Taking the "Pro" (me) Out of Procrastination

Remember my resolution to stop procrastinating?  And my admission that, for non-feminist, procrastination-related reasons, I hadn't changed my last name even though I've been married for over five years?

Yeah.  Totally changed my name.  2012 is off to a great start!

Mr. 31 doesn't really think I should be congratulated, since I should have done this years ago and all.  Blah, blah.

Good thing Panera Bread felt differently.  They had my favorite soup when I stopped there for lunch, which they haven't had the last few times I've been in there.  Guess they felt like congratulating me for tackling my resolutions!

Meet our Horse, I mean, Dog

I never meant to buy a dog.  My life was too busy, we already had cats, blah, blah, blah.  A dog was not even in picture.  Wasn't even a dot in the picture.  Wasn't even a consideration, like, maybe what would make this picture better is a dog. 

Then we took the Padawan to the mall's pet store JUST TO LOOK and maybe, MAYBE, if the Padawan was good, we would get a dog out and play with it.  So, you can probably guess where this story is going.

We chose a dog to play with.  And he was a nightmare.  We put him back fairly quickly and the Padawan was disappointed.  So we decided to play with another dog and, this time, I chose the dog. 

I only have myself to blame.

We chose this one:

He is a Landseer Newfoundland and, at the time, he was going on three months old.  And he was the sweetest dog I'd ever come across.  A little too fond of chewing, but very nice.  We played with him and put him back...very reluctantly.

A few weeks later, we went back.  And he was still there, a little larger, a little more cramped in his tiny crate.  We played with him again, inquired about his price, and laughed in their faces when we heard what it was.  They asked what we would be willing to pay, we told them, and they laughed in our faces.  Then they told us his birthday, which is a date that is very significant to my husband and I...which made it seem like fate.  But fate would have to wait for that price.

Fast forward another week.  Still there, little bigger, little more cramped.  Budged more on the price, but nowhere near ours.

Fast forward another couple of weeks.  I was out of town for work for the evening.  Little did I know that my husband was paying another visit to our friend, who we had already named Bailey.  When he arrived, the pet store people knew what he wanted and offered the dog at our price.  And threw in a collar and leash and food.  I got home and there he was, thirty lbs. of almost five month old puppy.

So, fast forward again, and we have all (barely) survived to Bailey's first birthday.  It has been quite the journey.  We've survived house training, crate training, obedience training, everyday vacuuming, his love of water and mud, his incessant need to eat everything, and, probably as a result of the last thing, a bout with a major case of upset stomach. 

And quite the growth spurt.  Here is our tiny puppy with Mr. 31 at 7 months.  Keep in mind that Mr. 31 is 6'4, so he is not a tiny guy.

And yes, his food dish is on a bulk package of toilet paper.  It made for neater eating until we invested in an actual raised tray for him.

And here is our little puppy about a month ago, again with Mr. 31 for size reference:

It's not a great pic of the dog, but you can get his size.  And he's grown since then.  Yes, we mistakenly bought a small horse when we thought we were getting a dog.  And he grows until he is over two years old.

But we love our newest addition and, even after less than a year, can't imagine life without him.  Although it would be probably be cleaner....and involve far less dog chow.

And for kicks, here's a photo of me and the dog:

And one of him giving me the "hey lady, stop taking my picture and play tug with me" stink eye:

There's a Reason I'm Not a Food Blogger

I am terrible at taking pictures of my food.  (And I'm still learning to cook, but that's just a small detail.)

Look back at my food posts.  Most of them do not have pictures of food because I forget to take them.  My thoughts just don't run that way when I'm cooking dinner.  They run more like, "Oh my goodness, how is it 7:30 already?  What is the dog doing?  Ooh, that needs to be stirred.  Ahhh!  The rice is going to burn!  Get it off the heat!  Why won't the dog stay out of the trash?  Okay, plates.  Why won't the dog stop chasing the cat?  Where is Mr. 31?  Didn't I tell him to come eat dinner?  Why is the dog in the trash again??  Oh my word.  Ok, food on the plates.  Here, just take your food because I have to get that dish rag out of the dog's mouth."

After we've eaten dinner is when the thought pops in, "Hey, I really should have taken a picture of that."  And I end up not posting recipes that are good because I totally blanked on taking a picture.  So, my apologies, but I never promised you a food blog.

So, here's a recipe, sans picture, of a meatloaf recipe I tried the other day.  It was super easy and really good.

Easy Meatloaf

Adapted from Easy Meal Ideas For Moms-On-The-Go

1 (10 1/2 oz) can cream of mushroom soup

1 lb. ground beef

1 pouch dry onion soup mix

1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs

1 egg

1/4 cup water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In large bowl mix 1/2 of the cream of mushroom soup, dry onion soup, ground beef, bread crumbs, and egg. 

In an 11x8 pan, form meat mixture into a 7x4 loaf.  Bake at 350 for 75 minutes.

Spoon off 2 T. of drippings and mix with remaining soup and water in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally.  Thin the sauce with additional water if desired.   Serve over the meatloaf.

Happy New Year!!

I have to admit - I really don't like New Year's Eve.  I'm not one to go out and be with a ton of people with noise makers and glasses formed from the numbers of the new year.  You'd be more likely to find me on my couch with my husband, watching Dick Clark, and eating finger foods that we don't normally eat.

BUT.  I love making New Year's resolutions.  The idea of a new start, of saying, "Okay, no more messing about.  Today's the day I become the person I've always wanted to be" is, to me, the mental equivalent of taking a big deep breath and letting it out.  I'm raring to go.  Ready to attack the new year.

And then reality sets in.  Or, rather, I let that mental energy, that "rah, rah, sis-boom-bah" attitude, slip away into oblivion.  It all seems too much.

And I think I've figured out why.  I make too many darn resolutions.  I have a list a mile long.  It's like I feel the great need to be the perfect person RIGHT NOW.  I want to be healthier, a better wife and carer of my home, be better with finances, be better at work, be a better Christian... All of which are worthy goals, but I bog myself down with not being able to do it all right now, that I let it all drop, which isn't the right attitude either. 

So.  I'm going to make three resolutions this year.  They are specific, yet general enough to be applied to any number of situations.  Which will hopefully make me a better - not perfect - person.  And they are - drum roll please:

1.  Stop procrastinating.  I am was a terrible procrastinator.  Like really bad.  Like I got married five years ago and haven't legally changed my name.  And not for any feminist reason.  So, yeah.  I should really stop doing that.  And I should really change my name.

2.  Be more diligent.  Many of the scriptures I've had on my heart recently have dealt with this (2 Peter 1:3-8, Hebrews 11:6).  So, I will be more mindful of my actions (or inaction, if that is the case!) and be diligent about seeking God and about things in my life.

3.  Stop worrying.  I've talked about this before.  It has seemed to rear it's ugly head more and more lately, so I am addressing that.  I say I trust God, but sometimes my mental state does not reflect that!  Although, I must say Resolution 1 will also help with some of that.  I can stop worrying about things because I'll actually have done them!

What are your resolutions?  Do you have a list a mile long or a just a few?

Menu Plan Monday...on Tuesday

Again.

I spent my Columbus Day Monday doing absolutely nothing.  And it was glorious.

Although I did manage to throw dinner in the crockpot, so that counts as something.

Here's the plan for the week, including yesterday.

Monday: French Onion chicken in the slow cooker, butter noodles

Tuesday:  Leftovers from impromptu Mexican feast on Sunday

Wednesday: Chicago Style Pizza Pot Pie, chicken wings, salad

Thursday: The man is on his own.  I'm working

Friday:  Chicken in slow cooker, stuffing, mashed potatoes, green beans

I'll be linking up with Menu Plan Monday at orgjunkie.com.

Garlic Lime Shrimp

Note: these are not my shrimp.  These shrimp are someone else's from a free photo site.  My shrimp didn't get photographed due to a mental block in remembering to take photographs.

On last week's meal plan, I was supposed to make shrimp sauteed with garlic on Wednesday.  Then Pinterest struck, and I found a recipe for Garlic Lime Shrimp.  So I made that instead.  Close enough.

I made some changes to the recipe according to what I already had in the house, but it turned out great and was super simple!  Will definitely be making this again!

Garlic Lime Shrimp

Adapted from the Recipe Girl

1/4 cup butter

2 tablespoons lime juice

2 1/2 teaspoons white wine

2 cloves garlic, minced

pinch of chili powder

1 lb. medium shrimp

1 tablespoon dried parsley

salt and pepper, to taste

Melt butter in skillet over medium heat.  Mix in next 4 ingredients.  Saute for 30 seconds.  Add shrimp and saute until opaque in the center, stirring occasionally for about 3 minutes.  Stir in parsley, salt, and pepper.

I'll be linking up to:

Tasty Tuesday at Blessed with Grace

Tuesdays at the Table at All the Small Stuff

Full Plate Thursday at Miz Helen's Country Cottage
Hookin Up with HOH - House of Hepworths

Menu Plan Monday...on Tuesday

Because that's how I'm rolling this week.

So, last week went really well with menu planning.  The only hitch (which wasn't really a hitch) was the unexpected invitation to meet an astronaut.  So, that bumped some meals back, which means some will happen this week instead.

So here we go:

Tuesday: Ox Roast Sandwiches, sweet potato fries, salad

Wednesday: Leftover pasta bake, salad

Thursday: Sort-of-roast slow cooker meal from last week, mashed potatoes, rolls

Friday:  slow cooker chicken w. broccoli and cheese rice bake

Saturday:  homemade pizza, salad (really into salad this week)

I'm linking up with Menu Plan Monday.



So I Met an Astronaut...

Picture from nasa.gov

Earlier this week, my husband emailed me to say that he had been asked to go to a dinner for work involving an astronaut or something....  I didn't really pay attention to the details.  Then he said that I had also been invited to attend.  So I figured:

1.  I got to spend the evening with my husband.

2.  Free dinner (even if it would be bad chicken cordon bleu, a dry twice baked potato, and cold green beans).

3.  Maybe I'd get to say that I shook an astronaut's hand.  You know, for all those times when you get asked the frequently asked, all-important "Have you ever shaken an astronaut's hand?" question.

So, last night we went to the meet & greet/dinner and met Col. Mike Fincke.

First, let me say that he is one of the nicest, most down-to-earth (no bad pun intended) people that I've ever met.  He and my husband bonded over their love of some 80s movie called Space Camp and he autographed a picture for The Padawan with a really nice message.  So I was really happy and impressed with him as a person.

But he was truly inspiring during his speech at the dinner.  Col. Fincke was on the Endeavour for the last space shuttle flight.  He also has spent more time in space than any other American (over 380 days, I think.  Should have read the fact card more carefully before giving it to The Padawan).  But what was more impressive than that was his attitude and passion for his job.

Between the way he spoke about his job and the pictures and video he showed us, you could tell this man really, really loves what he does.  He is passionate about it.  There is no question that, when he goes to work, he is totally sold out for what he is doing.

I also loved the way that he and his colleagues on the Endeavour took such joy from their mission.  Watching video of them "flying" through the International Space Station, having what looked like a race to eat floating M&Ms, and playing with water droplets in the no-gravity environment, it was obvious that they are just fascinated by what they do and truly enjoy it.

Now, don't get me wrong.  These are some brilliant men who did very intricate, highly technical work while they were on their mission.  But in the midst of doing the serious stuff, they could still take immense joy in their work.

How many of us can say that we take such enjoyment in our work?  Maybe most days you find fulfillment, but have you taken the time to kindle the joy and the passion that should infuse our daily lives?  Col. Fincke may get to do his work in space, and we may be in cubicles, or fast food restaurants, or some other seemingly less glorious work environment, but we should be able to find fulfillment and enjoyment just as he has.

It is my prayer that everyone can find the work in life, their purpose, that gives them that joy and inspires such passion, if you have not already found it.  If you have found your purpose, I pray that you continue to experience that passion and that joy that the men on the Endeavour displayed so clearly.

My New Addiction

I got a fever and the only prescription is more Pinterest.

(10 points for anyone who can tell me what that's referencing!)

For anyone not familiar with Pinterest, (in their words):  "Pinterest is a virtual pinboard. Pinterest allows you to organize and share all the beautiful things you find on the web. You can browse pinboards created by other people to discover new things and get inspiration from people who share your interests."

In my words:  it is ridiculous awesomeness in its purest form.

I don't know about you, but I'm constantly inspired by things I see in blogs or other websites, whether that be recipes or home ideas or books I want to read, even how-to instructions for projects I want to try.  Before Pinterest, I had a mishmash of email folders and documents trying to organize it all.  No more, my friends!  Now I have Pinterest.

I also love it because I can see what others are pinning on their boards.  Sometimes I don't even have to go on outside websites to get inspired because there are such great things getting pinned every minute by other people.

Picture from tinywhitedaisies.tumblr.com.  But found on Pinterest, of course.

So, yeah, I spend a lot of time on Pinterest.  But I will say that I have done some projects that were inspired by things I saw on Pinterest or with ideas that I pinned myself that were easily organized on Pinterest.

To join, you have to ask to be invited or get an existing member to invite you.  I asked to be invited and it took less than a week to get accepted and up and running.

If you are already a member, you can follow me if you'd like.  I would love to see what all of you are pinning!!



Menu Planning (Try #1)

Okay, so a while back I posted about meal planning - whether I should give it a shot or not.  Consensus being that I should, I promptly started waited a year before giving it a go.

Well, that's not entirely true.  I occasionally menu plan in my head.  Which is sort of the same thing, right?

So, here we go.  My menu plan for the week:

Monday:  Meatloaf muffins, with potatoes, carrots, and green beans (vegetables left over from Sunday dinner...see menu planning working already)

Tuesday: Mr. 31 is on his own.  I'll be out of town for work.

Wednesday: Shrimp sauteed with garlic, Lone Star Rice, and broccoli

Thursday: Penne pasta bake with Italian sausage and Caesar salad

Friday:  Leftovers

Saturday:  Making up a crock pot recipe involving beef and vegetables.  Sort of like a roast, but not.  I'll let  you know how that goes.

I'll be linking up with Menu Plan Monday at I'm an Organizing Junkie.

The Saga of Dead Power Cords

I have oodles of projects and recipes and an introduction to the newest member of our family coming.  But the power cord on my husband's laptop died - and that's where we keep all of our photos.  Sad face.

I tried to plug the camera in to another computer to pull off my photos, but my husband had decided to be ultra efficient and loving and supportive of my blogging and had already emptied the camera card for me.  Onto his computer.

Since the laptop is still under warranty, the manufacturer promptly sent us a new cord that promptly got lost in transit.  Then they not-so-promptly sent us a second replacement which we just received.

So, posts coming! 

I Went to the Dark Side

Remember this post?  You know, the one where I espoused my love of books and vowed that I was anti-Kindle/eBooks of any kind.

Yeah, about that.

I got one of these from Mr. 31 for our anniversary:

photo from Amazon.com

And I big-fat-puffy-heart love it.

Here's how the leap to the Dark Side went down:  Mr. 31 is super into electronics and has wanted to get me one for quite some time.  He suggested it at Christmas and, in his words, I "almost murdered him" at the thought of him getting me one of those as a gift.

Then I discovered that I'll be taking a couple of lengthy trips next summer.  And the thought of schlepping a lot of books through airports and hotels made me tired.  And so the evil thoughts began that maybe a Kindle would make that problem go away.

Mr. 31 took that little crack in my armor and ran with it.  So, on our anniversary, my extremely nervous husband handed me a Kindle and then ran for cover waited for my reaction.  At first, I wasn't sure...then I discovered free books.

And look out!  Now my Kindle is ever present by my side.

And my husband rubs it in my face is really glad I like my gift. 

Now, I will say that I still prefer the feel and comfort of holding an actual book!  I also really like when I pay for something to have it in my hand rather than have it just appear as a line on an electronic device (but I know that's just a psychological thing I have to get over - it doesn't bother me with music, but I've yet to make that leap with books).

But I do love my Kindle.

(Disclaimer: I have not been paid or given anything for this post.  Amazon.com, despite the thousands of dollars I've probably spent on their site, does not know who I am.)

Slow Cooker One Dish Chicken

I threw the contents of this recipe in the slow cooker before church on Sunday.  It was ready for us after church; I just whipped up some mashed potatoes (Idaho instant...the football game was coming on!), green beans, and salad to go with it, which took less than 20 minutes.  Not bad for a Sunday dinner!

Now, let me say it was yummy, but decidedly NOT photogenic. Hence no photo.  So you'll have to take my word that it was very good!

Slow Cooker One Dish Chicken
Adapted from Fix-It and Forget-It Cookbook: 700 Great Slow Cooker Recipes (Fix-It and Forget-It Series)

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

10 3/4 oz. can cream of chicken soup

1/3 cup milk

1 pkg. Stove Top stuffing

1 2/3 cup water

1/2 cup raisins or dried cranberries

1 T. butter, cut into small chunks.

1.  Place chicken in slow cooker.

2.  Combine soup and milk.  Pour over chicken.

3.  Combine stuffing mix, seasoning packet (if separate...mine wasn't), raisins/cranberries and water.  Let sit for a minute for stuffing to absorb water.  Spoon over chicken.

4.  Dot butter over the stuffing.

5.  Cover.  Cook on Low 6-8 hours.

I'll be linking up to the following linky parties:
Crock Pot Wednesday at Dining with Debbie

Happy Birthday to The Padawan!

Today is my brother-in-law, The Padawan's, birthday.  He is twelve years old.

In honor of his twelfth birthday, here are twelve reasons why I love The Padawan:

12.  Because he very patiently explains things like Ninjago and the Marvel Universe to his clueless sister-in-law (that would be me).

11.  Because he loves sports and is fun to watch football games with because he knows all the players and their stats.

10.  Because he can take a foul during a basketball game like no other.  Then he gets up with a big smile on his face and helps up the guy who just creamed him.

9.  Because he adds "Cha Cha Cha - Charmin ULTRA!" after every time he sings Happy Birthday to someone.  I have no idea where it came from, but you have to respect his dedication.

8.   Because he is kind to our puppy, Bailey, who weighs more than him and plays with him tirelessly.  The Padawan even watched over the dog the day Bailey was sick and Mr. 31 and I had to go to work.

7.  Because he really gets into singing along with the radio.

6.  Because he is respectful and well behaved.

5.  Because, even at 12, he's not embarrassed to give us big hugs and tell us when he misses us.

4.  Because he has the ability to make a friend out of anyone.  It has happened more than once that he is talking and laughing and playing with another child at a store or the park and later, when we ask him where he knew the kid from, he says, "I didn't know them."

3.  Because he is compassionate and caring to humans and animals alike.

2.  Because he is sweet and kind to the point that he doesn't even want to beat anyone at a board game.

1.  Because he loves the Lord and desires to walk in His ways.  And he does a SUPER job at it!

HAPPY 12TH BIRTHDAY!!!  Cha Cha Cha - Charmin ULTRA!!

I Know What Room I'm In

...which means I don't need my wallpaper border to remind me.

...which leads to my current project: redecorating our full bath.

As I've mentioned before, we rent our home and weren't planning on living here for very long, so I was willing to live with certain things.  Like bathtub wallpaper border.  And purple walls.

And purple rose wallpaper.

And generic gold light fixture.

And sharing it with my cats.

But I've hit my limits.  This was brought on by a couple of things.  The first was that our ceiling began to peel.

This has happened with a number of our ceilings.  I'm not sure what the previous owners used, but it sure doesn't like to stick.

The other was that our toilet began to leak from the tank.  And then the cat toilet decided to not work anymore. (Yes, our cats had a toilet.  I just had to hit a button for deodorized water to clean everything out and then flush it all down my toilet.  It made our lives much easier, except for the fact that it broke every few months.  But I digress.) 

So, I decided in for a penny, in for a pound.  I'm kicking the cats out (of the bathroom anyways), tearing the place apart, and rebuilding it into a better version of itself.  Certain things, like the tile, bathtub, tub surround, vanity, and mirror have to stay, so no major changes will go down.  But I can certainly paint and decorate it up a little bit.

I'll be updating as I go.  I'm hoping to have the entire project done by the end of September.    And I've already got a jump on it - the purple rose wallpaper is gone!  Woohoo!

I'm baaaaack!

In case anyone noticed I've been MIA on my own blog for almost a year - I'm back!

I was going to write a post about all the reasons why I haven't posted, but I decided I wasn't going to do that.

1.  It would be a really long, uninteresting post.

2.  It would just be a long list of excuses and would sound suspiciously like whining, neither of which I tolerate very well from other people, so I won't subject you to mine.

So I'll just say I'm back.  I have some projects in the hopper and some new obsessions (can anyone say Pinterest???), so I'll see you here real soon!

A to Z Bread Variation 2

A couple of weeks ago, I shared a recipe called A to Z Bread, which is a basic quick bread base that you then add your own variations to. I shared my first attempt at it with bananas as the main ingredient.

I decided to go with carrots, pineapple, and coconut this time. I also decided to try making a couple of substitutes to see if I could make it any healthier without sacrificing taste (note I say "healthier" not "healthy"!).

A to Z Bread Variation 2

3 cups flour

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. baking powder

2 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. nutmeg

3 eggs

1/2 cup canola oil

1/2 cup applesauce

1 1/2 cups turbinado sugar

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup chopped pecans

3/4 cup chopped carrot

3/4 cup chopped fresh pineapple

1/2 cup shredded coconut

Heat oven to 325.

Sift dry ingredients and set aside.

Beat eggs in a large bowl. Add sugar and oil; cream well.

Add bananas, applesauce, and vanilla and mix well. Add dry ingredients and stir until just blended. Add nuts.

I poured half of the batter into a well greased loaf pan and the other half into 4 well greased mini loaf pans.

Bake the mini loafs for 35 minutes and the larger loaf for 50 minutes.

Overall, I thought this variation was really good. It ended up a little dryer than the banana bread, so I may not substitute as much oil for applesauce next time. It's also not as sweet as the banana bread was, but that's okay!

Please check out my links page for all the great parties I'll be linking to!

Paint Sample Wall Hanging

One of my (many) house projects is to decorate our guest room. This may sound somewhat simple, but I have a slight complication. You see, the guest that's here most often is Mr. 31's 10 year old brother, but the room also has to be suitable for grown ups. So, I've decided to decorate the room in shades of blue, using metal washers as accents. That way, it can look polished enough for adults, but in a fun, funky way suitable for a 10 year old Star Wars fan.

One of the first projects was a wall hanging. Inspired by the Iron Crafters challenge from Fireflies and Jellybeans, I decided to make it out of paint samples and washers.

I started by gathering paint samples in the shades I wanted: Ink Drop, Blue Corn Chips, Lazy Day, City Gray, and White (in Kilz brand).

Then I purchased 1 inch wide washers, navy blue satin ribbon, and fishing line.

I started the process by punching circles out of the paint samples using a 1 inch punch. I got 4 circles out of each sample. Then I punched 2 holes in each circle using a safety pin, unless the circles were going to be on the top or bottom line, in which case it got 3 holes.

Next I laid out the pattern I wanted (the hanging measures roughly 24 inches by 18 inches).

I then strung the top and bottom lines of the design using the fishing line and secured the line using hot glue.

I assembled the rest of the hanging upside down. I found out it much easier to assemble that way so I could glue without having to flip each piece over.

Once all the paint sample circles and washers were strung together (and my back was sufficiently sore from bending over it!), I decided to glue some smaller circles from the paint samples onto some of the circles to make it a little more interesting. Then I strung the navy ribbon through the 4 washers on the top line. The hanging will hang from those ribbons when I actually hang it.

I'm happy with the results. It's fun and different, and will add a nice touch to the guest room. Also nice: the cost. The total was roughly $8.00, though that's the total cost with the fishing line and ribbon, both of which I have lots left over.

I'll be linking with Fireflies and Jellybeans' Iron Crafters contest and also the usual suspects on my link party page.

A to Z Bread Variation 1

So, I was cruising the Tasty Kitchen the other day, when I stumbled across a recipe called A to Z bread. It's a basic quick bread recipe that you can then add 2 cups of whatever to (there's a nice suggestion list with the original recipe).

On Sunday, I was faced with 3 bananas that were not going to make it to Monday. Rather than overdose on potassium by eating them all, I decided to make the A to Z bread with bananas being the base of my 2 cups of whatever. And, what's so great about this recipe is, I didn't have 2 cups of bananas, so I just dumped in some applesauce to make up the difference. No trip to the store! Which made Mr. 31 happy.

This recipe is so good, I will be making it again. So, for now, we will call this version A to Z bread Variation 1. The only change I made from the original recipe was that I took away some cinnamon and added nutmeg (gotta have nutmeg!) and I halved the amount of nuts (only because that's all I had in the house, not making a stance or anything).

A to Z Bread Variation 1

Adapted from Tasty Kitchen

3 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg
3 whole eggs
1 cup oil (I used canola)
1 ¾ cup sugar
3 tsp. vanilla
½ cup pecans
1 ½ cups mashed banana
½ cup applesauce

Heat oven to 325.

Sift dry ingredients and set aside.

Beat eggs in a large bowl. Add sugar and oil; cream well.

Add bananas, applesauce, and vanilla and mix well. Add nuts.

I poured half of the batter into a well greased loaf pan and the other half into 4 well greased mini loaf pans.

Bake the mini loafs for 35 minutes and the larger loaf for 50 minutes.

Please check out my links page for all the great parties I'll be linking to!

Decorating a Filing Cabinet

A while back, I mentioned that we moved my husband's office downstairs. It has been working out great (he's even keeping it clean! Miracles do happen!). But there a few things that have been bugging me.

One is the side of the filing cabinet, which is in full view from the living and dining rooms. Here's what it has looked like:

Functional, but oh so unattractive.

I had some picture frames in the attic which I wasn't using that I thought would go great with the filing cabinet. And I'd be much happier looking at pictures than business notes. But how to hang them on the filing cabinet?

Then I came across some thick red ribbon at Walmart clearanced at $1.00 a spool. Perfect! I purchased some magnet clips from Staples to hang the ribbons from. What with adding ribbon, I figured I'd "man" the arrangement up a little bit with the metal clips. It is a guy's office, after all.

So, I sat down the photo frames and the ribbon and my hot glue gun and went to town. The result was this:

It was okay, but a tid bit boring. So I went to work again with some green ribbon I already had from decorating the living and dining rooms and ended up with this:

Much better! And much more pleasing to me than looking at random bits of paper.

I have had to promise to make Mr. 31 some kind of bulletin board, but one that can be posted in a more inconspicuous spot. Win-win!

Please check my link party page for the parties I'll be joining!