Tuesday Tip: Guacamole Toast

We are obsessed with avocado toast. Dave said the other day that "those Millenials actually know what they're doing when it comes to avocado toast - why didn't we think of it first?" hahahah. We had some leftover guacamole and I wondered how that would taste in place of plain old regular avocado toast (literally I just mash avocado on bread with salt and pepper - beyond easy) - and it's good!

Not sure this really counts as a "tip" for today's Tip-sy Tuesday post, more like an experiment or observation or something. Wanted you to know that it's good!

Steering Wheel Cover

I was inspired to make this after seeing something similar in a catalog but they wanted like $30 bucks for it - um, no...I made it for under 5 and love how it turned out. I get that you're either gonna love it or hate it - based on my sister's reaction most might be in the later category LOL but I don't care because it makes me happy! C'mon, who doesn't want fringe on their steering wheel? Oh wait, Dave isn't going to be thrilled about this when he has to drive my car - oh well, whatever. He'll be happy that it doesn't have any glitter on it, he really hates that. Hahahaha. I do love me some fringe.

I got the plain steering wheel cover at the dollar store, and sewed on some fringe and other trims. I planned to add one more blue rickrack stripe but after trying it out in the car I feel like this is "enough" - but who knows, I might add more in the future. And if the fringe touches my legs and makes me think a bug is crawling on me I might trim it down a little!

Here's what it looks like when I turn it around and only the fringe is showing - hey look, options!


7.29.17: wonder woman keychain 
7.29.16: Brooke makes a tie blanket

Around the Campfire 🔥 (week 30)

Dear Campers ~

Here's what you might have missed this week at MMDC:

Posts ~

7/21: 🔥 (week 29)
7/22: Mark's goulash
7/23: Tip-sy Tuesday: plumping dried fruit
7/24: grow a schefflera plant
7/25: Jen's broccoli salad mash-up
7/26: lego cord holder
7/27: penne alla vecchia bettola

Miscellaneous stuff keeping me busy but not worth a whole post ~

• read "American Predator" which scared the crap out of me. I read a lot of thriller/murder/action books, and I love that genre, but this is a true life serial killer story and I did not like it. I mean, it's a good book and all, but now I'm on the alert for random serial killers in my midst. Not cool. So I give it a ⭐️ purely because it's turned me into Nervous Nelly, which I am normally not.
• camped last weekend, it rained one day and I spent the entire time cleaning out my computer photos. And I still have a few thousand to still go thru.
• working on two projects that I can't tell you about yet! So far they're turning out cute....will keep you posted. 

That's it for this week - I've been super busy and now my niece is here visiting so not much quiet time hahahah. Hopefully I'll be able to squeeze in a bit of crafting - check back next week for some recipes, whatever crafts I make, and anything else I can think of! Have a great week :)

Sincerely ~

Jill

camp counselor and niece entertainer

Penne Alla Vecchia Bettola

Al made us this rigatoni in creamy tomato-vodka sauce for dinner (served with grilled sausages) and it is SO good I want to pass the recipe on. He found it on Food Network (Ina Garten, she's the best) and didn't change anything as far as I know. This is a keeper recipe -  and while it isn't exactly healthy or quick, it doesn't sound too hard to make and it's delicious - totally worth the creamy cheesy calories!

• 1/4 cup good olive oil
• 1 medium Spanish onion, chopped
• 3 cloves of garlic, diced
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1 cup vodka
• 2 (28-ounce) cans peeled plum tomatoes
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 3/4 pound penne pasta
• 4 tablespoons fresh oregano
• 3/4 to 1 cup heavy cream
• Grated Parmesan cheese

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large oven proof saute pan over medium heat, add the onions and garlic and cook for about 5 minutes until translucent. Add the red pepper flakes and dried oregano and cook for 1 minute more. Add the vodka and continue cooking until the mixture is reduced by half.
3. Meanwhile, drain the tomatoes through a sieve and crush them into the pan with your hands. Add 2 teaspoons salt and a pinch of black pepper. Cover the pan with a tight fitting lid and place it in the oven for 1 1/2 hours. Remove the pan from the oven and let cool for 15 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta al dente. Drain and set aside.
5. Place the tomato mixture in a blender and puree in batches until the sauce is a smooth consistency. Return to the pan.
6. Reheat the sauce, add 2 tablespoons fresh oregano and enough heavy cream to make the sauce a creamy consistency. Add salt and pepper, to taste, and simmer for 10 minutes. Toss the pasta into the sauce and cook for 2 minutes more. Stir in 1/2 cup Parmesan. Serve with an additional sprinkle of Parmesan and a sprinkle of fresh oregano on each plate.

Click here for source


7.27.18: Japanese string gardening
7.27.17: crochet a mug cozy
7.27.16: travel trip for medications

Kid Craft: Lego Cord Holder

Looks like I'm not the only one in the family who likes playing with Legos...Brooke made this funny usb cord holder for my desk, and I smile every time I look it - of course she had to use a scary face instead one of the pretty ones LOL. Such a funny girl :)

7.26.18: chickpea cucumber salad
7.26.17: granola bites
7.26.16: apple strudel...fail

Broccoli Salad/Cole Slaw Mash-Up...by Jenny

I didn't make my sis dinner this week (I know I'm going to hear her say she's hungry and I'm starving her haha), but I do have this post that she did for me a while ago but I forgot to share it! So here's the replacement post from her instead of a 'my sis is hungry' review for this week...hey, maybe I should review HER cooking this time LOL:

Continuing on my trend of lousy blogs that are not real cooking or real crafting ~

Today’s no cooking-skill required thing that I eat: 

Odd concoction of Broccoli Salad and Cole Slaw.  Yes that’s my official name for it.  Catchy I know.

I LOVE broccoli salad that you buy from the deli.  You know the one that swims in sugary mayo?  Coating the broccoli but yet still allowing people to feel they are being healthy by eating a vegetable?  I love it.

Anyway.  One day I decided I could make that healthier and better.  Below is my attempt at it - adding coleslaw mix (not already with dressing) for filler.

1 head Broccoli- cut and washed

½ bag Cole Slaw mix

1 cup Craisins

1 cup Light Coleslaw dressing

Love this so much. The Craisins make it sweet, its crunchy so I feel like I’m getting a snack and I can make a big bowl and keep it in the fridge for a couple days of snacks.  Love it. 

Yes I realize my sister will mock this – or she will say she used to make that years ago, with some kind of homemade dressing that made hers better than mine, but whatever.  Love it.

*Jill here - no I'm not going to mock this salad, it sounds delicious - I am going to mock her for how many times she says "love it" in the post tho - I count 5!!! 



7.25.18: peanut butter granola
7.25.17: how to sharpen knives
7.25.16: Prague

Propagating a Schefflera

We have a very big Schefflera plant in our living room that grows crazy fast and I have to cut off the top branches a couple times a year - one time we came home in the spring to find it making a break for the ceiling, its got SO tall!! We started calling it Seymour...wait a minute, wait a minute - I'm just remembering that I've written about my crazy houseplant before and I need to go find the previous post...

Ok, I was right - and I'm going to repost it today because I have two stems that are ready to be planted, check out the roots that formed in less than 2 months! I literally cut off two stems and put them in a vase of water - nothing else. I'm going to give these cuttings with their fresh roots to my niece so she can grow her own big ol' Seymour Schefflera hahahah!. Pretty cool, huh? And so easy to do...

Here's the other post from last June:

This is very not exciting but thought I'd share what I'm working on today...houseplants. Sometimes you don't get to make fun things that you'd rather work on, and have to do a little maintenance instead hahaha! Boring, but necessary. About once a year I realize that my indoor plants have either outgrown their pots, need some general TLC, or have shot up so high they look like they are making a break for it and trying to burst thru the ceiling (or maybe more like the plant in Little Shop of Horrors that eats people - what's it's name, Seymour? Sydney? Can't remember, I should probably google but I'm busy potting plants and I'm not taking the time since it totally doesn't matter). I'm trimming some back (and if it's a nice plant I put a couple of the longer pieces in water and root it - just let the stem hang out in a glass or vase of water until roots start forming and then plunk it in some dirt, voilà another plant) and if they are shooting off sideways I take twine and a stick (put it in the pot and use as an anchor/support) and tie the side branches up so it's more compact; some just need a bigger pot, and I have a couple that I should throw out but I'm putting them in our screened porch to see if a little summer vacation help them - if they still look bad in a couple months and aren't trying hard enough to earn their way back into the house then out they go. Fair warning ;)

7.24.18: Candy's shrimp dip
7.24.17: paper gift pouches
7.24.16: Nuremberg

Tip-sy Tuesday: Plumping Dried Fruits

Plumping dried fruits like raisins is easy and really makes a difference. They get a softer texture, adds moisture, and brings out the flavors. Put the dried fruit in a small bowl and cover with hot water, let them soak for a few minutes then drain off the water. You can also add more flavor by soaking them in fruit juice or alcohol like rum, bourbon, or brandy (like I did for last week's 'North Carolina Tarheel Cookies').

Try adding plumped dried fruits to salads and other dishes in addition to baking with them. I don't love raisins but plumping them first (especially in alcohol haha) makes them way better!

Man-day Monday by Mark

So, after three days of forcing leftovers down me from our wonderful weekend boater guests, I was more than ready to cook. 

(Wife gone too😲)

"I Think They Call This Goulash"

1. Go to local grocery store and purchase macaroni noodles, 1# hamburger, onion, green pepper can of diced tomatoes and tomato paste to thicken. 
2. I asked our friendly store lady if it looked about right and she said yes! I'm feeling good now. 
3. You know what to do next. 
4. Wondering how many noodles to put in I read the bag, it had another recipe that called for half a bag and 2 cloves of fresh garlic (which we had!) so I did it. 
5. It looks to thick so I emptied the catsup bottle tipped upside down in the frig and decided equal part of Sweet Baby Rays couldn't hurt. Oh, I tossed in some Awe Shit hot powder I got for my birthday too.   
6. Accidentally communicate with Jill so she can ask you for a guest blog 
7. Relax to some music and have a drink as it simmers

PS:  Wife got home - leftovers get a "special" tweaking! 

Around the Campfire 🔥 (week 29)

Dear Campers ~

Here's a recap of what happened at camp this week in case you missed anything:

Posts ~
7.14: 🔥 (week 28)
7.15: Miss Lori's gorgeous felt flowers
7.16: Tip-sy Tuesday: frosting tip
7.17: North Carolina Tarheel cookies
7.18: my sis is hungry: Mexican stuffed peppers
7.19: Brooke makes funny t-shirts
7.20: grilled tuna pasta salad

What's Cooking ~

• garden tomato sauce with chicken sausage and meatballs, polenta (recipe to follow shortly!)
• grilled tuna, greek salad with creamy dressing, roasted garbanzo beans
• grilled chicken, black bean and corn salad (mixed with tomatoes and cojita cheese)
• grilled tuna pasta salad (see above)

Miscellaneous stuff keeping me busy but not worth a post ~

• read "A Stranger in the Woods" that Al recommended, it's an interesting book about a real life guy who decided one day to get lost in the woods and stayed in there for 27 years becoming a hermit and never having contact with anyone. He stole supplies and food from local cottages until he was finally caught. I like quiet and being alone, but 27 years? Wow. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
• spent way longer than necessary organizing my new golf bag I got for Christmas. Yep, it's July and I just now set it up. Not sure why I needed a new bag when apparently I'm a very lazy golfer who only goes out once a year haha! Then I spent even longer on Amazon picking out new golf club covers that go with the new bag and my big stuffed Scottie head cover. How is it I ever get anything done? 

Hope you had a great week and are staying cool! I walked Sarge at 6 am Friday because it was already in the mid-80's and humid - ugh. Stop back next week to see a couple more recipes, a blog from Brooke, and whatever else I can think of. 

Sincerely ~

Jill

camp counselor and hot weather whiner