The Mistborn Trilogy

Normally, I'm a 'judge the book by the cover' sort of person.  I'm not happy to have to admit that but it's the truth.  So, when I was given the opportunity to read and review Mistborn : Final Empire Series (Book #1) , I sighed and waited 3 days before opening to the first page.  

This was the first I've read from Brandon Sanderson and I have to say, I'm impressed.  It has to be one of the most entertaining fantasy series I've read in some time!  

What you get:

1.  Two original, yet opposite races/creatures with no vampires,  or werewolves in sight!

2.  New well-thought out magic systems using metals.  (The ability to manipulate emotions, magnetize yourself, etc.)

3.  A mysterious world of ash and mist which is just as interesting a character as any of others.  

4. Epic battles and assassins that make ninjas look like cripples. (No offense to cripples, you're just not known for your hand to hand combat skills.)

5. A god emperor that can have a name like "Lord Ruler" and still be terrible and frighting.  

Sanderson write a believable world, even with it being a fantasy world.  His world is dark and oppressive.  Evil is truly evil.  His heroic characters are real people with flaws, psychological damage, prejudices, desires for vengeance and completely human struggles with morality and ethics.  Even his villains are dynamic and believable with motivations that are the understandable results of their lives. 

Sanderson has developed a world that is alien to us and yet something we can relate to.  It is fascinating in it's differences and intriguing in it's similarities.  His action sequences are dynamic, creating images in your mind not unlike those seen in the Matrix.  

This series is refreshing, awe inspiring and is evidence of an author with such skill that I believe his works to stand in the top echelon of fantasy authors.  Read this series, it will open the door to a world unlike anything you have ever imagined.      Mistborn Trilogy

Easiest Bread Recipe Ever

I never knew how easy it was to make your own bread (without a machine).  That task was always reserved for the Big Mama's and the Nana's of the family.  It seemed to me that it took them days to make it.  Once it was done and the house was filled with the smell of fresh baked bread, and I'd just about lose my senses.  

Now that I'm older, I realize the power they wielded.  They wanted us to think it took them days and days and that baking bread required some sort of magic not given out so readily to little snots like me.  So, when I happened upon a 5 minute Artisan Bread recipe, I grabbed it up greedily.  Surely, no one could make bread so easily.  

I'm happy to say this was the easiest.recipe.ever.  And yummy too.  These pictures are from the very first batch I made a couple of months ago.  Since then, I've started adding all sorts of things to my bread; cheese, onions, poppy seeds, dried fruit, etc.  It's truly versatile and tastes really good too!  

Oh, I have also since bought a really good bread pan - so now my loaves are normal looking (as my children say..).

 

33 Days of Cupcakes!

If I eat cake - I want it to be a cupcake.  When done right, they are little bites of heaven!  Ming Makes Cupcakes brings together flavors in such a way, the outcome is quite memorable.  I haven't tried ALL of these yet but I'm working on it.  Here's a few of my faves. 

Mango Cupcakes with Buttercream Frosting and Coconut

Oh dear heaven!  I love, love, love these cupcakes.  The bright, cheery flavor of the mango blends beautifully with the buttercream.  And the coconut on the top?  Well, it's divine.  Of all the recipes I've tried, this is my go-to when the family wants something different.  :)

Sour Cream Fig Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Thanks to a very old fig tree in my mother-in-laws yard, I have an endless supply of fig preserves (also thanks to my mother-in-law).   After a couple of weeks of having the same ol', same ol', Mr. Wonderful requested something different.  This was as different as I dared to go...and for us, putting figs in our cupcakes was daring!  lol  

But, oh my goodness.  Really yummy & not too sweet.  The cream cheese frosting cuts the sweetness of the fig making each bite delightful.  

Apple Cupcake with Caramel Frosting

This is the Family's favorite.  This recipe doesn't list a specific apple to use, so we use our most favorite apple in the world, Harvest Crisp.  A fall apple, the Harvest Crisp variety have a exceptionally crisp & juicy texture unlike other apples.  

Happy Baking!

My weekend in pictures

This weekend, I discovered the camera in my Samsung Galaxy Tab .  Well, I didn't actually discover it but I rarely used it because, to be honest, I wasn't sure how to upload any pictures I took to my computer.  Yes, sometimes, I am a dork.


Fortunately, my daughter took pity on me and showed me the cord I needed.  I happily popped it in my laptop and voila!  Pictures started uploading!!! All 727 of them.  


Here's a few I took over the weekend.  :)

 

One thing most people don't know about me:  I raise and breed Shih-tzus.  The only problem that I've ever encountered in doing this is the fact that I HAVE to keep a baby from all my litters.  I can't help it.  There's always one special baby born that seems to beg my heart for a permanent spot.  I have to oblige.  

My latest baby is Katy.  Actually, her name is Katy and the Sunshine Band Smith.  That's the way, uh uh, I like it, uh uh.  ;)  (Her mother, Emmy Lou Harrision Smith is trailing behind with her ball).

Lucy (in the Sky with Diamonds) Smith (top right) is my 2nd oldest baby.  She's the one who never leaves my side; wherever I go, she goes.  She's a little tempermental at times, and she's not very good at sharing but I couldn't live without her.  :) 

I feel like I have the best of both worlds.  My yard is a typical suburban yard yet in the back, we have a small expanse of woods.  I love going out there, hanging out, listening to the wind rustle in the trees, and watching the little bugs running around foraging for food...it truly is my go to when I need a break.

Have a happy day!

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Why Didn't I Think Of That?

Marlboro Man Sandwiches

I can still remember the glorious days of my single-hood when I could go out and eat the most delicious and decadent meals.  Meals like, pasta with cream sauce.  Okay, okay, maybe pasta isn't decadent but it is when your husband refuses to eat ANYTHING except for meat and potatoes.


He loves all sorts of meats.  And he loves potatoes.  That's it!  I happen to think it's unhealthy to eat the same thing over and over and over and over (and I make mention of this every time I'm slaving over a hot stove making meat!).  Okay, maybe it's not unhealthy in the proper sense but let's be honest - we need variety.


Enter The Pioneer Woman.  She literally SAVED my culinary life!  I have followed her blog for some time now and was soo happy when The Food Network opted to give her her own show (which I DVR every Saturday morning)!


She has tons of 'real food' ideas and I think I've made just about all of them.  And...I started with this one:  The Marlboro Man Sandwich!

I only have 3 words to say about this sandwich - oh my lord!  Even though it lacks potatoes, the hubs doesn't seem to mind.  Super simple to make and takes literally minutes.  I promise you'll love it.  :)


Ingredients:
2 1/2 lbs cube steak
Onion
Butter
Lawry's Seasoned Salt
Worcestershire Sauce 
Tabasco


See, I told you it was easy!  Now, slice your onions in strips.  Melt 1/4 stick of butter in a cast iron skillet and add onions.  Cook onions till soft and light brown (about 7 minutes).  Slice cube steak in strips (going against the grain).  Season cube steaks strips with Lawry's Seasoned Salt.  Remove onions from skillet and add steak strips along with 2 tbsp of butter.  Let meat cook for a minute - without stirring, then flip.  Cook another couple of minutes, then add the Worcestershire Sauce to taste.  I use about 1/2 cup.  :)   Shake in a little Tabasco for some added heat.  Lastly, toast a couple of french rolls, pile the meat on and voila!  A dinner fit for any Marlboro Man (and woman!).  

Happy Eating!

Parsimonious Cleaners

Since moving into our new home, I really haven't cleaned it.  I mean, I've unpacked boxes, found homes for all our crap, and made some of the rooms livable but cleaning - that has not happened.  Not even once.  <hangs head in shame>.

Since I coupon, I usually have a vast supply of cleaning supplies, although I can't tell you what happened to all of them in the move.  Who loses boxes of cleaning supplies?!  Well...my family.  That's who.  :/

That's okay.  There is Google.  In my search for homemade cleaning supplies I can across a TON that I wanted to try but stuck to the ones that I had ingredients for.  Here's the results.  Now, in all honesty, I haven't used every one of them ... yet.  But I will.  Not today of course - all this work has made me tired...



Orange Cleaner

This one is a doozey!  Just a simple mixture of orange peels and vinegar.  Place leftover orange rinds in a jar and cover with plain vinegar.  Leave on the counter for a few days.  I think I'm gonna try for 5.  Very simple to make - cleans, deodorizes and disinfects!

Dilly's Miracle Cleaner

In the process of looking for stuff to clean with, I stopped and called an old family friend.  She suggested I try a paste of Baking Soda and Peroxide.  Not a really thick paste, but more of a liquidy soft scrub sort of paste.  Wowsa!  It cleans EVERYTHING!  From hard water spots off of silverware and shower heads, to crusty stuff caked on appliances, pans, etc.  Ahhhmazing!

Carpet Powder

Full Disclosure:  I have 7 dogs.  Yes, 7.  And yes, at this moment, 6 (my shih-tzus) are sitting right beside me as I write this - the other, our Schnauzer Bailey, is wondering around to all the windows hoping to catch a glimpse of a bird or squirrel.

Needless to say, I love smell good stuff!  If I bought all the carpet freshener I use in a month, I'd have no money left over for groceries!  Luckily, I found a terrific tutorial for making your own.  As of this writing, I've only tried Orange Oil but I bet it'd be great with Lavender.

Super easy to make:  Mix some of your essential oils to the baking soda.  I used a whisk.  :)  Then pop in a shaker (I found an empty Parmesan cheese bottle).  Sprinkle on your floors and vacuum up.  :)

I'd love to hear your easy to make cleaner ideas and recipes!

Happy Cleaning!

Vegetable Growing Chart

Growing your own veggies can be very rewarding - but, it can also very confusing!!  I've started more gardens than I care to admit only to have them turn into a bevy of weeds and desolation by the end of summer.

Luckily for you (and me!), I found this snazzy little vegetable growing chart to help you know exactly when to start your seeds and plant outdoors.

Happy Gardening!

Click for larger view

Fresh Ginger Root

I happen to think fresh ginger is one swanky spice!  The flavor is tangy and aromatic, it's a wonderful addition to all sorts of dishes and drinks.  Ginger doesn't look very welcoming to most people but, don't let it intimidate you, ginger is a big ol' teddy bear and really simple to peel and chop once you've done it a time or two.

First, you want to look for 'hands' that feel heavy for their size.  Make sure the skin is smooth, unwrinkled and dry.  In my store, there are all sorts of sizes - from the really big to the tiniest ones.  If you're just getting enough for a couple of recipes, buy a smaller size and place it in a paper bag, storing it in the refrigerator.  This method will keep your ginger fresh for about a week.

If you want to store your ginger, it's pretty easy.  Separate the knobs from the hand and peel with a vegetable peeler.  Put in a sterilized jar and cover with vodka.  Screw the lid on tighter and store in the fridge for up to 3 months.  After 3 months, you will have ginger vodka too!  yummy.  

Recipes

Mango Chicken

Mango Chicken

A couple of weeks ago, my neighborhood Winn-Dixie had a fantastic sale on chicken.  Needless to say, I went a little overboard.  Even if a person likes chicken, it's hard to eat for every meal - especially when those meals consist of the same tired recipes...over and over and over again.  

I needed a pick me up so off to swagbucks I went!  I found what seemed to be a tasty recipe called Mango Chicken.  I love Mangoes.  And, I have all this chicken...so why not, right?!  

Well, I'm so glad I did.  The kids are glad I did and the hubs...well, he's glad I did too!  yay me!  

It started out simple enough...

Chicken, Sugar Snap Peas, & Mango.  :)

Here's the rest...

2 tsp of chopped ginger
3 green onions chopped
1/2 – 2/3 cup of soy sauce
a few dashes of teriyaki sauce
a dash of sweet rice cooking wine (optional)

1. Combine soy sauce, teriyaki sauce, chopped ginger and scallions in a ziplock bag.   

2. Add chicken cubes or strips to sauce and refrigerate overnight (or at least a couple of hours).

3. When ready to cook, place a nonstick over med-high heat adding a couple of tablespoons to the pan.

4. When chicken is cooked through, stir in the snap peas and mango.  Don’t stir too much - we don't want bruised mangoes!  :)

Cook about 10 minutes.  Super delicious - if you make this, please come back and let us know how it turned out!!  Happy eating!

*sorry, I actually forgot to take a pic after - but next time, I promise!  

Prints Charming...

I love printables.  In fact, I love them so much, I have a favorites folder filled with sites that have the greatest printables around.  In going through my folders, I had a brilliant thought - I should share some a couple of my faves with you!  ;)

Cathe Holden of Just Something I Made has some of the prettiest vintage printables around.  Most are scanned from actual books like this antique book cover below (all FREE!).  Tons of DIY projects too!  Seriously, I can stay on her blog for hours - I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!  :)

The Background Fairy has tons of digital images as well as backgrounds, headers, layouts, buttons and more!  If I need something and can't find it anywhere else, you can bet that The Background Fairy has it.  All of their images are free to use with a few terms.  They even take request!  If you're looking for something and can't find it - just send 'em an email!  They're happy to help!  :)

Mr. Diphead

How cute is this?!  I love it!  A bowl of dip as the head (lol - he's a diphead.) and veggies for the body - I think any kid would <3 this and it'd be so simple to make.    :)

Kit Kat Cake!

So pretty and perfect for any occasion!  It's very simple to make - a regular cake, baked and iced.  Place Kit Kats around the outside all along the side of the cake and fill in the top with small candies.  Voila!  A perfectly swanky cake.  Enjoy!

*I think this cake would be quite nice using other candies and candy bars.  What candies and candy bars would you choose?  Comment below.  :)

No-Cook Oatmeal

I was so excited when I saw this post at The Yummy Life!  First of all, there's NO cooking involved!  <happy dance>  Second, you can fix this before bed, pop it in the fridge and voila!  Done!

This recipe calls for Chia Seeds.  Now, I had NO idea what these were but the tutorial listed here explains it perfectly.  In a nutshell, Chia Seeds are very high in Omega-3's which promote heart health and packed with vitamins and protien.  They also have a nuetral flavor (kinda like tofu) and are able to take on a myriad of flavors.  Yes, I think this is a keeper for sure!  For a full tutorial, please click here.

Burlap!

Is there anything better than burlap?  I love it!  The rustic texture lends itself well to becoming a very swanky addition when it's all said and done.  Here are a few examples...


I swear if my man child ever asks his precious to marry him (I mean, he's had the ring since Christmas but he's nervous...lol), this is what I want to do on the chairs.  I love it.  It's so pretty and very swanky.




A very simple pillow.  Just cut your squares, sew them up and add your stuffing.  I'm not sure what they used for the lettering but I think a simple acrylic paint would suffice - well, it's what I have on hand anyway.  :)




Very swanky indeed!  I have tons of coffee sacks I scored on ebay one day - this would be a really cute in any room of the house, although I think mine will go in my kitchen!  :)  It looks easy enough - hardly any stitching.  But, I will put a full tutorial up once I attempt this!  :)

Hanging Gardens

So, I've been obsessed lately with hanging gardens.  I guess it's because we just moved into this house and though I love it (and prayed every day for it), I find myself a little bummed out about the yard space.  Before, my family had 3 acres to roam, play and plant whatever we wanted (not that we did, but we could if we wanted to).  Now, we live in town.  (and for those of you who don't know - 'town' is where we go to buy stuff.  you know, the big city..)  Since space is such a premium in town, I thought 'well, let's hang stuff!'

Because the hubs has put me on a budget, I have to think a little more creatively.  I found a few things on pinterest that I love.  Which ones do you like best??

I was so excited when I came across this one - I ran into the bedroom because I JUST saw one of these in a box somewhere that I'd been unpacking!  After tearing through all the boxes, and looking through drawers, and questioning all the children, my husband wandered into the room and told me he'd taken it TO THE DUMP!  Really?!  Why would you do that?!  Of course, by his reckoning, he'd done me a favor by taking off the trash.  Sooo, this waits to another day.  Maybe I should call my mother-in-law - she has everything!

This one - I can totally do TODAY!  And, I just might!  I have a ton of these little tins from way back and couldn't figure out what in the world to do with them.  Mine are all pastel pink and lilac - certainly not the colors I want but a little spray paint could remedy that quick!  

Okay.  I adore this.  I think it's an effective way of up-cycling that could be very swanky.  I would paint the board in a cool wallpaper scrap, or a fabo color (2nd from the top), use vinyl lettering in a swanky font and maybe use a ribbon/decorative hanger.  THIS could be my next project - super easy and great tutorial here!   

So, there you have it.  The top 3 contenders for my next hanging garden project...which one do you like best?  Which seems to be the least costly?  I think I'm going to do the coke bottle one and possibly the shoe organizer (if my MIL has one hiding away somewhere).  Check back next week for results!  :)

Stag Horn Ferns!

Well, I don't think I've ever seen anything as cool as this!  And, am I the ONLY one that's just now learned about these terrific plants??  How could I have not known they were out there - just waiting to be hung all over my walls...

They're called Stag Horn Ferns and it grows without its roots in soil.  They produce 2 types of fronds; one type is the branched frond that gives the plant its name. The other round, flat frond forms a collar around the branched fronds. The round frond may be 3 to 4 inches across on young plants but 3 to 4 feet across on older plants. Ideal temperatures are between 60 degrees and 80 degrees. It prefers bright, but indirect light.  Sounds like it will fit in quite nicely in humid Alabama.  

I found some on Amazon of all places - they really DO have everything - only $6.89 for a 4inch pot.  Not too shabby for a swanky plant you can bet not many people have in their homes.    At least no one I know has one...   :)

Staghorn Fern 4" Hanging Basket - EXOTIC - Platycerium