Napkins, Napkins, Napkins

I spent the last few days washing, starching, and ironing every napkin I own. My friend and fellow blogger, Debby over at Debby's Gracious Home offered to "practice" monogramming on her new monogram machine anything I needed monogrammed. Well, she's offered the wrong girl. I could keep her busy til the end of time because I love anything monogrammed.

When I pulled out my napkin basket, I found a mess. After I use cloth napkins, I wash, fold, and put them away in my linen closet. So when it's time to set the table for company coming, I usually pull out my basket, decide I don't want to go to the trouble or I don't have enough time to iron, and decide paper will do nicely. Therefore, I don't use the napkins I love.

When I surveyed the contents of my napkin basket, I found napkins on the bottom I forgot I had...and some I'd never used. So I pulled them all out, washed them in separate loads, and got them cleaned and organized. I'm so proud. This is my collection. This is the way they look now without any embroidery on them.

I have indoor napkins and outdoor napkins that are just itching to be "embellished"! I now have to decide if I want an initial or some little symbol stitched on them. Some of my favorite napkins are the large white ones with a knife and fork embroidered on them. They came from Wisteria's Outlet store in Dallas. My friend Cathie found them while shopping one day and called to say I needed eight of them and I thought I did, too. I adore them because I love anything silverware related. So I'll be headed over to Debby's one day this week to make this collection even more wonderful.

Look for a post about the results real soon!

Here's a quick and easy way to create a showstopper dessert. Bake a chocolate cake--and I'm including my favorite recipe from Debby over at Debby's Gracious Home plus instructions for a fabulous ganache to glaze.

The first thing you do is visit your local grocery store and buy some white roses. Cut the stems very short and insert into a tiny bottle or juice glass. I wrapped it with parchment and secured with a rubber band. (This part will be hidden.)


Pour the glaze over the cake. It's going to drip down onto the platter. Don't worry about that...all the more chocolate that's "finger-lickin' good"!


Then place the roses--or flowers of your choice--into the center of the cake.


Then sit back and soak up the "oohs and aahs"!

CHOCOLATE CHOCOLATE CHOCOLATE CAKE

1 package any variety chocolate cake mix
1 package chocolate flavored instant pudding (4 ounces)
1-1/2 cup minature semi-sweet chocolate chips
4 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup water

Beat all ingredients except the chocolate chips until well mixed. Then stir in the chips. Spoon into a prepared bundt pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes. Cool 10 minutes and remove from pan. Glaze with ganache or dust with powdered sugar.

CHOCOLATE GANACHE

This easy glaze only requires two ingredients: heavy cream and chocolate chips.
Bring your cream to a boil and remove from the heat. Pour over a bowl of chocolate chips. Let rest for a few minutes and then whisk until smooth. You can add vanilla or any flavoring you like, but mix the cream and chocolate first, then add whatever you'd like to experiment with. Just be careful and add it in tiny increments.

Enjoy!

Summertime and The Living is Easy...

Okay, if you've been looking for posts, you haven't found any. I've been busy doing everything but that. It's hot in South Texas and oh so dry. So I've taken every excuse I could find to leave town and pursue fun elsewhere.

We did take a few trips to the beach while my friend Cathie was here for Memorial Day, and while my cousin Sandy was here for 4th of July. Both were fun visits with late night talks and lots of catching up.


During the last week of July, we took a roadtrip to Breckenridge, Colorado to cool off. Highs of 80 and lows of mid-40s. My kinda place to be in July! We rode a train to the top of Pike's Peak, shopped, ate, giggled, and shopped and ate some more. We took my son and daughter-in-law, which is always fun.


A really fun thing that came up unexpectedly was a mini-reunion of my classmates from high school. We've reconnected via Facebook and someone suggested meeting for lunch in historic Waxahachie, which is just down the highway from my hometown Lancaster. I got an email telling me about it and saying they wished I could join them, but with 375 miles between us, they understood. Haha...they don't know me very well. I booked a room at the Hampton Inn and made plans to be there. I just hate missing out on a good time!

It was so much fun...just the girls. Most of us hadn't seen each other but for brief periods at reunions since we graduated 43 years ago...but the funny thing is, we were able to pick up right where we left off. There were fourteen of us. We had a great group in high school. We were good friends, some of us since the first grade. It was WONDERFUL seeing everybody and being together. We'll do it again, soon. Yea Facebook!

I'll try to get back in the groove soon and post more frequently. Just don't try to hold me to it!

Summer Snack Basket

Here's a shot of my favorite summer snack. Fresh cherries, crackers, cashews, and a little string cheese. I'd actually rather have this than breakfast or lunch. So simple and the flavors all meld together to make one seriously tasty one-woman party!

The past two summers we've spent time in the northwest corner of the country. Taking planes, autos, boats, and trains we wound our way around the coast of Washington and Oregon, taking full advantage of the cool, crisp air coming off the Pacific. But the one part that sticks in my mind was the "Fruit Loop" around Mt. Hood. We drove around the mountain on a scenic loop that was peppered with hundreds of fresh fruit stands. I think we stopped at nearly every one of them. And out there, their "fruit stands" consist of not only the freshest produce, but baked goods, honey and even art. Just about anything somebody might be in the market for. But, for us, it made for some really great snacking along the way.

And that's when I fell madly in love with fresh cherries. And we even saw them growing on the trees! If it wasn't for those pesky pits to dispose of, cherries would be my favorite food. I lean toward Rainers, but I'll settle for Bing that I can get at my local grocery store...and be darn happy most of the summer. In fact, that's probably my favorite thing about summer is the fresh fruit available and oh is it so tasty...

To dress this snack up so St. Wayne will think it's a meal, I use my little wire produce baskets I've had a hundred years, line them with natural parchment and start filling. To keep consumption of the crackers and nuts at a minimum, I use regular cupcake liners for the crackers and mini liners for the nuts.

Try it, the presentation will convince you it's fun to eat and when you're finished snacking on that fabulous combination of flavors, you're totally satisfied. Light, fun and just a little party in a basket!

Monograms and More...

In February of 2010 my friend Cathie's daughter, Julie, got married. When I designed the wedding invitations, I started with a design of the couple's monogram. From there we printed it onto a tag to embellish the satin ribbon tying the invitation. This is a scan of the finished design.

Now that the happy couple are expecting a daughter in September, Julie's busy nesting. She posted a picture on Facebook several weeks ago of a project she'd finished for their master bedroom. She covered her plain headboard with quilt batting and a drop cloth. They are very inexpensive, have a wonderful nubby texture, and are available for next to nothing in Walmart's paint department. And the bonus is you get a huge piece of fabric to work with. Here's a picture of the headboard with the new covering...



Well, her monogram instantly came to my mind when I saw the headboard. So I suggested she let me cut a long strip of leftover drop cloth I had from an earlier project of my own, hem the sides, and transfer the monogram onto the fabric. She liked that idea so when her mom came to visit a few weeks ago, we got it done. I ended up having to go over it with a black sharpie marker because we wanted it a rich, deep black and the transfer came out with a green tint to it.



The above picture is of her and Dave's finished bedroom and the picture below is a close-up. I think it looks terrific! She just wrapped the monogramed strip around the headboard and pinned it into place. That way, if she ever gets tired of it, she can take it off. Good job, Julie!

Sprng Has Left Me Sprung...

You may have noticed I haven't been around. It's been an emotional Spring as our family has suffered the loss of my sister-in-law, Syd to a massive stroke in April. She left behind two incredible children in their twenties and lots of friends and family who will sorely miss her. Her beautiful send-off was planned by her daughter, son, and daughter-in-law and was such a wonderful tribute to her. She would have been so proud to know the church was packed with friends who had wonderful things to say about her. We all have sweet memories of Syd. She's pictured above with a quilt she made me a couple of years ago that I cherish and keep displayed in my living room.


We have also had lots of houseguests...seven waves of company in a six week period. All glorious visits from people we love, but it's kept me busy cooking and cleaning and running to the grocery store. We really like nothing better than our family and friends coming to visit and always look forward to the next wave. That's what happens when you live this close to the beach!

One really outstandingly happy thing to tell you about...I'VE RETIRED! No more wedding invitations to assemble all night long to meet a deadline, no more page after page of addresses to calligraph onto envelopes, no more sales taxes to file and pay, so many "no more"s! I'm excited to do lunch any time I want to and I'm especially excited about naps! Ah, daytime naps are such luxuries...

I hope you have a wonderful Summer and I hope I'll find it fun and refreshing and full of all kinds of inspiration to piddle with to help fill this new found time. Stay tuned, I'll keep you posted!

If You Can..

If you can start the day without caffeine;
If you can get going without pep pills;
If you can always be cheerful, ignoring aches and pains;
If you can resist complaining and boring people with your troubles;
If you can eat the same food every day and be grateful for it;
If you can understand when your loved ones are too busy to give you any time;
If you can forgive a friend's lack of consideration;
If you can overlook it when those you love take it out on you when,
through no fault of your own, something goes wrong;
If you can take criticism and blame without resentment;
If you can ignore a friend's limited education and never correct him;
If you can resist treating a rich friend better than a poor friend;
If you can face the world without lies and deceit;
If you can conquer tension without medical help;
If you can relax without liquor;
If you can sleep without the aid of drugs;
If you can honestly say that deep in your heart you have no prejudice
against creed or color, religion or politics; then, my friend, you are
almost as good as your dog.


The above quote is sooo true! And it can be said about my little grandogger, CoCo. She has spent the past week with us while her mom and dad were on a cruise. She's had a great time, chasing squirrels, keeping the birds in order, and just generally making sure all is well in the backyard.


She's usually here for a two-day visit, three max, so she didn't pace herself. She came on like gangbusters when she got here last Saturday afternoon. And by Tuesday night, she was exhausted. She's perpetual motion, never stopping from sunup until sundown. She makes me tired just watching from inside the patio doors.


Is that the sweetest little face? I can't say I'm really a "dog person." I don't stop on the street and put strays in my car, but I like dogs...in small doses. But I think dogs are lots of trouble if done properly and I'm not willing to get into it. Alot of my family and friends don't understand that. Especially my sister who is the most devoted animal lover I've ever known. I have to admit, though, I've really enjoyed having this little four-legged squirrel posse here to pet and rub her tummy on those rare occasions she lies still long enough. She is a sweetheart.

And tomorrow she goes home. Back to where life is a bowl of cherries and her mom and dad adore her and fulfill her every wish and whimper. And I'll get back to doing just what I want when I want without any consideration of a poor little pup to put back in the kennel for a few hours so I can go have lunch with the girls, play cards, or go out to eat with St. Wayne. I've actually done very little of that this week just because I hate to call her in from the yard to that lonely little "cage." I think I mind it more than she does. She happily takes a nap while she's inprisoned but when I get back and once that door is opened, she's a black streak through the house and I'd better have the back door standing open when she gets back there or it's crying and carrying on like you wouldn't believe.

CoCo, it's been fun. I've so enjoyed having you here. Come back real soon...you're always welcome. love, Grandma