Rescued Bulbs

I have these sweet little bulbs popping up all over my back yard.



Poor little things have been chopped down by the lawn mower over and over again.



Their tiny little tops being cut off just when they think it's safe to peek out of the ground.

So today I rescued them. Dug them up from the yard.

I have no idea what they are:
Daffodils?
Narcissus?
Paper Whites?



With any luck - we'll find out soon enough.



They have been propped up in a pretty glass bowl, filled with pebbles and water and now sit by my kitchen window ready to drink up the sunshine.



I hope those little roots stretch their legs - right now they look pretty cramped and uncomfortable.



There are plenty more. These will be transplanted elsewhere in the yard. Somewhere safe from the lawnmower.



Next time - remind me that I have a perfectly good potting bench where these sorts of gardening adventures should take place instead of in the kitchen.

Better go mop up the muddy floor.

It's beginning to feel like Spring - at least today.

Pantry Cooking

At this time of year - it seems the Crock Pot and I are old friends. But some times I'm just not in the mood for something soupy - or shredded.

But I still don't make the time to meal plan (or grocery shop), so I love having recipes that use mostly pantry items - things that I always have on hand.

This is one of my favorites. I usually have frozen hamburger, but even when I don't remember to let it thaw - I can always run to the store and pick up just that one item. Or better yet - have hubby pick it up on his way home. All the other ingredients are part of my Pantry Staples.

Warning: these photos are not pretty. The finished product is brown, covered with brown. I didn't even dress up the plate with a green garnish - because it was late - and we were hungry.

I tried to add some pretty yellow corn in the background for color - with a beautiful dob of butter melting on the top. But sweet hubby tried to help and mixed it all together before I got a photo.

But it tastes yummy - and that's what really counts (at least when you are pantry cooking).





Ketchup. Lea and Perrin's (because I can't spell Worcestershire Sauce), Bread Crumbs (Italian Seasoned - of course), mustard (only the spicy brown kind will do for my tastes), and Canned French Onion Soup.

I use the canned Onion Soup almost as much as I use the dry packets. If it's not one of your Pantry Staples - you should give it a try. You will be amazed at what you can season with that lovely little can.



Salt, pepper, eggs (had to check on that one since we used a ton with our holiday baking) and ground beef.



Mix together the ground beef, egg, bread crumbs, salt and pepper and part of the can of soup. Form the mixture into patties. They have to be oval shaped - or else they will look like Hamburgers. Salisbury Steak patties are always oval. Don't know why - but I guarantee they won't taste the same if they are not oval.

The patties are browned in a saucepan (use a little oil if you hamburger meat is low fat) and removed from the pan. The remaining ingredients are then added to the pan to bring up all the lovely brown bits from the bottom and stirred together. Add the patties back in, cover and let simmer until cooked through.



I added an extra can of soup in the meal shown in this photo - because we also had mashed potatoes and I like lots of gravy. The basic recipe creates less sauce and is usually served on a platter rather than in a bowl. The patties are always super moist and tasty because they have cooked in the sauce.


Salisbury Steak

1 10 1/2 oz. can condensed French Onion Soup
1 1/2 lbs ground beef
1/2 cup dry breadcrumbs
1 large egg
1/4 tsp. salt
dash pepper

1/4 cup ketchup
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 Tablespoon prepared mustard
1/4 cup water
1 Tablespoon flour

Mix together 1/3 of the can of soup, beef, breadcrumbs, egg, salt and pepper. Shape into 6 oval patties. Brown patties in a saute pan using oil if necessary. Pour off any excess fat and remove patties from pan.
Add remaining soup, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce and mustard. Gently stir. In a small bowl, gradually blend flour into water until smooth and stir into soup mixture. Add patties back into pan, cover and simmer over low heat for 20 minutes or until done, stirring occasionally.

Ten on Ten: January

A photo taken every Hour, for Ten consecutive hours, on the Tenth of the month. You can read more about it here.



Chilly way to start the day - even the morning dew was frozen




Little K's Bento Lunch




Bench Monday: Stand on a Bench, Wear something pretty, Extra points for live props, Double points for chickens. Come join the fun




Yep - I'm a hugger - one of my favorite Christmas gifts




A quite corner




12:00 already - where does the time go?




Baxter - he's a Red Bellied Parrot and it's his 14th Birthday this month




All the Christmas decor packed up and put away - except for one (Argh)




Creativity tools




Salisbury Steak for dinner

Party Refreshments for Nancy Drew and her Clue Crew

Now that it's the beginning of a new year, talk has started around our house about what kind of party Little K will have for her Birthday this year (in March).

That made me realize, that I never finished posting about her Nancy Drew Birthday Party from Last year! Yikes - I guess a little thing like picking up your family and moving them to another state got in the way.




So here we are, with the Old Fashioned Luncheon Menu for our Nancy Drew Super Sleuths:



Deviled Eggs and Mini Pigs in the Blanket



Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwiches - with the crusts cut off. The paper bands are made from coordinating scrapbook paper and add a little color to the plate.



We had to have a Layered Jello Salad. I found a vintage mint green Tupperware mold on e-bay. You can't tell in the photo, but it's actually 4 rainbow colors of jello layered. It was a pretty hot day, and the whipped cream started to melt down the sides and covered the layers.



Cheese and Fruit Cups



Veggies and Dip



And a Beverage Station with Pink Lemonade



Bottles of Root Beer



And little Jugs of Water embellished with paper bands



After a hard day of Super Sleuthing - the girls enjoyed a relaxing picnic on the lawn.


You can see other elements of Little K's Nancy Drew Birthday Party here:

Invitations, Sweets Table, Decorations, The Perfect Outfit, Mystery Game