This and That This Week #16

Green Bean Casserole Queen!

I was recently gifted with this by my daughter in-law because she knows our family can't get together without making the classic green bean casserole dish!  I  squealed with delight and laughter when I saw it!

It even comes with this silver plated serving spoon which you have to love!

As you can see it's made by Mudpie.

It's oven save and other than the spoon I'm sure it must be dishwater save.

Do you make the green bean casserole in your family?  My family  insists on making it with 1 can of Cream of Mushroom soup, (we don't add milk or worcestershire sauce like the original recipe calls for) plus two cans of (drained) green beans (I prefer the whole cut ones) and topped with French's crispy fried onions.  I like the White Cheddar version and I'm very liberal with it.  I buy the larger size and coat the entire top with it.  I recently saw the mention of adding chopped ham pieces to it also but I've never tried it.  Sounded kind of good to me though!  

Does your family include the green bean casserole at your gatherings?

I found that casserole dish on a few links but I am only including one to make it easy in case you want to get one for yourself or as a gift to someone.

Here is the "link"

Here is an update on the Amaryllis that I posted about "here" on Nov. 4th. 

Nov.4th

If you read my previous post this will make more sense to you, but all I've done is give them bright light and they're growing!  The decorative gold stones and moss are just for looks- no water no soil.

Nov.16th

As you can see they've grown a lot.  I have a feeling they'll be in full bloom by early December.  I might go back and see if there are more to start another round with!

Easy peasy!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Sunflowers and Slow-Cooker Chicken

I've been lazy about posting things from my home lately.  I put this area together a couple of weeks ago.  I like to use sunflowers as decorating with the late summer to fall transition.

I found this chicken on markdown at Pier 1.  Had my eye on it and decided to go for it. 

I kept the blue and white plates up and added these new red dishes with sunflowers.  I re-used my metal cylinder for some faux sunflowers.  

I have some very large white dishes from the same manufacturer that I've used in the past.  I fell for these red ones and ordered them on Amazon.  If I can I like to do something different each year.  The little chicken wire candle votives are old- from Pottery Barn quite a few years back.  I had slipped a pieces of a sunflower in the bottom of them and there they've stayed!

The corrugated tin cylinder was from Pottery Barn 1 or 2 years ago.  I added the burlap and twine to give it a little more substance. 

I found this cute checked planter with sunflowers on clearance at Pier 1 a little while back.  

I need to do a tablescape and use this!

I could have sold that white rooster about 20 times now.  Each year some contacts me through my blog about wanting to buy it.  I found it at Cracker Barrel back in 2013.

I'm not quite ready to warm up to the fall tones completely but it won't be long!

I made a dinner using the crockpot on Sunday and my first Apple pie this year!

I can definitely recommend the recipe and here is the link:

Slow Cooker Balsamic Honey-Glazed Chicken and Vegetables

"link"

My images aren't as perfect as theirs but it was as delicious as I hoped!

I used 6 chicken thighs instead of 4 and increased the vinegar and honey a tad because I also had more potatoes and carrots in the pot.

I made it just as they said and we loved it.  The recipe calls for pouring the liquid into the pan and reducing it which I did but it didn't thicken up much.  Either way it was a nice Sunday meal!

I used one of those plastic molds to press on the pie dough. 

Thinking of the "Big Apple" today and remember 9/11.

God Bless all those who perished and those who came to their rescue.

Joining:

Dishing & Digging It 

Tulips and Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Since my planter is full of green and St. Patrick's Day is here I thought I'd share an update on it.  A lot of growth has occurred in the planter (with tulips, daffodils/narcissus, and (muscari) grape hyacinths) since the last time I posted about them 8 days ago.

March 9th

March 16th

This sits in the window on the south side and gets some afternoon sun.

I got so excited to see that some flower heads forming.  The little grape hyacinths will be first to bloom.

A tulip (centered in the leaves) is making it's way up too!

These are the bulbs I planted. I suspect the size and color may be a little less than it if they were outside but lets hope they'll still put on a beautiful display! 

Perhaps by the time our snow has melted and my tulips start to come up this will have just finished flowering 😊

I can't do anything without an audience!  Teddy is the nosiest cat I think I've ever had but that's okay- after all why have a pet if you don't like their companionship!   Carmen is sitting by the floor vent below the planter (she's a watcher).

🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀

May your troubles be less, and your blessings be more, 

and nothing but happiness come through your door.

🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀

My friend Linda from Life and Linda posted a recipe for St. Patrick's Day that looks so good and I wanted to share it.  Below is an image to tempt you with a full link to the recipe and a tutorial for making them.

 Full recipe link "here"

Wishing you a Happy St. Patrick's Day 

(we can all be Irish for the day 😉)! 

Cheeseburger Pie

I mentioned in my tablescape post yesterday about this cheeseburger casserole/pie that I occasionally make and an ingredient I like to add in.

Famously known (haha) as the Impossibly Easy Cheeseburger Pie

Yep that's all it is!  We primarily use the Sweet Baby Ray's barbecue sauce and I found it added a flavor to this simple and basic recipe.  I'm sure any basic barbecue sauce will work.

After browning the ground beef and putting it in the pie dish I squirt a layer of barbecue sauce over the top.

Then you add the cheddar cheese (which I'm more generous with than the recipe calls for).

You pour the mix of eggs, milk and Bisquick over top and then bake it.  

It's almost like making a quiche.

It was delicious and the salad we had added a good balance to it.  I like quick easy recipes not too full of ingredients that it takes a lot of effort to put together- especially on a weeknight.  

Wintry Country Morning Breakfast

Well winter has placed her firm grip on us up north here and I am officially calling this "deep winter" now!  Any of you who would like to have snow just take a peak at my pictures and you can pretend!

My little jingle bells poinsettia is still going strong.  After doing some cleaning up in my office I found this basket that had been forgotten about so I place the plant in there and surrounded it with moss.  I wanted to keep the table setting kind of countrified so this is how I started.

I also wanted to still keep the blue coloring going in this area so I dug out my Johnson Brothers Devon Cottage dishes.  I've used these staged on the plate rack as in "here" "here"  and "here" with another tablescape.

I used this tablecloth to keep the design plain and added the red napkins to compliment the poinsettia.

The wicker chargers draw on the color of the moss adding some organic tones and keep country feeling going.

I adore this cow creamer made by Polish Pottery and my new glasses were perfect for this setting.

I'm using my tripod and have the camera on a manual setting because it's just not all that bright out.  We received about 15" of snow in the past 5 days.

See the bird feeders out there?  We keep them filled all winter and as you can see there's a lot of snow on them!  The tops were empty of snow only last Friday.

They like the tray feeder and empty it first.  The bottom left one holds suet.  The hang on from the bottom to feed.  My regular visitors are Cardinals, Chickadees, Nuthatches and various woodpeckers. Sometimes the finches show up but not consistently until spring.  If you have one feeder and want to know what to use just put out black sunflower seeds.  Don't buy the wild bird mixes because they usually have a lot of seed that only a few birds want.  It ends up getting kicked out on the ground.

I crave color in the winter.  Though there is really only the two of us it looks nicer to set the table for 4!

 The tablecloth is something I bought from One King's Lane several years ago.  It's one of my favorites.  It has a nice weight to it and I love the soft red striping.  They called it "Classic Stripe Tablecloth Red" by French Laundry.  They still offer it in a pillow but not the tablecloth.

Last Sunday I made these scrumptious pancakes that my sister shared with me.   Turns out the recipe is from Trisha Yearwood on the Food Network.  It makes a lot of pancakes so next time I might try half the recipe for hubby and myself.  I failed to take pictures but trust me they're delicious! 

Blueberry Pancakes

by Trisha Yearwood

This is the "link" to the recipe but I also copied it and dropped it on the page below here.  I added one little change regarding the butter.  They should have said "divided" for the stick of butter because you only use a 1/2 stick in the recipe and the other half was simply for cooking.  I didn't have blueberries or lemon zest so I made it without and they were still very good!  

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1 cup milk, plus more if needed
1 cup sour cream
1 stick butter, melted (divided)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest

I will be joining the following parties:

Have a Cup With Mrs. Olson

for

Share Your Cup

Ivy and Elephants 

for

What's It Wednesday 

Between Naps on the Porch

for 

Tablescape Tuesday

Rattlebridge Farm

for

Foodie Friday and Everything Else

Rustic and Refined
for
Table It 

A Stroll Thru Life
for
Inspire Me Tuesday