I love my table

This is where my  beautiful outdoor table got it's start. In my parents backyard. Some day maybe I will take a few pictures of what my father has created in their backyard.  Look at the fence and you can see he likes old rusty things! I asked my father in June if he would mind building me a table on wheels. I gave him a drawing, we settled on the dimensions and he said as soon as he was finished with an outdoor project, my table was next on the list. How could this be happening to me? Couldn't I leap over the other project? But, I waited patiently (who am I kidding, I wanted my table).It was well worth the wait!  It looks perfect on our deck.

  He cut a few pieces of metal for the side, then he spray painted them flat black. He spray paints everything! I asked him if he had something we could put on the side, for a handle. When I said we, I meant him! He went in the basement and within ten minutes he has this handle. It was pretty rusty, I like the way it looked. He put a clear coat on it, perfect.

I did not want the edges to be perfect, he made that happen as well.

The wheels were silver, but I wanted them to look old so I spray painted them with a metal paint that makes  the wheels look old and well, rusty!

The table might be too nice for outside, but here it will stay until the leaves start to change. 

 The heat has arrived in Rhode Island. 

 Thanks for visiting!

Why is this happening?

I am having a few issues leaving comments on some  of my favorite blogs.  Is anyone else having an issue? I write the comment and then select post and it says I have to sign on to google.  I sign on, go back to post and it says I have to sign on to google again..  It's frustrating because I want to leave a comment!  Did something change while I was gone?  And why is it only happening on a few blogs, not every blog?

    I want to thank Carol for her helpful hint!  I am pretty sure the issue is solved!

 

 Thanks for visiting!

Oatmeal Zucchini Muffins

From what I am seeing on other blogs, this year is not the best year to have a vegetable garden. I have never had a garden, I just grow a few pots of basil to use in sauces and on pizzas.

The other day I wanted to make zucchini muffins so I had to go to the grocery store and buy two zucchinis.

They came out rather good and they are great for a mid day snack.

Here is the recipe. 
3/4 cup oil
 4 eggs
 2 1/2 cups flour
 1 1/2 cups sugar
 1/2 cup oatmeal 
1 Tbs baking powder
 1 tsp salt
 2 cups zucchini (shredded)
        Beat together the oil and eggs with a fork.

In a large bowl mix together the next 5 ingredients.

Add egg mixture and shredded zucchini.

Pour into greased muffin tins (I used Pam).

You can sprinkle the tops with cinnamon and sugar if you like.

( I forgot to do this but I still liked mine)

Bake for 25 minutes at 400 (remember ovens vary mine did not take 25 minutes)

Makes 18 muffins.

 I am going to make oatmeal blueberry muffins next.

 .Thanks for visiting!

It was nice to take a small step back into blogging yesterday. I did not intend to post again today. However, I started taking pictures and thought while I had a little bit of time I would share them with you. This is the first thing I see when I walk down stairs in the morning. I keep the drapes shut in our bedroom, to keep it cooler during the day. So this is really the first sign of daylight for me.

After I have my first cup of coffee, I can really start to see things. Great, the pool is looking really clear today. I can honestly say that we have had our pool since 1994 and I have gone in it about 20 times and that is on the high side. I am not a pool person. There isn't anything wrong with that, is there?
This is what it looks like on the outside.

I love how it looks in this picture.
Stay cool everyone, it is hot out there!
Maybe today will be the 21 time I go in the pool! I will let you know if it happens, it could be on the local news.

Thanks for visiting!

My Favorite Place

To state the obvious, I have been a very bad blogger. I do intend to return to the "blog world" on a regular basis, just not yet. This is where I have been spending the last few weeks. It is our deck. I can honestly say it is my favorite summer destination! I have been to a few graduation parties, cookouts and a beautiful wedding. I have watched too much tennis, The French Open and Wimbledon. I would really like to go to one of those events, if I can bring myself to leave my deck, just kidding. I hope to take a few days trips. I live about 30 minutes from the Atlantic Ocean, it's summer time, I should make some concrete plans. People travel from all over the world to go to Newport, Rhode Island. I usually make it there once during the summer. I did go to the Brimfield Fair, one of the biggest flea markets in the country. That was fun, very hot, but fun. The weather has been beautiful! I love the summer! I have jumped on the "cake pop" band wagon! I have made three batches since July 4. They are my new obsession! I am going to do some blog visiting. But right now, I have some green beans and red potatoes on the stove that have to be tended to first. I also must water my outdoor plants, they need to be watered twice a day or I will lose them! Then, I have to run to the grocery store, we are having tacos tonight!

Thanks for visiting!

Time off

I am taking a little time off from blogging. I put my glue gun and paper away right before Easter and I haven't taken them out since. I know they will both come out sooner or later. I have too much paper to stop making things. I have been cleaning, rearranging, reading and baking. I am also impatiently waiting for warm weather! I have bought new sandals and I want to wear them, now! I am also looking for a pair of jean shorts, that are not too short or too long! That alone could keep me busy for a few weeks. Today looks like a day to stay home and read, it looks like it could rain at any minute. That is why I think I am going to go shopping!

Thanks for visiting!

Sugar Cookie Pizza

We had this for dessert on Easter Sunday. It started making an appearance for the holidays about two years ago. I think it was Thanksgiving 2009 that my daughter made it for the first time. Isn't it wonderful that you can find almost any fruit you want anytime of the year? Fresh kiwi can be found all year round! I thought I would share the recipe with you.

Sugar Cookie Fruit Tart

Spray the bottom of a 9" springform pan with Pam.
Preheat oen to 350

1 Package slice and bake sugar cookie dough
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

8 oz cream cheese (softened)

1/3 cup sugar

assorted fresh fruit

apricot preserves or orange marmalade

Press cookie dough onto a 9 inch spring form pan with outer rim in place

Bake in 350 oven for 22-27 minutes. Let cool completely.

Beat cream cheese, vanilla and sugar until well blended.

You can remove the outer rim of the pan at this time.

Spread cream cheese mixture on top of cooled sugar cookie dough.

Next, arrange fruit on top of cream cheese mixture.

Drizzle warm preserves or marmalade on top. Just a bit, not too much.

The recipe is very easy and I think it would be great for a summer dessert. Don't tell anyone but I also ate it for breakfast. I wonder if it could be made with chocolate chip cookie dough? I think I will google that.

Thanks for visiting!