ROAD TRIP

Papa, Cheri, and the grandkids took a short road trip today.  We went to the......

FARMER'S  MARKET

in a nearby town. 

The kids had never been to an outdoor market so it was a new experience.

Papa pointed out the various fruits and vegetables.

Everything was fresh from the farm and looked so much more inviting than the ones at the grocery store.

The tomatoes were big and red and looked just right for some yummy bacon and tomato sandwiches...on fresh bread, of course.

After checking out all the watermelons....

the very best one was found!

The real reason for our trip was these...

P E A C H E S!

Peach Ice Cream is a family favorite every summer.  I use my husband's grandmother's recipe and it is the best I've ever had.

We brought these home with us along with plums, watermelon, new potatoes, and GA peanuts.

We also brought this home with us, too....

The "cutest" little GA Peach of all!

After we finished at the market we decided to have some food and fun and soak up the air-conditioning at the kids' favorite eatery...

It was a short but fun trip...and tomorrow maybe we'll make a churn of that peach ice cream.

My Name is....and I'm Addicted to....

    

C O O K B O O K S

I have a few many....but don't we all?

My favorites are those put out by churches and organizations where the local cooks and bakers share their tried-and-true recipes.  I always wonder if the recipe is a family favorite or one passed down from a grandmother or even great-grand.  I am also constantly amazed at how often the same recipe is added to, subtracted from...ingredients substituted...names changed...which leads to the question:  which one to try?

Show me any church cookbook and I'll show you a dozen different ways to prepare CHICKEN PIE!

A few of my recipes can be found in some of them too!

Another wonderful thing about locally produced cookbooks is that they generally are not expensive at all...plus the money goes for a good cause.  I can never resist buying the latest one that's sold by church folks, school band members, or other charitable organizations.

Some are looking rather shabby  well-loved.  Just proves I do use them!

This was my first cookbook...I received it when I first got married.  I don't know what I would have done without it.  Great information in addition to some simple recipes.

I couldn't cook much when we first got married.  Poor J had to eat a lot of hot dogs in those days.

Do you have any of PAULA DEEN's cookbooks?

These are wonderful and full of delicious southern recipes.  However, before you buy you should know that Paula does love her butter.  Her recipes will make you smack your lips, but don't expect not to add a few inches to your waistline if you aren't careful!

These are some of my favorites but I try not to use them too much.  I can gain five pounds just looking through them!

I also love cute recipe cards!  I like to match the graphic to the recipe.  (I know...I'm a little much at times!)  I don't always use these but often write favorite recipes on them to share with friends.

Aren't these cute?  I need to send them to

SWEET  BEE @ Sweet Bee Cottage

(You can find many free & cute cards by searching the internet.)

Awhile back I participated in a KITCHEN SWAP
organized by my good friend Cindy over at 
Rick-Rack and Gingham 
and SWEET BEE was my partner.  She sent me these yummy recipes.

Sweet Bee is so creative!

Can't wait to try this one.  Kaluha and chocolate...what's not to love????

A few months ago I spent hours and hours organizing all my loose recipes (gathered from family, friends, magazines, blogs, etc.)  I had hundreds of them! 

I organized them in photo albums but I'm not really happy with these.  They are lacking the cute factor.  This was a huge task so may have to leave them as is.

Last summer my MIL gave me a special gift...many recipes that had been collected by both J's grandmothers.  I love that some are in their own handwriting.  Unfortunately neither grandmother cared a hoot about organizing them!

After I finished my project I promised myself I wouldn't collect any more recipes!  Oops...guess that promise is broken.  I'm off to do a little lot more filing!  Any recipes you want to share?

By the way:  there's another CSN giveaway over at

Bringing Pretty Back

But PLEASE don't enter...I want a better chance of winning...just kidding..

well, actually I'm not!

Collecting Quotes

I love quotes and have collected them for years.  Someday I hope to compile my favorites into some type of journal or book for my grandkids.  Since nothing much is going on in my little world, I thought I would share some of these quotes and hope you enjoy them (and the meanings behind them) as much as I do.....

We make a living by what we get,

but we make a LIFE by what we GIVE.

*Winston Churchill

Every day take note of an exquisite moment.

*unknown

Life may not be the party we hoped for,

but while we are here we might as well dance.

*unknown

To love a person is to learn their song

and sing it to them when they have forgotten.

*unknown

The best and most beautiful things

in this world

cannot be seen or even heard, but

must be felt with the heart.

*Helen Keller

Every job is a self-portrait

of the person who does it.

Autograph your work with excellence.

*unknown

God did not promise days without pain,

laughter without sorrow,

nor sun without rain.

But He did promise strength for the day,

comfort for the tears,

and light for the way.

*unknown

Thirty years from now it won't matter

what shoes you wore, how your hair looked,

or the jeans you bought.

What will matter is

what you learned

and how you used it.

*unknown

Wishing all my friends a wonderful and contented weekend filled with special moments.

*Note:  all the pictures are mine except the waterfall.  I'm still learning with

my new camera!

2nd Note:  Katie over at http://goaskkatie.blogspot.com/ has the cutest cupcake apron that she's giving away.  Don't go there...I want to win!

3rd Note:  Kathy over at http://blissfulrhythm.blogspot.com/2010/07/csn-giveaway.html

also has a great giveaway going on...CSN gift card!  I never seem to win those but I keep trying!

First Blog Award!!!

For someone who doesn't ever have much luck when it comes to winning things, I sure have won a lot lately!!!  (See an earlier post about some giveaways I've won.)  And today I have won my first BLOG AWARD!!!

It's from that cute and sweet DONNA over at

House on the Corner 

She thinks I'm VERSATILE!

Since I still feel like I'm in the Blog Beginner's Class, this is really an honor...and oh so exciting!  Thank you, Donna...you've made my day! 

There are some RULES I need to follow to merit this award, so let me see if I can do this right!

*First, thank the person who gave you this award.

 Well, of course, I should!  My southern manners would dictate that...and my southern mama would skin me alive if I didn't!  Think I've already thanked her above but one more time won't hurt:

Donna, thanks SO much!  I'm just thrilled that anybody would read my blog, let alone give me an award of any kind!!!

Now here's the hard part:

*Tell seven things about myself you might not know...

Let's see if I can think of 7 things that will thrill won't totally bore you...

1.  My real name is CHERYL...my grandkids call me CHERI , thus the name of my blog.  The family story is that my daddy didn't really like the name my mother had picked out so he decided to call me Cheri instead.  Of course, my childhood was peppered with the nicknames CheriPie and CheriBlossom.

2.  I love ORGANIZATION!  In fact I am a little quite OCD about it!  I have loved to organize things ever since I was a little girl.  I don't get all freakish if things are out of place, but I do feel better when they are where they need to be.  If I could make a living at it, I would love to be a professional organizer.

(This isn't MY office unfortunately.)

3.  I am a SUGAR  LOVER ADDICT...have been ever since childhood.  I can give up food but not my sugar...unfortunately.  Right now I am trying to cut back though cause I'd like to lose a few pounds. 

 

(Am I boring you yet?) 

4.  Sometimes I think I am HYPERACTIVE.  I always seem to need to have a project going on...reading a book, cleaning out a closet, scrapbooking, gardening, surfing the internet (for great blogs, of course), shopping, organizing recipes, SOMETHING.  I do NOT like to be idle!

5.  I would love to TRAVEL.

We've been on a couple of cruises and had family vacations to the beach or mountains, but we've just never traveled that much.  I would love to see the world...maybe we can do more after my husband retires and the grandkids don't need me as much.

(Two more to go???  Think, Cheri, think!)

6.  I love to WRITE and LEARN NEW THINGS.

I am not that good at writing but I have always enjoyed it and would really love to write a book for children...maybe one day I'll get the courage to try.  I consider myself a life-long learner and hope I will still be learning new things when I'm in my 90's!

                                         

7.  In a college beauty pageant I was elected

MISS  CONGENIALITY!

I did NOT win the pageant but felt very honored to receive this award.  Now I can tell my grandkids that although I wasn't the prettiest or most talented, I was at least FRIENDLY!

Whew!  That was harder than I thought...hopefully it's not too boring!

And lastly I am supposed to

*Nominate 15 newly discovered blogs and let them know about the award.

Here are my picks from among MANY:
(I hate to leave anyone out!)

Across the Branch

The View from a Saddle

Brave Eagles Hunt with Antique Brownings

Rick-Rack and Gingham

A Delightsome Life

A Cozy Little House

DebbieDoos

Jojo's Joys

Shellbelle's

Wander to the Wayside

Wonders of Life

Elizabeth Ann's

Bobbypins Boardwalk

Sweet Bee Cottage

Faded Highways

Check them out...they're all great blogs.

A Week with the Grands

The grandkids have been with me most all week because the sitter who is helping us this summer has been on vacation.  I try to keep them entertained and help them have some fun when they are here, but it gets challenging at times.  I stayed with my grandmother a lot when I was growing up since my mother worked out of town.  Although I loved my grandmother I really didn't enjoy staying with her that much.  She was a self-imposed shut-in and mostly laid in her daybed each and every day...not much fun for a young child.  I had to find things to entertain myself and I was often quite unhappy.  I want my grandkids to grow up and remember fun times with me and so I'm constantly trying to think of new things to do.  In a small town it can be challenging!  Today we spent the afternoon swimming in a friend's pool but yesterday we went on a picnic to a nearby park.  It's a very small park with a very small playground and a very short nature trail, but the kids had fun so that's what counts.  Here are some pics of our day...enjoy!

Children are a gift from God