Happy New Year to all my blogger pals!!!

A cake for fun!

My mom had given us some bananas from her tree, and today I made a cake from the over ripe ones. I had a half a bag of butterscotch chips, so I threw them on top after it came out of the oven, waited a few minutes, and spread them, and added sprinkles...and we have a cake to celebrate Tuesday! (AND a day off from work)!!!

Back to making birdseed cakes again!

My Catbird and Painted Buntings are back!!! As soon as I saw that Catbird yesterday I sprung up from my chair and luckily had all my birdseed cake makings were available in my pantry.

Here is the recipe I used:

Warm 1/2 cup water in microwave till boiling, add a package of plain Knox gelatin, stir and add 3/4 cup flour, , 3 Tbsp. corn syrup. Add 4 cups birdseed. You can also add peanuts, fruits, berries, or raisins.

I did not add any extras.

Here are my molded ones ready to stick in my large wire holder. I need to pick up a bag of straight sunflower seeds to add more into the next batch, cause guess who loves them best??? The Cardinals!!!

Next Day After Christmas Morning Quiche

I just made my first ever in my life handmade CRUST! Can you even believe I have been so afraid to try it. It was such an easy thing...a 3 minute thing at best. I'm a little scared now...I could probably do without ever eating any crusts for the rest of my fat life!!! LOL. Oh well...just had to share just how lovely (mind you I did not do a fancy edge...this is just a rustic crust) it turned out. This is a turkey and cheese quiche with herbs de province for seasoning, and a pinch of nutmeg, and on top a sprinkle of paprika for color. Hope it tastes as good as it looks!

This is the beginning of two days off from work. I made fresh orange juice in the Vitamix too. Wowzers!

Have a great week everyone.

Merry Christmas!

Goofing around in a Sketch and Draw App...and a Christmas tree showed up...that was fun!
Holiday love to all!
Julie

Passing of a dear friend

Our dear friend, Taco passed away peacefully yesterday. He had grown a tumor and had to be put to sleep. He was a most adventurous cat, and the whole neighborhood just loved him. He had nine lives, supposedly, but he outlived them all, as he was so crazy and daring, I know he must have escaped death many times! He was my cousins cat, who lives next door to my Mom. He would hang out mainly with my Mom and she would find him in her house, or garage, popping up in her hedge, laying in the middle of a busy road sleeping, etc. My grandkids just adored him, and many times they just wanted to walk over to find Taco so they could feed him or play. Taco played with the dogs, he was just a part of all the action, wherever it was happening. We will miss him so much. Here are a few photos I gathered together of him. Rest in peace, dear Taco!!!

Christmas shining!

We went to a local street that has been taken over by decorating elves! We had to drive through this wonderful wonderland twice, just for 3year old Emily. Well...maybe for all of us! :)

Oh gosh, I'm tired...

I've had a grueling week at work...and am not ready for Christmas, which seems to be overtaking me!
I took a few pics in garden last Sat...you can see the three heirloom tomatoes are doing great...the corn is actually growing large ears...and can you see the 2 Mr. Stripey tomatos on one bush? I am posting from my camera so don't know what order pics will be in. Still learning!
I will show you a pic of our tree, to lend a festive flair. Hope everyone is having a wonderful Christmas and Chanukah.
Love, Julie

2 crafts today

This morning, I helped my grandson build this train engine from Lowe's. They have kids building seminars every weekend and he wasn't there, so they gave me a kit to take home to him. He loves to build wooden things with hammer and nails! He has built 2 planes, a bulldozer, a race car, and a birdhouse.

The guy at Lowe's told me they had built different train cars the past 2 weeks, and they all stick together with magnets. This engine could be made using the regular decorating stickers or the Christmas ones, so he used the Christmas ones, of course. I want to see if I can purchase the other ones for him to make too.

We did have one kinda bad problem occur while building it today...we accidently nailed the train to the table! Hahaha...we could not get it off. Finally my husband woke up and he pried it off using a heavy thick screwdriver. What was funny was that we had several sections to today's newspaper under the train, so they were nailed down too!!! Fortunately, hubby got to read his newspaper, and Donovan got to finish building the train!!! The holes in the tabletop add to the beauty of our craft table!!!

Then later this evening, I found a sweet tutorial for how to make this paper star!!! I found it over at I Like Paper Cutting and Craft! Go visit her to see how to make this amazing star! It is so easy...Donovan and I had one done in 10 minutes!!! She used double sided origami paper, but I just cut about 5" squares from construction paper. I think I might try a smaller one using two kinds of Christmas wrapping paper stuck together, for the double sided effect. If it turns out really gorgeous, you will see it here, for sure!

xoxo- Julie

Which street would you live on?

I have come upon three street names that I just chuckled over recently...2 of them just yesterday! I wanted to stop and take pictures, but of course, I was working at top speed and determined it would not be a good thing to stop! I thought I would take a little poll:

Which one would you prefer to live on?

1. Pot of Gold Street
2. Shangri La Lane
3. Yellow Brick Road

Leave a comment. I think I might have to pick Yellow Brick. It's just too cute...and you know...there really is no place like home!!!
xoxo- Julie

Some homemade stockings!

The kids and I made some Martha Stewart inspired paper Christmas stockings. Since we live in south Florida and we have no chimney..."the stockings are hanging on the back windows with care...in hopes that St. Nicholas soon will be here"!
Xoxo Julie

Yearly Christmas cookie party

Here is the tray of cookies I took...I fell asleep on the couch yesterday evening, and never woke to make my toffee cookies. I bought these from a little French place...so pretty!!!

My Baby cat, and a gorgeous fence!

Baby is laying on my chest (just jumped up) and being very lovey-dovey! This is rare...so I took a few pics.
This beautiful fence is at one of my stops during the day. I have no idea what this pink gorgeousness is, but wow...it is stunning!!!

New plants and some organized effort.

Today I cleaned out two tires of some old marigolds and zinnias that had finally tired out. I also cleaned out all my okra plants (from 3 of my 5 gallon buckets), as they are fizzling out too (they only do well in hot weather).

In one tire I planted a taller beautiful pink zinnia, and in front some smaller different shades of orange zinnias. I LOVE zinnias...they are about the sweetest thing in the universe!

I also found a 9 pack of started kale, so I gave three plants to my friend, Karen, 3 plants to my Mom, and I am hardening off my 3 before planting them into a couple of tires. It is called Winterbol Kale.

I planted three heirloom tomatoes: Cherokee Purple, Black Krim and Black Prince, which were available at my Home Depot. Isn't this just grand?

Has anyone ever grown a red kale, called Red bor? It looks green and with purple hues. Interesting!

I am having a GREAT BIG urge to go buy about three more tomato plants, which would give me a total of 8. I want some cherry or olive sized tomatoes...all hanging in clusters! How fun would that be??? I can taste them now.

Oh, BTW...I have taken three cuttings from my Mr. Stripey tomato plants and have them in water in my kitchen window to see if they will root. A fellow gardener swears this will work. Can't wait to see! If it does, I will have 11 tomato plants in all! Woo-hoo!!!

Some Santa Activity Fun

We visited a local shopping area today where the kids took a train to see Santa, and they had a little barnyard animal petting zoo...even a few little cute reindeer!

Another pretty house all lit up!

We've got corn!!!!!

I actually got home before dark and walked back to the bucket garden...and I found 2 developing corn cobs!!!!! I nearly wet my pants.  Can you see the silks???? Tomorrow will be fertilizing day!

Happy Florida Christmas season!

While driving around with the kids tonight, looking for some lights (well..entertaining them a while), we came upon this really colorful home...we all agreed, our favorite of the night.
Are you seeing a lot of beautiful lights in your area yet???

The first Mr. Stripey's and corn tassels!!!

Went out to check the corn, and we are at a new stage....the plants have made tassels. Is that the right name for them?? No ears yet, but should be soon.  Corn has been a lot of fun to watch.  The first two Mr.S tomatoes are shown here...finally tomato production is underway!!!

Doozey Wednesday!

I think 2 people have seen this photo via E-mail...but wanted to show you my sweet girl laying out next to me on the couch. What a life! Don't ya love that bent little back leg??? So sugary!  I would like to tell my brother hello, as he tells me he reads my blog daily! Wow...he is a great guy I tell ya...he tells me it is the only way he can keep up with me. That's true. :)

Thanksgiving weekend

Here's a few things I am grateful for!!!

My husband came home from a week in Louisiana, and the grands had a ball at the airport waiting for him to arrive. They have a small play area next to a toy store, and a large area there where you can watch the planes land, take off and taxi. We went down an hour early, and had lunch there too...at one of my favorite restaurants...California Pizza Kitchen!

Earlier Saturday morning I got pictures of what they were doing at the time...Emily had her new s i m b a
from recent Disney trip, and Donovan was building a helicopter with his Erector set.

These kids are the best thing that ever happened to me. Yea...I am very thankful. :)

Hope everyone had a great weekend..xoxo Julie

A new school for my friend Karen's Christmas village.

Daughter and I spent some time this evening (after sleeping all day with a cold and asthma).  It turned out so cute. It is made from 3 different boxes...one a Toy Story bandaid box, one was a Toy Story gummy bear box, and one was a frozen popsicle box. I have to say that when I started out I intended to make a church...but once it was shaped...we decided it looked more like a school.

I put the prices of boxes together using masking tape...then covered the whole think with masking tape...painted blue with acrylic paint. Daughter decorated the trees for Christmas, and we decorated the windows and shutters with Christmas touches as well. Candy cane doors. A bell above the door, and the sign"The Wacky school for Toys".

It is slightly off kilter...but it adds to it's handmade charm.  Karen is leaving parts of her boxes showing, so we left the Toy Story guys showing.

This was fun. We may need to do another. I hope Karen will love it. Oh...and no snow allowed since we live in south Florida!!!