#SocialSummer: Good Eats!

I was challenged by Social Insiders to tell you about something delicious I made. That is an EASY one! I made peach cobbler! I made it on Sunday and I am still salivating over it. I have the last little bit in the fridge to eat for lunch today and I cannot wait for lunch!

I want to share the easiest cobbler recipe ever. I have seen other recipes that swear to be the easiest ever, but they all have more ingredients than mine. So, I swear this is the easiest ever. And man, oh man, is it delicious!

My sister gave me this recipe years ago and she hates to cook. A recipe has to be super easy for her to want to make it. (She is a good cook, she just hates doing it. LOL!) I vary this recipe, depending on how much fruit I am using and how doughy I want it. The one above was made using the following:

Peach Cobbler

Ingredients:

• 3 cups sliced peaches. (you can use fresh, frozen or even canned)

• 1 cup flour

• 1 cup sugar

• 1 cup milk

• 1/3 stick butter

Put the peaches in a baking dish. Mix flour, sugar and milk until blended and pour over fruit. Dot top with butter. Put in oven preheated to 350 and bake for one hour. (If the dough does not seem done enough, I just put it back in the oven until it is as done as I want.)

I have used less fruit and decrease the amount of batter and I have used less batter for the same amount of fruit. Just whatever I am in the mood for. Just be sure that you use equal parts of flour, sugar and milk.

My sister's recipe called for dotting the butter on the fruit before pouring the batter on, but my hairdresser told me that he just melts it and mixes it into the batter. I have done that before and it worked great, but this time I didn't want to bother with melting butter.

So there is my super easy cobbler recipe and it works for most fruits. But it does not work with commercial pie filling. I tried that once and the batter did not sink under the fruit...just sat on top. It tasted good, but looked odd.

Hope someone makes it and enjoys it! @SocialInsiders #SocialSummer

#SocialSummer - Getting Crafty

I was challenged by Social Insiders to pick a craft project and try it out. I am currently working on an afghan that my mom started, so I guess I already picked me craft. I always try to be ahead of the game.

My mom crocheted all the time. She always had a project going, so we were all kept in afghans, pillows and house slippers. She also taught me how to crochet and I did it in spurts. I made a couple of lap afghans and lots and lots of scarfs.

When I became a grandma for the first time, I picked it up again with a vengeance. I made each one of my grandsons 3 afghans when they were born. Their mamas are not sentimental, so I guarantee those are long gone, but oh well. I also made one for my great niece. She is now 8 and still has hers. Her mama IS sentimental. Since my youngest grandson is now 7, it has been a couple of days since I was crocheting for babies.

Last year, when my mom passed away, we started going through things to determine what to get rid of, what to organize and what to keep to make Dad's home comfortable for him to live in. I mean, it was comfortable, but he didn't need to be surrounded by all Mom's stuff. He is totally not interested in Harlequin Romances. LOL!

We knew she had a TON of yarn. There is an entire craft room full of yarn, fabric and craft supplies. And we have not even gotten all the way through it yet, a year later. But we started finding unfinished crochet projects. Mom was always working on more than one at a time, so we weren't surprised. 

Since I enjoy crocheting and my two sisters that were there do not, I was designated to finish Mom's projects. Here are some pics of what I have finished so far. (Oh, and Mom always knew who things were for before she started, but we did not. So as I finish each thing, it goes to the one that it seems to be for.)

Large lap afghan that ended up being for sister, Jackie.

Next I only had to put a border around a little afghan. It went to my 3 year old great niece, Lexi

Then, since there was a lot of the same yarn from the baby afghan and because my niece, Jessica, loved the colors so much, I made her a large lap afghan. This pic was actually before I finished it. It is pretty big. LOL!

Those were the projects I had brought home when after Mom passed away. When I went there on vacation last month, I came back with a dufflebag of unfinished projects.

Not only am I enjoying crocheting, but I am able to give family members something Mom started and I finished. Oh, and I also will have to crochet an afghan for Hubby as he keeps asking me if it is his each time I finish something.

So, there are my crafty projects and carrying on a family legacy.I call that success!

@SocialInsiders #SocialSummer

#SocialSummer - One of my favorite things.

As a member of Social Insiders I have been challenged with telling you about my favorite thing. 

This was a hard one as I have a lot of favorite things. Followers of my blog, if any are still around since I have not been blogging in a long time, might remember that my Hubby is one of my favorite things. But I think that is not the subject of the challenge. LOL!

So today I will tell you about one of my favorite things that is not my hubby!

Believe it or not, one of my favorite things is our rolling shopping cart. Yes, it really is! 

For years, Hubby and I lived in second floor apartments and we lugged thousands of pounds of groceries up those starts. And we hauled camping equipment up and down those stairs for years. Yes, even though Hubby goes camping by himself, I would help him lug his crap.

When we moved to a first floor apartment, carrying groceries would have been easier, but for some reason, I decided I wanted a rolling cart. At the time we moved, apparently I thought we were rich as I was ordering all kinds of new stuff for our apartment, so I ordered a cart. I started using it to bring in groceries and I loved it!! What used to take me 3 trips between the car and apartment I could now make in one! It was awesome!

Of course, Hubby didn't think he needed to use it, until the first time he did. Then he realized how awesome it was! He especially loved that when he was in his wheelchair after surgeries he can move get stuff to and from the car. Regularly, he comments on how he is so glad we got this cart. 

I will say it has really saved extra wear and tear on my knees and in the hot summer it is a dream to not have to go in and out of the heat!

So, there is one of my favorite things! We love it so much that when Aldi had one in its ad, Hubby went and got one to keep in the closet for when ours breaks or wears out. Love it!

@SocialInsiders #SocialSummer

#SocialSummer: All about my town!

So, I was challenged by Social Insiders to blog about what makes my town special. I talk about living in the Houston area, but I actually live in the city of Pasadena, Texas. On the map, it looks like a suburb of Houston, but it is really its own city. No, really! Pasadena is really a historic city. And here are some interesting facts:

Pasadena is one of the top 20 most populated cities in Texas.

John Travolta, Debra Winger and other actors came to the city to film the 1980 hit movie Urban Cowboy, which depicted life and young love in Pasadena. The film centered on the city's honky-tonk bar Gilley's, which was co-owned by country music star Mickey Gilley. I went to Gilley’s back in the day, but I did not ride the mechanical bull!

Clara Barton of the American Red Cross purchased 1.5 million strawberry plants and sent them to Pasadena to help victims of the 1900 flood get back on their feet. By the 1930s those crops had flourished so much that Pasadena was claiming the title of Strawberry Capital of the World. At its height, the city's strawberry growers shipped as many as 28 train carloads of strawberries each day. To honor that history, the city still holds an annual Pasadena Strawberry Festival. Here is a picture of the World’s Biggest Strawberry Shortcake! Yum!

The Pasadena Volunteer Fire Department is the largest all volunteer municipal fire department in the United States. And it is fabulous! We had to call once when our chimney caught on fire on January 1, 2015. They came fast and put that fire out quick!

The city operates 15 tennis courts, several baseball fields, and a total of 43 parks total. These include over 14 miles of trails, four Youth Recreation Centers, an Adaptive Recreation center, three pools for Swimming or Aquatics, an Athletics department, a Dog Park, Party Rentals, a Golf Course, an Historical Museum, and a Senior Citizen Center.

 Armand Bayou Nature Center is a 2,500 acre preserve on the western shore of Galveston Bay in Pasadena. It is the only remnant of this region's original eco-systems: coastal tall grass prairie, bottomland forest and bayou. A diversity of plant life has taken root here, including bottomland hardwoods. Hundreds of species of wildlife thrive in the narrow wooded streams and scattered lakes, ponds and marshes.Armand Bayou also is a breeding and nursery ground for many fin fish and shellfish and a haven for rarely seen species such as bobcats and owls.

Pasadena also has an annual Rodeo, Thanksgiving Day parade, Christmas Parade and various town celebrations throughout the year. Go Pasadena, Texas!

@SocialInsiders #SocialSummer

Purex® Fresh Bluebonnet Coupon Giveaway Winner

Krystal Merlo you were the only person that entered my giveaway, so you won TWO coupons for free Purex Fresh Bluebonnet detergent.

I will try to find your email address since you didn't put in in your comments and send an email for your mailing address.

Thanks for entering and congratulations!

ETA: Krystal, I cannot locate your email address. Please send your mailing info to me at fperkins2000 @ gmail.com so I can send your coupons. Thanks!

Purex® Fresh Bluebonnet Coupon Giveaway! (ONLY For Texans with HEB) Ends 5/20

I cannot believe that Purex actually made a detergent just for us Texans! 

As a member of Social Insiders, I received a coupon for a free bottle of Purex® Fresh Bluebonnet to try out and as with all Purex products, I was very happy to try it out. BUT it is only available at HEB and I have not had a chance to go by my HEB. I really love HEB, but it is the most crowded grocery store in our area. Seriously, cars drive around and around the parking lot waiting for someone to leave since there are never empty spaces. I love to go when I have a day off from work during the week when it is less crowded and I have not had a day off lately. I will on Monday and I will be heading to HEB!

Readers of my blog know that I am a big Purex fan. This is actually our regular brand of detergent even when I don't have coupons for it! It is such a great value and does a great job on our laundry. So, I know I will love Purex® Fresh Bluebonnet just as much, if not more. After all, the Bluebonnet IS Texas’ state flower!

From Purex.com

The power of Purex®  with the Fresh Bluebonnet scent Texas loves!

The Purex®  laundry detergent you love is now available in a BRAND NEW scent! Purex® Fresh Bluebonnet is inspired by the state flower of Texas, the Bluebonnet. Purex® Fresh Bluebonnet delivers a powerful everyday clean that goes deep into fibers to remove ground-in dirt and stains. Limited Edition Purex® Fresh Bluebonnet is only available in Texas at HEB®.

  

Purex sent me coupons for a FREE bottle of Purex® Fresh Bluebonnet and I am going to give TWO of them away! Aren't you excited! As always, entering it really easy. Just do any or all of the below:

• Leave a daily entry comment. (daily)
• Tweet about this giveaway and leave a comment that you did. (daily)
• Visit the Purex® Fresh Bluebonnet product page and leave a comment that you did. (once)
• Visit the Purex Facebook page and leave a comment that you did. (once)
• Check out Purex on Instagram and leave a comment that you did. (once)
• Visit Purex on Twitter and leave a comment that you did. (once)

See, lots of entries available. You can post entries through midnight on 05/20/16. I will choose the two winners the next day and announce them on my blog and send notifications by email. So get to entering! Good luck to all!

Please note that as a member of Social Insiders, Purex provided me with the coupons for my giveaway and for me to get my free bottle. But all thoughts on the product are my own. 

#PurexFreshBluebonnet #Texas #TexasPride #Bluebonnet #SocialInsiders

Purex® plus Clorox 2® Giveaway Winners!

I am sitting at home since we are having major flooding in the Houston area, and my office is closed today. So what am I doing? Announcing winners, of course!

The winners of a coupon for a FREE bottle of Purex® plus Clorox 2® are:

1froglegs

Karin

Slugmama (your post questioning my dates was picked! Ha!)

Congrats to the winners! I will be emailing you for your mailing address.

Thanks to all who entered!