Whole Wheat Muffins!

I was going to show you my thrift shop finds today, but Blogger seems to be having picture issues. So...Another tasty whole grains recipe - tried and true!

Ingredients:
3 cups whole wheat flour
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 t. salt
4 1/2 t. baking soda
2 eggs, beaten
1 1/3 cups milk
1/3 cup melted butter

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Sift dry ingredients into a bowl. Combine wet ingredients, thoroughly mix. Add dry ingredients to wet, stir until just moistened. Fill oiled muffin tins 2/3 full. Bake 20 minutes.

Eat with jam, butter, honey-butter. Yum, yum!

Whole Wheat Cornbread

1 1/2 c cornmeal

1 c whole wheat flour (patsry is best)

1 t salt

1/2 t baking soda

1 t baking powder

3 T honey

2 large eggs, beaten

2 T melted butter

2 c buttermilk, or 2 c 2% with 1 T vinegar

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Stir dry ingredient together. Mix liquids together. Add dry ingredients to liquids. Stir til smooth. Pour into greased 8"x8" pan. Bake 25 minutes.

Serve with honey butter. Yum, Yum!!

Love,

Elizabeth

Shadow Box #2

Happy Wednesday!

I've made another shadow box. This time, instead of using an old crate like the one displaying my mother's things, I used a basket that I found at a thrift store. I used a lace scarf for the backing and then anchored the picture frame. These are pictures of myself when I was a baby. This will go on the opposite side of my hutch from the shadow box of my mother. I'm going to add something under it, which I am currently working on...

Does this shadow box need something else to make it look better?? Any suggestions?

More later,
Elizabeth

Robert

I am still working on my shadow boxes, which I hope to show you soon. But, today, I thought that I'd introduce you to Robert. I have said many things about my Sarah on my blog, but I also have a precious son.

Doesn't he have a nice face? It matches his soul, believe me.

Robert was born the day Princess Diana died, almost 11 years ago. I think of this, because when I went out to the livingroom, after midnight on August 31, 1997, to tell my husband that I was having contractions, he turned around and said, "Princess Diana is dead." I remember having such mixed feelings - absolute shock about Princess Diana and total excitedment over having my son...He was born at 3:37 p.m. that day, after a bit of a struggle. His little soul felt peaceful and sweet, as he nestled in my arms. We knew he would be someone very special.

Robert has always been a wonderful combination of physically strong and emotionally sensitive. He has always had the build of a little linebacker and loves using his physicality, but this is balanced by his gentle spirit and his unique ability to perceive the emotional landscape of those around him. He has often surprised me with his observations about friends and love ones, even myself, at times. Also, sometimes when I think he isn't listening to something at all, he will later tell me that he was "quite touched" by the very thing I thought he was ignoring.

Robert always yearns to do what is right. He has mischevious ways of pushing the line at home, but deep in side he wants to do what is right and good with people. I admire his values and his strong sense of right and wrong.

Robert says that when he grows up he wants to be three things: a professional football player, a singer/songwriter and a chef. He plays football and the guitar and loves to cook. Yesterday afternoon, he asked me if he could make me lunch, so he cooked me up a veggie burger and put everything on it the way I like it and set me a place at the table. It was very sweet and very yummy!

Well, there you have it!

Tomorrow, I will show you some more shadow boxes.
Love,
Elizabeth

In Remembrance

After all of the thrifting and yard sale-ing I've been doing, I have become extremely fascinated with the possibilities of using different objects for shadow boxes. I have several in progress, but I finished one tonight in honor of my mother, who passed away, December, 2006. Above you see her with some much loved items that remind me of her...
A Monogrammed hankerchief (her name was Kathleen), her bookmark (she was an avid reader), some perfume she saved from her younger years, and a silver brush that was bought for her first-born, my brother, David, who died as an infant. The strand of pearls is the same three-tiered strand she is wearing in the picture.
On top, is a black and white photo of my Sarah, my mother's only grand-daughter.

This shadow box is by my dining room hutch, which I am re-decorating on a theme of family, with black and white photos of loved ones.

The sign below Mama's shadow box says, "Families Are Forever". In my heart I know that it's true.

We will see them again.

Love,
Elizabeth

Yard Sale Saturday

Alright, I admit it. I went to yard sales this morning, after thrifting, yesterday. I got the above basket to use as a shadow box. I've already got a nest in it. Now, I need to look around the find what else I want to use in it...Any suggestions?
I also picked up this mirror for a song. It has a beautiful walnut finish and pretty woodwork.
Anyone else go yard sale-ing today?

Love,
Elizabeth

Thrifty Friday

I love to go thrifting on payday Fridays. Today, I visited my favorite thrift store and came away with a number of treasures...Above are four saucers that have all of my livingroom/diningroom colors on them. I will either display them on my wall or in my hutch.
I love the beauty of glass (these would be prettier if I'd washed them first, but I was too excited to show you). The decanters I will use in my bathroom for cotton balls and cutips. The pitchers will be great in my kitchen for syrup and juices.

Here is the candlestick up close. It has a Fall design. I will put it away until Autumn.
Isn't this a pretty saucer? It has sage green and pink and will look pretty either on my wall or in my hutch.
Last, but not least, my favorite stoneware pattern: French Countryside, by Mikasa. I found four of these cups and saucers.

I also got a beautiful basket (not shown) and some kitchen utensils. I spent $20 on the whole lot. What a great price!

Love,
Elizabeth

Update on Husband

For those of you who kindly answered my call for prayer by offering up thoughts in behalf of my husband, I thought that you would like to know that he is getting better. He is able to raise his bad arm over his head, a great improvement from when he couldn't raise it laterally at all. He still feels acute pain with his arm in certain positions, but things have eased up enough for him to use it in normal daily activites, as long as he is careful.

We both thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your warm and generous responses. If you don't mind, please continue to hold him up with your prayers, as we still need to make it to August 1st, when our insurance kicks in, before we can take him to the doctor.

Please let me know whenever we can pray for you. We would love to be of help in any way.
Love,
Elizabeth