Naples, Italy ( seeing Naples through my great grandfathers eyes)
I can’t believe I didn’t take many videos on my European vacation. I was so busy walking and shooting there wasn’t much time to stop and video anything but I didn’t manage to shoot this video when we arrived in Naples, Italy. I was excited about the last stop of our cruise. Naples’ busy shipping […]
Sorrento, Italy
The last stop on our trip to the Amalfi Coast was Sorrento, Italy. Our driver let us out in the middle of town and our small group had a nice lunch at a quaint little restaurant. The best spot to start your shopping experience in Sorrento is right in the heart of town in Piazza Tasso. This large piazza is one […]
Saying Goodbye to My Friend
As you can see by the photos, this was my buddy. He met me everyday when I came home from work. I would pull into the driveway and he would be there waiting for me to pick him up. Now when I pull into the driveway, there is no one there to greet me. My […]
Free Craftsy Online Cake Decorating Classes
Craftsy is offering Free Online Cake Decorating Classes. There are four mini classes to choose from that you can watch anytime, along with printable instructions and step-by-step directions. Not a Craftsy member? Sign up here today! Here are the classes you can choose from: ~ The Wilton Method: Creative Cake Pops ~ Basic Fondant Techniques ~ The Hand-Painted Cake […]
My Walgreens Deals 8/23/14 ~ They paid me $1.02 to take this out of the store!
I had 10 Almay coupons to use by this weekend so my daughter and I headed to Walgreens. Here is what I was able to get and they paid me $1.02 to take it out of the store ! Almay Lip or Eye Cosmetics and Eye Makeup Removers (select varieties) $5.99 = $3 RR (29.95) […]
Free Ebooks: Fruit Infused Water Recipes, How To Go Paleo, Detox Tea, and more
NOTE: The price of these ebooks is currently $0.00, but that could change at any time. Be sure to verify before checking out that it is still free. Unless otherwise noted, these ebooks are specifically for Kindles, but you can go here to download a free application that enables you to read Kindle ebooks on […]
My “Under the Tuscan Sun” Moment
Under the Tuscan Sun I have seen this movie more times than I care to admit. It is one of my favorite movies and I live vicariously through Diane Lane every time I watch the movie. Maybe it’s because I can relate with her movie character. A woman who divorces her cheating husband, travels to […]
Strawberry ~ Banana Jam
Here is my strawberry/banana jam. It’s probably been 20 years since I last made this combo and after tasting it I’m wondering what took so long. It is soooo delicious. I just finished this batch and I am sitting here with a piece toast slathered in the still warm jam as I type this. My […]
Strawberry Jam
I ended up with a lot of strawberries this year (I’m a lucky girl) so I have been making Strawberry Jam and jelly, strawberry/banana jam, strawberry syrup, and canning just the strawberries. As you can tell by all of the canning recipes this summer, I have been canning A LOT ! That’s ok because […]
Positano, Italy
From the moment I arrived in Positano, I was in love. I read that it is the most photographed fishing village in the world and I can see why. There is something magical about the intricate winding roads, and we enjoyed exploring each alcove or shop as we traveled down to the sea. Like most […]
Canning Pineapple and Pineapple Jam
I love pineapple and usually just freeze it when I end up with more than I can use quickly. This time I decided to try my hand at canning some of the fruit and also making pineapple jam. I’m thinking I may use the jam for coconut cake filling. I have an awesome coconut cake […]
Donut Bread Pudding
My Cinnamon Roll Bread Pudding was such a hit that I decided to try Donut Bread Pudding when I came across a box of day-old donuts. I made it basically the same way as my Cinnamon Roll Bread Pudding making minor changes and using a different icing recipe. As with most of my dessert recipes, […]
Blackberry Jam
When I was growing up, you couldn’t walk but a few feet down a country road and you could fill your bucket with wild blackberries. Now, I have to hunt for them down country roads, wearing high rubber boots (you know, in case I step on a snake or need to fend off chiggers) while […]
Tunisia, Africa
When I think of Africa, I think of tigers, lions, elephants, and giraffe walking across vast areas of arid plains. Maybe throw in a jungle or two but for the most part I’m thinking safari. What I wasn’t thinking was beautiful tropical beaches but that is what I found. We docked in La Goulette, […]
Carthage, Tunisia ~ Punic and Roman Ruins
Carthage is a suburb of Tunis, Tunisia, situated at the site of the ancient capital of the Carthaginian empire. It was little more than an agricultural village for nine hundred years until the middle of the 20th century; since then it has grown rapidly as an upscale coastal suburb. I snapped this pictures as we drove […]
Square Foot Garden is a huge success this year !
This is my fourth year to have this little square foot garden. The first year I had cucumbers by the middle of May but the last two years were hot and dry and my little garden did okay but nothing to brag about. This year has been a different story. I decided to add a […]
Catalpa Trees ~ Historic Washington State Park
We have several large Catalpa trees at Historic Washington State Park where I work. I love it every year in the spring when all of the flowers bloom and then begin to fall in all late summer. It looks like the ground is covered in snow. The leaves on these trees are huge and the […]
Pompeii, Italy ~ Part 1
One of my favorite photos is this one of the forum with Mount Vesuvius in the background Romans took control of Pompeii around 200 BC. On August 24, 79 AD, Vesuvius erupted, burying the nearby town of Pompeii in ash and soot, killing around 3,000 people, the rest of the population of 20,000 people having […]
Pompeii, Italy ~ Part 2
I had so many pictures of Pompeii, Italy that I had to make this a two-parter. Here is the link the Part 1 if you missed it. My daughter and I decided we couldn’t go to Italy without going to Pompeii. It’s one of those places you dream about seeing but never think you will. […]
Peach-Leaf Yeast Starter
This is one of those “need to know in case of zombie apocalypse” recipes. Seriously though, we see natural disasters (tsunamis, tornadoes, hurricanes) happening frequently and every night you turn on the news only to hear about our down-spiraling economy. I firmly believe we need to be able to take care of ourselves and our families. […]
Sourdough Bread Recipe
There are so many talented people at the historic state park where I work. Two of these talented people are Sheila Ballard and Mike Terral. I was excited to have the opportunity to photograph a loaf of sourdough bread as they were getting ready to bake it. You may be wondering why I would be […]
