Feeds:
Posts
Comments

I’ve had a lot of searches lately for western party theme ideas.

Here are some fun links to websites with people much more creative and crafty than me who whipped up some fun centerpiece ideas!

Enjoy!

Bandanas and sunflowers combine for a striking centerpiece in this creation from Simple  and Easy Party Ideas Galore from The Girl Next Door.

I love the flower-in-a-boot idea from The Flower Studio.

Or this fun idea from Mitzvah Market by CherylStyle.com

I love this rope centerpiece idea from Truly Lovely. What a great way to repurpose old ropes!

I’m a huge fan of old jars, especially if they have already turned blue. This is such a lovely and simple idea from the Wedding and Party Network.

This gingham themed table from Kate Landers Events is just too fun!

Party on!

She Who Now Wants a Hoedown Party!

Last week I accomplished something that I was quite excited about and proud of.

For some people, what I did would have been nothing of importance. For other people it would have been a huge deal.

For me,  it was one of those things that confirms that following my heart and my dreams is the right and good thing to do.

Only some of the Negative Nellie’s in my world made comments like:

“Oh, sorry you didn’t do better than that.”

“Well, I suppose that’s better than nothing.”

“When you move on to something else, it won’t really matter.”

I know I should ignore them. I know their thoughtless comments shouldn’t bother me.

But they do.

I’m only human after all.

And no matter how thick I try to grow my skin, there are still some things that worm their way through that protective coating and zap me. They take away the joy of achievement, diminish the excitement of my accomplishment, and they hurt my feelings.

So after having shared with Captain Cavedweller some of the things two of the Nellie’s in my world said, he gave me the “why do you listen to them at all” look, hugged me and told me they aren’t worth wasting my effort worrying about.

The next morning, he sent me these at work:

Along with a note that let me know how proud he is of what I accomplished.

He’s good like that – at building me up when others try to push me down.

We all need a champion in our corner. I’m certainly glad I’ve got CC in mine.

She Who Loves The Captain

The other day I decided to make something different and fun and exciting for our bored taste buds. Digging through my cache of recipes, I decided it had been forever and a day since we’d eaten Spaghetti Carbonara.

I originally got the recipe from my friend Jolene who is a fabulous cook. I tweaked the recipe just a bit and came up with one I like and Captain Cavedweller will eat – a double winner!

It is easy to make and comes together fairly quickly. Serve with warm bread and a crisp green salad and you’ve got a fantastic meal.

 

Ingredients

 

Bring salted water to a boil then add noodles. Cook al dente.

 

Chop bacon into small pieces and cook in large skillet.

Cook until slightly crispy. Save all that wicked bacon grease in the pan. Remove bacon pieces and drain on paper towels. Set aside.

 

Cook sausages in bacon grease, turning to brown each side. When brown, cover with water and let simmer for about 12-15 minutes until cooked through.

 

Add cream, Parmesan cheese and beaten eggs to noodles. Stirring quickly to keep eggs from going all weird on you.

Add bacon and return pan to low heat, stirring to coat noodles and cook eggs.

 

Top with some chopped parsley and enjoy!

 

Spaghetti Carbonara

1 pound spaghetti

1 tbsp. olive oil

1 tsp. salt

6 slices bacon

4-6 sausages

1/2 cup cream

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

2 eggs, beaten

2 tbsp. fresh chopped parsley

Bring a large pot of  water to a boil with salt, add spaghetti and cook until al dente. Drain well. Toss with  olive oil, and set aside.

Chop bacon into small pieces and fry in a large skillet until slightly crispy. Remove from skillet and drain. Set aside.

Using remaining bacon grease fry sausages until brown on all sides, then cover with water and cook for about 12-15 minutes until cooked through. Italian sausages would be best but you can use whatever you have on hand.

When sausages are nearly finished cooking, add beaten egg, Parmesan cheese and cream to noodles, stirring vigorously to keep the egg from getting all funky on you. Add bacon and return to low heat, stirring to coat all noodles and to make sure eggs are cooked before serving.

Sprinkle fresh parsley (or dried if you don’t have any fresh) over the top and serve with sausages.

Yum!

She Who Needs to Not Love Pasta Quite so Much!