Jim, the Wonder Dog

This month our quest club read Jim, the Wonder Dog by Clarence Dewey Mitchell and it's such an interesting read! Jim, a Llewellin Setter, was unique because he possessed remarkable abilities beyond belief. His owner first became aware of Jim's talents when they were hunting and his owner asked him to find a Hickory tree. Jim did.  This fascinating dog was able to find specific cars by color, style and even license plate number. He correctly predicted the Kentucky Derby winner seven years in a row, winners of games and the sex of unborn babies. Not only did Jim understand English, he understood foreign language and even Morse code! He was featured in Ripley's Believe it, or Not. This true story is a quick, delightful read which I highly recommend.  

I snapped this picture of Jim's photograph from his book.

 Although Jim passed away in 1937, he has a statue, garden and museum in Marshall, MO. In fact, we visited these places two years ago while on a trip. You can click here to see that post. If you have the opportunity to read this doggone good book, I think you'd enjoy it and if you're ever in mid-MO, maybe you should consider a stop at his museum.

Oatmeal Cookies

While I enjoy baking, oatmeal cookies are my least to make because I'm not too good at them. I like the taste, but I prefer a softer cookie and never landed a recipe which blended both flavor and texture. Since I routinely need to make oatmeal cookies for church, I've been on a long search for just the right recipe. Several months back, I stumbled upon this concoction and it best aligns with my tastes. Maybe you'd like to try it if you, too, like a chewier cookie over a crispy one.

Oatmeal Cookies

 Combine in a bowl and set aside:
1 3/4 cups oatmeal
3/4 cup flour
3/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
In another bowl, use a mixer to beat:
1 stick plus 2 T butter
1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
1/3 cup white sugar
When it's light and fluffy, beat in:
1 egg
1/2 tsp. vanilla
Add oatmeal mixture and beat until combined.

Drop Tablespoons 2 inches apart on cookie sheet and slightly flatten with moistened finger. (I used my cookie scoop and did not flatten at all.) Bake in the upper third of your oven and turn sheets halfway through time. Bake 12 minutes, or until golden color. Yield: about 3 dozen
(I refrigerated my dough for most of the day before baking, so mine are smaller and "fluffier" cookies, of course.)

Make it a great day!

Tuesday's Tablescape

Today's autumn tablescape isn't mine, but is at my parents' house. 

We used my autumn plates from Dollar Tree and although I purchased them last year, they are still available.

My mother has had the scarecrow placemats for a long time and they're always good for this time of year.

Their Moscow mule copper mugs were gifts from my aunts and are perfect to complement the place settings. I always think this metal lends itself so well to crisp autumn colors. I'm told that these lovely mugs are going to hold frozen fruit salad at dinner tonight. Yum!

My mother also has had Mr. Scarecrow and the orange leaf tray for a long time. It seemed the perfect centerpiece.

Look at the cute photo bomb! She persistently attempted to sneak into a picture and was finally successful! How could I say "no" to their sweet little friend?!

e-cloth

I love to clean with microfiber cloths and recently became aware of e-cloth brand. After a little research, I decided to give one a try. Is anyone familiar with them? Using only water, this cloth will  remove grease, grime and over 99% of bacteria. No use of chemicals is a plus! Microfiber is one hundred times finer than a human hair so it easily traps everything on a surface. 

I am eager to see how it compares to the regular microfiber cloths that I've picked up in the past. These e-cloths come in a few different options. I decided to select the "general purpose cloth", while my mother is giving the "kitchen cloth" a try and we're going to compare notes.

If you use e-cloth, let me know. In the meantime, let my cleaning begin! 😉

Happy Monday!

Gnocchi with Pesto

Several months back, I posted a few good finds I had discovered at Dollar Tree and one of the products was gnocchi. Today's recipe uses the potato dumplings.

Gnocchi with Pesto

1 package of gnocchi (mine came from the dollar store)

1 cup finely chopped fresh spinach

1/4 cup prepared pesto (I buy mine at Trader Joe's)

1 cup chopped tomatoes

Prepare gnocchi according to package directions. Meanwhile, Add the pesto to the drained gnocchi, stirring well to coat and stir in the spinach so it has time to "wilt". Gently toss in the tomatoes. 

This is good for a side that's something different.

Happy first day of fall to you all! 🍂🍁🍃

A Little Stop to See Big Things

My parents and I made a quick day trip to meet-up with some relatives and had a very nice time. On the way back home, we zipped off the highway to make a little "big stop" in Casey, IL. Have you been? It's truly a small town with big things! Jim Bolin, creator of the ginormous objects, originally wanted to build something that would qualify in the Guinness World Records so that he could get his town on the map. Today there are eight qualifying objects! I will share three of them with you.

Look at the world's largest wind chimes! They stands 56 feet tall and produces sound. This was the first in the string of big ideas and was built in 2011.

 The world's largest rocking chair was my personal favorite. Standing 56.5 inches tall, it actually rocks. An object must be functional to qualify for a Guinness World Records and it took ten of Mr. Bolin's employees to make the chair rock while he sat in it!

Two years ago, the world's largest mailbox made its debut in Casey. Designed to actually accept mail, the mailbox has a red flag (on the side of the box not shown) which goes up when mail is deposited. 

It was amazing to see Casey's objects. Many are located downtown on Main Street, but there are a few additional beyond that vicinity (we only viewed the ones in town). Check out their website by clicking here to see more! In addition to their being impressive to see,  a meaningful scripture is associated to each. Casey is along highway 70, just about halfway between St. Louis and Indianapolis. If you're ever near this little IL town, you should consider a stop to see big things!

Tuesday's Tablescape

I have a quick and simple tablescape for today featuring late summer/early fall fruit.

These fruit luncheon plates are fun for this time of the season!

Have a good evening!

Layering a Tiered Stand

I've transitioned my wire tiered stand to autumn so it's ready to go and will last through the end of November. Layering a basket or bowl is easy to do and you can use what you have on hand. I wanted my focus to be pumpkins and gourds. I've had them for, literally, decades. Thankfully, it is possible to purchase realistic-looking products that will last for a long time. I divided them between my three tiers.

 Decorators tell us that you need multiple colors and textures, so I decided to fill-in with pinecones harvested from the giant pine at our former home.  Again, they have been used for decades. Honestly, I would not have thought to incorporate them with pumpkins, but was inspired to do so by a picture I saw online. I'm satisfied with the natural effect!

The little white spheres are from Dollar Tree and I have used them in numerous applications. I think they come four to a package.

Last, I tucked-in some faux autumn leaves for additional texture and color.

Now it's ready for the table!

Happy Monday!

Fall in the Solarium

It's ironic that I am sharing autumn touches in the solarium today when it's hot outside!

I usually have a lot of autumn leaves and pumpkins on the little fireplace, but decided to go more simple this year for a change. I just used a lantern since I really wanted to make the new-to-me afghan the focal point. You may recall when I shared this  fabric beauty in a yard sale haul not too long ago. It is a queen quilt in perfect condition and was $15. You know how I always have to know the story for everything, so I asked the sellers about the quilt's history. It was made in southern MO by some sisters who make and sell their own work. They did an outstanding job and I am so happy to have it!

I rested my pumpkin birdhouse and my little granite bird on top of a burlap runner.

Whether it feels like fall, or not, I hope you have a wonderful day!

Cherry Waldorf Salad

I think I have mentioned before that I receive Taste of Home Simple and Delicious magazine. A friend purchases it for me each Christmas and I always enjoy looking through the magazines when they arrive. It's fun to try something new...or a twist on an old recipe, as is the case today. Since it's apple season, it seemed a good time to prepare. My parents and I recently went to the orchard to get fresh apples, so I used some of those.

Cherry Waldorf Salad

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup sour cream

2 T. honey

2 large apples (about a pound), cubed

1 T. lemon juice

2 celery ribs, chopped

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted

1 cup fresh or frozen pitted tart cherries, thawed

For the dressing, whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream and honey. In a large bowl, toss apples with lemon juice. add celery, cranberries and almonds. Toss with dressing. Gently stir in cherries. Cover and refrigerate. Needs to be chilled at least an hour before serving.

To toast nuts: Bake in a shallow pan in a 350 degree oven for 5-10 minutes.

**I used chopped pecans rather than almonds since that is what I typically use in my "regular" Waldorf salad.

I hope you like this 'apple'-lutely yummy salad!

🍎

Cleaning Caddy

We're talking about a toilet brush holder today, but doesn't cleaning caddy sound better? 😉 Some people have cute containers for their brushes which coordinate with the bathroom décor. Others tuck them out-of-sight. I fall into the latter category and that's where an empty water gallon comes to the rescue. 

Mark your cutting lines and then carefully trim. The plastic is thin so the scissors could slip.

When you trim your jug, leave the spout intact so that it can create a collar to hold the handle of the wand.

I tuck-in my bottle of cleaner so that I have all that I need!

What little cleaning tips do you have to share?

Tuesday's Tablescape

As I have been tucking sunflowers into autumn décor, I decided to pull out these dishes for today's table. You may remember when I bought them last summer at a yard sale for $5. There are companion salad plates, which I opted not to use right now.

Mr. Rooster completes the table!

Are you starting to think fall?

Getting Ready for Fall...

Taking a nod from some very early touches of fall color here-and-there around town, I tackled the fireplace mantel. Down came the patriotic print we've enjoyed all summer and up went the mirror. I offset the three new fall prints (see the recent post here)

with my pair of chunky candleholders.

It seems odd to me that fall is upon us. Where did the summer go?

While we're enjoying spectacular weather, we're mindful of those who are dealing with dangerous hurricane conditions. I'm sure you're joining me in prayer for those suffering from the effects of Harvey and Irma.

Gazpacho

One of the wonderful things about summertime is the abundance of fresh produce! Each year we use garden-fresh vegetables to put together this delicious cold soup and as summer is winding-down, I decided to make a batch. Add some cheese and crackers and you have a perfect lunch or serve it with grilled hamburgers and corn-on-the-cob for a summer dinner. This is my mother's recipe.

Gazpacho

1 cup finely chopped tomato

1/2 cup chopped green pepper

1/2 cup chopped celery

1/2 cup chopped cucumber

1/4 cup finely chopped onion

2 tsp. snipped parsley

1 tsp. snipped chives

1 small clove minced garlic

2-3 T. wine vinegar

2 T. olive oil

1 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

2 cups tomato juice

Combine ingredients in glass or stainless bowl. Cover and chill at least four hours before serving. 

Using my chopping tool made preparing this soup a breeze! I have had mine (Progressive brand) for years and I love it. It has two different sizes of grids and everything comes apart for easy washing. You'll note the speck of cucumber on the white lid since the tomatoes were the last ingredient to be diced.

I hope your weekend is the best!

DIY Autumn Prints

I'm beginning to think about autumn decorations and felt it would be nice to have three framed prints on the fireplace mantel this year. I didn't want to shop for anything, so decided I would lean on a DIY. Do It Yourself is my speed because I get what I want and it's more meaningful. I flipped through pictures I had taken the past couple of autumns and selected three that I liked. Taking advantage of a 50% off sale at  Walgreen's photo department, I was able to get all three pictures made for just under $6. Deal! I didn't happen to have three matching 8 by 10 frames on hand, so I picked up some at Dollar Tree. 

I plan to tackle the mantel in the near future and want to incorporate these prints. Stay tuned! In the meantime, don't forget to take advantage of pictures you have taken (or even calendar pictures as featured in this post) for your decorating needs. It's an easy-peasy way to get what you want without spending a lot of money.

Blessings to you!

Tuesday's Tablescape

I hope everyone had a good Labor Day weekend. We had gorgeous weather in our area, which was a bonus. While we were outside Saturday, we noticed an increased number of butterflies floating in the air and feeding on blossoms. It's that time of year! Soon we'll see monarchs, of course, as they migrate.

I took several pictures, but could never quite time it right to catch this butterfly with open wings!

Watching the butterflies inspired me to do a table using my new quilt. 

Lovely, right? When we were on our early summer road trip, we were able to stop and visit some family. It was during this time that my cousin gave me this beauty. She and I marveled at the intricate work and concluded that the woman who made this must have spent hours and hours cross-stitching. I treasure it and decided it might be fun to use as a table-topper this once.

My grandparents' wedding china seemed to match the look pretty well and I used olive green chargers beneath.

Two cups and saucers sit in the waiting on the edge. 

Although I tried a simple centerpiece, it was distracting so I decided to let the focus be this pretty work-of-art.

I'm sending you hugs and butterfly kisses!