Being a Domestic Godess today :)

The sun was out today so that should have meant it was warm outside right? Wrong! It was cold! So I sat in my warm comfortable living room in my warm comfortable Lazy Boy and was a  Lazy Girl :))
Art and I bought Meredith (granddaughter) a little recliner chair for Christmas. She has a little plastic chair she sits in now.  She just loves little chairs. We bought her a little fold up lawn chair for when they come visit at the camper and she will play getting on and off on and off for hours.  So I got to thinking yesterday (uh oh says Art because this usually means I have something for him to do) she needed a little blanket of her very own, small tiny size.  We were in town yesterday doing some shopping and so I thought I would look at Fleece....Nope! Not at 9.97 yard.  They had fleece blankets on sale for 2.99 and 4.99. I didn't like the 2.99 ones so I bought her one with little Penguins all over it.  Plus, I have enough to make her a pillow to match. She is in to those too.  It was cheaper for me to buy a pillow at 2.50 than to buy a bag of micro fiber to stuff it with at 3.97. So I will cut open the end of the pillow pull out some stuffing and cut off the excess and sew it up and then cover it. Walah! One little adorable pillow.  I have started with the blanket first. I cut it to the size I wanted now I am putting a blanket stitch on it, then I will go around again, and put a single crochet in every blanket stitch and then go around again and do a shell stitch.  Here is the blanket stitch.....

The yarn I am edging it with is a lot more blue than is in the picture.

I will post another picture when I start the single crochet. Yesterday I wanted to make a bird seed ring. I saw the recipe on Anna Hanley's blog Anna's Little Bit of This and Little Bit of That. It turned out great, now the birds have to find it. They are still eating on the bird feeder so as soon as it runs out of seeds I am sure they will find this.....
 

I hung it up with the ribbon around the blanket that we bought for Meredith's chair.  Notice how it took on the shape of the bundt pan we used.

The recipe: 4 Cups bird seed.... 1/2 Cup warm water... 1 pkg Knox Gelatin... 3 Tbls corn syrup... 3/4 Cup flour.   Dissolve the gelatin in the warm water in big bowl. Then add your corn syrup and flour, whisk together. Add bird seed and mix well. Pour into a bundt pan that has been greased well with non stick spray. Press in well with hands. (it worked better if my hands were wet) Let dry over night. Tip out of pan onto newspaper and then hang with ribbon, long strands of left over material, rope what ever you have on hand.
Thanks Anna, I hope to do some of these for Christmas gifts for my bird loving friends.

Ok in the title was Taco Soup.  I found this recipe on RV-Dreams.com the journal of Howard and Linda Payne. They have been full timers since 2006 if my memory serves me right. When I heard the title I wasn't sure if I would like it, I didn't.  I LOVED it.
So here is how you make it.....

Brown 1 1/2 lbs ground beef. I use my Dutch Oven so it can simmer for a long period of time. You can do this in the crock pot also after you brown the meat.  

Chop one large onion and add to your browned meat. I usually cook the onions until they are starting to get translucent.  Oh it smells so good already.....:)

Now the fun starts! Get your can opener greased and ready to go......

Add one can of whole kernel corn (undrained) and one can of kidney beans (undrained)  I have also used black beans instead of kidney beans if I am out at the time.  

You need 2 10oz  cans of diced tomatoes with green chilies. You can find them at Walmart in their brand so they are cheaper.

The recipe calls for a 4 oz can of green chilies. I put them in if I have them, but tonight I did not. We like our food somewhat spicy so if you don't I would leave them out.
 

Next you add a can of Chili Beans (you want them in the sauce) and 1 1/2  cups water.

Now this one ingredient may throw you for a loop. But it is essential to the taste....

One package of Taco seasoning and yes, one package of Ranch Seasoning mix.

Now I cover it and let it simmer away. The longer the better. And it is better and better the next day and the next day.

This is how we eat it, some like it with corn chips only and some of us like it with sour cream.  This would be a great soup to take to reunions or pitch ins. I have made if in the crock pot, and it works great.  Let me know it you have ever had this soup or you make it.  Good luck!

Well I feel like a domestic godess today, sewing, cooking, and feeding the birds! I had better enjoy the feeling because tomorrow I may just be..............: lazy :)

                             So from Thorntown we send hugs and best wishes.