crafting day

So yesterday LL and I were gonna do some major crafting.  Well, I'm here to tell you that it takes a lot of shopping before you can do major crafting!!!  We head out with lofty goals and lots of lists and printouts.  First stop was the local restaurant supply store (which my hubs told me I could not shop in without a tax id number....WRONG).  OH MY WORD!!!  I think I might have found my heaven!!   It was hard to stay focused on the fact that we went in there to look for clear glass dishes.  I found so many thinks that I just really need in my life...seriously, I really really really NEED them!!!!     We did find some dishes and so we managed to get out of there and skooch on down the road for some stops at World Market, Ross, Bed Bath and Beyond. A few more finds later and we are back on the road to Target and Marshalls.  A few more finds and we need lunch and it's time for Sonic Happy Hour (it's da bomb).  We both had jr. burger deluxe's (mine without onions please and thank you) and then armed with our happy hour Route44 iced tea we head for Michaels.  Well, let's just say by the time we leave that store it's after 4 o'clock so we are saving Hobby Lobby for this afternoon then we are really...no I promise really, gonna craft some tonight. I promise!!!

So this is my inspiration piece

and you can click here to see where you could have ordered this Valentine Dish. Apparently a lot more people are willing to pay $14 for it than I was. It is very cute but  I made this first attempt at it last week before I could really find the type of dish I was looking for and this is my practice one.

Now I realize mine isn't as fancy smancy at the PB version but hey....I think it's rather cute.  It's currently residing on my bedside table to hold my rings and things.  I did find some dishes more the shape of the inspiration piece but you are just gonna have to wait until later to see them.  Mostly because I haven't made them yet!  I'm getting there and yes I realize Valentine's Day is really close so I'm getting on those just as soon as I finish this here blog post. 

So all kinds of crazy creative peeps are putting out on the internet some free printables and well...I'm just in total LURVE with them. Maybe a little too much because this was a practical purchase yesterday at the ole' Tarjay.

SHUT UP!!!!   6 black 5x7 frames for $9.99!!   If they only had an 8x10 pack my day would have been complete. hee hee    I know there are peeps out there who would have squealed just like me and snatched this up too, so run to the Tarjay near you and snag up this good deal before they are all gone and then you can make this little cutie.

I haven't put it out yet because I'm working on a friend to accompany it.  However if you lurvy dovey this is as much as I did then you should head right over to here (Barn Owl Primitives) and snag yourself a download too.  Loving this new site and I bet you'll be seeing her little ole' button showing up in my bloggy sidebar soon too!

In the world of food...my teeth are still tender and I was quietly reminded of that fact when I scarfed myself a big bite of that burger yesterday.  Owie owie zowie...so I had rice for dinner. Just white rice with sugar and evaporated milk.  yuuuummmm.  I know I'm probably the only one you know who eats that but it's deee-vine I tell ya.    This morning I saw those poor little zucchini and yellow squash on my kitchen counter and I just HAD to do a little something with them before they shriveled up completely. So I chopped them up

and then gave them a little olive oil, salt, pepper and thyme covering and then popped them in the oven at 375 degrees for about 15 or 20 minutes while I ran the vacuum and did a little tidy up

and then I ate them for breakfast and lunch.  Then I had some yogurt with blueberries and blackberries.
In a few days I'll be doing a little something with these

yep a few more days and they will be just about ready for a special treat to hit the mail for the kiddos at college.  :0)   Nothing says lovin' like something from the oven!!!

Ok, so now I shall bid you adieu and retreat to the upstairs and craft my lil ole heart out.  More tomorrow on the spoils of our shopping bonanza but until then I bid you:
Peace, Love and Yummies!!!



Oyster Artichoke Soup....from Janie's kitchen

well happy humpdiddly dump hump day!!!   I told you it was gonna take a few days to get the weekend wrapped up. Today is the last of the weekend stuff however I cannot promise you much in the way of what tomorrow holds.  I had grits and ice cream for dinner last night cause my face still kinda hurts and the hubster is getting a crown this morning so his face is gonna hurt tonight.  Never fear..... LL and I are on a craft bonanza today so hopefully I'll have you some goodies tomorrow.

Sunday morning amidst the remaining oysters and shrimpies the dear hubster all of a sudden remembered his mom's oyster artichoke soup and between the stories he was telling he managed to find the recipe in one of her binders! Yipppeee so off to the store he went.  Let's do this and don't scoff...this was actually really good and believe me I had my doubts!!

Cast of characters

1 pint oysters...save the liquid                                

1 Tbsp corn or vegetable oil

1 1/2 sticks of butter                                              

1 bunch green onions, , chopped

1 onion, chopped                                                   

8 Tbsp flour

2 cans chicken broth                                               

1 lg can mushroom pieces w/ water

1 can of water                                                        

1 can artichoke hearts

1/4 tsp thyme                                                          

1 can evaporated milk

cook the oysters in the liquid until it comes to a boil. When oysters curl around the edges (this doesn't take long), drain reserving the liquid.

Place butter and oil in pot to melt, then add green and regular chopped onions.  Saute until tender

To the onion mixture add flour and stir and cook on medium heat until combined.  Do NOT brown (oddly enough we aren't making a roux here peeps).



Add the chicken broth, mushrooms w/ their liquid and 1 can of water to the mix.

Next add the oyster liquid and the liquid from the artichokes.

Chop up your oysters and artichokes.

Bear with it folks....I know they can gross you out but just forge on and just chop those babies up.  Go back and think of happier things in your life to distract you.  :0)

Add those to the soup and let cook a few minutes.

Next we need to add in the can of evaporated milk, thyme and then salt and pepper to taste.   Don't boil the soup, just let it warm gently on the stove.

And there you have it!!!    Easy peasy and you lived through chopping up those oysters and now you are ready for some good soup.....well, as soon as you grab a bowl and a spoon and some french bread of course!    Enjoy the soup peeps as I was very skeptical but I ended up liking it alot especially after I tossed out the mushrooms!   sorry...not a mushroom fan! 

Well I am off to get the day started on the treadmill and get ready for our craft bonanza today.  See you tomorrow with all kinds of non-cooking cause our faces hurt kind of fun!

Peace, Love and Yummies!



Aah-may-zing Shrimp and Grits

My face feels like someone socked me in the jaw this morning...remind me to ask the hubster later about that! hee hee   BUT I'm gonna go ahead and do my yoga today even though I really don't feel like it but LL and I are gonna have craft day tomorrow so I need to get a move on things and get the downstairs cleaned up pronto smonto today so you are getting my post early today.  Of course, I think I was doing it early before so I guess I'm just back on track. yeah yeah that's the ticket!  :0)

So I'm gonna share this amazing recipe with you but I must give hottie chef Bobby Flay credit since after all it was his recipe I used. Like I said on Sunday...he sure wasn't in the kitchen helping me cook so he really only gets partial credit.  If we wants to come help me cook well hey, I'm definitely ok with that too!
This was seriously good peeps! Seriously good!!


Cast of Characters







All that and the shrimp but it was in the sink waiting for hubster to get back from the grocery so he could peel and devein them.

4 cups water
Salt & pepper, to taste
1 cup stone ground grits
3 Tbsp butter
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 lb. Shrimp, peeled & deveined
6 slices bacon, chopped
4 tsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp chopped parsley
1 cup thinly sliced scallions
1 large clove garlic, minced

Bring water to a boil, add salt and pepper. Add grits and cook until water is absorbed, about 20-25 minutes.







Remove from heat and add butter and cheese. Stir well.







try not to just dive into them at this point either!




oh goodness...I could eat this pot just like this!

Rinse shrimp and pat dry. Fry the bacon in a large skillet until browned









say bacon, bacon in your best imitation of that beggin strips commercial....funny funny no seriously we do that every time we cook bacon, don't you??





Remove bacon to paper towels to drain well then chop. Add the shrimp to the bacon grease in skillet...yeah yeah I said cook the shrimp in the grease!  Get on the treadmill later, trust me it's worth it.








Cook until shrimp turn pink







Add the lemon juice, chopped bacon, parsley, scallions and garlic. Sauté for 3 minutes. Important...do NOT overcook the shrimp.  They will turn against you and be all tough and rubbery like and that is not a good thing!







Stir the shrimp mixture into grits.









Serve it up pronto and make everyone VERY VERY happy ♪♪♪♪♪♪♪  Yep, you guessed it I was humming while I ate this.  You know how little kids hum when they are happy and eating, I was humming away and I am not ashamed!





sorry peeps no final pic in the bowl because we devoured this immediately!




Peace, Love and Yummies my friends!

Oysters and shrimp all kinds of ways

Hi deeeeee ho peeps!! It's Monday and I'm already in the recliner. Not so terrible once you know that I had two crowns this morning. Ayayayayayah!
At least there was power this time so I had my complimentary vanilla milkshake and then made a pit stop at Home Goods. Never been there and...it will NOT be my last trip. Oh my word!!!! No wonder everyone raves about it and I'm probably the only one who didn't know they were part of T J Max. Awesome!!! I did buy this



Because I've wanted one of the canvas prints from Ballard for so long but not at that price, this was easy to deal with but I still want the cherries one from Ballard. ;o). Maybe one day but in the meantime this is where this one is hanging.



It's cheery in my bathroom so I'm happy!

Now sweet Leslie from New Orleans was in town this weekend and my word I ain't never ate so many oysters and shrimp. Well not since this time last year when Leslie came to visit! I'm gonna give you a few recipes today and a few tomorrow since I will probably have ice cream for dinner! Crowns people not laziness!!
Here we go the weekend in photos



My hubby's drink. I thought it looked like swamp water!



Five or six loaves of this yummy stuff. Hubsters fave French bread.



Yes, that is my sink FULL of shrimp. Yum



Hubster shucking the oysters...did I say yum??!!



Where are my saltines, cocktail sauce and horseradish sauce??? YUM



These were charbroiled on the grill by hubster and Leslie. I believe they have cajun butter and Parmesan cheese. Yum!



These are called barbecue shrimp. I'd don't know why, they aren't grilled or have any kind of BBQ sauce. Just butter and Cajun butter and more butter! I swear I think I was sweating butter on the treadmill Saturday. Yeah, I made sure to hit the treadmill every day with this much butter and food in my diet!
Oh and YUM again specially if you take a hunk of that bread and dunk in the butter sauce!!





Boiled shrimp...do I sound like Bubba Gump?? Yum



Oh did I mention there was sausage too?? Yep, lots of sausage. No yum for me, sorry I'm not a sausage fan. However my husband can eat enough for both of us!



Soooooo more from the Texas Who Dat Nation tomorrow where we will make some shrimp and grits that will make you slap yo mama. Please don't really slap her, love yo mama please. Seriously...I impressed myself with these!! We also made hubsters moms Oyster Artichoke soup!

Oh we also went to the Home and Garden show Saturday and I want this in my backyard (with the optional brick oven please)



However hubster wants this



I bet I lose this battle! ;0(

Later peeps I need some medication for my throbbing face!

Peace, Love and Yummies!

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Friday Happy Dance!!!

Well it is time to Friday Happy dance!!!! I'm just hanging out at home with none other than Ms. Leslie from New Orleans. Long time friend of the hubsters and she surprised him with a visit...well when he gets home it will be a surprise! She is a hoot and normally comes out to watch the Saints in the playlets but as fate would have it...no Saints this year. I made this for her to ease the pain.






This is my Who Dat lamp. She is a BIG Saints fan so it's perfect for her.

Last night hubby had a sore face so I had this






Yep, it was cold and tomato soup and grilled cheese hit the spot. My soup isn't red because I mix milk instead of water in my soup. I only tell you that because hubster asked me why the soup wasn't as red as usual. My mama made it that way so I make it that way too! Mama's are usually right about these sorts of things. So do you use milk or water?? What did your mama use?

Sore face hubby had this







Yep that is broccoli and then he squirted this on it






I'm personally a cheese lover on my broccoli but hey, it was his choice.
A little bit later I decided I wasn't quite satisfied so I found some cookies hiding in the fridge from Christmas.






Hey reindeer are still good in January!!!

Gotta run my peeps and hang out with Bowes!!!


Peace,Love and Yummies !!!



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