Weekend At Mimi’s

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This weekend has been filled with fluffy girly stuff.    Both my granddaughters, Taylor and McKinley, spent the weekend with us.    McKinley’s parents spent their yearly weekend in N’Orleans so after Taylor’s ball practice Saturday she joined us too.     McKinley’s baby brother Cade was at daughter Shannon’s with his cousin, Jackson. 

After we picked up Taylor on Saturday afternoon, we all got manicures.    Of course, they both wanted the same “look”….navy blue polish with orange polka dots (which is their favorite teams colors – Auburn University)

Love these sweet little hands!

 

 

 

After a late lunch, we went shopping.    I had in mind to find them some kind of matching outfits or swim suits but their independent little spirits chose completely different styles

Here’s Ms. Taylor in a ruffled white top and gray leggings with ribbons….I’d love to wear something like this myself!    She was a little worried that her hair wasn’t’ rolled and she didn’t have a white ribbon but I don’t have any of her hair things at my house so we just went with a side ponytail.  

McKinley modeling her cute little dress.    She really wanted the same thing Taylor got but they didn’t have her size….she really prefers dresses anyway.     As you can tell, both girls are no strangers to posing! (….and she insisted on fixing her own hair!)

They put on a little fashion show for Pop when we got home….he was suitably impressed!

 

The girls are only a little over a year apart but Taylor towers over McKinley who is really on the small side

 

McKinley just adores Taylor

 

Then Saturday night after baths I fixed them Coke floats

McKinley didn’t care for hers so Pop “helped” her drink it

 

Sunday morning I was lying in bed between them listening to this very interesting conversation:

T:   Do you have to rub your dad’s neck?

Mc:   No.

T:   I have to rub my dad’s neck sometimes because he’s tired after work

(McKinley then has to agree that she does rub her dad’s neck as she never wants Taylor to one up her)!

Mc:   Well, I rub my dad’s neck too but your dad’s neck is sweatiness and my dad’s neck is lotion-ness….

T:    No it’s not!

Mc:   Yes, your dad is all sweatiness and my dad is all lotion-ness

I buried my head in the pillow cause I was dying laughing!

Another conversation centered around Taylor telling me McKinley was jealous of her to which McKinley readily agreed….several times she said she was jealous of Taylor and then McKinley asked me what did that mean?

By lunchtime Sunday they were really getting on each other’s nerves so Taylor’s dad (a/k/a Mr. Sweatiness) came to pick her up and take her to buy a new baseball bat and then ball practice.    When son and DIL get home we’ll meet them half way to reunite kids with mom and dad and then we’ll come home to recover!

Relaxing Weekend at the Lake

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This  weekend my sister and I will have our yearly “girls only” weekend at the lake….that means no kids, no grandkids, no husbands!     Last year we had to skip being at the lake because the horrific tornados that hit Alabama on April 27th.    The storms came so close to her lake house but fortunately she suffered no damage.     According to the weather reports, we shouldn’t have any weather issues this year!

Here are a few pictures from past years….

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

View from my chair on the dock looking back toward the cabin

 

And here’s how we end our days….at the end of the dock with a glass of wine and taking in the beauty only God can create

Saturday we hope to visit a local flea market and we might head over to Auburn which isn’t too far from the lake.    But mostly we’ll just relax and enjoy each other’s company.    Hope you all have a great weekend!

Chalkboard Terra Cotta Herb Pots

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Here’s a little project I whipped up last week.    I love everything chalkboard paint related so I can’t believe this is my first “major” project where I’ve used it!   

I decided I’d make myself some little herb pots to sit on my kitchen window….it makes me look like I’ve gone all organic in the kitchen!   So I headed to Michael’s and got these three little pots and picked up three larger ones for another project later.    Then I got some herbs at Home Depot.    I wanted to get some that I might really use while cooking.    I’m going to add lavender or rosemary because they smell so good.

I didn’t take any pictures of the process because it’s pretty straightforward.    I completely covered two pots and then painted a “label” on the third one.     Dumb me didn’t paint the “label” one until after it was potted so it’s a little off but who knows or cares but me?    I found some label templates on line, printed them off, cut out the size I wanted and traced it onto the pot with black magic marker…then just painted away.    It took about 3 coats of the chalkboard paint to completely cover the pots.

Want to see how they turned out?   

 

I’m going to replace the little plant info stickers with plant markers….something like these….

 

(source)

 

I’d like to try making my own but if it turns out an epic fail I might have to get my friend Kari Anne to make me some!

 

I still plan to write the name of the herb on the pot with a chalk pen as opposed to chalk itself

 

 

 

 

 

 

I’m loving the new Pic Monkey photo editing site….I started using it when I found out Picnik was shutting down and I think I like it better!

(Please forgive my unstyled plate rack and shelves….most of my dishes were in the dishwasher and I took these early in the morning before I left for work….thus an empty cabinet!)

 

If you’ve read my blog lately you know my sister and I went to the lake last weekend.    We had an absolute ball and I’ll be sharing about our adventures later.    

Oh, and my hubby has been studying for a big test for a few weeks which we’re hoping will land him a promotion….he passed the test today with flying colors so we went out to celebrate at a favorite Italian restaurant….it was soooo good!    I’m so proud of him, he works so hard for us!

Going to L.A.; Mother’s Day and Happy Birthday

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Whew!  What a title but I thought I’d lump everything together.   Yep, I’m going to L.A. this weekend to visit my BFF who I haven’t spent any time with in almost 2 years!    And L.A. is Lower Alabama (sorry to disappoint…wish I was going to the real L.A. too)!

My BFF’s name is Judy, just like mine, and we’ve been best buds for going on 30 years now.    She is my “other sister”.      Here we are at the beach a few years ago…

 

My BFF Judy in all white and me in black and white

 

and this is her cute as a button house….I’ll be sure to take lots of pics!

 

My real sister Betsy is celebrating her birthday this Friday…I found this photo of us taken when we were little….

that’s Bets on the left and me on the right (what’s up with my hair?)

I’ll be coming back home Sunday to spend time with my sweet mama….she’ll be 92 in June!    We took her out to eat last night because I won’t be here Friday night to attend her annual church Mother’s Day banquet.   She gets recognition every year for being the oldest mother with the most family members present!

 

I hope everyone has a wonderful Mother’s Day weekend and you get to spend time with your special mother!

 

(source)

Around The House

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Ever since we had our den repainted back in March (!) I’ve been trying to lighten things up with accessories…some new and some repurposed.    I’ve been pretty lucky finding things that are affordable lately so I thought I’d share a few of my favorite finds with ya’ll today.

Please keep in mind that I didn’t stage anything and it’s far from being finished.    I’ve still got to sell my old sofa and buy a new one from Ikea and I have a piece or two of furniture that will be repainted.

By and far this demijohn basket is my favorite recent purchase….found it this past weekend while out of town for $20.00!!    Yes, I know it’s missing the glass jug but ask me if I care!

The texture and size are so wonderful….I moved the big lantern from here (you can catch a glimpse of it in the background) and put it on this tray on my coffee table.

 

Isn’t is gorg?

 

I also recently ordered two gray and white striped pillows from here and found another pillow at Hobby Lobby that will be perfect on the slipcovered Ikea sofa (hope to make a trip to Atlanta for that soon)!

 

Just ignore the pillows behind the new ones….that sofa is out of here soon! Can’t you see my new pillows on a white slipcovered sofa? I can’t wait!!!

I also ordered this mirror from the same catalog…

(source)

It’s hanging in my foyer and its beautiful!   The description says “brown” but it looks just like this photo…more of a distressed gray.   Of course, it means I’ll have to paint the chest under it….another unplanned project!

 

Here’s the pillow I got at Hobby Lobby…I used a 40% off coupon

 

For now I put the striped pillows in the chippy white basket I bought on a recent flea market trip for $4.00!    My sweet granddaughter Taylor was with me that day (while her mama was getting her hair cut) and spotted this old basket….I loved the size and color

 

This platter isn’t new but I was playing around on Pic Monkey and just wanted to throw it into the mix

 

I lucked up and found this sweet little driftwood sailboat at World Market….I love that store!

 

I’ve been wanting one of these monogrammed plates and finally picked up the last “J” at Hobby Lobby the other day

 

Here are a trio of oversized white platters I am going to hang on my wall in the kitchen….I’ve had the one in the middle for a while but the other two are new from this past weekend (need to get plate hangers so they can get hung up)

 

And last but not least are a trio of old tarnished silver trays….the one in the center I sprayed black a while back.    Notice the large bottom tray has a missing handle?    It fell off the wall the other day and the handle broke off…so I just turned it where it’s not as noticeable until hubby can fix it

I know this post is all over the place but I wanted to share some of my goodies with you today

I’m about to head out to spend part of the day with my sweet mama….we’ll probably take her out to eat BBQ later.

Happy Memorial Day!

Happy Happy Birthday!

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Eight years ago my daughter gave birth to the sweetest babies….boy and girl twins!    We have been (overly) involved with them from day one but we wouldn’t have it any other way.     Tonight we went to eat Mexican (their choice) and here they are wearing a sombrero and getting christened with whipped crème…..Jackson did not like it at all…..look at that expression!

 

 

Taylor was much more receptive….in fact I think she would have been insulted if they hadn’t sang Happy Birthday and made her wear the hat!

 

 

I just found this picture from a couple of years ago….I think they were in kindergarten….I can’t believe how quickly the time has gone

 

Happy birthday Taylor & Jackson, we love you to the moon and back!

Mimi & Pop

Cuban Beef Empanadas (Picadillo)

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Sometimes when the mood strikes, you just have to go with it.  Especially my mood for Cuban food.

There are a few great places to get Cuban food in my area, but it's always nice to be able to satisfy your cravings at home.  And with recipes as easy as this, there are no excuses.
Picadillo is amazing eaten on its own or with rice...or here, stuffed in crust to make empanadas.  I chose a healthier alternative and baked them instead of the traditional deep fry method (which is also delicious, of course!).


Triple this recipe and make a big batch, because these go FAST!!
Cuban Beef Empanadas (made with Picadillo)adapted from Laylita's Recipes
1 pound ground beef2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil1 yellow onion, diced8 garlic cloves, chopped1/2 green bell pepper, diced1 tablespoon cumin3 small potatoes, peeled and cut in small cubes3/4 cup dry white wine3/4 cup green olives (stuffed with pimento)1/2 cup raisins2 (8 ounce) cans tomato saucesalt and pepper
In a pan, brown beef with a dash of cumin and pepper.  Drain grease and set aside.
In a large pan, heat oil over medium low heat and add onion.  Cook until soft.  Add garlic and cook until almost golden.  Mix in bell pepper, cumin, pepper and a pinch of salt.  Add potato and cook about 5 minutes.
Add ground beef and wine to mixture and let wine reduce.  Check potatoes with a knife and when about half cooked, add raisins and tomato sauce.  Cook for about 5 minutes, then add olives.  
Continue cooking over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are cooked.  Add a little wine or water if sauce thickens too much.  Taste and adjust other seasonings.  
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Add a few spoonfuls of picadillo to each disc of dough (I like these), making sure not to overstuff.  Fold dough over and moisten edge with beaten egg or water.  Seal with a fork.  
Bake for about 20-25 minutes until slightly browned.  (you can also deep fry them on medium high until golden brown)
Linked to:  Tastetastic Thursday

Chocolate Chip Muffins

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Bella loves taking a trip to what she calls the "muffin store".  It's really a local market that has anything you could possibly need, but their muffins are to die for (and they're actually shipped from a very well known bakery a little bit further away).

Her favorite variety, by far, is chocolate chip.  Smart girl.


This is a great recipe that satisfies our craving so we don't necessarily have to go to the muffin store.  Homemade is always the better way to go :)

Chocolate Chip Muffins
from Mehan's Kitchen

1/2 cup butter, melted
3/4 cup buttermilk
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups AP flour
3/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a muffin pan with 12 paper liners.

Whisk together melted butter, buttermilk, eggs and vanilla in a bowl until smooth.  In another bowl, stir flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt together.  Make a well in center of dry mixture and add wet mixture.  Beat until smooth and well mixed, about 1-2 minutes.

Fold chocolate chips into batter until well distributed.  Do not overmix.  Spoon batter into each muffin cup, filling to rim.

Bake for about 20-25 minutes until golden.  Transfer to wire rack and let cool.

Linked to: Sweets for a Saturday

The Best Tuna Salad

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There are plenty of people out there rolling their eyes, I know.  The sight of "the best" anything has that effect on some.  And that's fine.

So to all you eye rollers out there, just do me one favor.  Try this recipe.  THEN tell me what you think.


I mean it.  Leave me a comment.  Prove me wrong.

Until then, I agree with Cook's Country...this IS The Best Tuna Salad!

The Best Tuna Salad
from Cook's Country Magazine

3 cans solid white tuna packed in water (I've always preferred Bumblebee)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup minced onion
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon sugar
salt and pepper
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons mayonnaise (CC recommends Hellmann's...that's all we EVER use in this house!)
1 celery stalk, finely chopped

Drain tuna and pat dry with a paper towel.  Microwave oil and onion for about 2 minutes, until onion begins to soften.  Mix with tuna, lemon juice, sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper.  Let marinate for 10 minutes.

Stir in mayo and serve (I like my tuna salad cold so I always refrigerate it for a while before eating).

Memorial Day Recipes!

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So who's got big plans for Memorial Day weekend?  I think most people will be doing many of the same things...going to the beach or pool, relaxing, attending parties and BBQs...and of course, eating :)

Today I'm posting a round-up of recipes from some blogs that I enjoy, incase you're still deciding what to serve or bring along to parties you're attending.  I may be making a few of these myself...they all look so good!

Enjoy your three day weekend, whatever your plans may be!

Strawberry Lemonade from Mrs. Reguiero's Plate:


Grapefruit Margaritas from Sweet Beginnings:


Sweet & Spicy Jalapeno Poppers from Prevention RD:


Submarine Hero Hoagie Dip from The Keenan Cookbook:

Smashed Sliders from A Taste of Home Cooking:


Avocado & Feta Salsa with Marinated Grilled Chicken & Shrimp Skewers from Cinnamon Spice & Everything Nice:

Brie & Granny Smith Turkey Burgers on Homemade Pretzel Rolls from Eats Well With Others:


Grilled Potato Salad from Heat Oven to 350:


Light and Tangy Cole Slaw from For the Love of Cooking:


Grilled Corn with Garlic Butter, Lime and Parmesan from The Jey of Cooking:


Lemon Blueberry Cupcakes from Dainty Chef:


Chocolate and Salted Caramel Pudding Pops from Good Thymes and Good Food:


Simple Summer Strawberry Bruschetta from bell'alimento:


I also want to give a shout out to my beautiful Nana, who turns 90 today!!  Here is a 4 generation picture that we took over the holidays.  Told you she was beautiful :)