Heritage Schoolhouse Chicken Salad
6 servings

2 cups cooked chicken
1 stalk celery
1 apple
1 cup seedless grapes
1/4 cup mayoniase
1 tablespoon lemon juice
salt, pepper, and sugar to taste

Chop chicken, celery, apple and grapes - finely for tea sandwiches, more chunky for serving on regular bread or lettuce leaves. Combine mayonaise, lemon juice, and seasonings. Toss with chicken and enjoy!

Springtime Penne

Springtime Penne

4 servings

3 cups uncooked penne pasta
1 pound fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 large onion, chopped
1/4 cup butter, cubed
1/2 pound cubed fully cooked ham
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon salt

Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, saute asparagus and onion in butter for 5-8 minutes or until asparagus is crisp-tender. Add the ham, cream, pepper and salt; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cook over low heat for 1 minute. Drain pasta. Add to the asparagus mixture; toss to coat. Serve immediately and enjoy!

To be so simple, this was very tasty! The boys immediately added parmesan cheese, though. ;-) It was a really nice meal to serve on a Wednesday night before Bible class - we eat early and no one ever wants anything too heavy. It was also so quick and easy that I was able to meet my Wednesday night goal of "supper served, kitchen cleaned and dishwasher going by 5:30" - love that! :-)

Linked to Gooseberry Patch Recipe Roundup.

Best Brownies

Best Brownies

2 dozen

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
4 eggs
1 can (16 ounces) chocolate syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt

for glaze
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter, cubed
1/3 cup milk
2/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips
2/3 cup miniature marshmallows

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in chocolate syrup and vanilla. Add the flour and salt until blended. Pour into a greased 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan. Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean (top of brownies will still appear wet). Cool on a wire rack for 15-20 minutes. For glaze, combine sugar, butter and milk in a saucepan. Bring to a boil; boil until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from the heat; stir in chocolate chips and marshmallows until melted. Pour over the brownies and spread evenly. Refrigerate for 5 minutes before cutting and enjoy!

Best brownies I have ever had! :-)

Linked to Gooseberry Patch Recipe Roundup

Look who I caught enjoying the sunshine today...

...Miss Daisy girl.

All this relaxing can be a little tiring. ;-)

Doesn't she have the life?! :-)

Touch of Spring Muffins

Touch of Spring Muffins

(from Taste of Home magazine)

12 servings

2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
3/4 cup milk
1/3 cup oil
1/2 cup sliced fresh strawberries
1/2 cup sliced fresh rhubarb
for topping
6 small fresh strawberries, halved
2 teaspoons sugar

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, beat egg, milk and oil until smooth. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in strawberries and rhubarb. Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups three-fourths full. Place a strawberry half, cut side down, on each.* Sprinkle with sugar. Bake at 375° for 22-25 minutes or until muffins test done. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack. Serve warm and enjoy!

I was looking forward to trying these muffins with the "mysterious to me" rhubarb - I've never cooked with it. ;-) Unfortunately, my grocery didn't have any this morning and the produce man said another local grocery was out as well. So, I went ahead and made them with just the strawberries. I will be keeping my eye out for rhubarb, and planning to make them again when I find some! :-)

*I completely forgot to save some strawberry halves during my zealous strawberry chopping, so I skipped this part! I still sprinkled some sugar on top to give them a "bakery" appearance. :-)

Welcoming Spring!

You can find lots more paper crafting ideas at Kelli's blog, There Is No Place Like Home.

She hosts Paper Crafting Wednesday!

Supper Menus
April 20th-26th

Monday
chicken with lemon sauce, spring vegetable medley, strawberry spinach salad, dinner rolls
Tuesday
hamburgers, spicy potato wedges, baked beans, brownies
Wednesday
springtime penne, garlic bread sticks
Thursday
cheese enchiladas, spanish rice, pinto beans, ice cream sundaes
Friday
out for supper
Saturday
kung pao chicken, white rice, jasmine passionfruit iced tea

3rd 5K to participate in...

...and 1st 5K to run *most* of!

Hoping to run all of the next one! :-)

And, let's see, that would be when I'm NOT -

running in the rain, thunder and far away lightening

running through ankle deep water and mud

running with clothing stuck to my body

running while trying to not twist my ankle in a deep hole

running looking like a very drowned rat! ;-)

Finish line! :-)

April Showers Bring May Flowers!

So thankful for lots of rain!

Strawberry Spinach Salad

Strawberry Spinach Salad

6-8 servings

8 cups torn fresh spinach
1 pint fresh strawberries, sliced
1/2 cup oil
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon dried, minced onion

1/4 teaspoon paprika

On salad plates, arrange the spinach and strawberries. In a jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine the remaining ingredients; shake well. Drizzle over salads; serve immediately and enjoy!

This is a delicious recipe to use with the spinach I recieved from my friend's garden! :-)

Linked to Gooseberry Patch Recipe Roundup.

A Morning in a Spring Garden

A friend of mine (that I have known since I was the age my daughter is now!) invited me and the children over to enjoy her wonderful garden today. We jumped at the nice invitation! :-)

First we met her very sweet bunny.

He ate this whole carrot! Very quickly!

The children picked spinach greens,
and beets,

and lettuce.

They helped to plant some corn.

The onions weren't quite ready.

But the potatoes were!

The children dug some up...

... and our hostess prepared them for our lunch.

The very best potatoes I have ever eaten! :-)

What a wonderful time we had in a spring garden!

Spring Cleaning Day 10

location ~ kitchen

cleaned and organized ~ dishes and glasses cabinets

I think with Day 10 I will stop posting each day. I do plan to continue a small cleaning and organizing project on most days throughout the rest of April and May. I will be working in our master bathroom next. I hope you continue to tackle a small thing each day. I enjoyed reading what each of you were working on. Did you discover how much can really be accomplished in regular, small blocks of time?

Little by little our spring cleaning will bring big rewards!

What did you work on today? Please share! :-)

Meanwhile back at the ranch... ;-)

A quick little trip out to my in-laws ranch this evening,

for our turn to feed the cows.

Here they come - they know the sound of supper! ;-)

I've always loved cows.

Always.

It's something about their sweet eyes.

It's like they're trying to tell me something. :-)

Well, except for Samson the Bull.
All his eyes are telling me is that he's onry. ;-)

The ranch hands always take a spin on the 4wheelers,

after the work is done.

It's tradition. :-)

Spring Cleaning Day 9

I played too much today and didn't get to any spring cleaning! Back to work tomorrow!

Did anyone else work today? Please share! :-)

Supper Menus
April 13th-18th

Monday
out for supper
Tuesday
easter dinner leftovers
Wednesday
chicken spaghetti, romaine salad, rosemary bread
Thursday
jalapeno chicken enchiladas, refried beans, pico de gallo, tortilla chips, strawberry shortcake
Friday
out for supper
Saturday
take out pizza

beautiful tulips from sweet guests

~Easter Dinner Menu~

spiral sliced smoked ham

make ahead potatoes

homestyle macaroni and cheese

aspargus and onion casserole

green bean casserole

candied carrots

buttered corn

pink sweet salad

strawberry spinach salad

deviled eggs

sweet pickles and black olives

dinner rolls

crescent rolls

cheesecake pie

sugar cookies

Easter shaped chocolate mints

jelly beans and robin's egg candies

tea

lemonade

coffee

He Is Risen

Celebrating today,

as we do each first day of the week,

every LORD's day...

the risen Saviour.

Luke 24:1-12 NKJV

1 Now on the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they, and certain other women with them, came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared. 2 But they found the stone rolled away from the tomb. 3 Then they went in and did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 And it happened, as they were greatly perplexed about this, that behold, two men stood by them in shining garments. 5 Then, as they were afraid and bowed their faces to the earth, they said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? 6 He is not here, but is risen! Remember how He spoke to you when He was still in Galilee, 7 saying, ‘The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.’”8 And they remembered His words. 9 Then they returned from the tomb and told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest. 10 It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them, who told these things to the apostles. 11 And their words seemed to them like idle tales, and they did not believe them. 12 But Peter arose and ran to the tomb; and stooping down, he saw the linen cloths lying by themselves; and he departed, marveling to himself at what had happened.

Whew!

I went into speed knitting when I realized the poncho I was working on for a sweet young lady would match her Easter dress.

I hope she likes it! :-)

Sweetly modeled here by my daughter. :-)

Spring Cleaning Day 8

Oops! The day got away from me today and I didn't get to any cleaning or organizing on my list. But that's ok - it will be there on Monday. ;-)

I have really enjoyed reading everyone's wonderful progress. :-) Enjoy all of your hard work over the Easter holiday! Spring Cleaning will be back on Monday. I hope to be finishing up in the kitchen and moving on to other parts of my home...

What did you work on today? Please share! :-)

Pride and Prejudice