Snazzy Birdhouses

From country style to mod, my in-laws are uber creative when it comes to birdhouses.
And, because they are founding members of ‘EOBHC’-Equal Opportunity Bird House Creators, they consider the most modest sparrow to the showy crow when building their shelters.

This style is for the rustic bird. Fancy parakeets are strongly discouraged.

Social birds tend to flock to this multi-unit. There are martini mixers and a neighborhood association.

This is a drive-thru feeder. Very important and busy birds fly through here on their way to early morning appointments uptown.

Intended for the sheriff bird and his growing family. He has been employed to keep the naughty blue jays at bay.

And finally, this was made for the modern bird. Both functional and architecturally pleasing, this birdhouse captures the style of today with a bit of a nod to yesterday.
Watch out Trump. My in-laws have cornered the market on bird real estate…

Purty Concrete Leave

On a recent trip to the north, I was able to see what my fabulously crafty in-law’s were up to.
The evidence of their creativity had taken over their entire basement floor.

My creative in-laws scour the countryside, looking for just the right leaves for their projects.
(My coffee mug was included to show the size and also for sips in between shots.)

Using real leaves, they mold the concrete mixture around the leaf and let it dry. This is one before it’s painted.

My mother-in-law has the patience to painstakingly hand paint each one. She has a gift for patience that I am striving towards.

The colors she chooses are stunning…

…eye-catching…

…and gorgeous. I am so impressed with what these two lovely people can create. I would argue that their best creation, however, was Biceps…but then again, I am a little biased.

Easy and Hearty Chili-(Vegetarian or Meaty)

Mmmm….chili.
The perfect meal for any tummy on a cold winter’s day. I make a large batch and freeze a bunch for later use-or to share with others. Food is always better when shared.

And, the longer you let the flavors hang out and get to know one another, the better the chili is.

Here’s what you’ll need:

2 lbs ground turkey/beef (leave out if you’re going the vegetarian way)
2 Roma Tomatoes
2 White Onions
4 Cloves Garlic or 1 tsp garlic spice
1 Green Pepper
1 jalapeno or more if you like it spicy
2 Cups black beans, drained
(1)14.5 oz can chili-ready tomatoes, undrained
(1)15 oz can tomato sauce, undrained
(1)7 oz can green chilis, undrained
2 Tbs chili powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp basil
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp salt

Cast Iron Skillet
Large Crock-Pot

Seed tomatoes, slice and place in a small saucepan with 3 TBS of water.

Stew over medium heat until soft and mushy. Set aside and let cool.

Seed and chop up the green pepper and the jalapeno. Slice up your onions.

Cook turkey/beef in your iron skillet and drain the fat. Return the meat to the pan and turn the heat to low. (If you are making the vegetarian version, skip this step.)

Mince your garlic cloves, adding it to the cooked meat (if you are making the vegetarian chili, mince the garlic into a large saucepan. Proceed to the next step).

Add the onions, green peppers and jalapeno to the meat. Cook on low heat until the tender, usually 3-5 minutes. While this is cooking, we’ll focus on our crock-potting next. Yes, ‘crock-potting’ is a word. Don’t try looking it up, though…

Turn the heat to low on the crockpot and add the “wet” ingredients:

Stewed Tomatoes
2 Cups black beans, drained
(1)14.5 oz can chili-ready tomatoes, undrained
(1)15 oz can tomato sauce, undrained
(1)7 oz can green chilis, undrained

Stir the ingredients together.

Next, add the spices to the crockpot:

2 Tbs chili powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp basil
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp salt

Lastly, add the meat, onions, jalapeno and the green pepper. Stir thoroughly once more.

Add a little cheese on top and voila-yummy in your tummy.
I serve my chili typically with cornbread and raw veggies on the side. It’s so dang good, you may not want to share….

Put the ol lid on top, turn the heat to low and let simmer for 2-3 hours.

The Pumpkin Roll

My oldest brother has established a rule for his children pertaining to picking out their holiday pumpkin.
The simple rule is: ‘If you can lift it, you can have it.’
In my experience, children-especially the sneaky nephew-types, tend to come up with all sorts of ways to circumvent the rules laid down by the parental figures.
I know because I was a sneaky child. But that was many, many, many moons ago.

At first, the oldest and sneakiest nephew realized he could ‘roll’ the pumpkin up onto his body-without a lot of heavy lifting.

The others followed suit while impressing even the most skeptical of aunts. (That’s me.)

However, the ‘pumpkin roll’ became passe.
Newly instituted was the ‘double lifter’.

For some, the concept of the ‘pumpkin roll’ or the ‘double lifter’ was lost, amidst the simplicity of merely climbing on the giant orange objects.

That is, until a sneaky Gramma came along and showed the littlest how it was done.
This pumpkin had found a home.
Gramma had found a new manic intensity.
And we had all found a new source of blackmail.