What is the Plural of "Iris"? Huh...

Wikipedia says:

 

Iris is a genus of 260–300^[1][2] species of flowering plants with showy flowers. It takes its name from the Greek word for a rainbow, referring to the wide variety of flower colors found among the many species.^[3] As well as being the scientific name, iris is also very widely used as a common name for all Iris species, though some plants called thus belong to other closely related genera. A common name for some species is 'flags', while the plants of the subgenus Scorpiris are widely known as 'junos', particularly in horticulture. It is a popular garden flower.

 

MY IRIS:

I definitely don't have a green thumb,

but I'm trying to learn.

Fortunately,

with Iris,

You don't have to have much talent,

in order to have beautiful blooms!

These pictures are of my Iris

that my husband and I have planted the last few years.

All we did was stick the bulbs in the ground,

and "up" they came in the Spring.

I don't know the names of each variety,

but hope to learn more.

In the mean time,

I'll enjoy their beauty,

for however a short time they bloom..

When the Iris are a few days old,

they begin to wilt, as above,

but their beauty is still amazing!

I did learn to plant the bulbs in threes,

sort of in a triangle.

If you would like to learn more about growing

IRIS

like I am.....

check out the Internet....

there are lots of websites just for Iris!



Homemade Pecan Shortbread Cookies

These cookies are light and crispy.  With the full flavor of pecans.

They taste similar to a Pecan Sandy.

Very Yummy.

...

PECAN SHORTBREAD COOKIES

 

3/4 cup pecans - chopped

8 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature

1/2 cup confectioner's sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup almond flour

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

Toast the pecans in a skillet over medium heat - stirring often, until fragrant and roasted, about 4 minutes. Let cool,



 Combine butter, confectioner's sugar and vanilla in a large bowl.

In a medium bowl stir together the flours and salt. 

Add the cooled nuts into the flour mixture and

add to the wet mixture by thirds. 

Do not over stir the dough.

Shape the dough into a log with the diameter about 1-1/2 inches.

Wrap in wax paper or parchment paper, twist or tie off the ends.

Refrigerate for at least one hour.

When chilled, the dough is very firm.

Cut into 1/4" disks.

and place on baking sheet or stone.

Bake at 350 degrees for 16 to 20 minutes,

until edges are light brown.

Let sit on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a cooling rack.

ENJOY!

Keep Calm and Kerri On!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 







DIY Sharpie Mug "Downton Abbey"

In the mood for a little project,

coffee, and Downton Abbey....

So - why not combine it all into one GREAT CRAFT?

 



 

I purchased a plain white mug at Wal-Mart for under $4.

I washed and dried the mug,

then wiped it down with rubbing alcohol with a cotton ball.

Let it dry completely.

I used regular Sharpie pens to write on the mug.

"Don't bother me right now.  I'm watching Downton Abbey."

(if you need help to write in a straight line,

consider lining up painters tape to keep the writing level)

On the other side,

I drew my version of the Dowager Grantham

and a quote from her:

"Vulgarity is no substitute for wit."

 

PREHEAT the oven to 350 degrees.

Bake the mug for 30 minutes.

Let cool completely.

NOT DISHWASHER SAFE! Wash by hand.

 

I hope you try to make some personalized mugs or other dishes

using the SHARPIE method.

The possibilities are endless.

Great gift idea!

Keep Calm and Kerri On.

"Easy Cleaning" my Silver Tea Pieces

I found this silver tray at an estate sale last weekend for $1.

Nobody else paid any attention to it,

 but I could see it was possibly a diamond in the rough. 

I gathered up some of my other silver pieces that needed a good cleaning,

and started searching Pinterest for ways to clean silver.

There is a lot of controversy on this subject.

The method I ended up going with is not recommended

for silver that is "special" to you,

because the result is a chemical one.

May also state that it cleans the tarnish off so well,

the details are lost in the tiny sculptures and engravings

(the tarnish that settles in these areas and makes them more noticeable, is cleaned away).

Keeping this in mind....I still cleaned my silver using the

"Aluminum Foil and Salt" method.

Find a large sized pot, dish pan or in my case a roast pan

and put a large sized piece of aluminum foil (I use a store brand).

Add some salt (I used about 2 tablespoons

and some baking soda (1 tablespoon).

Then add boiling water.

Let the water cool slightly for a few minutes,

then add your silver.

Watch the silver closely.

Depending on how tarnished each piece is,

 determines how long to leave it in the solution.

This piece is still hot from the bath, and has condensation on it,

but after it was cooled and wiped down, it was very nice.

BEFORE

AFTER THE BATH

Since this piece was so filthy, I decided to clean it some more

with another tip I found on Pinterest.... TOOTHPASTE.

Again, people warn not to use this on heirloom or expensive silver

as the toothpaste could be abrasive and leave marks.

AFTER the bath and toothpaste cleaning.

This is what the aluminum foil looked like (on the left) AFTER using it to clean the silver,

new aluminum foil is on the right.

BEFORE

AFTER - NOT BAD!

Not perfect....but A LOT better!

(Not much change in the bell, but I did look closer and found

it must have just a thin layer of silver plating on it,

as most of the spots are worn down and rusted)

I made a display with some of my silver tea set on my breakfast table.

The tablecloth was made by one of my great-grandmothers

using material from outgrown dresses and blouses.

I love to sit here in the morning and have my coffee.

Maybe soon I'll actually break in my tea set and use it....

but for now, I just like looking at it!

 

Keep Calm and Kerri On!

 

 

Early Bird Gets the Worm! Yard Sale Finds this Weekend!

I didn't think I could get up at 6:30am

to go garage selling this morning, but I made myself crawl out of bed

and drink two cups of coffee.

Boy, am I glad I did!

I found a few great buys this morning.

WIZARD OF OZ BARBIE DOLLS

I'm from Kansas, the land of "Aahs"...and if you knew my mother

you would know she was "obsessed" with the Wizard of Oz.

I even painted a Wizard of Oz mural in her bedroom several years ago.

So when I came across these dolls for only $2 a piece,

I knew they were collector items, and worth a lot more.

The only items missing are Glenda's shoes and one of Dorothy's ruby slippers.

Dorothy and Glenda actually speak.

The dolls are "Barbie" brand...meaning it's Barbie as Glenda and Dorothy,

and Ken is the scarecrow, tin man and lion.

On eBay these are listed around $20 a piece, and $40 if still in the box.

My son scored really well on this garage sale day,

and he didn't even go with me!

Sam is very much into history, especially anything to do with the military.

I found the "Pearl Harbor" hardback book for only 50 cents.

and the WWII  five DVD pack for only $2.

 

I can't wait for tomorrow for some more garage sales!

Hope to see you out and about too,

just beware - I may race you to the great finds!

Keep Calm and Kerri On!



The Flip Fold - one of my "favorite products"

One of my favorite new products is

the FLIP FOLD

It may not be new to some,

especially if you worked in the retail clothes business...

but I first noticed this on the TV sitcom:

The Big Bang Theory

My favorite Theoretical Physicist,

Sheldon Cooper (played by Jim Parsons)

uses one to fold his clothes.

So I started to google it,

and found the "original"

which is made by a mom here in the USA.

Click on this website to order some yourself:

http://www.flipfold.com/?gclid=CMeb4IGxmbcCFeLm7AodcRsAOQ

Here's how it works:

Spread out the shirt, front side down.

If the bottom of the shirt is longer than the Flip Fold,

fold it up...

Right side FLIP...open,

Left side FLIP...open

Flip the right side over again - to line up the sleeve...

It will look like this...

Flip up the bottom....

Ta-dah!

Now you have a neatly folded shirt.

Each shirt comes out uniformly folded,

no wonder Sheldon loves it!

I love it too!

You can also fold jeans, towels, shorts, and Sheldon even folds socks with it.

It folds flat, so you can slide it under the bed,

or a cupboard,

but I wanted somewhere to hang it.

So my husband and son put up this little holder

for it in my linen cupboard by using

cheap molding.

The FLIP FOLD comes in TWO sizes:  adult and junior.

The colors are:

black, blue, green, gray, lavender, orange,

pink, purple, turquoise and yellow.

 

They are really affordable.  I bought one for my son for college.

Here's the link again:

http://www.flipfold.com/product-p/flipfold-adult-junior-combo.htm

 

Banana Zucchini Quick Bread

 

 

Quick breads are so easy to make.

I know the grocery stores carry some...

but why not make your own?

That way, you know what goes into it....

plus you can eat it...FRESH, WARM OUT OF THE OVEN!

Yumm!

BANANA ZUCCHINI QUICK BREAD
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour (I like to use non-bleached)
1 cup sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg
1 cup RIPE bananas - mashed (about 2 medium bananas)
1/2 cup Canola oil (I use Smart Balance)
1 tsp real vanilla extract
1 cup shredded zucchini
1/2 cups chopped walnuts (optional)

 

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, combine the first six ingredients.

In a medium size bowl, crack and whip egg, set aside...

Mash your bananas (I just use a fork)

Hey!  Somebody ate the other banana!

Not to worry....

If you don't have enough bananas for one full cup,

add some applesauce!

Add the banana and shredded zucchini (sorry I forgot to take a picture) to the egg.

Add in the vanilla and the oil.

Pour the WET mixture into the DRY.

Stir until ALMOST mixed,

then fold in the nuts.

DO NOT OVER STIR!

Pour into a greased standard size bread pan or bread stone.

Bake for 50 to 60 minutes. 

Check by inserting a toothpick near the center...if it comes out clean,

it's done!

Let rest on a cooling rack for 15 minutes.

Then slide a bread knife around the edges, and invert to pop out the loaf.

Let it set for another 10 minutes.

Slice with a bread knife and enjoy!

This is a very moist, decadent bread with a great hearty, yet light texture.

We love the crunch and added protein of the nuts,

but feel free to leave them out if your not fond of nuts.

Sometimes you feel like a NUT...

Sometimes you don't!

 

I hope you try this recipe.  If you have any questions feel free to post below.

Also, let me know if you try it!

Keep Calm and Kerri On!