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Valentine's Day Decorating 2022

Roses, Valentine Heart of Chocolates, and a lovely Valentine Card from my husband. Sweet kitty Marylou who adopted us at the start of the Worldwide Covid Pandemic.

Valentine's Day Treats

Making a heart shaped bread bowl.



Heart shaped bread bowl with bacon cheddar dip

Cheesesteak Ring


 Strawberry Cream Stuffed Vanilla Cupcake

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Making Fall Chair Decorations

All my supplies were purchased at the K &S Flower and Vine Warehouse that is located on Rt. 183N,  7.1 miles north of I-78 in Auburn, PA. It is the third exit after Cabelas. It is also just outside the front gate to our community of Lake Wynonah, PA.


I purchased three bunches, two Autumn leaves & such, and one of yellow daisy like flowers for $3.99 each. I then bought two 10 yd. rolls of wide woven plaid ribbon at $3.99 each. The entire project costing $20.00 + tax - equaling $2.50 a chair.




Using wire cutters I cut all of the flowers from the bunch leaving the stem about three inches long.I wanted the centers of the flowers to be brown like a sunflower so I stained them carefully blotting the center with a heated wet tea bag. I cut the other two bunches of autumn silks apart and created bunches as in the following photo.


I then cut the ribbon into 8 strips of a yard each,  also 8 strips of 2ft. each to use for the bow tie. See as in the following photo:


The 1 yard strip is threaded through the first two cross section rungs of the chair, looped around the third and I then tucked in the bouquet and snugly tied it to that third rung. I slid the 2 ft. ribbon through bringing it around and tied two loops of ribbon into a bow.  

 I had considered using burlap ribbon which is $5.99 a roll at K & S for ten yards, however I did like that this woven plaid ribbon matched the Autumn table cloth I had purchased last year at The Christmas Tree Shop in the mall on Airport Road South, Bethlehem, PA.

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Adding Pizzazz during a Pandemic

Holidays at our home has always been a time for family to come together over a lovingly prepared feast!

The Coronavirus/COVID19 and the need to stay in our own home without outside visitors set out to change our festivities for Easter 2020!

Although I surely missed my family being here with Roger and I it was my quest to make the best of this sad situation! I decided early on in mid March to start decorating for Easter and leave them up until that day when my family can come to our home to celebrate together. We even have a large ham in our freezer for that day.

I then decided that during the interim I would celebrate every day beginning with Palm Sunday then Maundy Thursday and ending on Easter Sunday with a lovely meal for Roger and I to celebrate and praise GOD for keeping us safe and blessing us abundantly!

I made these cute burlap bunnies

Palm Sunday Dinner 
strawberry cheesecake
 Maundy Thursday Dinner
  I baked the cookies

Good Friday Stuffed Shrimp
& Shrimp scampi
I made the peanut butter 
& coconut cream eggs 

 Capons &
 From scratch Lemon Meringue Pie
Traditional Easter Ham Dinner


Today wasn't a holiday but we made it through another week of just the two of us and we are so far in good health! We had a nice dinner of homemade surf & turf with pineapple upside down cake for dessert.



Praise GOD from whom all blessings flow!

Stay Home & Stay Safe

Try to make the best of this sad situation!


 Last year I carried on traditions even though it would be just Roger and I. This year we had my younger daughter Jami and her family who practiced social distancing prior.

Honoring family traditions which warm the heart with love for family, hearth, and home. Traditions provide a feeling of coziness, stability, and safety which all members of the family need to thrive. Aunt Ruthie Sugar Pie Farmhouse











I crafted the hydrangeas from coffee filters





I decorated this basket and crafted the rose from coffee filters.


























I crafted the cabbage and carrots out of coffee filters.






Abby and Maggie came and baked our traditional Easter Cookies



                                    Easter Sunday Dinner


Charcuterie Board 


Carrot Cupcakes with cream cheese frosting for Jami's birthday.







Favors ~ Silk flower in a terracotta pot.






Easter Sunday was also my daughter Jami's birthday!






Fresh Baked Easter Bread




I made these candy eggs; butter cream rolled in peanuts, peanut butter, and coconut cream all hand dipped in chocolate.


Crudites Christmas Tree

1 cone shaped Styrofoam form (Walmart Craft Section)
Syran type plastic wrap

Endive, radish, carrot slices or baby Belgium carrots, cucumber slices, grape tomatoes, broccoli, & cauliflower heads, cheese cubes, baloney slices, what ever you want to add to the tree for crudites.
Tooth picks, the decorative kind look better. Once I found those with curly foil ends...very colorful and glitzy.
Cover cone with plastic wrap, then endive securing with tooth picks. Add cut veggies, cheeses, baloney as though you are decorating a tree securing with tooth picks.

Hollow out pepper, squash, for dipping sauce.

Dipping Sauce

One container of sour cream
1pkt. of Good Seasons Zesty Italian Salad Dressing
1/2 teaspoon of sugar (optional)

Mix well. pour into pepper, etc. place on tray next to tree.

I have also stepped up this idea by using a topiary form from the Walmart Craft Dept. This gives a Victorian look to a party. I have used this for weddings.








My Sister Ruth Ann's Stuffed Mushrooms
2 cups Italian Bread Crumbs
16 large mushrooms (about 1 lb.)
3 Tbsp. butter or margarine
teasp. crushed garlic
1 green pepper, finely chopped
1 red pepper, finely chopped
1/2 sweet onion
1 stick butter or margarine, melted
Thyme
Turmeric
Soul Seasoning or Seasoned Salt and pepper to taste

PREHEAT broiler.
Remove stems from mushrooms; chop stems. Saute mushroom caps lightly in butter, remove then saute and stir mushroom stems, peppers and onion to skillet; cook and stir until tender. Add bread crumbs, spices, (salt and pepper to taste). Spoon into mushroom caps; drizzle with 2 Tbsp. melted butter.
BROIL 5 to 7 inches from heat 5 min. or until heated through.



Kiffel Dough Hor Devours




I have another hor-devours for those who love liverwurst. I make the kiffel dough using cream cheese, butter, and flour, roll it out cut into squares, diamonds, little circles- bake and cool. Mix cream cheese with a tube of liverwurst and you and add some grated sweet onion if you like. Put liverwurst mixture into a decorator bag or sandwich bag and pipe onto the cooled kiffel dough. Top with fresh parsley sprig or green olive slice, pimento.

Kiffel Dough4 c. flour "You may need more if dough seems too wet."

1 lb. butter

1 lb. cream cheese

Mix well. Divide into about 4 large round balls. Refrigerate overnight; however, if there is not enough time to refrigerate overnight, the dough may be worked immediately after mixing.




Cups of Spinach Dip

I also have taken this dough and made circles like you do for nut cups, press them into the nut cup pans, and bake. Make the cream cheese and spinach dip and fill each cup.

Cream Cheese Dip

2 packages of cream cheese, add 2 tablespoons of milk, beat until smooth, add one very well drained, deforsted package of chopped spinach, 1/2 cup of grated sweet onion. Add a pinch of soul seasoning or seasoned salt, pinch of pepper, pinch of sugar(optional)

The Spinach Dip can also be added to hollow out crusty bread. Cut up more crusty bread for dipping.





Seafood/Cheddar FondueSaute Lobster, Shrimp, Scallops, Clams, Mussels in one stick of butter, add 1 pint of heavy cream on low heat constantly stirring, add one cup cheddar cheese or Velveeta, constantly stirring until cheese is thoroughly melted and blended. You can also add sauteed pimento, peppers, onion,or celery. Remove from heat pour into a toasted, hollowed out loaf of crusty bread, cut up more crusty bread for dipping. Garnish with parsley.






Bisquick biscuits:
  • 4 2/3 cups Bisquick baking mix
  • 6 Tbsp butter, melted
  • 1 cup milk
  • 6 Tbsp sugar
The strawberry shortcake biscuit recipe used to be on the side of the Bisquick box. For some unfathomable reason, the company has started to print the recipe on the inside of the box.
Heat oven to 425°F. Stir baking mix, melted butter, milk, and 6 Tbsp of sugar in a mixing bowl until soft dough forms. Divide dough into halves. Pat each half into a circle the size of a small dinner plate, transfer onto a greased cookie sheet or I prefer parchment paper. I then sliced it with a sharp knife as though you were cutting a pie, make an X then sliced through the middle of the X horizontally and then vertically. (I did this step to make it easier to cut when ready to serve) Bake 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.
Two quarts of fresh strawberries
Wash 2 quarts of fresh strawberries, put aside the 8 best looking strawberries leaving the stem and leaves intact. Next clean and cut the remaining strawberries, add sugar as to your preference of sweetening. Stir, let sit about an hour. Drain the juices off.
Next you will assemble about 45 minutes before serving. I placed the eight triangular shaped biscuits on my serving plate in a circular fashion. I used a small container of cool whip because it holds up better than whip cream, but you can choose what to use. I then spread the cool whip over the biscuits making it fluffy around the parameter, I then added half of the strawberries.
Next I added the second set of eight triangular shaped biscuits placing them evenly atop the strawberries aligning with the lower set of biscuits. Then I spread 2/3 of the second small container of cool whip over the biscuits in the center, also making if fluffy around the parameter of the center, and added the remaining strawberries to the very center(see photo . Lastly I placed 8 dollops of the remaining cool whip, one to each wedge (see photo) and placed the whole strawberry in the middle. Serves 8.
* I had slightly altered this recipe for the cake in the photo, as it was to serve 10.

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The Recipe is on my blog, Welcome To My Morning~Click Here

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Zucchini Bread

 Preheat oven 350 degrees

  • 2 cups shredded raw zucchini
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 3/4 cups sugar
  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Directions

In a large bowl, beat eggs well. Add oil, brown sugar, zucchini, and vanilla; stir well. Blend in flour, cinnamon, baking powder, soda, and salt. Stir in nuts. Pour batter into two greased and floured 9 x 5 inch loaf pans.
Bake at 325 degrees F (165 degrees C) for approx. 1 hour. test to see pick comes out clean Cool. I dust it with powdered sugar also

Why have ordinary when you can have extraordinary?

I enjoy decorating my home and entertaining my family and friends.  

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