Fran's Holiday Cheese Ball

We've purchased or made from scratch and tried many different types of cheese balls.  A cheese ball is nothing more than a mixture of cheeses, maybe with chopped veggies and a few spices rolled into a ball and served as a dip with crackers.

It's an appetizer that's been in and out of popularity many times but still seems to hang in there.  

Even though a cheese ball may be considered sort of retro by some, it's one appetizer you can be sure of.  And there's an entire book devoted to it.  The book, Great Balls of Cheese by Michelle Buffardi has more than 50 savory and sweet cheese ball recipes!

Cookie Cutter Christmas Ornaments

I make Christmas ornaments every year for my kids and a few family members. It all started as making ornaments only for my kids, but then I started making two or three extra to give as gifts, and that has now grown into a yearly family Christmas Ornament Exchange!

It usually takes me lots of thought and planning to settle on just the right ornament to make. 

A few I've made in the past are Vintage Paper Ornaments,   Beach Ornaments with sand and shells from St. Augustine, Florida, a Flag of Ohio ornament, and Felt Snowman ornaments.

Elizabeth's Breakfast Casserole

I created this Breakfast Casserole by changing a recipe I found in an old Betty Crocker  Bisquick Cookbook years ago. 

The original recipe was for an Impossible Taco Pie or Impossible Seafood Pie, something like that.

And we seem to go back and forth on the name, either calling it a Breakfast Casserole or a Breakfast Quiche.

Grandma Coy's Caramel Chocolate Bars

This recipe came from my mother-in-law Coy. 

She cut it out of a magazine years ago and has been making them for holidays and her grandkids ever since. 

My son Daniel especially loved these delicious cookies and Coy always made sure to bring him a special container all his own.

Sadly, Coy recently passed away, so I wanted to share her cookie legacy and recipe.

Salted Caramel Pumpkin Cheesecake

 

I had a request to do a blog post about this cheesecake because the kids think it just delicious!

I found the original recipe for this decadent cheesecake in a Paula Dean Cookbook, but for time and convenience sake, I made a few small changes to make it lots easier.

For one of the changes, I use a pre-made graham cracker crust and I use a bottled caramel sauce instead of melting caramels. 

I also add a little vanilla. We just love our Homemade Vanilla. 

Maple Leaf Quilt Block

I'm in the middle of sewing a Farm Girl Vintage quilt using patterns from the Lori Holt quilt book called Farm Girl Vintage. 

I'm making the quilt blocks that relate to my own little farm, like a bee, black cat, chicken, strawberry,  pumpkin, and tractor. 

I have multiple sugar maple trees in my yard and in late winter I tap those trees to make real maple syrup. So, of course, I want a maple leaf block in my Farm Quilt.

DIY Costume Awards

We have a fall / Halloween party every year and everyone comes in costume although it's not mandatory.

Our Halloween parties started as a children's Halloween party when my kids were little but it has now evolved into a kids-adult-family party.

Back then I would give out prizes for the top-voted costumes but we haven't had a costume contest in years.

                                 

Well my daughter Alexis asked me to revive the costume awards tradition. So this year we had a costume contest, complete with voting jars for each category, and slips of paper and ink pens for everyone to pick their favorites.

Halloween Costume Ideas #4

Well, here we go again!
It's everything fall and pumpkin at our house this time of year and we're busy trying to get all the decorations set up for our annual Halloween Party. We encourage everyone to come in costume (but it's not mandatory) and surprisingly, many people create homemade costumes, which I love.

My kid's costumes have been DIY for years and even before the term DIY was invented. Now that they're grown, they're carrying on the homemade costume tradition.

Child's Batman Quilt

My recently finished quilt was a request for a one-year little boy's Batman quilt. 

I'm not really into Batman or any superhero fandom so after finding a batman print fabric, I used Google to come up with coordinating colors. 

The original request was just no blue colors.

There are actually a few Batman costumes, with the newest one clad in all black. I'm old school and I grew up with the vintage batman.

                  

Sausage Corn Chowder

I make this soup 3 or 4 times a year, but mostly around fall when the days are cooler and also during cold winter months.  

And it's usually always a requested food for our Annual Fall Party.

The original recipe came from a 1992 cookbook called Campbell's Simply Delicious Recipes I found at a second-hand store. 

Farm Quilt - My Newest Project

So here is what I have been working on for a few weeks.

Recently I discovered a blog called Bee in my Bonnet.  

I found the blog and blogger, Lori Holt while pinning away quilt ideas (and recipes, and DIY's, and fall decorations, and.....the list is endless) on My Pinterest and happened to see Lori's Hen Quilt Block.  I just looove it!  

And then, early this spring I stopped at a quilt shop in Indiana, and there in the shop was a completed Lori Holt Hen Quilt! 

Parmesan Chicken, A Old Favorite

I have about a gazillion chicken recipes, but this recipe for Parmesan Chicken seems to be requested again and again. 

I love collecting and trying old retro or vintage recipes like Chicken A La King, or this WWII Chocolate Mayo Cake, and the Johnny Marzetti recipe is a favorite. 

But this Parmesan Chicken is one of the best. 

It's quick and easy to make, the coating is light and very flavorful and the ingredients are items I usually already have on hand.

     

                 

How to Make a Quilt Label

I recently picked up the art of quilt making and I love it. 

I've been sewing and crafting for a long time but just never attempted a quilt.

In the last few months I've made quite a few quilts, like a Patchwork Quilt for our camper, a Large Block Quilt with sashing as a graduation gift for my granddaughter, quilts for two other grandchildren, a Hexagon Quilt (the hardest so far) for my daughter Alexis the beekeeper, and an ocean-themed quilt for my son Daniel. 

Vintage Display Shelves

My daughter Alexis and I decided to try a booth at our local farmer's market.  We decided to sell our fresh eggs, garden produce, and vintage kitchen gadgets, while also advertising our farm and showcase Alexis's beautiful Champagne D Argent rabbits she breeds.

We decorated the booth with a "Farm Vintage" look so packed up my DIY Chalkboard Signs, vintage tablecloths, burlap banner, vintage tags, baskets, and all the items we wanted to sell.  

Apple Pie Moonshine

Recently I read a popular book called "The Wettest County in the World," a 2008 historical novel by Matt Bondurant. He's an American writer who features his grandfather and two great-uncles as the main characters. The movie is titled “Lawless”. The book tells the story of the trio during the Depression and Prohibition in rural Virginia, who made a living bootlegging moonshine.

The book again renewed my interest in the “moonshine culture” and historical events and places surrounding moonshining and stills.

                                           

7-Up Biscuits

Someone sent me this recipe for 7-Up Biscuits and it was probably one of my kids. They're always asking me to try new recipes they found on-line or from some magazine.

It's hard to believe that these biscuits only have 4 ingredients, especially after tasting them! They come out light and fluffy and mix up easily so are great if you're in a hurry or short on time.

                          

Block Quilt with Sashing

 

I started making quilts for the first time in January 2016 and I love it.  I have been sewing for years and years, but never attempted a quilt. (Baby quilts not included).  

My first full-size quilt was a Patchwork Quilt for a Camper Remodel I was working on.  

And after making 5 or 6 quilts either for myself or family, my granddaughter Kelsey asked me to make a quilt for her as a high school graduation gift. She wanted purple and “hulk” green fabrics and NO floral prints.

Retro Recipe: Chicken A La King

I love old kitchen utensils, vintage aprons, and old recipes from family and friends. I fondly remember this dish from my young adult years but haven’t had it in ages.

I decided to track down a Chicken A La King recipe that would bring back the deliciousness of the dish and this one nailed it.

Many really good recipes have been ruined over the years by all sorts of shortcuts and substitutions and this dish is no exception.

Ohio Star Quilt Block

I am in the middle of making multiple quilts for family members and one for myself. 

I made my very first quilt, a Patchwork Quilt to go along with our Camper Remodel in January, and have since been asked by most of the kids and grandkids to make them all quilts! 

In between all those quilts, I am trying to make one for myself from the Ohio Star quilt pattern. And I just love how they are turning out.

Cherry Pie Filling

Growing up we had a large really old cherry tree.  I remember that every year my sisters and I would climb the tree to pick as many cherries as we could. We would rush the cherries into my mother who made the best Cherry Pie ever.

My mother's pie crust was and still is hands down my favorite crust and I really have never been able to duplicate it nor tasted one as good.  

That old cherry tree we had growing up finally split down the middle and died and that was a sad day indeed.                                                                  

WWII Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake

My daughter Alexis always wants a homemade chocolate cake for her birthday nearly every year. 

In the last couple of years, she has bugged me to try a recipe she got from the mother of a friend she met while in college. 

The Chocolate-Mayonnaise Cake became really popular during War World II when some food staples such as eggs and butter were in supply and housewives had to make do with what they had on hand. 

 

Savory Meat Pie

I think I found this recipe in an old Food Network Magazine and it has gotten rave reviews from my family every time I make it. 

In fact, my husband asked me to never ever share this recipe. He doesn't know that thousands of people have already seen it in that magazine, haha. 

This is an absolutely delicious savory beef, veggie, and cheddar cheese pie. I use store-bought puff pastry or pie crust but you can use your favorite pie crust recipe.

Making a Patchwork Quilt

I've been sewing various crafts, curtains, pillows, kid's clothes, and Halloween Costumes through the years, but never a full-size quilt.  

Recently I did a Camper Remodel and wanted to use the leftover fabrics from reupholstering the cushions and sewing new curtains in the camper to make a camper quilt to match.

One of the easiest quilts to make and one of my favorites is a patchwork-style quilt.

Camper Remodel, Part 2

This is the second post about remodeling our little camper. 

The first post you can find here: Camper Remodel, Part One.

We purchased our used little camper a couple years ago. We love to tent camp and will continue to do so but I always wanted a little camper. 

I'm in love with small vintage campers and although our camper is not vintage, just older, it works great as our first. 

Our camper box is only 16 feet long but very cozy and just right for us for now.

Jamaican Jerk Pork Tenderloin

I asked for this wonderful recipe from our friends, David and Beth in 2010 after attending a dinner party they hosted. We just love this recipe and it's a hit each time I serve it. 

Jamaican Pork Tenderloin was the main course I served at our Women's Only Dinner Party and it's also great for a romantic dinner or holidays like Valentine's Day or other occasions.

The recipe was created by Lori Welander and won the first place prize in McCormick's 2002 Cook-Off Contest.

Camper Remodel, Part One

We purchased our used little camper a couple years ago. My husband Bill and I love to tent camp and have even tent camped all the way around Lake Superior while doing the Lake Superior Circle Tour.  

But I've always wanted a little camper. 

And I just love all the remodeled vintage campers I see, they're so romantic!

Our first little camper is not vintage, just older, but we did get it at a fantastic price, especially for being in like-new condition.

Red Peppers and Sausage Pasta

I found this recipe in an old magazine and still have the partial torn-out page glued on a recipe index card! 

I have since made a Scrapbook Cookbook and added this recipe.

The recipe is relatively easy to make, is pretty much foolproof, looks great, and tastes wonderful. I can almost guarantee that if you try it once you'll want to make it again.

The official name is really Penne D'Alessandria.  Penne is cylinder-shaped pasta and Alessandria is a city in Piedmont, Italy which was founded in 1168. 

Easy Homemade Rice Heat or Cold Packs

This is probably one of the easiest sewing projects I have done, right up there with pillowcases. 

These packs can be heated in the microwave for a heat pack or placed in the freezer for a cold pack.

And they can be made in any size you want. 
I made them large enough for placing on a shoulder, knee, or another similar area with aches and pains. You can sew long thin ones to place around your neck or wrap around an ankle. 

Olive Cheesy Bread

Some people are olive lovers and some are not. 

When my daughter Alexis was about 5 or 6, she had an obsession with black olives.  She liked to put one black olive on each finger and then eat them.  

Concerned about the ingredients, contacted the Heinz Company who replied back with a letter with the ingredients list and a coupon for a free jar of olives. 

I recently re-looked up the nutritional value of olives and it turns out olives are pretty healthy!

Easy Baby Burp Cloths

We had a new little granddaughter born in December!

She is so precious and her name is Lilly.  She's the daughter of my youngest child, Daniel. 

Late last summer we came up with our own design for their Pregnancy Announcements which we think turned out great and quite unique.  

 

With the new baby, I'm getting my sewing machine back to work!

Grandma Elder's Carrot Cake

This is a moist delicious carrot cake that's not too sweet and gets rave reviews when I make it. 

I usually make it as a sheet cake but it is so much prettier as a layer cake!

My mother-in-law Coy Lynch handed down her mother's Carrot Cake recipe to me many years ago. Her mother was Annabelle (Sharer) Elder from Alexis, Illinois. 

I never got to meet Annabelle but the cousins all talk fondly of visits to her house. Annabelle and her husband John H. had 5 children, one of which is the famous and highly successful high school coach John K. Elder. 

Holland, Michigan and the Tulip Festival

  

Looking for a great weekend trip this spring? I have just the place: Holland Michigan. And if you time it just right you could be there for The Holland Tulip Festival held in May.

Holland is a beautiful little town loaded with wooden shoes, statues, quaint shops, lots of Dutch heritage, and countless tulips and other spring flowers.

Holland was settled in 1847 by Dutch Calvinist separatists, under the leadership of Dr. Albertus van Raalte. Their desire for religious freedom, along with dire economic conditions in the Netherlands compelled them to emigrate to the U.S.

Make Your Own Hamburger Buns

There is something very comforting about the smell of freshly baked bread.

This past Christmas, I received a few new cookbooks and one of them has a recipe for Hawaiian Grilled Cheeseburgers. We have been grilling pineapple and putting them on cheeseburgers occasionally, but that recipe took the sandwich to new heights.

To keep on the level of awesomeness of the cheeseburger recipe, I decided to try my hand at making homemade buns.

Caprese Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Who doesn't love a good grilled cheese sandwich? 

On cold winter days, grilled cheese sandwiches and hot soup is a staple at our house.

But in the middle of winter, I am constantly craving (and dreaming about) the fresh garden vegetables that was a huge part of our meals in the summer months.  

I came up with this sandwich to add a little more nutrients and vitamins to a traditional grilled cheese sandwich but it's also just darn delicious!

Caprese is typically a salad of fresh mozzarella cheese, tomatoes, and basil.