Rocky is back with Sitting With Dogs and I just had to share.
The Before and After photos are amazing but what gets me every single time is the smile on Bruno’s face. What a beautiful dog and what a beautiful smile!
Check it out and please share the video. Bruno needs a Forever Family.
I don’t know about you but I find learning tips and tricks make my card making better. Recently Cathy Zielsky posted a video of her Top Five Design Tips. Check it out:
I love her use of color and how she chooses her layouts. Her cards are never cluttered or over done. When you get down to it, her cards are easy for beginners who might feel overwhelmed with the process of design.
Speaking of design, everyone has their own ideas and preferences. I’ve seen some spectacular cards that took a while to create and some that were very simple. It really comes down to finding a style (or 2) that you are comfortable with.
Happy Crafting!
Ground meat is one of those meal prep items that is a huge time saver. As the cost of ground meat has increased, however, it pays to have some useful hacks in your back pocket to save you money and time.
Check out a recent All Recipes video for prepping ground meat:
As you prep your meat, keep some things in mind: (1) Will you be using the same base seasonings (salt & pepper, onion, garlic) in all your recipes? Add it while you are cooking the meat and it will save you a step later on. (2) Customize the seasonings based on the recipes you intend to make later. Be sure you mark the bag! Add chili powder or other seasonings in a batch separate from your main batch.
You can also take your ground meat and mix it with seasonings for meatloaves or burgers. A burger press could be very helpful for creating burgers and getting them into the freezer.
Make the most of your meal prep and budget by taking advantage of sales and planning ahead.
Over at Klompen Stampers, Jackie Bolhuis and her daughter Jess have created a series of How To videos that are excellent if you are interested in learning how to, or improving, card making techniques.
Want to learn about ink, paper, stamps, and how to use them? Looking for ideas to make simple but beautiful cards? Curious about stencils (aka: masks) and/or heat embossing? Jackie & Jess have the information you are looking for.
I love the way they have developed these quick and easy classes! Don’t overlook Jackie’s Creativity Made Simple classes, too!
Check out her YouTube channel HERE.
I’ll share a secret with you…the last few weeks have been extremely stressful around here and as much as I would like to say that I can handle all sorts of stuff, lately I’ve found more relaxation playing games.
Solitaire, Jewel, things like that… They allow me to focus most of my mental attention while allowing the rest of my brain to ease and relax. It is even better when I have an audiobook or the TV playing in the background.
I have found that by indulging in this for a few minutes at a time, I can contemplate whatever issue is on my mind at the moment while keeping my hands busy. Somehow this seems to work…
Some folks knit. Some folks crochet. Others do needlework or play cards. Me? I move a cursor around a screen… No shoot-em-up-bang-bang, just some relaxing collecting of colors and/or patterns.
My point here (and there is one) is to find whatever works for you that isn’t detrimental to you. Give yourself some grace and time to put yourself first.
One step at a time…
See Mindy Mom recently posted a great video focusing on the food budget. She has some great ideas, tips and tricks that you might want to review:
As we come out of a holiday period where the budget might have been stretched to the limit and we have been indulging in some goodies, getting things back under control could be daunting.
I appreciate Mindy for reminding us that one method might not work for all. I also appreciate her for reminding us that we need to look at all available markets in our area to find the one(s) that might be a better fit for our needs.
I remember when I started looking at the various markets in my area, I was not only surprised at the variety of items that were available but the price differences shocked me. Discovering that what had been my regular market did not have the lowest prices was inspiration for digging deeper.
I have to join Mindy when she recommends checking out store brands, too. You really don’t know what you are missing until you see what those off brands are like. I’ve found items that I prefer that are much less expensive and easier to access.
Another thing that surprised me was the quality of the meat and produce. Many, many times I’ve found them better in the smaller stores.
We might consider this just another way to play with our food!
Murder Crossed Her Mind by Stephen Spotswood
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This read (listen) came about because of a 2 for 1 sale on Audible.com. I have to say I am quite pleased to have discovered it.
I love Nero Wolfe and Sherlock Holmes and have listened or read many takes on each collection. Archie was always more interesting than Wolfe and Watson caused some humor but made Holmes more accessible.
Both Pentecost and Parker are interesting people in their own right but bring them together and there is something a bit arcane about their relationship. Each woman is very individual and interesting and not a cookie cutter cut out of some other literary character.
The time frame is also interesting and unusual. Later than either Wolfe or Holmes and in New York City, no less, the reader is treated to a post-war environment that is not cozy or mundane. Can I just say I love the idea of the brownstone?
My entry into the series was book 4 and as such a lot of the foundation has already been put into place. Juggling several cases (mysteries) at once makes the reader engage or just keep pace, there is no mid way if only to keep up with the various mysteries.
Speaking of the mysteries, wow! When each starts out I found myself thinking that I ‘knew’ what was coming but as each evolved it became clear that the author was in control and what IO ‘thought I knew’ was not what was actually going on. I love it when the author does that!
The cliffhanger ending was a both expected and surprising. And I can’t wait to find out what comes next!
I know I will be going back to Book 1 to learn more about Pentecost and Parker. I also know that I will have to pace myself as the author takes no prisoners and I suspect each book will be intense and wild.
View all my reviews
I have been enjoying several of the YouTube cookery channels that focus on older recipes. Some of those channels get quite creative. I happened upon Jim’s Kitsch Kitchen’s Best & Worst of 2024 video recently. Check it out:
While I am grateful he put the <cough> ‘worst’ up front, I have been curious to try some, if not all, of his ‘best’ recipes, which came at the end. Granted, I might make some minor changes based on my taste, but overall I think it is quite an interesting collection.
What I really appreciate is Jim’s willingness to try new recipes. Some of these gems might have gone unnoticed without seeing him give them a try.
Once again, channels like this remind me of the treasure trove sitting on my library shelves and encourage me to see what I can find for my next meal plan.
What I keep in mind when I contemplate something like this is what flavors and foods I enjoy. If the recipe isn’t too outlandish, there is a good chance I will enjoy the end result.
Which of Jim’s recipes are you interested in trying?
Happy cooking!
The following from AllRecipes on YouTube is a good reminder for those who have forgotten and an FYI for those who never knew. Check it out:
As we are tightening our budgets, it is good to have some tricks up our sleeves to make every penny stretch. A good machines does not have to cost a fortune but a good machine will not be cheap, either.
America’s Test Kitchen has done extensive testing to find good machines. ATK always provides some extra insight into what to look for in a machine and what to avoid. Don’t take their word for it, however, read the reviews from folks who have actually had the machines at home.
Happy Cooking!
Yes, another (if you were here on Monday). Starting a new anything is stressful and uncomfortable. Here’s an idea or two for you…
I know you are feeling pushed to do all sorts of things all at once. Don’t. Pick one thing you want to do and do it for a while. Give it a few days or a few weeks and see how things go. If you try to do lots of things at the same time you will become frustrated and overwhelmed and inclined to walk away from all you want to do.
Before you embark on that ritual ‘Kick Me’ game that everyone seems to want to start at the new year, STOP. Right now.
Be honest with yourself. Are you doing your best? Then you are doing enough. You can worry about improvement when you have been doing the new stuff for a while. You need time to learn and get used to the things you are trying to do. You also need time to learn if the new things are not what you want to be doing. Look for alternatives that will get you where you want to go.
You might be surprised to discover that the way you define perfection is not the same as the way others define it.
Be prepared to be surprised (both good and bad). Be prepared to be happy and sad and all sorts of things in between. Be prepared to learn new things and unlearn old things. Be prepared to be happy. Better, choose to be happy.
Above all, remember to take one step at a time.
