Good Saturday to All

It is a sunny and beautiful day in my neck of the woods. Still no rain, but cooler 59 degrees...it feels good!
Hope your day has gotten off to a good start.
  Now that the weather is cooler, (but not for long) I thought I would make chicken noodle soup. I'm a little crazy that way, (remember I said it...LOL), as soon as the weather changes in the fall, I've got a pot of soup simmering on the back burner.
   I was going to do a tutorial, but the batteries were spent in my camera...I could only get the finished product after having to run to the store for replacements. I'll try to do so later.

                            This is a different version of my chicken noodle soup. There are more carrots.

       I used skinless chicken breast, and to really make it different...I used potatoes and the wide noodles.

 Hubster complains that the soup doesn't stay with him. I really don't think anything does...he eats for 5. LOL. The potatoes make it creamier and heavier, so it was a much heartier soup.
   Yep, that did it for him! 2 bowls for lunch...2 for dinner and he says he's going back before going to bed! Oh well...what ~can~ I say!

                                 I didn't allow him to cut the cake this time before I took my picture.

This beauty is an "Italian Cream Cake". Decadent and oh sooo good! The frosting is all cheese's (if there is such a word), it really make this cake sooo delish. Coconut and pecans are then added to give it the crunch needed in your mouth. It is a one layer plain white cake mix! After all, you don't want to end up in a sugar high...or, do you... LOL! Wishing you a good Saturday with friends and family.

  Remember, come on back to visit us...don't be shy... we'll save a slice for you and put on a pot of hot coffee so you can get comfy...because, You're Always Welcome...

At Home with Loretta. Until then... Keep Smiling!
Loretta

Thrift Find

  Good Thursday Morning to Everyone! I am so thrilled with our weather. It has been so nice and cool during the day and nights are wonderful without the air-conditioners going. But, still no rain for our neighbor...Texas!  Believe it or not, I'm moving things around again in our home. I can't seem to get what I'm looking for. Oh well...
   You know how I love to thrift shop and haggling is my speciality. This pretty below, was found in Florida some years back, and it was hideous...an awful brown and stained. I don't have a before picture, because I started working on it some time ago and finished the painting before the move. Let me tell you this...I was blogging and went over to Scarlett's blog this weekend, and she had a dressing table/desk with the square mirror. Check it out at: scarlett loves elvis

  I still have to do a bit of stressing. I found the stool at a garage sale that had a leather cushion torn, stained, and smelled. My cost...free! The lady was only too happy to get rid of it! A perfect fit!
  If your click on the pic, you can see the fabric I used to cover it. (please overlook the junk). I had to recover it again because the cushion was a little too high for the mirror. I ended up using only batting on a new cut of 3/4" ply-board. It worked out well and anyone sitting on it can now use the mirror. I tried to change the mirror with a square one, but it didn't work, so I'm stuck with this one.

Now, I have to think of how to give the mirror a bit of something. It is so stark! Any ideas? Mom said lace, I thought of tulle draped around it, but...
  Look at the little lamp shade, these are the colors in the room. The coverlet on the white iron bed is a colorful patchwork quilt, with the pinks, greens; all pastels. White sheers with a long white scarf are the window treatments. I can't show you the room now because it is all torn apart from my changing. I will show it all when done.
  Ideas on the mirror will definitely help me to get the cob webs out of my brain today....one of those idle -brain days! LOL.
  Thought I'd share this with you and I promised Scarlett I would post it. Here it is Scarlett!

Have a Wonderful Day Dear Friends! Love you!
Loretta

My Thoughtless Wednesday

SIGH.... Update: See my comment about My Thoughtless. Thanks!

Green Onions- How to Freeze

Hello Friends, hope you've had a peaceful day. It has been here, and much cooler since the rain. We are thankful!
  I found these green onions today for 49 cents a bunch, while visiting a neighboring town; a steal compared to the cost of them in our hometown markets. I purchased 12 bunches, because I wanted to put them away in the freezer. I really wanted more, but the hubs had to put his 2 cents in it! LOL.

                They had to be rinsed because there was a lot of sand. Here, I am letting them drain because I don't want too much water left in them.

                                   The cutting begins. Be careful because they will start to roll off the board.

I use the back of the knife to gather them up in the pile when they start to roll. Still, only a few tears, certainly not as much as cutting the yellow and white ones. My idea is to allow them to get very cold, then handle them.

The pic above show where I put them on a platter and spread them out. Notice they aren't crowded, because this is only one bunch. I put them in the freezer just as you see them here for 15-20 minutes. Just long enough to start to freeze.

Here you see them just out of the freezer, and how they are not frozen together. I mix them around on the platter to make sure they are evenly distributed.

The pic above show them in the bag and ready for the freezer. I allow them to lie flat inside the freezer. This way, the onions do not freeze together in clumps. When you take them out to use, they pour out of the bag without them being in lumps. Now, that's one down and 11 more to go.
   In Louisiana cooking, these onions, bell peppers and celery are included in all dishes with the exception of sweets, desserts. They are quite expensive out of season here when you have to purchase them. I normally have them in my garden, but this year our gardens didn't fair well because of the extreme heat and lack of water.

  We are thankful for your comments during our  times of harsh weather and sickness. Thank you sooo very much for everything! Too, we would like to thank and welcome our friends who have come to join us on our journey of blogging! Welcome Friends! We hope you find something, somewhere in our little corner of the world that brightens your day, put a smile on your face and one in your heart! Most of all...you are always welcome, At Home with Loretta, James and three of the best durn fur-babies this side of the Mississippi! (We think so anyway!) LOL. Well, until the next time...Keep Smiling...Love.....Loretta

Tropical Storm Lee

 Good Sunday Friends. We are singing in the rain today. Tropical storm Lee hit the coast of Louisiana this morning and is literally crawling to the northeast at three mph. Winds have weakened to 45mph. As you can see from the photo, flooding is along the coastal areas. New Orleans is hoping for the best!
  While we are not happy this storm is moving slowly dumping 10+ inches of rain on the southern half of the state, we are rejoicing that from the feeder bands of the storm we are finall getting ...RAIN!
Thank the Lord!

  I'm looking outside now, and everything looks washed. Of course, we are not getting the amount of rain needed to get us out of the drought. Fires that have been burning are finally extinguished. Folks have lost...some everything either by fire or flooding however, we are all thankful for our lives. Our prayers are with our neighbors to the south. Please be careful because of the flood water and don't take chances.

  We're wishing you all a peaceful and safe week. Take good care...from...At Home with Loretta!