¡Feliz Cinco de Mayo!

“I don’t know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody.” - Bill Cosby

     This is one of my favorite treats that my brother makes for our family.  He's always so good to share with us.

Seven Layer Mexican Dip

1 16 oz. can refried beans                               2 small tomatoes

2 large avocados                                             ½ C. chopped green onions

1 8 oz. sour cream                                           ½ C. grated cheese

1 package taco seasoning mix (mix half with refried beans and half with sour cream)

olives to taste

Mash avocados and add 2 tsp. lemon juice to keep from turning brown.

Layer on serving platter:                                 refried beans

                                                                        avocados

                                                                        sour cream mixture

                                                                        onions

                                                                        tomatoes

                                                                        olives

                                                                        cheese

 

 

     Chicken Enchiladas are one of our family favorites.  This recipe is pretty basic and will feed a crowd.  I usually cut the recipe in half to feed just those of us still at home.

Chicken Enchiladas

1 chicken (boiled)                                           2- 4 oz. cans diced green chilies

            or 6-8 chicken breasts                         24 small flour tortillas

1 lb. longhorn or cheddar cheese,

            grated

Filling: diced cooked chicken, green chilies, half grated cheese.

Fill tortillas.

 

Sauce: 2 cans cream of chicken soup, 1 pint half and half, 1 cup chicken broth.

 

Mix the sauce and pour over the filled tortillas.  Top with the other half of cheese.

Bake covered at 350° for 35-45 minutes.

 

     I just finished this shop hop with my husband and youngest daughter.  Last Saturday we drove over 700 miles through Idaho and Wyoming.  Yesterday we finished it off and hit the two shops in Logan, Utah and the last shop in Preston, Idaho.  We saw some beautiful scenery and both weekends were filled with sunny, nice days.  There were twelve quilt shops in all.  Here are pictures from some of the highlights.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

     There are just three short weeks left of school around here.  In honor of that, here's a good motivational book called The Energy Bus.  We read it for Book Club in February.  It turned out to be a nice, little force for good in my life.

 

 

Garden of Weedin'

"To plant a garden is to believe in the future."--Unknown

"When weeding, the best way to make sure you are removing a weed and not a valuable plant is to pull on it. If it comes out of the ground easily, it is a valuable plant. "~Author Unknown

 

     We planted peas a few weeks ago and even though the weather has been very unpredictable and cold,  they have managed to keep on growing.

 

    

     This was a fun quilt to make.  The blocks were simple as was the applique.  This pattern is called Fantasy Garden designed by Nancy Rink.

     Crepes are a tasty treat in the Spring.  They can be eaten for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Basic Crepes

3 eggs                                                              1 ¼ flour

2 cups milk                                                      ½ tsp. salt

3 Tbsp. butter, melted

     Mix all ingredients in blender until well mixed.  Heat a medium non-stick frying pan over medium heat.  Pour ¼ cup mix into pan and rotate pan until bottom is completely covered with batter.  Let cook until crepe begins to brown and use rubber scraper to flip crepe over and continue to cook until light brown.  For sweet crepes add ½ tsp vanilla and 1 Tbsp. sugar to the batter.  The crepes can be filled with pie filling, pudding, fruit, whipped cream, or a cream cheese filling.  Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

     For dinner crepes fill with meat, gravy, cooked veggies, cheese or a cheese sauce.

 

     My friend gave this recipe to me a few weeks ago.  It's easy to make and pretty tasty.  Thanks, Jayme.  I think I'll try putting some diced asparagus in it sometime.

 

 

Ham and Swiss Casserole

1-8 oz. pkg. egg noodles, cooked and drained                       1 cup sour cream

2 cups cubed fully cooked ham                                              ½ cup chopped green pepper

2 cups shredded Swiss cheese                                                ½ cup chopped onion

1 can cream of celery soup

Layer half of the noodles, ham and cheese in a greased 9x13” baking dish.  Combine the soup, sour cream, green pepper and onion in a large bowl.  Spread half over the noodles, etc. in the baking dish.  Repeat layers and bake uncovered, at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes or until heated through.  Makes 6-8 servings. 

 

     My family enjoyed this treat a few weekends ago.  It's so easy to make and so good.

Blueberry Sky Pie

8 oz. pkg. cream cheese                                  8 oz. container whipped topping

6 oz. can frozen lemonade                              21 oz. can blueberry pie filling

14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk            2 graham cracker crusts

Beat cream cheese until creamy; add lemonade and sweetened condensed milk.  Mix until well blended.  Fold in ¾ of the whipped topping and 2/3 of the blueberry pie filling.  Spread into graham cracker crusts and chill.  Garnish with whipped topping and remaining pie filling.  Makes two pies.

 

 

    

     I enjoyed this murder mystery.  The main character is a percocious eleven year old girl who enjoys dabbling in chemistry.  I hope in future books she gets along with her sisters a little better.

    My friend, Susan, made this little snap purse for me.  The opening is made using a metal tape measure enclosed in a fabric casing.  It easily opens and snaps closed. 

 

Life is a Picnic on the Beach!

“I do not exist to impress the world. I exist to live my life in a way that will make me happy. ”
― Richard Bach, Illusions: The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah


     Last week we took off on a twelve hour drive for Spring Break.  The road trip ended in Solvang, California.  Solvang is a town that was originally settled by Danish immigrants.  It has a charm all it's own.  It's famous for it's bakeries and pastry shops.  I enjoyed the farmer's market they have each Wednesday.  A common mode of transportation in the town is bicycles built for four or more.

 

The nearby town of Buellton is the home of Ostrich

Land and a colorful quilt shop called The Creation Station.

 

 

 

     We loved the time we spent at the beaches near Santa Barbara.  The boogie boards were a hit with the kids.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

     That last picture reminds me of a book I read just after my husband and I were married.  The book was given to my husband by his parents and it was one of the few he read as a teenager.  It's an allegory of a seagull that rises to be the best he can be-- Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach.

 

     My daughters, my daughter-in-law and I enjoyed a girls night out by eating out at a local restaurant and making some wooden pallet signs.  This seems to be the current trend going on here.  This is the sign we made for my yard.

 

Twice a year, in the Spring and in the Fall, the family gets together and we have Chinese Sundaes.  Some people call them Hawaiian Haystacks.  This is an easy meal and everyone can make theirs just how they like it.

 

 

 

Chinese Sundaes

1.     rice                                                              8.  tomatoes, diced

2.     chicken, cooked and diced                          9.  shredded cheese

3.     bacon, cooked                                             10. cream of chicken soup, more

4.     cream of chicken soup, dilute with 1/2 can of milk                  11. crushed pineapple, drained

5.      chow mein noodles                                    12. coconut

6.     celery, diced                                                13. maraschino cherries

7.     green onions, sliced

 

            Heat soup and chicken in crockpot.  Serve buffet style and layer as desired on individual serving plates.