Caramel crackers

When I was a new bride, my grandma taught me this recipe.
She and I were just hanging out and we wanted something sweet. 

It's easy, fast and cheap! 

Caramel Crackers

Ingredients:
One sleeve plus a little more Saltine crackers
1 stick butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 bag chocolate chips
Chopped nuts, if desired

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Line crackers in a buttered jelly roll pan.
In a saucepan, melt butter and brown sugar.
Heat to boiling.
Turn heat down and continue boiling for 1 to 2 minutes. 
Pour mixture over crackers.
Bake for 3 to 4 minutes.
Remove from oven and immediately sprinkle chocolate chips on top.

Spread the chocolate chips so the heat melts them.
Sprinkle with chopped nuts, if desired.
Score and refrigerate until firm.

You could even omit the chocolate for a true caramel taste.

Have a lovely day!







This was shared on:
Mad in Crafts
The Prairie Homestead
Flour Me with Love
Adventures of a DIY Mom
Growing Home Blog
Handy Man, Crafty Woman
Life with the Crust Cut Off 

Cake mix cookies

Have you ever made cake mix cookies? 

So very easy.

Cake Mix Cookies

Ingredients:
One box of cake mix
One stick of butter
One egg

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix ingredients.
Drop by rounded spoonfuls on an ungreased cookie sheet. 
Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until cookies are a little golden.

Options:
Before baking, add chocolate chips or roll dough in flax seeds, nuts or sprinkles.

Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

Have a lovely day!

Not a Clydesdale, but still...

I have to tell you about today's horse-related morning.

Surrounded by subdivisions, box stores, and zipping traffic, one road near my home still manages to be rural. I love driving on it and seeing the gardens, goats and rolling acreage. It reminds me of when I was a kid and such views were actually...common.

Anyway, at about 7:30 this morning, I was on that road and what did I see?

A brown horse just meandering about his business--in the street. Though obviously in need of a restroom, he otherwise didn't seem to have a care in the world.

I was without my camera this morning, but he was tall, brown and friendly-looking. He wasn't road-ready like a Clydesdale. 

I considered wrangling the horse, but I wouldn't know what to do with him once I had him. I don't even know where he lives.

So I called the police.

The woman who answered the phone had to verify, "a what is in the road?"

They sent a policeman to deal with the situation. I was nervous a car would crest a hill and then...poor horse. I hope it all turned out OK.

When I was a kid, herds of cows would routinely cross the road for no good reason. Lines of cars would just have to wait for them all to moooove (ha!) out of the way.

Anyway, just had to relay the story about my neighhhbor's (ha!) horse in the road. (OK, I'll stop that.)

This is the most exciting thing to happen to me in a while.

Do you ever run late because of horses or cows or sheep or goats or llamas?

GO BIG OR GO SQUINTY

This is just a little memo of a post.

I've decided to make the font BIGGER here at Neighbors About Town.

So, the kids make fun of me. 

So what?

First the Internet, then the universe

"You people are always messing with the Internet," says Little Weirdo.

"What could possibly be so interesting?"

 "It's NOT a conspiracy theory," he says. "Kitties ARE taking over the world!"

 "Earth is just a layover," says Kitty Baby.
 

This was shared on:

Sarah Did It

You wouldn't be so trusting, either

Babs has really been through it. Unfortunately, her story is not unusual.

Before Mr. Cool and Little Weirdo were born, we had a yellow Labrador named Yeager. Yeager was the nemesis of many people and dolls. I was heartbroken when Yeager destroyed my childhood Raggedy Ann doll. The carnage was sickening.

Then there were others.

Yeager had a thing for doll hands. See what I mean:

No one was safe from Yeager's rampages.

Yeager bit right through the heart-shaped "I Love You" necklace on this sweetie:

 And then this:

Some of Yeager's victims are forgiving souls and continue to smile sweetly.

Babs, though, experienced a growing hatred of dogs. And the world. She started listening to music with inappropriate lyrics and took up spitting. 

I told the kids they couldn't hang around her anymore.

Babs told Mr. Cool he should be ashamed to be a dog:

So he became ashamed:

Just one more victim of Yeager's spree of violence.

This was shared on:

Snoopy's Dog Blog 
Found the Marbles

Chicken wrap buffet

There really should be more last-minute supper options. What's a procrastinator to do?

This little number is a favorite in our house (for now). I better be careful, though. Serve it too many times and it will become a dreaded meal.

My list of dreaded meals continues to grow. I find an easy recipe everyone loves and I can't help myself: it's all we eat for three weeks straight. Then no one will touch it for a few years.

It's my own fault.

This recipe is still a go at our house. See what your family thinks.

Just be careful! You could be walking a fine line here.

Chicken Wrap Buffet
(I didn't list quantities. It depends on how many to serve and their preferences.)

Ingredients:
Soft shell tortillas
Chicken, cooked and sliced/chopped (I cook frozen spicy patties--to get things done)
Bacon, cooked and crumbled
Cheddar cheese, shredded
Tomato, washed and chopped
Celery, washed and chopped
Onion, washed and chopped
Lettuce leaves, washed
Ranch dressing

Directions:
Place chicken and bacon on the edge of a tortilla.
Add a sprinkling of cheese.
Top with tomatoes, celery, onions and a bit of ranch dressing.
Put a lettuce leaf on top.
Roll tortilla tightly.

My guys can each eat three of these.

Here is how I like mine:

Some crushed tortilla chips would be good on top, I bet!

Have a lovely day!

Mind blowing post

 

 "Are you writing about me?" asks Kitty Baby.

 "Oh brother," he says. "Not that Little Weirdo again!"

Something occurred to me. While I'm writing about NOT writing about Kitty Baby, I actually AM writing about him. 

Mind = Blown!

Also, the song, "Elvira," is on a loop playing inside my head.

(You know what would make this song better? At approximately 1.02 into the video, where they say "mow mow" ... let's change it to "meow meow." Done. All the little Oak Ridge Boys in my brain are think-singing it that way now.)
 
I think I've coughed out all my oxygen and my mind is riding on years of accumulated coffee fumes.

Sickness can be a real trip sometimes.

 

Good for what ails you

It all started Sunday with a tickle in my throat. 

You know the rest: congestion, no energy and not much sleep.

Just when things were looking up, a cough arrived at the party.

Fortunately, this stupid hack gives me an excuse to take my medicine! 

OK, it's really a hot toddy. But I like to put a medicinal spin on it.

Here's the recipe:

Hot Toddy Cough Medicine

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups boiling water
1 tea bag
1 Tablespoon lemon juice (from the big green bottle)
1 Tablespoon honey
1 Tablespoon whisky

Directions:
Put the whisky in the bottom of an empty mug.
Pour in the boiling water.
Add tea bag and steep to desired strength.
Remove tea bag.
Add lemon juice and honey. Stir.
Sip.

Is something going around or is it just me? *cough*

I mean, it's summer for Pete's sake!

Have a lovely day!

The yard sale

Yeah.

So we had a yard sale.

We were short on tables, as yard sale hostesses usually are. I felt pretty smart about turning some tubs into more surface space. We just covered them with $1 tablecloths.

We offered a box of silly little goodies...free for the taking.

I know what you're wondering. And the answer is $15. 

Then we boxed most of it up for donation at the end of the day.

Here are more photos:

The free box is at the bottom of the above photo.

Storage tubs offer a big tabletop. Aren't we resourceful?

Colorful large items near the street. They didn't really attract anyone.

The Lingerie Department.

Clothespins attempt to keep hangers from slamming to the middle.

Baby stuff.

My house is still a mess.

Have you had a successful yard sale? Or a more humble one like ours?

Italian salad dressing

Homemade Italian salad dressing is one of those empowering recipes. Make it yourself and save all the money!

It's one the first things I learned how to make as a new bride, which means it's super simple. I've had the decanter in the photo for a long, long time. 

It has dummy-proof markings on it:
"V" for vinegar. "W" for water. And "O" for oil.

Next you are supposed to dump in a little packet of spices. An OVERPRICED little packet of spices. 

I still follow the handy markings on the container, but now I use my own spices. 

Here's the recipe:

Italian Salad Dressing

Ingredients:
1/4 cup vinegar
1/8 cup water
1/2 cup plus 1/8 cup vegetable oil
1/4 Tablespoon garlic powder
1/4 Tablespoon onion powder
1/2 Tablespoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon thyme
1/4 teaspoon basil
1/2 Tablespoon parsley
1/2 Tablespoon sugar (to taste)
Salt and pepper (to taste)

Directions:
Put ingredients in a container with an air-tight lid and shake vigorously.

Have a lovely day!

Kitty Baby issues a challenge

 

Pink and yellow

I don't know what it is lately about pink and yellow. I just love them so. 

When I made birthday cookies for a friend the other day, I had to go with my new favorite color scheme.

Mr. Cool seems to share the fondness. 

He was all over these fabric scraps.

 Now he's fancy:

I'm gonna live here when I grow up:

Have you been going through a color mood lately?

No trampoline!

Told ya he was happy.

Have a lovely day!