De-Winterizing and Springifying

We're having a gorgeous weekend here in central Virginia.  The sun was out all day and the temps were at least in mid 60's with an ever so slight breeze. 

We had snow just a few days ago and all the schools were closed.  But the weatherman predicted temps to rise into the 60's for the weekend so I made plans to get the house ready for spring.  Goodbye winter decor.

Hello Spring!!

I started to clean the sunroom and it dawned on me that today would be a beautiful day to paint this bookcase.  I was getting tired of the red since it had been at least 7 years since I last painted it.

Hubby helped me take it outside and then I sent him to Home Depot to get my paint.  I used Rust-Oleum Painters Touch, Satin Dark Walnut.

While the paint was drying I decided to do some other chores.

Like cleaning the sunroom windows

Kept up with the men's basketball game on the computer (they won and are headed to the conference championship game on Sunday - yippee!!)

Slow cooked a Rump Roast with carrots

Re-arranged some of the sunroom now I'm sitting down and relaxing and enjoying the view.

Here's the bookcase placed in it's new spot in the sunroom.

The sun is setting.  It's been a long busy day and I take my place once again in my favorite spot.  Hubby will be joining me soon.

Tomorrow I will finish decorating for Spring, weatherman says it's going to be just as nice!

Have a blessed weekend and savor every moment!

Re-post Spring Mantel

(click on images for detailed viewing)
So I caved . . . .

I couldn't resist. . . .

I had to copycat Be Book Bound's:  Beatrix Potter's Easter: A Peter Rabbit Mantel

I've been obsessed with her Beatrix Potter series posts lately, I just had to do the same

 I bought the flowers, greenery, carrots, moss and water pail at Michaels.

I made the fence myself using poster board and water color paint.

I also painted the birdhouse and made made all the bugs, daffodils, and butterflies attached to the fence

My Pier 1 bunnies fit in perfectly

Those carrots are so real looking

A couple of weeks ago I bought two adorable interactive Beatrix Potter books at Sam's Club for only $7.99 each.  I gave one to my grandson to take home and I kept the other one for when he comes to visit. 

In the movie, "Miss Potter" (the story about Beatrix Potter, and her publisher who happens to be her first love) they show her sitting on the grass, by the mountain side starting the movie off with this quote.  It's my favorite but I also am using it to encourage my hubby whom I've been bugging for years upon years to get started on writing a children's book. I know he's got it in him but this will be another post for another time.

I'll add some Easter eggs soon but then I can also keep this vignette up for another couple of weeks without the Easter eggs as a Spring to early Summer vignette.

I have a feeling that I'm going to be collecting all things Beatrix Potter from now on.  I see Pottery Barn sells some of her stuff so I'll just have to wait for a good clearance sale and go nuts!!

Hope you had a great weekend and continue to savor every moment.

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Ninth Street Notions

   

Miss Mickey's Peanut Butter Balls

copycat recipe from Trisha Yearwood's cooking show

1 cup white sugar

1/2 cup light corn syrup

1/2 cup dark corn syrup

2 cups crunchy peanut butter

4 cups rice cereal (I used chocolate rice cereal)

2-4 tbsps. soft butter

In a large pan, combine both corn syrups over medium heat.

Add the sugar to the corn syrup and stir until completely dissolved.

Immediately remove from heat.

Add the peanut butter and mix completely until well blended.

Add the rice cereal.  Use a strong wooden spoon or spatula to blend thoroughly.

It gets thick and tough to mix but it needs to be well blended.  Rub butter on the palm of yours hands a grab two tablespoons worth of the mixture into and roll into a ball.  Repeat with the rest of the batch being careful as some of it may be still hot.

Place on cookie sheet covered with wax paper.

You may devour immediately

These were for my hubby, the peanut butter lover in the family

I saw Trisha Yearwood and her husband Garth Brooks make these on her cooking show this morning and knew I had to make these for my hubby.  I'm not a fan of peanut butter, I sometimes can't stand the smell of it but every once in a blue moon, I crave it.  Today was a blue moon day.  I had one, just one and that was plenty.  Hubby loved them.

May you be enjoying your weekend and savoring every moment.

White Chocolate Cookies for VDay

Vanilla – Almond Sugar Cookies

3 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour

2 tsps. baking powder

1 cup sugar

2 sticks (salted) butter, cold

1 egg

¾ tsp. pure vanilla extract

½ tsp. pure almond extract

Combine the flour and baking powder, set aside.

Cream the sugar and butter.  Add the egg and extracts and mix.  Gradually add the flour mixture and beat just until combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl, especially the bottom.

The dough will be crumbly, so knead it together with your hands as you scoop it out of the bowl.  Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for two hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 350F.

I had this dough leftover from last weekend when I made my football helmets for our Super Bowl shindig. It saved me time so there's your tip of the day, make the dough ahead of time.  Anyway, roll the dough out to 1/4 inch thick, maybe a tad bit thicker (that's the way I like them).  Use your favorite cookie cutter.

Place dough on an ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake for 12 - 14 minutes or until edges are browned.

When cookies are done baking, cool completely.  I stacked them only when they were cooled to get them together in one spot as I prepared the icing.

For the Icing:

4 tbsps. light corn syrup

4 tbsps. water +  a little more

2 cups or 1 bag white Gharadelli chocolate chips

1/4 cup milk

Red or Pink food coloring

Over low heat, using a small pot heat the corn syrup thorough then carefully add the water stirring constantly.

Heat until it starts to boil.  Remove from heat.

Immediately add the white chocolate chips, stir and add the milk a little at a time until you get the right consistency.  

It should look and feel like molasses.  I added a little bit of more water as it was still too thick until I was able to stir it and spread it on the cookie.

With an offset spatula spread the icing over the cookie.

Place on a cooling rack, not to cool it but to dry.  Repeat with the rest of the cookies.  Let set for a couple of hours before the next step but make sure to cover the leftover icing.

With the leftover icing, I added the red food coloring to make it pink.  Add a little more water if needed just in case the icing is too thick.  With a toothpick, I picked up the pink icing and just added some squiggly lines along the edges as well as any other designs I could think of.

Peanut Butter??

This was my hubby's idea.  So for the love of my hubby and since it is Valentine's Day, I added some creamy peanut butter . . . .

Yup, I sandwiched some peanut butter between my beautiful cookies.  Kept reminding myself, "for the love of my hubby", the peanut butter lover.

I made enough for the whole family.  Placed some in a fancy chocolate color cupcake wrap and tied a red ribbon around it.  

And this is the reason my life is complete, my grandbabies

Have a Happy Valentine's Day!  Savor every moment!

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    Chic on a Shoestring Decorating