Nostalgic November

“Tomorrow is the most important thing in life. Comes into us at midnight very clean. It’s perfect when it arrives and puts itself in our hands. It hopes we’ve learned something from yesterday.”~ inscription on John Wayne's headstone



     The first day of November was my Dad's birthday.  He would have been 84 years old.  He's been gone now for almost 30 years.  I miss him a lot.  He was a bit of a cowboy.  He loved his boots, his cows, Louis L'amour books and John Wayne.  He also loved to sing.  I think I'll dedicate this blog to him.  He encouraged my creativity and frequently complimented my improving sewing abilities.

This is the bench pillow that I made for my entryway bench.  It will be there the whole month of November.  It's by Kimberbell Patterns.  I bought the kit to make it last year at the fall shop hop.  I love the shiney burlap for the letters and the big buttons for the owl eyes.

 

 

 

Cowboy Special

(Or Cheesy Beef and Mac)

1 lb. lean ground beef                                     1 Tbsp. Italian seasoning

1 medium onion, diced                                   ½ tsp. seasoning salt

2 cloves garlic, minced                                   pepper to taste

2 cups beef broth                                            1 ½ cups macaroni

1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce                             1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 (15 oz.) can crushed tomatoes

Brown ground beef, onion and garlic in large pot until onions are soft.  Add beef broth, tomato sauce, crushed tomatoes and seasonings.  Bring to a boil and add macaroni.  Reduce heat and put a lid on the pot.  Simmer for about 15 minutes or until pasta is done.  Stir every few minutes to prevent mixture from sticking to the pan.  Turn heat off and sprinkle cheese on top.  Serve hot.  Serves 5-6.

Cowboy Oatmeal Cookies

2 cups flour

½ tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. salt

½ cup butter

½ cup vegetable oil

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup white sugar

2 eggs

2 cups quick cooking oats

1 cup butterscotch chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Set aside.

In a medium bowl, cream butter, oil and sugars until smooth.  Beat in eggs one at a time.  Gradually stir in the flour mixture until well blended.  Mix in oats and butterscotch chips.  Drop from a teaspoon onto cookie sheets.

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until edges are golden.  Let stand for a few minutes on cookie sheets and then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.  (We use any kind of chips and sometimes use a combination of several different kinds.)

     We read this book by Louis L'amour this month in Book Club.  Strangely, it's only the second Louis L'amour book I've ever read.  It's one of the books in the Sackett group.  I liked it.  There was plenty of adventure and intrigue and it was one of those books that is hard to put down once you start reading it.