Meet Me on Monday

It's time again for Meet Me on Monday.  Please be sure and visit Java over at Never Growing Old to see all of the participants this week.  Maybe you'd like to join in too!

Here are this week's questions:
1. Have you ever been on a cruise?

 Nope, never.  We have tossed the idea around a bit but just haven't committed to it just yet.

2. What is your favorite way to eat eggs?


Well, it used to be over-easy but since they tell you not to eat them that way anymore it is now scrambled.  I love eggs - they are a great way to start out the day - full of protein and low in calories!


3. What is your favorite reading material?

Books, books, and more books!  I love to read but it usually takes a while to get through a book now-a-days since I don't designate enough time for reading.


4. Name all the pets that you have ever had?

Jim, Abbey, & Molly

Leo

Ever?  Really? Ever?  I have never, ever been without a pet except for brief periods.  Okay here goes- Dogs -  (that's all we had growing up) Missy, Muffy, Candy, Ginger, Kayla, Molly, Jim, & Abbey.  We had a collie when I was really young but for the life of me I cannot recall her name! I remember she had nine puppies and was a sweet dog.  My parents gave her away when we moved because she loved to wander.
Cats - (Since I've been on my own) Raschael, Freddie, Cassie, Oliver and Leo.
I think I've mentioned before that I have way too many pets.  Cassie, Oliver, Leo, Molly, Jim, & Abbey are in residence currently.


5. Were you ever a girl/boy scout?

I was a Brownie and a Girl Scout for a while. 

That's it for this week.  I hope everyone had a great Halloween!

Hugs,
Jacalyn

Pink Saturday and a Halloween Celebrations

Ha!  Did I scare you?  This is a special addition of Pink Saturday.  This week we can celebrate Halloween.  Please visit Beverly at http://www.howsweetthesound.typepad.com/ to see who is participating this week.  Of course I actually have some pink Halloween items cause, well, who doesn't???!  But as a special treat, I thought I would take you on a special trip.  Are you ready?  There will be candy corn for all!  Let's go!

This is my sister-in-law Jill...

This is Jill's house...  and Jill loves, I mean LOVES Halloween.  She's not even sure why, just simply that she loves Halloween!  Every inch of her outdoor decor, her entryway, her living room and her dining room is covered in Halloween accents.  She told me it takes days to ready the house and she begins at the end of September with her outside.  So come on in and take a peak...

See what I mean!  I wasn't kidding when I said she decorated everywhere!

Let's take a close up look at a couple of her outside exhibits...

 A cute? Little kitty!

Ummm... bloody fingers.... very Halloweenish!

Thanks for the tour Jill!  We appreciate it!

Okay, you have all been very good on our tour so here's your candy corn!

Come on, you can all share!

So here's Jill's tips for decorating on a budget...

~shop the Dollar stores as they have tons of cute little items

~shop the after-Halloween sales.  Jill states that day after sales are usually 50% off but a week later they can be 75 - 90% off!

~store everything neatly in a bin and label for easy access next year.

Wishing you a wonderful, fun-filled Halloween!

Cheers!

Hugs,

Jacalyn

Meet Me On Monday

Hello blog friends.  It's time again to link up with Java for Meet Me on Monday.  Be sure and visit Java so you can see all of the participants this week. 

Here's this week's questions:

1. Do you sleep with a night light on?

 Nope!  But I could.  I think I could sleep through a hurricane because I sleep so soundly.  Light does not bother me either way.  Actually I usually fall asleep with the TV on.


2. What do you drink with dinner?


Ummm.... usually skim milk or water.  Once in a while I'll have a soda or some sweet tea.

3. Do you play the lottery? If so, how often?


Hardly ever.  I do like the scratch off tickets once in while though.

4. How often do you go to the grocery store?


I. HATE. GROCERY. SHOPPING!

Once a week at most.  I usually plan ahead and have on hand what I need. 
5. Would you rather travel back in time 500 years or travel forward 500 years?


Well quite frankly, either seem rather scary to me.  My first thought was that I would travel back in time because it would be cool to see history in the making as we know it today.  But then I thought of all the oppression of women and minorities and thought maybe not.  And, I don't even want to know what this world will look like in 500 years!   Did I over think that one?  Probably, ha!

Have a wonderful week and a very Happy Halloween!



OXOXOX,
Jacalyn

Pink Saturday and my new pinks!

Welcome again to another week of Pink Saturday!  Please be sure to visit Beverly at http://www.howsweetthesound.typepad.com/ to see all of the participants this week.

I have loaded my boutique with some new pinks that I'd like to share with you this week.

 Some pretty new Soldered Charms.The icing on the cupcake is PINK in case you're wondering.

 Cute little pink take-out containers.  They are great for storage.

 A pretty pink embellished bottle filled with Dead Sea Salts.  I used vintage wall paper for this.

Here's a bird house I've painted the prettiest shade of pink!  I still want to embellish it more.

That's it for today.  I seemed to have run out of time as usual.  Have a wonderful weekend!

Hugs,

Jacalyn

Beautiful Blogging ~ Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Click here to visit http://www.carolsutton.net/pinkribbon.html

As you most likely know October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.  As such, I thought I would dedicate this Beautiful Blogging post to some key points in maintaining our breast health.  Of course I am not a medical professional and I am in no way offering any medical advice.  I just thought I would pass along some information that may be helpful.  Any questions or concerns about your breast health should most certainly be discussed with your health care professional.

~I think you would have to live under a rock if you didn't know that mammograms should be done yearly on women over 40.  I know that there has been some discussion about the benefit of women under 50 having mammograms but the best thing to do is speak with your doctor.  The guidelines have not changed as far as I can determine.  Click here to read more about mammograms.  While they are a tad uncomfortable, they are an awesome diagnostic tool and should not be disregarded.  A mammogram can detect changes even before you can feel the changes.

~It is important not to dismiss any changes in your breasts.  Of course we know that a lump may be indicative of a problem but look for other changes too.  A rash, changes in the nipple and other symptoms may also indicate a problem that you should speak with your doctor about.  Click here to read more about symptoms.

~It is essential to complete a breast self-exam so that you are familiar with your breasts in terms of texture, size, and skin condition.  Exams should be done at least monthly and should be done a few days after your period.  Even if you have gone through menopause, exams need to be completed each month.  Click here for a great guide on examining your breasts correctly.  Click here for a free print out on Breast Self-Exam.

~Click here to read about potential risk factors in breast cancer from the Susan G. Koman Foundation site. 

Please be sure and take care of your breast health!  It doesn't consume that much time and when detected early, survival rates are much higher.

Have a wonderful week!

Hugs,
Jacalyn

Pink Saturday, Facebook, Breast Cancer Research and a Pink Picture

Hello all of my best pink friends!  Thanks again to Beverly for hosting this each week!  Be sure to visit http://www.howsweetthesound.typepad.com/ to see all of the participants today! 

I am sure many of you are already on Facebook or have certainly heard about this social networking site.  I initially joined it as a means of advertising my business but if truth be told I mostly used it for personal reasons.  I have been lucky enough to reconnect with some old friends and I am loving it!

So as I am mulling over what to post about this week my daughter tells me "you know you can make your pictures pink on Facebook."  Shut up!  Pink?  Really?  Pink?! How cool is that  - a pink picture in October for Breast Cancer awareness?  She didn't quite know how to do it so after some exploring I've figured it out and it is simple.

After all, who doesn't like a PINK, yes, PINK, profile picture?  Do you want to give it a try?  Not only is it super cool but SC Johnson donates one dollar to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation the first time you change your picture.  Can there be anything better than a pink picture and a donation too?

Easy Peasy!

It's called Pink My Profile for Breast Cancer Awareness Month.  Simply visit www.facebook.com/rightathome and get started!  It's free, it's easy, and it supports a great cause.  AND IT'S PINK!!!!!!!

Be sure and let me know if you made yourself pink!  Feel free to friend request me too - my profile name is Jacalyn Kennedy Kelly

Have a great weekend!

Hugs,
Jacalyn.

What I did this weekend!

I have a four day weekend every week from my "day" job.  I usually work 10 hour days on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.  On my days "off" I clean, do laundry, hit the gym, and work on my website and eBay site.  Typically come Monday I am exhausted from having all this time "off!"  This weekend was no exception and I am t-i-r-e-d!  But as usual it was worth it.  I got to spend Sunday baking with my daughter Erin.

We started with this...

There was more but I forgot to take a picture when it was full...

Then...



again and again and again...

This is what we came up with...

Yummy Apple Muffins...

Hot apple pie... 2 - one is in the freezer for Thanksgiving if it lasts...

Apple Crisp...

and a big pot of applesauce!

I actually made a very yummy apple cake too but I forgot to get a picture of it!  That was given away and a small portion is in the freezer for the next time I need something sweet!

Phew, that was a lot of apples and a day full of baking!  But, then there was dinner to think about, so...

I made some potato soup!  It was amazingly tasty!  While in Myrtle Beach last weekend we had this awesome Baked Potato Soup.  Ironically, while looking for magazines for the plane ride home we picked up a soup one.  Guess what?  A recipe for Baked  Potato Soup very similar to what we had eaten!

I thought I would share the recipe with you since it is sooooo good but also so easy!  You could whip this up fairly quickly at the end of a long day and it is such a good "comfort" food.  I actually found this recipe (tasteofhome.com) on the Internet and it's exactly like the one I used. 

BAKED POTATO SOUP

source

Ingredients

• 4 large baking potatoes (about 2-3/4 pounds)
• 2/3 cup butter 
• 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon white pepper 
• 6 cups milk 
• 1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions 
• 10 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled 
• 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese

 

Directions

 

Bake potatoes at 350° for 65-75 minutes or until tender; cool completely (I microwaved them). Peel and cube potatoes.

 In a large saucepan, melt butter; stir in flour, salt and pepper until smooth. Gradually add milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat; whisk in sour cream. Add potatoes and green onions. Garnish with bacon and cheese. Yield: 10 servings.

My thoughts on the recipe: 

• Next time I am going to add a tiny bit of garlic and some parsley to give it just a bit more flavor.
• You could always throw in some extra baked potatoes next time your preparing them for a meal so you already have those handy.
• Try bacos (sp?) instead of your own bacon to make it quicker and probably with less fat.
• We used skim milk and "light" sour cream to reduce some of the calories.  I found that while skim milk can detract from some potato soup recipes it did not so much here because of the added sour cream.
• While browsing through recipes I noticed that a lot of them call for adding the bacon and cheese right into the soup.  While that certainly is good, I prefer to garnish my soup with the cheese and bacon after it is done.



So yummy with a bit of crumbled bacon and shredded cheddar cheese.

I would be thrilled to hear how you like this soup if you made it before or if you make it from this recipe.  How would you adapt it for your own taste?

Enjoy your week!

Hugs,

Jacalyn