TuTu Tuesday and a morning breakfast treat

Happy TuTuTuesday peeps!!!
If I had a tutu I'd wear it in honor of Tuesday every week, people would think I'm crazy but I'd still wear it!!

This is on my bar...

 jealous much???

heehee.....I love love love candy corn and the pumpkins.  I just break down and buy a bag each of them now because the Autumn mix has the indian corn and I don't really like it.   Boy....if this doesn't make you feel the fall breezes coming???? ahhhhhhh, as long as I don't step outside into the blistering heat I will remain in the comfort of fall in my house.  Is is too soon to put up the Halloween decorations???  Just checking.

Ok so today is TuTuTuesday and I water the plants on Tuesdays.  I try to follow FlyLady rules and when I water my plants every Tuesday they seem to do much better.  Today I thought we'd branch out and move all the plants, fake and real, outside for a good spray.  The real plants perk up and the fake plants get all the dust blown off, it's a win win situation peeps. Besides, I have to water the outside plants every stinking day anyway because of this heat, heck, sometimes twice a day!

&

well here is my back porch in a temporary jungle state....all ready for the spray down!

and here we are all finished.  They will all just hang out back there until they are good and dry and I finish cleaning their respective homes inside the house.  TuTuTuesday is also clean the downstairs day and grocery day.  It's a wonder I really like Tuesdays at all!!

Anyway I'm having a little motivation trouble today, probably because I went to bed at 1 am and then the dog woke me at 7:30, but I digress, I thought a little breakfast would perk me up.

First have some juice....you need the vitamin C and it's good for you

Then you need to get your stuff ready. You should probably move the iPad off the kitchen counter but I was looking up something pertinent to my task.  I was checking out the Pioneer Woman's website and seeing her take on Cinnamon Toast.  She did a delightful post of how to make cinnamon toast and while her way looks fabulous... I really had to go with her second choice for making this morning treat.  I really just love the texture of the sugar when it heats up in the oven.  Don't get me wrong, PW is my hero and one day when I grow up I want to be just like her and her blog!!!   I love you PW!!!  (it's ok, she has no clue who I am)

I smooshed up some butter in a dish and put just a TINY drop of vanilla extract in the butter and smooshed it around really good.   Then you gotta spread that butter all over that bread.  Get it everywhere!

Now let's mix up the cinnamon sugar

you know I read an article the other day that said if you eat 1/2 tsp of cinnamon a day it will help lower your cholesterol 12-30 points!!  Far be it from me to argue with medical research...besides it didn't say anything about not mixing that cinnamon with sugar so this is perfectly acceptable!

Make sure you use all that cinnamon sugar mixture because you need to make sure you get that full 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon...for your health you know??

Now set the oven for 350 degrees and pop those cutie pies in the oven for about 10 minutes.

Now since you are waiting you can go ahead and clean up your mess... it's just a small one and then you should make some of this

I'm old I need my calcium!!!!  And chocolate is healthy too....what's that you say?? It's dark chocolate that is good for you.  Oh, well then if you put enough Nesquik in your milk it'll be dark. Problem solved!

Pay attention, it's time to bump that oven to broil

Now don't take your eye off that toast for one second while it's broiling. We are making cinnamon toast here not Tookie Toast.  (if you don't know what Tookie Toast is just google it- I cannot explain why but I found the whole Tookie Toast story hilarious!)

Anyway, watch that toast and when it looks all yummo like this..pull it out

Please turn off the oven for goodness sakes it's a bazillion degrees outside and why on earth are you using the oven in the first place! hehehehehe   Sorry...I'm perking up after my breakfast.

Now slice that toast all nice and fun....why should kids have all the fun??

and sit down at the kitchen bar and have yourself a great pick me up

seee... don't you feel better already??

On a side note....I think that Neti Pot is working I'm feeling much clearer in my head today and I think I've only sneezed twice so far!   who knew???   Sorry for those of you who are actually cooking toast along with the post. I did not mean to interrupt your sweet treat of the day with the topics of Neti Pots, sneezing and seasonal allergy gunk.  Please resume enjoying your toast.

Better run and start cleaning before my sugar high wears off!

Peace, Love and Yummies!!!

weekend wrap up and Flat Stanley fun!

Saturday the hubby and I took off on an adventure with Flat Stanley.  Flat Stanley (further referred to as FS) arrived late last week in the mail from Paducah, KY.  I was quite excited to get FS in the mail and the hubby was equally thrilled. We had an unusual day to ourselves on Saturday so the adventure began.  I'm giving you guys the short version as we are gonna work on pics tonight and get the stuff in the mail to the kiddos.  You can see many more pics on my Facebook page. Just click on the FB button on the left and you should travel right over to peek at them.  

Here are a few highlights with Flat Stanley.

Riding Big Jake in the Stockyards

Driving the Stockyards Station caddy

Getting held up by the "cowboys"

Having some good grub at Riscky's BBQ

Performing on Stage at Billy Bob's

then FS sang with Willie Nelson at Billy Bob's!

Trying to decide which great QB jersey to buy

with the great Tom Landry statue

checking out the Rangers ballpark in Arlington

at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing  (they are some kind of strict about picture taking!!)

Finished off the day with some awesome Tex Mex food at Christina's

Yesterday FS had a good Texas Steak for dinner.   Frank & LL came over and we all cooked out.  We have some yummy bread from Costco, Big Tbone Steaks.  LL made the potatoes and her mama sent over some delish homegrown tomatoes.  We also roasted up some asparagus and LL made a banana pudding for dessert.  I think FS got a great idea of life in Ft Worth!

Oh and keeping with my blog "theme" FS picked this out for me at the Cowboys proshop

You can't see them but the Dallas Cowboys part has bling all over....LOVE LOVE LOVE my new tshirt!! Thanks hubby and FS!!!

Peace, Love and Yummies folks....have a super Monday!

Saturday craft updates

well as busy as I was yesterday I'm the opposite today!!  ☺

I have to hurry because hubby and I are taking Flat Stanley to downtown Ft Worth and out to Arlington.  We got Flat Stanley in the mail so I'm looking for some Flat Stanley clothing for him to wear.  Hey....you gotta dress the part when you are traveling!!!   Should be fun plus it's just hubby and I today....that is a rare occurance and hopefully we'll have a great day!!

OK remember this poor balding plant I made

I finally got to Michael's and I'm proud to say....he's a plant club graduate and is sporting a full do now!

Here he is from the front...he's a very happy plant with a full "head" of leaves

I have a real plant downstairs that is kinda special to me and he took a fall a few weeks ago so I got him so fake moss stuff to go around the outside and he is feeling a little perkier

As I was browsing the aisles at Michaels the fall stuff was really calling my name.... I found a few things on sale and I thought I'd pop together a little fall arrangement.  You know for the color and everything .....plus maybe it'll help me forget that it's still 100 degrees outside and that I'm really ready for some cooler weather.

Kinda "fally" looking and it matches the bedroom quite well... so I plopped him on top of the chest in the bedroom and there he sits reminding me of fall.

Yeah....and if I had some curtains......it'd all be good in the bedroom! haha   Unfortunately there are 4 windows and I have the most difficult time finding curtains I like that are reasonably priced soooooooo no curtains ANYWHERE downstairs and it's starting to drive me bonkers!!!   Bet you can't guess what my next projects are that I'm trying to convince hubby of????

Time to run...

Peace, Love and Yummies

Football, Friday and Italian Beef

Hey Peeps... I'm pooped!!!   I've been a busy girl this morning, let's see....
1)mowed and trimmed the yard  (attempted to kill baby snake...sorry animal lovers, it was a snake!)
2)vacuumed, armor-alled, washed the car
3) vacuumed and mopped all hardwood floors (thanks to the dog)
4) showered and dressed in my normal around the house attire of soffe shorts and a tshirt
 5) updating my blog (which is resulting in the realization that I have not eaten and I'm VERY hungry)

and once I am through with the blog I think it's off to have a little fun....maybe Hobby Lobby  :0) shhhh don't tell the hubby!!!

whew...... well, I made Italian Beef yesterday in the to-go form because of this..

That's the Mere in the middle, she's the youngest and JV football started at her school last night.  So I packed up the sammies and off I went to meet the hubby.   I even remembered the bleacher seats, the sandwiches and the camera.  Boy....I was having a good day I should have bought a lottery ticket!!

Anyway, Thursday nights will often be meals on the go for the next several weeks this is an effort to curb my hubby's enthusiasm for concession stand goodies.  Really...you have no idea how much he loves concession stand food at ballgames.   It's an obsession of his and a glorious day when he eats "the circuit". Which means he has one of everything...you know, popcorn, hot dogs, nachos, candy.  I told you....he's obsessed!

Let's move on to the Italian Beef shall we:

Cast of characters:

I'm not gonna lie to ya....these are a tad different than before and I think MUCH improved.

2 Tbsp. Worchestershire sauce

1 Tbsp salt *I know, it seems like a lot and I skimp a little

1 Tbsp pepper

1 Tbsp mustard seed

1 Tbsp Italian seasoning

1/2 cup beef broth

1/2 jar of banana peppers or pepperocini peppers

and of course, one beautiful roast

Take this little baby and put in the crock pot and add in all the other stuff like so:

sorry about picture quality...I have been using a different camera and I don't think the lighting is adjusted properly.

Turn that crock pot on low and run and do whatever it is you need to do for about 8 hours.... I promise goodness and joy will greet your return later in the day.  And if its 9 hours before you return...don't worry it'll still love you and reward you with a moist tender dinner.

I like to take two big forks and shred this stuff up while it's still in the crock pot

It doesn't take any effort at all the stuff just falls apart it is so tender and moist

Now take that goodness and plop it on some nice hoagie buns... If you are home you can toast them up but you don't have to.  Since I was packing to go I just wrapped them up in some foil and off to the game.

I love my crock pot and use it so much in the winter... I wonder why I forget to use it in the summer??   Grab a roast and the rest of the ingredients and put your crockpot to work today!!! 

Peace, Love and Yummies

Pound cake and pizza

Well peeps we had an UNSEASONABLY and quite welcome cool day yesterday which put me into baking mode.  I didn't have a ton of time since LL was on her way over to do lamps so I grabbed a pound cake mix from the pantry and decided to dress it up a bit.

Here we go:

Just follow the directions on the box...I used 2% milk instead of water and I did add a drop or two of almond extract in the batter. 

Let's blend it up

Just look at that batter....yummmooo

and since all the kiddos have gone back to school....this was ALL mine!!!!!

Ok...let's stop horsing around and get the pan greased and floured

now let's get the batter all up in that business

and into the oven we go for about an hour...just follow directions on the box. 

This little goody needs to cool and LL and I need to run to the Hobby Lobby for a change of supplies!

Back home and lamps are done so it's time to put a little glaze on the pound cake.  I just mixed up some lemon juice, lemon zest and powdered sugar and poured over the top.  Just for a punch of flavor.

more with this guy later so now let's make pizza's!!!

First mine...it's the corn and tomato pesto pizza.  This thing is soooo yummy!! I just can't tell you how great it is so you really really must try it!!!

Let's get the pesto on the pizza crust

Now let's mix up the corn, parmesan cheese and just a touch of sugar.  Once again the corn was so sweet we hardly used any sugar...maybe 1/4 tsp.

Let's get this on the pizza crust

ok, let's get some tomatoes on there

time for the cheese on top..... I just love cheese...really, I do!!

That is sliced thin mozzarella from the deli and some shredded mozz too.

Now then, hubby wanted to try a version all his own so here we go:

I just put some ranch dressing in a bowl and watered it down a tiny bit and spread it all over the pizza crust.

these were waiting for some fun so we added these to the top

do you know where we are headed yet?????

that's fried up and crumbled pepper bacon   :0)   

Yep you guessed it....bacon tomato ranch pizza!

cover that baby in cheese and now into the oven we both go

and get the temp all set and ready

I set the timer for about 13 minutes and waited patiently.....although we are finally having dinner at a decent time!!!  Lately it's been late before hubby got home from work so it's nice to have an early dinner again.

yummmmmmmoooooooo.... the pesto corn tomato is done

and so is the other!

I thought he should have added the shredded lettuce to the top but he didn't think so....guess I was the only one wishing for a BLT all of a sudden

Here are the plates.....

    Now let's see Jeff's plate

Now that we have our plates.....it's time for a little bit of AGT!!!

After my disgust with the results show of AGT.....seriously what fool is paying to watch those 2 girls sing or those creepy little kids dance???????   It's Vegas....the pyromaniac illusionist seriously should have stayed!

To drown my sorrows I remembered the pound cake so I grabbed a slice and warmed for about 10 seconds in the microwave.  Our micro is nuclear level so 10 seconds is a LOT for it.

then I picked up this at the grocery....don't judge  I had a coupon!!!  :0)

and then I did this

dear Lord.... please forgive my brain for doing this to my thighs and remember when you decide to punish us....my thighs were innocent, just make my brain bigger!!!   amen

Peace, Love and Yummies folks....it's a beautiful day!!