His Royal Highness

I moved my most favorite chair into my sewing room so I could sit in it more often.  It had been upstairs in my room and I hardly ever sat in it.  Seems someone else in my house thinks it is pretty comfy as well.
Humph.

Yummy Strawberry Bars

Strawberry Bars

1 box strawberry cake mix

1/3 cup softened butter

4 eggs

1 8oz package cream cheese softened

1 16 oz box of powdered sugar

3/4 cup diced strawberries

Add together cake mix, 1 of the eggs and 1/3 cup of softened butter.  Mix until well blended.  Place mixture into 9 x13 greased cake pan.  Pat down in bottom of pan to form crust and set aside.

Cream together package of softened cream cheese and remaining 3 eggs.  After this is well combined, slowly add your box of powdered sugar until mixed together well.  Gently fold in diced strawberries.  

Pour this mixture over your crust in the 9 x 13 pan.  Place in 350 degree oven and bake for 35-45 minutes or until center of cake is set.

When cooled, I cut it into squares.  You can also make it prettier by dusting with additional powdered sugar or little slices of strawberries on the top.  

Side note.....you really really should make these.   :)

Sewing Again

 It has been awhile since I have played in my sewing room and I have missed it.  I have to remember that I am the type of person who has to have fun doing what my heart loves once in awhile.  When I put "me time" on the back burner for to long   ....well....  it bothers me.  So today, I broke out some fabric and began to make something.

 While attaching the binding, my middle finger was getting so sore.  I remembered the sewing kit my mother gave me that had been my grandma's when she was alive.  I quickly pulled it out of the cabinet and slipped it onto my finger.  This September, my grandma has been gone from us for a whole year.  It does not seem possible.  While sewing on the binding, memories of my sweet and precious Grandma began to wash over me.  I remember her hands and imagined her with this very same thimble on her finger working away at one of her many projects.  Goodness I miss her.

I had a couple little strips left of fabric from my project so I put together a little ruffled kitchen towel for the oven door.  It is amazing what some fabric and thread can do to lift ones spirit.

A New School

 My daughter is getting to attend a brand new high school this year.  We had the open house last night at the new school.  There was a huge turn out.  We had colorful balloons in school colors, of course, that we released.  The principal asked each of us to write on a piece of paper a hope or prayer (yes he used the word prayer....isn't that AWESOME!!!) that we had for the children of the new school.  He asked us to attach those little slips of paper onto the strings of the balloons.

 And then he asked us to release them into the sky.  I imagined all those prayers being lifted to Heaven for all of our children who will be attending this school year and in the years to come.

 It is certainly a state of the art new building.

 Their mascot is the Mustang.  Inside the school was this bronze statue.  It is REALLY big.  Talk about some school spirit here!  :)

 The new gym floors were sooo shiny.  You could almost see yourself in them!  And the smell of wood when you walked into the gym was delightful.

 Hope my daughter never spends any time in this room.  :)

 The school is three stories high.  This is the entry way of the school looking down.  Quite impressive.

 I loved this idea.  If a student gets into trouble, they are to push the red button for help.

And, where are the chalk boards these days?  Now they have projection screens that are all connected to computers.  Technology.  Remember when we had chalk boards and those really long erasers the teacher used?  I loved it when I was asked, as a student, to go outside and beat those erasers on the ground to get the chalk dust out of them.  An excuse to leave class and go outside.  :)

I don't think my daughter understands what a privilage it is to be able to attend such a wonderful new school.  My prayer on the balloon, that was lifted to Heaven, was that respect would find its way back into our schools for the teachers and staff and one another.  That God would be asked back into our schools.  It is true that all the new technology and shiny floors and bells and whistles that the new school brings are awesome and amazing.  But, I wonder..... wouldn't it be so much more amazing and awesome if Our God were asked to attend this year as well?

I Am Ready

                                                                    (image found here)
I have been reading ladies blogs who say they are savoring the last remaining days of summer.  They are sorry to see summer go.  I am not one of those ladies.  I am a fall girl.  I got married in the fall.   I had a baby in the fall.  I love the colors of fall.  I love the smells of fall.  I love all the foods we eat in the fall.  Like stews, soups, apple crisps and hot cocoa. I love wearing sweaters.  I love wearing jeans.  I love wearing my leather Mary Jane shoes.  :)  I love gloves and sweatshirts.  I love having my nose get cold when I am outside.  I love raking leaves.  I love colorful mums.  I love going to the pumpkin patch.  I love the routine and grove we have as a family in the fall.   My girls are ready for school to start again as well.  They still have a couple more weeks to wait.

So, I am a Fall girl.  I can feel it in the air.  I know it is coming.  And, I am ready.

Really Good Recipe For You

Ok, this picture has absolutely nothing to do with this recipe.  But, I love it.  And, I wanted to share some pretty things from my garden with you.  :)

Scalloped Zucchini
2 to 3 zucchini, sliced (or you could use yellow squash)
1/4 onion sliced
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 sleeve buttery crackers, crushed
1/4 cup stick butter, sliced

Layer half of zucchini, onion and cheese in a buttered 9 x 9 baking pan.  Repeat layering until veggies and cheese are all used.  Kind of like lasagna.  :)
Top with crushed crackers and dot with butter slices.
Bake uncovered at 325 degrees until tender.  About 40 minutes or so.  When veggies are tender, it is done.
Serves 4 to 6.

Menu Board

 I finally got my menu board done.

My paper crafty sister helped me while I was home last time.  She did such a nice job on hers!  She has so many fun embellishments sheets of paper.  It was difficult to decide what I wanted to put on my menu board.  But, this is what we came up with.  I love it!  Perfect colors for my granny-smith-apple kitchen.  Now, if the menu board would help prepare the food.  :)