Wind storms in Iowa are actually not uncommon. But a Derecho? That’s a whole different matter! The Calm Before The Storm August 10, 2020 started off as a beautiful summer day here in Iowa. So I hopped in the car that morning and took a drive into the country. I was on my way to […]
Hamburger Chow Mein – Mom’s 1950’s Casserole
Hamburger Chow Mein Casserole. I was thumbing through Mom’s old recipe box the other day, and I stumbled onto this classic recipe. Mom was an incredible cook, and she was my best friend. She is still my inspiration in the kitchen. Dad used to tell her she could “make a silk purse out of a […]
Wing Dingers – An Old Recipe Rediscovered And Shared
Wing Dingers. I hadn’t thought about that recipe for at least thirty years! This Covid19 crisis keeps me searching for ways to stay connected. And one afternoon while chatting with a dear old pal (Her name is Marcia…but we call her “Marge”) I asked her what she was making for dinner. She said she was […]
Solar Success – An Upgrade On Our Deck
Sometimes watching DIY shows can lead to a lightbulb moment. A SOLAR one, that is! One of the designers stuck solar lights into antique lobster buoys and placed them on a deck. And that got me thinking. For years I have stuck small amber colored glass votive holders into the wrought iron sconces I hang […]
Shop Til I Drop – Right Here At Home In Our Garage!
Under normal circumstances I LOVE to shop at thrift stores. But we are definitely not operating under normal circumstances these days. You might be shocked at the number of brand new cooking gadgets I’ve scored in those beloved thrift stores. I think many folks get cooking items as wedding gifts and they have absolutely no […]
Copper Pots Need Polishing? – Just Grab Your Hot Sauce!
After our crazy trip home to the Heartland I began to deep clean our house from top to bottom. I just knew I would never be able to sleep if we didn’t deep clean absolutely everything in our home. And thank God for that huge can of Lysol I brought with us from Florida! I […]
Home To The HEARTland – Our Epic Journey
Home. That word conjures up different emotions for everyone. And in this time of illness and uncertainty that word took on a feeling of desperation for me last month. Our snowbird home is located within walking distance to the beach. And we watched with growing horror as the number of spring break students continued to […]
The Appetite Comes While You Are Eating – Ten Courses!
“Lappetito Vien Mangiando…” The Appetite Comes While You Are Eating Bring your appetite! The long awaited day for sharing details of our ten course rustic Italian dinner is finally here! I apologize in advance for the HUGE number of photos I’ll be sharing…but I believe these pictures ARE worth a thousand words. Especially on a […]
Ten Courses? No Sweat! Cooking in Jim’s Kitchen
Does the thought of cooking a ten course dinner party make you sweat? Not me! Not as long as my favorite foodie friend Jim is by MY side! Our long awaited dinner party was scheduled for a Sunday evening. So Thursday was our major league shopping day, and Friday was venue decorating day. “Plan Ahead” […]
Decorating For A Ten Course Dinner – Planning Is Key
Decorating for any event has always been important to me, and I learned many years ago to start that process early. It ALWAYS takes much longer to complete that labor of love than you might imagine. My decorating bug started by watching Mom prepare for company. She would pull out all the stops when setting […]