I Love These Hearts

I Love

These two hearts...

I Love

These two hearts...

I Love...All three of these hearts too!

Hearts I Love!

Monday Message...

~ My Monday Message ~

Laugh!

It's been said that...
Laughter is good medicine and good for your soul.
So laugh loud, and laugh often.
Always share your laughter with others.
Go on, have a good laugh!


Life is better when you're laughing...




I love a good laugh!

Labels: Monday Message

November is here!

November is here!  November has a special place in my heart for many reasons.  One reason being it's my birthday month and also my Mother's, and I was born on her Father's, my Grandfather's birthday.  November is also my wedding anniversary, which is also on my birthday!  That is a lot to celebrate on one day!  Well known to everyone, Thanksgiving is also in November.  It's a favorite traditional family gathering holiday that brings us all together to enjoy one another and being together with our family traditions, and favorite foods, football and the starting of (dare I say it), the Christmas holiday. 

I see November as my love month, it shouldn't only belong to February, actually every month should be if you ask me.  Now I'm not gonna go all mushy on you but I will say, love sure is powerful and wonderful and something that I believe everyone wants, and when you get to share it with that certain-someone-special and the other special people in your life, there's nothing better on this earth! 

Love can also be a feeling for a certain something, item, or something you do, not just love for a person, but for a place or a thing (some may beg to differ on that).  I do use "I love this" and "I love that" probably way too often, but I do mean it, I do!...and so I will share some of the things I love in upcoming posts this month.  

I love November!...

Halloween Ghost-Pops Treats

Ghosts and Goblins, and Witches too!

When the trick-or-treaters visit, we get to yell...BOO!

These are my sweet Ghosts-Pops, they are too cute to be scary though!

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(Sorry for the bad image taken long ago before my blogging days!)

These Ghost-Pops are so simple to make and require only a few items.  I made these using Tootsie Pops lollipops covered with Kleenex and tied up with black paper cording.  I made the display using a styrofoam circle covered in wax paper.  I also added the orange jack-o-lantern suckers to my display and a Halloween Candle to the center!

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Ghost-Pops

• Tootsie Pops lollipops
• Box of Kleenex
• Black string - cut into approx. 4" lengths (I used paper cording/twine)
• Black Marker
• Styrofoam for display - Optional
• Wax paper/tissue paper to cover Styrofoam - Optional

Cover a Tootsie Pop with a Kleenex, center and gather just under the Tootsie Pop, tie with black string, secure with a knot.  Make eyes using the black marker to complete the ghost-pop.  Can be displayed in a piece of styrofoam covered with wax paper or tissue paper.  Great for Halloween parties too!

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BOO!

Have a Happy Halloween!

A Halloween Door-Message

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 } HAPPY HALLOWEEN {  
 _________________________

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These cuties I purchased from the local craft stores.  I already had the black sparkly "Happy Halloween" sign and then I bought the cute "Boo" with the ghost and bats this year, and I thought they would work nicely together.  I simply tied them together with a black ribbon and bow.

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I'm all ready for trick-or-treaters!

BOO!  Did I scare you?...

Taco Salad

Tammy's

 Taco Salad  

One of my favorite salads is the Taco Salad.  Taco Salads can be a calorie overload, with a lot of them being offered at restaurants served in a large tortilla bowl, with loads of meat, cheese and sour cream.  I make taco salad at home with a more health conscience approach.  I make it often and change it up slightly from time to time, but mostly use a basic salad recipe.

Mixed Greens with Tomatoes, Avocado, Black Beans, Shredded Cheese, Black Olives and Red Onion, topped with lean Ground Beef cooked with *Taco Seasoning (I make it homemade), along with a few Tortilla Chips, chunky Salsa and finished with a nice dollop of fat-free Sour Cream.

Cook one pound of ground beef, drain, add two heaping tbsp. taco seasoning and (if using package type)-1/4 cup of water and simmer until liquid is absorbed.  Prepare other ingredients for salad, top with ground beef, tortilla chips, salsa and sour cream.  Serve.

Adapt this basic recipe to what and how much you like of the ingredients, although using 1/2 cup-4 oz. of the seasoned lean ground beef, 1/4 cup of shredded cheese, a hand full of tortilla chips, and 2 tbsp of fat-free sour cream is recommended.  I don't feel like I am missing out on anything with this delicious version of taco salad.

Finish with topping of chips, salsa and sour cream.

Tammy's

*Taco Seasoning - Homemade

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp. chili powder

1-1/2 tsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. onion powder

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1/2 tsp. paprika

1/4 tsp. oregano

1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper

1/4 tsp. salt

Mix all ingredients together.  Use 1 to 2 tablespoons of taco seasoning mixture per pound of meat, or to your taste.  Place taco seasoning mixture in an airtight container to store for future use.

Good-timin' - Friends, Food, Fun, and an outdoor Fire!

We had such a fun day with some of our dear friends at their home today, enjoying great food and drinks, and later a nice outdoor fire along with s'mores and lots of good laughs! 

I wanted to share this great outdoor idea our friends just completed.  They recently added this area to their back yard.  They did a nice job!  Since this photo they have added some paver stones and a fire pit.  It's a great place to spend an evening!

And that is just what we did!

We've known these two for over twenty years and have shared in lots of good times with them.  We do always have a great time together.  

Love them like family!  

{Camera phone photos may not always be the best.

But you can capture some of the best moments!}

It was a beautiful evening with friends!*smile*...

~ Tammy ~

Taco Seasoning - Homemade

I found myself in a pinch for taco seasoning since I had forgotten to pick some up at the store.  I was all prepared or so I thought, to make taco salad.  I usually use the taco seasoning in the paper packets(doesn't everyone?).  With always having several different spices and seasonings on hand, I figured I had all the ingredients in the cupboard and that I could probably manage a close enough copy to the package type.


I found my homemade version to be very tasty, I really liked it and this recipe will be what I'll use from now on.  Also I can feel better about it too, since I know exactly what is in it!  I like that I can I make it fresh when needed and I think it even looks more appealing too.

~Tammy's~

Taco Seasoning 

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp. chili powder
1-1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. oregano
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper
1/4 tsp. salt


Directions:
Mix all ingredients together.  Use 1 to 2 tablespoons of taco seasoning mixture per pound of meat, or to your taste.  Place taco seasoning mixture in an airtight container to store.

Enjoy!...

Jewelry by Tammy - Earrings

~ Earring Variety ~

A few of my recent earring projects completed.  

I think these dangle earrings are just darling.  Hey, I should call them..."darling dangles."  These fit in nicely with the Fall season colors.  I often get some of my creative inspiration from seeing a piece of jewelry somewhere, or on someone.  Then I can't wait to make a piece like it, sometimes changing it up in my mind to make it my own.  Also I often find pieces of jewelry that have something or parts that I like about them, a certain bead, it's color or the shape maybe.  Other times it's a discount item that is too good to pass up, or that has something about it of interest to me and I'll bring them home, reconstruct and recreate them into a one of kind piece and jewelry that I love!

Teal acrylic and clear faceted glass, with gold components.

Plum acrylic and clear faceted glass, with gold components.

Black cut glass with black components.

Burgandy glass pearls with golden nylon coated wire, and gold components.

Gold glass pearls and clear cut glass, with gold components and chain.