Friday Funny

This isn't typical for my Friday Funny and it wasn't even meant to be funny.  But - I thought it was!
I use Bloglovin to keep track of the blogs I follow.  They usually have other blogs scattered throughout the ones I've signed up for, that I can check out if I'm interested.  This one was a fashion blog.  I know I'm not on track with the latest fashion trends, but really?  Does this look inspire any of you? (Maybe if she was standing up straight and the shirt fit her, it would look a little better!)

Cooking Thursday

The recipe I'm sharing today rates right up on top of Bob's list of favorites.  It has a crispy cookie crust, a creamy filling and is topped with cherry pie filling.  What's not to like?  He loves cherry.  If I was making it for me, I would use blueberry pie filling, but you can take your choice!

Cherries in the Snow

Crust:
1 cup flour
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup brown sugar
Mix together and press into an ungreased 9x13 pan.  Bake 15 minutes at 375 degrees and allow to cool.
Filling:
1 cup whipping cream, whipped
8 ounces cream cheese
2 cups powdered sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
Cream together cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla.  Stir in the whipped cream.
Spoon over cooled crust.
Spread 2 cans pie filling (your choice of flavor) over top of cream cheese filling.  Refrigerate overnight before serving.

Wordless Wednesday

It's a Spring Thing!

The weather continues to flip-flop around here, warm one day, cold the next.  However, last week we did have the first day of Spring, and on Friday it hit 60!  (and then Saturdays high was 38...)
Anyway, I decided it was time to get rid of a few winter décor items in the house.

 My old milk can in the garage had a stake in it with a snowman and a "Let it snow" sign.  It was clearly time for it to go!

This is on my dining room table. It had pine cones and fake snow in it.  Now there is moss and some hydrangea blooms.

 This is on an end table in the living room.

This is on the tv table in the living room.  I found the little sign online.  It says "Choose Happy".  I love that, and it makes me happy to see it!

These were just small changes, but it's nice to see some things inside, that remind me of changes happening outside!

Fun Weekend!

We had our girlies over Friday night.  Friday was a beautiful day here that really felt like Spring.  After we picked them up we made our first stop to the Park for this year.  It wasn't too busy and the girls had so much fun

Yes - Ruby still likes to climb.   She made it to the top of this...

and this.  I was standing close and watching though!

When we got in the care, she had to put on her sunglasses.  It didn't matter that they were upside down, that it was close to being dark, or that these were Alaina's glasses!

A yummy snack of cheese and crackers.

And Grandma read a bedtime story that Ruby was very involved in!

Saturday morning they had such fun building a fort using the couch pillows.

Peeking at Grandma from their fort.
We had lunch at McDonalds, visited Great Grandpa and did some shopping at the dollar store.   What a fun day!

Friday Funny

Are you old enough to understand this?

Cooking Thursday

I'm late in sharing this one!  I wonder how many of you had corned beef on St Patrick's Day?  We never do, but there are a few things I make with corned beef.  One is this recipe I'm sharing today.  We had it Sunday night, and I realized then, that I should have made it earlier and shared it, so it would be on time for St Patrick's.  Oh well - you can have it anytime!
Anyway, we usually have something kind of light on Sunday nights and it's usually something I can make ahead of time.  These buns fit the bill.  It's an old recipe that my mom used to make.  It has only 5 ingredients including the buns and it's easy and good!

Corned Beef Buns
1 can corned beef
1 tablespoon minced onion
1/2 cup sour cream
8 ounces shredded cheddar cheese
8 hamburger buns
Stir together the corned beef, minced onion and sour cream, then add cheese.  Divide among the 8 buns.  Wrap in foil and bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.
These can be prepared the day ahead and refrigerated until you are ready to use them, then bake as directed.

Wordless Wednesday

Oh Alexa....

Meet Alexa!
Alexa is a newcomer to our family.  She is also known as an Echo Dot.  My friend Jenny, from I'm Having a Thought Here recommended it to me after she got one.
Alexa is voice controlled and can do lots of things.  She can give information, tell jokes, set an alarm, play music...  We have it set on an end table in our living room and we use it most to play music.  You can ask her to play music by a certain artist or genre, or you can play music from your Pandora play list.  You can get road conditions, weather reports or ask general questions.  If you have a "smart house" you can even have it control devices in it.
We've really enjoyed it, and often ask silly questions just for fun, or tell Alexa good night, to which she replies "sleep well". 
If you are interested in getting one, they are available at Amazon for $49.99. 
*This is not a review, just me telling you about the Echo!

It's the most wonderful time of the year...

No, I'm not talking about Christmas!  I do love Christmas, but I think the most wonderful season is Spring!  Monday is the first day of Spring and although it's still pretty cold and we may get more snow, it means winter is loosening it's grip. Warm weather and flowers will soon be here!
If you were to look at our back yard right now, there wouldn't appear to be much beauty to observe.
At first glance, you would see:

A bush that had a hard time with the wind and snow this winter,

and grasses that are matted down and not looking any too beautiful!



However, if you look closely, there is hidden beauty!

Buds on the maple tree!

Daffodils popping up through the undergrowth.

 A few dried remnants of last years luneria that outlasted winter.

Some of last years flowers left their seed pods behind, and they have their own type of beauty.

 The hydrangea tree has 2 flowers that have made it all the way through the winter.

And the forsythia is showing off its buds, with the promise of blooms soon!

"For behold, the winter is past; the rain is over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth, the time of singing has come, and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land."

Song of Solomon 2:11-12   

Friday Fun!

Instead of a comic today, I have a short video of a Dad and daughter.  Check it out - it's heartwarming and sure to bring a smile to your face!

Cooking Thursday

I've shared a few recipes with you that I got at our MOPS (Mom's of pre-schoolers) brunches.  I have another one today.  We often comment that these brunches are not good for the diet!  This one has been brought a few times and is always good.  I made it myself last week, making just half of it in an 8x8 pan.  I'm sure you would like it!

 Overnight Cinnamon Rolls

2 loaves frozen white bread dough
1 stick butter
1 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
3 tablespoons milk

Icing
3 cups powdered sugar
4 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons softened butter.

Spray 9x13 baking pan and place bread in to thaw for about 2 hours.
Cut bread into small pieces with a scissors or knife.
Melt butter, sugars, cinnamon and milk together in a small pan.  Pour over bread pieces, cover and refrigerate overnight.
In the morning, uncover and bake for 25 minutes at 375 degrees.
Beat icing ingredients together while it bakes.
Cool briefly and frost.

Wordless Wednesday

Birthday celebrations!

We did some celebrating this past weekend.  Bob's mom and my Dad are 5 days apart in age.  Bob's mom turned 86 on March 6 and my Dad turned 86 on March 11.
We are blessed by the fact that they are both in quite good health. Bob's mom and step-dad live in an independent living facility, my Dad and step-mom live in the house he built when I was 13.
Both of them were and still are wonderful parents.  We were talking about how blessed we are to have had parents who loved us and brought us up in faith filled homes.  As a child you think every home is the same, but as an adult you realize how very blessed you were!

We went out for supper on Friday evening with Bob's brother and wife, along with Mom and Rog.

 Here is Bob's mom with one of her gifts.

Bob, his Mom, his brother Tom.

Here we are in the restaurant.

This restaurant was built where my Dad and his brothers farm used to be.  They have pictures of the farm in the lobby.  Here you see the barn, some cows and a meeting of the Farm Bureau.  I found my Dad, uncle and Grandpa in that picture!

Here's my Dad and step-mom at their house after we went out.

We had a good time both evenings, with laughter and memories of years ago.
I don't think either of them look like they are 86!  I'm thankful to have had them in my life for another year.

Blustery Day!

I have a few things to show you from last week,.
We got a postcard in the mail telling us the electric company would be coming through and trimming trees sometime in the month of March.  Even though I was warned, I was quite surprised to come home and find this in our front yard!

This picture doesn't show the extent of the amount of branches in our front yard.  There were these branches that are actually piled quite high and there were also pine branches stacked up. 
Our electric lines are in the back of our house and are close to a wooded area.  They had to drag all this stuff up to the road.  Thankfully they picked it all up the next day.
They did leave some messes in the back though.  There are trees that have been "trimmed" of all there branches with only one small branch left at the top.  Bob has already lined up his brother to come and help cut them down.  It looks kind of ridiculous!

I was very glad the electric company got those branches when they did because the next day was extremely windy!  I know from FB that some of you were dealing with the same type of wind.  We were having wind gusts of up to 80mph.  These windy days always seem to fall on the same day as trash pick up.  When I came home from work I saw trash bins all over.  There wasn't one that was still standing upright or at the end of a driveway.
I didn't take these next pictures.  They were on FB, but they show what it was looking like around here.

On one side of us, at Lake Michigan near Grand Haven the waves were huge!

And on the other side, near Grand Rapids, power lines were being blown down...

and so were semi trucks!
Can you even imagine?  Some people were without power from Wednesday until Saturday.
We didn't have much happen to us.  A few small branches came down and we lost some shingles.
Hope any of you who were in the wind also stayed safe!

Friday Funny

True!

Cooking Thursday

Today's recipe is an easy potato side dish.  It only has a few ingredients and can be made and on the table in less than an hour.  And - it's yummy!

Roasted Rosemary Redskin Potatoes

Redskin Potatoes, cut into small pieces
Olive oil
Garlic powder
Rosemary
salt
pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Put potatoes into bowl.  Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle seasonings over top and toss together.
Place on foil lined cookie sheet.
Cook for 35-40 minutes until golden brown, turning once halfway through cooking time.

Wordless Wednesday

(Snowing again!)