PUCKER UP BABY! THEN JOIN LEMON LOVERS ANONYMOUS

WHAT is better than Lemon Pie?

TRIPLE LEMON PIE

Click on image to go to the recipe online.

I decided to give this a try because it looked 

SO GOOD!

This is THE RICHEST lemon pie 

I have ever tasted.

Decadent, really.

What MAKES it a Triple Lemon Treat?

These three things.

Place your crust in the pie pan and then brush with melted butter.

This keeps your pie crust from getting SOGGY.

Don't  you HATE soggy crusts?

I do!

Beat your husband for all the smart mouthed things he has said to you  eggs!

 (I promise NOT to report you to the Egg Police)

And stir in other ingredients

Images from internet

Then-make a collar for your crust

to keep it from burning.

and pour filling into pie pan.

I am amazed that lots of people don't do this.

It gives your a nicely browned, slightly crisp

edge that does not crumble when cut.

After baking remove the tinfoil collar 

and cool in fridge.

The pie bakes with a slightly brown top.

It's supposed to do that.

 I went to take a 

PRETTY FINAL PICTURE

BUT

It looks like I was just a little too late.

Hmmmmm...

Does THIS look like the cat that ate the canary?

The man that ate the pie?
This was taken pre-cancer
and now while he CAN eat a bit of this and that
a lot of it has lost its flavor for him.
However, don't feel bad-
it could be a whole lot worse.

One piece of advice-

DO NOT make this if you LOVE LEMON.

You will be forced to join
LLA
Lemon Lovers Anonymous
seriously.......

Have a wonderful weekend.
We are busier than  a
three-legged squirrel 
burying acorns for the winter.

Here's the recipe for those of you
that couldn't find it:

Triple Lemon Pie

• Makes: 8 to 10 servings
• Prep 30 mins
• Chill 4 hrs
• Cool 1 hr
• Bake 35 minutes

Lemon peel, lemon juice, and lemon extract give this citrus pie its tart yet tasty flavor.

ingredients

• 1 9 - inch unbaked piecrust
• 2 teaspoons butter, melted
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 5 eggs
• 1/2 cup dairy sour cream, room temperature
• 1 tablespoon finely shredded lemon peel
• 1/2 cup lemon juice, room temperature
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla
• 1 teaspoon pure lemon extract
• Whipped cream (optional)
• Lemon slices (optional)
• Raspberries (optional)

directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degree F. Use a pastry brush to brush 2 teaspoons melted butter over the bottom and sides of unbaked piecrust. Set aside.
2. For filling, in a large bowl, combine sugar and flour; set aside. In a medium bowl, beat eggs with a rotary beater, wire whisk or fork. Beat in sour cream until smooth. Beat, whisk or stir in lemon peel and juice, 1/4 cup melted butter, vanilla and lemon extract. Gradually add lemon mixture to sugar mixture; stir till well combined. Immediately pour lemon filling into the pastry-lined pie plate. To prevent overbrowning, cover edge of pie with foil. (Note: To protect the edges of the pie from overbrowning, fold a 12-inch square of foil into quarters. Cut a 7-inch circle out of the center. Unfold and loosely mold the foil over the pie's edge. Do this before you pour filling into piecrust. If filling sits in piecrust, this will make the piecrust soggy.)
3. Place pie on the center oven rack in the center. (Note: Do not use a baking sheet under the pie because it will affect the baking time.) Bake in a 375 degree F. oven for 35 to 45 minutes or till lightly golden brown. Center of pie should appear almost set when gently shaken (2 inches around edges of pie should be set).
4. Cool on a wire rack for 1 hour. Cover and chill for at least 4 hours or overnight before serving. To serve, if you like, garnish pie with whipped cream, lemon slices and raspberries. Makes 8 to 10 servings.

BITTERSWEET -THE HUNT IS ON!

I have been looking for 

REAL BITTERSWEET 

for the last 2 or 3 years.

I have scoured every country road

for miles with no success.

I have even hunted along 

Interstate 43!

My Hero wonders who in their 

RIGHT MIND

looks for BITTERSWEET along a

major highway.

I do. I do. I do.

I do because I want a wreath like this one!

source
Sadly my own wreath looks
NOTHING LIKE THE ONE above.
They, apparently,  found the
MOTHER LODE of bittersweet plants!

A while ago MyHero and I took a drive

along country roads North of where we live.
After driving aimlessly for 
about an hour and a half
Suddenly MyHero said:

 I think we need to head back to

THE MAIN ROAD, Diana!

I said- Just one more road?(pleadingly)

He said- NO- LET'S HEAD HOME!

sigh

So...I turned up the next side road and

headed to the main highway....

searching fence and field for 

BITTERSWEET.

The next day while he was at work

I retraced my steps route.

When I got to the place I had turned off

I kept going straight.

Yep!

You guessed it!

About a MILE down the road I found it!

I found
BITTERSWEET!

Let me tell you- 

It is a mess in the wild...and invasive..

BUT  I love it.

Sadly, American bittersweet is becoming scare

because they have sprayed 
and rooted it out almost to 

extinction in a lot of areas.

But I found enough to use a few sprigs of it
here and there.

I made 2 wreaths from the bit I found.
It's a devil to work with-
wiry and not very pliable.

I also tied a few small branches together
to tie onto the trellis beside our garage
that supports clematis in the warm months.

I love BITTERSWEET so much
that my good friend, Carol, had a
watercolor of
BITTERSWEET
commissioned for me by local artist-
Lois Christenson of Door County.
She painted it for my 50th birthday.
When Carol called her Lois asked
WHAT KIND OF PERSON
wants a painting of BITTERSWEET?
Carol said- Diana does!
Lois said- Well, I should have KNOWN!
It'll be a gift from BOTH OF US then.
And it was.
Sadly, Lois died almost 4 years ago.
Not only was she talented she had a 
wicked sense of humor.

RIP, Lolo...

This hangs in our lower hallway
year round because
I LOVE IT!

You know what ELSE I love?
Ingenious ideas!
Remember in the past I showed you
MyHero in his suspenders
that he wears to keep his pants up?

Well, I found some GREAT suspender ideas at 
WALMART of all places.
LOOK!

And here, my friend,
is a close up for your viewing pleasure.

And....as they say at WALMART
"Have a nice day".

THIS IS A HAPPY CHILD!!

She amuses herself as much

as she amuses us!

God bless the children

that bring laughter to our lives!

Sorry the picture isn't clearer

but you can see the joy!

Thank you,Bright Eyes,

for your sassy little self.

PLEASE PRAY FOR THE PEOPLE IN SUTHERLAND SPRINGS,TEXAS

Where does it end?

Senseless violence!

Please offer up a prayer for all those

whose lives are forever altered

by the shooting at the

FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH

in

SUTHERLAND SPRINGS, TEXAS.

I don't want this to be about gun control-

Instead of leaving a comment about that--

Please take that moment instead

to pray for all these dear souls.

God bless this town and church and people.

Where will it end?

DON'T FORGET- TO SET YOUR CLOCK BACK!!!

It's raining (here)

It's pouring (yep)

The old man is snoring (SO true)~

However,

I am up and drinking coffee,

waiting to figure the day out.

We may, or may not,

go out of town today....

It all depends on 

MyHero 's mood.

BUT!!!!

No matter WHERE we are,

we will remember to 

do this!

Now I don't mean YOU should fall back...

Some of you might break bones doing that...

Or

People will think you have been drinking

and we all know you don't do that ANYMORE.

Have a most wonderful weekend

and enjoy the extra hour of sleep.

See you in  a couple of days,

Lord willing!

PURGING FOR CHRISTMAS---SANTAS & SANTAS & SANTAS-OH MY!

Yeah, Yeah, Yeah

I KNOW!

Thanksgiving isn't over yet

and here I am posting

a picture of Santa!

Why?

Well, I have been sorting.

I have been sorting through 40

years of 

COLLECTING CHRISTMAS

Whew!

I've been purging.

and giving

some things away

to my kids/grandkids.

It is time.

Here is one counter in our

media room that is full

of my Santa collection.

(I won't tell you that I kept

about 10 of them in another room)

But these were up for 

ADOPTION.

There's more!

And yet more...

These candles belonged

to Gramma Betty in

the 1950's.

And these?

Salt & Pepper shakers

from my childhood.

Is there more?

You bet'cha!

Lots More!

Did you notice I didn't

watermark the picture below?

I hope if it ever gets

"out there"

no one will know it belongs to me.

So....they can have my 

SANTAS

and the ornaments on the

other table that you don't see here..

BUT

they can't have my

Lang Ornament Storage Box-

THAT BELONGS TO ME!

All these Santas found 
NEW HOMES
with my four kids' families.

They are to the point where they 
are saying...
NO MORE, MOM!!!!

Sigh---Etsy--here I come---
I will have
Christmas in my Etsy shop
A Cottage On The Cove
VERY SOON!

And, I am happy to say I 
finally figured out how to put a header on 
My Shop!

Not bad for an old broad, huh?

Happy Thursday!!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN ---MY ALL TIME FAVORITE HALLOWEEN PUMKIN PICKIN' PICTURES!

Those of you that have followed me

for a while

will remember these pictures.

They are some of my

ALL TIME FAVORITE

pictures of 

SWEET CHEEKS.

She would have been 2 almost 3

when these were taken.

Here she is proudly holding 

HER OWN PUMPKIN!

She was so happy

UNTIL

Big pumpkin--Little Hands

spell disaster!

UH-OH

NOT GOOD!

I smile every single time I see those pictures of her.

Wishing you all a

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

and

WHOOOOO said PUMPKINS

have to be scary?

WHOOOO?  

Not ME!

marthastewart

Of course,

I CAN be a LITTE SCARY

just ask MyHero

Care to join me for a little 

PRACTICAL MAGIC TEA?

I promise I won't cast a spell on you---

OR

WILL I?

You may ONLY drink what I serve you!

image

BOO

CHUNKY APPLE CAKE FOR THOSE THAT WANT TO GET CHUNKY & Update On Mr T.

Helllooooo Wisconsin!

We DO like our butter here.

We also like apples...

okay..and flour and sugar...

I have played with this recipe over the years

and it is pretty darned good -

if I do say so myself.

I made this when my cousins 
from Pennsylvania
were here a while ago.

Sure do love my cousins and don't see them
nearly often enough.

One cousin contacted me for the recipe

so I assume that means it was good.

Anyway-that meant I needed to type it out.

Here it is.

Grease a 9x13 pan.  Preheat oven to 300

Mix together:

2 cups flour

2 cups sugar (white)

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon ( I used Apple Pie spice)

dash of salt

Add  above to:

Two sticks butter

Four eggs

Cream two sticks butter and blend in 4 room temperature eggs(that is important-don't use cold eggs) 

Add the flour mixture above.

Stir until well blended.

Then stir in:

4 cups peeled apple chunks

2 cups walnuts

Spread in greased pan.

Bake ONE hour a 300.  It is hard to test for doneness because the apples stay "wet".  It should look a bit "dry" on top.  You may have to add additional time depending on how much water your apples have in them.

Cool completely and frost with Cream Cheese Frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting:

1 stick butter

3/4 pound confectionery sugar

2 tsp vanilla

1 -8 oz pkg cream cheese

Cream butter and cream cheese together and add sugar. Beat well and then add the vanilla.

I also sprinkle the top very lightly with the Apple Pie spice after it is frosted.

Serve with good hot coffee or tea or ice cold milk.,

These two little girls sure loved a treat...
They are older now but still
as sweet as they were back then.

I think I might make a pan of this for fun-

just in case anyone in the family  
 is thinking about getting skinny on me!

Have a wonderful day-

I will visit as I can!

Oh- and-
Remember the prayer request here 
for Mr T?
They did a spiral biopsy but it was inconclusive.
He is having another biopsy next week.
Please continue to keep him in your prayers.
He is not doing well at all.
His mom-my friend,Sandy,
is holding up pretty well.
She's a trooper--but pray for her, too.
You all know how hard it is to 
have a sick child.
We'd rather be sick ourselves.
Love you guys---
will visit as I can.