Classic Blue & White

My sister-in-law, Cathy, has the cutest house. She has the touch for putting objects together in beautiful displays. I asked her to send some snapshots and this is the first one that she sent. I love the blue & white. It's always a classic yet fresh look. Although the patterns are all different, the like colors make it a cohesive look.

Easy Leftover Lunch

There are only two of us in our household. That usually equals a lot of leftover food. A batch of chili or spaghetti can, easily, last the week. We never waste anything at our house so I have to come up with some creative leftover combos because by the third day of the same thing, it tends to get....well....samey.

Last Tuesday, we had roast chicken for dinner and the next day we had these lovely Swiss Chicken Muffins for lunch. Easy and tasty. I spread some light mayo on the muffins. Next came the chicken (I just picked it right off the bones), followed by a slice of tomato, salt/pepper and topped with Swiss cheese. Into the 400 degree oven and finished when the cheese is melted. It was very good and made use of things we had in the fridge. Enjoy.

Change Your Look With Slipcovers

We inherited a sofa from my grandparent's estate. Although it's in beautiful condition, the fabric is a bit "stodgy" for my taste. The answer: slipcovers. Easy, inexpensive and versatile. I can change out the slipcovers and pillows anytime that I want a new look and we don't have to be so careful about things like eating in the living room. This was the pillow/slipcover combo a couple of summers ago. Casual and comfortable. The cedar chest/coffee table belonged to my great-great grandmother and it's been with me for all of my adult life. It's great for storage and can be moved from living room to bedroom if I ever find a coffee table that I like better.

Farmers Market Friday

Our local Farmers Market is a great place to purchase fresh yet inexpensive produce. This Friday, I purchased cucumbers, onions, peppers, green beans and these delicious cherries.

Summertime Treat

I bought these beautiful cherries at our local Farmers Market on Friday.

Simple Summertime Side Dish

We had some zucchini in the fridge along with some spring onions that had to be used immediately or thrown away. A simple solution: cube the zucchini and saute with the onions. Salt and pepper to taste and top with some buttered bread crumbs. Bake in a low oven (275 degrees) for an hour. Fresh and delicious.

Daylily Drama

Here's a pic of a beautiful daylily at the farmhouse.

Lovely Linen

These simple yet beautiful linen curtains are Pottery Barn but I found them at a discount store for $1.00 a piece (they retailed for about $24.99) and they are bright and fresh in our breakfast room.

Mmm...Mom. It's My Favorite!

When I was a child, I hated meatloaf. Not just a little. I mean, I really hated it! My complaining about it inspired my dad to "lay down the law". Nobody was to say anything bad about my mom's food. Looking back on it, he really took up for my mom and he was right, although I didn't see it that way at the time. We were lucky enough to have plenty of food and my mom took the time to make it. There should have been no complaints but you know kids. I remember hiding meatloaf in my napkin, moving it around the plate so it looked like I ate some and there was even an incident when I sat at the table for quite a while in a standoff with my parents over the meatloaf issue. Guess who won? They did although it wasn't a Mommy Dearest moment as the meatloaf did not re-appear on my plate for days and days. A little while after everyone left the table, I was excused.

Following Dad's new rule, my sister and I (born cynics) would sit down at the table and say, in our most sarcastic voices, "Mmm... Mom. Meatloaf it's my favorite". We still joke about it. What a couple of little smarty pants.

I gave up on meatloaf for a long time but then one day, my grandmother-in-law made meatloaf for dinner. Not wanting to be rude, I put a nice, polite sliver on my plate and then piled the rest of the plate high with potatoes and vegetables hoping she would not notice that I had bypassed the meatloaf. I gave it a taste and it was delicious. Moist, flavorful and surprisingly wonderful. Who knew meatloaf could be this good? From that time on, meatloaf was back in the game. She made several for me over the years and would even make them and freeze them in slices for me so I could grab a piece whenever the mood struck.

She finally gave me her recipe and I would love to share it with you. I think the key ingredient is Pepperidge Farm Herbed Stuffing. It keeps it moist and adds a great flavor to the loaf.

Best Meatloaf Ever

2 lbs. ground beef
1 egg, beaten
1 1/2 -2 cups Pepperidge Farm Stuffing
2 T. Lipton onion soup (I sometimes use fresh onions)
1/3 cup catsup
2/3 cup water

Combine all ingredients until thoroughly mixed and place in a loaf pan.
Bake about 1 1/2 hours in a 350 degree oven.
Note: This meatloaf makes the best cold sandwiches with the leftovers. Great for a summertime lunch.

Farmhouse Crafting

This old wooden cutting board was headed for the Goodwill box but after treated to a coat of Jadite Green paint and paired with some old silverplate, it found a home in my kitchen.

Vintage Farmhouse Lunchbox

This vintage lunchbox was too cute to not display at the farmhouse. It's adorable!

Wellies Are A Must At The Farmhouse

My Huntress wellies are a must have on my city farm. You can tell they've seen a lot of wear but there's not a hole in them. You can purchase them here: www.hunterboots.com

Beachy Blue

This cozy loveseat makes me want to just sink in with a really good book!

Work With What You've Got

I love the flamingo shower curtain. It's hard to tell in the photo but the flamingo's are chenille.

Welcome to the Luau Lounge!

Sometimes you have to work with what you've got. Especially in bathroom's and kitchen's since they are so expensive to remodel. The owner of this bathroom really only needs to make some cosmetic changes but it is an extra bathroom, that is rarely used, so it's on the bottom of the list of re-do's. In the meantime, she's decided to work with it by playing up it's rather loud, Brady Bunch era wallpaper and having fun with it. I think the results are pretty cute!

Rusty Mailbox Remake

I grabbed an old, rusty mailbox from a "free" box at a yard sale. This is what it became with a litte paint, paper, and scrabble tiles. I use it in my office to hold mail until it's time to go through it.

Cobblestone Confections

I stopped in this wonderful shop yesterday and what a treat!
You can shop them on the web at http://www.cobblestoneconfections.com

Show Off Your Pics

A gallery wall is a great way to show off your family photos and it's inexpensive, as well. Most of these black frames were found on sale at Target. We can also add more photo's over the years and build a wall of memories.

Anniversary Wishes

Yesterday, I opened the mailbox and inside was this beautiful hand-made card from my sister-in-law, Patti for our anniversary. It was so pretty ...I had to post it.