What can you buy for 68 cents?

We are still buying our groceries online at Walmart and then picking them up! It has worked great for us and we are getting most of what we need. We still shop at Publix for bakery bread and meat.

So when we looked at toilet paper on the Walmart site, we were surprised to see this for 68 cents, limit one! We put one in the cart! It's small....almost 'travel size' but it will be easy to store. We need to stay 'stocked up' on all the necessities!

I've had a quiet week but that's good. My big outing this week is a trip to the dentist to get my teeth cleaned. I'm overdue for my appointment and I really need to get them cleaned for healthy teeth and gums! I worried about going....but then decided it was necessary!

And we've prepared some good meals this week. I made hamburger buns again for our Memorial Day cookout. Recipe HERE! We had hamburgers and potato wedges with onions browned in the skillet. We shared with Aunt Helen and she enjoyed it too!

Another day, I made a chicken sandwich with melted Havarti cheese on a bun, potato chips with low salt on the side! 

How are you faring this week? Anything you've ventured out to do that was fun? My friend, L. sent me the photo of the ocean today! They are enjoying a few days at the beach. That's on my 'to do' list for SURE!!! (I started my post with the photo she sent instead of a package of toilet paper. Wasn't that nice of me?)

I’m joining Thankful Thursdays and

I like Thursdays HERE too!

Entertaining ourselves

I've never had a problem 'entertaining' myself! I'm surrounded by lots of 'favorite things' and can amuse myself for hours on end 'playing' with my toys!

I finally made an inventory of my children's readers on my computer using Libre Office. It's great because I can sort them by title or date or subject. I like the Alice and Jerry readers best but I collect any that I can find at a good price. 

And I took a couple of them off the shelf to read later. 

The stories are so sweet in these old readers from the '50s and '60s.

And I made another bread recipe that is SO quick and easy that I wanted to share it! I call them breadsticks and made them all the time when my kids were growing up. But then I couldn't find the recipe. I think I was confused by the name.

Quick Twist Rolls ....or Breadsticks

2 cups flour

1 Tbsp sugar

1/2 tsp salt

3 Tbsp soft shortening

1 beaten egg

1 Tbsp yeast

1/4 cup warm water

1/4 cup warm milk

Measure all dry ingredients and shortening together and blend.

Add yeast to warm water and let stand a few minutes.

Warm milk and pour into bowl. When lukewarm, add egg, yeast mixture and half of the flour mixture. Beat until smooth.

Add the rest of the ingredients, mixing well. Make dough into a ball with some olive oil on your hands. Cover and let rise for about 30 minutes.

Grease 2 cookie sheets.

Punch down dough, toss onto lightly floured board. Roll to a rectangle 8 by 18 inches.

Brush half the rectangle the long way with soft butter.

Fold unbuttered half over buttered, pressing gently to make a rectangle 4 by 18 inches. Cut dough in strips 1 inch wide.

Take strips by ends and twist several times. Place on greased cookie sheets.

Let rise for 15 minutes. Preheat oven, bake at 425 for 10 minutes. Cool on rack.

(I don't put an egg glaze on top of them because it always makes them fall.)

 They are crispy on the outside and tender inside. Pour some garlic infused butter over a few and you'll 'swoon'! lol

Have a good week! Let me know if you bake something good this week!

I’m joining Thankful Thursdays and

I like Thursdays HERE too!

Let's BAKE!!!

It seemed like the perfect time to get out my old cookbooks and BAKE! I had to wait on flour first but it was worth it!

(would one of my 4 sons like to confess to coloring the cover of this cookbook with crayons? Email me, or TEXT! lol)

I use King Arthur flour and it's high quality...'wheat flour grown and milled in the United States'! YAY! If you can't find it in your stores, you can order it online. A link to their website is HERE!

They have all kinds of tips and recipes too! Tried and true recipes like the ones I use from my own collection.

When my boys were growing up in the '70s I baked all of our bread. And I baked with whole wheat flour. They had a friend say once that we ate everything whole wheat. We even had whole wheat water! hahaha! We still laugh about that! But we were an active family and stayed healthy!

Bread is not low calorie and homemade bread is even harder to resist so be balanced about it! Exercise to maintain your weight and be sensible with what (and how much) you eat. My weight stays the same now but my husband actually has the problem of being underweight and needs to gain weight. 

So when you bake, enjoy it fresh out of the oven but freeze some for later and share with others. 

The first recipe I made was French bread. It's just a basic French bread recipe that you can find online. (not many ingredients needed to make this bread)

My hubby cut some in cubes and made croutons for our salads. That was amazing!

Then I made Hamburger buns!

Yes my kids grew up eating home made whole wheat hamburger buns! 

'Burger Buns

 1 pkg yeast

1/2 cup warm water

1/2 cup warm milk

1 tbsp. sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

3 cups whole wheat flour

1 cup white flour

1 egg

2 tbsp soft shortening

After you mix ingredients together and knead, place in greased bowl. Cover and let rise for 1 hour. Punch dough down and let rest 10 minutes. Shape dough into 12 balls, place on greased baking sheet and flatten slightly.

Cover and let rise for 30 minutes.

Bake for 15 minutes at 375 degrees.

(as you can see, I made a few changes to the recipe)

And oh my, they are delicious! 

Comfort food! What can I say! 

But when life gives you lemons....

(the very first mask I made, don't ask....!!!!
I've made several since this first disaster with success!)

BAKE BREAD!!!

And stay safe and healthy!

I'm joining Angie for Mosaic Monday HERE . 

Good Morning!

Isn't it nice to have our favorite blogs to read in the mornings? I usually eat my breakfast first and then linger over a cup of coffee and read. Sometimes I don't even comment....I just sit and enjoy catching up with my blog buddies. Life has changed so much these past few weeks and I'm glad we can encourage each other and of course, 'flatten the curve' by staying home.

I can't say I've gotten SO much more done by staying home. My house is cleaner and I've tackled a few projects that get left undone (to quote Mrs. Hughes in Downton Abbey). And of course I've cooked!

I made cornbread using a recipe that my blog buddy, Lorrie shared on her blog Fabric Paper Thread. It's HERE! I omitted the sugar of course and made mine into muffins! And they really are buttery delicious!

Since I had a small carton of buttermilk I made a half recipe of biscuits too. I have that recipe in my head! lol But it's just easy peasy...with Crisco and some butter cut into the flour that has baking powder, baking soda and a sprinkle of salt. Add buttermilk and don't over mix your batter. 

We even had something different and it was very good. We grilled chicken breasts one night and froze one of them for later. So I took that out of the freezer, thawed it and cut it into small pieces. I made a white sauce, 1 tbsp butter with some fresh minced garlic cooked it in, added a little more butter, a couple of tbsp of flour and then 1 cup of milk. For spices we put oregano, basil and black pepper. I stirred that until it thickened some....not too thick and then added the chicken. We cooked pasta and put that in the pot with the sauce! And it was delicious. Homemade Chicken Alfredo!

I love when you go to take the photo real quick and the heat steams up your lens! lol Take two....!

I've stayed busy and continue to pray all through the day. How are you doing at your house? Let me know in the comments! I'm thankful for you all!

I’m joining Thankful Thursdays and

I like Thursdays HERE too!

Cookies and Collections!

I love to 'collect'! I don't know why but I do! I remember my Grandmother loved to collect so maybe I can blame it on her. lol I like to keep things neat and tidy but I like LOTS of stuff too! So it's a constant battle to keep everything under control.

(a gift from my sweet cousin, Cindy)

I don't buy dolls now. I have a nice collection of dolls that I bought back when I was working and earning! And a lot of the Golden books I have were bought a long time ago too. But now that I visit the library (books sold in lobby) and thrift stores, I find old Golden books from time to time.

I would rather keep the old vintage copies so I donate the newer Golden books to children when I end up with duplicates...which I always do!

So now I'm getting ready to move some bookshelves around to make it easier to access my Golden books and play with them! For some reason, it's not as easy to sit on the floor now. Why is that? Don't you DARE answer that question if you know what's good for you! hahahaha!

And for all this work play, we deserve a cookie!

I've been able to eat a chocolate chip cookie for the first time in over 20 years! I'm trying not to over do it and eat too many. They are sugar free but of course NOT calorie free. And they are SO SO SO GOOD! I can't eat sugar at all....I'm allergic and have a terrible reaction to it. And because I want to be healthy I avoid sugar substitutes. But I finally found some ingredients that 'agree' with my healthy lifestyle and I was able to buy everything in the local grocery store. The recipe is HERE. I used the Bake Believe chocolate chips, almond flour and erythritol (in place of sugar).

I haven't had any bad reactions to these so it has been quite a treat....to say the least! And for those of you that wonder, I can't eat processed sugar or even natural sugars like honey, maple syrup or fruit sugars.

Golden books and cookies....ahhhh....life is good and I am very thankful! What are you thankful for today?

I’m joining Thankful Thursdays .

Healthy choices and Book List!

I mentioned that I had gained 5 pounds over the past few months without realizing it. I quit ‘weighing in’.

I’m happy to report that I’ve lost 7 pounds. (it took about a month to lose it)

And I’m back to weighing every day to keep my weight under control and in the range I’m happy with.  Oh….and where it needs to be to wear ALL my clothes! I love clothes and have a big wardrobe and I would rather keep my weight under control and have my clothes fit well.

So what did I change? I quit eating so many nuts for starters. I can’t eat sugar so nuts are like candy to me.  And I was snacking way too much. I also cut out chips altogether. And worked on lowering my carbs.

(extra grilled chicken for lunches)

(avocado, tomato and a half slice of Havarti cheese added)

I need protein to feel good….to be strong and have lots of energy and I did not cut back on protein. And I ate lots of fresh veggies at lunch and dinner.

(LOTS of fresh lettuce, a mixture!)

The salad photos are an example of one of my favorite lunches.

And my favorite dressing now is a tablespoon of Mayo, thinned with lemon juice with just a sprinkle of Truvia to boost the flavor.

So my biggest change was cutting back on snacks.

I eat cottage cheese with fruit and a tablespoon of yogurt to make it creamier or a cheese stick in the afternoons.

I’ve never been overweight. I was always a skinny minnie! lol But the older you get, the harder it is to maintain your weight. I exercise regularly and drink lots of water and that helps me feel better.

Do you have any healthy choices for SNACKS that you would like to share with me?

(waiting in the fridge until snack time!)

I still eat a few nuts every day!

I have to eat….and I have to eat well to feel good!

“Food is Fuel”

quote by Stephanie Plum in the book One for the Money by Janet Evanovich

Here’s our ‘End of Summer’ Reading list compiled from last week’s comments.

Books that bloggers enjoyed:

Thirteen Moons by Charles Frazier

Remarkable Creatures by Tracy Chevalier

Artemis by Weir

Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan

Cold Mountain by Charles Frazier

The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton

The Lake House by Kate Morton

The Oregon Trail : A New American Journey by Rinker Buck

Missing, Presumed by Susie Steiner

Nightingale by Kristen Hanna

Summer Harvest by Madge Swindells

Dreams of Falling by Karen White

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

Series I LOVE:

Rhys Bowen, Molly Murphy AND Royal Spyness

Amy Stewart, Kopp Sisters

David Rosenfelt, Andy Carpenter

Thomas Perry, Jane Whitefield

Laurie King, Mary Russell

Charles Finch, Charles Lenox

Authors we all like:

Louise Penny

Charles Frazier

Kate Morton

James Patterson

Mary Kay Andrews

Lee Childs

Michael Connelly

Susie Steiner

Kent Haruf

Jane Austen

Karen Witemeyer

R. Mac Wheeler…our favorite Florida blogger

I’m joining Mosaic Monday HERE 

and Cooking and Crafting with J & J.

And please share any healthy snacks in the comments this week!

I’ll make another list! heehee!

Broccoli Cheddar Soup and flowers that bloom!

My Christmas cactus bloomed on Christmas day. It was loaded with buds and it is at it’s peak right now. I placed my Poinsettia on the table in front of the cactus and had all kinds of beautiful color for the holidays.

And I made the best Broccoli Cheddar soup! I started with the recipe on all recipes HERE….and then I modified it some.

This is my version….

Homemade Broccoli Cheddar Soup

• 2 tablespoon butter
• 1/4 onion, chopped
• 1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
• 1/2 stalk celery chopped
• 1/3 cup melted butter
• 1/4 cup flour
• 2 cups milk
• 2 cups low sodium chicken stock

• 1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped fresh broccoli
• 6  baby carrots chopped

          2 1/2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

          and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

1. Melt butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Saute onion, garlic and celery in hot butter until translucent, about 5 minutes. Set aside.
2. Whisk 1/4 cup melted butter and flour together in a large saucepan over medium-low heat.
3. Gradually pour milk into flour mixture while whisking constantly. Stir chicken stock into milk mixture. Simmer  20 minutes. Add broccoli, carrots, sauteed onion, garlic and celery; simmer another 20 minutes until vegetables are tender.
4. Stir 2 cups Cheddar cheese into vegetable mixture until cheese melts. Season with black pepper. Spoon it into your bowl and top with the remaining shredded cheese. 

It sure makes a nutritious soup for these winter days!

(do you think I have enough butter on my toast? Don’t answer that…it’s a rhetorical question! hahaha)

I’m joining Mosaic Monday HERE .

Fried Okry!

Yes, you read that right! 

Straight from my 'Southern roots' we have fried okry!

 I'm sure there are healthier ways to cook okra but there's no better taste than the early crop of okra, cut in small rounds, rinsed and shaken in a bag filled with a mixture of yellow corn meal and white flour...with salt and pepper. And then fried in canola oil until crispy. (and eaten with your fingers! hahahaha)

I couldn't believe it when I found it at the Farmer's Market last week. The first Florida crop of tender okra.

 The tomatoes have been amazing. I made BLTs this week and had a glass of iced tea in a vintage glass.

 I even found Swiss Chard which is one of our favorites. You cook Swiss Chard just like Spinach in a very small amount of boiling water just a couple of minutes. (no pics...we ate it)

  Corn on the cob is delicious and I cut it off the cob one day just for the fun of it!

I’m joining Mosaic Monday HERE

and the 100th Cooking and Crafting with J & J HERE !

What are you looking forward to finding 'in season' this week?