Outdoor Movie Night

Hey there!

I wanted to share something fun we did recently before

the weather got too cold for you to do it, too!

We hosted an outdoor movie party and it was a blast!

Even if we did get rained out...boo.

It's so fun and easier than you think!
We used a cheap shower curtain for our screen and clamped it to the back fence.
I only wish I'd gotten one a bit bigger or maybe two.

We asked guests to bring camp chairs and/or blankets...
but we had some available also.



I researched inexpensive projectors with USB
connections and chose this one I found on Amazon.
I won't be the next destination for the Sundance film festival,
 but for $58 it works pretty great!

It does have its own speakers but we hooked up
some computer speakers we had along with a spare woofer,
 and it sounded awesome!

We just connected it to our laptop to play the DVD.

Once you've taken care of all the tech stuff...it's time for food!
Always make sure you have plenty of tasty treats,
but keeping it simple means no stress eats!

In trying to keep with the movie night theme we had corn dogs,

single size candy, and of course, POPCORN!

I think Sara and I made popcorn for almost 2 hours straight in the air popper. Oooof.

I found the NOW SHOWING chalkboard on Amazon,

along with the character concession cutouts and the popcorn bags.

You can find a lot of those things at Hobby Lobby, too.

To add to the fun and let guests participate in the movie choice,

we included a URL to a SurveyMonkey questionnaire.

Invitees were able to vote for their favorite of 3 movies and

let us know what their favorite movie night snack is.

It made it easy to pick a movie everyone would enjoy,
and make sure we had good treats.



Let me say...The Princess Bride in the backyard is so awesome.
As I said, we did get rained out about half way through.
It hadn't rained in our area for WEEKS!!!

Families with young kids went on home...
everyone else helped get the equipment out of the rain
and we finished the movie inside.

Even with the rain...it was totally worth it and so much fun!

I apologize for the dark pictures.
It's not easy to snap pics in the dark ;)
I hope you decide to make a movie night...
even if you have to do it next year.
I think we're starting a new family tradition!

Till next time...

Rolling out the red carpet here:

Crafts a la Mode
AKA Design

Grandma's Butter Caramels

Hello, strangers.

How's your new year going so far?

I hope it's been great...sorry for you east coast folks...

I know the weather has been making life miserable.

Here's something to keep you busy and give

you something to satisfy your sweet tooth!

Homemade butter caramels.

They are soooooo amazingly delicious!

You'll hide them in your coat pocket so you can find them one afternoon

when you think they're all gone so you can have a sweet surprise!

Oh, wait...maybe that's just me.

These tasty caramels are part of the legacy that is my mother-in-law.

She passed away this past summer after a long battle with cancer.

This post is a tribute to her.

It was 16 years from her initial diagnosis to her death...

and let me tell you, she filled those 16 years with as much life as she could.

She traveled, she had good times with friends and family,

she spoiled her only granddaughter,

and just over 6 years ago she married a good man.

Who says you can't find love later in life?

She was tough, she was a fighter...but she was good-hearted and generous.

Did we always see eye to eye?

Of course not, we're family after all.

But we agreed on the tremendous love we had for her son, my husband,

and her granddaughter, our daughter, Sara.

She raised a son into a wonderful man whom I love more than

anything and I will forever be grateful to this woman.

Okay...on to the sugar.

You'll need a candy thermometer to gauge the temperature so

you don't end up with runny or rock hard candy.

I used a Pampered Chef silicone spatula to stir because they have a high heat tolerance.

You'll also need extra arms, because you'll be stirring and

stirring and stirring until you think the arms you have will fall off!

See? An action shot...of the incessant stirring...

Ahead of time, you'll want to prepare your cookie sheet or baking sheet for cooling.

I used a cookie sheet and lined it with parchment which

I also buttered so the caramel wouldn't stick.

Once they're cool, turn them out onto a large cutting board and use a heavy,

sharp knife to cut them to the size and shape you want.

Be careful.

Caramel is rather hard and you'll be using a lot of pressure on the knife to cut it.

I wouldn't want any of you to injure yourself in the name of sweets.

My MIL used wax paper squares to wrap her caramels.

I don't buy wax paper, so I have always used parchment squares.

The parchment I purchase has a silicone

coating so it works similar to the wax paper.

If you use a smaller pan to cool them, you'll get fatter caramels.

I kinda like them flatter...to me they're easier to bite...

but that's totally up to you.

You will have to excuse the Christmas tree and packaging.

I had fully intended to get this out to you in time for gift giving.

However, life gets in the way sometimes and we just have to adjust our sails.

So...just pretend these take-out boxes really have hearts

on them and give them away for Valentine's Day!

I asked her one time if this was a secret family recipe because I wanted to share it.

She laughed and said she had found it in some magazine

she could no longer remember and thought they sounded good.

She'd been making them every holiday season

since and loved to give them as gifts.

My husband's cousin's wife (got that?) got the recipe from

me in December so she could make some to take to Christmas dinner.

It was a heart-felt gesture and a wonderful surprise to her MIL,

my MIL's sister, and my MIL's husband.

They were very touched by her thoughtfulness.

A legacy of sweetness.

Grandma’s Butter Caramels

• 1 lb real butter
• 2 ¼ cups packed brown sugar (I used dark, she used regular)
• 1 cup Karo syrup
• 1 can sweetened condensed milk
• ½ cup chopped walnuts (optional)
• 1 tsp pure vanilla

1. Mix all but vanilla in a heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly.
2. Continue to stir and stir and stir until mixture reaches 243° on a candy thermometer.
3. Remove from heat, add vanilla, mix well.
4. Pour onto a well-buttered cookie sheet or baking pan, spread evenly.
5. Let cool; cut into squares or rectangles, or whatever your heart desires.
6. Wrap in wax paper or parchment squares.
7. Indulge often.

Printable recipe.

Make some caramels.

Hug the ones you love.

Sharing here:

Ivy and Elephants
Crafty Allie
What's Cooking Love
Upcycled Treasures

Bless'er House
Saving 4 Six
Lamberts Lately
From My Front Porch to Yours
Bloom Designs
Sincerely, Paula
I Heart Naptime
Reasons to Skip the Housework

Thankful is an Attitude...

I had downloaded the above Facebook timeline cover

from Kristi at I Should Be Mopping the Floor.

When I added it to my timeline, my mom posted this comment:

Thankful is an attitude we choose which has the power

to keep us from growing bitter or angry with life.

It's hard to stay grumpy when you

take time to count your blessings.

In "before amen" Max Lucado says, "To say thanks

is to cross from have-not to have-much,

from the excluded to the recruited. Thanks proclaims,

'I'm not disadvantaged, disabled, victimized,

scandalized, forgotten, or ignored. I am blessed.'

Gratitude is a dialysis of sorts.

It flushes the self-pity out of our systems."

Let us all remember to be THANKFUL.

35 Minute Skillet Lasagna

Think you don't have time to make a great dinner?

Think again!

In 35 minutes or less you can make this

awesomely delicious one pan Skillet Lasagna!
No kidding.

Let's put 35 minutes on the clock, shall we?

In a LARGE skillet, this one is 14"...

brown and crumble your meat...in this case,

ground turkey and bulk Italian sausage.

At this time also add the garlic, onion, and salt to taste.

While the meat is cooking, assemble your cheese ingredients.

25 minutes: When the meat is done, stir in spaghetti sauce and water.

Add the extra spices now if you are going to.

Dump in your noodles, stir and make sure they're all covered with sauce.

Cook according to noodle box instructions.

Meanwhile...stir together your ricotta, mozzarella, and parmesan cheeses.

Then mix in the fresh ground pepper, parsley, and salt to taste.

Don't forget to stir the noodles occasionally.

15 minutes: Drop the cheese mixture in small clumps all

over your noodle/sauce/meat concoction.

Sprinkle with extra mozzarella if so desired.

10 minutes: Set heat on lowest setting, or turn off...

cover and let sit 10 minutes until all the cheese has melted.

0 minutes: Remove the lid and dig in!

Skillet Lasagna
click here for a printable version (print page link at bottom of page)

• 1 lb ground turkey
• 1 lb bulk ground Italian sausage
• 3 cloves garlic, minced, pressed, smushed (or 2 tsp jar or dried for faster service)
• 1 tbsp dried, minced onions.
• 1 jar spaghetti sauce (I use Classico roasted tomato and garlic.  NO added sugar...tastes YUMMY!)
• 3 cups water
• 8-10 oz. broken lasagna noodles OR mini bowtie pasta...it works perfectly!!!
• 1 1/2 tsp each dried basil, oregano, and thyme, optional
• 1 cup whole ricotta cheese
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, extra for sprinkling
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
• 1 tbsp dried parsley
• salt to taste

1. In a LARGE skillet,brown and crumble your meat. At this time also add the garlic, onion, and salt to taste. While the meat is cooking, assemble your cheese ingredients.
2. When the meat is done, stir in spaghetti sauce and water. Add the extra spices now if you are going to. Dump in your noodles, stir and make sure they're all covered with sauce. Cook according to noodle box instructions...about 9-10 minutes.
3. Meanwhile...stir together your ricotta, mozzarella, and parmesan cheeses. Then mix in the fresh ground pepper, parsley, and salt to taste. Don't forget to stir the noodles occasionally.
4. When the noodle timer goes off, drop the cheese mixture in small clumps all over your noodle/sauce/meat concoction. Sprinkle with extra mozzarella if so desired. Set heat on lowest setting, or turn off...cover with the lid...and let sit 10 minutes so the cheese can melt.
5. Remove the lid and dig in!

This recipe makes a BUNCH!
But it's good for leftovers, too.
A tasty homemade dinner in less than 35 minutes.

I told you it could be done...but I bet you didn't believe me.

Sorry, I can't help with the clean up.

:)

Dishing it out here:

A Stroll Thru Life

Sowdering About

Love Grows Wild

Upcycled Treasures

Fluster Buster

Just a Girl and Her Blog

A Simple Pantry

Ivy and Elephants

The Newlywed Pilgrimage

The Blissful Bee

Crafty Allie

Lamberts Lately

Saving 4 Six

Live Laugh Rowe

Embracing Change

Bloom Designs

From My Front Porch to Yours

Horrific Knits

Pure Grace Farms

AKA Design

Crafts a la Mode

The Golden Sycamore

Nancherrow

Love of Family and Home

Love Bakes Good Cakes

Bless'er House

The Dedicated House

Kitchen Table Art

Dwellings

Carole's Chatter

Moonlighting

Howdy, howdy!

I've decided to start a new random series...

Moonlighting
No, Bruce Willis will not be making a guest appearance.
Too bad, huh?

I haven't had as much time as I'd like to work on projects...

or brain power to come up with new and fun ideas.

But I miss you guys and thought it might be fun to just share

some randomness and things I'm loving at the moment.
Maybe Most likely even some silliness.

This definitely falls under the "things in life that make me happy" heading.

Without further ado, on with the first installment:

*****

In my office at work, there is a chalkboard.
Once upon a time it was a white board.
No one ever used it...so I painted it with chalkboard paint and
now I have fun bringing a little happiness to our sometimes dreary days.

This is how it looks for the summer.

:)

*****

What I'm reading...



The 23rd alphabet mystery from Sue Grafton...W is for Wasted.
I've enjoyed sleuthing with Kinsey over the years.
Sometimes she irritates me, but I like her.
This book has been very engaging, with good character development.
I love when a book is a good read, continually moving and not necessarily easy,
but smooth reading, while still having extensive use of vocabulary.
I love words you can sink your teeth in to!

*****

Okay, how did I not know this existed?

EZ-Freeze Cereal on the Go



A freezable gel container to keep your milk
cold so you can eat cereal at your desk?
Yes, please!



Look! It even comes with its own folding spoon!
Not that I'd use it.
My family, and several others, tease me
because I don't like to eat with plastic utensils.
I've even been called a princess because of this preference.
Hrmph.

My husband thinks it's funny to quote this line:
I'm not a policeman, I'm a princess!
{Name that movie!}

*****

Sara asked for one of these for her birthday.
I had a coupon and a gift card so it was a done deal.



We've been enjoying lots of fruit smoothies thanks to her birthday gift.
Bonus: she has so much fun using it, she always offers to make them!

*****

Speaking of Sara...
We've been having a lot of fun this summer checking
out some of the 4-wheel-drive trails in Colorado.


See what a nice mom I am?

I even let her drive my Jeep.

:)

*****

I was hoping to get the post up for the hall bathroom makeover this week.

Alas, it was not to be.

We've been out of state with a family emergency for almost 2 weeks,

and when I went to edit my before and afters...

I realized I had quite a few in-betweens, too.

So...I'll be working on those pictures this weekend so I

can finally share my awesome new bathroom with you!

Here's a hint..and a sneak peek...we planked the walls.

I love it!

Make sure you come back and check it out!!!!

Until then...

sharing here:

Crafts a la Mode

AKA Design

 Craft Dictator

Horrific Knits

Love of Family and Home

Love Bakes Good Cakes

Natasha in Oz

Will Cook for Smiles

Reasons to Skip the Housework

Six Sisters Stuff

The Dedicated House

Sowdering About

Crafty Allie

Ivy and Elephants

Happy Independence Day!

Happy Independence Day!

Happy 4th of July!

Happy fireworks and barbecue...

Today we celebrate our freedom...

Freedom to chase whatever dreams we have...

Freedom to worship in the manner we choose...

Freedom of speech, even if it bites us in the butt...

Freedom to do so many things we take for granted every day...

Remember freedom isn't free...

and we need to remember we live in the greatest country on Earth.

All because of people who were willing to fight for what they believed in.

Never stop dreaming.

Freedom isn't free, but salvation is.

More important than political freedom is spiritual freedom.

Our forefathers brought forth onto this continent a great nation,

but our Heavenly Father has made a place for us in His kingdom...

we just have to accept it.

We spent our morning watching the Greeley Stampede Parade...

I'd bet you don't have longhorns in your local parade...

Have a safe and happy holiday!

And don't forget...

It takes a really long time for eyebrows to grow back!

:)

sharing here:

The Dedicated House

Ivy and Elephants

Slow Cooker Beef and Broccoli ~ From Ready Set Eat!

I like to cook.

Don't get me wrong.

But I don't know about you guys, I just don't like to cook

every.single.day.

So I am always looking for easy and delicious

weeknight meals that don't come from a box.

Well, today I have just the solution...

Please welcome Elizabeth from ReadySetEat:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Slow Cooker Beef and Broccoli

Ordering takeout can get expensive, and making the

same dishes at home can be quite easy!

Try making this Slow Cooker Beef and Broccoli,

and you’ll only spend fifteen minutes for prep time.

Make sure to plan ahead since you’re using a slow cooker,

though, and start cooking earlier in the day.

Slow cookers are used a lot in the winter,

because they’re great for making tasty comfort foods,

but slow cookers are also useful in the

summer because they won’t heat up your house.

Ingredients

• PAM® Original No-Stick Cooking Spray
• 1 cup water, divided
• 1/4 cup La Choy® Soy Sauce
• 3 tablespoons firmly packed brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh ginger
• 1-1/2 pounds beef flank steak
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 pkg. (16 oz. each) frozen broccoli florets
• Hot cooked rice, optional

Directions

1. Spray inside of 4-quart slow cooker with cooking spray. Stir together 3/4 cup water, soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic and ginger in slow cooker. Add beef; turn to coat with soy sauce mixture.
2. Cover; cook on LOW 7-1/2 hours or on HIGH 3-1/2 hours or until beef is tender. Remove beef from slow cooker. Combine cornstarch and remaining 1/4 cup water in small bowl; stir into slow cooker. Cover; cook on HIGH 15 minutes or until sauce thickens.
3. Meanwhile, pull beef into shreds with 2 forks; cover to keep warm. Place broccoli in microwave-safe bowl. Cover; microwave on HIGH 5 minutes or until broccoli is thawed. Add beef and broccoli to slow cooker; stir to combine. Cover; cook on HIGH 15 minutes more or until mixture is hot. Serve with rice, if desired.

Author Bio: This is a guest post by Elizabeth L. on behalf of ReadySetEat.

Visit www.readyseteat.com to find pasta salad recipes, chicken recipes, and other dinner ideas.

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

That sounds incredible!

And I am always telling myself to use my crockpot more.

Thanks, Elizabeth!

If you guys want to find some great quick and easy dinner ideas, 

or even sides and desserts...check out ReadySetEat RIGHT NOW!

Choose your item, enter your ingredients in the search tool...

and it will give you tasty ideas ready in 30 minutes or less!

Dinner is DONE.

Have a safe and happy Memorial Day weekend!

And don't forget why we celebrate!

Thank you to all who defend our freedoms!

Dishing it out here:

Saving 4 Six
Lamberts Lately
Put a Bird On It
Love Bakes Good Cakes
Craft Dictator
AKA Design
From My Front Porch to Yours
Glitter Glue and Paint
Horrific Knits
Dizzy Busy and Hungry
Crafts a la Mode
Will Cook For Smiles
Made From Pinterest
Reasons to Skip the Housework
Six Sisters Stuff
3 Little Greenwoods
Life on Lakeshore Drive
The Gunny Sack
A Stroll Thru Life
My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia
My Life of Travels and Adventures
Ivy and Elephants
Life With the Crust Cut Off
The Happy Housie
Carole's Chatter
The 36th Avenue
Blissfully Ever After
Ella Claire