Three Fast Suppers and Blue Monday!

 Happy Blue Monday everyone!

   

Jacob is an insulator collector.

Glass insulators were created in the 1850's for use with telegraph lines.     As technology developed so did the need for insulators.  Many styles and designs were developed for telephone lines and cable lines.  In the 1960's people started to collect them.  Many clubs were formed. local and national shows and websites.  The value for insulators varies greatly from $1-2 to $100's of dollars.  They come in hundreds of different styles, brands, and a variety of colors.  For more info on them click here.

To visit all the other participants of Blue Monday 

then please visit Sally@ SmilingSally.

  

 Here's my three fast easy suppers, I have a few others up my sleeve, but these are ones that I can get Jacob to eat.

   Beef Stroganoff

 Saute: 

1  medium onion diced

1  stalk of celery diced

1 cup sliced button mushrooms

 Add & brown, then simmer about 30 - 40 mins:

1 round steak cubed

1 beef bullion cube, pepper and a garlic powder to taste

 Add:

1 can of Campbell's Cream of Mushroom Soup

1/2 cup of sour cream (optional - I don't always add this if I don't have it)

Sometimes I add a dash of Kitchen Bouquet - to make it more appetizing

I serve this over wide egg noodles or white rice.

   Taco Pie

 The crust:

1 package of Pillsbury refrigerated crescent rolls pressed into pie plate

Crush  Fritoes or Doritoes and sprinkle over bottom onto the  rolls

Sprinkle one handful of cheddar cheese shreds 

 Then add:

1 lb. prepared taco meat

8oz container of sour cream - spread  over meat

Top with more crushed chips  and the cheddar cheese

  Bake according to crescent roll package directions. (350 degrees for about 20 minutes.)    Serve with shredded lettuce, diced onions, chopped tomatoes or Salsa  and Taco Sauce

  Sloppy Joes

  Brown:

1 1/2 1b of ground beef

1 medium onion diced

1 toe of garlic minced

   Add BBQ sauce, then simmer for about 30 minutes:

1 cup ketchup

2 tbsp. vinegar

2 tbsp. brown sugar

2 tbsp. water

1 tsp. yellow mustard

A dash of Worcestershire sauce

    Jacob always has his with tater tots!  Enjoy!   

     I can't wait to see what everyone else has to offer.  

Robyn

  

Pink Saturday & I've been Tagged! Okay, Here it Goes Again...

     This sweet little print is actually pressed tin.  I bought this many years ago and it hangs in my powder room.  I haven't the heart to change it out.  I still love it.   Please click here to visit all of the other fun Pink Saturday projects!   Beverly of How Sweet the Sound is hosting this fun weekend activity!

      Third time is a charm. Right?   I am trying to remember  the most wonderful post that I created two days ago.    It was so frustrating.  I  typed the post almost to the end -   then click.  It  snapped off.     I attempted it again.   Almost to the same point  -  snap - Aaaarrrrrrggggghhhh!

      Sweetie suggested I search the drafts.  I hurried back -but no such luck.   Just the title remained.   Drat!    

Liz, from The Quilted Cowgirl bestowed upon me the I LOVE YOUR BLOG award which of course, comes with the usual rules.   It also had 30+ questions attached to it that had to be answered in one word.   So here it goes again......

1. Where is your cell phone.   Charging
2. Where is your significant other?   Who's that?
3. Your hair color?   Medium Ash Blonde (actually dark brown)
4. Your Mother?    home
5. Your Father?   eating
6. Your favorite thing?   blogging  
7. Your dream last night?    none
8. Your dream goal?   college for Jacob
9. The room you're in?   kitchen, always
10. Your hobby?   gardening, cooking, baking, shopping, blogging
11. Your fear?   snakes & freeways
12. Where do you want to be in 6 years?   Here
13. Where were you last night?   Here
14. What you are not?   Rich
15. One of your wish list items?   Money
16. Where you grew up?   Minnesota
17. The last thing you did?   ate
18. What are you wearing?   jeans
19. Your TV?   HGTV (House Hunters International)
20. Your Pet?   Miles
21. Your computer?   Macbook
22. Your Mood?   happy
23. Missing someone?   my Gramma
24. Your car?   Escape
25. Something your not wearing?   jewelry
26. Favorite Store?   Target
27. Your summer?   Pleasant
28. Love someone?   absolutely
29. Your favorite color?   green/home, red/clothes, pink/accessories
30. When was the last time you laughed?   today
31. When was the last time you cried?   today

I know that I was supposed to answer with one word, but sometimes that just doesn't cut it.

Well, on to the next tag.

Here is my photo from the 6th picture from the 6th roll.

Oh yes, I remember this!   Jacob and my niece Amanda are driving

the go-karts at Mount Olympus theme park.   It is attached to  

 the Treasure Island  Waterpark, in Wisconsin Dells, WI.

The park is a lot of fun.  It consists of several different go-kart tracks, one

even has the cars driving under a pond and through a tunnel, and another

through a trojan horse.  It also has a few very scary wooden roller coasters.

     Kathi from Lavender, Lace & Thyme passed on the Kreative Blogger award and the cups of coffee awards.    I need to list 6 things I value and 6 things I don't.....

6 Things I Value:

Jacob

My family (especially my Mom)

My Friday off (that I usually spend with my Dad:) )

My job (I'm glad that I have one - LOL)

My friends, blogging friends

Snow days - the kind that cause a shut-in, for cooking, baking, game playing, movie  watching

6 Things That I Don't:

Rude people

Campaign commercials on TV

The hours that I put in at work.....

Homework and the time it requires

People talking on cell phones  - talking loudly in restaurants and while in line.....

Dishonesty

    I hope that I have covered all the bases.  So far, so good.  I have made it to the end.  I am not going to list  recipients,  because it would be hard to narrow it down,  and besides I think that you guys already have all the awards.  In the past two days I think that they have all been passed around.  If you see one that you don't have on my sidebar, then go ahead and take it.  Be my guest.   

  Hopefully, this posts.....Robyn

     

 

Yep, It's Miles!

Miles (actually Jacob) loved to collect

Magic

the cute stuffed little dogs  from Old Navy.

Have a Happy Dogs on Thursday!

Check out all the other cute posts

@

Dogs On Thursday!

Robyn

I've been Tagged!

That's It!  I've typed an elaborate post.   Answered 30 questions. Picked seven victims, I mean blogger friends and when I am just about to sign off - blogger snaps off!  It did it to me Twice! AAArrrggghhhh!   I don't think I have it in my fingers to go through it again......

There is always tomorrow,

Robyn

Blue Monday

Here is pretty little snapshot of a tall ship  on

Lake Superior.

The water really is that blue.

Gordon Lightfoot wrote a song about the lake  called The Wreck of The Edmund Fitzgerald. The Indians call it Gichigami - meaning Big Water.    It is the largest of the five great lakes.

It's an average of 425 feet deep.   The deepest portion is about 1,300 feet deep.

Now onto something more interesting....

In the city of Duluth, MN on the shores of Lake Superior lies the Glensheen Mansion.

A 39 room Jacobean style home  commissioned by Chester A. Congdon in 1905 taking 3 years to complete.

It had all of the latest features of the day available.  Running hot water and electricity.

 

According to Wikipedia....

It was designed by Minnesota architect Clarence H. Johnston, Sr., with the interiors designed by William French.   The grounds are spectacular.  The 7.6 acres were designed in the  english style by the Charles W. Leavitt firm out of New York.

The interior design exhibits Late Victorian, Arts & Crafts, and Art Nouveau.  The furniture was also designed to coordinate with the style in each room.   The rooms are trimmed or paneled in Circassian walnut, mahogany (they even had a piano crafted to match this room), cypress, fumed oak and American walnut.   The original furniture brought into the house  in 1908 remains in virtually the same place it has been for 100 years.     

The doors throughout the home are made of two kinds of wood, with oak on the hallway side and the variety of wood used in the room on the other side.

The original artwork also still hangs on the walls as it did when the Congdon's lived there.

If you ever get to Duluth, MN you should make a point to visit the place.

Other than being on the National Historic Register it has a notorious reputation.

Chester Congdon passed away in 1916.  His family continued to occupy the home.

In 1968 the estate was given to the University of Minnesota Duluth.  At the time, Elisabeth Congdon, (the youngest daughter of Chester), was given a life estate, allowing her to occupy Glensheen until her death.  

Glesheen is the site of the murders of heiress Elisabeth Congdon and her nurse, Velma Pietila, on June 27, 1977.    Roger Caldwell, the second husband of Congdon's adopted daughter, Marjorie, was charged with the crimes, convicted on two counts of first degree murder and sentenced to two life sentences.  Marjorie was charged with aiding and abetting and conspiracy to commit murder, but she was acquitted on all charges. 

Caldwell's conviction was overturned by the Minnesota Supreme Court in 1982.   He was set to be retried, but pled guilty, submitted a full confession, and was later released from prison, and many years later it was believed to have committed suicide.

However, Marjorie Congdon Caldwell Hagen  led a pretty notorious life all her own.   She was twice convicted of arson, serving 12 years in prison and was once wanted for bigamy in North Dakota.  Most recently she was in the news for befriending an elderly gentleman and trying to cash a check by forging his name upon his death.   You need to read the book

Will to Murder  written by Gail Feichtinger.     The author became familiar with Marjorie when she was a crime reporter for the Duluth News-Tribune.

In the spirit of the season, here is a photo taken by Gary Schmidt and Loretta Brown.

It is a picture of the upper right window of the Glensheen mansion.   It appears to be

an apparition of an elderly lady, possibly, Elisabeth Congdon, peering out of the window  overlooking Lake Superior.   This was believed to be her bedroom and the room in which she was murdered, but also doing one of her favorite passtimes in life, staring out at the magnificant Lake.

A Pink Saturday Tea Party!

It's A Garden Tea Party! Me and my Cousins, my Mom and My Aunt decided to use our pretty glasses, flowery china, cut glass bowls and platters. Of course, I forgot my camera so I am at the mercy of my cousin for a few snapshots. I promised all that I would not identify them in the photos.
We all prepared salads and desserts. Our menu included Appetizers such pinwheels and cucumber rye toasts, A pasta salad, A Broccoli Wild Rice Salad, Ambrosia Salad, Chicken Cranberry Pecan Wild Rice Casserole, Croissants with heart shaped pats of butter, all the usual pickles, olives, etc.
Our desserts were Mini Lemon Merengue Tartlets, Mini Cheesecakes, Mini Scones, and Mini Chocolate Cupcakes. (I prepared the Broccoli Wild Rice Salad & the Cupcakes.)
Jody & Jill's daughters were our waitresses. We rang our crystal bell for service. They promptly refreshed our Diet Cokes, brought ice cubes, switched out courses. A great time was
had by all! We all agreed that we were going to do this again real soon!
Happy Pink Saturday! Don't forget to click here to visit Beverly@How Sweet the Sound for all the Pink Saturday participants.

Hooked On Fridays!

Welcome to Hooked on Fridays!

Hosted by Julia over at Hooked on Houses.

Please visit her blog to see 

the list of all participants!

Everyone knows who I am hooked on...

This timeless photo is Jacob!

Robyn

Remember Me from RMS?

Jacob's Backyard Cabin in the little woods....

This little cabin was crafted by Grampa about 10 years ago.

Boy does time fly.   It has hosted birthday parties, sleepovers, video game marathons (Guitar Hero - have you guys tried this - it's almost as addicting as blogging and Wii bowling, too),  Monopoly nights, baseball play-off parties.

This kid is so spoiled,  I recall studying spelling words with him

over his walkie-talkies.   Grampa, too.   Of course, the cabin contains a TV & DVD player with stereo surround sound.   (Actually, I use the stereo  a lot myself when I am out gardening...)

We have all ordered snowcones through the window, as well as popcorn, Coca-Colas, candy, lemonade, etc.

It is his laboratory and workbench and art studio and reading nook.

Miles (the schnauzer) wants in

 and heads straight for his own private stash of Twizzlers in the bottom drawer.   

I Love how the trees overhang the eaves

 and make it so cozy. 

And this time of year the backyard just glows!   

 

I love the fall.  I just don't care for the raking.

But I love the jumping in the leaves part!

Robyn

 

     

Jacob's Tablescape

It's Tablesscape Tuesday!

Please visit 

Susan & Between Naps on the Porch

for the list

of all today's participants!

     Last weekend I made Donna's Mac & Cheese for Jacob and his friend Jaz.  They both LOVED it.   Visit Donna @ Donna's Den for the recipe.  This is how we set the table for their lunch.   I had the boy's adding their two cents.   It was cute...they were over my shoulder telling me how to take the pictures.   

     Don't forget to visit Susan for the rest of the posts.   

Robyn

                         

It's Blue Monday - and Dumpling Monday, too.

Well, it wasn't intentional, but it looks like today turned into another Dumpling Monday!

My Dad was hungry for

Chicken & Dumplings.

I promised him

I would make them for him

because sometimes

you just need to

spoil your Dad!

Today

I am using my

Wolfgang Puck

Electric 

Pressure 

Cooker.

I braised 

the chicken 

while

I diced my 

veggies.

I started with

2 cups of diced celery

1 medium diced onion

2 cups of diced carrots

I added

fresh Thyme
(of course)

marjoram

a Bay Leaf

I added the veggies

and enough

chicken broth

to cover it all.

Then I set the

controls for

25 minutes.

Boy did that

smell good!

After the steam vented

it was

Dumpling Time!

I cheated.

I used
4 1/2 cups Bisquik

and

1 1/3 cups of milk

and a few

Tbsp. of parsley flakes

Mix it to

a sticky 

dough.

But don't 

over mix

or they will

get tough.

Drop the dough

by spoonfuls

into the

hot liquid.

The  recipe says to 

cook the dumplings
for 10 minutes
uncovered.

Then cook them
for another
10 minutes covered.
I discovered
they
were not done.
I cooked them
for another
10 minutes covered.

They turned

 out perfect.

Remember they

will puff up

to twice

their size.

Mmmmm!

Now for a cool dessert.

Which brings

us to our

Blue Monday addition.

Notice how the cake looks

so perfectly rolled

and very pretty on the box.

Now here is the

actual cake.

Hmmmm.

I think it loses

something.....

It's so pretty!

It's so appetizing!

Not!

Although it was still

ice cream. :)

Don't forget to visit 

Sally to see the list

of all the 

Blue Monday

participants!

MOM'S LITTLE BOOK OF ANSWERS - If life could be so easy

     Welcome to Pink Saturday!

Check out the other Pink Posts Today!

To see the list

Visit Beverly by clicking HERE!

I Just love the Big Little Books.

I find then at 

Barnes & Nobles Booksellers.

      If Life could be so easy.....

You could just open the

cover and 

point at the page

and

Viola!

There's

Your 

Answer!

And Remember one

thing

MOM IS ALWAYS 

RIGHT!

Happy Pink Saturday! Robyn:)

DoGs On ThUrSdAy! and other Stuff!

     Of course, Thursday is Dogs on Thursday, and because I only have the one dog,  you get to enjoy another post  highlighting -  Miles!    This week he is trying to help Jacob with his algebra.   For all his efforts he is rewarded well, don'tcha think?

      Boy, it feels like a week and a half and it is only Wednesday!    After a weekend of  continuing education for Dental Assisting the work week started out with a bang.   Monday consisted of  3 emergency Root Canals, Tuesday 4 Root Canals, and today 2 Root Canals.  I work in a general dentistry office!  WTH?   9 Root Canals in 3 days!   That's insane!   My back is killing me!   It's not a full moon.....that used to be the old wives tale.    

     Anyway, Happy Dogs On Thursday!  ~ Robyn

It's Dumpling Monday!

Okay, I suppose it could be Dumpling Monday somewhere...

The weather was damp and chilly today, so I was craving something down home and comforting.  Something my Gramma would make.    How about some country style pork ribs with  grated potato dumplings?

The dumplings are easy to do.   

Peel potatoes and grate with the original blades of your food processor

 until you have about 5 cups. 

Add as many beaten  eggs as you have cups of potatoes, hence 5 eggs.

Add them one at a time - just in case you get a funny egg. (It has happened

to me. Yuck!)

Add just about as much flour as you have potatoes.   Add it one cup at a time 

mixing it in.  You may not need to add the full final cup - mix it in 

until you have a pasty consistency.  Somewhat like oatmeal.

Drop by tea spoons full into a large kettle (5-6 qt) of boiling water.

Continue spooning them into the boiling water until you have 

about one layer.  Give them a quick little stir so they don't stick to the bottom.

When they float to the top  I leave them for just a few minutes.

Then I remove them with a slotted spoon.

My family loves to eat these with the country style pork ribs,

sauerkraut and baked beans.  

I prefer to eat them with butter.

I make such a large batch because I love to have leftovers.

The next day I fry them with diced bacon, diced onions, 

and scrambled eggs. 

I'd love to show  it to you with the dinner,  but my family wouldn't give me a chance,

they were digging in before I even had a chance to sit down......

Go ahead and give these a try, I know that you will love them!

Robyn

PINK SATURDAY!

Welcome to Pink Saturday!

Hosted by Beverly,  http://www.howseetthesound.typepad.com/

Be sure to visit Beverly's Blog to see a list  of all

participants in today's Pink Saturday.

This little pig went to the daisy patch....

My brother painted this pig for me many, many (decades - I don't have that strikethrough feature) years ago.  I used to collect pigs way back when and daisies were -  and still are -  always my thing, so he surprised me with this for my birthday!  

I still cherish this sweet little guy.   

This picture was painted using acrylics.   I wish I would have inherited this talent, too.

 Sweet Donna (Donna's Story - http://deembee.blogspot.com/) tagged me with my very own Gold Card proudly featured on my sidebar!   I really appreciate her kind words.  I also really enjoy reading her blog.  If you haven't visited Donna's blog do so!  Donna is also the character Savannah Jones in our very own blog-opera authored by our  one and only French.

Please click on the Blogge'ville pic/link on the sidebar.   

I can  pick up to 5 dedicated followers of my blog to share this with.   One needs to be a new follower or someone from another part of the world.   

The  recipient's I chose are:

1. Jacob  from It's All Great Stuff 
2. Kathi from Lavender, Lace and Thyme
   
3. Marian "D" from  'D's Daydreams
   
4. Allgrins from DaisyRaes Gardens 
   
5. Mama  from Casa Dolce Casa
   

I am hoping that Mama's travels around the world in 38 days will count as my someone from another part of the world.  I truly enjoy reading all of the above blogs.  Actually, I am so addicted to everyone's blogs and it was very hard to chose.  

I'd like to wish everyone reading this 

 A Happy Pink Saturday!

DOGS ON THURSDAY!

     Isn't this precious?     In the morning Miles waits for us at the bottom of the stairs and quickly turns over on his back to have his tummy rubbed.   Just like a cuddly little teddy bear.  

Please visit Gnat and  all of the other participants of 

DOGS ON THURSDAY!