21 Oct 2015

Macaroni Salad

by Eva M | posted in: Macaroni Salad, Salad | 0

Macaroni salad is one of those salads that you have all year round. Barbecues in the Summer, football parties in the winter and any occasion that involves a deli hero. This macaroni salad is very creamy and loaded with flavor.

Instructions
1 Lb Elbow Macaroni
1 Cup Bell Pepper – Chopped fine (any color)
1 Cup Celery – Chopped fine
¼ Cup Onion – Chopped fine
2 TBSP Cider Vinegar
1 TBSP Deli Style Mustard
3 TBSP Sour Cream
1 ¼ Cup Mayonnaise
1 tsp Sugar
3 tsp Salt
¼ tsp Pepper

Instructions
Cook the macaroni following the manufacturers directions. In a large bowl, add the hot macaroni. Add 1 tsp salt and the vinegar to the elbows and stir. Add the celery, bell pepper, onion, 2 tsp salt, pepper and the sugar to the bowl and mix to combine all ingredients. Add the sour cream, mayonnaise and mustard. Stir well, making sure all the macaroni is completely coated. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Stir again before serving.

21 Oct 2015

Strawberry Walnut Salad

by Eva M | posted in: Cooking, Salad, Strawberry Walnut Salad | 0

What a refreshing salad this is. The fresh strawberries give it delicious flavor while the sugared walnuts give it a great sweetness. The poppy seed dressing ties everything together.

Ingredients

Salad
9 Cups Greens – combination of Baby Spinach and bite sized pieces of Romaine Lettuce
6-8 Strawberries
1 Cup Walnuts

Poppy Seed Dressing
¼ Cup Sugar
2/3 Cup Vegetable Oil
¼ Cup Vinegar
2 tsp Poppy Seeds
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Prepared Mustard

Sugared Walnuts
1 Cup Walnuts
6 TBSP Sugar
2 TBSP Water

Instructions
Poppy Seed Dressing
Put all the ingredients in a jar with a tight fitting lid and shake until combined. Refrigerate until needed.

Sugared Walnuts
In a small sauce-pan, heat the sugar and water. Add the walnuts and toss, making sure they are thoroughly coated. Continue simmering them on the stove, over low heat until all the liquid is absorbed. Then lay them flat in a dish and let them cool. Just before they are completely cool, loosen them from the dish and let them continue to cool.

Assembling the Salad
Cover the bottom of a flat-bottomed bowl or a platter with the greens. Slice the strawberries and arrange on top of the greens. Sprinkle the walnuts on top. Serve.

17 Oct 2015

Fall Decorating

by Eva M | posted in: Crafts, Home Decor | 0

I love decorating for Fall both the inside and the outside of my house. All the colors are earthy and decorations are rustic. This is the front door to my house. It is the perfect way to greet your guests with warm and inviting decorations to welcome them to your home.

This basket is one of those things that everyone comments on. I have it filled with decorative pumpkins that I picked up at my local craft store along with scarecrow pics, raffia and pinecones. I also threw in some small decorative gourds. As far as the basket goes, I weaved different colors of ribbon in around the bottom, middle and top to brighten it up. The basket alone is really nice, but I wanted to give it some more color on its own. As you can see, the pumpkins are at different heights. I have floral foam at the bottom of the basket in different lengths to stager the pumpkins. Every year I re-make it. It’s always a little different, but always gorgeous.

This is so easy and it looks great. This is a dollar store pumpkin that I took the handle off and hot glued some floral foam in the bottom. Then, I went to the craft store and picked up 2 large fall bouquets and arranged them in the pumpkin. It is as easy as that.

My dining room table has a runner with all those great Fall colors and three dryer vent pumpkins on it. I have one orange and the others are off-white and black. I also have the wine glass votives on the table in between the pumpkins. All the step by step instructions are in the Fall Craft section.

I made this tray years ago out of paper napkins. This is decoupage. Basically you cut out pictures and glue them down. For this one I used some Halloween napkins and cut the edges and the pumpkins out. The decoupage medium works as a glue and a varnish. I’ll put the instructions in the Fall Craft section.

My husband picked up some Halloween decorations for the house. His choice is slightly different from mine, but it wouldn’t be Halloween without a few spooky decorations. The skeleton on the candy dish comes to life when you take candy from the bowl. He says things like…”hands off my candy, I’m not in the sharing mood”. And, his eyes light up like two red beams coming from his head. It’s scary and very startling. No matter how many times I heard it, and of course I know it will go on, I still jump as though it is the first time I saw it. My grandchildren laugh every time I jump. They range in age from 3 to 13 and they all play with the candy dish. I’m sure everyone has a crow with an eyeball hanging out of its mouth adorning their homes, don’t they??? He also makes a crowing sound when prompted. I can’t leave out the owl. This one also makes a sound, but it in no way resembles an owl. It’s just weird.

16 Oct 2015

Fall Gardening

by Eva M | posted in: My Garden | 0

The Fall is definitely upon us. The temperatures have dropped and everywhere you look, there are advertisements for anything and everything pumpkin flavored. One of my favorite things this time of year is a good pumpkin latte. I’ve tried them from Starbucks, 7-11, Dunkin Donuts even McDonalds and they are all fabulous. Hot, rich pumpkin flavor, sweet and satisfying. Yum!!

I went the the nursery this week to buy my Fall decorations. I choose some mums open and others that are completely closed. I like having the mums bloom at different times. It’s great looking outside and see the new colors in the garden. Hopefully, they will all still be blooming on Thanksgiving.

My raised gardens are all cleaned out and just resting until next year. I didn’t plant any Fall vegetables this year. Somehow the time got away from me and I before I knew it, it was to late to plant.

My knock-out roses are still in bloom. These things are amazing. They really do bloom Spring, Summer and Fall. I don’t have to do much to them and they keep blooming and growing. When I planted these roses, two years ago, they were no more than 12 inches tall. With minimal feeding and pruning, they are now 4 feet. I love them!!!

In my back yard, I’m still holding on to the Summer plants. I’m so glad to see some of the flowers still in bloom. The begonias look good and in the back there are hydrangea flowers that are beautiful. The ‘Welcome’ mum is in on the walkway leading to my front door. You can see all the leaves that have fallen from my rhododendron nearby. But let’s not get into raking leaves now, that can wait. Oh yes, the pool cover. It is all covered for the winter. We usually open it up by Memorial Day and close it right after Labor Day. We have a short swimming season here in the northeast, but we tend to take full advantage of it while it’s here.

13 Oct 2015

Sweets

by Eva M | posted in: Sweets | 0

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