I Heart Nachos

It rained all afternoon here today. Something about rainy days makes me want to cook. I made some chicken fajita nachos tonight. They were so good, so I thought I would share. I cut some chicken breasts into strips and seasoned them up really good. I used garlic powder, pepper, salt, and some Mrs. Dash. Then I browned them really well in a skillet. The browning is where they get all their flavor.



While those were browning I sauteed some onions and peppers.



I love using the new On the Border seasoned tortilla chips. They add a little extra flavor.



Tonight I used Gordo's cheese dip but usually I make my own with white American cheese.



Just put your chips on the plate, top with chicken, cheese, salsa or pico de gallo, lettuce, tomato and sour cream and you are on your way to good eating!



Speaking of cooking, I can't wait to see this movie......................



I love Julia Child! The movie looks really good!

Birds and Ferns

I love the look of a front porch with rocking chairs, Boston ferns and an American flag. Here's part of our porch getting painted by my husband.



This year, however, we have had many birds nests. I think we are on our fourth round of baby birds. I think they are house wrens. It makes it difficult to keep them watered properly.



Aren't they cute? The watering isn't really a big deal compared to this...................



That sucker knew those baby birds were in there! He was coming after them. It scared me to death when I saw this snake out there. He was pretty long too.



I know this guy has to eat too, but I did not want to see those babies gobbled up! They survived to fly away, but then the fourth and last set of babies were being stalked by a cat. It's just too stressful for me. So, I'm not hanging any more ferns out!

Favorite Kid Photo

I love the topic of this weeks blog hop! It was hard to pick a favortie, so I made a collage! The first one is of course the Joker for Halloween. Below that is The Hulk I guess, he was more or less just messing around with some face paint. I love the one in the bathrobe reading the comics. The last one he was smaller and he always tried to look into the lens. They aren't the best shot pics, but they show what a goofball my youngest son can be!

Yard Sale Goodies

It's time for Rhoda's Thrifty Treasures Monday. I did pretty good this week although there weren't too many sales.

I wish I could have found more than one of these little stocking holders.


This is one of my favorites finds this week. It will be perfect for all those holiday parties! $3


I think I'll put this on my counter to hold all the veggies from the garden.


How cute is this chip and dip platter for a buck? It reminds me of something my grandmother had. I love it!


Cute little watering can for 50 cents.


I can't wait to put his on my porch this fall and fill it with pumpkins!


I love fall, I wish it was time to hang this new find!! Make sure you hop over to Rhoda's to check out more treasures!

I think I'm going to spend some time outdoors today. That is if the rain holds off for awhile. Have a great Monday!

We just had a quiet day at home today. Sometimes you just don't feel like saying or doing too much. I took some pictures of our sunflowers today. I like how they turned out.







I love this little guy. I'm hoping to find a lot of yard sales tomorrow. It's going to be nice here. Happy hunting everyone!

Here Comes the Sun

It has been a stormy day today. I think the sun is finally starting to peek out. We have a shepherd mix and he is so scared of thunder. He has had a rough day today. He goes all the way to the end of the hallway and just shivers until it’s over. He shivered so much today that now he’s  walking with a limp. Makes no sense! I really need to get him in for some sedatives!

Doesn’t he look pitiful? I’ll have to give him some cheese to make him happy!

Recipe Blog Hop

I almost forgot about today's blog hop! This one will be one of my favorites. I love finding new recipes. Today a lot of the ladies in my family got together for lunch and I made a mexican lasagna. I had never made it before and I was so pleased that it turned out nice. I hope you enjoy!
2 lbs ground beef
1 can refried beans
1 can chopped green chilies
1 envelope taco seasoning
2 T hot salsa
12 oz uncooked lasagna noodles
4 cups Colby-Monterrey Jack cheese divided
1 jar mild salsa
2 cups water
2 cups sour cream
1 can sliced ripe olives
3 green onions chopped

Brown ground beef and drain. Stir in the beans,chilies,taco seasoning, and hot salsa.
In a greased lasagna pan layer a third of the noodles and meat mixture. Sprinkle with 1 cup of cheese. Repeat layers twice.
Combine mild salsa and water, pour over top. Cover and bake @ 350 for 1 hour. Top with sour cream, olives,onions and remaining cheese. Bake uncovered 5 minutes longer.

Dollar Days

It’s time to post my weekend finds. This is a fun blog party. I love seeing everyones deals. It’s almost like we all went bargain hunting together! It was slim pickens this weekend in our neck of the woods. I got a few cute things though. Nothing quiet as great as Rhoda’s fan!!

I love this bulletin board for $1. I hung it next to the fridge, It may come in handy to tuck a recipe in, or some of my favorite snapshots. I’m drawn to anything pertaining to cafe’s. This was at an estate sale and we got to walk through the house. It was an old house in a beautiful neighborhood.

My mom found this purse for me and I am in love with it! $1.

She also found me this scarf for $1. It matches the purse. Don’t you just love mom’s that look out for you. ( The scarf kind of looks like a dead cat on my comforter) That’s it for this weekend. Can’t wait to see what y’all found!

Hooked on Melody Gardot

I'm joining in on Julia's Hooked on Friday Blog Party. You can go here and see what other readers are hooked on.
I recently discovered Melody Gardot. She is fantastic. I love the tone of her voice. Enjoy!

Ramblings

Well I got the picture hung, thanks for the input. I’m still deciding if I like it or not.

For some reason my walls look kind of grey in this picture. They are supposed to be green. I couldn’t find the green I was looking for at the time, but after reading so many blogs, the color I wanted was Svelte Sage by Sherwin Williams. That can be a project for another time. I hope to find some more great sales tomorrow.

I’m going to make some fried green tomatoes and okra for dinner. Yum! We had to go ahead and pick them before the squirrels and deer got them all!

Opinions Please

Is this picture hideous or not? I found it at a yard sale and I had it hanging in the dining room but I’m just not sure. I don’t know if you can tell from the picture but it’s really big.

My dining room is red, so it might be too much.  Also I painted my recipe cabinet black but I used a matte finish. I’m thinking now I should have put a gloss finish on it.

What do you think?

You Say Potato, I Say You Should Try This Potato Salad!

Take about 2lbs of potatoes, eyes optional, lightly peel them. I like to leave some peeling on. Cut them into bite size pieces and boil for 7 minutes. Any longer and I think they get too mushy.

Notice I forgot and put my Calphalon in the dishwasher…shhhhh don’t tell anybody. Here are the other cast of characters, minus the sugar and vinegar that I forgot to put in the picture.

In a large bowl mix together              1 tsp minced celery

1 c Mayo                                         1 tsp shredded carrot

4 tsp sweet pickle relish                   1/4 tsp dried parsley

4 tsp sugar                                      1/4 tsp pepper    

2 tsp minced onion                            dash of salt

2 tsp mustard

1 tsp vinegar

Mix Well

Drain potatoes and rinse with cold water. Add them to dressing until well combined. Put them in your prettiest Jadite bowl and chill.

This is going to go so good with my mini hamburgers aka sliders tonight.

Btw, it’s more fun if you watch this guy ( no pun intended) when making it!

Even the Early Bird is out of Luck

We hung a bird feeder on a shepherds hook right outside the bay window. I love watching the birds and so does my cat, but lately, this is all we see!

They will hang upside down to get this food, leaving none for the birds. They make me so mad. I greased the pole up with Crisco a couple of times. It only worked for awhile.

He looks like he’s posing for the camera! Oh well, at least my son enjoys watching them.

To Market , To Market

I used to love to go grocery shopping. Cooking is one of my favorite things to do. Lately though, I am completely out of ideas for dinner. Everybody is tired of the same thing but unwilling to try anything new. So what do you do? I am so tired of pouring over cookbooks. I looked at so many tonight the recipes started to all look the same. I do know one thing, I’m making the Barefoot Contessa’s coconut cake. We could eat that for dinner right?

 

• 3/4 pound (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for greasing the pans
• 2 cups sugar
• 5 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure almond extract
• 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the pans
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup milk
• 4 ounces sweetened shredded coconut

For the frosting:

• 1 pound cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon pure almond extract
• 1 pound confectioners' sugar, sifted
• 6 ounces sweetened shredded coconut

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 2 (9-inch) round cake pans, then line them parchment paper. Grease them again and dust lightly with flour.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on medium-high speed for 3 to 5 minutes, until light yellow and fluffy. Crack the eggs into a small bowl. With the mixer on medium speed, add the eggs 1 at a time, scraping down the bowl once during mixing. Add the vanilla and almond extracts and mix well. The mixture might look curdled; don't be concerned.

In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the dry ingredients and the milk to the batter in 3 parts, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Mix until just combined. Fold in the 4 ounces of coconut with a rubber spatula.

Pour the batter evenly into the 2 pans and smooth the top with a knife. Bake in the center of the oven for 45 to 55 minutes, until the tops are browned and a cake tester comes out clean. Cool on a baking rack for 30 minutes, then turn the cakes out onto a baking rack to finish cooling.

For the frosting, in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the cream cheese, butter, vanilla and almond extract on low speed. Add the confectioners' sugar and mix until just smooth (don't whip!).

To assemble, place 1 layer on a flat serving plate, top side down, and spread with frosting. Place the second layer on top, top side up, and frost the top and sides. To decorate the cake, sprinkle the top with coconut and lightly press more coconut onto the sides. Serve at room temperature.

Score!

I got up early this morning and went to a community sale. I got some really good deals.

These end table were $4! I have no idea where I’ll put them but I do know they would look great painted black! Or even white and distressed.

Love this! I have some Paris stuff in my bathroom so I may put this in there with cotton balls or something. $1

The lady came down on the price of these, got em both for $5.

And last but not least, frames for my portrait wall. I was most excited about these because frames are expensive. I paid $6 for all these. Yay! I don’t need the mall, just give me 20 bucks and a full tank of gas and I’m happy. Hope everyone is enjoying their weekend! Don't forget to go visit Rhoda for more great finds!