Crockpot Wednesday - Autumn Stew

I don't have any pictures of this but it is my most favorite crockpot (or as my kids called it when they were young - cracked pot - who knows why)

Autumn Stew

1 pound stew meat, cut in 1 in cubes

1 medium zucchini, sliced
3 potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
2 cans (10 ¾ oz each) cream of mushroom or cream of chicken soup
2 carrots, peeled and sliced

1 package dry onion soup mix
2 stalks celery, sliced

In slow-cooker, combine uncooked stew meat with chunked potatoes, sliced carrots, sliced celery and sliced zucchini; stir to blend. Add cream of mushroom or cream of chicken soup and dry onion soup mix; blend thoroughly. Cover and cook on low setting for 8 to 10 hours

Geisha Girl Porcelain

This is is the tea set

 that started me collecting teapots
and tea cups:

This tea set was my maternal grandmothers. 

When she and my grandfather
were dating he won this set
for her at Coney Island.

It is called Geisha Girl Porcelain. 

It was exported from Japan
 in the late 1800- early 1900's. 

The merchandise was sold
 in five and dimes
 or given as prizes in the 1920's.

 You might see similar items
with blue, gold, green or brown rims. 

There has been reports
of over 125 different patterns.

After I was given the tea set
I started going to antique stores 

and I have been adding
 to this collection ever since.
This is my current collection:

And this is the place it resides:

Martha's Tea Cup Tues

Terri's Tea Cup Tues

Lemon Bars

My daughter made my recipe for Lemon Bars today and I thought I'd share the recipe

Lemon Bars

1 pkg lemon cake mix

1/3 C Crisco

3 eggs

1/2 C sugar

1/2tsp bkg powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 C lemon juice

powder sugar

preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Combine cake mix, 1 egg and crisco in a medium bowl until crumbly. Measure 1 C and set aside. Pat the rest lightly on the bottom of a 13x9x2 inch pan. Bake at 350 for 15 min or until lightly brown. Beat remaining 2 eggs, sugar, bkg powder, salt, lemon juice until light and foamy. Pour over the hot crust and top with reserve crumbs.Bake at 350 degree for 15 min or until lightly brown. Sprinkle with powder sugar. Cool on a rack and cut into a square.

They really look nice on a glass plate - in our house they don't last very long!

Thrifty Finds

Please join Leigh and check out all the participants websites

The other day I went in to help out at the thrift store I use to manage

and found these treasures for $2!

The picnic basket is for my dtr - so she won't use mine! The 2 glasses were .50 a piece I'm planning on using them for my dtr fiesta graduation party I thought I'd put paper flowers on them for the table. And the basket teapot was just to cute and I knew it would have to go on top of my kitchen cabinets and for .50 who could complain?

Close Ups of the basket teapot

Amish- A Simpler Life

Checkout all the participants on both sites

Tray Transformation

I have been working on a table. First I couldn't get the color paint I wanted, then I went out to spray paint it and yes the wind decided to blow. Now there hasn't been a bit of wind ALL DAY until I decided to spray paint soooo I guess my table will have to wait until next week

This has been seen all over the blogasphere, but I'm going to post it any way......

I bought this tray a few weeks ago, to try my hand at a chalkboard tray

After being spray painted silver and chalkboard paint

The spray paint went on without a hitch, however......I first tried spray chalkboard paint but because the tray has curved corners, I couldn't get it in there well, so I ended up getting the paint on version to finish this.I guess somedays it just doesn't work out the way you planned.

Does anyone else have days like this? or is it just me?

Thrifty Finds

please visit Rhoda at Southern Hospitality's new blog site at for this weeks finds

http://southernhospitalityblog.com/thrifty-finds-this-week/

Hobby Lobby had 90% off home decor - the orginal price $121 was and I paid $12.10 . I would never have bought all these pieces at full price. I also bought a garden item for $2 and a plate for $5 that I can't show because it's a future gift! I wish I had someone on my Christmas List to buy some of the other items for! These will go on my mantle once I reconfigure it.

Reg. 27.99 on sale 2.80

This one was 34.99 I paid 3.50

This one is smaller reg 27.99 I paid 2.80

This candlestick was $30 I paid 3.00

So if you have a Hobby Lobby close by stop in they had a lot of different home decor items! Don't forget gifts!

Share A Garden Sunday - Off to See the Wizard

Our county has a 4 acre park in the town that I live in. This park has an 1880's farmhouse, springhouse and pond. It also is on one of the many bike trails we have.

The master gardeners through the Ohio State University extension office maintain all of the gardens. The next couple of Sundays I will explore the various areas of this beautiful park.

I have put some of the pictures I took there last week in posts, if you are interested:

http://jos2ndact.blogspot.com/2009/07/wordless-and-outdoor-wednesday.html

and

http://jos2ndact.blogspot.com/2009/07/what-in-world-is-that.html

Let's go explore!

This is the entrance to the gardens:

On the west side of this park - under the canopies is the children's garden. It allows young and old to learn about different plants, as well as play and explore gardening.

So lets wander that way:

This years theme is The Wizard of Oz:

Don't you just love the characters?

A great area to just sit and watch the butterflies or even have lunch.

Follow the Yellow Brick Road. Follow the Yellow Brick Road.

Follow, follow, follow, follow, Follow the Yellow Brick Road.

On the east side:


Who's that in the picnic basket?

Toto is that you?????

Where's Almira Gulch????

Ding Dong! The Witch is dead. Which old Witch? The Wicked Witch!

Ding Dong! The Wicked Witch is dead.

Wake up - sleepy head, rub your eyes, get out of bed.

Wake up, the Wicked Witch is dead!

She's gone where the goblins go,

Below - below - below.

Yo-ho, let's open up and sing and ring the bells out.

Ding Dong the merry-oh, sing it high, sing it low.

Let them know The Wicked Witch is dead*

This is the view as you walk out the archway into the rest of the garden:

See you next Sunday for the main gardens!

*Ding Dong! The Witch is Dead!
From "The Wizard of Oz" music by Herbert Stothart, Harold Arlen, and E.Y. Harburg

Fudge

I am working on a project and came across this recipe
 and thought I would share it - fudge isn't just for the holidays!

Chocolate Fudge

3 cups sugar

3/4 cup butter

2/3 cup evaporated milk

1 (12-oz.) pkg chocolate chips

7-oz. jar Kraft Marshmallow creme

1 tablespoon vanilla

Traditional method: Combine sugar, margarine and milk in heavy 2 1/2 qt. saucepan; bring to full rolling bail, stirring constantly. Continue boiling 5 minutes over medium heat, stirring. Remove from heat, stir in chocolate till melted. Add marshmallow creme, nuts & vanilla beat till blended. Pour into greased 13x9 inch pan. Let cool and serve

This is the method I use:

Microwave method: Microwave margarine in 4-quart microwave-safe bowl on HIGH (100%) 1 minute or until melted. Add sugar and milk; mix well. Microwave on HIGH 5 minutes or until mixture begins to boil, stirring after 3 minutes. Mix well; scrape bowl. Continue microwaving on HIGH 5 1/2 minutes; stir after 3 minutes. Stir in chips until melted. Add remaining ingredients; mix well. Pour into greased 9-inch square pan or 13x9-inch baking pan. Cool at room temperature; cut into squares. Makes 3 pounds.

Flowers