Nutritional Facts: ....Turkey Meatloaf vs. Ground Beef Meatloaf..

Todays Dinner Turkey Meatloaf..Skinny Potato Mash...and Herb Mix Salad with Fat Free Mango Chipotle Dressing...

Traditional  Ground Beef Meatloaf    17.44 grams of fat....My version  7.1 grams !!! and just as yummy....

Caramelized Banana Creme Pie  so yummy !!!
Butter a 10 inch Springform pan, In a bowl mix  2.5 cups chocolate wafer crumbs and 1/4 cup of granulated sugar     5 TB melted Butter and press in pan and chill in refrigerator..
Filling
Put1/4 cup butter and 3/4 cp brown sugar in pan over high heat about 2 minutes, till bubbling.. Add tsp cinnamon and 1 tsp ginger  1/2 tsp allspice  and 4 sliced bananas   saute till tender 3 minutes or so and spread over crust and set aside
For pastry creme pour 3 cups half and half, with vanilla bean and bring to a boil and discard bean - if you dont have a vanilla bean add 1 tsp of good vanilla after it comes to a boil..Remove from heat ... in separate bowl add 8  egg yolks 1/2 cup granulated sugar 1 /4 cup dark rum or 1 tb rum flavor...and 3 tb cornstarch  and blend....... wisk 1 cup of hot half and half into egg mixture to temper then add egg mixture back to pan of half and half... medium heat and stir till thick     Pour over roasted bananas  and chill 2 to 3 hours  
whip a cup or so of cream till peaks form and top chilled pie... remove outer ring of pan and slice to serve   So yummy!!1

Wall Art

You don't have to be an artist to create art...with a little imagination,create something new from something old

I had an old stamp collection gathering dust in the attic. ...Look around in your home for unsed treasures.......with a couple  of inexpensive frames.... now we have wall art for the upstairs - a monogram and pictures  that remind me of a childhood hobby!!

Old Chair...New Chair...one man's trash is another man's treasure ...

Today... I rescued a chair from its impending death. I could hear the trash truck in the distance and I had to act quickly. Now, many of my friends might be a little uncomfortable to stop at the curb to grab a freebie, but that would not deter me.. I could  barely contain  my excitement when I saw a free curbside treasure waiting for a new home!!  With a little work ... it's amazing what you can fit in the back of my SUV...lol.   It's not that we are destitute and without furniture.... and I am  not in the hoarding category . But holy cow, it had great curves and character and I could just imagine it with some toile fabric that I had stored in the attic.. it was just begging me to bring it back to life again!!!
 Since the kids have been leaving the nest one by one and taking much of their furniture with them, I have 3 rooms that need to be transformed and its been fun to have the space  for a few new pieces. I knew this chair would look great  in my new guest room. (Needless to say, it makes me proud  that my grown kids are thrifty. They see the hidden value of a great character piece waiting for a little elbow grease and paint! )
Back in the early years I remember my first very empty apartment devoid of furniture.. With the  pure need to have something to sit on I was always on the hunt for a castoff in need of a new home. On Saturdays, armed with youthful energy and a very empty pocketbook , I rescued many pieces from impending doom. Later , these pieces were  transformed with a little love and paint into a useful additions to my home. I learned quickly that being thrifty and creative was important as I collected my first dumpster sofa, an old table and chairs, picture frames, mis-matched china  and nick knacks. My apartment quickly was filled with personality ...I was proud of my first home..
Now years later, and much older...I still see the value of making good use of cast offs....I can't wait to get started on my new treasure and I will post some pics later.   So as you drive through your neighborhood and you see that old broken chair- look at it with a creative eye...Remember with a little southern ingenuity that might make a great plant holder for your porch or other useful addition for your house ...and save some $$$$$s in the process. #ourstreetisfairgameontrashday .

home made tater tots....

 What  do with leftovers ?...we always made good use of leftovers in my house growing up ....waste not , want not!!!!!! I remember my mom always made potato patties and these are a smaller version ....home made tater tots..yum
   If your lucky enough to have left overs or you want to make up some in advance for a quick side dish. Just freeze them in zip loc bags and reheat in a 350 oven on a baking sheet.....  you can mash your own potatos or better yet ...    use your leftover ones
..Just take your chilled left over potatos- 3 cups or so  and mix with a beaten egg and about 3/4 cup of with seasoned bread crumbs 1/4 tsp minced garlic, parsley  and cracked pepper........mix and shape into small patties .( if you are gluten free you can use gluten free flour and your favorite herbs) .... fry in about a 1/2 inch of olive or canola oil till golden brown and drain on paper towels   ...I love adding my favorite herbs or having a great sauce on the side - freeze.extra for a rainy day and hungry husbands and kids....... in my house they don't stand a chance of making it to the freezer

Ahh...the simple pleasures of life ...a beautiful day on my front porch and a hot coffee- 

Fried Pies for dad

 Today i made fried pies .. Not that a  fried  pie is super special .....but today was my dads birthday . It is no secret in my family that my dad likes pie...apple is his favorite to be clear. When February rolls around each year it's common knowledge  that he will get a pie. But this year as I floured the counter and prepared the dough ...I thought ...how many more opportunities will I get to make my dad his birthday pie?????....so today I  opted for fried pies. I knew he would  enjoy them for the days to come with his coffee each morning.  As I rolled each pie i thought about my dad and about all the things he has done for us . How he worked so hard for so long to take care of us . All the handy man projects, all the life disasters that he rescued us so many times. I began to thank God that he gave me such an awesome earthly father to help me along and teach us so much .  As i cleaned and hurried to load up his birthday lunch and especially his little pies , I was so thankful for the time to be able to give to daddy .....to make sure he had his birthday pie one more year..