10 days of favorite cookies

dollar tree favor

Most of the items to make these favors were purchased

 at the Dollar Tree Store

{craft paper wrap, gift card holders, tape}

Candy bars were on sale at Walgreens

I gave them out at a recent birthday party and

also think they would make cute little hostess gifts

buffalo chicken and potato casserole

Buffalo Chicken and Potato Casserole

Makes 6 servings

photo credit: publix.com

Ingredients

8 medium potatoes (1 ½ lbs)

½ cup Buffalo wing sauce

½ cup real bacon bits

2 lbs boneless/skinless chicken breasts

1 ½ cup shredded Mexican-blend cheese

½ cup celery sliced

½ cup green onions sliced

½ cup blue cheese or ranch dressing

Crumbly blue cheese (optional)

Directions

Preheat oven to 450°F

Cut potatoes into ½” cubes

Toss potatoes with ¼ cup wing sauce

Transfer mixture to greased 13 x 9 inch baking dish

Roast potatoes 20-25 minutes or until cooked through, stirring once halfway through bake time.

Reduce oven to 400°F

Cut chicken breasts into ½” cubes and combine with remaining ¼ cup wing sauce

Place the raw chicken on top of the potatoes and cook for 20 minutes or until the chicken is done

Combine remaining ingredients and spread over potatoes/chicken

Bake 5-10 more minutes until melted and bubbly

Let stand 5 minutes to cool

Serve with extra blue cheese dressing, hot sauce, and crumbly blue cheese

{adapted from this Publix Aprons Recipe}

porch sit

If all goes as planned  . . .

this morning  

we will be enjoying our morning coffee on this porch.

We look forward to a relaxing few months after . . .

a summer of moving from a house we loved for 30+ years

and

a fall of sadness and farewells

I will enjoy a cup of coffee right here

while reading your blogs in the mornings

and then in the late afternoons 

perhaps a cocktail 

and soon - hoping a few

friends and family will join us for a visit 

in sunny Venice, Florida . . .

the guest suite is ready

Grandpa Jim

My very sweet father-in-law passed away this week.
 He was a man of stature who loved his family dearly.

We will all miss him so . . . 

He lived a life of 88 years.
The past 2 1/2 weeks have been an emotional roller coaster
but we were so fortunate to be in his home by his side through it all.

A card arrived in the mail for him on the day he died 

from his granddaughter Amanda with this verse enclosed.

It gave such comfort to us all.

Romans 8:38-29
"And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love."

As we travel the 2 1/2 hour trip to his home many times over the past two weeks I can’t help but compare the beauty of fall to the end of Jim’s life.  On our first trip the Allegany hills were vibrant and ablaze with color.  Each trip found more leaves winding down their glory and falling to the ground. On the day he passed the trees were ready for a winter’s rest.  This imagery just seemed to speak to his final days – a delicate balance between life and death - reflective and significant. Now, the promise of spring . . .

Our Lord has written the promise of resurrection, 

not in books alone, but in every leaf in springtime.

Martin Luther

sharon randall

This past week three different people

told me about this columnist

Sharon Randall

Nationally syndicated columnist . . . Mother, daughter, sister, friend . . . and Nana!

So I visited her web page and I do think I will

check back and read her column weekly.

sharonrandall.com

My sister in-law, Karen, has also enjoyed one of her 

books which I hope to read this winter.

savings catcher

I recently began using Wal-Mart Savings Catcher

After signing up you just enter your receipt number and the

webpage searches for the same items sold for less at other stores.

Wal-Mart then credits the difference on a gift card for you to use in their store.

Here are a couple of samples of  my recent receipts . . .

{photo credit: blog.es3.com}

Purchase Summary from October 07, 2014: Lower price found 3 items

Ocean Spray Cranberry Juice Cocktail  Qty: 1.00

$2.98 Wal-Mart

$2.50 Kmart

$0.48 You get back

Centrum Silver Vitamins  Qty: 1.00

$9.97 Wal-Mart

$5.99 Tops Friendly

$3.98 You get back

Swiffer Max Dry Refills  Qty: 1.00

$8.47 Wal-Mart

$4.49 CVS

$3.98 You get back

Purchase Summary from September 03, 2014: Lower price found 2 items 

Club Crackers Multigrain  Qty: 1.00

$2.88 Wal-Mart

$2.50 Kmart

$0.38 You get back

Lays Wavy Regular  Qty: 1.00

$2.88 Wal-Mart

$1.99 Walgreens

$0.89 You get back

Purchase Summary from October 12, 2014: Lower price found 2 items 

Sam Adams Seasonal 12 pack Qty: 1.00

$14.47 Walmart

$13.00 Kmart

$1.47 You get back

Diet Coke 2 liter  Qty: 1.00

$1.38 Wal-Mart

$0.99 Tops

$0.48 You get back

Total Reward Dollars I've redeemed in the past two months: $11.57

Check it out here: savingscatcher.walmart.com

{I do it on my laptop as I am not very cell phone savoy}

lime-chicken rice bowl with cashews

Lime-Chicken Rice Bowl with Cashews

Ingredients
1 ½ cup uncooked brown rice
grated lime rind from 1 lime
2 tablespoon olive oil, divided
4 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce, divided
1 teaspoon minced fresh garlic
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
       {or 1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger}
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
3 chicken breasts halves cut into 1-inch pieces
3 cups broccoli florets cut into pieces
1 large red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
14 oz fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon cornstarch
fresh lime juice from one line
1 tablespoon sesame seeds toasted
½ cup unsalted cashews, chopped
1 ½ cup torn baby spinach leaves

Preparation
1. Cook rice according to package directions.
2. Combine chicken, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, garlic, ginger, and crushed red pepper in a bowl; toss to coat.
3. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add chicken mixture to pan; cook 6 minutes or until chicken begins to brown, stirring frequently. Remove chicken from pan.
4. Add remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add broccoli and bell pepper to pan; cook 4 minutes or until crisp-tender, stirring occasionally.
5. Combine remaining 2 tablespoon soy sauce, chicken broth, and cornstarch in a bowl.
6. Add chicken mixture to pan with vegetables. Add broth mixture and bring to a simmer; cook 3 minutes or until sauce begins to thicken, stirring occasionally.
7. Stir in lime juice, sesame seeds and chopped cashews. Add 1 cup baby spinach to pan, stirring until spinach wilts. Remove pan from heat.
8. Fluff rice. Stir in lime rind.
9. Spoon rice mixture into each of 4 bowls; top each serving with chicken mixture.

uncommon philosophy

"Keep only what you use, 

make peace with imperfection, 

and (seriously) help those in need."

{Real Simple Magazine April 2012}

I need this to be my mantra for one more month . . .

autumn arrives at summer hill

In our move this month to Summer Hill Drive

Mr. Corners still provided a bit of Autumn 

to welcome us and make it feel a bit more like home . . .