Wordless Wednesday

(flamingo dominoes)

Good friends, Good food, Good fooling the kids!

 Since our husbands weren't home, my friend Klixi and I decided to entertain ourselves!  She and her three kids came over for dinner on Friday.  Only, we had dessert first.  Isn't this cake lovely?  The kids thought it was OK.  But they REALLY loved their dinner!  Those veggies and potatoes were gone in an instant and they were BEGGING for more!  How do I do it you ask?  Easy!  It's all in the presentation. 

Ha!  Ha!  OK, the cake is really two layers of meatloaf frosted in instant mashed potatoes and garnished with cherry tomatoes. 

The dinner menu ...
Fish Sticks = sugar wafer cookies spread with PB or hot fudge and rolled in Wheaties
Peas & Carrots = green Skittles, Laffy Taffy & Airheads rolled into balls, and orange Starbursts cut into squares
Mashed Potates & Gravy = vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce

We also added to the hilarity with solidified jello in the cups for the kids (so fun to watch them try to drink that!) and strawberry jelly disguised as ketchup!!!

And Klixi brought me this lovely bouquet for the table!

Thanks go out to Toni Peterson who first showed me the meatloaf cake idea and Disney's Family Fun site for the dinner/dessert idea!

20 minute apple crisp!

I am always looking for a quick and tasty dessert. Not for any particular reason other than I like eating them. I love this one because A) it's fast B) it's quasi-healthy and C) I don't have to wait for the oven to pre-heat!

So thanks to allrecipes.com for Microwave Apple Crisp

4 apples peeled cored and sliced
1/2 cup melted butter
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup quick cooking oats
1/2 cup flour
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. allspice

1. Spread the apples evenly in an 8 inch square glass baking dish. A deep dish glass pie plate will also work. In a medium bowl, mix together the melted butter, brown sugar, oats, flour, cinnamon and allspice. Sprinkle this topping evenly over the apples.
2. Cook on full power in the microwave for 10 to 12 minutes, until apples can easily be pierced with a knife. Enjoy!

It was tasty and fast. Sadly, it wasn't very crisp on top but if you wanted, I'm sure a minute or two under the broiler would solve that problem.

We love accessories!

Especially hair accessories.  However, my home is not equipped with many storage spaces and we were overtaxing the one closet we have to hold ALL of our bathroom stuff.  So here is the solution I came up with... lo and behold another project! 

 
I think she likes it!

New for Spring... if it ever comes!

I have two famous friends!  Laura Gunn has her own fabric line and she Patti Pinkston have their own pattern line!  This is the Baker Street bag in the Poppy Patterns line!  Isn't it stinkin' cute!It was fun to make... and then I added a little clutch for my chapstick, lotions, and other odds and ends from this tutorial (I made mine a bit smaller). 

I'm using my bag as a purse, but I've seen others use it as a church bag for their kiddos' coloring books.  It's a great size for piano books too!

What would you use this bag for?  And did you look at Laura's fabrics?  I love the poppy collection!  Oh the possibilities there!!!  The question is what WOULDN'T I make with it!