Arkansas Pie Winner

Congratulations to Tammy, 

you have been selected as the winner 

of my two year blogging anniversary celebration! 

My first blog post was in May two years ago, and I have been posting favorite family recipes, home organization tips, and craft ideas ever since. Thanks to all who have encouraged me by leaving comments along the way!

Check your email, Tammy, so I can send you a copy of Arkansas Pie by Kat Robinson. Many thanks to all who entered and who continue to follow Aunt Nubby's Kitchen!

**Don't forget about the giveaway for edamame seeds for your garden, 

there's still one day left to enter that one.**

The two year anniversary celebration giveaway is a non-sponsored event and the prize is provided by the blog author.

Congratulations to Tammy, 

you have been selected as the winner 

of my two year blogging anniversary celebration! 

My first blog post was in May two years ago, and I have been posting favorite family recipes, home organization tips, and craft ideas ever since. Thanks to all who have encouraged me by leaving comments along the way!

Check your email, Tammy, so I can send you a copy of Arkansas Pie by Kat Robinson. Many thanks to all who entered and who continue to follow Aunt Nubby's Kitchen!

**Don't forget about the giveaway for edamame seeds for your garden, 

there's still one day left to enter that one.**

The two year anniversary celebration giveaway is a non-sponsored event and the prize is provided by the blog author.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

My Gift From The Better Baker

I am ready for the Christmas season with the new Gooseberry Patch Christmas 2012 book! I was the lucky winner of this book in a giveaway conducted by Marsha at the blog The Better Baker. Marsha had no more than announced that I was the winner, and the next thing I knew a package had arrived in my mail.

My grandson Landon (age 7) was at my house when I picked up the mail that day, and he was excited and curious to see this beautiful new book too.

We looked at the book together to see what kind of Christmas goodies we could find.

I found a recipe for a gorgeous Cherry Nut Cake that I will have to try. I love baking cakes in Bundt pans, and this one looks like Christmas topped with that beautiful cherry glaze.

The Gooseberry Christmas 2012 isn't just a cookbook - it is also filled with all kinds of Christmas projects to make, like this heartwarming printed burlap tree skirt.

These adorable felt stockings would look great hanging on anyone's mantel. The Gooseberry Patch Christmas book has complete directions and patterns for these projects and so many more.

Thank you so much, Marsha, for the terrific prize! I love the Gooseberry Patch Christmas 2012, and it will be treasured on my bookshelf. Landon thought the book was great too, but he found something else in the package that really got his attention.

"Whoa, Grams," he said, "you got a note from the Better Baker! We'd better lock this up in the safe and keep it." And that's exactly what he did. 

Marsha, someone thinks you're quite famous.

I am ready for the Christmas season with the new Gooseberry Patch Christmas 2012 book! I was the lucky winner of this book in a giveaway conducted by Marsha at the blog The Better Baker. Marsha had no more than announced that I was the winner, and the next thing I knew a package had arrived in my mail.

My grandson Landon (age 7) was at my house when I picked up the mail that day, and he was excited and curious to see this beautiful new book too.

We looked at the book together to see what kind of Christmas goodies we could find.

I found a recipe for a gorgeous Cherry Nut Cake that I will have to try. I love baking cakes in Bundt pans, and this one looks like Christmas topped with that beautiful cherry glaze.

The Gooseberry Christmas 2012 isn't just a cookbook - it is also filled with all kinds of Christmas projects to make, like this heartwarming printed burlap tree skirt.

These adorable felt stockings would look great hanging on anyone's mantel. The Gooseberry Patch Christmas book has complete directions and patterns for these projects and so many more.

Thank you so much, Marsha, for the terrific prize! I love the Gooseberry Patch Christmas 2012, and it will be treasured on my bookshelf. Landon thought the book was great too, but he found something else in the package that really got his attention.

"Whoa, Grams," he said, "you got a note from the Better Baker! We'd better lock this up in the safe and keep it." And that's exactly what he did. 

Marsha, someone thinks you're quite famous.

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A Book That Made Me Laugh

Not long ago I won a book in a giveaway over on the blog Evolved Mommy. I was delighted when Stephanie contacted me to let me know that I would be receiving an autographed copy of Blacklisted from the PTA by Lela Davidson. I was tickled the day the book arrived in my mailbox, but not half as tickled as I was when I opened the book and started reading.

Lela Davidson is a young mother who has her own opinions about child-rearing, motherhood, and life in general. She writes about what she knows best, the quest to raise a family in her unique way in the midst of our conformity culture.

My children are all raised and out of the house now, so I can't relate to all of the problems that mothers of this generation face today, but as a grandmother, I have observed that raising children has become even more complicated in today's world. One current problem that Lela tackles in her humorous book is the exorbitant birthday parties that seem to be the norm for youngsters these days.

My daughters tell me that when they were young they remember that I would read Erma Bombeck's books and laugh out loud. I have to admit that I did a little laughing out loud while reading Lela Davidson's book as well.

If you are a young mother and are losing your sense of humor about what's going on in your world of sibling rivalry, pets, camping, kids' sports, and even how to keep the romance alive in your marriage, pick up a copy of Blacklisted from the PTA and have yourself a good laugh.


The opinions stated in this post are my own. I was given a copy of Blacklisted from the PTA as a blog prize.

Not long ago I won a book in a giveaway over on the blog Evolved Mommy. I was delighted when Stephanie contacted me to let me know that I would be receiving an autographed copy of Blacklisted from the PTA by Lela Davidson. I was tickled the day the book arrived in my mailbox, but not half as tickled as I was when I opened the book and started reading.

Lela Davidson is a young mother who has her own opinions about child-rearing, motherhood, and life in general. She writes about what she knows best, the quest to raise a family in her unique way in the midst of our conformity culture.

My children are all raised and out of the house now, so I can't relate to all of the problems that mothers of this generation face today, but as a grandmother, I have observed that raising children has become even more complicated in today's world. One current problem that Lela tackles in her humorous book is the exorbitant birthday parties that seem to be the norm for youngsters these days.

My daughters tell me that when they were young they remember that I would read Erma Bombeck's books and laugh out loud. I have to admit that I did a little laughing out loud while reading Lela Davidson's book as well.

If you are a young mother and are losing your sense of humor about what's going on in your world of sibling rivalry, pets, camping, kids' sports, and even how to keep the romance alive in your marriage, pick up a copy of Blacklisted from the PTA and have yourself a good laugh.


The opinions stated in this post are my own. I was given a copy of Blacklisted from the PTA as a blog prize.

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Mission Organization: Week 29 - Unclogging a Drain the Simple Way

Before I get into my mission this week, I want you all to know how much it meant to me to know that you were wishing me well as I was battling the kidney stone. The battle is not completely over, but most of the time I am feeling much better now, so hopefully I will be back to my normal self soon.

Sometimes I have a tendency to get a little "compulsive" about certain things, and one of those things has become my weekly Mission Organization posts. So stone or no stone, I felt compelled to complete a home project this week for my mission. My goal is to get through this year with an extra project completed each week.

My household drains are something I never think about unless they are not functioning properly. My bathtub has been draining lately at the speed of slow molasses, and it needed an intervention before the drain was totally clogged. In fact, it must have been on the verge of being totally stopped up, because I would pull the plug to let it drain, then find it still filled with water 20 minutes later. I think it must have been dripping out only a drop at a time.

This book, Extraordinary Uses for Ordinary Things, is a household resource that I often consult in situations like this.

According to the book, the solution for a slow or clogged drain is to pour one cup of baking soda into the drain followed by 1 cup of hot vinegar (heat the vinegar in the microwave for 1 minute). Give this combination several minutes to work, then flush with 1 quart of boiling water. This can be repeated if necessary.

This was such a simple way to get my bathtub draining quickly again. There was nothing extra for me to buy, and it took only a few minutes to unclog the drain. My bathtub is draining freely now. I am very impressed with this method because there are no harsh chemicals, just ordinary vinegar and baking soda, and it works!




This post was shared with:
Whimsy Wednesdays

Before I get into my mission this week, I want you all to know how much it meant to me to know that you were wishing me well as I was battling the kidney stone. The battle is not completely over, but most of the time I am feeling much better now, so hopefully I will be back to my normal self soon.

Sometimes I have a tendency to get a little "compulsive" about certain things, and one of those things has become my weekly Mission Organization posts. So stone or no stone, I felt compelled to complete a home project this week for my mission. My goal is to get through this year with an extra project completed each week.

My household drains are something I never think about unless they are not functioning properly. My bathtub has been draining lately at the speed of slow molasses, and it needed an intervention before the drain was totally clogged. In fact, it must have been on the verge of being totally stopped up, because I would pull the plug to let it drain, then find it still filled with water 20 minutes later. I think it must have been dripping out only a drop at a time.

This book, Extraordinary Uses for Ordinary Things, is a household resource that I often consult in situations like this.

According to the book, the solution for a slow or clogged drain is to pour one cup of baking soda into the drain followed by 1 cup of hot vinegar (heat the vinegar in the microwave for 1 minute). Give this combination several minutes to work, then flush with 1 quart of boiling water. This can be repeated if necessary.

This was such a simple way to get my bathtub draining quickly again. There was nothing extra for me to buy, and it took only a few minutes to unclog the drain. My bathtub is draining freely now. I am very impressed with this method because there are no harsh chemicals, just ordinary vinegar and baking soda, and it works!




This post was shared with:
Whimsy Wednesdays

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Mission Organization: Week 26 - My Cookbooks and the Overflowing Bookshelves

This is the 26th week of the year, so we are halfway through 2012. That means that I should be halfway finished getting my house organized, but unfortunately, I seem to be finding more and more that needs to be done. My organizing reminds me of the Lewis Carroll quote, "The hurrier I go, the behinder I get."

This week for my mission I worked on my books. I love all kinds of books, and I have to admit that I probably have more than I need. I wanted to get my cookbooks organized all in one place and to go through my other books and get rid of some that I no longer wanted.

After a lot of sorting and organizing I finally have a bookcase that is just for my cookbooks.

This is how I had my cookbooks stuffed into the bookcase before. They were not in any order, and they were sharing this bookcase with other books.

I did some major sorting and a lot of dusting, where does all that dust come from?

These stacks are the books that I moved out. I have them in a "holding cell" right now, but these are going to be donated just as soon as I can get them boxed up and moved out. Right now I have them sitting inside the armoire that I emptied when I organized the gift wrap a few weeks ago.

The bookcase that I organized for my cookbooks also has a lower section that holds more cookbooks, along with my recipe binders for my printed recipes. I actually have a little space left for new additions!

The matching bookcase got a good cleaning too. Both bookcases look so much better, and it will be so nice to have all my cookbooks in one place. This was a mission that was long overdue, I'm so glad that I finally got around to this one!

This is the 26th week of the year, so we are halfway through 2012. That means that I should be halfway finished getting my house organized, but unfortunately, I seem to be finding more and more that needs to be done. My organizing reminds me of the Lewis Carroll quote, "The hurrier I go, the behinder I get."

This week for my mission I worked on my books. I love all kinds of books, and I have to admit that I probably have more than I need. I wanted to get my cookbooks organized all in one place and to go through my other books and get rid of some that I no longer wanted.

After a lot of sorting and organizing I finally have a bookcase that is just for my cookbooks.

This is how I had my cookbooks stuffed into the bookcase before. They were not in any order, and they were sharing this bookcase with other books.

I did some major sorting and a lot of dusting, where does all that dust come from?

These stacks are the books that I moved out. I have them in a "holding cell" right now, but these are going to be donated just as soon as I can get them boxed up and moved out. Right now I have them sitting inside the armoire that I emptied when I organized the gift wrap a few weeks ago.

The bookcase that I organized for my cookbooks also has a lower section that holds more cookbooks, along with my recipe binders for my printed recipes. I actually have a little space left for new additions!

The matching bookcase got a good cleaning too. Both bookcases look so much better, and it will be so nice to have all my cookbooks in one place. This was a mission that was long overdue, I'm so glad that I finally got around to this one!

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

An Evening With Ann B. Ross

Recently my two friends, Tammy and Judy, and I traveled to a nearby town for a dinner and book signing with Ann B. Ross, author of the Miss Julia series. Her 13th book in the series, Miss Julia to the Rescue, had just been released. The event was held at That Bookstore in Blytheville.

We were treated to a barbecue chicken dinner complete with baked beans and coleslaw. This was served up with lemonade to drink and with red velvet cake for dessert. After our meal, we were entertained by the lovely Ann B. Ross.

She talked about writing and how she came up with ideas for her books. I was intrigued by what she told us. She said that some of her best ideas came from the beauty shop or from visiting with people at formal functions like teas. She said ideas can come from the news or even from overheard conversations, so if you habitually speak loudly enough in public for others around you to hear your conversations, beware, an author could be lurking nearby! She said a particular part of one of her books was spun off the overheard conversation of a group of ladies in a restaurant in New Orleans.

Some of the attendees had questions about her characters. Miss Ross said that all her characters were fictional and were "seen" in her imagination. She said with a wink that one thing a writer can do is to create a "man" to be anything you want him to be.

Her writing is done on a laptop at her dining table, and she writes every day, except when she is traveling. She doesn't fly, so her travel is always by road trip. She said for the trips of great distance from her Hendersonville, North Carolina, home her publisher would provide her with a car and driver.

Miss Ross has previously turned down offers for movie rights to her book series. She was not comfortable giving up control of the material for others to change the content of her story and characters.

She currently is under contract to complete two more books in the Miss Julia series, and she did not rule out additional books after those two.

So here we three are with the gracious Ann B. Ross. I considered editing myself out of this picture because of my prednisone face, but then decided to post it anyway, since this is the only face I have. My vanity couldn't overshadow the wonderful evening I had with my good friends and the opportunity to meet an entertaining author. If you haven't read the Miss Julia series, be sure to start it from the beginning; this is a series that progresses and needs to be read in order.

Recently my two friends, Tammy and Judy, and I traveled to a nearby town for a dinner and book signing with Ann B. Ross, author of the Miss Julia series. Her 13th book in the series, Miss Julia to the Rescue, had just been released. The event was held at That Bookstore in Blytheville.

We were treated to a barbecue chicken dinner complete with baked beans and coleslaw. This was served up with lemonade to drink and with red velvet cake for dessert. After our meal, we were entertained by the lovely Ann B. Ross.

She talked about writing and how she came up with ideas for her books. I was intrigued by what she told us. She said that some of her best ideas came from the beauty shop or from visiting with people at formal functions like teas. She said ideas can come from the news or even from overheard conversations, so if you habitually speak loudly enough in public for others around you to hear your conversations, beware, an author could be lurking nearby! She said a particular part of one of her books was spun off the overheard conversation of a group of ladies in a restaurant in New Orleans.

Some of the attendees had questions about her characters. Miss Ross said that all her characters were fictional and were "seen" in her imagination. She said with a wink that one thing a writer can do is to create a "man" to be anything you want him to be.

Her writing is done on a laptop at her dining table, and she writes every day, except when she is traveling. She doesn't fly, so her travel is always by road trip. She said for the trips of great distance from her Hendersonville, North Carolina, home her publisher would provide her with a car and driver.

Miss Ross has previously turned down offers for movie rights to her book series. She was not comfortable giving up control of the material for others to change the content of her story and characters.

She currently is under contract to complete two more books in the Miss Julia series, and she did not rule out additional books after those two.

So here we three are with the gracious Ann B. Ross. I considered editing myself out of this picture because of my prednisone face, but then decided to post it anyway, since this is the only face I have. My vanity couldn't overshadow the wonderful evening I had with my good friends and the opportunity to meet an entertaining author. If you haven't read the Miss Julia series, be sure to start it from the beginning; this is a series that progresses and needs to be read in order.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Mission Organization: Week 7 - Getting Organized to Clean

I have to confess that I have not been cleaning or organizing this week at home. After spending last week away from home, I did have one day at home getting the laundry caught up and repacked for another trip with my sister. My sister had a medical appointment in the Dallas area, and we have a favorite aunt who has been in the hospital in that same area, so we have spent the last several days in the traveling, visiting, and shopping mode. Woe to my housework!

I may not be at home, but I still haven't forgotten about the 52 week organizational challenge. This week I want to share a favorite household cleaning book.

Speed Cleaning by Jeff Campbell is a wealth of information about how to efficiently maneuver through the weekly cleaning chores of a regular household. There are suggestions for the correct tools for the job, and how to move through each room in the house so that you don't have to go over an area twice.  There are also suggestions for environmentally friendly alternative cleaners such as baking soda and vinegar for specific purposes.

Probably most everyone uses some kind of tote like this one for cleaning purposes. If you don't use one of these, it's a tool that is very handy.  Speed Cleaning suggests that by keeping one of these totes filled you will save 22 minutes every time you clean because you don't have to gather up the supplies.  Some of the items to keep in the tote are different spray cleaners, soft cleaning cloths, furniture polish, a whisk broom, and an ostrich feather duster.

I won't be home from my latest trip until next week, and I am glad that my tote will be ready to go when I get there. There will definitely be a lot of cleaning that needs to be done by the time I make it home!




This post has been shared with:

Mrs Happy Homemaker Mission Organization 52 Weeks of Decluttering

I have to confess that I have not been cleaning or organizing this week at home. After spending last week away from home, I did have one day at home getting the laundry caught up and repacked for another trip with my sister. My sister had a medical appointment in the Dallas area, and we have a favorite aunt who has been in the hospital in that same area, so we have spent the last several days in the traveling, visiting, and shopping mode. Woe to my housework!

I may not be at home, but I still haven't forgotten about the 52 week organizational challenge. This week I want to share a favorite household cleaning book.

Speed Cleaning by Jeff Campbell is a wealth of information about how to efficiently maneuver through the weekly cleaning chores of a regular household. There are suggestions for the correct tools for the job, and how to move through each room in the house so that you don't have to go over an area twice.  There are also suggestions for environmentally friendly alternative cleaners such as baking soda and vinegar for specific purposes.

Probably most everyone uses some kind of tote like this one for cleaning purposes. If you don't use one of these, it's a tool that is very handy.  Speed Cleaning suggests that by keeping one of these totes filled you will save 22 minutes every time you clean because you don't have to gather up the supplies.  Some of the items to keep in the tote are different spray cleaners, soft cleaning cloths, furniture polish, a whisk broom, and an ostrich feather duster.

I won't be home from my latest trip until next week, and I am glad that my tote will be ready to go when I get there. There will definitely be a lot of cleaning that needs to be done by the time I make it home!




This post has been shared with:

Mrs Happy Homemaker Mission Organization 52 Weeks of Decluttering

reade more... Résuméabuiyad