Nana's Lettuce Salad

My sister made a wonderful collection of family recipes years ago, and it is my most used and loved cookbook.  And by USED I really mean it.  I was getting worried a few days ago that I'm going to lose these pages or not be able to find and use them.  So I am saving them one at a time to this blog for another place to reference when I need a family favorite!

This salad is light and easy to make and I find myself adding it quickly to our dinner often.

Mary Kedl is my great grandmother on my mom's side (my mother's mother's mother) and someone I have dear memories with.  She lived in Sheridan, Wyoming and I loved driving over the bighorn mountains to spend the day with her.  We'd often take her out to lunch at her favorite restaurant, Perkins, and she and I liked to share a slice of chocolate silk pie for dessert.

Today I am including this salad with our Easter dinner so she is on my mind.  Love you, Nana.

Chocolate Waffle Recipe

This morning I created a recipe I've been wanting for awhile.  When it comes to waffles and pancakes, I don't like them being very sweet.  This is mostly so I can add things like syrup, frosting, whipped cream, fruit sauces, etc.  So...it's my sweet tooth still in charge, but it is the reason I have rejected many recipes I find online.

I created this recipe so that I could enjoy chocolate, one of my favorite flavors, while still keeping the qualities of a high fiber and protein breakfast food.  Here it is:

Chocolate Waffle

1 C whole wheat flour
1/4 C baking cocoa
2 T sugar
2 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
1 egg
2 T vegetable oil

Mix with a fork (might still have small lumps) and cook on a non-stick sprayed waffle iron.

The Authentic Farmhouse look

So you watch a little HGTV and love the new farmhouse craze?  I'm with ya.  There's all kinds of inspiration like this on Pinterest to really pique your interest and give you nostalgia for the good ol' days:

Ah, a breath of fresh air right?

Exactly zero farms from the past looked like that and probably close to that number do now.  Here's a rough idea of what you'll be getting into if you decide that buying an actual *vintage* farmhouse is for you :):

There's usually a vehicle or 10 handy.  Motors actually running, optional.

A little elbow grease and like 6 months will brighten this place up in no time!

Newsflash:  farmers need cleanable linoleum floors and plain jane fixtures cause they are busy WORKING.  The shiny stainless steel and chandaliers are likely in a home where someone works away from the home for a living.

Everyone likes the word VINTAGE until it comes to their backyard pool.

You say you're planning a farmhouse sink?  Well, thar she is!

Selfies and Moms

You can't see me, but I took this picture.  I was standing patiently to receive a shipment of toilets, tile, and other supplies a year ago June.

Yesterday I got the exciting idea for a blog post about our home remodel.  Most of our projects are wrapping up and I wanted to gather together the pictures of myself doing various projects.  Mine weren't much to write home about but they were fundamental to the completion of this remodel and I took pride in my part.

So I opened my backup photos and scrolled.

And scrolled.

And scrolled.

And finally ended up doing some filing that needed done in the office anyway.

I have an upcoming project to grout the tile in our secondary bathroom (Mr Warmth got it tiled last week!) and I've promised myself I'm gonna take more selfies.  I take plenty of the "I actually wore makeup today so I 'll take a shot in the sunshine for a new profile pic" type selfies.  But I've noticed that when it comes to documenting our family's work and lives I still follow the old school practice of snapping up shots of everyone else and our records are void of my mark.

I've got my feet on this one :).

Omaha Spring Break

It's the first time that I remember in which a spring break here in the midwest has actually had SPRING like weather!  In celebration Mr. Warmth set up the present Santa delivered so many long months ago.

We got the 15 footer, and the camo pad, both choices we are really glad we made.  It's nice and big and blends with the end-of-winter lawn and leaf color.  We plan to have a very hip hopping rest of spring 2016.

Okay, maybe I do

I just wanted to write that title because I'm tired of seeing the title of the last post.

I had poetry running through my mind today but I didn't take the time to write.

Poetry means there is a crack in my flow.

And rhyming starts.  Deep heavy stuff, where smiles aren't a part.


(hee hee)

It's spring break for the older ones, but the preschool boy came home with this great musical toy.

They jammed together and made my house feel child-joy.

I've been sorting all kinds of old momentos.

I won this when I was about 16.

You know the stage in my life where swinging was fast country dancing :).

I assured my husband I would not post this award on our walls for guests to see.

While perusing the memory books I found some written gems!

Life goals:  

Nailed it.

P.S. Watch Instagram for photo evidence that my memoirs are complete :).