Tuesday, July 03, 2018

Avocado Stuffed Taco Salad for Two...

I love Taco Salad, but I haven't made it much since we've been empty nesters. The recipe I used for years makes enough for a crowd, but yesterday I tweaked a recipe I saw on Pinterest and it was perfect for two! (You'll have enough meat mixture left over to put in the freezer to use on another night.) I also like the idea of this recipe having avocado, instead of corn chips. It makes it a little healthier.

Avocado Stuffed Taco Salad
Ingredients:
Start by making this ground beef mixture:
1 pound ground beef
1 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. onion powder
4 ounces tomato sauce

Add the ground beef to a medium sauce pan and cook over medium heat until browned. Drain grease and add all the seasonings and the tomato sauce. Stir to combine and cook for about 3 minutes. Set aside.

Other ingredients needed:
mixed greens
avocados cut in half
tomatoes
cilantro
green onions
shredded cheddar cheese
salad dressing
sour cream (optional)
black beans (optional)

Assembly:
I used a mix of romaine and iceburg lettuce...


Then I added some green onions, tomatoes and cilantro...


I cut an avocado in half, peeled it, and nestled it right in the middle of those greens...


Then I topped those avocados with the yummy ground beef mixture...


A bunch more for good measure...


To that cheddar cheese, more tomatoes, and cilantro were added...


Then a little Catalina Dressing and a dollop of sour cream finished it off! Of course by then the avocado was totally buried with a ton of deliciousness, but you get the idea.


There it is.
Taco Salad for two with enough meat mixture to put in the freezer for another night! 

Friday, June 29, 2018

Friday's Fabulous Finds...


In the last few weeks my husband and I have packed up all our belongings, sold our home, traveled almost two thousand miles from our home in Colorado to our new home in Massachusetts, and settled in our new digs. It has been quite a ride -- figuratively and literally. I miss our friends in Colorado, but I love our new home. My sewing machine has been neglected for a month now, and I'm itching to sew up something cute, so I'm sure I'll start blogging again on a more regular basis.

In the meantime I found these cute blue and white treasures. I've always been drawn to the colors of blue and white together -- maybe because of my Scandinavian ancestry...

I spy with my Etsy eye something...
fresh!


Clockwise, starting top left:

Peg Doll Family
Nordic Style Tablecloth
Striped Linen Sheets
Teepee
Invitation

Wishing you a wonderful weekend!

Monday, June 18, 2018

Beautiful Baby Quilt...


A couple of weeks ago I posted on my Facebook page a photo of the beautiful quilt that my daughter-in-law Stephanie was making. Here's the picture I posted. It's the back of the quilt.


When the back of the quilt looks like that, you know the front is going to be pretty special. Take a look...



Isn't it gorgeous?!? I simply love the front design of plain fabrics with that gorgeous floral print on the back...


You can find the floral fabric at Spoonflower -- here. Those beautiful blossoms remind me of the peonies I picked from my garden last week. So pretty. She finished it with a navy binding...


Their baby is due in the next few weeks! I can't wait to see the baby wrapped up in this beautiful quilt.


Oh, and if you think Stephanie's skills are all in the "sewing department," take a look at this cake she made their two-year-old for her birthday last week. Stephanie is multi-talented to say the least!


Friday, June 15, 2018

Friday's Fabulous Finds...


Some of you might not be aware, but I started my blog primarily to sell some totes I was making at that time. Soon after Etsy came on the scene and I created a shop there, which was so much easier than marketing my totes on my blog. Anyway, I've always had a thing for totes, purses and pouches of any kind, so today I'm featuring pouches you can find in my Pinterest board called "Purses and Pouches". Most links have patterns you so you can make one of these lovelies for yourself!



Friday, June 08, 2018

Friday, May 25, 2018

Friday's Fabulous Finds...


I spy with my Etsy eye some...
time at the beach!


Clockwise, starting top left:

Beach Blanket
Picnic Basket
Seagull Painting
Driftwood Sign 
Beach Bag 

Wishing you a sun-drenched weekend!


Wednesday, May 23, 2018

Little Girl Golden Quilt...


Here's the last quilt I'll finish before our move. Man alive peoples -- moving is not for the faint at heart. It's stressful! That's why I'm taking a few moments to relax by writing this post. I love these golden baby quilts I've made recently. I posted about a little boy quilt a couple of  months ago and now I have this little girls one...


I love this golden yellow color with gray. Once again I used the flower and bee quilting pattern. The little bee is particularly adorable with the gold thread.


This pattern is so simple. They are 11" half square triangles trimmed down to 10 inch blocks.


I added a 1 inch gray and a 4 inch golden print frame around the edge.


For the back I used one of the florals and some scraps from the front! Whaaalaaa!
Done. 

Friday, May 18, 2018

Friday's Fabulous Finds...


I spy with my Etsy eye some...
fabulous retro mid-century finds.


Clockwise, starting top left:

Plant Stand
Wooden Leaves Hanging Mobile
Wood & Steel Coffee Table
Lounge Chair
Address Stamp

Wishing you a fun-filled weekend!

Wednesday, May 16, 2018

Pink Blossom Baby Quilt...


I didn't think I'd get this quilt finished for a couple of months, but Monday was a slow day with house showings (our house is up for sale), so I was able to sew the binding on a couple of quilts. I love the fabrics in this quilt. They are beautiful and perfect for a little girl...


These fabrics wouldn't typically be considered for a baby, but when you put the florals together with the polka-dots they have a more playful feel. Then when you add the bee and flower quilting, it's perfect for a little one...


My inspirations for the pattern on this quilt was a "barn quilt" I saw on Pinterest...



I arranged the colors a little differently, but it's basically the same.


For the back of the quilt I used the large floral and then some of the scraps from the other fabrics...


Were having gorgeous Spring weather here in Colorado. I hope it's just as beautiful in your neck of the woods!

Tuesday, May 15, 2018

Bloomin' Tuesday...


Here's a collage of my favorite shade loving perennials...


Clockwise, starting top left:

Hosta
Bleeding Heart
Columbine
Hellebores
Begonia
Virginia Bluebells

Have a wonderful day!

Friday, May 04, 2018

Tuesday, May 01, 2018

Two Baby Girl Quilts...


Oh man. This last week has been biiiiizzzzzzeeeeee. We're getting ready to list the house in a week. Real estate is moving fast here in Colorado, so things will only get more hectic this next month. Today I stopped by to pick up my last two quilts from the longarm quilter that I've used for all my quilts these last couple of years. She does such a wonderful job. I picked up two baby girl quilts that I made from fabric at Hobby Lobby...


Generally speaking I like to use a higher quality quilting fabric than you can find at Hobby Lobby, but these prints spoke to me.


I thought the bee and flower quilting pattern for these two quilts were perfect. Since the fabrics aren't necessarily juvenile, I wanted the quilting pattern to have a childlike flair.


I don't think I'm going to be able to get the binding put on these two quilts before we move in June. There's just too much to do, but that will give me something to do when we get to our new home!

Thursday, April 26, 2018

Hugs and Kisses Quilt...


I've named this my "Hugs and Kisses" quilt. It's filled with x's and o's...


When I finished all our children's and grandchildren's quilts for Christmas, I knew the next quilt I wanted to make would be for my sister. If anyone deserves a little tlc and x's and o's, it's my sister. Do you see all those hugs and kisses in the printed fabrics?



Even the design of the quilting is filled with hugs!


I dropped off my last quilt top and bottom at the longarm quilter's home last week. Our move across the country is looming, and I need to get more serious about getting the house ready to list and us ready to move. I've been working in that direction for months, but next month we plan on selling the house, and by June we'll be settling in Massachusetts. I'm so excited about this new adventure. I just really hope there are some good fabric shops in the northern Massachusets/southern New Hampshire areas. Fingers crossed!

Here's the back of the quilt...


My sister has done so much for our family. This little quilt is a drop in the bucket of the appreciation I feel for her. She's an amazing woman and sister, and I'm so blessed to have her in my life. I hope she bundles up in this quilt with her adorable puppy Charlie and is reminded of my love for her when she's snuggling in it!


Wednesday, April 25, 2018

#22's Quilt...


I dislike calling grandchildren-to-be by a number, but when I don't know what the little muffin's name is going to be, that's what I do. We are expecting another grandchild in July -- our 22nd grandchild and our 14th granddaughter. We used to be pretty even-steven when it came to the ratio of grandsons to granddaughters, but recently we've had a run on girls. I've been making a few things for the little angel and hope to get all the items shipped off this week. Here's the quilt I made for this little one...


It's not particularly a girly-girl kind of quilt, but I think it's adorable. The inspiration fabric is this woodland print...


This fabric has a taupe background with white, cream and coral touches. I combined it with three other fabrics in coral, taupe, and white, and I decided on a daisy pattern for the quilting.


I used the woodland print for most of the back fabric with a strip of the other fabrics...


I hope one day to find this quilt trailing behind our granddaughter. I love well-loved quilts!