Breakfast Casserole

Do you ever need a good recipe for a morning pot-luck? It's been my experience that many people tend to contribute  pastries for a morning gathering, so it's nice to be able to provide some protein. I have shared this at before-school teacher breakfasts and Sunday school brunches. It's also perfect for serving at your home, especially if you're hosting a brunch. A flavorful crowd-pleaser, it's simple to prepare because your slow cooker does the work for you!

Breakfast Casserole

1 bag frozen hash browns (don't thaw beforehand)

12 eggs

1/2 cup milk

1 T. ground mustard

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

1 pound sausage (cooked, crumbled and drained)

16 ounces shredded cheddar cheese

1 large onion, finely chopped (optional--I omit this)

Spray your crock pot and spread the hash browns in the bottom. In a bowl, beat the 12 eggs well before adding the milk. Sprinkle in the ground mustard, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Set aside.

Layer cooked sausage on top of the hash browns. Put cheese on top of the sausage. With a long handled spoon, mix well those three ingredients. Then pour egg mixture over everything, making sure it's spread evenly. Put on the lid and set your crock pot on low to cook 6-8 hours.

* I use this whenever I need sausage for a recipe. In addition to having a great taste, it's very lean. You will have very little grease in your pan after cooking it. I first began using it due to its lack of MSG (something we have to avoid in Randy's diet) so that's how I became familiar with it. Now I wouldn't use any other kind!

Would you like to see a picture of this delicious dish after it's cooked? I'm afraid you'll have to close your eyes and imagine. When I recently made this for church, we dashed out the door with it before remembering to lift the lid for a photo! It's kind of like my forgetting the punchline to a joke! Our Sunday school class gobbled it up, leaving no leftovers to photograph. Oh, well.

You might want to try this some time. We love it and I think it's an egg-cellent recipe!

Tuesday's Tablescape

Did you have a good Presidents' Day? Today's table is a nod to one of the presidents whom we honor this time of year. Remember the story we all learned in first grade? So the tale goes, young George chopped down his father's cherry tree and when his father asked who had done it,  George replied, "Father, I cannot a lie. It was I ."

These cherry dishes are my mother's, but I just borrowed them for this tablescape. I think they're adorable! I love the contrast of the bright red cherries and medium blue rims. She even has matching napkins! The plates look bright and cheery on this gray winter day.

I hope you have a cherry-on-the-top kind of day!

Finished!

I have finally completed my quilt! It's just a small wall-hanging, but it's a quilt! Originally slated to go on the wall in my craft room, I now think I will hang it on my new copper quilt ladder. I spread it out on the floor for this picture, but I see a few spots where I didn't get it smoothed out all the way.

A friend took me through the steps of this project and I learned so much! My favorite part was selecting the bright fabrics and putting them together to complement the Mary Engelbreit fabric border. My least favorite part was ripping out a lot of stitches along the way!  I was probably the most intimidated by the binding, but I did it!

Look who photobombed my picture!

It was a personal goal to learn to quilt upon retirement, so this is something I 've really wanted to do.  I look forward to more quilting in the future!

Have a great Monday!

Happy Valentine's Day!

These little girls wish you

love and happiness not only

on Valentine's Day...

but 'fur'-ever!

Vintage Tea Towel Pillow

I've always been drawn to vintage fabrics. I have a few tea towels and some hankies which are all fun to display. I currently have these tea towels hanging on an antique medicine cabinet in the guest bathroom, but they can be used in a variety of ways. Besides serving as guest hand towels, you could line a basket with them or even use them as dinner napkins.

When my Aunt Kay sent me a little surprise last fall, I was thrilled to find a beautiful vintage tea towel! I loved its colors and decided it needed to be used for something special, so I began thinking of ideas. Wouldn't it be a pretty little pillow? Fortunately I already had a small pillow which happened to be just the right size because I did not want to cut the tea towel in the process. A small running stitch exactly lined-up with the towel's side hems allows me the option of taking apart the pillow in the future without causing any damage to the fabric.

I often wondered how tea towels earned their name since their flat cotton fabric is far from the absorbent terry we use today. After a little research, I found out that they originated in England in the 18th century when woman used them to dry their fine china, crystal and tea sets that were not to be entrusted to the careless servants who might chip the fragile pieces. Additionally, these thin tea towels (also known as glass towels) could be embroidered and were used to "show off" personal handiwork. That makes sense because some of the towels that I have are edged with beautiful stitchery!

I think it's fun to use these old linens

and enjoy them.

Pork Tenderloin

My friend, Donna, gave this recipe to me. It's one of her favorites and we love it, too. The sauce, with a horseradish flavor, completes it!

Pork Tenderloin

2 pork tenderloins (3 pounds)

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup cranberry juice

2 T. brown sugar

Combine soy sauce, juice and sugar in a large Ziploc bag. Put in the meat and allow to marinate in refrigerator for 3-4 hours.

Bake in a 350 oven until it reaches an internal temperature of 160 degrees.

Topping:

1 T. dry mustard

1 1/2 tsp. white vinegar

1/3 cup sour cream

dash of onion powder

Enjoy~

Tuesday's Tablescape

Today's table is all set for Valentine's Day (or as we refer to it in first grade--Balentime's Day).

You recognize the table runner from a few weeks ago when I made it and then I just used my white everyday dishes, coupled with the red salad plates and glasses. The silver platter underneath the candles was a wedding gift.

We may end up getting snow on Valentine's Day. Stay warm and have a good day!