I say?!....Oh! I know what I can say! I can say that what they lack in 'pretty' they make up for in 'comfortable'!! ^_^

     Moving on to the other 'pretty'! :-) ...
 

 (Crochet Chocolate Strawberry Coaster by MonikaDesign)

      I love Monika's coasters!! :-) They almost look like real chocolate-dipped strawberries!...but..like...chocolate-dipped strawberries that you can eat your peanut butter cookies and milk off of!! ^_^

      Speaking of peanut butter cookies! :-)) ...

      These are my other 'ugly'! :-] They were a quick meal for some desperately 'desserty' bakers! ^_^ Me and Mr. Wug I mean...of course!! LOL...

      Our cupboard was kinda bare, but we found a way to make some deliciously ugly cookies anyway!! ^_^ There were only three ingredients: a cup of peanut butter, a cup of white sugar, and an egg! Seriously...that was all!!!
      We had to preheat the oven to 350 degrees, mix the three ingredients until they were smooth, and put them on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper for 6 to 8 minutes!! :-) (Our oven took a little longer, so I guess that old adage about a watched pot never boiling has some truth to it!!...at least it does when it comes to watching ovens for cookies to brown!! LOL) 
      They weren't 'pretty' when they came out, and they weren't as crisp as I like my peanut butter cookies to be, but they sure were good!!!! ^_^ Our dessert craving was thoroughly satisfied!!

      There was only enough milk for one of us to get a glass to sip on with their cookies...You'll just have to guess which one of us drank it...and shared a sip or two. :-)) No...those kind of manners are not 'pretty'!...I'll have to work on that...tomorrow!! Ha! Ha!...Goodnight, Y'all!! ♥

Cooking

Flipping, Frying,
Flambeing, Filleting,
Burning, Browning,
Paring, Pureeing.

Boiling, Baking,
Mixing, Making,
Simmering, Scaling,
Sifting, Shaking.

Cooking, Crackling,
Cutting, Coring,
Sprinkling, Spattering,
Patting, Pouring,

Broiling, Battering,
Steeping, Steaming,
Timing, Tossing,
Cubing, Creaming,

Slicing, Scrambling,
Turning, Toasting,
Melting, Measuring,
Rinsing, Roasting.

Dipping, Dicing,
Skimming, Sauteing,
Poaching, Peeling,
Mincing, Microwaving.

Gathering, Grilling
Basting, Barbecuing,
Hacking, Heating,
Scoring, Skewering.

Standing, Stirring,
Rough, Tough,
Kitchen, Ditching,
Had Enough!

Monday...From Recipes To Spiders!!

 (16"x 12" Custom Engraved Your Handwritten Recipe Wood Cutting Board by DamiansWoodWorks)

      I haven't done this in a while, and doing it on a Monday after a bad weekend seems like a good time to do it! :-) Do what, you say?!...Share a few things I'm loving right now, of course! :-) I don't know if these things will end up being trends or not, but I like 'em, so that's all that counts around here! ^_^

      In the header photo is a wooden cutting board that you can write your favorite recipe on! Isn't that a great idea?!...Although for me it would be hard, because I have so many favorite recipes, that it would be hard to commit ONE to the permanency of a cutting board! O_O 

      What are my favorite recipes, you ask?! LOL...I know! You really didn't ask, but guess what?!....I'm gonna tell you anyway! Ha! Ha!...My favorite recipes are: 

-- my Shepherd's Pie, made with ground hamburger, onions, hot pepper flakes, corn, mashed potatoes (REAL potatoes, Y'all! Not those boxed things!!!), cream of mushroom soup, and sharp cheddar cheese!

-- Homemade Turkey stuffing, made with the boiled and chopped up giblets from a whole turkey, corn bread (cooked and then crumbled up into the mix), chicken broth, onions, red and green peppers, eggs, buttermilk, olive oil, browned sausage, and milk. {You basically have to re-bake it like you do corn bread when it's all mixed the second time!)

--my Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Coconut Cookies...I'm NOT gonna tell you my recipe secrets for this one!! LOL I may write a book about it one day though! :-))

--my Homemade Cheesecakes, made with Philadelphia brand cream cheese, eggs, vanilla, etc...and a secret ingredient! ^_^... No! I'm not gonna tell you what this secret ingredient is either, but it's fooled some cheesecake connoisseurs over the years!! ^_^

--and last, for now...because I could be here all day!... ^_^ ...is Curry Chicken with Peas and Pearl Onions, made with curry...chicken...peas...and pearl onions! LOL..In fact, that's what we had for dinner last night!...and I just had a little bit for breakfast too! ^_^

      Okay, let's move on to the other items I'm loving right now!...

 (Hand Printed Hummingbird Brown Paper Bag by HandmadeandHeritage)

      How cool is that bag, right?! :-] It gives new meaning to 'brown-paper-bags'...and hummingbirds too, for that matter! ^_^

      And how cool are these pet bowls!...

 (Entry Way Catchall / Pet Bowl by ToastCeramics)

      They're a long shot better than the brown, cracked, and warped bowls we used to use for our doggies...back in the day when we had doggies! :-] I wouldn't be ashamed for visitors to see these!! ^_^

      And if you visit this blog any time, you already know my love for black and white!...

 (Four 16" x 16" Throw Pillow Covers by ThePillowPeople)

      Oh!...Sooooo Cool! :-)

      And lastly...EWWWWWW! It's A Spider!!!! LOL...

(Spencer the Spider and Friends, Amigurumi Crochet Pattern by mojimojidesign)

      I'm not a fan of a spider...EVER!!!! But this 'crochet pattern' amazed me!! I mean, look at the detail!!!...Who has that kind of patience?!...Clearly...not me!! LOL But I think somebody will love it, so I'm sharing it! ^_^

      As for me, I'm crocheting...but not spiders! ^_^ I started another wedding shawl. It's not the same pattern that I did last time though. This one is more lacy looking. And it's more tedious too. Basically the same pattern over and over...and over and over...and over and over again!! O_O I hope I can hang with it until it's done...Not like a certain rainbow baby blanket that I started...and put down...and still haven't finished! *sigh*

      Okay Y'all, have a good rest of the day! :-) 

Cooking

Flipping, Frying,
Flambeeing, Filleting,
Burning, Browning,
Paring, Pureeing.

Boiling, Baking,
Mixing, Making,
Simmering, Scaling,
Sifting, Shaking.

Cooking, Crackling,
Cutting, Coring,
Sprinkling, Spattering,
Patting, Pouring,

Broiling, Battering,
Steeping, Steaming,
Timing, Tossing,
Cubing, Creaming,

Slicing, Scrambling,
Turning, Toasting,
Melting, Measureing,
Rinsing, Roasting.

Dipping, Dicing,
Skimming, Sauteeing,
Poaching, Peeling,
Mincing, Microwaving.

Gathering, Grilling
Basting, Barbecuing,
Hacking, Heating,
Scoring, Skewering.

Standing, Stirring,
Rough, Tough,
Kitchen, Ditching,
Had Enough!

Cookies.......Suet........And Other 'Good Stuff' To Look At!

     These oatmeal raisin walnut cookies...No, biscuits...are not just for show. They're mine! ^_^ Well, what's left of them! Hubby made them for me, from scratch, yesterday when I was craving something sweet, but didn't want anything that was 'too' sweet.
 

     They also had a few bittersweet chocolate chips in them...Well, a few of them did! ^_^ He only had a small amount, so most of the cookies had to go without! :-) But a few were enough!...They were delicious!!
 

     They were more like biscuits, actually. I found out why later! Apparently when hubby was measuring the flour, he did it over the bowl with the batter in it. And he over-measured the flour by accident, and couldn't remove it afterward! Sooooo...we got oatmeal raisin walnut chocolate chip 'biscuits', instead of oatmeal raisin walnut chocolate chip 'cookies'! ^_^

     Biscuit...cookie....Whatever their name, they were delicious!! ^_^ In fact, I think I like them better as biscuits! They were crunchy on the outside, kinda soft and chewy on the inside! :-) 
 

      Why am I talking about cookies today?!!.....Uhhhhh....why not! ^_^ I mean, that's what came to mind when I saw the birds at the suet feeder! :-) 
 

     I was thinking how frozen their food must be out there in that 13 degree weather! Brrrrrr! And how good the little blueberries and nuts and stuff looked, even though they must've been frozen solid!!...
 

      That made me think of my NOT-frozen-solid cookies!....and the rest of this blog post is history! LOL

     It's all about eating and looking at 'good stuff'! ^_^
 

     And just in case you don't care about looking at the good stuff me and the birdies are eating, here's a couple of things for YOU to look at! ^_^

 (Elegant Vintage Style Yellow Sapphire & Diamond Engagement Ring and Matching Wedding Band in 14K White Gold with Leafs Vine and Antiquing by AdziasJewelryAtelier)

(Butterfly With Orange Spots on Wings, Nature Photography by EyePoetryPhotography)

     Now I'm off to get a nap before my meeting. :-) More good stuff for my brain!...I hope you have a good rest of the day too! ♥

Cooking

Flipping, Frying,
Flambeing, Filleting,
Burning, Browning,
Paring, Pureeing.

Boiling, Baking,
Mixing, Making,
Simmering, Scaling,
Sifting, Shaking.

Cooking, Crackling,
Cutting, Coring,
Sprinkling, Spattering,
Patting, Pouring,

Broiling, Battering,
Steeping, Steaming,
Timing, Tossing,
Cubing, Creaming,

Slicing, Scrambling,
Turning, Toasting,
Melting, Measuring,
Rinsing, Roasting.

Dipping, Dicing,
Skimming, Sauteing,
Poaching, Peeling,
Mincing, Microwaving.

Gathering, Grilling
Basting, Barbecuing,
Hacking, Heating,
Scoring, Skewering.

Standing, Stirring,
Rough, Tough,
Kitchen, Ditching,
Had Enough!

A Cake And Flowers Kind Of Sunday!

(Baker Mouse Original Illustration by MatthewFinger)

       All of a sudden, breaking the silence of a completely quiet house.....where there wasn't even a t.v. on because I was intensely concentrating on some crocheting...I heard the cake blender going at break-neck speed in the kitchen! O_O ... Yep! Mr. Wug was at it again! :-]

      I almost yelled out: "Hey! What you making?!" But when he sauntered past the door to the bedroom earlier he had a kind of coy look on his face that told me that he was trying to surprise me with something. It wasn't until I heard the blender that I realized that his surprise had something to do with baking. :-) I thought that maybe he was gonna surprise me by clearing out some of those boxes that we still haven't emptied since we moved here...but Uhhh...that apparently is a surprise for another day!! LOL 

     Anyway...while his blender was whirring and pots and pans were banging all over the kitchen, I was in the other room....finally awake, rested, and back in a crochet 'groove'! :-) ...

 (Crochet Cat Print by ShopMissElla)

           ...I've been making lapel pins and boutonnieres for two days...with a little pause for the custom ordered flower keychain yesterday, which she loved by the way. Phew!! :-)

         

          ...I made two one-color pins, yellow and orange...

       ...I made some two-toned pins...orange and pink, orange and blue, and pink and white...

        ...I made a couple of random ones...pink and blue, and red and pink...

     ...and I also made two flower boutonnieres...blues and pinks...

        Can you tell I have a lot of pink thread that I'm trying to use up?! ^_^

     Silence! O_O ... The blender was no longer whirring. It had been quiet for quite a while. Then all of a sudden he came through the door and said: "You wanna take a picture of my cake?! ^_^ ...

      So I did!! :-) ...Don't look at it too closely though. It's pretty, but it's not as esthetically pleasing to the eye as it could be, with frosting all over the plate and knife and everything....*That's if you're one of those "food-should-be-as-good-to-look-at-as-to-taste" kind of people. :-) ...Uhhhh....I noticed it, so what does that tell you about me?! ^_^*

      All that was left was the tasting!...

      YUM!!!...It was lemon cake, with lemon frosting, and it had fresh cut strawberries on top! :-) ... "It's a winner, Honey!" :-) ... I'm sorry I can't share with you! But I'm still working on the "Smell-O-Puter" idea..."Taste-O-Puter" is waaaaaaay down the road somewhere!! LOL...Maybe I can take orders to lend out my baker!! ^_^

(Vintage 1965 Flash Card by TotallyOldSchool)

        As long as you pay airfare, do the dishes afterward, and let him take a break every once and a while to play a game of 'Spider-Solataire', he's in!! ^_^ Show him to your kitchen!!! ^_^

Cooking

Flipping, Frying,
Flambeing, Filleting,
Burning, Browning,
Paring, Pureeing.

Boiling, Baking,
Mixing, Making,
Simmering, Scaling,
Sifting, Shaking.

Cooking, Crackling,
Cutting, Coring,
Sprinkling, Spattering,
Patting, Pouring,

Broiling, Battering,
Steeping, Steaming,
Timing, Tossing,
Cubing, Creaming,

Slicing, Scrambling,
Turning, Toasting,
Melting, Measuring,
Rinsing, Roasting.

Dipping, Dicing,
Skimming, Sauteing,
Poaching, Peeling,
Mincing, Microwaving.

Gathering, Grilling
Basting, Barbecuing,
Hacking, Heating,
Scoring, Skewering.

Standing, Stirring,
Rough, Tough,
Kitchen, Ditching,
Had Enough!       

Martha Stewart....THANK YOU!!!...every day!

           Now, you might not know what this is (in the header photo), but there's a recipe for it down below...YUM!!!
       Okay, as I told you yesterday, I love, love love the new 'everyday FOOD' magazine by Martha Stewart! I got my new issue a couple of days ago and I can hardly put it down!! There are so many wonderful recipes in it! 
      And yes!...Please don't be mad Martha...O_0...I have to share! :-) Below are 3 of my favorites from this issue!...They're not the only ones I'm putting on my 'To-Fix-Myself' list either! I'd be here all day...with gnarled and aching typing fingers!..trying to share all of the ones.....just in THIS book....that I like! (And please forgive my non-lit photos. It was REALLY early in the morning. The sun...and my good picture-clicking finger...hadn't come up yet! ^_^) Okay, First up...
Mario Batali's Stuffed Acorn Squash

-- 3 medium acorn squash, quartered lengthwise and seeded
-- coarse salt and ground pepper
-- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
-- 1 1/2 cups chopped scallions (2 bunches; whites and about 2 inches of greens)
-- 4 garlic cloves; thinly sliced
-- 2 large bunches Swiss chard, ribs and stems removed, leaves cut into 1/4-inch ribbons (about 16 
      cups)
-- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
-- 1 cup coarse, dried breadcrumbs, such as panko
-- 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

STEP 1: Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Trim bottom of each squash piece so it rests flat. Season squash with salt and pepper and place on a rimmed baking sheet, skin side down. Drizzle with 1/4 cup oil and bake until tender, 45 minutes.

STEP 2: Meanwhile, in a large Dutch oven or other heavy pot, heat 1/4 cup oil over medium-high until smoking. Add scallions and garlic and cook until fragrant, 30 seconds. Add chard and stir to combine. Cover and cook over medium until vegetables are very soft, about 10 minutes. Uncover and cook, stirring, until mixture is nearly dry, 5 minutes. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring, until deep red and fragrant, 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.

STEP 3: Heat broiler. In a small bowl, combine breadcrumbs and Parmigiano-Reggiano. Fill squash with chard mixture and top with breadcrumb mixture, pressing gently so it adheres. Broil squash until breadcrumbs are browned, 1 to 2 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.
       {And just in case you want to know...per piece: 186 cal; 11 g fat (2 g sat fat); 4 g protein; 20 g carb; 3 g fiber...I think it's pretty cool that they tell you this with each recipe in the book!} 

             I love this recipe because I LOVE acorn squash! I can eat them baked out of the oven with a little butter or sauteed with some onions, or any number of simple ways. Now I have another wonderful way to make them...and it has my beloved CHEESE!!! :-)
         The next recipe is the one from the header photo. It's made just for one person...
Chicken With Parmesan Grits And Tomatoes (for one)

-- 1 large boneless, skin-on chicken thigh (5 ounces) 
-- coarse salt and ground pepper
-- 2 1/2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
-- 1/2 cupgrape tomatoes
-- 1/4 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
-- 1/4 cup instant grits  
-- 1/2 ounce Parmesan, finely grated (2 tablespoons) 
-- roughly chopped fresh parsley, for serving

STEP 1: Heat a medium skillet over medium-high. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Add chicken to skillet, skin side down, and cook, turning occasionally, until browned and cooked through, about 15 minutes (reduce heat if chicken browns too quickly). Transfer to a plate and tent with foil.

STEP 2: In skillet, heat 2 teaspoons oil over medium and add tomatoes, onion, and garlic. Cook until tomatoes are softened and onion is tender, 5 minutes.

{Meanwhile, in a small pot, bring 1 cup water to boil. Stir in grits and pinch of salt; cover, reduce heat to low, and cook until water is absorbed, about 7 minutes.}

STEP 3: Stir in Parmesan and 1/2 teaspoon oil; season with salt and pepper. To serve, top grits with chicken and vegetables and sprinkle with parsley.

{per serv: 564 cal; 30 g fat (8 g sat fat); 33 g protein; 38 g carb; 2 g fiber} 
        I love this one because.....Well, because it has grits! :-) What's not to love?! I eat grits all the time. I love them with....of course...cheese. But I also like my grits with some gravy and onions, lima beans and butter, sauteed with hamburger and potatoes, etc...Why I never thought about chicken is a mystery to me! ^_^ But I won't ever NOT think about it with chicken again!!
         And lastly...

Roasted Sweet Potatoes And Bacon

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. On a rimmed baking sheet, combine 2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces, 4 slices bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces, and 5 sprigs thyme; season with coarse salt and ground pepper. Roast until sweet potatoes are browned in spots and tender when pierced with a knife and bacon is crisp, about 30 minutes, stirring halfway through. (Serves 4...says them!! LOL)

{per serv: 230 cal; 3 g fat (1 g sat fat); 6 g protein; 46 g carb; 7 g fiber}
      Another recipe where I don't know why I didn't think of it! I love sweet potatoes and yams more than I love cheese...I know, SHOCKING!! LOL...and I can't believe I never thought of putting bacon in them before! So quick....so easy to do.....so delicious!!! YUM!!! I can't wait to do this recipe! It may be a weekly one!
      I'm not getting paid to say this, but it's well worth your knowing, that if you want to get this book yourself, or some other good recipes, you can go to Martha Stewart's everyday FOOD website yourself..HERE!...And I'm done for today!...Really done! ^_^ Happy Cooking Everybody!!


Cooking

Flipping, Frying,
Flambeing, Filleting,
Burning, Browning,
Paring, Pureeing.

Boiling, Baking,
Mixing, Making,
Simmering, Scaling,
Sifting, Shaking.

Cooking, Crackling,
Cutting, Coring,
Sprinkling, Spattering,
Patting, Pouring,

Broiling, Battering,
Steeping, Steaming,
Timing, Tossing,
Cubing, Creaming,

Slicing, Scrambling,
Turning, Toasting,
Melting, Measuring,
Rinsing, Roasting.

Dipping, Dicing,
Skimming, Sauteing,
Poaching, Peeling,
Mincing, Microwaving.

Gathering, Grilling
Basting, Barbecuing,
Hacking, Heating,
Scoring, Skewering.

Standing, Stirring,
Rough, Tough,
Kitchen, Ditching,
Had Enough!