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A Mess up and a Blooper In My Bread Machine!

It’s been a very cold few days, here in Fort Worth. I decided to get out my bread machine and make some bread to go along with our chili. It’s been quite awhile since I’ve used my bread machine, mainly because it’s hard to find any of the box mixes at the grocery store. But I found a recipe, for making it from ingredients on hand.

I put all of the ingredients in the machine, and found my yeast. However, it expired in 2022. I took a chance and put it in. Then I turned it on. I watched it for about an hour, and it did NOTHING! Next, I found I had two current pkgs of yeast. So I scooped out the old yeast, and put the new in. It still did nothing. Was I frustrated? YOU’RE DARN TOOTIN’!!

Finally, I threw it all out and started over. It did call for so many teaspoons of yeast, but my pkg was just a smidgeon over that. I added it all. When I put the inner container back in the machine, I turned it a different way, and it clicked into place. Ahhhh…maybe that had been my problem! It started up and did its thing. Woohoo!!! The house smelled so good! I took my chili out of the freezer, and shortly before the bread was done, I heated the chili up. You know how much I love my freezer meals!!

When I took the bread out of the machine, the top of it was caved in. I think it rose too much , hit the top of the machine, and fell back down. The rest of it was fine. Weird.

After I cut the top off, I got to the good stuff. My hubby and I both agreed that it was very tasty. Accompanying the chili, it hit the spot!

I’ve decided to master the homemade mixtures and use it more often. AND…I went to Amazon, and they had a lot of mixes for bread machines. I ordered a mix for Sour Dough bread. We’ll be trying that soon.

Are you a fan of bread machines? Do you use a recipe or do you buy a box mix?

Have a great day. Spring is coming soon. Let me know if you liked this post.

Hugs, Grandma Ruddell

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GRANDMA CAMP

Oh my goodness! My hubby and I kept our three grandkids for a week of Grandma Camp. It really should have been Grandma and Boppa Camp….I couldn’t have done it without him. We had a lot of fun, and did a lot of activities. Last year, my youngest grandson, Isaac, who goes to a different camp every week of the summer, told his mom that I wasn’t very organized. I didn’t have a certain time for each activity. By golly, this year I was organized! Isaac will be seven in August, and lives locally. Libby will be eight in September, and she and her brother, Liam…who had just turned 11….live in Waco.

Boppa fixed breakfast for them. They ate a ton of pancakes and had a morning or so with donuts. I kind of like to sleep in. I let them play on their electronics until about 9:00 am. Libby and Isaac like art, creative games and come up with all kinds of things. Liam is a computer genius and prefers to be on the computer 24/7. My goal was to come up with activities to get them away from electronics. Our first activity, on Monday, was to make a Time Capsule. They each drew a picture and wrote about their activities that they enjoyed. We included a section of the newspaper, and a list of statistics. Liam decorated the box. We then found a hiding place for it, to be opened next year at the same time.

We also went to Isaac’s HOA park, and tie-dyed shirts. That was fun. When we got back, Libby and Isaac made a restaurant and we all had to come get a meal….even the house cleaner!

On Tuesday, it was the 4th of July. We went to the Movies. Then we came home and made a three layer cake….red, white and blue…with Isaac and Libby helping make it. Later, Liam frosted it. I may have baked it too long. It was kind of weird looking, and dry, but we added lots of whipped cream. Funnily enough, this was one of the kids’ favorite activities. Isaac’s parents came over for dinner, and they brought snakes and sparklers. (I’m sorry….this photo went wonky on me.)

On Wednesday, we had Game Day. We played darts, Uno, Crazy eights, Sorry and Jenga. We then went to McDonald’s and the robot served us lunch. Liam and I came home, and Boppa took the two younger ones swimming. Isaac got to stay for a sleepover. Yeah!

Thursday, Isaac and Libby did paint by number paintings. While I gave piano lessons in the afternoon, Libby and Isaac went with Boppa to the Trampoline Park. Liam worked on a game, her was making on the computer.

Friday, we went to the Modern Art Museum of Ft. Worth. What a great place! I bought two postcards for each of them, and we had to find that art piece and have a photo taken. They drew a picture of their favorite art, when they came home. Then we went to Andy’s Frozen Custard for a special treat.

Have you had Grandma Camp at your house? What all did you do? Were you exhausted when it was done? We were! Ha. But, ah, love those grandkids.

Hugs,

Grandma Ruddell

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Jim Brown’s Peach Cobbler

Jim Brown’s Peach Cobbler is the best! Check out the recipe.

I am going to share with you one of my easiest, favorite desserts to make. Recently, I took this to an event, and everyone raved over it. One of the men from our church, Jim Brown, used to make this. Hence…the name, “Jim Brown’s Peach Cobbler”. Probably not officially a cobbler, but not a pie, and not a cake. Just yummy!

Here are the ingredients for the recipe.

  • 2 cans of peach pie filling
  • 1/4 c. of Amaretto or enough Almond extract to spread over filling
  • 17 oz Betty Crocker sugar cookie mix
  • 1 c. sliced almonds
  • 1 stick butter.

Preheat oven to 350*. Spray a 9 x 13 pan with non-stick spray.

Spread peach filling in bottom of pan. Pour amaretto or almond extract over filling. Spread sugar cookie mix over top. Sprinkle almonds over mixture. Top with 1 stick of butter that has been sliced and dot over cookie mix. Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes. It is best to take it out of the oven while the dough is still soft and doughy. Top with whipped cream, ice cream, or eat plain.

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Making a Charcuterie Board, #1

Need help making a charcuterie board? Check out this blog to begin your journey.

I love to make charcuterie boards! Today, I have made a simple appetizer charcuterie board for our dinner . Our daughter, husband and son are coming for dinner. We’re having sausage/cream cheese/Rotel crescent sandwiches and white chicken chili. There is usually a request for appetizers. What better way to have those, than have a charcuterie board!

If you’ve never made one, and don’t know where to start, just follow my process. I like to have several sizes of boards and little condiment dishes. I also ordered some white paper containers that resemble french fry containers. Too, I ordered a couple of kinds of picks. A place like Goodwill is a great place to find baskets, boards and containers.

my supplies

For this board, I’m using one of my cutting boards. I covered it with parchment paper, taping it on the back. I also used a small cutting board. I arranged a couple of small ramekins at each end, for green and black olives. Another small container holds Roasted Pine Nut Hummus. Then I positioned the paper holder at the other end, to try it all out.

A temporary layout

At this point, you can have fun playing with different ingredients. Because the hummus is at one end, I arranged carrots and wheat thins close by. Next came cheese, pepperoni and pretzels. I put a pepperoni rose in the center, and a fresh carnation flower at the end.

On the small board, I arranged pick fruit kabobs, made with strawberries and blueberries. They are easy to make, look cute and are easy to pick up and eat.

I ended up not using the paper holder. I almost put the kabobs in one, but decided to put them on the other board. If I had used my larger charcuterie board, I would have used the paper holder .

There are so many options for a charcuterie board. Grapes are always good, plus cheese cubes. Try fruits, nuts , chocolates, little cookies, crackers, etc. I’ll be making different kinds of boards in future posts. I think one of the keys to making charcuterie boards is to buy ahead and keep items like olives, crackers, little cookies, etc. on hand. They can be rather expensive, if you are making a large board, and need to buy things all at once.

Have fun and let your creative juices flow! Now….I just have to keep my hubby out of the food until my company arrives.

Let me know if you liked this recipe. Hit the like button on this page. What kind of charcuterie boards do you like to make?

Hugs,

Grandma Ruddell

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A BUNDT CAKE FOR FALL

I am always looking for new recipes to add to my collection, and tantalize the taste buds of my friends and family. I recently saw one of my favorite vloggers, Dawn Madsen from the Minimal Mom, make this cake, and knew I needed to try it. It fit the bill, and I took it to a dinner at my kids’ house. We all agreed it was tasty and fun. Part of the appeal was the surprise inside. Here’s the recipe.:

CANDY CORN BUNDT CAKE

–1 white cake mix, 9 X 13

–4 egg whites

–1/2 c. oil

–1/2 c. warm water

–1 1/2 c. sour cream

–1 pkg. cheesecake pudding mix

Preheat oven to 325 F.Blend everything together in a medium bowl. Divide batter into three bowls. Add food coloring to make one bowl orange, one bowl yellow, and leave the other bowl white. Put batter into greased bundt pan in layers of white, orange and yellow. Bake at 325 for 47 – 53 minutes. Let cool for 15 minutes, and then remove from pan. Cool until room temperature.

FROSTING

–1 can of Cream Cheese Frosting

–Candy Corn

When the cake has cooled, put the can of cream cheese frosting in a gallon zip lock bag, with a small hole in the corner. Pipe the frosting onto the cake, as shown in the photo. Or if you prefer, just frost the cake with the frosting.

Place candy corn pieces around the top of the cake. Cut, serve. Delicious with ice cream!

I hope you enjoy this recipe. It’s a fun addition to your Fall meals!

Hugs,

Grandma Ruddell

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About Grandma Ruddell

Minion Grandma

Grandma Ruddell….aka Sherry Ruddell, lives in Ft. Worth, TX.  She loves to play with her Grandkids and do craft projects with them.  Grandma loves to cook and create new recipes, do gardening, travel, organize and redo her house, and TRY to exercise.  She’s hoping that she will exercise more, since she is walking her new dog, Bill.  Grandma tries to find moments of joy in her everyday life.

A Trip to Justin, Texas

We visited Justin, Texas. What a cool town!

What do you think about, when you hear Justin, Texas??? I always think about Justin Boots. That must be where they originally made the boots, right? Nope. Think again. Did they name the town after the boot company? Nopity Nope.

Justin, Texas was actually named in honor of Justin Sherman, a chief engineer with the Santa Fe Railroad. Justin was once a center of salvage companies. After Western wear became very popular, in the 1970’s, the Wallace family started focusing on Western wear. The three major salvage companies closed and the salvage industry disappeared.

Justin is a town of about 4,500 people, close to Denton, Texas. It is really close to the Texas Speedway. In fact, years ago, the town almost bought the Texas Motor Speedway, but didn’t have enough money to run and maintain it. So the Speedway ended up with a Ft. Worth address.

We decided to visit Justin, on Saturday. It’s a nice town, with that down home feel. There is a pretty park, on the south side of town, that has a veteran’s memorial. I had my veteran stand by the memorial. The lighting wasn’t very good, but I’m so proud of him! On the west side of town, there is a Municipal building and another municipal park. The Municipal complex was really nice.

We stopped at an Antique store. There was a fun Halloween display, right outside of the store. We found lots of treasures within, but, alas, no heads! Next door was a Mexican restaurant, and there was another restaurant that was close to that one.

We decided to look inside the Justin Discount Boots & Cowboy Outfitters. Oh my gosh! There were rows and rows of boots. They actually have three buildings, with over 90,000 square feet of displays. WOW! I fell in love with a pair of toddler boots. So, SEE??? They DO have a ton of Justin Boots in this town!

Before we left town, we decided to get something to eat. We found the The Mule Barn. It was a sports bar and restaurant. What a fun place! The food was delicious, a band was setting up, and the place was huge. This was where you saw people coming in, and waving to others, because everyone knows each other. I love that kind of atmosphere.

Where have you been lately? Any fun, little towns? I like to explore the little towns around my area. I’m thinking a day trip to Hico will be in our future. Every time we go through there, it appears to be a happening town.

Please , if you please, leave a comment on here, and a Like.

Grandma Sherry

TEN THINGS I LOVE ABOUT SEPTEMBER

I LOVE: The arrival of fall! I hope you’ve had a great September. We also had our trying times. My hubby had covid. My backyard weeds are ridiculous, in my flower beds. It’s just been too hot to bother with them. That’s my next goal. But, overall, it was a good month. There’s something about … Continue reading “TEN THINGS I LOVE ABOUT SEPTEMBER”

I LOVE:

The arrival of fall!

  • The Texas State Fair begins.
  • I can open my windows to let in a breeze.
  • I’m able to go for a walk, and not die of heat within a minute.
  • School has began again, giving us good schedules to work around.
  • My piano students are all back from their summer relaxation.
  • Making pumpkin pie and hearty crockpot meals.
  • Decorating for Fall and Halloween.
  • Spending time with my grandkids.
  • Seeing the change of seasons in the garden.

I hope you’ve had a great September. We also had our trying times. My hubby had covid. My backyard weeds are ridiculous, in my flower beds. It’s just been too hot to bother with them. That’s my next goal. But, overall, it was a good month. There’s something about Fall arriving that makes me want all things cozy.

Leave me a comment and like this post. It helps my blog standings.

Grandma Ruddell

    The Yin and Yang of a Week of Covid

    We’ve just been through a week of covid. It was a time to think, rest and feel better.

    BS S(90)B(50)R(0) FM1 FC011011011

    This past week was going to be one of our busiest weeks of the month. On Sunday morning, at church, Dick was liturgist and I taught Children’s Church. We both enjoy doing these things. I had my two grandkids with me, which made it extra fun. They had spent the night with us, on Saturday night. They are like two peas in a pod. I love how they play together! They were both going to go home, right after lunch on Sunday.

    I believe every school district in Texas must have scheduled Grandparent’s Day at their schools, for that week! We had one scheduled to attend, in Waco, for our Granddaughter, Libby. That was on Wednesday. But first, I went to the Dentist, on Monday morning, and that evening, I went to Bunco. When I returned home from a fun night of Bunco, Dick and I figured out what time we would leave for Waco, on Wednesday. It’s an hour and a half drive, so we were going to leave about 9, with a stop at Buc-cees for a gift. Not only would it be her school’s Grandparent’s day, but the next day would be her birthday.

    Tuesday afternoon, I gave my two piano lessons. One is a beginner, and is quite enthusiastic! This day, she brought four of her stuffed animals to listen to her lesson. One of these, she sat on the edge of the piano, because he had “a big, fat butt that would sit there nicely.” Yes, yes, I know, my child. We can barely fit on the piano bench, for duets, because of my big, fat butt.

    That evening, Dick was sitting in his recliner, with an afghan wrapped around him. Now let’s be completely honest here. I am Woman, He is Man. He always complains about how freezing cold it is in the house. I thought he was trying to make a point. I rolled my eyes. It wasn’t THAT cold! But then, later, he told me he had the chills. Hmmmm. Didn’t sound good.

    Wednesday morning, we are 15 minutes from leaving for Waco. Dick said he felt like he was coming down with something. Uh Oh. I suggested we both test for Covid. We had heard, by then, that six other people from church had covid. Dick’s test came back positive. Mind came back negative. I banned him into the bedroom, which also has a couch, the master bathroom, and let him go into the office to watch the news. While he went and laid down, I made phone calls and sent text messages. Here’s most of what I cancelled: My other 10 piano lessons for the week; the Grandparent Lunch with Libby; Choir Practice; the once-a-month Cleaning Lady; Dick’s sister and hubby coming to stay all night with us on Thursday evening; going to my grandson’s (Isaac) Grandparent Day at his school; and heading to OK for the weekend, to celebrate Dick’s sister’s 80th birthday at a big party. There had been a lot of plans for that week!

    So, we both stayed home for the week. Dick was feeling sick for several days, though not severely. I used my Freezer Meals, watched TV, and thought about doing yard work, but that thought passed. When Dick was feeling better, past his 5 days of isolation, I had him change out some pictures for me. I got out the decorations for Fall, and have been slowly decorating. We’re slowly venturing out. Dick has gone swimming, and rode his bike for 30 miles. My piano students are back this week. That’s good! Not only did I miss them, but so did Bill, our Black Lab. He LOVES piano lessons!

    Sometimes we just need to slow down. We had packed so many things into last week’s plan, that I was wondering how we’d get it all done. I’m sorry we missed out on the activities. But I enjoyed the rest. Kind of. I don’t think Dick enjoyed it. Bill was bored.

    And so, God said, “I have given you rest. Now, GET WITH IT!”

    Have a good day. Happy Fall.

    Grandma Sherry

    Bargaining Chips

    Wow! The last two months have been full of things needed for our house . And I’ve used some bargaining chips with my hubby. If it were up to him, we’d sit and think about something new needed for awhile, and he’d save up for it in the budget. That’s not a bad thing…unless we need something immediately! Hmmm.

    About two months ago, hubby had finally decided we could get a new hardwood floor in the music room. The carpet was old and stained and embarrassed me when anyone came over. That room is generally a living room, in most houses. I give piano lessons, so it is my music room. Directly across from that room , is our dining room. That carpet was 20 years old. The area rug, under the dining room table, never laid down properly. I wanted to have hardwood in that room too. But Dick wanted to wait and save up for the dining room. He had saved for the music room. When the rug people came, she said it would only be another couple of thousand dollars for the dining room, since it would be done all at once. Here comes my bargaining chip!!! I said I would pay for the dining room, which they said I could pay it gradually for a year. It would come from my piano money. Grumble, grumble. Finally, that’s how we did it. I also bought the area rugs. Oh, it looks SO MUCH BETTER!!! And that, folks, was Bargaining Chip, #1.

    We had planned a sibling trip to NYC, for the second week of August. I had saved up about $900 for that trip. However, I barely spent any of that. When we returned , with our suitcases of dirty clothes, our dryer worked for one load. When Dick tried to put his clothes in the dryer, it wouldn’t even start. He ended up going to the laundromat to dry his clothes. (Yes, I know I’m lucky that he does his own laundry.) We were having two groups coming to our house, in the next few days. For some reason, I received a $400 check in the mail, the next day. It was for overpayment to our health insurance. I think it was a God thing, that that came when it did! I signed my name, and put it on Dick’s desk.

    So the next day, I went to Lowe’s, took a picture of what I thought would be good…mid-range…and texted my hubby. Well, he thought maybe we needed to think about it for awhile. WHAT??!!! I let him know I was taking back the check, and he would be doing laundry for the household, at the laundromat, for the rest of time. I know, I know…I am not a patient woman!!! The next Sunday, we went out to eat. Across the highway, was a Best Buy. I suggested that we check out their appliances. There we found a great dryer, that could be delivered in two days. And it was time for my Bargaining Chip, #2. I told him that he could use the $400 check for this. In addition, we only had to pay about $300 to buy the dryer. So that was Bargaining Chip #2.

    At the last Church garage sale, I sold our kitchen chairs and bar stools. Our round table has a glass top. It has a ton of scratches on it. It looks pitiful. We’ve been sitting on folding chairs. Wondering what to do with that scratched up table. I think we’re going to put it out for bulk pick up. The last thing we put out, was gone by early morning, by the pickups that come around.

    Yesterday, I convinced Dick to just shop around for table and chairs, during the Labor Day sales. I said I’d pay half. We ended up at Rooms to Go. We found a table that we could order, but didn’t like the chairs. We ended up sitting on every chair in the store. I am getting old…I need Cushy on the Tushy!! Finally found a kind that we liked. So we ordered the set. I still had some of my $900 savings. We divided up the cost, 50/50. That was Bargaining Chip #3.

    I am now out of bargaining tools. But the house is looking so much better. And Mama is a happy woman! I’d better start saving again.

    Have a good Labor Day weekend. Let me know what your bargaining chips are! Please press the LIKE button and leave me a comment.

    Grandma Sherry