What A Lovely Day!

I was so graciously honored this award from Missy over at "Are You There God? It's Me..."

Pretty cool to think that someone (other than my Mom or Dad:) enjoys my blog! I started this blog as a way to "scrapbook" my life, my kids, my love of cooking, etc. I never really thought anyone would actually enjoy it! So, many thanks Missy for this award! I thoroughly enjoy Missy's blog because we share many of the same interests, and I feel that we are on the same spiritual journey:) Anyhoo, please head on over to check out her great blog!

I am sitting here enjoying a LOVELY autumn thunderstorm. We really did not get many of these this summer, so I am loving every minute of it, well, except the part when the thunder cracked ever so loudly that we soon had three munchkins jump into bed at the same time:) Unfortunately I still have all the sheets laying on top of my garden because of the frost a couple nights ago. *sigh* Oh well, I will enjoy this stormy rainy day, a perfect day for making bread, I do believe!

I cannot WAIT to post one of the suppers we had this week, Monte Cristo's. I had never made them before, and my sister-in-law gave us a jar of raspberry jam which inspired me to make these. It was pure heaven on earth, I tell ya, post soon to come!!

Have a wonderful Thursday, and if you could, say a prayer for my dying 92 year old Grandmother. We are basically in wait right now, but pray that the Lord will bring her home soon, so she won't have to suffer. She is an AMAZING woman who was full of faith and love. I don't think she will ever know how much I have learned from her:)

Blessings,

Crockpot Chili

This is hands down my favorite chili recipe. My sister-in-law gave me this recipe a few years ago, and it is not the only only one I make. Now, she likes to include jalapeno peppers, but I don't want to feel like I'm on fire while eating because then my nose runs, my eyes water, and I forget how stinkin good the chili is. Unfortunately I don't have a pic, forgot to take one last week when I made it. Linking up to Crockpot Wednesdays

Crockpot Chili

6 slices bacon chopped
1 lb. hamburger
1lb. ground turkey
1/2 onion, chopped
1/2 green pepper, chopped

Brown the above 5 together

1 pkg. McCormick chili seasoning
1 large can Bush's baked beans
1 can kidney beans
1 jar salsa or picante sauce
1 small can crushed tomatoes

Simmer 1 hour on stove top or cook on low 4-6 hours

Creamy Tuna and Zucchini Casserole

I make tuna casserole about once every couple months, it has never been a "huge" hit with the daycare kids, but they don't mind it. I had two zucchinis sitting in the fridge that needed to get used, so I took one and chopped it up real fine and added it to the casserole. The kids LOVED it this time! I am always looking for things (like veggies) to add into casseroles/hot dishes to make them healthier. Enjoy!

Tuna and Zucchini Casserole

2 c. elbow macaroni cooked
4 Tbl butter
4Tbl flour
milk
1 clove garlic
1 zucchini finely chopped
1 can tuna, drained
1 c. frozen peas

For the sauce, melt the butter, add garlic and cook for a minute or so, add the flour, again cook for a minute. Add milk until the sauce is the right consistency, add a bit of salt and pepper. Mix can of tun with pasta

and add the sauce. One thing I forgot to do that I normally do is to add in some shredded cheese with the sauce. Makes it creamier:) Finish by adding the cup of frozen peas.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 30-40 minutes.

Linking up to Tasty Tuesday

Tempt My Tummy Tuesday

Tuesdays at the Table

Rainy, Cloudy Weather Makes Me......

Feel cozy and content! We have had so very little rain this summer, that when we do get a day of rain, I thoroughly enjoy it! I light several candles, turn on my cute little lamp on my bakers rack, and just enjoy the soothing sounds of rain.

I am heading down to southern Mn to stay with my Aunt and Uncle this afternoon, I hope to get there around 6:30-7:00, and then tomorrow I am going to visit my Grandma who is in the hospital with pneumonia. My Grandma is a spunky 92 year old who just recently moved into the nursing home. She has been living on her own up until that point. I have always been super close with all my Grandparents, so it's hard to see them go downhill. It amazes me to think of how much she taught me without even knowing she did:) I think about that with my own kids, and most of the time I smile, but I gotta tell ya, sometimes that makes me cringe-the things they will pick up from me! I *try* to model myself the way God intends me to be, but that's not always easy either. I still have that super stubborn (thanks Mom), must be different (thanks Dad), type of personality that makes it hard to be "Godly". All I can do is pray that God will direct my husband and I to teach our girls "His" way and not our way.

Blessings,

STOP!! Move away from the applesauce cake....

If you are not a follower of Finding Joy in My Kitchen, you must mosy your little mouse on over there and check out her blog. Yesterday I made her Applesauce Oatmeal Bread and I can honestly say that I can't stop eating it. It is sooo flavorful (mainly because I made it with homemade applesauce also from her blog:) and dense, a perfect compliment to a hot cup of coffee. A fabulous bread to enjoy with the changing of seasons.

Onto other exciting news, I have been blessed with the start of a head cold, ugh. I think I might need to make some Chicken and Squash soup,(although, now thinking about it, I'm not sure that I trust myself with a knife and this woozy head...) as Brad grabbed a butternut squash out of the garden last night. He took the girls out to grab more tomatoes and they picked pumpkins too, such fun! Rachel came in and needed a knife, so I showed her how to hold it and had to chuckle as she held the knife down, but had her arm completely outstretched while walking as slow as possible!! I hope to can more tomatoes today (we'll see how mama feels) and possible can some apple pie filling.

I also want to share that I have been added to the Foodie Blogroll! If you scroll down, you will see the button for it. I'm excited to add this fun blogroll, and find other great cooking blogs! Have a fabulous "Hump Day", and the second day of fall!!

Verse of the day:
Philippians 2:14-15, " Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blamelss and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine lights in the world..."

How true is this, and a great reminder for me:)

Hmmmm...

I am trying to figure out why my Followers area is not working?? Any ideas, ladies?? I hope to have that back working soon!!

Homemade Corn Dogs

I decided to try my hand at making corn dogs last Friday, as Fridays are usually my "easy" cooking days. The recipe was super easy, and the kiddos really loved thew corn dogs! My only complaint was that you have to eat them right away, I had to put them in the microwave to wait for the tator tots to get done, and they got a little soggy. But all in all, a great recipe, and it's nice to know all the ingredients that went into making them.

Homemade Corn Dogs

1 quart oil for deep frying
1 cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cup yellow cornmeal
1/4 cup white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg, beaten
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 pounds hot dogs (I used Hebrew National hot dogs)
wooden sticks




Heat oil in a deep fryer to 365 degrees F (185 degrees C).
In a large bowl, stir together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder and salt. Make a well in the center, and pour in the egg, buttermilk, and baking soda. Mix until everything is smooth and well blended.
Pat the hot dogs dry with paper towels so that the batter will stick. Insert wooden sticks into the ends. Dip the hot dogs in the batter one at a time, shaking off the excess. Deep fry a few at a time in the hot oil until they are as brown as you like them. Drain on paper towels or serve on paper plates. Enjoy!

Linking up to: Tasty Tuesday , Tempt My Tummy Tuesday , and Tuesdays at the Table
and Crockpot Wednesdays (although it's obviously NOT a crockpot recipe, lol)

Happy eating!

What a Weekend!

What a super busy weekend we had! We visited the American Girl store at the Mall Of America on Saturday (had a blast, although whoever invented these dolls are crooks, lol:), spent the night at friends in Blaine and then Sunday went to a Twins game (*snore*). It was a great time with the girls, and of course *I* had a blast at the AG store too:)


I am linking over to Between Naps on the Porch for Metamorphosis Monday , Rhoda over at Southern Hospitality and Twice remembered for Make Your Monday

I had gotten this wooden tray from a thrift/antique store last year, and I LOVED the Americana theme, However, I am some what getting rid of that theme, so I decided to paint it, and stencil our last name initial, and the year we were "established", lol. Turned out great!

This one I bought this summer at an antique store also, but it was a very light yellow color that just did not go with the colors in my house. I spray painted it, and stenciled the number 5 on the side of it. I filled it with some of my tobacco tins that I collect and set it up on top of my cabinets in the kitchen. Looks much better!

Amazing what a can of spray paint can do!

Here Comes the Weekend!

Ok, maybe not quite yet, but only one more day of work, and then it's to THE AMERICAN GIRL STORE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yes, you heard me right, it's the store of dolls and clothes and accessories and furniture......Oh I can't wait. Truly. I don't know who is more excited, me or the girls. Oh, and Brad:) Tee-hee. It is our "end of summer" trip. They had to read a certain number of books to be able to go and they did it. So, we will visit the store for a few hours and then head over to some good friends of ours to spend the night, then on Sunday we are going to a Twins game. Can you tell I can hardly contain my excitement about that? *sigh* Baseball is just not my thing, but Brad loves it, and the girls will have a lot of fun. And that's all that matters, right?!

I am including a pic I took of one of my mums outside, isn't it gorgeous?? Have a great weekend!!

It's Fall, Y'all!

It's Fall in the Zimmer household, never mind that it's been 80's degrees all week! I got in the mood to do my fall decorating, and had fun adding new details.


The mantel in the living room is pretty much the same every year. I use a fall swag with an Autumn sign ($5 at Crafts Direct:) behind it, pumpkins on my candlesticks, and small fall picks throughout.

I made this scrapbook page and keep in a frame that sits on an antique dresser in our dining room.
This is my $30 bakers rack in the dining room. I had bought the picture frame at an antique's store for $2. I used scrapbook paper to make it "fallie":) The red bucket I also got at an antique's store for $2. I did add some fall ribbon to it after I had taken the pic.

I just love this piece, I also hung my fall sign that I made above the rack.

This wreath hangs on my door year round, it's just intertwined twigs with some berries, so for every season I decorate it up:)

And this is the porch, loved how it turned out, I added a fall inspired wooden bowl to the egg crate, some leaves, and a scarecrow welcome sign.

That's it, I hope you enjoyed my fall "tour"!! I am linking up to Cheri's Holiday Fall Decor

and Transformation Thursday over at The Shabby Chic Cottage, and DIY Fall Festival over at the DIY Showoff:) And also Rhondi's Welcome Fall party, and Rhoda's Fall Party at Southern Hospitality

It's Tasty Tuesday!

I am reposting one of my favorite meals of all time for Tasty Tuesday over at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam Chicken and Squash Soup. This is one of my favorite soups, and although it's going to be in the 80s here this week, I look forward to getting some cooler weather to make this again!

Enjoy!

Barn Board Re-do

I received about 15 boards from my inlaws barn that they tore down a few months ago. I've been trying to figure out what to do with them, when I stumbled across this idea from a blog I found (which is WONDERFUL!!). The blog is called Little Miss Crafty Pants

Her idea was with white tiles which looks fabulous. However, being on my "budget" (grrr), I can't spend money. So I used one of the barn boards from my inlaws barn that they tore down a couple months ago. I used my Cricut machine and cut out 4- 4" squares with white cardstock, 4-3.5" printed paper squares that I had on hand and then the lettering in black ( 3.5"). I just hot glued the squares onto the board and glued the ribbon on the back. I LOVE how it turned out, and the cost?? FREE!!!!

I am linking up to Metamorphosis Monday

This Weekends Thrifty Finds!

Ok, so being that I am down quite a few daycare kids, I've been put on a budget:( Not too happy about that, but, ya gotta do what ya gotta do. So, Saturday I took Mom and the girls to our local thrift store, Anne's and we had a blast! I found that old, old breast pump (I had to, I can't wait to show my LLL group!) for a dollar. The box I love, they had 12 boxes all different sizes for $30. However, on my "budget" (grrr) I could only get one box, so I chose this one. I put it on top of my kitchen cabinets and put the coffee jar from my Grandma on top of it.

We had a great weekend just hanging out, the girls and I. Saturday morning Rachel and I picked a bunch of apples from our apple tree. They are great for baking, but are so.very.small. It took us over an hour just to peel and slice them and I got about 4 cups of applesauce made from them. I used the recipe from one of my fave blogs Finding Joy In My Kitchen. It is divine, sooo tasty, and delicious! Saturday evening I picked a bunch of tomatoes and the girls helped me chop them up so we can can them. Maybe today we'll get to that. I am going to try and pick more apples today and make some apple bread, I think.

Have a great Monday!

We Remember.....

Today I am watching some of the original live footage of the World Trade Center attacks. It still amazes me, even after 8 years, that this happened to us. I pray for all the families affected by this terrible day, and hope that someday they can have peace and comfort.

Roast Beef Sandwiches

It's Crockpot Wednesday over at Dining With Debbie, lots of yummy easy recipes to explore! I am sharing my Dad's recipe for Roast Beef Sandwiches. These are to die for! Lots of flavor, and super moist. I took a picture, but for some reason it won't load:( Hope you enjoy them!

Roast Beef Sandwiches

1 beef roast (I think mine was a 5 pounder)
1 packet ranch dressing
1 packet italian seasoning
1 packet brown gravy mix
1/4-1/2 cup of water
2 cloves minced garlic

That's it! Cook on low 6-8 hours, shred and enjoy!

Tasty Tuesday

It's Tasty Tuesday over at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam, and Tempt your Tummy Tuesday over at Blessed With Grace so I decided to post hubby's fab Sloppy Joes! We came home from the lake last night and Brad decided he wanted sloppy's for supper. I make them for daycare lunches once in awhile, but almost tastes like something is missing. I was right! He adds a secret ingredient that really makes them much more tasty!

Brad's Sloppy Joes

2 lbs. ground beef

1 1/2- 2 cans tomato soup

1/2 c (or so, depending on your liking) ketchup

2 Tbl. brown sugar (again, more or less depending on if you like it a little sweeter, like me:)

2 Tbl. barbecue sauce

Brown hamburger with onions, add rest of ingredients and simmer for 20 minutes. Delish!

Back To School!

Ohhh it's that time of year again! I almost feel like this is more of my "new year" than January 1st:) It's a time of de-cluttering, re-organizing and replenishing. I start making my "Fall" list in August, and like to have the majority of it accomplished by the time school starts. Just one of those weird obsessive things I have. Thanks Mom and Dad.

The girls got off to school this morning, and I will guiltily admit that it's nice not having a herd of children in my house. It's (a little) more quiet, the little ones love having their "space" back, and plus they love to learn! They have been playing oh so nice today, although that will most likely last for just today, and then be back to fighting again, *sigh*.

The night before school starts us girls have a "spa" night. I fill up our jacuzzi tub, put lots of bubbles in, light candles, and make them special little snacks to enjoy while we talk about how the summer was and what we're excited for with the new school year. We make homemade facial masks and scrubs and just enjoy being together. I call it "Spa LeZimm", lol! This morning they requested monkey bread for breakfast, although neither one of them were too hungry to eat:) This afternoon I will make our usual brownie "pencil" for our afternoon snack to commemorate the first day. Fun things for them that they will remember.

It's Friday!

Ahhh, a long weekend awaits, and I am thoroughly looking forward to it! The girls are out at the lake already, my Mom decided to pick them up Thursday afternoon and spend some time at the lake with them. Which meant that I was home alone in my house (Brad had a meeting all evening, well, a Fantasy Football meeting, *eyeroll*). Me. Alone. In my house. It was incredible!!! I ordered food, and ATE IT IN SILENCE. Truly was an experience! Then I worked on the blog (do you like the new layout??), read some magazines, and had some wine. Brad came home about 9:30 and we sat in the hot tub for awhile. What a wonderful night!

Brad is getting off early so he can mow the lawn before heading out to the lake. The weather is supposed to be gorgeous, finally! Hope everyone has a wonderful Labor Day weekend, praying for safe travels for all!

P.S. I am including a recipe for Pineapple muffins that I made on Wednesday. The last week before school starts is always "daycare vacation week". Tuesday was Sports Day, Wednesday was Hawaiian Day, Thursday was Camping Day and today is Bubbles Day! For Hawaiian Day I made these muffins from (where else?!) Allrecipes.com, they were wonderful!

I Feel So Techie!!

As you can see, I have added a blog button. Now, for those of you that don't know me well, I am NOT savvy with the computer, or programs. Seriously, I am illiterate when it comes to trying to figure something out. However, I DID IT!!! It took me a whole day and a half of frustratingly (is that a word?) trying to not only make the button, but figure out how to put the code in. Last night I had some not-so-nice words running through my head, lol. But, alas, i figured it out, and it actually works:)

Now, my next thing on my agenda is to figure out how to categorize my recipes so you can just scroll down the side, and find a recipe. Just remember, I hope to get that going by Christmas, the way I figure things out......