Lemon Loaf

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What do you do when a sweet friend, who happens to be expecting a baby in August, asks for something made with lemons?  You find a lemon loaf recipe of course! I love this sweet treat and I think you will also!  Give it a try.  You can find recipe here.

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This was delicious!

I’m proud to be an American

Posted in Adventures in the Kitchen by

We love baking sweets on all occasions and love celebrating our freedom! 

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Sprinkles shortbread cookies...yummy!  Find recipe here.
Chocolate covered Pretzels…always a winner!  Find recipe here.
Red, White and Blue Chocolate covered peanuts…perfect combo!  Find recipe here.
Rice Krispie Treats…these are so cute!  Find recipe here.

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My daughter found this recipe and thought it was so cute, so she made these as well.

Rice Krispie Treats!

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Take me out to the Ball Game

Posted in 2016 Travel Adventures, Adventures in the Kitchen by

Travel adventures so far are still in Texas, but at least we get to catch a game!

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I grew up in Arlington…and on baseball.  We do try to catch a game each year as a family and maybe squeeze in a couple more throughout the season with friends.

Family….

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Food….

 

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We hope someday to catch a Range game at Fenway Park in Boston and Wrigley Field in Chicago…maybe next year! At least our travels will extend beyond the great state of Texas!!

God Bless the USA

Posted in Adventures in the Kitchen by

I was a little late on July 4th posting…but better late than never, right?

My daughter, Claire, keeps finding recipes she wants to try.  That seems to keeps us busy at the store and in the kitchen. While she has changed her mind from wanting to be a chef (at 11 years old) to now wanting to be an event planner…I love seeing her love for food and baking continue! Conversations, laughter and memories are made in the kitchen.

OLD GLORY PIE. Find recipe here.  I changed the recipe a bit and used fresh cherries, strawberries and blueberries.  YUM!

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Pizza Pizza

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ZUCCHINI CRUSTED PIZZA

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My daughter LOVES Pizza…so she is always sending me links to low calorie Pizza.  She found this recipe for Zucchini Crusted Pizza and wanted to give it a try.  I was a little skeptical but we ended up really liking the flavor and texture.  In fact, my whole family enjoyed!  Great idea Claire!

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You can make this a little more low calorie by reducing the cheese and the marinara sauce.  It will still be very tasty, satisfying and good for your waist line!!

Recipe is under On the Healthy Side at top of page.  ENJOY!

Easy as Pie.

Posted in Adventures in the Kitchen, Books I Love by

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I smile as I look at this Cherry Pie.  We made this pie for Father’s Day…we were so ready to get it in the oven that our rows of crust did not turn out quite like we had planned. But it was still a sweet and delicious treat and was worth every calorie.

I thought of our family and how things don’t always turn out perfect.  Sometimes we don’t look like a family that has it all together but in the end there is laughter, love and a bond that we wouldn’t trade for anything!  Our family is worth every calorie!! 🙂

IMG_4414[1]IMG_4413[1]IMG_4430[1]IMG_4438[1]Thank you Sally’s Baking Addition for this recipe!  I love all your pies and cookies!!!  They always turn out so tasty!

Just a “sweet” extra for you, I am learning the more we do for ourselves, the more we can offer our family. I am going through an amazing book and study with friends called  Emotionally Spiritually Healthy. Here is what the book looks  like and the day to day reading.  If you are looking for something to know yourself better and grow, give this book a try.  I think you will really enjoy it and learn a little along the way!

We’re All Mad Here…

Posted in Adventures in the Kitchen, Books I Love by

..But the Best People Are!

Take a peek at our delightful Tea Party for a dear friend who is retiring…
Great Send off, Great Food, Great Book and Great Quotes.

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I think this was a great way to spend the day since it is “Always Tea Time.”

“…Sometimes I have believed 6 impossible things before breakfast”

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Pretzels are a must!
“EAT ME!!”

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And of course you must have a backdrop!
“I can’t go back to yesterday,
I was a different person back then.”

“i’m not crazy…my reality is just different than yours.”

Thankful for friendships, creativity, food, fun, good books and great relationships!

Don’t Mess with Texas

Posted in 2016 Travel Adventures by

My travel adventures so far this year have been limited to the great state of Texas.  Not that I am complaining, it is a great state!  It’s just I prefer to see myself traveling through Italy or jetting off to New York to catch a show!

Maybe that will be my life one day, but for now I am sharing with you my Texas travels to the beaches of Port Aransas, BBQ, and some history along the way.

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The route from Austin to Port Aransas is filled with history.  Every time we go to the beach we say we are going to stop and read the landmarks and visit the Spanish Missions that are still standing from the fight for Texas Independence.  But we are always in a hurry and say “next time.”  This year, we decided to stop since it was just me and my husband and we were not vetoed by any children!

First stop was the famous Smitty’s BBQ…delicious! We needed some energy for the road trip!  Food before history.IMG_3951[1]

This is the site of the surrender of the Texas troops to Santa Anna in 1836.

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The site of the Spanish mission (Presidio La Bahia) with some of the original rock still standing from 1771.   In many places, any structure that is 250 years old is considered “new”…but in Texas it is considered “ancient!”

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A little food, a little history and now the beach.  What a great way to relax…enjoying the lovely weather, breakfast outside and this view.  God is good!

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Just what the Doctor ordered

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I had all my girls home Memorial Day Weekend.  Sadly, I was recovering from a surprise appendectomy!  That meant instead of lake and burgers, our weekend was spent at home with blankets and Netflix.  Even though I was getting around as slow as molasses, my family took me out one time each day to help in my recovery process.  After all, that is what the doctor ordered!

Here are some of our Austin Adventures.

Outing #1:  Food Trailer Park in South Austin.  It has quite a few options for lunch, but we still chose Torchy’s Tacos. We are creatures of habit when it comes to our tacos, and the queso is one of my favorites.  I think my dog enjoyed the outing as well.

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Outing #2…VooDoo Doughnuts off 6th Street in Austin.  This place has some very interesting doughnuts with some very interesting names.  It was hard for us to make a decision.  We opted for a dozen variety box and we all had a little bite of each one.

Strangely, the doughnut called CAPTAIN, MY CAPTAIN turned out to be the favorite.  You can’t beat Captain Crunch Cereal!  The Fruit Loop was tasty as well. IMG_4138[1]IMG_4135[1]IMG_4159[1]

Outing #3.  Kerby Lane.  A family favorite.   We have enjoyed many Saturday mornings here for breakfast.  On this day I ordered the Carrot Cake Pancakes!  I think it was worth getting out for, don’t you agree??? IMG_4162[1]

Life is Sweet

Posted in Adventures in the Kitchen by

Each of my daughters have something that is their signature sweet, something they can make at the drop of a hat and it always turns out delicious. My middle daughter’s signature sweet happens to be these lovely Cake Balls.

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IMG_4105[1]These are a bit time consuming and require many steps…but when you bite into one, they are well worth it!  Check out my daughter’s recipe here.  Cake Pops by Olivia Rhine

I think you will see they are well worth your time and energy. ENJOY!

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