Here is some veggie people enjoying a slice of cake....

my son's been applying at various fast food places...its difficult here to find any work at all....I am posting the below video for him....I really like Tim Hawkins...

Good cookies and another postcard

I can't believe this month is half over already...time sure flies, doesn't it? Before we know it, the little trick or treaters will be ringing the doorbell...and then on to Thanksgiving which is one of my favorite holidays...

Its cool and drizzly here today..I have laundry to hang but that will have to wait to see if this weather clears up. The dryer is hit or miss..mostly miss...the heating element is going out..

I found a wonderful easy recipe on the Just a Pinch recipe club website I wanted to share....I made these cookies and they all but disappeared within hours and the guys are asking for more...I didn't even get a photo before they were eaten....this is the photo from the online recipe...personally, I wouldn't call them gooey..they are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside..very good indeed...

 
Gooey Butter Cookies

1 box  Duncan Hines butter recipe cake mix
1 stick  butter
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1 pkg    cream cheese @ room temp (8 oz. pkg)
1    egg

Combine all ingredients with electric mixer until well blended. Chill dough for 2 hours. Roll into balls (about walnut size). Roll balls in powdered sugar. Bake on ungreased cookie sheet in 350 degree oven for 10 - 12 minutes. Dust with powdered sugar when completely cooled.
these are so easy to make...they will think you worked hours on them...I didn't have the exact cake mix so used a yellow cake mix inside and they didn't know the difference...this recipe makes about 3 dozen, depends on how large you make them...

Thursday..Some Ideas for Postcards

Here is the second postcard I have with the black and orange theme..cats again! Quite striking.
.if you are wondering what to do with these images...on the left hand side of this blog, there is a pink button..that is the Vintage Image Craft link..lots of ideas of crafting with these images...
here is just one example using a old fish bowl that you may have or find at the thrift shop...

not my idea but Scott and Martin's over on the Vintage Image Craft site so please check it out..lots of free tutorials, free images, plus links to their auctions....

Grandma's Beef Casserole and another vintage postcard

Yesterday I found the recipe in one of the new Gooseberry books I had ordered...since I had everything to make it.....started it in the crock pot late so put it on high...this was the most delicious crock pot dish yet. It generously served 6 hungry people and everyone raved about it....no leftovers!

Grandma's Beef Casserole

2 lbs. beef stew meat
1/4 c. flour
can of mushroom soup
1 package dry onion soup mix
small can of whole mushrooms
1/2 cup red wine or beef broth (I happened to have wine)
12 oz. package of medium egg noodles


In a zip lock bag, put the stew meat..add flour, zip and shake to cover the meat. Brown meat in a heavy skillet that has been sprayed with cooking spray (I used a little canola oil too) and when nicely browned, put in the crock pot along with all the other ingredients except the noodles...mix to combine..put on low for 8 to 10 hours or high for 5 to 6. To serve, spoon over cooked noodles...I  think the wine really made a difference as the house smelled so good all afternoon while it was cooking....Alan sometimes gets a bottle or two as a gift during the year from clients who don't know he's diabetic....we use it in cooking only so the alcohol is gone just the wonderful flavor...

I got this recipe from the "Slow Cookers, Casseroles and Skillets" Gooseberry book..and served it with peas and carrots (the carrots were from our garden) and jello with fruit for dessert....

This postcard is all done in orange and black...a bit unusual...I think this is from the 1940s....

Tuesday, Condos, Mile High Houses and a crochet link

We had 4 jobs yesterday in North San Diego county....and Oceanside...I've posted about Oceanside many times before...grew up there and graduated from Oceanside High school....it seems like my hometown, although we did move about several times when I was young...(all in Southern California)..my folks are buried at the local cemetery there...so I feel really connected..also my brother has a house there where he plans on retiring to one day, although I think we may have lost him to Hawaii..LOL...where he lives and works now...can't blame him.

We rekeyed two condos..I liked both of them..the first was an older one and needed a little work but was roomy and with a good view..the second was more upscale but much smaller and no view....we both preferred the older one as it had a nice large patio area, and you could go right into the garage from the kitchen...we've found that the older houses and condos have alot nicer features than new ones....

On the way out of town, we stopped to get gas by the freeway when I noticed some "eagle high" houses built up in the hills..talk about isolation!

I don't think the fire department appreciates these, do you? Can you imagine?

On the home front, I'm still working on the redwork towels..will have the set done soon and on its way to the new owner....hope she likes them as much as I've had fun making them.....
I learned how to crochet on my own as a newly wed...my grandmother crocheted but never taught me..I subscribe to the Talking Crochet newsletter and got the email the other day..there are free patterns offered occasionally and this is one of them..I think this afghan is so pretty...am greatly tempted to make it using the colors of our living room...

Granny squares are easy to do, but this is unusual as they are triangle granny squares....the link with the pattern for you crocheters is here
That's all for today....hope you and yours have a great Tuesday!

Monday

Just a short post today..Happy Columbus Day...I am hurrying around getting some laundry done and such as I'm going on a short road trip with Alan down to San Diego county to Oceanside to re key a property....and then back towards home to another house in Murrieta....I'll take the camera!
Its not PC to celebrate Columbus Day anymore, is it? kinda silly but such as our country right now....you really can't judge the past by the standards of the present...
Did you notice a theme going with the vintage postcards? most of them have a cat somewhere on them...

I made two pies yesterday and we also are continuing drying the rest of the apples..have about half a bushel left to do..we have to bag the dried apples right away or they are gone in the morning.....the guys don't seem to eat the fresh ones but sure go after the dried ones.....just a tip if you have kids that don't eat fresh fruit well....my oldest sons girlfriend loves to use the little peeler, corer we have on the counter and fix a couple for herself...she says the apple skins bother her...

A Giveaway and a Prim designer

Ahlcoopedup is having a giveaway! This darling Frosty the Snowman will be going home to the lucky winner...she will be drawing the name on Oct. 22nd so you still have time.....I just love snowmen, don't you? I've made several types of snowmen tags...here are 3..these are on my selling blog..Sweet Home Stitchery

I love patterns of all sorts..and am partial to prim, of course.....a artist you may or not be familar with is JoEllen Laurita....and the link she is disabled the photos so I can't share with you so please be sure to check out her website, BeFruitful Kreations I am a follower of hers on Facebook too.....she and her husband are snow birds and live in their RV much of the year..they have a blog about their travels at The Great Misadventures of David and JoEllen Laurita.. This is something we've been thinking about for retirement....in a few years.....

oh..almost forgot the vintage postcard for the day....

This little girl must have taken the same lessons that Harry Potter had.....looks like she's having a great time.....

We got the antenna up and can get a few more stations..the reception is great..amazing how many foreign language stations there are..especially Spanish ones...but we do get enough regular stations to make it worthwhile...two local ones, several others... and free!

When I was in the courtroom yesterday while the Judge was interviewing prospective jurors..one fellow said he was a political organizer..and asked everyone if they were voting..(.of course, that's where the county got our names..from the voter roster)...but one man spoke up and said..."you are in for a rude awakening when we do vote.."  The organizer was silent....what could he say? The inland empire is a conservative one...
I was waiting outside when another lady and I got into a conversation....she and her husband were in their early 70s....and lived in Hemet....she said last week, they received something called the American Community Survey..and that it was the most invasive thing she'd ever read...26 pages to fill out with everything from the date they bought their home, how much did they pay..how many square feet is it..how many toilets..to how much is in their bank accounts...how much money they make a month, etc....they are not filling it out....I agreed with her..what are your thoughts?

Jury Duty

a rather spooky postcard.....boo!
I spent the day at the courthouse as a prospective juror.....lots of waiting....there were probably close to 400 people there for a 3 week trial..many of us couldn't go for the full 3 weeks so were excused....hopefully they got enough people.....I've been reading the court is having a hard time finding enough jurors hence they call so many.....out of the group I was in..some 85 people..they got 12 that could do it....we watched a movie about jury service which I found interesting and I came away almost wishing I could have served but Alan needs me to work with him......they did mention that the jury salary was slated to go up closer to the federal....that may help many so its not a financial hardship.

Alan is working today putting up a HD antenna..(it looks like a B52 bomber, its so large)..we bought a smaller one but we can only get 6 stations and 4 of them are in other languages..so will try this larger one...our oldest son is helping him...hopefully we can get some local stations......I remember the one my Dad put on our roof as a kid....and him having to go up to turn the antenna to get different reception.....back in the 60s...no cable back then..

Beautiful weather today..warm and in the 70s...chilly at night in the 40s...hopefully we can get some yard work done this weekend....

The Rusty Thimble is having a giveaway of 6 primitive Candy Canes....Christmas will be here before we know it!

Vintage Pumpkin Postcard and mice!

I got up really early this morning...woke up with a start..but its kinda fun watching the sun come up...its been rainy and cool for the last three days....unusual but not unwelcomed....had my bible study and prayer time and having my coffee, checking on blogs, email and such.....
I am glad you like the faux apple pie...Oodlekoodle primitives has the most wonderful patterns and they are easy to make for the most part...the pie is a little intensive though as you make about 25 apple slices that go inside...but its well worth the effort..and smells so good..
I've also made primitive mice from Stag Line Primitives...if you haven't seen these patterns, they are wonderful

cute, huh? they are alot of fun to stage in decorating..I made an entire "Visiting Santa" scene with a larger one as Santa, and little ones in a line waiting to sit on his lap...sorry, no photo...but  if you click on the above link...Wendy Brown has many photos for inspiration....and please take a look at her Ebay shop..especially the vintage kitchen items....very cool.....the mice are made from warm and natural batting....and the pattern comes into two sizes..the smaller ones look very real...she also has patterns with costumes....

I almost forgot..I am always entering contests..never usually win but one always hopes..anyway,  I am a fan of Don Francisco Coffee on Facebook and was recently informed I was one of 10 people to win a gift basket of coffee and other goodies..I'm not sure if this is just a Californian company or nation wide but their coffee is great....I can't find it at every grocery store but our local Stater Brothers carries it...

We got our absentee voters ballots yesterday and will be filling them out soon.....please vote this election..its so important....we just have to get better people into office....my scripture reading this morning was in Isaiah 5:20-21

"Woe to those who call evil good
       and good evil,
       who put darkness for light
       and light for darkness,
       who put bitter for sweet
       and sweet for bitter.
Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes
       and clever in their own sight."
pretty much describes our government right now, doesn't it?