Getting To Know You

Sunday, March 27, 2011Getting to know YOU!


Keely over at Mannland 5 is hosting Getting to know You Sunday's again and so I am going to participate for the first time. How about you.....

So today's questions are:

1. What inspires you? I am a blog stalker...I love to look at other blog and get ideas. There are so many talented ladies out there with so much to share.






2. What was the last thing you bought yourself?  A bracelet





3. Would you rather watch a movie in a theater or from the comfort of your own home? At home if I am feeling like hanging out in my sweats, at the movies if I am in the mood for going out and of course the popcorn is better there!





4. Household chore you don't mind doing? Cooking...I love to cook!





5. Coffee or tea? I love coffee, and was raised on it. But I did give it up for religious reasons. I have never liked tea, but do drink hot green tea when I have a sore throat.





6. What could you eat every day and not get sick of? Chocolate of course!





7. What's the last book you read? Living Proof





8. Do you think you "look" your age? Some days I look younger and some days I look much older. I think it depends on what is going on that day and the stress level...LOL I am 51!

Orange Brownies

I am a born and bred southern girl living in Utah...LOL!!

I love all things southern! Grits, cornbread, fried chicken, hoe cake, magnolias, dressing ....we don't call it stuffing and the recipe is much different, and PAULA DEEN!! Yes, I love Paula Deen. I love the way she talks, the way she cooks, the way she has a hug and a kiss for everyone she meets....she is the epitome of a Southern Gal!

These days I don't make much fried chicken or corn bread because the older I get the more those things stick to my ribs hips! But my sweet tooth teeth will always be a part of my Southern heritage. And what is better than a pan of brownies...maybe 2 pans...LOL

Are you looking for something fresh and different for Easter dessert this year? Well, you just found it. You make them with an orange cream cheese frosting like the ones shown above, or just a lite glaze like the ones shown below. Either way you are going to love them!!

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened

4 eggs

2 teaspoons pure orange extract

1 teaspoon grated orange zest

Glaze:

1 cup confectioners' sugar

2 tablespoons orange juice

1 teaspoon grated orange zest

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Grease a 13 by 9 by 2-inch pan and set aside. In a mixing bowl, stir together flour, sugar, and salt. Add butter, eggs, orange extract, and orange zest and beat with a handheld electric mixer until well blended. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 30 minutes, or until light golden brown and set. Remove from oven and pierce top of entire cake with a fork.

Glaze

Combine all ingredients in a bowl, stirring until smooth. Pour glaze over cake. Cool cake and cut into squares.

If you would prefer the cream cheese frosting the recipe is below.

Cream Cheese Frosting:


1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened

4 tablespoons softened butter

1 (1-pound) box confectioners' sugar

2 tablespoons orange zest

2 tablespoons orange juice

In a large mixing bowl, whip the butter and cream cheese together with a hand-held electric mixer. Gradually beat in the confectioners' sugar until it is all combined and smooth. Beat in the orange zest and juice. Spread over brownies.

Family and friends will want you to bring these to every party and family get together!!

I will be linking up with:
 Dittle Dattle 
 AtThe Picket Fence
 Christina's Adventures 
Little Brick Ranch
Jam Hands
All Thingz Related
Debbie Doos
Blessed With Grace

My Amazing Daughters.

Just feeling so lucky today to be a mom. Want to see my amazing daughters....go HERE
 Guess now that I blogged about them I will have to give my son's and son-in-laws equal time....next month!

Big Changes Are Coming.....

I love my bedroom....and I hate my bedroom! It's nice and big, has a pretty bay window and has a fantastic view of the mountains. But it is boring!! I am so tired of the way it looks. Granted it looks 100 plus better than when I moved in...yucky ivy wallpaper and the previous owner had painted ivy vines all over the master bath coming out into the bedroom...OMGosh......it was HORRIBLE!

 But now it is just boring and I need a change!!

See...waaay too much brown and boring! The honey pine furniture MUST GO!!!

I loved this in 1995 when I had it customed made. Lots of drawers and it hides my TV. But now....not so much. Good thing is my daughter wants it to go with the matching four poster bed I already gave her. Hey she is young, single and poor...LOL

No...I am not allergic to color and yes I was on drugs when I decorated this room....LOL. Not really but can I use that as my excuse? My sweet husband really wanted to be in on it and didn't want it to frilly so we settled on a whole lot of brown!

No....you are not seeing things....all I put to fill up all that space was one little bench! Ok stop laughing...we all have decorating disasters in our past...and I am sure there will probably be a few in the future! But as I said....there are big changes coming!!!

Yes, there will be some color, and  new bedding, the cute bench as been moved to the guest room, and my sweet husband said he will stay out of it this time, it won't be so formal, more relaxed and comfy. I'm too old to be formal and stuffy...relaxed and laid back, and comfortable is more my style these days.

A hint you say...you want a hint...ok...here's a few hints! Let's see what you think!

I'm Soooo Excited!!!

WooooHoooo!!!! I am soooo excited! For soooo long I have wanted new appliances for my kitchen. They were getting old. The stove and microwave were here when we moved in. I brought the side by side fridge from my other house and we bought the dishwasher new when we moved in about 6 years ago.

Way too many magnets but I have such cute grand kids and they love to color pictures for me.
The appliances were not terrible, just getting old. I longed, and I wished and I prayed.... and they were still here. But then I started to save $$....

We decided to get a new fridge, and it came the day before my sister came for a visit. I was so happy to get it but now my appliances didn't match and the new fridge made the old stuff look really bad. Well, my sister went to open the microwave and broke the handle right off...I could have just kissed her!!!
My husband just laughed and shook his head and said go ahead and get the microwave and a new stove. Well I was in my Tahoe and driving down the street before he could blink...LOL. And this is what I have now!

I really love my new appliances!! It is so fun to have something new. The oven is also a convection oven which is nice...well...when I finally get the guts to try it...LOL. The microwave really says a lot about our society and how we eat. It has a button for popcorn, frozen pizza and chicken nuggets....I had to really laugh at that because my grand daughter reminded me that chickens don't have nuggets!!

They all have buttons and gadgets that my old ones didn't have. I am keeping my owners manuals very close at hand. I also learned that stainless steel shows finger prints a lot more than the standard white. But keeping them clean is worth it. I am so thankful that my husband and I both have good jobs and we were able to pay for them. We paid off our credit cards and cut them up years ago and made a vow to never have credit card debt again. So when we want something we have to work and save. Saving for something is not always easy...but it is so worth it. Since we just got a new washer and dryer a few months ago we should be set for awhile......maybe....I do have my eye on a really cute coffee table...LOL

Spring Fever

Are you as tired of the cold weather and snow as I am? I know most of us don't really like to clean. OK, we love the results but not the actual cleaning part. Except in Spring...I love to open up the windows and clean all day. The fresh air, the clean smells after the house being closed up all winter. The sounds of the children in the neighborhood starting to play again. Yep....I love Spring and all that goes with it!!

Are you over the WINTER BLUES

 and have a touch of SPRING FEVER?

Ready to get rid of some things, open the windows and smell the fresh air, get organized, dust off the patio furniture and put away the snow blower...well ME TOO!!!

A friend of mine told me about this site with some really good helpful spring cleaning tips.

Go HERE to get your Spring On!!