Valentine Wishes

Dear Friends,

Hope you are enjoying a very lovely Valentine's Day!
It has been so cold and so wintery white, I felt that I needed a reminder that greener days are coming soon!
I treated myself to a bouquet of red tulips.
They smell so fresh...so green!

Tulips and a bunny...
makes me think
"SPRING"

Lindsey and I baked and decorated sugar cookies yesterday.

So much fun!

Loved the heart sprinkles.

Oooh, here is another reminder of Spring!
Tasty chocolate dipped strawberries.
I am already planning on planting
50 strawberry plants this spring.
Sweet, delicious homegrown strawberries...
Bliss!

A cute way to celebrate Valentine's Day!
Sometimes we just need a nudge
to make a day special.
Do something a bit out of the ordinary.


If you have been a follower of my blog for awhile,

you will know that it isn't a holiday for Jill unless I have a special whimsical sweater to wear.

Isn't this a cute one for Valentine's Day!

There are little heart-shaped charms along the bottom of the sweater.
The buttons have beaded hearts sewn on them.
Yes, I found it at a thrift store!

Some of you may remember that I found a little shabby pillow in a thrift store that had these adorable gold hearts sewn on it.
I retrieved the hearts and made a bracelet. I love that it looks vintage and Victorian.

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I have a couple of cute recipes I want to share with you!

Hope you have a wonderful Valentine's Day with your sweeties.


I looked at the window just now and guess what I saw?
Hmph...More SNOW!
~Jill~

Soup makes me Happy

Dear Friends,

I love soup!

I look forward to fall and winter so I can make heart warming pots full of soup.

My family loves soup too, especially Tyler. I get so tickled at him when he starts to smell the soup simmering on the stove. Yum he says, is it ready yet?
This soup is a new recipe I tried, Cheeseburger Soup. Oh creamy and delicious. I was so glad that I had dried some herbs this summer. I sprinkled in my own dried basil right before I served it. And now is a perfect time to use my snowman dishes!

I have had this set of dishes for about 14 years. This little snowman never fails to melt my heart. When Tyler was just 2, I would make homemade French toast for him every winter morning, served on a little snowman plate. What a wonderful memory.
What goes wonderfully with homemade soup?
Why, homemade bread of course!

I adore dilly bread and whipped up batch and baked it in my flowerpot baker!
Fresh and hot from the oven with a little butter...

Oh be still my heart!

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~*Cheeseburger Soup *~
1/2 lb. ground beef, 3/4 C. chopped onion, 3/4 C. shredded carrots, 3/4 C. diced celery, 1 tsp. basil, 1 tsp. parsley, 4 Tbs. butter, divided, 3 C. chicken broth, 4 C. peeled & diced potatoes, 1/4 C. flour, 8 oz. Velvetta, 1 1/2 C. milk, 3/4 tsp. salt, 1/4 C. sour cream
***
In a large saucepan, brown hamburger; drain and set aside. In the same saucepan, saute onion, carrots, celery, basil and parsley in 1 Tbs. butter until vegetables are tender, about 10 min. Add broth, potatoes and beef; bring to boil. Reduce heat;cover and simmer until potatoes are tender. Meanwhile, in a small skillet melt remaining butter. Add flour; cook and stir for 3-5 minutes or until bubbly. Add to soup; bring to boil. Cook and stir for 2 min. Reduce heat to low. Add cheese, milk, salt and if you wish pepper; cook and stir until cheese melts. Remove from heat; blend in sour cream. Yields 8 servings.


~*Easy Dilly Bread *~
3 C. all-purpose flour, 1 pkg. active dry yeast, 1 1/4 C. milk, 2 Tbs. sugar, 2 Tbs. butter or margarine, 2 tsp. dried dill seed or dill weed, 2 tsp. instant minced onion, 1 egg
***
In a small mixer combine, 1 1/2 C. of the flour and the yeast. In saucepan heat milk, sugar, butter, dill, onion and 1 tsp. salt just until warm, stirring constantly to melt butter. Add to dry mixture and add egg. Beat at low speed with electric mixer for 1/2 minutes, scraping bowl. Beat for 3 minutes at high speed. By hand, stir in remianing flour. Cover and let rise until double (30-45 min.). Stir down. Spread evenly in a greased 9x5x3-inch loaf pan ( or flower pot baker). Let rise until nearly double (about 30 min.). Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Cover loosely with foil if bread browns too quickly. Remove from pan and let cool. Makes 1 loaf.

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It is very wintery here at Hickory Hollow and it is very cold!
It snowed almost all day yesterday. Made for a very cozy day tucked inside.
I have been doing a little thrift store shopping and have found some lovely cozy sweaters. Every day when I snuggle into one, I remember years ago when my Grandma told me I was a sweater girl. Yes, Grandma B. I am a sweater girl. I am glad there are so many to choose from at my favorite stores!

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I have also had a challenge trying type, my little Socks cat climbs on my lap and kneeds my arms, she is doing it right now with her kitty purr motor on! Oh my, we just Eskimo kissed, her little nose and mine! She also likes to prance on the computer desk, and I can't see a thing! I'd rather she stay on my lap all warm and fuzzy! I do love my pets.

~*~
Hope you are tucked in safe and sound wherever you may be!

Love,

Jill