Monday, June 27, 2011

Summer Supper Salad


Summer Supper Salad
4-6 servings

1 package frozen tortellini
1 package romaine salad greens
1 cup cherry tomatoes
1 cup seasoned croutons
1/2 cup fresh shredded parmesan cheese
for dressing
1/2 cup mayonaise
1/4 cup milk
1  tablespoon lemon juice
1 garlic clove, minced
salt and  pepper to taste

Prepare tortellini according to package directions.  Rinse under cold water until cooled.  Toss tortellini,  greens, tomatoes, croutons, and cheese in a large bowl.  Combine dressing ingredients, pour over salad and toss to coat.  Serve immediately and enjoy!

This is  a wonderful summertime salad and so easy.  You can even make the tortellini and the dressing ahead of time and refrigerate until ready to prepare the salad.  Since this can be on the supper table in minutes, it's a nice meal to have after a long summer afternoon at the pool.

~my spot~


Every wife, mom, "maker of the home"
needs a spot to herself to call her own.

My spot isn't in the bedroom.  I share that room with Mr. H.  It isn't in the kitchen.  Even though that's my favorite place to be, there aren't any chairs in the kitchen. ;-)  And it certainly isn't the most comfortable seat in the living room.  If I chose to make that "my spot" it would always be occupied by someone else! 


This is ~my spot~.
It's in a little alcove off the living room,
that we call the "library".
It's perfect.
When I sit there 
I am accessible to everyone,
but still a little bit removed from all the action.
I have all my books on one side of me,
the fireplace and my desk on the other side.


I sit in "my" rocker.
The rocker I rocked both of my babies in.
The rocker I hope to rock my grand babies in. :-)
This was the first piece of brand new furniture that
Mr. H. and I picked out and bought on our own.
We had been married two and a half years
 when we got it,
but up until then every piece of furniture we 
had ever owned had been a hand-me-down. :-)

Mr. H. found the rocker by himself and 
when he took me by the store to show it to me
I fell in love.
All the rockers we had looked at had seemed so big 
and I told him this one was just my size - 
my feet touched the ground! ;-)

The fabric on my rocker is looking a little worn,
so I have it draped with the quilt that was on
our  bed when we were first married.
We talk of having my rocker reupholstered one day.
Maybe in a faux cowhide!


When I know I have some time to linger in my spot,
I like to make sure to have a nice drink.
Usually coffee in the fall and winter,
but my summertime choice is a big mason jar of tea...
fresh brewed, lots of ice, unsweetened, with lemon. :-)


And, sometimes a snack.
In summertime?  Fresh strawberries!
In the winter?  Usually something not so healthy. ;-)


As you can see I have Miss Daisy's bed placed
conveniently close by.  Though when I am not in my spot
she tends to enjoy spending time in it,  too.


I usually have my current knitting project next to my rocker.


And I keep other projects in a basket right behind me,


along with current magazines and catalogs I like to look through.


This is also where I keep my
"stack" of library books.
Oh, how that stack gets tall in the summertime!! 


I love to have the chess board right here, too.
My son and I are in mid-game as usual.
From my chair I can think about my next move. ;-)


The view in front of me when I'm sitting in my rocker is the front door.
I like this since I can see anyone driving into the drive.


And, right behind me is the barnyard 
where I can easily check on the chickens 
and Miss LuLu. :-)


Sometimes I can go days 
and be so busy  that I never get a chance to sit down
in my special spot.
But, it's always there waiting for me.

Do you have a spot to relax in your home?
If not, I hope you decide to take a little time 
to carve out a special place just for you. :-)

Linked to A Wise Woman Builds Her Home.

I haven't washed my face in weeks...


What??
Let me rephrase that. ;-)
I haven't washed my face with soap in weeks. :-)

For about six weeks now,
I have been using the
and I LOVE it.

I was skeptical at first
but thought it was worth a try.
I wasn't having any trouble with my skin,
I was just attracted to the simplicity of the method,
the cost savings,
and after reading about it, 
it really does make a lot of sense.

I have been very pleased with the results.
I love how my skin looks and feels before bedtime, 
And for me, that's saying a lot!
I don't go anywhere without my makeup.
If the barn needs paintin'... ;-)


The method is simple.
A blend of castor oil - the wonder oil,
and a thinner oil - I use olive oil. 
You blend the two according to your skin type.


I have balanced skin
so I use a blend of 20% castor oil


and 80% olive oil.


I blend it up, give the bottle a good shake,
put the olive oil back in the pantry,
put the castor oil back in the medicine cabinet,
and I'm good to go for several weeks.

I do the method in the evening 
and then simply flush my face with cool water in the morning
before I apply my makeup.

Read about it!
And, if you give it a  try, let me know. :-)

Menu Plan Monday


Supper Menus
June 27th - July 2nd


Monday
caesar salad with pastarosemary bread
Tuesday
braided sandwich loaves, potato chips, strawberry shortcake cookies
Wednesday
mexican frito salad
Thursday
tba
Friday
homemade pizza, olive garden salad, chocolate chip cookie pie
Saturday
tba


Linked to Menu Plan Monday.