~Homemade Bisquick Mix~

Oh it’s been a busy month so far, but it’s been a good one! Last night I had a few folks ask me at church about the homemade sausage balls I made for our 3’s&4’s Christmas party. I’ll be honest, I haven’t purchased Bisquick mix in years. It’s pointless to do so when the only thing I use it for are the sausage balls and I don’t make those with any regularity! Enter in the homemade mix version! It makes a little over 4 cups worth of mix but that’s at least two batches of sausage balls(about 2–3 dz per batch depending on the size you make). 

There is a difference in texture and overall flavor when you make the mix from scratch. It’s a great way to remove the chem–lab flavor from this holiday party staple. I have some not so fond childhood memories of sausage balls, normally they were dry, really hard, and kind of blah in flavor. It was usually one of those things that when you’re moving through the buffet line you’re looking at all the yummy delights until your eyes spy a platter of sausage balls. My heart would sink every time, so when I decided to make these for last night’s party I was determined to not over work the meat mixture and treat them no different than the meatballs we make and freezer. I seriously think it’s all in how you handle the mixture, there’s no need to mix and mix to the point where it becomes stiff. Trust me, you will know and the end result will be a firm unpleasant sausage ball.
Before I get into the recipe I want to first give cred to  Myra over at My Blessed Life for posting this recipe back in 2013. I’ve tried other homemade bisquick recipes in the past, but this has become my go to recipe every time! Be sure to check out her blog to check out her other awesome recipes, diy projects, life hacks, etc.

3 cups all purpose flour
1/2 Tblsp salt(I used Kosher)
1 1/2 Tblsp baking powder
1 stick cold butter, sliced

Place all ingredients into a food processor and pulse for a minute. Done.

See! EASY! Now if you don’t have a food processor, Myra says you can use a fork or a pastry blender tool. I cannot guarantee that using either of those will get the desired results that you see above in my picture, which is a super fine powdery mix. Using a fork or pastry blender may result in a more crumbly texture, in which case just be patient while working it and don’t fret too much if it’s not the same as mine. You’ll be incorporating it into the meat so no worries!

And I love her recipe for the sausage balls. It’s simple, easy and delicious! I’ve come across other recipes in the past where they add other seasonings and spices…for me Myra’s Three ingredient recipe wins the blue ribbon every time! Here’s what you’ll need::

2 cups bisquick mix(from above)
1 pound mild sausage
1 generous cup of cheddar cheese, shredded

Mix by hand(I wore gloves) but don’t over work the mixture. I used a melon baller to portion out the meat mix. Bake in a 350 degree F oven for 20 minutes. Let them cool and store in an air tight container until you’re ready to serve.

I don’t have anymore, the evidence of their existence is gone! LOL! Yes, they are THAT good! I will be making more for my family next week, per G–Man’s request, and will definitely take a picture then! 😉 In the meantime, you can click HERE to see Myra’s picture on her blog!

Anyway, I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas and a blessed New Year!

TBT: Being Green

Being Green

Checking out at the store, the young cashier suggested to the older woman, that she should bring her own grocery bags because plastic bags weren’t good for the environment.
The woman apologized and explained, “We didn’t have this green thing back in my earlier days.”
The young clerk responded, “That’s our problem today. Your generation did not care enough to save our environment for future generations.”
She was right — our generation didn’t have the green thing in its day.
Back then, we returned milk bottles, soda bottles and beer bottles to the store. The store sent them back to the plant to be washed and sterilized and refilled, so it could use the same bottles over and over. So they really were truly recycled.

But we didn’t have the green thing back in our day.
Grocery stores bagged our groceries in brown paper bags, that we reused for numerous things, most memorable besides household garbage bags, was the use of brown paper bags as book covers for our schoolbooks. This was to ensure that public property, (the books provided for our use by the school) was not defaced by our scribblings. Then we were able to personalize our books on the brown paper bags.
But too bad we didn’t do the green thing back then.
We walked up stairs, because we didn’t have an escalator in every store and office building. We walked to the grocery store and didn’t climb into a 300-horsepower machine every time we had to go two blocks.
But she was right. We didn’t have the green thing in our day.
Back then, we washed the baby’s diapers because we didn’t have the throwaway kind. We dried clothes on a line, not in an energy-gobbling machine burning up 220 volts — wind and solar power really did dry our clothes back in our early days. Kids got hand-me-down clothes from their brothers or sisters, not always brand-new clothing.
But that young lady is right; we didn’t have the green thing back in our day.

Back then, we had one TV, or radio, in the house — not a TV in every room. And the TV had a small screen the size of a handkerchief (remember them?), not a screen the size of the state of Montana. In the kitchen, we blended and stirred by hand because we didn’t have electric machines to do everything for us. When we packaged a fragile item to send in the mail, we used wadded up old newspapers to cushion it, not Styrofoam or plastic bubble wrap. Back then, we didn’t fire up an engine and burn gasoline just to cut the lawn. We used a push mower that ran on human power. We exercised by working so we didn’t need to go to a health club to run on treadmills that operate on electricity.
But she’s right; we didn’t have the green thing back then.
We drank from a fountain when we were thirsty instead of using a cup or a plastic bottle every time we had a drink of water. We refilled writing pens with ink instead of buying a new pen, and we replaced the razor blades in a razor instead of throwing away the whole razor just because the blade got dull.
But we didn’t have the green thing back then.

Back then, people took the streetcar or a bus and kids rode their bikes to school or walked instead of turning their moms into a 24-hour taxi service. We had one electrical outlet in a room, not an entire bank of sockets to power a dozen appliances. And we didn’t need a computerized gadget to receive a signal beamed from satellites 23,000 miles out in space in order to find the nearest burger joint.
But isn’t it sad the current generation laments how wasteful we old folks were just because we didn’t have the green thing back then?

If there is anything I love more, is our beloved senior citizens setting the record straight on how things were back their day! Feel free to share this with youngin’s who blame the older generation for the way things are now.

Have a blessed day!!

Sticking with Tradition

Whether you grew up in the 50’s, 60’s, 70’s or 80’s I know each one of us can say without a shadow of a doubt that we have at least one favorite meal that brings back happy childhood memories. Over the last 60 years we’ve seen a lot of amazing recipes and some not so great recipes. Ok, I’ll be honest, I’ve seen things that don’t look safe for human consumption but I have to remind myself that if I had been raised up eating it then I would think otherwise.

My Mom sent me a link today that brought back my childhood! I was truly blessed to have a mom who could cook and bake! Well, she could do it all(and still does to a point) but she really opened up my world to cooking and baking. I have many a memories watching her make meatloaf, scalloped potatoes, buttermilk biscuits and pancakes, decorating cakes for birthdays, making pies from scratch, even making homemade bread(my favorite being brioche). It’s those comfort foods that make us feel all safe and happy, yeah it’s definitely a psychological thing but hey don’t knock it! 😉

Here, check out the link for yourself (click HERE). After reading through it I sat back thinking, hey we still make those things in our family, 40+ years later! Sure the execution of how the recipe is cooked may have changed(y’all REALLY need to try cooking a meatloaf in the crock pot, it is to die for), but we continue to enjoy those forgotten dishes!
I did learn from my ex fiance’s mother–yeah, that’s something new to share on here…oops–how to make cabbage rolls. It can be tedious if you’re new at it, and that’s been something that I’ve brought back to my family but with a twist!

I know we all get so hung up with our busy schedules, which is why we all need to slow down and enjoy the simpler things and have a home cooked meal every now and then! In fact, tonight for the family I am making a tried and true oldie. Tuna Casserole, here’s the Facebook chat I had with my Mom:

Me: I have blogged about some of those, not the tuna casserole though(blech)

Mom: Hey! Done well, a tuna casserole is delicious! It’s the boxed junk that tastes bad! SO THERE!!!!

(lol I love her)

Me: 😛

(and here is where we posted a similar thought nearly at the same time…freaky!)

Mom: Can we have one tonight?

Me: So, you saying I should make one tonight?

Mom: Jinx!

HA! I really do love her and yes we have lived around one another for so long that we will say the same things, voice the same thought and jinx one another 😉 You’ll get it in stereo here in our house hehe! It’s true, I’m not a tuna fish fan. I can tolerate cod and salmon on occasion, I’m just more of a shellfish lover! Coconut fried shrimp, YES PLEASE!!! Soft shell crab?!

Hehe 😉

Every now and then be sure to pull out one of the classics, even if you have to tinker with it a bit to suit your family’s tastes, a recipe doesn’t haven’t to have everything in it including the kitchen sink in order to make it yummy. Sometimes the best dishes are the ones that simply have a few ingredients. And promise me one thing, when you do make those forgotten dishes that you’ll include your kids in on the action. That’s how memories are made and traditions get passed on!

Have a blessed weekend!!

~5 Faves Friday: A tribute to my Plus Size Cysters~

I think it’s time I reveal one of my new favorites…Hilda the Plus Size Pinup! Let’s face it, society has decreed that being plus size is a crime. In fact the worst crime ever committed. You all can gather that I’m not a small woman, look at my birthday pictures from a year ago(my birthday post). I don’t deny that there is more of me to love, but neither do I like being ridiculed for something that is partially out of my hands to control.
Nope, not making excuses just stating a fact. When you live with an endocrine disorder and a hypothyroid you tend to get the short end of the stick 90% of the time. I have exercised to the point where I;.’ve injured myself more times than I can remember. I do my level best to eat the right foods, to minimize my carb consumption, and stay as active as I possibly can. I know when my body has had enough, and some days it doesn’t take much to slay me.

With all that said…Hilda is an inspiration to me and many of my other plus size gal pals. Certainly there is beauty all around us in all shapes and sizes. It is widely accepted that if you’re a particular size then you are inherently beautiful! However, when a woman is packing on more jelly rolls than what comes in a Little Debbie box, then we must ridicule her until she loses the weight. Hilda breaks the mold and her little sassy hot mess self pretty much makes people stop in their tracks and giggle! Her misadventures are truly epic! She does know how to bring a smile to ones face 😉

1) HILDA

       

My favorite is the one where she is in the hammock and has the fishing line tied to her toe 😀 And even better she’s enjoying a good book, is there anything else better in life?! Nah!!!

2) My Big Fat Fabulous Life star Whitney Thore.

There are many reasons why I love this show, though I would love it more without the language, but here’s a PCOS Cyster doing the very thing the rest of us wish we could do(ok, maybe only part of us…I’m too introverted to be on tv)…spreading the word about PCOS!! And not just on social media and in our own hometowns, but on TV!! Where millions of people tune in and actually learn something about why most women are fat. I will say this, she is definitely more limber than me and her positive outlook is infectious! A lady at my church came over to me and asked if I had watched the show and of course I have. She confessed she actually learned something new and was seeing me in a new way. I give a hearty thanks to Whitney Thore and others who are able to reach out to the masses. Join me and others in the  #NoBodyShameCampaign. This is for all sizes, no one is excluded!

3)Pinterest board, Plus Size Modest.

It’s a personal preference for me to dress modestly. I’m not a fan for wearing things above my ankles, but I do enjoy seeing what’s out there. Below are a few faves from that board…

  

IMHO(In My Humble Opinion), the only thing missing from the second picture is a light cotton cardigan, but this gives you an idea of what I like in the way of fashion. Long and flowing, in fact I’m going to go out on a limb and share a personal picture. This is not easy for me and by sharing this I will be inviting criticism. *drum roll*

It’s not the greatest photo, but I felt the most comfortable the day it was taken. I never dress to impress people, I dress for personal comfort. Fashion has never been a big thing for me. If it’s clean, modest and I can button it, then I’m gonna wear it! Simple. I’m a no fuss kind of gal, if an outfit has too much going on with it then I’m gonna opt for cozy knit pj’s and slippers. Wear what you love and makes you feel comfortable!

4)Be Kind. Always.

I’ve shared this one a couple of times on social media sites.
And it’s so very true! You will never know what someone is
going through until you are going/have gone through it yourself.
This holds true not just for overweight folks, but for those with
incurable diseases, cancers, life struggles, losses,etc. There is
already so much hatred in this world, and it will continue to
get worse unfortunately, but when you body shame someone
you are only making yourself look bad. Making everyone
aware of your own insecurities and intolerance. If you
really want to help someone, just be kind.
Be thoughtful. Be considerate. Be genuine. Be loving.

5)Focus on the Healthy

To be fat and healthy just doesn’t seem to go
together. It is possible to eat right, exercise
daily, do everything that is humanly possible
and never lose all the weight.
To never be the size that society says is acceptable.
AND THAT’S OK!! Look, with PCOS there’s more
to this health issue than just the weight. Yes,
the weight is a big concern, but there are hormones,
insulin, and a bunch of other little nasty issues that
we have to put up with on a daily basis. So there’s
absolutely no reason to push yourself to the point where
you are injured at the end of the day, or where you become
too depressed because you aren’t reaching the impossible
standards. Embrace the healthy life, eat the right kind
of foods for your Nutritional Type(a Dr. Mercola reference)
and do what you can when you can. Give up the overly
processed foods, seriously those aren’t good for anyone.
If you feel led to detox then do it, if you want to cut out
the carbs then do it, if you want to enjoy the healthy fats
then do it…do whatever it takes to be a healthier YOU!
Just don’t shoot yourself for not doing what everyone else
is doing. There are more important things in life than worrying
about a number on a scale. It’s a nice thing to check on
from time to time, but do not let it rule your life!

We all are!
Have a blessed day<3

~5 Christmas Favorites~

Afternoon everyone, I haven’t done one of these in a while and thought well, why not?! 🙂 Christmas has come sooner than expected this year, or perhaps that’s my age hanging out. So today I’m going to share 5 of my Christmas favorites, these rarely change from year to year. Here goes….

1) Christmas Music

Give me some of those old classics from way back when….my personal favorite being Dean Martin! Listening to this music reminds me a lot of my Memaw. She would always have the record player going(and later on the CD player). The TV wasn’t allowed to be on at all Christmas Day. She wanted us to enjoy being together, making those memories and celebrating together the most wonderful time of the year! And the tv stays off here at our house on Christmas Day, we all sit around talking, making memories, sipping on egg nog and munching on holiday goodies. Remembering those who have already gone on ahead of us, the good times we shared with them while embracing the new ones. It’s amazing what a little song can do 🙂

2) Houses Decorated on the Outside

I’m not finicky, if your house is decorated for Christmas then I am in love! Pretty easy to please in that respect. Fewer and fewer people actually decorate the outside of their houses. We have never done it, mostly because of a lack of funds, but I do admire those who take the time to string up some lights on their house! Driving through neighborhoods to see the lights is a favorite of mine, it just brings back that feeling of “ahhhh, Christmastime is here”.

3) Ugly Sweaters

  

Yes, I am an ugly sweater fan! It brings back fun memories of my public school teachers who would wear these fun festive sweaters in December, with their little gold slip on shoes, poofy hair with frosted tips, and gaudy jingle bell jewelry! We’d have room mother’s bring in cupcakes, chips, and koolaid for homeroom parties, get a gift from our teacher and spend the rest of the time on a sugar high of epic proportions! Ugly sweaters get mocked frequently but to me I smile when I see one at its holiday cheer 🙂 If you’re tired of having an ugly Christmas sweater, I’ll give a good home!

4) Christmas Eve Finger Foods

Alright, what kind of blog would this be if I didn’t bring food into the mix?! Seriously I love our Christmas Eve snack food! It’s been something that my family has always done. We pull out a few cookies, the smoke summer sausage with cheese and crackers, boiled shrimp, a cheese ball, and a Claxton’s fruit cake(you know the kind that weighs a ton that no one wants to eat…my Granddad Jones would send one every year, a little something to let us know he was thinking of us and last year in memory of him I bought one for my Dad’s stocking. We all took a piece and ate it to commemorate Granddad Jones). Serve it all with my Mom’s hot apple cider, egg nog, and have some instrumental Christmas music playing in the background. 

5) Christmas Coloring Books

  

Don’t deny it, when you were a kid you would colors for hours and show everyone each page you did! My Memaw always had crayons and coloring books where us grandkids could find them. It was the first thing I’d pull out as soon as we’d arrive. Sit at the coffee table and color until my hand was ready to fall off! A bit exaggeration but you get the idea 😉 Every time I see a vintage Christmas coloring book I am thrown back to when I was little girl and simpler times!

Yes, those were the days folks. But they are not forgotten nor replaced. A smell, a sound, or seeing something from back then can bring it all back! Cherish your memories, your loved ones, and enjoy this holiday season! From my family to yours, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!!

Cornbread Chili Casserole and Caramel Apple Crisp

Afternoon everyone, I know it’s been forever since I’ve posted anything. It’s been a crazy recovery since September. I certainly do have a backlog of posts I need to share with you all, and what better one to start with than the cornbread chili casserole and caramel apple crisp!!

Y’all know I’m always on the prowl for food inspiration, even when I have a pretty good idea how something can go, I still like to see if someone else has done it with success. I’m weird that way 😉 Let me just preface this in saying, my Mom makes THE best chili and cornbread in all the 50 states. She learned from the best, who had learned from the best and so on 🙂 I’m not the least bit biased hehe!! Well, I got it into my head that those two needed to be put together in a big ol’ pan just because. Now putting these two together is not anything new, just do a google search and you’ll find oodles of recipes that put together chili and cornbread. Why is mine worthy to blog about? Perhaps it’s not, but the family thought it was pretty amazing and left only two servings in the pan afterwards(even G–Man ate some, huge shocker). But hopefully on those chilly fall/wintery nights when your family is sick of having another pan of soup you’ll consider making this version and win them over 🙂

This is by far the easiest meal I’ve made yet, bakes up in 20 minutes and can be made as spicy as you like…or not! 😉

Cornbread Chili Casserole

For the Chili:

2 pounds ground beef

1 large onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 cans black beans, one drained

2 Tblsp chili powder

1 Tblsp Spanish paprika

1/2 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp oregano(or more if you like)

salt and pepper to taste

pinch of red pepper flakes

2 cup shredded cheese(Mexican blend is nice)

For the Cornbread

1 cup flour

1 cup yellow cornmeal

1 Tblsp + 1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

2 Tblsp sugar

1 cup milk

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 egg

 

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

In a dutch oven pan, brown ground beef with onions and garlic. Drain fat if needed. Add in black beans, chili powder, paprika, cumin, salt, pepper, and oregano. Let simmer for 10 minutes to allow the flavors to come together. If mixture seems a tad loose(almost soupy) sprinkle in a little instant potatoes. It won’t alter the flavor and will thicken the mixture up perfectly! Spoon into a lasagna pan, spread out evenly and top with shredded cheese.

In a medium size mixing bowl whisk together flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt and sugar. Add in milk, vegetable oil and egg. Whisk briskly until completely combined. Pour over cheese layer, smoothing out to the edges and corner with the back of a spoon or spatula. Bake for 20 minutes until golden brown and somewhat bubbling around the edges. Serve with sour cream if desired.

Yields 8-10 servings

 

My Dad grew up having desserts almost every night, and while I wasn’t raised that way I do indulge him occasionally. Seeing that it’s apple season I went looking for a quick and easy dessert and thankfully I found one! Chow (dot com) has a very tasty apple crisp recipe with an oatmeal streusel topping. I just took it a step further and added a caramel drizzle over the top.  I didn’t have 2 1/2 pounds of granny smith apples, I had about three of them and several gala apples. It worked out nice in the end and is now one of G–Man’s favorite desserts! SCORE!! I’ll share the original recipe below since the website is acting all wonky on my computer. Not sure if it’s my system or the website. But I’ll post my changes/additions afterwards.

Easy Apple Crisp

(Original recipe from Chow.com)

2 1/2 pounds medium Granny Smith and Golden Delicious apples (about 5 or 6), peeled, cored, and sliced 1/4 inch thick

2 to 3 tablespoons granulated sugar

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon fine salt

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup uncooked rolled oats

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter (1/2 stick), cut into small pieces, plus more for coating the dish

INSTRUCTIONS

Heat the oven to 350°F and arrange a rack in the middle. Lightly coat an 8-by-8-inch baking dish with butter.

Combine the apples, granulated sugar, cinnamon, and 1/8 teaspoon of the salt in a large bowl and toss to coat. Place the apple mixture in the prepared baking dish and set aside.

Using the same bowl as for mixing the apples, mix together the brown sugar, oats, flour, and remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt until evenly combined. With your fingertips, blend in the butter pieces until small clumps form and the butter is well incorporated, about 2 minutes.

Sprinkle the topping evenly over the apples and bake until the streusel is crispy and the apples are tender, about 50 to 60 minutes. Let cool on a rack at least 30 minutes before serving.

 

***NOK’S Touch***

Instead of thinly slicing the apples, chop the apples into bite size pieces. I left the salt out of the sugar and cinnamon mixture on purpose because I use salted butter when I bake. If you use unsalted butter by all means add in the salt. I even cut back on the cinnamon by 1/4 tsp because we use an imported cinnamon which is very strong. A little goes a long way!

I added the Breyer’s caramel ice cream sauce(comes in a soft black squeeze pouch, we use this one specifically because there is no high fructose corn syrup in it) after I pulled the crisp out of the oven. No need to poke holes or drag a knife through it, just let it cool with the caramel sauce on top till it’s warm and serve with vanilla ice cream. Simple!

This dessert was definitely a hit and a keeper! There wasn’t any left, I’m not surprised 😀 If you like, you could certainly add golden raisins or dried unsweetened cranberries to the apples(or both). Instead of apples, try this with peaches for a peach crisp (which is another favorite of my Dad’s)!

 

Hope you all have a blessed weekend!!

~5 Faves Friday~

Afternoon y’all, just taking some time to share this week’s favorite things. You know, you all are welcome to Tweet/Email/Comment below your favorite things to me. Would love to know what you find funny, inspiring, sweet, or even gross but informative! What your favorite recipes that you’ve tried recently? So be sure to tag me to your Tweets(@nghtowlkitchen) if you share something there…I’d love to share on here your faves and tag you back!

This week has been a bit of dulls–ville around here. I did try out a couple of recipes, but starting next week we’re going to be getting back into our school year. Really be keeping us in your thoughts and prayers. He’s going into the 5th grade, it’s blowing my mind! We tend to start out great in the beginning but but after Christmas it’s difficult to find that groove again. Need to find a way to bounce back a bit easier after the new year. Might look into some holiday curriculum to help keep his mind sharp during his Christmas vacation. I know, I know, by that time we seriously need a break but after three weeks of nothing it can be hard to get back into our studies. Plus we typically take a hard hit with getting sick(without fail) every year. January is our worst month…is there any way we could possibly declare that month as our time off? Well, in any case we’ve got to spend this weekend getting the room ready for the new year, thankfully all our curriculum is in, just need to straighten things up in there and make it all purty!

My first favorite thing was shared with me just yesterday, it’s very special to me because it’s a quote from a dear friend that another dear friend added on top of her own photography…I love having such creative and brilliant friends! I would love to see it go viral so feel free to share it on all form of social media 🙂

1) KS Quote

 

I love this, it couldn’t be more true! Thank you so much you two, love you ladies!

 

2) If Animals Were Fat

Lol, I loved the cheetah yawning and falling out of the tree!

 

3) First Eye Phone

Showed this to my son, it’s amazing how far we have advanced 😉

 

4) Frozen Hot Chocolate

Who says you can’t have hot chocolate in the summer?! I can’t wait to try this once we get a new blender!! We sure have been missing our smoothies so far this summer. This will be the first one we make when we get one 🙂 Click the above picture to get the recipe.

 

5) 50 States in Legos: What Would Your State Look Like?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The above picture is a depiction of my state, Alabama. Not sure about the alien but the rest of it is pretty darn cute! Click the picture to see what your State would look like.

 

Have a blessed weekend!

I miss the old days and the older ways…

I take it back I don’t want to be an adult anymore…I want the late 80’s and early 90’s back STAT!

Yesterday G–Man wanted to watch Frozen, for a moment I had forgotten how to get the movie to show up on the tv. See it’s not so easy here at our house. You can’t just pop in the dvd, push play and sit back to enjoy…no that would be too ideal, too easy, too sane! Here let me show you what all has to be used in order to watch a dvd in our house, ready?!

All right, let’s start breaking it down by breaking it down…3 remotes and a keyboard. The keyboard is part of my Dad’s Logitech internet tv set up. It’s a neat addition but a pain if you’re like me 🙂 From left to right we have: tuner remote, dvd player remote, and tv/cable box remote.

• First thing to do is to switch the tv channel by using the tv/cable box remote by pushing the TV/VCR or Input button once. Check!
• Next, turn on the dvd player and insert movie. Check!
• Turn on the tuner(for the theatrical sound experience) and hit the HDMI 2 button to switch it over to the Logitech sound and screen……*grumble*…….and Check!
• Finally, turn on the Logitech keyboard wait for screen to pop up and pray it’s still on the movie setting (which it was because I couldn’t remember what it was I had to click on). Click play and pray it works…CHECK!

Please tell me how this is so much better than what we had growing up as kids of the 80’s and 90’s…anyone?! I groan any time the set up changes, I don’t mind it when something gets eliminated from the process because my brain gets a break from having to remember what I’ll have to grab next. Anyone remember the old VCR’s and VHS tapes? I know many of you do 🙂 It was so simple! Take movie out of case, pop it in the VCR, adjust tracking if needed and enjoy! Does anyone else still have all their VHS movies? *raises my hand up high* All the Disney movies from my childhood are still on VHS with the exception to Cinderella, had to replace it with an Anniversary dvd after the tape died. I nearly cried the day that happened, it was the first movie I remember watching with our new VCR. I sat on the floor so close to the TV…just enthralled to see something like that in our home! 

Ahhh, those were the days! We still have a VCR we purchased while in Brazil, it still works but I can’t interest my son in watching any of those old Disney movies. If it’s not on DVD he doesn’t want anything to do with it. Today’s kids, right?! smh…

Name those 80’s movies!

A TBT Celebration!!!

One of my favorite days of the week has been TBT’s. I love looking up old recipes, trying new things and sharing them on here. I know I’ve gotten lax in doing that lately, but I still enjoy this day even if I’m not writing about it. When I originally decided to share Throw Back Thursday posts it was my intention to bring back those recipes of old. You can do web searches for recipes that hearken back to the 1800’s and yet there aren’t any pictures, reviews or person thoughts. So I decided that it would be fun to pick certain ones that sounded good,for one, in the hopes you all would like to try them out yourselves. I would like to continue on with such posts, I do love cooking and baking after all, but instead of doing that weekly I may cut back to a once a month post for health reasons.

I know I’ve said this another time before, but I love old cookbooks. I grew up pulling out all of my Mom’s 70’s and 80’s cookbooks from the shelves and would sit there reading each recipe and falling in love the old pictures and wondering what each dish would taste like. One such recipe I shared on here was the Dutch Butter Cookies recipe.

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When I discovered this recipe, at the time I had no idea just how big of a hit it would be. Especially with my Mom! I grew up with her hand rolled sugar cookies that she would make once a year, always for Christmas, and those are her favorite cookie. Now I think the Dutch Butter Cookies have either tied with the hand rolled sugar cookies or at least come in at a close second. You really can’t messed these cookies up, it’s a four ingredient recipe that you can either enjoy plain or with colored sugar on top(as pictured above).  When you serve them up small they are perfect then for get togethers, easier for kids to pick up and enjoy, or you could cut them larger and decorate with frosting. It’s not a sweet cookie but I’ve not had any complaints yet from adults or toddlers 🙂 And kids are my harshest critics some times!

One of my all time TBT favorites, and I mean this was a newly discovered recipe for me that has become a winter staple now, is Milk Toast. Just from the name of the recipe it doesn’t sound very appetizing, but just wait!

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I’m the only one in the family who has tried this recipe, no one else is brave enough 😦 I don’t share nasty recipes, at least I try not to. Perhaps this one is more of a personal preference, but don’t judge this recipe until you’ve eaten it just once. It’s a very hearty meal, it’s best to use a slightly thicker slice of toast for best results. I’ve tried it with lower carb bread, it’s ok just not thick enough for my liking.

It’s thick like oatmeal, the sprinkle of cinnamon sugar on top is completely optional. You can pre–cut the toast for easier eating and enjoyment. You could definitely add some raisins or craisins to this if you like, use any bread you prefer, I’ve wondered it French loaf slices would be tasty…*nods thoughtfully* I think it would!

Don’t be afraid to try new things, my friends. You never know what you could be missing out on 🙂

Feeling old yet?

Afternoon y’all, I finally had that feeling of “good grief I’m old” last night! I help teach a class of 3 & 4 year olds every Wednesday night at church. Two of the youngin’s arrived early and one of them had a heart sticker. She called it her Tenderheart sticker 😉 Oh the flashbacks that came rolling with that hehe!! I was sitting at the desk prepping their take home papers and I leaned forward close to her and asked her if she has ever done the Care Bear stare!!! She looked at me with that look of “uh, no I’m not THAT crazy!” lol Ok, so I was THAT crazy when I was her age 😛

I had Cheer Bear, I would sit with her and Butterbear (when I would watch the Wuzzles) and do my Care Bear stare when they would 🙂 And yes, I would bounce all over the place when the Gummi Bears came on 😀 Actually all my stuffed animals would watch my shows with me, pound puppies included! Oh those were the days, feels like it was just yesterday. Now admit it, you all did the same thing too, don’t deny it.

Raise your hand if you remember this funky morsel of 80’s cartoons *raises her hand* and I would only watch it when we would visit my Grandma and Grandpa Jones. I never slept well in their house and would wake up before the sun. So I’d come out to their living room feeling like a zombie and curl up on the sofa(back when I could curl up lol). My Grandma would turn on the tv and put it on Jem. I loved it and longed for my Barbie dolls to look as cool as Jem, because she was truly outrageous!

But my all time favorite toy that I used over and over until I lost

the cover for the batteries was my...

Teddy Ruxpin!

Oh how I loved that toy, still have my original packed away along with my preemie cabbage patch baby dolls. I would put the tape in ol’ Teddy and hunker down on my bed with my babies and listen to story after story of Teddy’s adventures, often times pretending to shush one of the baby dolls.

How I wish I could explain to these youngin’s that they aren’t the first to enjoy things like Care Bears, Strawberry Shortcake, My Little Pony, and the Smurfs. One day 🙂 When I’m gray haired…oh wait, already that lol…well, y’all get ready for stories titled “When I was your age” hehe to me those are always the best!

Happy TBT!!!

 

Related Links:

You Know You’re an 80’s Kid if…

Popular Items for 1980’s Kids on Etsy

1980’s Website; Totally retro

1980’s Quizzes and Trivia