AROUND THE HOUSE IN JANUARY....and SUPERBOWL APPETIZERS

Hello Loves!

Wowza...the month of January has just flown by

hasn't it?

Do you have the winter doldrums?

I suppose it's time to plan for spring plantings

and gather ideas for outdoor living!

That sure is fun to dream about isn't it?

Here are a few happenings at Estelle's this past week.....

We spent a lovely afternoon catching up with

Nick and Cat and even drove to Uptown Dallas

for a Saturday night date night!

This is our favorite seafood restaurant which reminds

us so much of an authentic New Orleans vibe!

It was a wonderful time.....

I am probably going to post maybe once a week

during these slow months but will always try to bring

you a few items of interest...

today is gray, cold and rainy....a good day 

to watch Netflix, along with cleaning out cabinets!

I gave a lot of items to Catherine when they were

visiting us, which gave me room to clean and 

update our upper kitchen cabinets...

now I can see and appreciate my favorite collectibles

without too much clutter!

She seems to love the things I pass down to her

and uses it all...I adore this in a daughter-in-law!

I will say we have been so blessed with both

our son-in-law and both daughters-in-law...

so thankful for all of them!

This is my current morning coffee mug...

do y'all change out your mugs as much as I do?

It depends on my mood or even the season as to which

one I decide to use for a week or two!

Yes, I have a weakness for beautiful mugs!!!

I guess that may mean I'm a "mug-aholic?"

I have always been in love with Torchiere lamps...

I find them rather romantic tucked into various nooks...

this is a new one I added to the kitchen....

This lets off a very soft warm glow in the evening...

perfect for Winter and especially for Autumn.....

Look what I found....at Market Street!

Honey, I don't know what it is, but Whataburger 

has THE BEST KETCHUP in the entire world!

You can find this on Amazon too for those of you up north

who do not have Whataburgers!!!

It was one thing we yearned for when living in Maine!

I love baking on rainy days and thought

it had been ages since I baked up a batch of 

Chocolate Chip Cookies....

I decided to use one of my favorite cookbooks of all times...

my vintage Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook...

a gift every bride should have!

I also wanted to bake the darling an Apple Crisp
with all of my lovely supply of apples.....

men love Apple Crisp more than any other dessert, you know!
Words of wisdom from a Southern girl......

I highly recommend this moisturizer from Loreal...

I have wanted to try this for some time and came

across this Trial Size at Walmart...

I love this product!

The darling's latest Winter puzzle....
I just want to frame each one...gorgeous
with so many details!

How about your Superbowl party.....
I love hosting a little gathering for my boys
even if our teams don't make it to the big game...
this year, I am rooting for Kansas City!
Why Kansas City, you may ask?
Because the KC quarterback is Patrick Mahomes,
who is from Tyler, Texas and played football at Texas Tech!
We Texans stick together!

Here are a few recipes that will be featured
at our house on game day!

HOT PIZZA DIP

HONEY BUFFALO MEATBALL SLIDERS

I hope you all have good days ahead....
Warm hugs to each of you!

DELICIOUS RECIPES YOU WILL WANT TO TRY!

I will always do my very best to bring

you the best of the best recipes for your family!

One of my passions is cooking and baking and 

all of these recipes are keepers!

Not only are they marvelous tasting,

they are all easy to prepare, without buying

a lot of ingredients....which I love!

So, Estelle's has you covered for breakfast, lunch and dinner

and also a divine sweet ending!

I purchased the Birch Benders Pancake and Waffle Mix

on a whim one day while shopping at Market Street and I will tell you,

it was LOVE at first bite!

We liked these so much, that I bought packages for all

of my children!

Our favorites are the Chocolate Chip, Cinnamon and Buttermilk!

I love adding fresh berries to pancakes....nothing better!

Treat yourself and those you love to a beautiful breakfast this week!

If you are unable to find this brand at your local grocery,

then you can order them from Amazon!

It is simply THE BEST!

PHILLY SLOPPY JOES!

Oh yes...this is a man-pleasing lunch and/or dinner!

I served these hearty sandwiches on toasted bakery buns, with Air Fryer potatoes!

PHILLY CHEESESTEAK SLOPPY JOES

The BAKED CHICKEN CAESAR PARM!

We both gave this two thumbs up and served this with

hot buttery rice and seasoned broccoli!

MELT IN YOUR MOUTH CAESAR CHICKEN

I am all about using a cake mix when trying out a new cake recipe...

at least for me, they seem to turn out better than baking from scratch!

This one did not disappoint!

It is so easy, so moist and tender and absolutely delicious!!!

The homemade cream cheese icing is wonderful...

I do not like a lot of icing on our cakes so I only frost the middle

and top of the cakes...but this recipes makes enough for the entire cake

if you prefer....this cake should be covered and kept in the fridge...

then allow to come to room temp when ready to serve!

ITALIAN CREAM CAKE

I so hope you found something you would like to try...

isn't that the most wonderful thing about blogging?

Meeting new friends and sharing ...remember y'all....

BE BLESSED AND BE KIND!

OH, I LOVE THAT!

There are certain images that we are drawn to.....

the things we love say so much about our personalities....

I find it so enjoyable to find inspiration in beautiful living spaces

and beautiful foods....it does indeed  make life joyful!

I love browsing through Pinterest and finding photos that speak to me....

hope you enjoy this little stroll through beautiful living....

I find outdoor spaces that are full of gorgeous plants a place

I want to create....just pass around cold glasses of lemonade

and we would be set for a lovely afternoon.....

How adorable is this little cottage style tiny house....

just a few touches at the entrance make for warm welcome....

Now this has style...rather boho chic....don't you adore this

entrance with the use of the shutters and lace....

I adore any kitchen space that reminds me of my Grandmothers...

the chintz plates, the little pie safe and Gerber daises...what's not to love?

Salt Boxes!!! I simple adore them!

This kitchen is gorgeous...warm and inviting...

I love the flooring and this large island

with the butcher block counter...rather rustic and country feeling...

I would sit there with a glass of red wine and have

something Italian cooking in the oven....

I love everything about this....

the woven table runner, pewter candlesticks, the rustic

basket filled with fall mums and seasonal fruits...

a lovely home you would find in New England....

Beautifully put together....

love the black cabinets, the touches of Primitive decor....

and especially the brick backsplash...my mother loved

the look of old brick....

Love the green cabinets and cottage style...

perhaps a kitchen in England....

relaxing and charming.....

I love everything in this photo...

the quilts, the rag rugs, the Hoosier cabinet,

the clever green shelf added to display little collectibles...

what creativity....a perfect place for a cat nap!

Now onto beautiful foods.....

Creamy Garlic Tuscan Salmon With Spinach and Sun-Dried Tomatoes 

Garlic Parmesan Roasted Sweet Potatoes 

Soft bread rolls slathered in creamy and milky yema icing.

I adore this bedroom....

just look at the beautiful creativity using

vintage pieces of home decor...

also a well chosen bedding ensemble....

please invite me for a weekend stay....

And lastly,,,I would take up sewing again

if I had this lovely little nook....I just love this!

All images from Pinterest.....

Happy weekend lovies....

WINTER STORM, SNOWFALL, and COOKIN' IT UP

There is something about a cold Friday night,

that makes you want to stay in, stay warm,

eat something comforting and hot..and enjoy

a good movie.

We had a rather non-eventful storm roll through

the area with rain, thunder and lightening.....

perfect sleeping weather!

We awoke on Saturday morning to sleet hitting the window panes

followed by a gorgeous little snow shower......

It's been well over a year since Mae Mobley

has seen snow flurries....she quickly decided

she was not interested in feeling the cold wind blow.....

We had our normal weekend errands to run,

so this winter weather was the perfect time to wear

my new little jacket, hat and scarf set...in my favorite color of pink, no less!

My sister asked to me to take a picture.....so here ya' go Sis!

I picked up this beautiful new lipstick.....

The darling spent the afternoon putting together

his new Harry Potter puzzles, which was a 

Christmas gift from our youngest!

This is a beautiful magazine and my first time purchasing

the Magnolia publication from Joanna Gaines....really enjoyed this one!

Our middle son sent us this video
of their Friday night storm

Our January Snow Storm....such a lovely gift

By evening, the sun had come out for the afternoon
and warmed us up just a bit...we had a gorgeous full moon
which made our plans for grilling steaks perfect!

Don't you love the ambiance of candles aglow
during winter nights?

There is nothing better than a winter breakfast of
Chocolate Chip Pancakes and crisp Bacon!

It was a good weekend....all is well....

Now, hopping over to Atlanta...where the cold North wind blows.....



Piper Rose was enjoying her new blankey,
which was her Christmas gift from us.....



Jay and Miss M were together, making my Italian Wedding Soup...
now that's comfort food for a cold Winter's night.....

Now, on to California......



The kiddos attended a Stars game in San Jose.....



Even though, they have both been under the weather
since they returned from the holidays...they certainly enjoyed the game!



This was a new trail Jenn discovered....
now I ask you.....how beautiful is this?

I have menus planned for the coming week...
all new recipes to us...

Baked Caesar Chicken from The Cookie Rookie

BAKED CAESAR CHICKEN

Philly Sloppy Joes

Butter Braised Slow Cooker Pork Roast

and

Italian Cream Cake