Poppy Seed Chicken...

Jenni's recipes are simply the best and hopefully one day she will publish a cookbook so that you can all have access. One year she gave each of us a small black cookbook with her collected family recipes and we have all converted to them. My sister Christine recently made this Poppy Seed Chicken for the family and I thought she had slaved all day.. it tasted so delish, but it was one of Jenni's stunning recipes.. so no slaving required.

Jenni's Poppy Seed Chicken

Enough chicken for your family
(chicken breasts work great)
1 cup chicken broth
1 can Cream of Chicken soup.. (use low fat)
1 cup fat free sour cream
1 T poppy seeds
1 package Ritz crackers (not the whole box)
4 T butter

Simmer chicken in broth until cooked. Salt & Pepper to taste. While cooking mix soup, sour cream & poppy seeds. Add cut up chicken to sauce. Crumble crackers & mix with butter & pour over top. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

Christine served this with a rice pilaf and sweet baby peas, good French baguette and some delish French garlic cheese spread and chocolate pie. Heaven.

Thomas Hardy in Film...

My sisters and I had a Thomas Hardy marathon several days ago. Fabulous! Ciaran Hinds, who I loved in Persuasion
is also amazing as The Mayor of Casterbridge, a man who cannot decide whether or not to be good and often makes the wrong pick.

Justine Waddall, who is sooo pretty, and perfectly played the lovely Molly Gibson in Wives and Daughters, is also the quintessential Tess.

Thomas Hardy is not light viewing, but his themes create great discussion and certainly make you think. Also, if you happen to enjoy a good costume drama partially for the costumes.. don't miss Tess.. Justine wears some of the most beautiful things.

Megan & Mendy's Art...

Liz told me about Megan & Mendy's darling art work some time ago.. but this piece in particular.. I saw just today and it is the happiest thing I've ever seen. I was able to see lots of Winborg art HERE.

Why is this kind of thing marketed for kids. I would adore this over my mantlepiece and you never know.. I may just hang it there.

Grey Gardens...

When my husband and I lived in the city, we became acquainted with some really interesting people. I met this darling English woman who had married a man just before he took off in a plane to fight the Nazis and was killed. She then married three additional times. I got the idea that she married poor and sickly men and cared for them until they passed away. (Yes, the idea of Black Widow did come up in conversation... people who are a bit odd are often suspected by their neighbors.. but I think that this woman was just a genuine humanitarian in her own way.)
She was a very cheerful person. I don't think she quite lived in reality.. or reality had been too hard and she had created her own little dream world to live in.
We met this woman when we were first married and we lived in a dump. Behind the apartment were dozens of feral cats. They scared me to death. I don't like cats much to begin with, but these were all wild. Our little English woman purchased several traps. Almost everyday, I would see her with this fur-flying, hissing demon in a cage and she would be smiling and say, "I've captured a cat and named him Tom." She was determined the Humane Society was going to find these frightening creatures good homes.
I was touched by her great heart. When the cat problem was solved, she moved on.
This film reminded me of our little English lady. It also reminded me of a great uncle I had. He lived in an apartment that was so filthy, I couldn't stand to be in it because it smelled so bad. He wouldn't let anyone clean or repair the furniture. My mother, who is a saint, visited him every week and took him treats and drove him to his Doctor. He was difficult to deal with, but he was cheerful and happy and even at 83 he had big plans to become a great entrepreneur and marry (for the first time) and have a dozen children.
At his funeral, my mother's cousin said something to the affect that she hoped that whatever it was that had held him back... kept him from becoming, whatever barrier that had prevented him from achieving his dreams was now removed and he could become who he had always dreamed of becoming.
I think it's important not to judge people who have hit some kind of barrier, for all of us have one or two we hope to overcome. And so, I found this film inspiring in a way. There is a beautiful determination in these two women to maintain a certain dignity and happiness and to survive even in the most awful circumstances.
Jessica Lange and Drew Barrymore give amazing performances. FYI this film is very sad and disturbing in parts and not for children in my opinion.

White Sauce... The answer to what's for dinner...

White Sauce:
Mix 1 T softened butter together with 1 T flour
in a small sauce pan on low heat creating a roux

Pour 1 cup of milk into the mixture and slowly bring the temp up until it is bubbly and think..
make sure to keep stirring so that it doesn't scald on the bottom.

You can add any spice you like. I like 1/2 tsp. sea salt and some pepper

Then you can add any type of grated cheese to make a quick mac-n-cheese

I often steam broccoli and boil some type of pasta add the white sauce and some paprika and it's a lovely ... cheap meal that looks like restaurant food.

Making this is easier & faster than going through the drive through, the ingred. are almost always on hand, it's cheap, fairly healthy and kid friendly. Works over rice too.

Chocolate Chip Pecan Pie...

This recipe is sooo easy.

I usually get some frozen Western Family pies shells (sometime it's the off brand that is the tastiest)

I sprinkle a handful of choc. chips in the bottom. I always use Guittard... best choc. around

Then mix together in a bowl:
3 eggs
1 cup corn syrup
2/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter melted
1 tsp. good Mexican Vanilla
1 1/4 cups pecan halves

Bake at 350 degrees for 50 min

Owl Love Box with the Gift Service added...

... includes matching Owl Postcards, pink tickets, brown Sharpie, green apple & caramel candy lollies...
tied with a tiny grosgrain ribbon.
LoVe BoXeS SHoP

Me & My Sister...

Friends Forever...

Halloween Ellie...

thesnippets

is a very cute Etsy shop with lots of fun little handmade critters.

The Owl & The Pussy Cat...

I don't know that this book is the favorite little board book of the children, but It's mine. The illustrations are so intricate. Also, I love Edward Lear and find the story of his life interesting as well. Read it here.

Mmmm... Pie.

I once attended a Sunday School lesson where the class was taught about the 5 love languages. It was a very good lesson. When it was over, I came home and told C about it and asked him what kind of things made him feel loved most of all. If you know anything about the 5 love languages.. it's a hard choice.. Who doesn't like gifts, help, hugs or words of appreciation?

Anywho, C said that he would have to think about it. A week later he said, "Pie... pie is how I like to be loved."

I have a couple of good pie recipes. I love Toll House Pie. I make fabulous Choc. Chip Pecan Pie.. do you see a theme here?

I even got a great recipe from my neighbor for a fabulous fresh peach pie, but I don't really make fruit pie after that..

But, the Pie Pantry does. You have to remember this for next summer. They make great pie and now they are making these darling pie pockets which are simply heaven. Don't miss one next summer.. Put a pie pocket at the top of your to do list! It will make you feel loved. :)

My Fair Lady...

This is my favorite costume from My Fair Lady. My grandmother, who graduated in Clothing & Textiles copied this dress in white and that dress became my mother's wedding dress. She looked so much like this photo.

Anyway, it was so much fun to show this really amazing film to my daughters last weekend. They loved it.

A funny bit of trivia from the stage production...

"The musical had its pre-Broadway tryout at New Haven's Shubert Theatre. On opening night Rex Harrison, who was unaccustomed to singing in front of a live orchestra, 'announced that under no circumstances would he go on that night...with those thirty-two interlopers in the pit.' He locked himself in his dressing room and came out little more than an hour before curtain time. The whole company had been dismissed but were rounded up by the assistant stage manager. The opening night was a triumph."

Eagan Automotive...

For the first time in 10 years.. I had some car trouble. My family recommended this mechanic and I was very pleased with the service here as well. So, if you live in Davis County and have some car trouble.. these guys are honest, quick and priced very competitively.

Busy Bunnies By Lisa McCue...

Baby Book Review...

We love little board books around here. This one is fun because there are things to feel and smell and at the end there is a mirror to see yourself in.

The illustrations are very cute. The words get a little annoying by the 100th read, but the babies love it.

Prima Peonies...

I love this painting...

Another amazing Etsy Artist...

Kwentzell

More Rock Loft Halloween Photos...

Trick-or-Treat!!!

Fabulous Fall Etsy Pin Finds...

SingingTree

TrinketsNH

Zippinning

Beedeebabee's

Premium Lustre Blizzard Pine...

I was looking through the Martha Stewart decorating issue and the corresponding online article and found this laminate that I love. What a pain, but I would love to put this throughout the whole house.. dust and allergies be gone!

Restaurant Review... Sonora Grill... Ogden...

This place does some things very well. It was clean (I'm a germaphobe so that's where I start). They have great chips and tomatillo salsa.. heavy on the lime.. yummmm. They make fabulous corn tortillas.. so soft. The beef melts in your mouth. Everything is incredibly fresh. The prices are very reasonable.. especially if you consider that fact they your entree ought to feed you for 3 meals (the portion sizes are ginormous).
I ordered the shredded beef tacos which came with Mexican rice and re fried beans.
Realizing that Mexican food is my thing and I'm very picky.. my only negative comment is that the food is a bit bland for me. This place is going for the healthy label, and I'm sure the food is healthy as long as you eat just 1/6th of your burrito. The burritos are 4,000 calories if they are 1.
Honestly, I would be running back there if they were a bit more liberal with the onion, garlic and pepper (I love stinky food).. but I realize lots of folks like milder food and not a lot of heat (peppers) in their food.. which is OK. But, then just for me, put a bottle of Cholula and a shaker of sea salt on the table and everything would be just perfect.

New little Halloween Witches will be in

THe ShOp

Today

P.S. Don't forget to sign up for the Halloween Giveaway.. several posts below this. :)