Growing Grape Vines

Here in the southwest it is fun and relatively easy to grow grape vines. On our property we have not only table grapes but wine making grapes. It has become very fashionable for people with a little bit of property out here to plant grape vines and make their own wine. Grape vines make a wonderful hedge/or screen over a fence as we have done here. Enjoy the photos.

Bookshelves

I love books and I love bookshelves. Take a glance at these for some designerly inspiration from Domino Magazine and Pottery Barn.

Beach - Back Porch Reading Sundays at Tiffany's by James Patterson

What are you reading? It is summer and who doesn't love a great book. Well, Patterson's Sundays at Tiffany's is wonderful. Read it in two days, couldn't put it down. If you haven't given it a peak it is about Mother and Daughter relationships as well as imaginary friends. It is lighthearted and leaves you with a great feeling. Just what everyone needs as a beach -- well in my case back porch read this summer.

How is your Posture?

For this Wednesday, hump day I have a question. How is your posture? So check your reflection in the big glass doors as you walk by, and ask yourself -- How is my posture? Gloom or Confidence? Plus great posture makes everyone look thinner.

Breakfast Burrito Recipe - Inside Out Burrito

Inside out Breakfast Burrito with Green Chile and Tomatoes on top.

I love burritos -- just not the calories of a flour tortilla. Living in the southwest, breakfast burittos are a way of life. So I have developed this inside out buritto.

1 egg - plus a dash of water, salt and pepper, and mix well.

1 - 10" pan.

anything you want for the insides.....

Put a little butter in the pan. The pour in the egg, and cook untill done, (you are basically making a flour free egg crepe) it will easily fill a 10" pan, cooking is quick as it is thin, you can flip it if desired, I just let it cook. Slide onto a plate and put anything you want to in your buritto, potatoes, bacon, avocado, beans, then roll up add a dash of salsa and enjoy. These are great anytime of the day, and make great beef, bean and potatoe burittos, in New Mexico we cover with Red or Green Chile in Texas maybe a Salsa Verde or Rojo. Enjoy.

Red White and Blue Jello - Patriotic Poke Cake - or Cupcakes

Ingredients:

2 baked round white cake layers (9 inch), cooled
2 cups boiling water, divided
1 pkg. (4-serving size) JELL-O Strawberry Flavor Gelatin, or any other red flavor
1 pkg. (4-serving size) JELL-O Berry Blue Flavor Gelatin
1 tub (8 oz.) COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, thawed, divided

Make it:

PLACE cake layers, top-sides up, in two clean 9-inch round cake pans. Pierce cakes with large fork at 1/2-inch intervals.
STIR 1 cup of the boiling water into each flavor dry gelatin mix in separate small bowls 2 min. until completely dissolved. Carefully pour red gelatin over 1 cake layer and blue gelatin over remaining cake layer. Refrigerate 3 hours.
DIP one cake pan in warm water 10 sec.; unmold onto serving plate. Spread with about 1 cup of the whipped topping. Unmold second cake layer; carefully place on first cake layer. Frost top and side of cake with remaining whipped topping. Refrigerate 1 hour or until ready to serve. Cut into 16 slices to serve. Store leftover cake in refrigerator.

Would also make great cupcakes instead of layering, just poke and fill -- refrigerate and frost. Use the aluminum foil cupcake wraps instead of paper.

Above recipe can be found at: Kraftfoods.com --http://www.kraftfoods.com/kf/recipes/patriotic-poke-cake-52679.aspx.

Enjoy.

1960's Block Water Fountain

I love the 1960's and 1970's okay the 1980's too! When I saw this easy to build square block fountain in an old Sunset book from 1967 I couldn't resist posting. It would be so easy to do with simple concrete blocks and a great pump, you could build one great fountain. Well a 3 day weekend is coming up.