Sausage Corn Chowder

Prepare to be the envy of all your Potluck Pal's, brace yourself to be badgered for one of my most requested pot's of tasty goodness: The Famous Sausage Corn Chowder! Besides the taste, the best part is how easy it is to make! So here ye goeth!

-1 to 2 roll's" original "sausage (I've used Jimmy Dean and Aldi's brand)
-2 cans corn, including juice
- 3 10oz cans of cream of chicken
- 3 1/2 soup can's of milk( I use 2%)
- 1 large or 2 small bundles green onion's ( chopped)
- hot sauce ( to taste, I use Crabby Bill's, or Frenchy's, but use your fave)
- 1 Tbs butter


Simply cook up your sausage in a nice size pot, drain , and set aside.
Throw in same pot your chopped green onion's and add butter, and sauté .
Then add your corn, juice n' all, cream of chicken, milk, sausage, and hot sauce, ( I put about 20 douses , because we like it spicy). Stir it all ,and simmer just under med heat, stirring occasionally. Makes 4 to 6 hearty portion's! Enjoy! And happy Wednesday!

Paint My Own Pottery

I love me a big ol' cup, for my soup, cereal, and oh yeah, ice cream! So when me and my sister Rachel and the kiddo's went to one of those paint your own pottery places, we were pretty psyched to find something to paint that we would really use other than a giant strawberry, or a tile. I love to have a special cup for myself, I also have a favorite vintage glass, and a soup spoon I love in particular. Weird? Maybe, I guess it's the little thing's that make me happy, and this fit the bill.
            I designed it around three themes. Owl's, mushroom's and a funny bit of nonsense my 2yr old niece tell's my sister when she is mad at her. It is alway's exciting to see how the glazes on the finished product comes
            out, and is relaxing, and fun family time's. And make's me chuckle when I use it. Head's up for the

next post will feature one of my favorite chowder recipe's in my new favorite cup!

Bookmarker

There are just time's when you need to mark a page, or idea etc, with something better than a ripped scrap of paper or a receipt. So I grabbed a scrap of shirtboard, pen, paint and pic of a bird I clipped, and whipped up a book marker. I love it! It's bright,and definitely make's me take note of what I deem "note worthy".

Pizza , pizza!

On weekend's we get a hankering for pizza, not the frozen food or delivery kind. But the make your own pie kind. Mind you , I don't make my own dough, but we use Trader Joe's pre-made dough ready to roll out. It's fantastic, and cost is just over a buck! Add your own topping's and outta the oven pop's a lip smacking weekend din- din! I think the little man approves! Happy Saturday!!

Yummo Buffalo Chicken Dip

Ok so I am sure this recipe has been around but, oh my ! Where have you been all my life?! This is not only addictive, but easy peasy! I say yes please! Served with Tostito's you will be the hit of the par-tay!! So here it is:
-2 can's of chicken
-2 pkg softened cream cheese
- 1 cup Louisiana hot sauce( I used Aldi's brand)
- 1 cup ranch dressing
- 1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Put chicken, and hot sauce in a skillet and heat thru.
Stir in cream cheese and ranch and cook on med till blended. Bout 5 min.
Transfer to crockpot, and mix in 1/2 your cheese. And top with the rest.
Cook on low till cheese is melty, then chow down!

Spring is just around the corner!

Just before spring arrive's, I start to crave fresh fruit's and veggie's from the farmer's market, fresh flower's , and for crying out loud, even some fresh air, after being closed in all winter! So when I saw these primroses all vibrant, and lovely, I couldn't choose just one, so of course I grabbed up half a dozen! Surely I knew a a few other's who would also cheer up at the sight of these "spring- worthy" bud's..

Letter D for Dawn and Deer

I have been meaning to make myself a pin with my initial for some time now. At a flea market I hit on a Sunday afternoon, I found a box full of great old jewelry and snagged some good stuff, including a pin with most of the decorative elements broke off, but I loved it nonetheless, aaaand the vendor gave it to me free! Yippee! I already envisioned the deer I was going to add, and the rest was a 70's letter "D" revamped from a necklace, and a neat mother of pearl base I found junk shopping. I was pleased as punch with the result's! And am hoping to make a neat ladies cravat to go with!

Lovey Dovey Handmade Card

When I know I have a wedding or baby shower  to attend, I alway's try to think of unique present's or card's to make. This wedding shower card idea came to mind while looking through my large and addictive collection of vintage postcard's. I have several victorian love bird couple's , soo appropriate for adorning a wedding gift. And so easy. I used copies of the card's. Cut out the shape I wanted. Duplicated that on shirt board. Glue stick,or Mod Podge pic on board. Hole punched top. Attached all with a pretty, vintage button. Used wire in a decorative ,and button securing method in the the back to keep all together, and allow the fan action, and how-do-ya-do! A sweet, one of a kind momento, that will surely bring an extra wide smile to an already lovely occassion!

Idea Note Book's

My mind alway's crankin. When I look at everyday object's my mind comes up with a million other off-shoot's for project's art etc. Same with magazines and catalog's. I see the initial outfit or decor for a few second's ,then I reel with numerous idea's. People think it's awesome to be able to do so many different thing's, and to be creative in general, but I gotta tell you, many times it's kept me up till the wee hour's. True, I do work my artsy mojo best at night, but when I finally have to give in to the Land of Nod, then I find the only thing that clear's my head is to sketch, journal, and, or clip and paste in the blank notebook's or sketch pad's I keep by my bedside. As long as I have whatever it may be on paper,then I can relax knowing, now I won't forget it, and frankly it's ding dang relaxing to clip magazine pic's and glue stick'em! You should give it a whirl!

I love the cheap little blank book's you can purchase in Michael's dollar-ish bin's. I buy several then use them for individual ideas: Fashion, Bracelet's Necklace,Art, Recipe's, etc. Keep them handy all over your casa, and free those creative juices!

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A little decorative painting

Finally got sick of looking at my plain master bath vanity door's. With a little paint, a few brushstrokes , and some shnazzy new hardware from Anthropologie, voila! Happily transformed! Hope your weekend is going swell! ( ha, very leave it to beaver eh?):)

To Squatch or not to Squatch, that is the question.

When you were little did you ever have a fascination with those mysterious show's about The Loch Ness monster, The Yeti, Giant Squid or the king of the monster myth's... Big Foot? Aka Sasquatch ? Well mine was Nessie! I just knew there was some underwater cavern that led to an unknown prehistoric world and of course it was possible for an illusive and awesome sea creature to exist!...blink!, and flash forward ...And what do ya know that my little guy has my imagination and is having a blast with the notion of a hairy prehistoric creature that roam's the woodland forest's! Good ol Big Foot! Fueled by the fun show "Finding Bigfoot" on animal planet, my kiddo and his cousin's have made up a club based on the big ol'hairball . Alway's up for creative fun , of course you gotta have artsy t-shirt's, hand made "Squatch Investigation Journal's, binocular's, and headlamp's for journey's in the unknown forest's lol! Today proved to be the perfect weather for a dusky trek on local woodland trail's. Backpack bedecked, and binocular's in hand a little boy with a big imagination, checked out foot print's "deer", listened for movement," more deer", we scared up 9 or 10. And made Squatch call's to listen for a response ..of course. All in all we had an exhilarating nature walk, and as my Skye put it "we saw some compelling shelter's". Wha the? Where did he come up with that word? Hysterical! Those are truly endearing moment's! No hairy beast in sight, but good clean fun nonetheless! Happy Saturday!!

Instant Art

It alway's amazes me how sometimes it takes me month's to finish a piece of art, and other times I am totally engrossed and will not, and cannot stop until I am completely done. And so my brushes flew last night ,and resulted in this Downton Abbey inspired watercolor. Print's to be included in the next art show? Hmmm...

My Eclectic Arrangement

Sure the easiest way to decorate the center of your dining table is with a pretty flower arrangement. But as usual I had to opt for the atypical.I really like object's that catch your attention, like wonderful paperweight's with little hand blown bird's from my gram, that I put under a glass cloche. Another cloche contain's some pretty shell's. Also I will never tire of old tin typish family photo's. My eye's love to examine every detail of clothe's, hair and surrounding's "back in the old day's". And I truly don't get how anyone could part from these curious, and lovely photo's, but I am glad they did cause now they're mine! I also added my own version of flower's in the form of enameled metal, thrifted for literal change. Along with old bottles, bird's and book's, it finishes the "eclectic" and alway's different look of me.

Thrifty Tuesday

Yes I do confess, you will find me in a thrift store, or when weather permit's, at a garage sale doing as my grandma put's it.."looking for a little treasure". I can't tell you the last time I was at a mall. I just get such satisfaction finding unique, and different thing's that make my style,decor, and art look different from the typical cookie cutter commercial style of today. That's not to say I object to new thing's, oh contraire mon frere! I simply love to mix the old with the new, that makes you stand back and say..Now this is me! And then when you can do it for practically nothing, that's the final feel good moment. I can honestly say that if I had money, I would still "thrill to thrift". Here are a few "little treasures".

Lovely Gift's

So my good and generous friend Emmy had an amazing trip to Italy recently, and I was so fortunate as to receive some beautiful handmade paper's, a floral imprinted leather bracelet in my fave color, and a pretty little note pad with strawberries sprinkled all over. I love, love gift's! Especially from thoughtful friend's who manage to find one more corner in her bag to tuck in something special for her pal!Thank's again Em..

Have you ever gotten this look before?

I can't even look at this pic of Dave Grohl without laughing hysterically!!! Why? Because this is exactly how our mom would look at us kid's when we were making a ruckus, and she was trying to talk on the phone! Add the hissing of a mad cat and you've got our otherwise lovely mama!! Nuff said! Happy Sunday to you!!