Grandma's Decadent Date Bar Cookie Recipe

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Only 9 days until Christmas, and at our house, that means the baking frenzy has begun.  Every year I spend a couple of days baking cookies and making candies with my grandkids - this is one of our fondest traditions.  When they were young they would help as they could with the stirring, the cutting out of cookies and putting the sprinkles and colored sugars on the cookies. I remember how much fun they would have decorating those cookies and making them "perfect".   We even tried the gingerbread house making a few times - with our share of house disasters, lol.    Now, that they are young adults, they do most of the baking and I do the sprinkling of colored sugars while enjoying the time spent with them.  We drink lots of coffee and hot chocolate and laugh and talk and reminisce about past cookie baking days.  It is a day we all look forward to.
  

Delicious Fruit Infused Water

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Here it is the last few days of July - some of the hottest days of the year here - as in most areas of the country.  With the hot temps and high humidity, I find I nearly melt down into my shoes when I go outside.  Working on any projects that require me to be outside is totally out of the question.  I also find that these days tend to make me feel quite lazy and laid back so basically doing any projects just isn't in the stars right now.  So, today instead of a project I thought I would share a nice refreshing cool treat that has become my go to for these hot summer days - Delicious Fruit Infused Water.

A 30 Minute Pasta Recipe - Guest Post

Good Morning everyone.  We have almost got everything together - down to our last few boxes and I can take a break from unpacking. We still have quite a bit in the garage to do but that I will take a little each week and do.  Next week I will be back in full force with lots of great things in store for you. With the holidays fast approaching I am planning some new things and revisiting some old.  But for today let's welcome Vanessa from DIY 180 as she returns to share one of her great pasta recipes.  It looks yummy and can't wait to try it myself.


Hi, I'm Vanessa, from DIY180 and I am happy to be here with you all today. Cathy, thank you for having me and letting me share with your readers today.

I am going to share with you an easy pasta meal you can make in 30 mins and your family will love.

**Start out first by placing the bacon to cook as well as an entire box of spaghetti noodles in a pot of boiling water. Then it is time to make the sauce. This way, when your sauce is done, so is the bacon and pasta. Also save about 1 1/2 cups of the pasta, water, and set them aside. **

For this Meal you will need-
1. Bacon or turkey bacon cooked. I use about 10 slices of cooked bacon for this dish.
2. One small red onion, chopped and sautéd in a tablespoon of Olive Oil. Cook till they turn translucent.
3. Chopped up mushrooms and toss in with the onions and cook for about 5 minutes. Use the mushrooms that you like best and add as much or little as you like. I added about a cup.
4. Crumble bacon when its done and toss in with the onions/mushrooms.

Top Right Pic - 5. Add a 1 1/14 cup of whipping cream and three tablespoons of butter.
Bottom Right Pic - 6. Mix them together and let them sit on low heat for about 5 minutes and then toss in the spinach or broccoli and stir till cooked. If the sauce becomes too dry just add a few spoonfuls of the pasta water.
The pic to the left - Toss the cooked spaghetti noodles in the sauce till coated. If you see the pasta is not coated well enough, then add more of the pasta water to the sauce. Next, add Asiago, Romano or Parmesan cheese to the pasta. Stir it in. Then serve immediately. Thank you for having me and enjoy!

Mmmm.... Doesn't that look so delicious?  And so quick and simple - definitely one for those late and hurried evenings.  Thank you so much Vanessa for sharing with us we love to see what you have each time.

Don't forget Saturday is our awesome Share It One More Time where you can link up all your wonderful DIY projects, crafts and/or recipes.  Then on Sunday I am participating in a Christmas Ornament blog hop where several bloggers are sharing a handmade Christmas ornament.   You definitely won't want to miss all that great talent and inspiration gathered in one spot.  So be sure to come back and check out what we are sharing.  

I love to get comments and hearing from you all makes my day.  I answer all comments by email. 

Till next time have fun making something you enjoy. 

Hugs,

Whole Wheat Pumpkin Muffins with Cinnamon Oat Streusel Topping - Guest Post

Things are moving along and we are almost done packing so I will be back to posting some great projects just in time for the holiday season.  But until that time I have a great treat for you all. 

 Today Elizabeth from 

Real Inspired

is here to share one of her scrumptious recipes with us. I can't wait to make these to have with my afternoon coffee.  So grab your coffee, sit back and welcome Elizabeth.

Good afternoon everyone...

Grab your coffee and a seat

and let's chat awhile...

Well, here it is April 24 and what a crazy spring this has been.

One day the sun is shining and it's beautiful

with temps in the high 70's/low 80's

the next it dips down in the low 40's.

Cant's keep up with it and my furnace and air conditioner

have no idea what they are supposed to be doing.

So when temps dip down and I start to feel the chill my mind

automatically goes to warm homemade soups.

I love soup - almost any kind

but,

I do have my favorites.

This past week we had a few of those miserable, grey, rainy

spring day that call for added warmth

from the inside.

And, so....

I turned to my soup recipes.

My daughter - in- law, J. gave me a recipe for

Beef Barley Soup

that we all love.

And so it was to be...

Beef Barley soup for dinner...

Along with some nice hot homemade cornbread, mmmmmm.

( I still have to practice food shots)

It's very simple to make and sits in your crock pot

blending all the flavors of all the ingredients together

all day - unattended by you.

How much easier can that be?

And, believe me I want EASY PEASY

or else I'm liable to pass it right by.

And to make it even easier

Papa and I buy our 3 - 5 lbs. of onions and

chop them up and freeze them.

Then you just grab what you need and away you go.

No chopping today....

Then, of course, easy ready chopped garlic you

squeeze out of a bottle.

(Now we're really talking easy)

The rest of the ingredients are just as "hard"

canned diced Italian seasoned tomatoes (your seasoning is done),

canned beef broth and

a bag of frozen chopped soup vegetables.

All the work is done for you.

All you have to do is brown the ground beef and onion together.

Place it in the crockpot

Along with the rest of the ingredients

and season to your taste.

Now those of you who know me will not believe this but....

I am growing my own herbs.

So I, me, mwah, actually went outside and picked from my

very own pots.....

BASIL AND OREGANO

then I chopped it up and added it to my soup.

(Believe me...I did do that...)

Then the main ingredient

Barley.

Now, just place your lil' ole crockpot on low and let it do it's thing

for 6 hours

(high - 4 hours)

completely able to tend to itself -

How much easier can you get?

And how much yummier???

We even had enough leftover for our lunch the next day.

MmmmmMmmmmm.

So, next time you have a grey, rainy, chilly day

warm your insides up with this delicious soup.

You won't be disappointed.

Beef Barley Soup Recipe

1 lb ground beef              

2 cans beef broth             

1/2 cup chopped onion   

1 clove garlic                 

1/2 cup chopped celery  

1/2 cup sliced carrots     

1/2 tsp dried basil           

1 pkg frozen mixed vegetable

5 cups water

1 can diced tomatoes

3/4 cup quick barley

Now, I tweaked this recipe a bit and I'll tell you how. I did not use the celery or carrots as there

was enough in my frozen veggies.

I also chopped up my own fresh herbs instead of using dry ones.

I add oregano to almost everything - I just love it.....

Instructions for recipe:

In a 4 quart sauce pan brown meat.  Add onion and garlic; cook until onion is tender.  Drain.

Transfer to crockpot.  Stir in remaining ingredients. Cover and turn to high for 4 hours or

low for 6 hours.  If it becomes too thick you may add more water.

I like to serve it with hot homemade (Jiffy) cornbread.

Man oh man, nothin' better.

What is your favorite comfort food you turn to when it gets

cold and rainy?

                                                                                            Lovin my life in Carolina,

                                                                                            Cathy

P.S Thank you J for the recipe......