Casa Ole' Green Dip

4 avocados
1 (16 oz) container sour cream
1 can Rotel tomatoes
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 (4 oz) can green chilis
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon lemon juice
3 oz cream cheese

Combine all ingredients and mix until smooth using a blender or food processor.

This really does taste just like the green dip at Casa Ole'! I was amazed. :-) My friend Giggles brought it to our annual couples christmas party last month and it was very popular! Thank you for the recipe Giggles!

Olive Garden Salad

"Olive Garden" salad

6 servings

for dressing

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/3 cup white vinegar

1 teaspoon vegetable oil

2 tablespoons corn syrup

2 tablespoons parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons romano cheese

1/4 teaspoon garlic salt

1/2 teaspoon italian seasoning

1/2 teaspoon parsley flakes

1 tablespoon lemon juice

for salad

american blend bagged salad mix
red onion slices
black olives
pepperoncini peppers
croutons
roma tomatoes, sliced
parmesan cheese, freshly grated

Mix all dressing ingredients in a blender or processor until well blended. Toss salad ingredients and top with dressing.

There are two different "Olive Garden" salad dressing recipes I found to be floating all over the internet. I chose to try the one that did not call for raw egg. The family didn't think it tasted too much like Olive Garden's, but it was very good and they ate the whole bowl very quickly!

Linked to Gooseberry Patch Recipe Round Up

Party Sandwiches

Party Sandwiches

6 servings (2 sandwiches each)

1 package 12 dinner rolls

1/4 cup butter, melted

2 tablespoons poppy seeds

2 tablespoons mustard

2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce

sliced ham

sliced cheese

Split dinner rolls in half. Combine butter, poppy seeds, mustard and worcestershire sauce. Dip bottom halves of each roll in sauce. Place a slice of ham and cheese on bottom roll halves. Dip top roll halves in sauce and place on sandwiches. Place sandwiches in baking dish or cookie sheet. Bake at 350° for 15 minutes or until cheese is melted. Serve warm and enjoy!

When Day is Done

This day so full of promise
Has slowly slipped away,
Like dying coals upon the fire
Where logs of oak once lay.

Some victories, some losses,
With work yet to be done –
People who will need me
Struggles to be won.

So I kneel beside my bed
To thank God for this day,
I ask for nothing but His grace
That love might light my way.

Gone forever is this day,
Content I’ve done my best.
I hand it over now to God
And seek His peaceful rest.

~Richard E. Rybolt

“I will lie down and sleep in peace,
for you alone, O Lord,
make me dwell in safety.”
Psalms 4:8 NIV

Baked Lemon Chicken with New Potatoes and Vegetables

Baked Lemon Chicken with New Potatoes and Vegetables

4 servings

6 tablespoons oil, divided

2 lemons, 1 thinly sliced, 1 juiced
4 chicken breasts

2 cloves garlic

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

fresh green beans, enough for 4 servings

2 or 3 large carrots, sliced into sticks

bag of small red potatoes, quartered
1 onion, sliced

Preheat oven to 450°. Coat a large baking dish with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Arrange lemon slices from 1 lemon in a single layer on the bottom of the dish.  In a skillet, brown chicken on both sides in 1 tablespoon oil.  In a large bowl combine remaining oil, lemon juice of 2nd lemon, garlic, salt and pepper. Add green beans, carrots, potatoes, and onion; toss to coat. Using tongs, remove vegetables and arrange them on top of lemon slices, leaving the center of the pan open.  Place browned chicken in the center of baking dish. Pour any remaining oil over chicken, and top with additional freshly ground pepper. Bake for 50 minutes and enjoy!

This was wonderful!!! The recipe is my adaptation of one I found at a very sweet recipe blog, Kelly's Korner Recipes. Thanks Kelly! We all loved this! Yum! Yum! :-)

Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins

Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins

1 dozen

1 3/4 cups flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup plain yogurt (or sour cream)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup mashed very ripe bananas (2 to 3 medium)
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

In a bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Separately whisk the egg, oil, yogurt and vanilla. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in bananas and chocolate chips. Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks. Serve with a cold glass of milk or your favorite juice and enjoy!

"O Winter! ruler of the inverted year,

I crown thee king of intimate delights,

Fireside enjoyments, home-born happiness,

And all the comforts that the lowly roof

Of undisturb'd retirement, and the hours

Of long uninterrupted evening, know."

~William Cowper

illustration courtesy of www.allposters.com

"Winter Sunrise" by Carl Valente

Supper Menus
January 19th-24th

Monday
baked lemon chicken with new potatoes and vegetables, sour dough bread
Tuesday
party sandwiches, potato chips, pickles, chocolate layer cake
Wednesday
angel hair pasta with marinara sauce and fresh parmesan cheese, olive garden salad, garlic bread
Thursday
bar-b-q beef sandwiches, spicy potato wedges, coleslaw
Friday
chicken and beef fajitas, spanish rice, refried beans, tortilla chips, salsa, pico de gallo, casa ole green dip, chocolate marble cheesecake pie, slice and bake valentine's cookies
Saturday
out for supper

Please visit Orgjunkie's Menu Plan Monday! :-)

Shopping With My Daughter

I was innocently shopping for new tennis shoes for both children this afternoon, when it happened yet again. I fell in love with another pair of shoes...

Oh why had no one else bought these darlings?!! Originally priced at $35 - way out of my ;-) shoe shopping budget. Marked down to $25, then $18 (yes, I peeled back all the stickers!) and finally $8!!! In my size! :-)

It really doesn't matter that I don't have the perfect dress to wear them with yet, nor the fact that I won't wear them until after Easter...

...they're heels, they're peep-toes, they have the sweetest 1940's reminiscent double straps, and...they're pink! As my daughter said when I picked them up - "Oh, Mom, those are soooo you - you have to get them!"

And that, my friends, is why I shop with my girl. ;-)

Daisy is Relieved

Things at Heritage Schoolhouse are getting close to normal routine again. And Miss Daisy, for one, is very relieved!

I think we were really starting to bore her! ;-)

Sahara

A Wintertime Hutch

I never mind putting my Christmas dishes away each year,

for the rest of the winter months

and into the spring

I enjoy these...

A gift from my grandmother, the pattern is Royal Majestic Cannes.

I love the delicate flowers...

...in pink and blue.

For Valentine's teas,

or simple, cozy winter afternoons,

they are a delight. :-)

Thank you if you are visiting from

Kelli's House for Show and Tell Friday!

I appreciate you stopping by! :-)

Oklahoma!

Recovery Knitting

Knitting is the perfect illness recovery activity ~ it's calming, satisfies your creative need, and you can be busy and resting at the same time! I couldn't wait to get my hands on the needles my daughter knitted her scarf on. I think they were still warm when I started a funky scarf of my own! ;-)

using Lion Brand Wool-Ease Worsted Weight

(a soft, warm blend of lamb's wool and easy-care acrylic)

in "Mushroom"

A Happy Working Song :-)

"All right everyone, time to tidy things up!"

Come my little friends

As we all sing a happy little working song

Merry little voices clear and strong

Come and roll your sleeves up

So that we can pitch in

Cleaning crud up in the kit-chen

As we sing along

And you’ll trill a cheery tune in the tub

As we scrub a stubborn mildew stain

Lug a hairball from the shower drain

To the gay refrain

Of a happy working song

We’ll keep singing without fail

Otherwise we’d spoil it

Hosing down the garbage pail

And scrubbing up the toilet - Ooh!

How we all enjoy letting loose with a little La-da-da-dum-dum

While we’re emptying the vacu-um

It’s such fun to hum

A happy working song Oo-ooh

A happy working song

Oh, how strange a place to be

Till Edward comes for me

My heart is sighing

Still, as long as I am here

I guess a new experience

Could be worth trying

Hey! Keep drying!

You could do a lot when you got

Such a happy little tune to hum

While you’re sponging up the soapy scum

We adore each filthy chore

That we determine

So friends even though you’re vermin

We’re a happy working song

Singing as we fetch the detergent box

Or the smelly shirts and the stinky socks

Sing along

If you cannot sing then hum along

As we’re finishing our happy working song!

"Ah...wasn’t this fun?"

Lyrics from "A Happy Working Song" by Amy Adams featured in the precious Disney movie "Enchanted".

I've been humming this song today. If you would like to listen, too, the song is currently listed first in my playbox at the bottom of the right side bar. :-) Happy working!

Simpleness

"The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary

so that the necessary may speak."

~Hans Hofmann

illustration courtesy of www.allposters.com

"Simply Your Life" by Karen Tribett

And the (very patient!) winner is...

Thank you all so much for understanding when I wasn't able to draw the winner of the New Years Day Giveaway on Thursday as planned. :-) My family is all doing a little better each day. This evening I wrote down all the entrants and Mr. H. was kind enough to draw the winner. Without further ado, the recipient of the Gooseberry Patch calendar is...

"Mystery of History Mom"

at Morning Glories and Moonflowers.

Congratulations! :-)

And thank you to every one that entered! :-)

Narnia ~ Prince Caspian

Seven Brides for Seven Brothers

A Funky Chunky Scarf :-)

My daughter has been the first at Heritage Schoolhouse to start to recover from our family flu. She spent some time finishing up her second knitting project ~ a "funky, chunky scarf" on h-u-g-e needles. Very fun!