January 2007 - A Storybook Life

Easy Noodle Casserole – A Warm Dish for These Cold Winter Days

September 24, 2013January 30, 2007 by Pearl Sanborn

As you can see by the picture, we had another 4 inches of snow fall last night. Although we (well – my hubby) have to work to clear a path for walking – as well as our driveway (750 ft long), it is so beautiful to look at! We love looking out the windows to see the trees dressed with piles of freshly fallen snow. I feel like we’re in our very own winter wonderland!

Because we are “very” used to having snow this time of year, the kids hardly ever have a snow day (last year I don’t think we even had one!). So… things continue on as normal.

I wanted to share a little recipe with you that we had for dinner this week. It’s a warm hearty meal – great to have on Winter days like these.

Noodle Casserole (Some people call it lazy pierogi)

As in every recipe that I make, things can be added or removed to taste. This is a recipe that might not have exact measurements – you kind of “feel as you go” 🙂

– One container (2 handfuls) of fresh mushrooms
– One large onion
– 1/2 stick of butter
– 1 27 oz can of sauerkraut
– 2 lbs Polish kielbasa
– 1 lb noodles (I used fettuccine)
– 1 26 oz can of cream of mushroom soup

While preparing the other parts of this dish, cook kielbasa by broiling it in the oven, or BBQ on the grill (which is what we decided to do, because we love that flavor!) Once it’s finished, slice into chunks & put into large mixing bowl.

At the same time the kielbasa is cooking, cook the noodles according to package directions. Drain & run under cold water to stop cooking process, then add to mixing bowl.

Clean & slice mushrooms, add to a large skillet to which the butter has been added. Cook over low heat until browned. Remove from heat leaving butter in pan, then add to the mixing bowl.

Add onions to the pan & cook until just tender, then pour in sauerkraut (and juice). Let simmer until juice starts to reduce (this helps the flavors all mingle together). Add all contents of the pan to the mixing bowl.

Warm the can of mushroom soup & an equal amount of milk on the stove or in the microwave – then add to the rest of the ingredients.

Mix all ingredients well, and pour into a large baking pan. You can sprinkle bread crumbs or grated cheese on the top if you wish.

Bake at 375 degrees until brown & bubbly.

This dish is wonderful the first day & even better the next day for lunch!

Enjoy!

Who Says You Can’t Play With Your Food!

September 24, 2013January 22, 2007 by Pearl Sanborn

Kids inside with nothing to do? Why not make up a quick batch of play dough? You probably already have the ingredients on hand. It’s easy, contains no harmful ingredients, and if they decide to lick their fingers while they play, well, you don’t have to worry about that one 🙂

2C dry milk
2C creamy peanut butter
3Tbs honey

Mix together to make a play dough consistency. Add dry milk as needed. It might be good to bring out this recipe right before lunchtime. The smell of this dough is bound to make them hungry enough to eat their lunch like good little artists 🙂

Pictured: Here is a whimsical snowman from my collection. We’ve gotten so much snow over the past few days (approx. 18 inches), that I thought I’d share some snow with you today 🙂

How to Give Your Room a Designer Touch Using Old Chandelier Crystals!

September 24, 2013January 13, 2007 by Pearl Sanborn

A few years ago I was given an old (but not vintage) brass colored chandelier. The gal who gave it to me said she simply hated the piece & couldn’t wait to replace it with a more modern style of light fixture. Of course, when she offered it to me, I gladly said yes, because I knew that I could think of someway to use it.

Fast forward a few years after the chandelier has been waiting in my basement for just the right project… A few days before Christmas, I came up with the idea of removing the crystals and finding a way to hang them in the window. I wanted to use all of the pretty pieces of glass, so nothing would be wasted. So… after putting my brain in creative mode, I decided to make a sort of window mobile / curtain of glass.

Step #1 – Remove all of the crystals

Crystals have been removed & are in a bucket waiting to be cleaned.

Step #2 – Clean
I put all of the pieces in a small cleaning bucket & soaked them in water/dish soap/ and a bit of alcohol. The alcohol helps to keep water spots from forming on the glass.

Step #3 – Lay out to dry

Step #4 – Hang curtain rod inside of window casing.
* Be sure that hanging crystals will not interfere with opening the window – or opening curtains.

Step #5 – String the Crystals
I didn’t want to see the string used to hang each strand of crystals, so I used clear nylon sewing thread (you could also use fishing line). Because I didn’t want to stand up on a ladder & string each crystal, I decided to lay the rod across 2 chairs & stabilize each end with a pair of heavy books. For my project, I wanted the height of each piece to be a bit random, but you may choose to make everything more even.

Step #6 – Hang the rod in the window
* VERY CAREFULLY 🙂

I am really enjoying my new display – even before I have my curtains up… that project will be for another day (soon I hope 🙂

Don’t Just Bag Them & Toss Them Out – Use Your Old Clothing to Make Enough Money For a Whole New Wardrobe ;)

September 24, 2013January 11, 2007 by Pearl Sanborn

I am so in the mood to clear out closets, bag everything up that we don’t need & find a way to rid our home of the extra clutter! I’ve come to expect this feeling around this same time each year, but this year I feel particularly motivated 😉

In the case of your clothes closet, I’m sure that you have piles of clothes that don’t fit you anymore – maybe the kids have outgrown some – or maybe you’re not into those retro styles that you’ve been storing in your closet since the 70’s for… who knows what 😉

This year, instead of trashing them, or simply bagging them up & stuffing them into the goodwill dumpster, why not use this idea to earn back some of that hard earned cash to use on new clothing that you might need!

Sell your clothes through consignment shops!

Consignment shops will take your clothes, put a high enough price on them so you can each make a nice profit. Using this method you both win! The shops get more stock to sell, and you get the stuff out of your house & make some money to boot!

Here’s how to get started.

Call all of the consignment shops in your area & find out who has the best options for you to sell your clothes.

– Wash the clothes
– Mend anything needing a touch up.
– Put them on hangers
– Take them to the shop
– Wait for them to call you & tell you how much you’ve earned 😉

You wouldn’t believe it, but I also know of folks who do this as a way to earn a good extra income!

They go to all the rummage type sales that they can find, buy the best of the clothes, tidy them up, & take them into the consignment shops around town.

We have a few nice places in my area that have occasional .50 cent bag sales! For .50 cents, you get everything that you can stuff into a large trash bag! You wouldn’t believe the great things that I’ve gotten at those sales! My favorite finds have been – beautiful Victorian lace up shoes, and an Italian silk suit for my husband! Anyway, use those great deals to get as many nice pieces that you can, then resell them through the shops.

Finding the best name brand clothes will bring you the most money. Also, if you deal with vintage clothing shops, you could get some nice bucks out of those old retro things taking up space in your closet 😉

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* Pictured is a little corner of my home – wood trimmed rusty tin star that we received as a Christmas gift, a little red & black crackled foot stool that I picked up at a local shop, and another one of my Pottery Barn glass jar + candle combos (got both very cheap, but I think they make such a nice little addition to any room 🙂

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While driving in Pennsylvania, a family caught up to an Amish carriage. The owner of the carriage obviously had a sense of humor, because attached to the back of the carriage was a hand printed sign… “Energy efficient vehicle: It Runs on oats and grass. Caution: Do not step in exhaust.”
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Simple “Free” Decorating Solutions – Basket of Hydrangeas

September 24, 2013January 6, 2007 by Pearl Sanborn

Sometimes the best ideas for decorating our home comes from the natural world around us.

When you’re hard pressed for ideas on how to bring your home to life, perhaps taking a peek outside at the “living world” around you will give you just the decorating tip that you’re looking for 🙂

There’s something very comforting about walking into a home that has a “bit” of nature there to greet you. I like to call it “feathering my nest” 🙂 When you think about it, you are actually bringing life into your home when you bring in items from the outside.

So many times, people automatically reach for what they already know (such as a bouquet of flowers) and their creativity seems to stop there. The next time you’re looking for a new little touch around your home, try to look past the things that automatically come to your mind & look for the unexpected.

This cabinet needed a little something on top, but I wasn’t sure what to use. I already had a nice basket that I was using to display some of my magazines, so I decided to fill it up with some dried hydrangea stems. I really like the way it turned out.

Here are a few other articles that you might like as well.

Grapevines for the in the Sitting Area

Lots of Creative (cheap 😉 Fall Decorating Ideas!