Are you ready for some FOOTBALL?

    

Most of you know that I raised 4 boys! And during that time I learned to love football! I watched football and during half time, I went outside and caught passes and kicked field goals. Well, that last part may be a bit of an exaggeration! But I HAVE watched and ROOTED for the Dallas Cowboys since the '70s! So I'm looking forward to the Fall football season! I have a new bag of thin and crispy Tostitoes, sharp cheddar cheese and salsa to make nachos! (and low carb beer in the fridge)

 

And yes, I've dressed some of my dolls for football season! 

My husband even ran in Dollar Tree and bought a little nerf football.

I wonder if I can make a field goal with that?

 Wendy has an Arkansas Razorback outfit on! Thanks Aunt Cindy!

 And Mellie has the Carolina Panthers dress on (thanks to a clearance rack)! 

The little Cowboys pjs are from the Etsy shop HERE!

And completely off the subject of football....I have a new favorite blog that I think some of you would love.  The Homemaking Daily...lots of great ideas and insights on happy homemaking!

What's new in your corner of the world? What team to you root for (if the Cowboys aren't playing! heehee)?

I’m joining Thankful Thursdays .

 

 

Eat Healthy!

I eat healthy most of the time! And with my healthier eating plan AND a lot of hard work (I don’t mean hard work to try to lose weight, I mean literally the HARD WORK of helping someone clean their house out and move, up and down a flight of stairs, etc)..and exercise I have now lost 11 pounds! That’s probably all I will lose and I’m not sure I will keep it all off, but we’ll see. It IS hiking season here in Florida now so I should be more active for the next few months.

HTP hike # 56

This is a typical lunch for me. Hubby grills extra chicken so that I have leftovers for my lunches.

I’ve added avocado slices and a few Craisins to this healthy salad. I like Butter Lettuce best and usually have just a few Wheat Thins on the side!

But does that mean I never get hungry for something ‘less than healthy’! Oh no, my friend!

I don’t know what made me think about Nachos but I just HAD to have some!

I bought Tortilla chips and Jalapeno Pepper slices in a jar. I had everything else I needed!

I placed a layer of the chips on a cookie sheet, on foil!

Then I grated all kinds of good cheese: sharp cheddar, American and  Havarti and sprinkled most of it on top. Next the Jalapeno Pepper slices (they were only $1.23 for a jar…and a FEW goes a LONG way! they are HOT!)

Then more cheese on top of that!

Bake for about 10 minutes at 350.

We put chunky salsa, guacamole and sour cream on top. I took a photo of the homemade guacamole I made but it looked awful, kind of all green and mushy! teehee But it tasted wonderful!

We grilled hamburgers and made some sweet corn. Man….or Woman should can not make a meal out of Nachos alone (or eat salads at every meal!) lol After all, it is Fall….and Football season!

Have you made anything ‘out of the ordinary’ this week?

I’m joining Thankful Thursdays.

Downton Abbey “Out for Delivery”

We were so glad we preordered Downton Abbey from Amazon months ago. And since before Christmas we have been receiving packages on Sunday. The mailman drives up in the driveway and delivers them…on Sunday. Is that happening where you live, too?

So it was a little easier to watch the Super Bowl instead of Downton Abbey, knowing we had the DVD of the show to watch later.

Having said that…what did you watch? Did you have 2 TVs going at the same time like we did last year? See that post HERE! When I looked at this post, I saw my first comment from Vee at A Haven for Vee. She wrote, “Now that is a hoot!”

 

What are your impressions of the latest installment of “As the World Turns…at Downton Abbey”?

I’ll be sure to watch my DVD of this show before I read the comments. I don’t want to be surprised or SHOCKED! It WAS shocking, wasn’t it?

Gift Giving for Girls

It’s fun to give gifts that you know the recipient will like. And very nice to receive those perfect gifts.

I have to brag on my hubby just a little bit. He is a great shopper and loves to surprise me.

Awhile back he bought me some Dallas Cowboy gear! I’ve been a HUGE Cowboy fan since the 1960s but I don’t think I’ve ever had a Cowboy t shirt. I don’t know why….I just never got one. So when he found all of this in a store in St. Augustine, he fixed me up with a shirt, cap and coolie cup.

But the big surprise came when we sat down to watch Monday night football a week or so ago. I was in my chair watching the starting kick off when he started acting funny…kind of silly, funny!

He pulled out a Dallas Cowboy BEAR from between our chairs. Somehow he had managed to buy it at the festival in McIntosh, carry it around and get home with it without me even noticing. I’m still wondering how that happened! lol

Are you ready for some football?

What do you MEAN another 10 yard penalty?

I’m ready for more football!

Don’t I have a great hubby? He named my bear Mo though…so he’s not perfect! hahaha!

How ‘bout them Cowboys?

A Controversial Subject “Warning”!

I usually don’t post about controversial subjects on my blog.

(not controversial…the fox we saw at the State Park last weekend)

I don’t discuss politics….I pray for our country and our leaders.

I don’t mention religion even though I have strong beliefs…I pray every day.

But I just have to mix it up just a little on my blog today and say….

HOW BOUT THEM COWBOYS?!

I even looked up the correct spelling of this phrase.

Here’s the definition in the Urban Dictionary,

1. how bout them cowboys?!

“What Dallas Cowboys fans say after the Cowboys win a game, make the playoffs, win the superbowl, or especially beat them Eagles.”

So now look what I MADE!!!

 

Throw pillows for our recliners!

(I bought 3 panels for 25 cents at the thrift store)

Now we can recline in comfort while we watch the games. Well, actually I jump up and down quite a bit when I watch. How could you raise four sons in Texas without being a big fan? I’ve been a Cowboy fan since the ‘60s….WOW! That dates me! haha

(one more fox photo, he’s cute and NOT controversial!)

I’m joining Thrifty Things Friday!

Also Katherine’s Corner,

Ivy and Elephants and

Jann for Share Your Cup

and Home Sweet Home.

So I know this is going to touch some nerves and raise some controversy. But go ahead and comment!

Tell me if you like football as much as I do and what team you root for. I won’t hold it against you….I promise! And you never know….maybe I’ll make some more ‘team pillows’!

“Chrisy’s Creations” Ocali Days

It’s always so much fun to meet the wonderful people that come to the Festivals to demonstrate their art or to sell their creations. I met the neatest lady named Chrisy with an amazing booth.

I admired some cute little leather bags she had made and she asked me if I would rather have one with a strap? OH YES! So while we walked over to buy Kettle Corn to take home and watch the Dallas Cowboys WIN…she sewed a strap on this beautiful aqua leather bag.

 

And look what was inside…

and the bag she packaged everything in!

My hubby was sweet and picked out a pair of earrings for me, too.

It was pretty much my ‘perfect day’!

I love Cowboy football and hubby even made NY chili! (maybe even better than TX chili!!! heehee)

I know I am SO spoiled!

Chrisy doesn’t have a website or blog but I have her email addy.

Her card says, ‘Native art Aussie style’!

Have you ever seen anything like this?

Oh how I LOVE it!

King Arthur Flour

I am a 'health food nut' and strive to eat healthy. But all of the 'healthy' brownie recipes I've tried were failures! The worst one was a honey brownie that tasted like honey from the jar! No chocolate taste at all!

So for Super Bowl Sunday, I made REAL brownies! Fudgy, moist, chocolaty Brownies! And here's the recipe I used. (I use King Arthur Whole Wheat flour for most of my cooking but for this recipe I followed the recipe and used unbleached flour)

Fudge Brownies

Ingredients

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
• 2 1/4 cups sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 1 1/4 cups Double-Dutch Dark Cocoa or Dutch-process cocoa
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon espresso powder
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
• 2 cups chocolate chips

• 8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter
• 15 3/4 ounces sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 3 3/4 ounces Double-Dutch Dark Cocoa or Dutch-Process Cocoa
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon espresso powder
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 6 1/4 ounces King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
• 12 ounces chocolate chips

Directions

1) Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9" x 13" pan

2) In a medium-sized microwave-safe bowl, or in a saucepan set over low heat, melt the butter, then add the sugar and stir to combine. Return the mixture to the heat (or microwave) briefly, just until it's hot (about 110°F to 120°F), but not bubbling; it'll become shiny looking as you stir it. Heating this mixture a second time will dissolve more of the sugar, which will yield a shiny top crust on your brownies.

3) While the sugar heats a second time, crack the 4 eggs into a bowl, and beat them with the cocoa, salt, baking powder, espresso powder, and vanilla till smooth.

4) Add the hot butter/sugar mixture, stirring until smooth.

5) Add the flour and chips, again stirring until smooth. Note: If you want the chips to remain intact in the baked brownies, rather than melting in, let the batter cool in the bowl for about 20 minutes before stirring in the chips.

6) Spoon the batter into a lightly greased 9" x 13" pan.

7) Bake the brownies for about 30 minutes, until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, or with just a few moist crumbs clinging to it. The brownies should feel set on the edges, and the center should look very moist, but not uncooked. Remove them from the oven and cool on a rack before cutting and serving.

The only healthy change I made.....I cut the recipe in half! heehee! I also used 2 teaspoons of strong coffee in place of the espresso powder.  I cooked it in a 8 by 8 inch pan for 25 minutes and it was perfect!

Way to go Saints! YOU DID IT!

What are you doing tonight?

Are you having something good to eat?

We are having Chili with fritos and cheese....home made fudge brownies and coffee for the second half!

Girls like football, too!

Who are you rooting for?

GO SAINTS !!!

Have fun!

Are you ready for some FOOTBALL?

Someone's in the kitchen with Dinah.......
someone's in the kitchen, I know.....I know!

Well.......not really! Hubby's in the kitchen by himself!

(does anyone still remember that song?)

(UPDATED---we're cookin' now!!!)

He has snacks.......


and all the fixins' to make a BIG POT of CHILI!

(not pictured Organic Ground chuck from Earth Fare)

He would NOT share his secret ingredients but there are MANY!


I have Fritoes and cheddar cheese to make a Frito Chili Pie in my bowl!

Taken earlier........

there is NOTHING *S*E*X*ier than a man making fresh coffee......


and the aroma of grinding beans is intoxicating!

***GO CARDINALS!!!***