Mini European Adventure

Well, the day is finally here-we are actually going to get in the car tomorrow and drive away!!! Just for a few days-but this is the first family trip(even though mini) in almost 2 years. The first stop on our journey is Lingen(Ems) to visit my mother in law. She is turning 88 on Sunday--a reason to celebrate!

The above picture is the old courthouse in Lingen. Civil Cermonies are held here including my civil wedding way back in 1989! 

Then on Monday we are going to drive to southern germany-Munich to be exact. Depending on our moods we might drive all the way. But, should something along the way catch our eye-no one is  stopping us from getting out of the car and exploring what ever there is to see! The highlight of our trip will be 2 days in Munich, where we will reunite with Doris, a college roommate of mine! I am truly looking foward to seeing her again after 20 years. 

Like I said-just a mini trip but one that is needed for this family. Some time away from the world wide web and tv´s and computer games is like chicken soup for the soul! Be prepared lots of pictures will be posted!!!

The surprise tablescape

This table came together completely by mistake-not planned out-nothing. When I planned this tablescape it was meant to be outside-on a round table for 8 people! I had started to set things up outside when my husband called with the weather report---RAIN was to be coming in. SO, I went about bringing everything back in-putting away the outdoor dishes and pulling out the good crystal! The following pictures are the end result. And how to the dinner go?Well, around 5 pm the clouds went away the weather report said I had a good 2-3 hours before the rain came, SO I set a second table outside and we proceeded to enjoy a wonderful evening in our backyard!

Happy Thursday Everyone. Be sure to check out the wonderful tables from other fellow bloggers. 

Pizza on the grill

YUMMY, Pizza on the Grill!

the pizza dough was made in my bread machine(gotta love it for things like this) 

Almost ready to eat!!! It was a hot and just a little bit messy job, but oh so worth it when we sat down and enjoyed these pizzas. The only way to go I say! Please check out allrecipes.com for recipes and how to tips!

See you all next Friday when "Designs by Gollum" hosts Foodie Friday!

Edible pink!

Welcome to my pink Saturday! Before I share with all of you my entry for this week I would like to thank Beverly for featuring me last week! I felt very honored and lucky to be apart of this wonderful group of people!

Here in Germany you can buy what they call "russisch brot-russian bread" It is sort of like a dry cookie! Up till recently you could only buy in chocolate flavor. I am always on the look out for something pink and fancy that I found something in the candy/cookie aisle!! These are flavored with rasberries giving the cookie their "pink" color!

This Weeks Dinner Specials

For awhile now I have kept a meue journal-planning what this family would eat. I  have tried to make a two-week plan, which  sadly does not always work, so I am back to the one week plan!

Monday: Chicken Frikasee with Rice

Tuesday: Ranch Style Chicken on the Grill(new recipe found here on the internet)

Wednesday: german style pancakes(my son´s specialtiy-so he will be cooking this evening)

Thursday: nachos with ground beef and cheese(Mike, my son has been asking for this meal for awhile-time I follow through!)

Friday: Hamburgers and Hot Dogs on the grill(plus another round of ranch style chicken, should it be as good as they say on tues!

The start of a new week

Wow, it is Sunday evening already-time flies without asking me if that is okay! Sometimes I want time just to stand still, so that I can do everything I want to!

My Favorite Things

Shades of Pink

Saturdays have always been a day that I look forward to--sleeping in, pancakes for breakfast-simply hanging out and relaxing. Thanks to Beverly at Home Sweet The Sound, I have another reason to look forward to Saturdays!

This Saturday I made a small mosaic of my favorite things: flowers and cupcakes! On m latest trip to TJ MAXX, I found the cupcake towels! Just could not resist-as always is my problem when it comes to shopping at TJ MAXX!

 Oh and I just could not pass up this flower cupcake mold!!!!

The Best Guacomole ever!!

As many of you already know-I am totally loving the Pioneer Womans Cookbook! So, for the Foodie Friday I would like to tell you about her guacamole and pico del gallo!

The Ingredients: Ripe Avacodos, Red Onions and Roma Tomatoes

Such a simple recipe-yet oh so good! You mash up the guacamole with some salt-no worries about clumps--the more clumps the better! The pico del gallo is just equal amounts of red onion, cilantro and roma tomatoes with a touch of fresh lime juice. You mix the ingredients together and then add the pico del gallo to the guacomole and you are ready for some really good stuff!! 

For more on the pioneer woman-check out her  website/blog at thepioneerwoman.com

Happy Weekend Everyone!

BBQ for VIPS Take 2

The Menu is set!

Guacamole with Pico del Gallo accompanied by Strawberry Margaritas!

grilled garlic shrimps on a bed of couscous

BBQ ribs and citrus chicken

sides of grilled veggies and baked beans and of course salad and bread!

Lava Cakes for desert!

Drinks: Beer, Wine, Softdrinks, Coffees

Happy 100th

Happy 100th! Tablescape Thursday. Congratulations to Susan at Between Naps on the Porch! 














Yet another red, white, and blue version. 

BBQ for vips

Help Everyone--my husband has invited 3 of his co-workers plus wives to our house for a bbq. I can put a bbq-have done many in the past-but this one has to be over the top! So I am asking for suggestions on what to serve, how to set the table, what kind of cocktails to serve, what to wear!!! Simply Everything. I promise to post pictures and document the entire adventure.

Looking forward to any ideas you may have

GO USA

Happy Belated 4th of July everyone!!  

The Dishes come from Bergners in Eastland Mall in Bloomington Illinois. They were a steal! 50 % off and since I was there with my mom on a tues-I got the senior citizen discount too!!!

The table runner was given to me by MOM Schauer. She was the mother of a friend of mine. This lady was great-she always thought of me. We all miss her.

some treats for mans best friend

 

Recipe

Jessica Gorman´s Olive Oil and Bacon Truffles

1/2 pound bacon

3 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

1 cup cornmeal

1/4 cup beef broth

3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350° F and line a baking sheet with foil.

2. In a large skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat until crisp, about 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to paper towels to drain, resrving the grease. Let the bacon cool slightly, then crumble.

3. In a large bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal and crumbled bacon. In a large measuring cup, stir together 1 1/3 cups warm water and the broth and pour into the dry ingredients. Add the olive oil and stir together to form a loose dough. Knead on a work surface until smooth.

4. Divide the dough into balls of the appropriate size for your dog (about 1 inch for large dogs and 1/2 inch for small dogs) and set on the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with the reserved bacon grease. Bake until firm to the touch, 35 to 45 minutes. Let cool completely.

RECIPE from EveryDAy with Rachel Ray Magazine