Tile Day

Does anyone remember that I'm tiling a tub surround ? Well I am trying to tile a tub surround but it seems other things in life are taking over and I must be the slowest tiler in history , I really don't mind it that much because.  I  Hate Tiling ! I can sit here and tell you a gazillion things I would rather be doing than fighting uneven walls. , uneven tiles that aren't glued on the grid straight and  15 minute set glue . So this is where I am at so far and keep in mind I have changed the design about. 6 times . 

And don't ask me what I am going to put inside if the square because that was just done on a whim  . So stay tuned 

Upside Down Blueberry Pancake

This is what we had for breakfast this morning and it was super easy . 

Canned blueberries  or  you can use fresh blueberries 

Pancake mix

I did make mine a little too thick abd would have loved to show you what it looks like flipped over on a platter but mine was more like a cake  because I thought more was better . Wrong . Remember to only use 1 cup of your favorite pancake batter and you can also make your own  batter if you like. 

Start off by melting 2 tablespoons of butter in a cake or pie pan . I just put it in the preheated oven until melted . 

Pour  (1) 16 ounce can of blueberries over the butter and spread evenly. I used blueberry pie filling since it is my daughters favorite but next time I am going to try fresh blueberries 

Pour 1 cup of the prepared pancake batter over the blueberries and bake at  350 degrees until done and a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean . 

Recipe

2 cup pancake mix 

(1) 16 ounce can of blueberries drained 

2 tablespoons of butter melted 

Directions 

Heat oven to. 350 degrees . Prepare pancake mix according to package directions and set aside . Pour melted butter in a 9 inch pie plate . Drain blueberries and put them evenly over the butter . Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until the top springs back when touched . Loosen the edges and invert it on a plate . 

Cut into wedges and serve with your favorite maple syrup . 

Spinach Tomatoes and Orzo Salad

I served thus dish with my favorite roasted seeded carrots

A simple recipe full of flavor . I put these tomatoes over orzo and fresh organic spinach. I actually doubled up on the recipe so it would serve about 4 people . You can also sprinkle fresh Parmesan or feta cheese on top 

INGREDIENTS

- Package of cherry or grape tomatoes

- 1/4 cup of maple syrup

- 1/ 4 of olive oil

- 1 Tbsp. of balsamic Vinegar

- 1 Tsp. of minced garlic

- 1 Tsp. of salt

- 1 Tsp. of black pepper

- 1 Tbsp. of parsley

- 1 Tsp. thyme

- 1/2 lb of uncooked orzo

DIRECTIONS

- Preheat oven to 250 degrees

- Combine syrup, oil, vinegar, garlic, salt, pepper, parsley and thyme and whisk them together

- Add tomatoes and mix

- Place in a baking dish or stone

- Bake for about 2 hours

Source  :Finding Home Blogspot 

Making Carrots

I found some organic carrots at my local grocery store and decided to try something different which involves pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds and some other seeds .

I kept the carrots whole and peeled and snipped off the tops  .Let them sit in the counter and dry off a little because you will be using parchment paper 

Drizzle the carrots with olive oil and sprinkle pumpkin , sunflower. Hemp, seseme seeds and sprinkle on some cumin salt and pepper

Bake at 400 degrees until fork tender stirring about every 15 minutes 

You have these beautiful carrots packed with flavor

A New Addition

a Multicooker Crockpot

I love it. I can

brown the meat

slow cook

make gravy

steam veggies

and the pot is so much lighter than having to handle and wash those ceramic ones.

Here is the link where you can find it on Amazon. Retail price is around 299.00 but I have seen it on Amazon ranging from $116.00-$135.00. They were also running a 15.00 off coupon on it the last few weeks so be watching for that.

Click This Link To Purchase the Cuisinart Multicooker from Amazon

It has definitely made life a lot easier

Maple Cranbery Granola

I have tried many granolas and I have finally found my favorite one. I am not much a fan of the prepackaged ones because I find the texture is too hard for my teeth . I hope you feel the same as I do. If you make homemade granolas you will not go back to buying it. I mix this in with my Dannon lite vanilla yogurt and it makes a very satisfying breakfast or afternoon snack. There are 2 things that I have found that are a must while making the granola. #1 always use parchment lined cookie sheets #2 beat a large egg white until frothy and mix it in with the granola right before you pour it on the cookie sheet. This will bind the granola together. enjoy

 



Recipe

 

3 cups old fashioned oats

 

1 cup unsweetened flaked coconut

 

1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts or 1/2 cup each

 

1/2 cup pumpkin seeds

1/4 cup wheat germ

 

2 tablespoon olive oil

 

1/2 teaspoon course salt

 

1/2 cup Pure maple syrup

 

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

 

1 1/2 cups died cranberries

 

 

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Combine all ingredients but the egg white and dried fruit in a large bowl and toss to coat evenly. whisk the egg white until frothy. Stir in the granola mixture and mix evenly . Half way through the cooking gently stir around the granola trying not to break up the clumps. cook about 50-55 minutes. Seal in an airtight container

1975 Electrical Box

So what do  you do to hide the ugly metal electrical box that is on display in many older homes?

You cover it up.

 

 

 This is a simple frame with a door put over the metal electrical door.