happenings and winner.

it was another packed weekend for us.
weekends really should be 3 days instead of just 2.
i would happily go with a 8 day week, as long as 3 of those were considered weekend days.

craig and i walked down to our town's annual food festival...
you know you had a good time if you waddle all the way home in misery from all the yummy food and desserts. 

1. cast iron cobbler  2. mr. jost, cobbler cooker extraordinaire.  3. finally made it to the front of the line.
4.  what we were waiting on...BEST PORK CHOPS EVER!!  5. flame master pat.  6. creepiness.  7. best seat in the house.  8.  good music.  9. PIE!  'nuff said.  10. peppernuts (ick!)  11-13. suz's curly head cuties.
14. packed house.  15. seconds on the cobbler :)


miley's friend twig came to stay for the week...

1.  trying to thief the m & m's.  2. super close-up.  3. waiting for those elusive squirrels.  4. twig  5.  chasing squirrels can lead to getting stuck in the compost bin.  6. waiting for treats.  7. miley


a local church hosts a "blessing of the animals" ceremony every year.
we have had almost all of our animals blessed over the years.
this was miley and twigs first time.

1.  waiting patiently  2. listening to the message.  3. getting to know everyone.  4.  miley being blessed with holy water.  5. wondering why she can't just drink the holy water.  6.  she heard the word "treat"  7. twig being blessed.  8.  the dogs just kept coming.  9  miley and kelly.  10.  being blessed tuckers you out.



and now for the winner of the birdie plaque...

congratulations to...

kristin said...

uh, please. and i want to shop your leftovers too.

October 8, 2011 7:47 AM

kristin, please email me so i can get this little birdie to his new home.

thanks to all of those who entered!

hipstamatic/insta-friday...maine style

 miss loungy loungerson on the day bed

my bestie, who i totally miss seeing every. single. day.

lake fun

lobster pizza...ooh la la.

 nocturnum bar...super fun hang out.

lake girl.

cosmic candlepin bowling.

stephen king's casa

sunset cruises

 ate here twice

ate lobster rolls twice. YUM to the YUM!

 wall o' lobster buoy's
decisions, decisions!

Have a fabtastic weekend!

favorite {new} things.

i finally found this at the store.

LOVE IT!
one little squirt into my bobble and it turns plain ol' water into yummy, fruity water.

the best part, you can keep one in your purse and use it at a restaurant, or wherever.

this was part of my birthday present from my mom and dad.
a happy cupcake tea towel.

they had me at red velvet.

but when they say petite, they aren't kidding.
i may have eaten 2/3 of the box in one night.

my bestie busted out her creative side and made this for me for my birthday.

i love everything about it...
especially that she made it. 
for me.
thanks T

somebody pinch me.
hubby got me this for my birthday.

is it weird to be in love with an electronic? 
don't worry honey, i still love you more than the camera.

i am having so much fun getting to know this camera.
i can't believe when i'm holding it, that it is mine. mine.
this is the first picture i took on auto.

...and this is the first picture i took in manual.  (you may need to put on your sunglasses)

HAHA!!

i'm getting much better...
i am trying to just shoot in manual so that it starts to come natural to me.
still lots to learn.
but it's fun learning.

loaded potato soup.

since it decided to snow today...
i figured it was the perfect time to post the loaded potato soup recipe i promised you last week.
this came from one of my salon customers a few years back and it is a cold weather favorite around here.
here's what you'll need:

5 lbs potatoes
3/4 box chicken broth (the family size)
2 cans cream of chicken soup
salt & pepper (as much or as little as you like)
small diced onion (mr.douglass despises onions so i just sneak in some onion salt)
1/2 block of velveeta
block of cream cheese softened
cooked bacon, diced up (i cheat and buy the fresh bacon bits, MUCH EASIER!)

peel and chunk potatoes

 i use my apple corer without the end to make quick work of peeling the potatoes.

throw them in your slow cooker on low.
then add in:
chicken broth
cream of chicken soup
salt & pepper
onion  (or some version of an onion)

simmer on low all day, or bump up to high to speed things along.
30 min before you are ready to serve it add in:
velveeta diced up
cream cheese diced up
and your bacon bits.

give it a few stirs and that's it!
it is a thick and hearty, warm your bones up soup.

it makes a ridiculous amount, so spoon some into a big bowl and take it to your neighbors house.
(especially if she brings you yummy food all the time!)
ENJOY!
  

butter, brown sugar & flour.

that's all you need to make the most wonderful shortbread cookies EVER!
yep, 3 measly ingredients to wow your families taste buds.

craig's mom made these for his birthday, and ever since i've been just a tad addicted to them.

here are the amounts you will need:
1 cup butter (2 sticks) softened.  you must use butter, no butter imitators allowed!
1/2 c. packed brown sugar
2 1/2 cups flour

preheat that lovely oven of yours to 300 degrees.

cream butter and brown sugar in mixing bowl.

slowly start adding in your flour.
when your mixer starts walking across the counter, finish mixing by hand.

it will be flaky.
if it is too flaky add a tad of water to the dough.
now the important part.
lay out some flour on you dough mat or counter and knead the heck out of the dough til it isn't flaky any more.
like for 5 to 8 minutes.
beat it, punch it, take out all your stress on it.
(like the fact that there is already 18 inches of snow on the ground and it is still snowing!)
have i mentioned i dislike winter?

then roll it out to about 1/8-1/4 inch thick.

(i prefer 1/4 inch)

then take your pizza cutter and cut strips about 1 inch wide.

then cut the opposite direction so you end up with 1 inch by 3 inch pieces.

if some of the pieces have crazy edges, throw them aside and roll them all back out and cut until you have used all the dough.
place on a ungreased cookie sheet.

then prick with a fork about 4 times going down the cookie.

bake at 300 degrees for 25 minutes or until bottom of cookie begins to brown.
let cool.

now this is the most important IMPORTANT part.
empty the entire cookie sheet into a bowl, grab a giant mug of hot cocoa, walk into the living room
and cozy onto the couch under a big comfy quilt, ignore the 18 + inches of blowing snow outside,
turn the TV to lifetime movie network and relax!
you just baked...you deserve it!

toffee crack does not like me.

ever since julie made her famous toffee crack for meg and i in california, i have been trying to make it.

it has become very clear that God does not want me to make, let alone eat, toffee crack.

6 attempts.
1 perfect batch.
1 semi-ok batch.
4 major fails.

attempt #1
i forgot to line the pan.
i had to chisel it off.
toffee crack was being flung all over my kitchen.
no bueno!

attempt #2
i lined the pan, but used reg wax paper instead of the non-stick kind.
apparently i cannot follow directions.

i tried really hard to peel it off just so i could have a tiny bite, i gave up and threw it all in the trash.

no bueno!

attempt #3
this time i had the right pan liner (parchment paper) but burnt the sugar and butter.
i filled the house with smoke and had to open the windows when it was 20 degrees outside.
it was a nasty, sticky (cold) mess.

it resembled the gulf oil spill.
no bueno!

attempt #4
finally!
perfect toffee crack!

it took four attempts to get it right.
pathetic.

i took this batch up to craig's parents house for thanksgiving.
everyone loved it.
i didn't hide the fact that it hated me.
there was a few pieces left to take home...i forgot it in the fridge.
no bueno!

attempt #5
burnt it again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!

it's the stove, it's got to be the stove!

attempt #6
i didn't burn it, it did stick a little, it didn't taste like the perfect batch.
but it was edible and everyone ate it and liked it.
it doesn't take a lot to please a group of nascar fans though.

maybe it's time to walk away for a while...
goodbye toffee crack.
maybe someday we could be friends.
i would like that.