Beautiful Views in Galena, IL

Despite the cloudiness and rain, the views and scenery were still beautiful...

Anniversary Weekend

Me and my hubby of 24 years (makes me feel so old!) spent the weekend in the beautiful, quaint town of Galena IL. Here's the man that still makes my heart skip a beat...

This pretty butterfly stood still long enough for me to snap a few good shots...

The buildings and houses in Galena are old and beautiful...

Going upstairs into Boone's Place - great place for a quick sandwich or salad...

If you need some hot sauce, this is definitely the place...

More Blooms & Garden Stuff

Hosta flowers...love the tendrils!

Blooms on some bushes...the hummingbirds love these. These bushes bloom on and off from spring through the fall.

Butterfly bush...

I found this old window a couple of years ago in a garbage heap outside a renovated house. I stopped my car and asked the guys working on the house if I could take the window and they said no, but I took it anyway and sped away...

Just kidding! Of course they said yes. For now I have it propped up against the privacy fence (my neighbor's - and an eyesore because it's old and disinegrating). I would love to do something else with it - sand and repaint the frame and possibly paint some kind of design on the glass - or even break out the glass and and just use the frame as wall decor. Hang it from some decorative chains.

First sign of Autumn

It's much too early for my bushes to be turning red. I'm hoping it's from the lack of rain. :-o

Breakfast Casserole

Start out by unrolling a can of Pillsbury Crescent Roll Dough into a greased 9x13" baking dish. Obviously, I didn't make my dough "pretty". I was in a hurry this morning. :-)

Next, layer on some diced, cooked bacon (I used thick-cut bacon) or cooked, crumbled sausage:

Add a layer of shredded cheese - any kind - cheddar, Monterey Jack, Italian blend, whatever floats your boat. And you can use low-fat cheese too, if you want. (But why would you want to? It doesn't cancel out the bacon.)
Add the egg and milk layer (in a mixing bowl, mix 4 large eggs, 3/4 c. milk, and a little pepper and oregano). Pour over the cheese and bacon layer:

Bake at 375 degrees for about 20 min. Let cool for 5 minutes, then slice into squares. Here's what it looks like in all it's ooey gooey cheesey delight:

Mixing Bowl Love

I bought these mixing bowls from Crate & Barrell several years ago. I love the colors and how they all nest all cozily within each other. I use them all the time. They look pretty sitting out on my kitchen counter, too. Adds a nice splash of color. Here they are, nesting...



And here's what they look like, separate. Oh, and those are my home-grown tomatoes in the yellow bowl. Looks like I need to roast those today and make more sauce...