Fall Wreaths

Here are some wonderful wreaths to make any door ready for fall and Thanksgiving. I think any house would be welcoming with one of these beauties. :)I'm a sucker for berries. I think this is so pretty; I even love the colors.
Source Unknown

I love the pomegranates in this wreath. Williams Sonoma

Isn't this one lovely! Can't you imagine it on a door in a colonial house.
Country Home

Wish List: Perfect Porches

I know that this is sometime down the road, my I have been thinking about some things that I would like to find in my ideal home. The first thing that I thought of was a porch. We have a porch at our rental now, but it's just average, and I don't want to invest in fixing it up because we won't be staying here. So, my home must have a perfect porch. It could look like these:

It must have a swing, and the curtains are lovely.

Painted wood floors make it seem like an extension of the inside.

I love the pop of yellow against the black and of course the green!

This looks more like a back porch, but it would be extra fantastic if it wrapped around the house.

And how beautiful is this! It's complete with a vintage breakfast and a pup.... everything I need.
Photos Compliments of Under a Paper Moon

S'More Brownies

Who doesn't love s'mores? And who doesn't love brownies? Can't you imagine what a combination of the two would taste like? In college, my roommate and I made these delectable delights, and I decided to revisit them today. These are perfect to enjoy with your family and friends because undoubtedly, you will end up with marshmallow all over your fingers and face... but that's half the fun isn't it. Here's the recipe:

Ingredients:
Crust:
*6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
*1 1/2 cups crushed graham cracker crumbs
*2 tablespoons sugar
*Pinch fine salt

Brownies:
*Brownie mix... follow directions and ingredients from box.

Topping:
*4 large marshmallows per brownie

Directions:
Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and heat oven to temperature indicated on box. Line an 8 by-8-inch square baking pan with foil so it hangs over the edges by about 1 inch.

For the crust: Lightly butter the foil with some of the melted butter. Stir the rest of the butter together with the crumbs, sugar, and salt in a medium bowl. Press the crumb mixture evenly over the bottom of the pan. Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the brownie mix according to package directions.

Pour batter into the prepared pan. Bake according to package directions or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out mostly clean, with a few crumbs.

Remove from the oven and carefully position a rack about 6 inches from the broiler and preheat on low. Layer marshmallows across the top and toast under the broiler until golden, (keep an eye on it, it can go quick), about 2 minutes. Cool on a rack, gently removing the brownies from the pan using the aluminum flaps. Carefully separate any marshmallow from the foil and fold away. Cut into 12 (2-inch) squares.

Photo Compliments of Food Network

Question of the Day

My computer is still broken, and it is not getting better anytime soon. So, I am faced with a conundrum.... Mac or Dell? Those are my options. I love my Dell, but more often than not, I hear stories of failure and early demise. But, on the other hand, Macs are new and foreign territory. I have tried to use them only to scroll the mouse around for 5 minutes without getting anywhere. I will say that the Macs look much cooler, but their price tags reflect it...or maybe that's just my assurance it won't die in two years. I know that it would take some time to get used to though, so I could give it a shot. With my choices at hand, what would you? Mac or Dell?

Beef Stew

On a cold winter day, nothing is better than a hot bowl of beef stew. One of my husband's favorite dishes that I make is a classic stew. It uses the fairly inexpensive stew meat, but it cooks all day, so the meat it so tender when it's finally time to eat. Here is how you make it:
Ingredients:
*1 pound lean stew meat
*1 onion (chopped in inch pieces)
*2 medium sized potatoes (inch sized pieces)
*3 carrots (1/2 inch sized pieces)
*1 beef bouillon cube
*1/2 bag frozen peas
*2 cans tomato soup
*enough water to cover the meat and vegetables
*salt and pepper to taste
*flour to thicken the soup
Directions:
*Begin by cooking the meat through. I use a cast iron pot and add about a tablespoon of olive oil. While the meat is cooking cut up all of your vegetables.
*When the meat is cooked, add the 2 cans of tomato soup, all of the vegetable (except for the peas), and enough water to cover it all. Go ahead and throw in the bouillon cube while your at it.
*Let all of this simmer for at least 3 hours. You know the old phrase.... Set it and Forget it!
*45 minutes before you plan to serve your stew, add half a bag of frozen peas.
*15 minutes before you plan to serve the stew, add enough flour to thicken it. I usually ladle some of the soup into a coffee mug that has about 1/4 cup of flour. I whisk that and then pour it back into the stew. (Never add straight flour to your soups or stews! It will get lumpy!)
*Let it simmer fifteen more minutes to cook out the flour taste.
*Add salt and pepper to taste. (I usually add some garlic salt to give it more flavor.)

That's it. It's very simple, as I like it, and it requires very little effort. Don't forget some cornbread or biscuits to go with it!

And I would have taken a picture, but we ate it too quickly. :)

Curtain Call

House and Home

House to Home

Decor Pad

Better Homes and Gardens

Apartment Therapy

Why settle for bland when you can have beautiful, bold curtains. See if you can spice up your windows with a lovely print.

Bahhhh!!! and Blue.

As you have read earlier, I had some kind of virus. Well, I got over that, and what do you know, my computer crashes. Needless to say, I have to use the computer in Scott's office when he isn't studying with it-which is few and far between. He's still asleep, so I have to jump on this opportunity! :) Here's what I have been thinking about for the past few days...Source UnknownMartha StewartDomino Magazine