Saturday Yumminess: Ensalda 1905

Ensalada 1905 (picture from The Columbia webstie)

This may be my favorite salad of all time.

It's a toss up.

Get it?

Oh I kill myself.

Anyway, it's served at The Columbia Restaraunt and when a friend of mine said she had the recipe I just had to have it! They have a recipe book for sale on their website that is now on my wishlist for Mother's Day. Everything I've ever eaten there has been fantastic. Or drank. They have a white sangria that is to die for.

Ensalada 1905

Head iceberg lettuce
2 tomatoes [cut in eighths]
4 stalks celery
1 c. swiss [cut in julienne strips]
1 c. ham [cut in julienne strips]
1/2 c. green Spanish olives
4 tsp. grated Romano cheese

Toss all ingredients together EXCEPT Romano cheese.

Dressing:

1/4 c. white wine vinegar
8 cloves garlic [minced]
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 c. olive oil
S&P to taste
2 tsp. oregano
4 tsp. lemon juice

Mix garlic, oregano, and Worcestershire sauce with whisk. Add oil beating to form an emulsion. Add remaining ingredients. Toss with salad and cheese.



I could eat a big ole bowl of this and a loaf of bread for DAYS on end.

Do you have any recipes from local establishments that you were stoked to get ahold of?

Don't be greedy ~ Share!

Doing Something to the Dining Room

The Shabby Nest is hosting a Frugal Decorating Tip party. I love nothing more than a good party, so I'm soooo there. Go and see how others are decorating the frugal way. It'll put more projects on your weekend list than you can imagine!

The only problem is the admission is a post with my own tip. Hmmm. The only way I know how to decorate is Frugal. However, I have not used my camera much to take pictures. Bad Mama.

I do have a few pics that I'll share and pinky swear to get better about using the camera ~ fair enough?

Tip #1: If you find a yard sale table that has a classic shape but the top is marred beyond the repair time you want to put into it..........cover it with fabric.

Leftover fabric and my handy dandy staple gun transformed this table in less than five minutes. I love that it adds another layer of texture to the dining room.

Tip #2: If you still have MORE left over fabric and no art..........get cheap art canvases from Walmart.
The same leftover fabric and staple gun were used here; along with appliqueing letters. Applique first, then staple. Original, cheap and fast that's how we do it in Bahama Shores.

What have you done lately???

Sincerely 'Fro Me To You: Trailer Trash Kids

Jumpin' back on the bandwagon of Sincerely 'From Me To You and I find out there is a new driver. Buckle up......it's sure to be a wild ride!

Today I bring you the younger, more critical ~ some may say condescending ~version of the Mama.

I've told you my love for my Mother In Law. And really, I have nothing to really, legitimately complain about. But you know I'm gonna anyway.

She is VERY passive. You know the kind: if you looked martyr up in the dictionary, you'd find the picture I posted in my first Fro post.

She doesn't assert her opinion. Will hardly give a decisive answer when asked.

Would NEVAH presume to tell us how to raise our family, even though she did an outstanding job with her boys and has taught elementary school for over 40 years.

I tried to emulate this attitude when she was kind enough to watch the kids for us when we went out of town.

Really, stop laughing.

After I gave her whatever details she wanted about kids schedules, likes and dislikes etc. etc. I tried to keep my mouth shut.

But inside I seethed.

You see, she loves to take pictures with her non digital camera. She is even more snap happy when I'm not around. I guess I take some of the fun out of it :)

She puts all the picture doubles in those little $1 plastic brag books for my kids to have. They love them. Me? Not so much.

You see it seems my mother in law doesn't really sweat the small stuff.

Like getting dressed. Or cleaning their faces.

Here's a picture of my two oldest when My Man and I were out of town.

When I saw this picture almost a decade ago, I was mortified.

My children look like Trailer Trash Kids.

(what we call dirty kids.......you know, with 7/11 dirty feet, babies dressed just in a diaper, breakfast, lunch and dinner still on their faces, mamas cussing about beating their children, daddies burpin while rubbing their beer bellies; need I go on?)

I saw this as a reflection of my parenting skills and morals.

But, now?

Here's a picture *I* took while camping.

Would you looky there: Babyboo is all trashy AND suckin on a pacifier. (my other three babies only used paci's in the crib until they were 1)

Yup, I've run over that condescending self with a 4 wheel drive and am so much more content.

I can actually look at these pictures and see the love instead of critiquing each person.

Ahhh, wisdom ~ the ONLY benefit to being this damn old!

WFMW: Line Dry

Today is Earth Day so I thought I'd share the way I've been "doing my part".

Last summer I bought a clothesline and a bag of clothespins from the dollar store. I hung the line in between a tree and our fence near the gate on the side of our house. Initially, I just wanted a place to hang our wet towels and bathing suits from the daily pool usage.

I then moved on to hanging our sheets to dry. I love the smell of air dried sheets.

I slowly began to add clothes to the line.

It was summer and in Florida that means evening downpours - every evening. So you have to be disciplined about getting the clothes off the line.

Then I broke my foot and this all came to a screeching halt.

In November, once I'd been cast less long enough, I began to want to hang my clothes out again. I did a little google.com research and found a great tip:

~ Each night check the weather.com website for chance of rain for the next three days.~

This allows you to plan how many loads of laundry you need to do. If tomorrow's forecast is clear but the next has a chance of rain you may choose to double up the first day.

Sounds simplistic, but it never occurred to me. duh!

I've since added a second clothesline just under the first but tucked behind the next post and I have enough room to dry 2 full loads.

During the winter months when the humidity is low here in Florida, but the temperature is milder and the sun is not as bright or long..........I put a load of laundry in the washer before I go to bed. The next morning I am able to hang the laundry out as soon as possible.

I feel very Mother Naturist while taking the time everyday to hang the laundry out and that's what working for me.

To see what works for others visit We Are THAT Family.

Run over to The Shabby Nest

The Shabby Nest is hosting a giveaway to honor her 200th post.

Look at these adorable pillows you can choose from:

She also has a wonderful ETSY shop if someone else is the lucky winner.

Happy Birthday to My Man

Today is My Man's 44th birthday!

He's not one for celebrating himself much, but did request banana chocolate chip bread for breakfast.

Banana chocolate chip bread

1/2 cup butter

1 cup sugar

1 cup mashed bananas

2 eggs, beaten

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp. soda

1/2 tsp. salt

3/4 cup chocolate chips



Cream butter until softened. Add sugar, creaming well. Add bananas and eggs, mixing well. Sift flour, soda and salt together; stir into creamed mixture. Fold in chips. Pour into greased loaf pan and bake 1 hour in a 350 degree oven.

Sad Life Lesson Learned Today

My heart is breaking for Chickie Poo.

We learned Monday that one of her classmates, on the afternoon of Easter, had chased a ball into the street and been hit by a SUV. The child broke both arms and legs and was not going to able to return to school to finish the year. Chickie Poo felt sad for him and was making cards and such to send to the hospital.

Me? I laid awake until after 3 that morning re-enacting the accident. I saw myself as the driver, since I drive a SUV. I saw Boo Bear as the child hit, as he plays ball CONSTANTLY and thinks he is invincible. I had other worries going on, but this was one of the major ones.

I recommitted to driving more carefully. I emphasized the importance of letting the ball go, looking both ways and overall safety with my older kids.

We discussed how lucky he was to survive with broken bones but still alive.

My phone rang an hour ago with Chickie Poo crying uncontrollably on the other end.

The school just announced this child had passed away.

I pray for his mother and family. I pray for mine as well.

Today is to the day when my child will forever be changed. She now is acutely aware that bad things CAN happen to another child; someone she knows.

I'd give anything for her to have never learned this lesson.