Keep Green...

Keep Green and Shamrock On

a printable for the Irish in all of us.

Time for a bit of the green for a printable...

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Cinnamon Scented Salt Hearts

I love the aroma of cinnamon.  Is there anyone that does not?  Today I am making some cinnamon scented salt aroma discs in the shape of hearts for a couple of room air freshener projects.  I wish you could experience the aroma of cinnamon filling my home from baking these cinnamon scented hearts.  With family arriving home soon, they may be giddy with delight expecting cinnamon rolls to match the aroma filling the rooms here : )

So here we go, simple, easy peasy how-to make

Cinnamon Scented Salt Hearts.

Start with 1 cup all purpose flour in your mixing bowl and 1/2 cup salt. 
Blend together with 1/2 - 3/4 cup water.

Time for the aroma of cinnamon to be added to the mix.  I used 1/4 cup.

Mix it all together.

Dust counter with cinnamon to roll out dough.

Cut out hearts.

Bake @325 degrees for 1/2 hour.

Project #1
Mount birch bark to dollar store frame.

Add fresh baked hearts to bark. 
I am adding you & me with a fine line marker to the large heart and hanging on the wall of my entry.

Pine cones and cinnamon scented salt hearts as my living room potpourri.

Can't go wrong with cinnamon scenting the house, can you....

Chili Mac with Pepperjack Cornbread Muffins

Some things are better the second day.  Chili into Chili Mac is one of them. Leftover Chili Con Carne added to Rigatoni and white cheddar to bake @350 degrees until bubbly and the cheese melts into the chili mac.

Chili Con Carne - Chili with beans and ground beef, along with tomatoes, chile peppers, bell pepper, and spices and chili powder.

 

Sprinkle chopped chives before serving.

Tonight I take the easy road to Pepperjack Cornbread Muffins.  One box of Jiffy cornbread and one box of Jiffy yellow cake mixed together.  Follow box directions for each box, blend together.

Add chunks of pepperjack cheese into batter. 

Just a quick tip:  pepperjack cheese left on top to bake gets hard, so push cheese into batter prior to baking muffins.

Oops, extra muffin....use a canning jar ring to stabilize cupcake paper.

Ring the dinner bell, let's eat!



Baked Cabbage

Ingredients:

2.5 cups cabbage (Cole Slaw mix) 

1/4 cup sugar

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

1 cup onion

1.5 cups half and half

bread crumbs

Bake 1 hour @ 350 degrees

top with bacon crumbs

Although the recipe calls for sliced cabbage,
I always use a half of bag of Cole Slaw mix,
this amount serves 2-4 people.
I actually like the carrots in the Cabbage Bake
and purple cabbage adds color. 
Put Slaw mix in greased 2 quart casserole.

Chop onions and add to casserole dish slaw mix.

Add sugar and nutmeg to Slaw mix.

If I have heavy cream, I use heavy cream.  Today, I had half and half.
Stir Slaw mix and all ingredients together, pour half and half over.

Top with bread crumbs and bake @ 350 degrees for about one hour.
Before serving, crumble cooked bacon on top.

Yum!



Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada Adventure in the Winter

A drive to Niagara Falls, Ontario in Canada for some once in a lifetime photographs of the frozen landscape was on our weekend adventure list this winter.  So that is exactly what we did today, an overnight trip to the land of
ice wines (mmmm...) and frozen water. 

 

I love how the mist from the Falls forms the ice frosted trees in this shot.

 Bundle up and check out the Falls this winter! 

Niagara Falls Tourism- Canada  
Niagara Falls-USA 

On the bridge home to the USA, in the border/customs line.

Niagara Falls, USA observation deck over Falls.

Nope, I have not been paid for this post.  The photographs are incredible and we thoroughly enjoyed seeing the winter Niagara Falls on a freezing cold, blizzard coming in day.

Here is My Heart

Valentines Day Love and Kisses

to share.

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Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

"It's all going to collide and get ugly tomorrow" the weatherman said.  I interpret that statement as a weather prediction of a Nor'easter blizzard for the east coast of the USA. That said, it's time for a pot of Grandma's Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup to be simmering on the stove top.  My paternal Grandmother was German and was no stranger to the kitchen. She knew the virtues of the warm from the inside out goodness of Chicken Noodle Soup.

 



Start with melting butter in your pan and adding 1/4 cup chopped onions.

Add to the saute- carrots chopped into small chunks, 1 pound bag. Add some finely chopped chives at this point also.

I rough chop/shred some chicken breast cooked off in another stock pot, save the stock for later.

De glaze the saute pan with chicken stock and continue to simmer on low.

I added fresh made egg noodles cooked in a boiling pot of water and drained prior to adding to soup to avoid the starch being absorbed into the broth of the soup.  A sprinkle of fresh chives and it is ready to warm us to the toes!
 

I promise, next time I will show you how I make fresh egg noodles and soup dumplings.