Real exciting stuff

no, not really. This post is just about everyday and routine homekeeping things of summer.

First, Debbie posted last week about what is under her kitchen sink and asked to see everyone else's too.
There is not much under my kitchen sink - our sink is in a corner on a diagonal and there is less space under it than any sink we've ever had. The garbage disposal takes up a good bit of space.

a small trashcan (I have a bigger one on the other end of the kitchen but this small one is really handy)
a bottle of dishwasher soap turned upside down to get the last bit out
some bleach spray and scouring powder - both used to keep that white sink white
rubber gloves and a scrub brush
and a few empty jars - so, care to join in with Debbie and share what is under your sink too?
we did not go to any yard sales this Saturday but I went to one thrift store this week. Their linens were half price and I got this vintage sheet with violets on it for 75 cents.

My parents went to an estate sale in their neighborhood and got this red Pyrex for me and the loaf pan - I like them both a lot!

I did a little kitchen experimenting this morning, I used up some strawberries bought on sale, blueberries left from the 4th of July and some apples that had been in the crisper drawer a few weeks. After some online research, I just started cooking. I used way less sugar than the recipes called for as I like jam a little tart and no pectin.
The result was 2 pints of strawberry jam, a tiny jar of blueberry jam and 2 jars of apple butter that I did not seal, just put those 2 straight in the fridge.

The petunias and begonias by the front door have bloomed so pretty this summer.
The little white chairs being used as plant stands make me smile. We got them at a yard sale for $1 but when Gavin tried sitting in them, they always fell over. I think their base is too narrow to be safe for a toddler. But one of my blog readers said they would be cute as plant stands and she was right.

I spent half of this morning doing yard work, mowing, weeding, edging, watering.
My father in law is in town and one of his specialties is yard work. Our front hedge was badly in need of trimming so he took care of that part this afternoon. It was getting pretty shaggy and I had been considering trying to trim it myself. But I am really glad he did it, I know he got it much straighter than I would of.

Theo got a bath today, can you tell how thrilled he is?

I actually prefer days at home when I can do this kind of stuff - so it may not be exciting but when I am home, I always stay busy and never run out of things to do.

recent doings.....

I have not seemed to have found much time to blog this week, so I will just combine several things I've been doing into one post.
There were not many yard sales this past weekend with it being so close to the 4th of the July. Instead, we shopped at our local antique mall and we had fun walking through it.
I bought 3 things, and they were almost yard sale prices anyway.
a painted tray, and 2 Pyrex dishes. $12 for all.
I've been using a few of the Pyrex refrigerator dishes and really like them for storing leftovers. The other baking dish is about 4 x 8, I used it last night to bake 1/2 a recipe of cornbread. And tonight, I baked 1/2 of a small yellow cake. Both times, I used the toaster oven to save on electricity and to not heat up the kitchen too much. Nina has been doing lots of sprucing up around her home while she was on maternity leave. She had these pillows but either they did not match the rooms she was using them in or she just did not like them.
She found some fabric she did like at Hobby Lobby, I made new covers and reused the stuffing from some of the old pillows.
They look pretty on my blue bed but they have gone to Nina's. I am sure they look pretty wherever she put them too.
Family Dollar had a $5 off $25 purchase coupon in last weeks sale paper. I used it to stock up on our favorite toilet paper - Charmin Basic - it is soft enough and strong enough without going overboard on either quality.

Jimmy helped me can more jalapenos last night, 18 jars more! He was a huge help as he did all the pepper slicing. Some of the peppers are from my garden and some are from my brother.

White Texas Sheet Cake

Oklahoma Granny asked about the recipe for the white Texas sheet cake, it is recipe I clipped from a Taste of Home issue years ago. Jeff says he prefers the chocolate Texas sheet cake but he still eats plenty of the white one too.
All its ingredients are basic kitchen staple that I almost always have on hand. It stirs up really quick, no need to get out the mixer either.
However, it is very rich and unless you are an Amish farm worker who burns off a million calories a day, you probably should not eat it very often.

White Texas Sheet Cake
1 cup butter, cubed
1 cup water
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon almond extract
1/4 teaspoon baking soda

FROSTING:
1/2 cup butter, cubed
1/4 cup milk
4-1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 cup chopped walnuts (walnuts are good but I prefer pecans)
Directions
In a large saucepan, bring butter and water just to a boil. Immediately remove from the heat; stir in the flour, sugar, eggs, sour cream, salt, baking powder, extract and baking soda until smooth.
Pour into a greased 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan. Bake at 375° for 18-22 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack for 20 minutes.
For frosting, in a large saucepan, bring butter and milk just to a boil. Immediately remove from the heat; stir in confectioners' sugar and extract. Stir in walnuts; spread over warm cake. Cool completely. Yield: 20 servings.

Nutrition Facts: 1 piece equals 409 calories, (YIKES!) 19 g fat (10 g saturated fat), 62 mg cholesterol, 304 mg sodium, 58 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 4 g protein.

White Texas Sheet Cake published in Taste of Home October/November 1993, p39

I baked it in a 13x9 cake pan instead of a jelly roll pan. It works fine either way.