Fried Egg Burger ala Marty

/ Jodi / 16 Comments

fried egg burger

Happy Labor Day!

It’s a day for barbecue…

A day for burgers and hot dogs and family and friends…

A day for picnics or just relaxing…

A day to celebrate the end of summer.

Here’s a photo of a burger hubby recently made.

We love to mix Lipton Onion Soup mix in with our ground beef to make the burger patties.

For this yummy sandwich, we topped the grilled burger with a fried egg, sauteed peppers and onions, an heirloom yellow tomato, a greens mix of arugula and spinach, and some smoked Gouda cheese sandwiched between some toasted sourdough bread.

What your favorite way to to enjoy a burger?

Cheers & Hugs,

Jodi

Lunchbox Love – Notes for Kids

/ Jodi / 29 Comments

PP261 Cheerful Critters Schoolhouse DSP

Happy Sunday!

It’s time for another Paper Players Design Team inspiration card.  This week’s challenge (PP#261) is a theme challenge:  Lunchbox Love – Notes for Kids.

It is back-to-school time for many, and how sweet is it to put a little note in your child’s lunch box or bag to brighten their day?

I recall writing little notes on napkins or cutting out heart-shaped pieces of papers on occasion when my boys were little.

That time flew by so fast.

My boys are grown, but they still get handmade cards.  And oh how I love when I receive a handmade card from them – even now!

So here is my design team card, and I can’t wait to send it to a sweet little one that needs some encouragement or a congratulations on a job well done.

For this card, I used the StampinUp Cheerful Critters Stamp Set and Schoolhouse Designer Series Paper.  I purposely offset my “framing” to show our kiddos that they don’t have to be perfect or “stay in the lines” (since I obviously didn’t!).  A silver metal button and white baker’s twine bow finished it off.

You know – no matter how old we are – any of us would appreciate a little “lunchbox love” – eh?   I hope this will encourage you to send a little note to someone you love.

Cheers & Hugs,

Jodi

 

Loolie: Passages and Card Stock

/ Jodi / 11 Comments

Source: Loolie: Passages and Card Stock

Wedding Day for a Perfect Pair

/ Jodi / 39 Comments

CJ Candace Wedding Card hello life simply wonderful bird punch

It’s wedding day for C.J. and Candace!  (You might remember photos from Candace’s shower a few weeks ago.)

I couldn’t wait to make a special card to celebrate these two cute lovebirds.  They are a Perfect Pair.

My youngest son is a groomsman in the wedding, and we are looking forward to celebrating this special day.  Nick and C.J. were “roomers” in college and have remained good friends.

CJ Candace Wedding Card hello life simply wonderful bird punch 2

Candace is a country girl at heart and their wedding has a rustic theme, so I loved using some leftover burlap ribbon and lace from Jake and Colleen’s (my oldest son and daughter-in-law’s) wedding two years ago for this special card.

I had recently seen Dawn at Petals. Paper. SimpleThymes make a twine wreath and loved the look.  Thanks for the great idea to CAS Dawn!  (You’ll be seeing another card next Sunday for The Paper Players Challenge #262 using this twine wreath too on a completely different card).

I used the StampinUp Bird Punch for the leaves and love birds and the Hello Life Stamp Set to heat emboss the “love” sentiment in gold.

Looking forward to celebrating love today!

Cheers & Hugs,

Jodi

Roasted New Potatoes with Garlic, Bacon & Blue Cheese

/ Jodi / 23 Comments

Roasted New Potatoes with Garlic, Bacon, & Blue Cheese on fork

Can you imagine any more amazing way to make potatoes?

Garlic, Crisp Smokey Bacon, and Creamy Blue Cheese?!?!

If you are looking for a SIMPLE, but KNOCK-OUT potato dish to serve for special company, with a steak for dinner, or to take to a potluck, get ready to make a lot of new friends with this dish and make your tummy VERY happy too!

Roasted New Potatoes with Garlic, Bacon, & Blue Cheese

My friend Janet came over for dinner the other evening, so I wanted to step up the potatoes a little and thought of this.  We had them with marinated grilled London Broil, Sauteed Fresh Green Beans and Fresh, Sweet Cantaloupe.  YUM!

And if you don’t like Blue Cheese (I realize some people do have an aversion for this cheese that I absolutely ADORE), you can substitute Cheddar or Swiss, or Monterrey Jack, or your favorite cheese – or – you can even eat them without cheese.  They are good that way too.

Here’s the recipe.  I dare you to not like this!

Roasted New Potatoes with Garlic, Bacon & Blue Cheese

Ingredients:Roasted New Potatoes with Garlic, Bacon, & Blue Cheese on fork

  • 3 lbs Baby New Potatoes – I used 1.5 lbs of Yukon Golds and 1.5 lbs of Red
  • 8-10 Strips Thick Sliced Bacon – I used Peppered Slab Bacon
  • 4 Large Cloves Garlic, Minced
  • 2-3 Tbsp Olive Oil
  • Salt & Pepper to taste
  • 4-6 oz. High Quality Blue Cheese, Crumbled

Directions:

  • Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
  • Dice bacon into small bite-sized pieces and fry in skillet until cooked well, but not too crisp as it will continue to cook and crisp when you roast the potatoes in the oven.
  • Drain the diced bacon on paper towels, and remove all but 1 Tbsp of bacon drippings from pan.
  • Add Olive Oil, Garlic and Potatoes.  Mix to coat potatoes.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and stir fry for 3-4 minutes.  Add bacon back in, and stir.
  • Place all in a shallow baking dish and roast at 450 for 20 minutes or until potatoes are done.
  • Remove from oven and crumble blue cheese over all.  Stir to coat, and ENJOY!

Cheers & Hugs,

Jodi

Thursday Chuckle with Charlie

/ Jodi / 68 Comments

Charlie 090115

Hi Friends –

We gotta talk!

Can you believe my new Mom and Dad, who I was just getting comfy with and falling in love with after three weeks together, LEFT ME HOME while THEY went on vacation last week?!

I wasn’t sure what the heck happened to them, but thankfully my new brother was here to take care of me.  Problem is – he goes to work all day, and I was left home alone for 8 hours ALL BY MYSELF for the first time ever ever ever – here in Mars.

It was kinda scary, and I didn’t know what to do.

The first day I did find a cute little teensy weensy little wooden lamb, which is part of one of my Mom’s little Noah’s ark displays in the dining room, that was really tasty.  You guys like lamp chops – right?  It kinda tasted like that, except a little bit more splintery, so I spit most of it back out.

The second day, I was really missing my Dad, so I decided to just chew a tiny little bit on his shoe.  It smelled good and made me feel better like as if I was with him.

By the end of the week, my brother must have really missed being with me as much as I did with him, because he got to work from home.  YAY!

We had fun – well – I did anyway.  I kept bugging him to go outside and play.  The bonus of it was that he learned he could trust me outside in the yard ALL BY MYSELF while he worked.  I’m a really good boy and stay in the yard.  (You guys have seen those nasty red flags – right?!  As long as you don’t go near them – life is grand!)

Charlie 090115 2

My Mom kept calling my brother to see how I was.  She was worried about me, because, after all, I am her baby (HAHA Nick!).  I kept trying to tell him to tell her to get home, but I just couldn’t seem to communicate it to him.  I tried mostly at night…. in the middle of the night mostly…. (Isn’t that when you get the loneliest?)

Like at 1:30 am…

or 2:15 am…

or 3:45 am…

Finally, my brother would get out of bed at like maybe 5:30 am and stay up.

Those other times, he would take me out and think I had to go potty or something.  I didn’t. DUH!!  I just wanted to play!  Heck – I slept all day…  (and I did keep my Dad’s chair warm and smelling nice so it would really be perfect for him when he FINALLY got home!)

Charlie 090115 3

When Mom and Dad came home – after a LOOOOONG week (You guys know how long that is – right?  Seven – that is S-E-V-E-N  DAYS!),  I thought I was seeing things!  I looked at them…. I wanted to be excited, but I thought maybe I was just hallucinating – maybe delirious with grief.  But… when I got a little closer and sniffed and then jumped into the air onto them, I realized it REALLY was them!  They were HOME! Finally HOME!

I’m not straying too far from my Mom’s side this week.  Maybe if I watch her very carefully, she will not do that again!

Thanks for listening, friends, and sorry to whine a bit, but it was a heck of a week!

I’m doing really great now (with the exception of a little accident here and there – SHEESH – I am still kind of a baby and this is still kind of new!).  My Mom keeps telling me she loves me and what a good boy I am :). I know this, but it is nice to hear a couple thousand times a day – right?!

And she sings me my favorite song:

I love you – 
a bushel and a peck…
A bushel and a peck and a hug around the neck.

She sings SO Beautifully!  Even though my Dad says I’m the only one that thinks so.

Thanks to so many of you for asking my Mom if I can be a regular here!  If you keep urging, she may let me continue!  <doggy wink!>

Woofs & Hugs,
Charlie

Blackberry Pie Squares

/ Jodi / 24 Comments

Blackerry Pie Bars 1

I made another dessert this week…

I feel like I am at a meeting admitting my addiction.

But when I found this recipe for Blackberry Pie Squares via Pinterest from Kathleen at Gonna Want Seconds, I just couldn’t resist!

And besides, I was on vacation last week and baked NOTHING (as my son – with like 6% body fat –  has reminded me at least twice).

blackberry pie bars 3

And besides, my recipe for Sugar Free (Almost) Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies earlier this week WAS almost sugar free.

blackberry pie bars 2

As summer is drawing to a close, recipes with blackberries and raspberries and peaches will make way for pumpkin and apples and cinnamon.

I sorta can’t wait!

Blackberry Pie Bars

But in the meantime, this recipe turned out BERRY good and got thumbs up from the guys as well as my son’s friend who was over last evening who claims he does not like dessert…. except he always loves mine!

And he even asked for a second!

Oh – he knows the way to my heart… ❤

Hope you'll give this yummy recipe a try before we call it quits for summer.  You won't regret it!

Here is the recipe from Gonna Want Seconds, and I’m guessing you are gonna want seconds.

Blackberry Pie Squares

  • Servings: 16 squares
  • Print

Crust:Blackerry Pie Bars 1

  • 1 1/2 Cups Flour
  • 3/4 Cup Sugar
  • 1/8 tsp Salt
  • 1 1/2 Sticks Cold Butter, cubed

Filling:

  • 2 Eggs
  • 1 Cup Sugar
  • 1/2 Cup Sour Cream
  • 1/3 Cup Flour
  • Pinch of Salt
  • 2 Cups Fresh Blackberries 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line an 8″x 8″ baking stone or pan with parchment paper, allowing to extend a couple of inches up on all four sides.  Spray with nonstick cooking spray.  (This makes it easy to remove from pan once cooled)

For the crust,  mix flour, sugar and salt in a medium bowl.  Add the cubed cold butter and blend with pastry blender until the butter pieces are about the size of peas.   Set aside 1 cup of the mixture to use as a topping.  Press the rest of the crumb mixture into prepared pan.  Bake for 12 minutes.

Remove from oven and lay the berries in a single layer on top of the crust.

Combine the eggs, sugar, sour cream, flour and salt in a medium bowl, and pour over the berries.

Sprinkle the reserved crumb mixture on top of the filling.

Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until the filling is just beginning to turn golden and is set.

Cool bars completely on a baking rack, and then refrigerate to completely set.

Enjoy these yummy treats!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Follow the Path of Love

/ Jodi / 39 Comments

follow the path of love watercolor card

Follow the path of joy.
Follow the path of happiness.
Follow the paths of justice and righteousness and goodness, loyalty, equality, and freedom.

But mostly….
Follow the path of love.

A simple card
with a simple message.

Why do we complicate things
so much?

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Sugar-Free (Almost) Chocolate Oatmeal No Bake Cookies

/ Jodi / 32 Comments

almost sugar free chocolate no bake cookies 2

Do you remember these chocolately no-bake cookies from your childhood?

My Grandma’s friend and neighbor, Audrey, used to make these in the summer, and I loved them.

almost sugar free chocolate no bake cookies 3

I hadn’t thought about them or had them in a long time.  Then I noticed my friend, Janet, posted this healthy, no-sugar version on her Facebook page.

Yesterday was our first day home from vacation, and there were no cookies in the house.  That is something that doesn’t happen often around here! 

Knowing we were heading over to our oldest son’s and daughter-in-law’s house for a visit, I didn’t want to go empty handed, so I thought I would give this recipe a try.

almost sugar free chocolate no bake cookies 1

The original recipe from my childhood calls for 2 cups of sugar, 1/2 cup of butter and 1/2 cup of milk.

This recipe has NO sugar (except for what is in my peanut butter – but if you used natural peanut butter, it would have NONE!).  Honey is used instead, and I use local honey (Molinaro Apiaries here in Mars).  Have you heard that using local honey can help treat those with allergies as you ingest small doses of pollen the bees carry that is local to you and builds antibodies like getting a “vaccine?”

This recipe has no butter.  It uses healthy coconut oil instead.  And it uses no milk.

And best of all…. these “healthy” cookies taste DELISH!

almost sugar free chocolate no bake cookies 4

And… they take only minutes to make.

They are best eaten right out of the freezer on hot summer days.

The recipe Janet shared is from 12 Tomatoes, and they say the recipes makes three dozen cookies.

WHY do I always only get HALF the number of cookies any cookie recipe calls for?  I got exactly 18…. One and one half dozen.  Do I really make my cookies TWICE as big as everyone else!?!!???  🙂

It was good to be back in the kitchen – even if only briefly – and not really baking!

But it was even better to be with our “kids.”  And I played ladder golf for the first time.  Us girls ALMOST won!

Sugar Free (Almost) Chocolate Oatmeal No Bake Cookies

  • Servings: 1-1/2 - 3 dozen
  • Print

Ingredients

  • 3 cups quick-cooking oats
  • 3/4 cup honey
  • 2/3 cup natural peanut butter (I didn’t have “natural” so used Jif – thus the “almost” sugar free reference)
  • 1/2 cup coconut oil
  • 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions

  1. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
  2. In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, combine honey, peanut butter and coconut oil, stirring until well blended and smooth.
  3. Stir in oats, cocoa powder, vanilla and salt and mix well.
  4. Drop cookies by tablespoonful onto parchment-lined baking sheets
  5. Place in freezer for at least 15 minutes to set.
  6. Store in an airtight container or Ziploc bag either in the fridge or freezer.

Enjoy!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

My New ( and very first) Art Journal

/ Jodi / 74 Comments

journal red leather cover

On our recent vacation to New Orleans, I kept scoping out little book stores and gift shops as we sauntered around the French Quarter and the Garden District for one particular thing I wanted for myself… an art journal.

I’ve been wanting to get one to practice drawing and sketching and painting in, and I thought it would be a great “souvenir” to bring back from NOLA.

I was so excited when I found this little gem bound in bright red leather and filled with handmade cotton paper.  It is about 5×7 inches with about 50 luxurious sheets of paper held shut with an elastic band.

It fits perfectly in my purse, and I couldn’t wait to use it.

Except…

I got nervous.

It is so beautiful, and I really don’t know how to draw very well.
What would I draw on the very first page of this beautiful little book?
It had to be something fabulous or memorable.

I was frozen in indecisiveness and carried it around for days without daring to draw.

I visited many art galleries while wandering around in the French Quarter, but one made the most profound impact on me…

the Alex Beard Studio on Julia Street.

When I walked in, I asked the friendly gentleman if he was Alex?

He kindly told me that Alex had just left, but he would be back tomorrow, and he asked if there was anything he could help me with.

We struck up a brief conversation where he inquired if I was an artist.

Well – “not really,” I replied, but I would love to be and am “dabbling.”

He told me that Alex welcomes anyone to come and join him in his studio to sketch or paint or draw any time they would like.  He loves to share his space.

How fun would that be?

I then told this sweet young man, “I did just buy this beautiful little sketchbook (which I proceeded to show him).  He caressed it just like I did when I first found it, and admired the beautiful handmade sheets of paper.

He was drawing himself when I interrupted him, and I inquired about what he was using and what he was making.

He was making a birthday card.

A CARD!

I told him how I make all my own homemade cards.

He told me how he does too, and how if he ever sends a store-bought card to a friend or relative, they know he must be really busy, because he always makes homemade cards.

Anyway – to make a short story long ….

I told him I was nervous to start drawing in my new art journal.

I said, “I don’t know what to draw on the first page….. it needs to be something significant, and I’m afraid to just draw in it.”

He gave me the best advice ever, and I so wish I could remember his name, for he was such a sweet soul…

He simply said,

“Well then start on the second page.”

Brilliant – eh?

Well – I didn’t get enough nerve up to draw in my new art journal until the second leg of our flight home several days later.  From New York to Pittsburgh, the flight was only about 1/3 full.

SCORE!

journal first drawing

Hubby and I spread out and each took our own row.

I stretched out, and I opened up my little art journal, and this is the first thing I drew….

…on Page 3.

journal gin cocktail nola

My journey has begun.

gin cocktail at wwii museum nola

Gin Cocktail at The American Sector Restaurant, WWII Museum, NOLA

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi