My new Mountain Cottage Renovation Project

Yes I know it is a mobile home, but we have big plans for it! And, when we are finished it, hopefully it will not look like a mobile home.  It is 14X60 and has 2 bedrooms and one bath.  It is only 5 minutes from Downtown Gatlinburg,TN and I believe in the winter we will have a beautiful view.  I have always wanted a cabin in the Smoky Mountains and we got this for such a great price, we figured we would grab it while we could and with a little work, make it look like a totally different place.  It is private and in a great location.  There is even an original log cabin on the property.  It needs some work because it is falling down, but my husband has already said that he can fix it up.

Some really big rocks along the driveway!

Also, there is a beautiful creek about a mile away that is perfect for picnic's and wading.

Here are a few photo's of the inside of the mobile home. It does need some work but it is really not too bad right now.

Well this is what is keeping me busy these days!  If anyone has any great ideas, please share them with me! I will keep our progress posted here.

Ms Kitty's Sloppy Joe's and Bon Voyage to Aubrey

Aubrey was chosen for the Jr. National Young Leaders conference in Washington DC.  

she leaves in the morning on her first trip by airplane.  Her Mom and I have been making sandwiches and cupcakes to help raise money for her trip.  Good friends from work, Glen and Kitty Dietrich made Sloppy Joe sandwiches recently and we sold sandwiches and chips at work for lunch.  The sloppy joe's are delicious.  Ms Kitty gave me permission to share her recipe here.

I want Aubrey to know how proud everyone is of her and to wish her a wonderful trip.  

Her mom is worried  because this will be Aubrey's first trip alone.  As a Mom, I would be worried too, but Aubrey is so smart and mature for her age, I know she will be fine and will come back home with many wonderful stories.  Aubrey you be good and be SAFE!

Know that there are many people back home that loves you and misses you!

MS Kitty's Sloppy Joe's

10 lbs of ground hamburger

2 onions chopped

2 bottles of sweet pickle relish

5TBS Worcestershire

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 1/2 cups ketchup

Brown ground beef in a large skillet and drain.  Transfer the ground beef to  to a large bowl and toss with all of the ingredients.  Divide the mixture between 2 crock pots and cook on low for 6 hours.  Serve on a large bun with really good chips.

Aubrey's lovely Mom getting ready for lunch!!

TWD: Thumbprints For Us Big Guys & Happy Birthday Pam

Ta Da!!!!

I enjoyed this weeks project very much. The recipe was easy and the cookies were pretty.  I had to use Almonds instead of Hazelnuts. I really wante to use the hazelnuts, but couldn't find them at any of the local grocery stores.  The only thing I would have done different is to use Strawberry Jam instead of Raspberry.  Maybe Iwould have liked the Raspberry better f I had been able to use the Hazelnuts.  Regardless, they were still very good.  I took them to9 work for my friend, Pams Birthday.  I hope that she had a great one and Knows that I was thinking about her.  I could not post on the day of her Birthday, due to a computer problem.  She is such a fun lady and I love her dearly!

Happy 13th Birthday Aubrey!!!!

 

Look at this Beautiful Girl! She turned a "Lucky" 13 yesterday and I was Lucky enough to spend the afternoon with her and her friends  at the Dippity Do Spa in Biloxi, MS. Take a look dippadydospa.com  It is a spa just for the younger crowd.  They got their nails done.

 

  

They also got their make up done!

  

They even got their hair done!

 

  

When they left they had another surprise waiting on them!

 

 

The limo took them for dinner here.  

http://www.ocharleys.com/  After  dinner, the limo took them back home where all her family and school friends were waiting for a great Birthday party that I am sure she will always remember fondly.

 

Aubrey, I have watched you grow into a beautiful young lady and I look forward to watching you grow into a successful adult.  As you go down the road of life, I hope that you never forget  how fortunate you are.  You have both beauty and brains, and most importantly, you have a family that loves you unconditionally. With those things on your side, Girl, the world is yours for the taking!

A Day at the Spa

Hey there! My daughter and I spent the day at the spa yesterday.  We got the gift for Christmas, and were just now able to schedule some time to go.  It was a much needed and appreciated luxury.  Thank you to my dear husband, Lynn! You can always give us this gift with confidence knowing that it will be a greatly loved gift .  This is the placewww.beaurivage.com/amenities  This is a beautiful upscale place of indulgence. For the first time, I had a European Stone massage, and it was heavenly!  We both had a facial and a Body Scrub and Maegan had a Therapeutic massage, which she loved.  Afterward we ate herewww.beaurivage.com/restaurants/restaurants_casual_dining_terracecafe.aspx  Here are photo's of the meal we enjoyed at the Terrace Cafe.

Muffalata Wrap                                                                                                                   Ahi Tuna Salad

These photo's were taken with my iphone.

Happy Birthday Jamie!

I work with a dear lady named Jamie and today we are celebrating her Birthday.  We are buying her an ice cream cake from Marble Slab Creamery and several of us are bringing a dish from home.  I made Buffalo Chicken dip.  There are many recipes out there for this , but I have concocted my own.  I doubled the recipe so it makes a large batch.

Buffalo Chicken Dip
2 Rotisserie Chcikens from the Grocery store(I used Traditional flavor)
2 6 oz pkgs cream cheese
4 cups shredded mozzerella
2 medium sweet onions, chopped
4 large stalks of celery, chopped small
2 Tbs butter
3/4 jar of Franks Hot sauce-the large jar
1small jar Ranch dressing
1/4 jar of Blue Cheese Dressing.
Pull meat off the bones and discard the skin.  Saute onion and celery in butter until tender.  Mix remaining ingredients, put in a casserole dish and bake for 40 minutes.  Serve with tortilla chips or crackers.

I have heard this called "Crack Dip" and now I know why.  It is hard to stop eating once you get started.  My daughter had made a version of this for Christmas and I loved it.  Her recipe did not saute the onion and celery and she used colby and jack cheese.  Hers was really good, but I think mine is better! Sorry Maegan.  Some folks may prefer to use all Blue Cheese Dressing and crumbled blue cheese. But, I am just not a big fan of Blue Cheese.  This dip would make  great "Game Day" food.  HAPPY BIRTHDAY JAMIE! I hope you a most Wonderful Day!