Loving this fall weather!

Loving This Fall Weather!

Fall! I am beyond thrilled it is finally here! I have been searching magazines and the Internet for ideas to decorate this big ol' house.  So far I have decided on using lanterns and fake crows/black birds for the front porch. Luckily, I scored the crows at our local Dollar Tree! There was no way I would have paid $7 a piece another store wanted! The amount of trick-or-treaters we usually receive you can count on one hand. That is why I typically do not go all out for Halloween/Thanksgiving instead I like to decorate for "fall" or Autumn.

 

This past weekend my son's Varsity football team won their first game. It was so much fun cheering them on in the cool air with some good friends! Monday night this week the Junior Varsity team will play again. I can not wait to see my boy in action! I hope everyone is having a great start to fall!

 

With all this wonderful cool weather. My family is thinking Chili! I wanted to share a great chili recipe that I found!

 

Turkey Chili

 

3cups onions diced

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1 and 1/2 lbs. ground turkey

3 cups fresh tomatoes diced

15 oz can each pinto and black beans rinsed and drained

1 cup chicken broth

2 tablespoons minced garlic

2 tablespoons chili powder

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon cumin - I use 2 teaspoons

1 teaspoon ground mustard

sliced black olives and green onions for garnish

 

Cook onions in oil in large pot over medium heat until translucent. Add turkey and cook until no longer pink. Drain if necessary. Add remaining ingredients except garnish, bring to a boil reduce heat and let simmer about 20 minutes. Garnish with olives and onions!

Sorry I don't have a picture of this recipe!

 



 

 

It is all about the details!

W hat a difference planning makes! When we decided to build our dream home we were told that the details would take the most time. They were not kidding! Let's face it everything that makes a house a home needs to be well thought out. From the placement of the outlets to the finish on the light fixtures everything needs to be discussed and decided on before the contractor says, "I need a light fixture". Talk about STRESS!

 

We faced this challenge (After we hid under the covers!) head on! How did we do it you ask? Well...

(We) I watched  HGTV! A LOT! It has wonderful decorating ideas!

We spent several hours talking with our local home improvement store employees! Their knowledge was the breath of fresh air we needed when we were stuck on a decision!

PINTEREST! People if you have not heard of Pinterest you are missing out! It is terrific!

Blogs! I adore reading about other Blogs and the ideas that people have are so COOL!

My favorite to check out is:
 

 www.thehouseofsmiths.com

 

Shelley is simply amazing! Shelley if you read this... I adore ya!

I originally wanted this to be a while we were building blog. But because of time, stress and
S L O W Internet. I was not able to post pictures as things progressed! SO here we are the middle of September we are in our house and LOVE it! We still have lots of projects and I will be posting about them! Thanks for reading!

 

 







Taking a break from the build!

I love food. I have this obsession with trying to find wonderful recipes that I can pull out of my trusty recipe box and be perfect every time! Well, Ladies and Gents... if you love coconut you should try making a 3 day Coconut Cake! Don't let the name scare you away from this one! It is simple!  I do not remember where I received this recipe but I am glad I did! Everyone loves it! Enjoy! 

 

3 Day Coconut Cake

 

1 package white cake mix

16 oz. sour cream

12-14 oz. coconut

1 & 1/2 cups frozen whipped topping

1 cup granulated sugar

1. The night before you want to assemble the cake blend together the sour cream, coconut, and sugar. Remove one cup of the mixture and place in a different container. Refrigerate both portions.
2. Prepare the cake per the directions on the box for 8 or 9 inch round cake pans. Let cool.
3. Using a long serrated knife split both layers to make four layers.
4. On a cake platter, begin assembling the cake. Spread reserved mixture between layers.
5. Mix whipped topping with the 1 cup reserved mixture and frost the top and sides of the cake.
6. Cover tightly and place in the refrigerator. Next is the easy part!
7. DO NOT REMOVE OR EAT OR EVEN PEEK FOR 3 DAYS! The cake needs time to soak up the wonderful flavors and become...delicious!
8. ENJOY! It is the perfect dessert on a hot summer day!