~The Way to a Man's Heart~

 Have you heard the saying~the way to a man's heart is through is stomach~ Please meet our daughter Bernadette Marie she is our second daughter and she loves to cook, Bernadette thoroughly enjoys cooking a meal for her boyfriend all her friends and family. A few weeks ago Bernadette and her boyfriend Seth came over to visit and Bernadette brought all the fixen's to whip out her "famous homemade lasagna". Her sister Desire' Danielle and a few friends joined us for dinner and we all shared this delicious meal around the dinner table. .
 Its all about the smell and taste...Yumm the smell was wonderful and filled the house with deliciousness!

 I spoon full of meat sause, how I wish you could smell the sauce.

 Oh and yes a good cold glass of wine always makes the cook happy!

 Every Italian girl learns how to make the (zugu) that's what Gary's Grandma used to call her sauce (zugu)..Grandma was 100% Italian who waived her arms and shook her fingers at you.(We miss her)

 Here's Seth checking out whats on the stove..Do you think this is one happy boyfriend---We do.
So Bernadette says to me~Mom you just have to try my brussel sprouts, well I never cooked bussle sprouts when the kids were growing up..(because I don't like brussel sprouts) So it really surprised me that she liked them. While she was washing the brusslel sprouts Seth snuck up behind   her and gave her a little kiss, look at her face expression its so cute!  
 Ah, young love isn't it grand. I love it..

 After washing and slicing the brussel sprouts, Bernadette tosses them with olive oil

 Laid them out onto the stone baking pan

 The green color is so pretty with the yellow inside, who knew a veggie could look so pretty, especially one I don't like.

 Then she added her special spices...and baked them.

 The very yummy lasagna all prepared and ready to bake, this pan full of lasagna was very heavy

 Ummm so cheesy and full of meat sauce.

 Can't have lasagna without garlic bread. I must confess I now like bussle sprouts LOL

 I knew the kids were coming so before they arrived I bake  a bundt cake. It was a recipe that Anita had posted on her blog Aunt Nubby's Kitchen. The bunt cake is called Hummingbird Bundt Cake, you can find the recipe here  at Anita's blog
 The smell of the pecans roasting in the oven was so good, when they were done roasting I just had to eat a few warm ones..so so yummy!

 Baking for one hour in a 375 degree oven

 All done and cooling

 All frosted with a scumsous cream cheese frosting and sprinkled with more roasted pecans.

This bunt cake received a thumb up....everyone enjoyed a slice along with a glass of milk for dessert. Having the family together enjoying dinner and sharing stories around the table is just the best thing in the world to me. Food just goes along with family they both are um um good!

Linking up with the following girls;

Mary-Boogieboard Cottage Masterpiece Monday




Susan-Between Naps on the Porch metamorphosis Monday



Shannon-Cozy home Your Cozy Home Party Tuesday



Kim-Savvy Southern Style WOW us Wednesday



Bunny Jean -Bunny Jean Decor and More Bunny Hob Wednesday



Honey-2805 A Potpourri Party every Friday



Cindy- My Romantic Home Show and Tell Friday



Courtney- French Country Cottage Feathered Nest Friday



Sherry-The Charm of Home Home Sweet Home Party Fridays



Meg-Nutmegplace Show Off Saturday

~More Kitchen Upgrades~

 Thank you from the bottom of my heart for all the well wishes..The Bell's Palsy has been a bit trying well OK a lot trying, but I am getting better there are still side affects but I can see an improvement, it has to be all the prayers helping me to get better, I just know it.
 I am looking forward to  spring time and I can hardly wait to get outside and start planting new fresh flowers, but for now Gary and I are still adding some touches to the kitchen, they are small but have really made my life easier.
For fun and the unexpected I hung my red frame on the side of the kitchen  cabinet and in the middle I hung a heart picture with the sweetest poem written in it. The picture was a Mother's Day gift from my Daughter Desire'. I heart it very much and I heart her!!.

 My family never knows what I'm going to do and when they think I have  gone decorating crazy, I surprise them with something else..I love to keep them guessing..(It's good to keep our family guessing isn't it)LOL

 This photo is a bit washed out, but it was all I could find to show you the back side of center island. I had been wishing that there was a way we could add a electrical socket to the island so I could use my large griddle on it to cook pancakes..well Gary surprised me and while the electrician was out estimating  a electrical job we had for the Master Bathroom (we are remolding the bathroom) I will show you very soon. Anyways, Gary had the electrician install the plug. I am one happy Mama....it is so convenient I  don't know how I lived so long without eletricty in the center island.

 LOVING the new socket..silly I know to post about a new electrical socket, but this is really big time for me. Now I need to find a fun plate cover or paint the white one yellow to match the cabinet.

 Are your cabinets hard to craw into?, mine sure were it was not a lovely site, seeing me on my hands and knees with my head inside the cabinet and just my"big behind" showing.. and I had so much "stuff" packed inside them. So the best solution was custom pull outs. 

 We had them installed in all the lower cabinets.

 Aww, now I can see what I have, it's so nice..I love them.How happy these little pulls out have made me.

 Now for the spice cabinet, that was a nightmare of a shelve. First let me tell you that I am very "short" yes I am only 4'11 and my family enjoys teasing me about my height challenge. While at Lowe's Gary's picked up this very cool spice rack that pulls down by Rubbermaid. Look what it does, it pulls down...Yeah! I was so excited (insert crooked smile) I can actually see all the spices and even reach them without standing on my tippy toes. This is a big deal when you are only 4"11.
 Aww, the simple things of life that me so happy. I can reach all the spices now that I use every day. The spices I don't use often are on the top shelve ,those I have to use the step stool for but thats OK.. LOL
Have a sweet week full of sweet moments shared with the ones you LOVE...

Joining the following linky parties;

Mary-Boogieboard Cottage Masterpiece Monday




Susan-Between Naps on the Porch metamorphosis Monday



Shannon-Cozy home Your Cozy Home Party Tuesday



Kim-Savvy Southern Style WOW us Wednesday



Bunny Jean -Bunny Jean Decor and More Bunny Hob Wednesday



Honey-2805 A Potpourri Party every Friday



Cindy- My Romantic Home Show and Tell Friday



Courtney- French Country Cottage Feathered Nest Friday



Sherry-The Charm of Home Home Sweet Home Party Fridays



Meg-Nutmegplace Show Off Saturday

~In Living Color~

 Wishing you all a very Happy Monday ! Gary and I were experiencing very high electrical/gas bills so to put our gas bill in check we had a gas fireplace insert installed, but to do this our fireplace had to be retro-fitted, that meant building the fireplace out and making the opening taller. It was a big mess but worth all the mess for sure.
Our fireplace is designed with plaster this gives us the option of painting it or possibly using brick or other product's to embellish it. Well since it had been painted originally we decided to repaint it, but this time with a bold color, needless to say Gary and I are not afraid of color. We painted our fireplace "Blue Metallic". Now I know a blue fireplace may not be for everyone but we really love it and besides its just paint and we can change it anytime.
So come along with me and I'll show you our blue living room.

 The sofa's and rug are from Ethan Allen (slipcovers are made from Jean fabric) and I made the throw pillows

 Since red is my favorite color I had to bring red into the room, we have red in every room of our home.

 The new fireplace insert really warms up the house and our gas/electrical bill has gone down considerably! "Yeah" toasty warm....

 The fireplace has a ledge that is perfect for decorating and us girls just have to decorate right ..I found the letter's GEM that are me and Gary's initials at Hobby Lobby. I thought they were fun and we can change them out anytime to something different.

 This is a photo of the fireplace wall when we purchased our home. The fireplace was very pretty but we needed  a fireplace insert for heating.

 Closer look at the fireplace

Gary and I still want to add crown molding, we hope this spring to start work on the crown.

 Gary has two leather chairs in the room and he has to have his "Candy" by his side, he loves to pick at night and of course I eat the candy too...not a good thing...LOL

 I try to hide the candy from myself in candy dishes so I won't feel the impulse to eat one, two and three pieces but it just doesn't work.

 Please help us eat these!!

 The coffee table is full our favorite things.

Home made pillows by me..I love mix and matching pillows, there so many fun fabric to choose from. So I just keep sewing pillow slip covers to change the look from time to time.

 Behind one of the sofa's is our red buffet sitting on a small rug also a little sitting area to rest and view out side our  Grandkids playing in the pool.

So there it is....Our very colorful living room. Don't be afraid of color its only paint or fabric I say.

A footnote to this post....This morning I woke up to someone else in the mirror.... I did, I didn't look the same and when I tried to sip my morning coffee my lips were nub and my smile crooked, also my eyes were very sore. Only one side of my face would move... I told Gary and we thought it best to call the Doctor (of course), even brushing my teeth was weird with all the numbness..
You know how it feels after you have been the dentist and he has given you Novacaine to numb your mouth, well that's how my face feels its nub from under my eye to my lips. 
After a few hours in the emergency room I was diagnoised with Bell's Palsy...
Bell's Palsy is a problem involving the nerve that controls the muscles on one side of the face. The cause is unknown we were told. I was given three medications to take..on a good note it will not last forever and will go away..but for now I told Gary no family photos..LOL
I am feeling OK except I am really tired and my face just won't do what I want it to. It looks so weird to raise my forehead and only one side of my face will go up..

Enjoy your week and remember I will be thinking of you all and getting around to visit soon..


Linking up with the following girls;

Mary-Boogieboard Cottage Masterpiece Monday

Susan-Between Naps on the Porch metamorphosis Monday

Shannon-Cozy home Your Cozy Home Party Tuesday

Kim-Savvy Southern Style WOW us Wednesday

Bunny Jean -Bunny Jean Decor and More Bunny Hob Wednesday


Honey-2805 A Potpourri Party every Friday

Cindy- My Romantic Home Show and Tell Friday

Courtney- French Country Cottage Feathered Nest Friday

Sherry-The Charm of Home Home Sweet Home Party Fridays

Meg-Nutmegplace Show Off Saturday