I love my roses...

Cooking frenzy today...

I woke up in a crazy cooking mood ,so I went kind of overboard,but it was so much fun.Here's some things:

First I made some strawberry jam,it takes a long time,recipes in the sure jell box.The biggest deal of it is boiling the water in the big canner,it takes forever.I used to always make jam,my kids loved it,so it holds special memories for me.They grow so quickly and I miss them being little,my babies,my greatest treasures.



Then I made the potatosalad.I boil potatoes with skins on them,cut in quarters,with two eggs,for 20-30 minutes,till soft,not mushy.Pour potatoes in strainer and let cool.Peel the skins off potatoes,cut into 1 inch cubes,maybe a little bigger,they'll break up a little when mixing mayo in them.Make up the mix,put enough mayo in a bowl that will cover the potatoes good,I like alot.Put in some diced up onion to taste and smash up the 2 boiled eggs in this mix.Stir up this mix and carefully mix it all up in the cubed potatoes,carefully so you don't wind up with mashed potato salad,unless you like it that way.I add a tad of sugar in the mayo mix,after it's all mixed I sprinkle paprika on top.

My daughters made rice krispy treats:

KELLOGG'S RICE KRISPIES TREATS

1/4 cup butter-1 (10 oz., about 40) pkg. regular marshmallows or 3 cups miniature marshmallows-6 cups Kellogg's Rice Krispies cereal
In a large saucepan, melt butter over low heat. Add the marshmallows and continue to stir until the marshmallows have completely melted. Remove from heat.Stir in the Kellogg's Rice Krispies cereal coating them well with the melted marshmallow mixture. Using a buttered spatula, press mixture evenly into a 13 x 9 x 2 inch pan which has been buttered or sprayed with non-stick spray.Cut into squares when the mixture cools.Makes 24 squares.
MICROWAVE DIRECTIONS:
Microwave butter with marshmallows on high setting for 2 minutes in a microwave safe mixing bowl. Stir together when melted. Microwave again on high for 1 additional minute. Stir in cereal, mixing until well coated. Press into pan as above.My daughter sprinkled colored candy sprinkles on top,the kind you sprinkle on top of icing,like this doesn't have enough sugar. ;)

I had some chicken left from yesterday,so I made up some chicken salad.I just broke up the chicken in little pieces,put in some diced onions,mayo and a little salt.




I had to have some lemonade for my husband,he loves it.I took six lemons and kept rolling them back and forth till they were soft,it releases the pulp and juice inside the skin more.Cut the lemons in half and squeeze juice and pulp in container,add water and sugar to taste.Then I get the seeds out,wash off the lemons and stick about half of the lemons in the juice till later.It will taste better after it's cold and then you can take the lemons out.

My youngest made these chocolate chip muffin brownies,they are good.

If you'll notice on the table,I'm drying out rose petals everywhere.I have roses hanging up and some petals here and there,also in books.We just got a new big yellow phonebook,so why throw those away,they're great for putting flowers between tissue and in the book to press them.They'll be dried out good in a couple of weeks.

Recipe for birthday cake...

One package of devils food cake w/out pudding
1 cup sour cream
4 eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup water
Preheat oven to 350 degrees,grease and flour sides and bottom of two round 9 in. pans. Beat cake mix,eggs,oil and water on low for one minute,then 1 to 2 minutes on medium,pour into pans,half mix in each.Bake 30 to 35 minutes till toothpick comes out clean.Cool in pan for 10 minutes,then take out of pans carefully to cool completely.My daughter and I did this with spatula and hands.I first had to go around sides with a knife and kind of lift up the cake to loosen from bottom before taking out of pans.

For the icing you can get 3 cans of frosting or I make my own:
Box and a half of powdered sugar,two sticks of softened butter,one teaspoon of vanilla and a little milk.I don't measure,I always use a little more powdered sugar and vanilla,not much milk just to make it a little thinner,beat till your own consistency.I hope I'm not confusing you with the icing,I've made it a million times and just make it up now without thinking.

Now here's the tricky part,you have to cut the cake lengthwise in half so you have four cakes now.You're suppose to frost the tops of each cake,I made a mistake and started frosting the first two tops and sides,between each layer.It was so late,had been shopping and getting ready for the party the night before so this was done in a major hurry. I crumbled kitkat candy bar pieces on top of icing and around the bottom of the cake.On the very top you sit hershey bar pieces around in a circle.

It was alot to do,but birthday cakes should be harder to make,they're a present also.It was sooo good,mm.

A rosey morning...

I love waking up to blooming roses and birds singing everywhere.I go outside and birds are flying from tree to tree,nests are being made.Geese were in the sky this morning,I love thier honky noises.Everytime I grab my camera the birds fly from my trees,across the street,but I want a closer pic,so I got to be sneeky.I think it's a game with them now,they're watching me.I know it's a game to them,because they'll be three right around the deck,I run in,grab my camera and come out,they swoosh!!!

One was on the ground outside my door this morning,I backed up slowly,it turned around and swoosh!!!One mama robin,they're gray with a reddish orange belly,came next to me,sit on top of fence,she stopped,looked at me,I slowly put my hand down for my camera.She let me so much as put the camera up and swoosh!!!She flew away and kept coming back,but wouldn't stay still enough for a good picture.I will win this battle,I'm the human!!!LOL On the back deck this morning I took a pic of the mama robin's nest in the tree next to the fence,but it was a little rainy so the pic was too dark.I'll take another one,hopefully with the mama.

Peek a boo...

There's a little bunny hiding out in the curtain.He watches you as you go out the back door.

Oh so pretty...

My pink azalea is blooming so beautiful and roses are budding out.

Banana Bread...

I love making Banana Bread and actually made the recipe better by mistake.I didn't have any sugar,so substituted brown sugar.Oh my goodness,so much better.Banana bread makes the house smell so good.Here's the recipe:

Banana Bread

Mix 2 cups of flour,1 tsp.baking soda,1 tsp.baking powder and 1 tsp.cinnamon till blended good.In another bowl,add two eggs,1 cup brown sugar,1 tsp vanilla and 2 sticks softened butter,blend on low with blender till mixed.Add in and mix 3 ripened bananas to butter mixture,then mix all together just till blended.Lightly butter bottom and sides of two loaf pans,put half mixture in one pan and half in the other.Bake at 350 30-45 minutes.

Narnia Lamppost..

I love the Lion,Witch and the Wardrobe.I have a lamppost outside.