Comfort Food Recipe Share: Our Favorite Honey Butter and Scones

Hey all, glad you came! Today I'm sharing another recipe. It's been unusually cold and wet here in our part of the world. And I really don't like cold weather...at all! So warm, comforting foods are on my menu today. You may know that we have beehives here on our little "Patch-A-Heaven" and we just love honey! Our honey alone on a scone is yummy, but I like to do a little mixing when it comes to my honey butta! I like the stuff they serve at Texas Roadhouse so this is my attempt at their honey butter. I think I like it...a lot! This hit's the spot for my cold, rainy day blues...with a cup of hot cocoa too!

What you need:
Honey, 1/2 Cup, preferably from your local beekeeper!
Butter, 1 stick, softened
Powered Sugar, 1/4 cup
Cinnamon, 1/2 tsp

Directions:
Beat butter in mixer until smooth, then add honey, powdered sugar and cinnamon, beat until smooth and blended. Serve on hot scones! For our scones we usually go the easy route, (which means thawing Rhodes Dinner Rolls and frying in hot oil.) They are fast, easy and oh so tasty! Enjoy and stay warm!!

"Project Denim", Diminishing The Jean Pile, Episode: 6

Well to say that I still have a gigantic pile of used denim jeans would be an understatement!! It has gotten smaller with all these denim projects, however I still have quite a ways to go. So here's another idea of things to do with old worn out denim jeans. I made a pillow cover out of the denim and then embellished with petals making a flower on the front. I bought some pillows at Joann several months ago with the intention of making new throws for my bed. (Hadn't gotten to it yet!) So I started today! My bed is covered with a rustic colored, star quilt that I made several years ago. It has blues and my style is warm and rustic, country so I think the denim addition works nicely. You could always use them for outdoor furniture décor pillows if your bedroom doesn't do denim! This was simple and went together really fast! Hopefully these posts about using old denim is inspiring you to do something awesome with yours! If it is, I would love to hear about it and see it! Best wishes for diminishing that pile! Have a fancy day from my little "Patch-A-Heaven!"

Recipe Share: The Boursin Steak, My Version of a Macaroni Grill Menu Item, part 2!

Hello my wonderful friends! I realized today that my blog has been taken over by my love for fashion lately!! (Don't expect that to stay gone for long though!) So I decided to mix in a little of my foodie side today. My recipe shares are actually some of my most popular posts so I suppose I should share more often! And apparently I really love this dish because I have shared two different versions of this dish on this blog! Try both, let me know which is your favorite. This dish is something you carnivores can really sink your teeth into. I love a good steak and a "good steak" really shouldn't need anything, more than a little salt to taste good. But I really love to "embellish" steaks too! (Maybe that's my fashion side working yet again.) Luckily since my dad is a sheep and cattle rancher by occupation, we always have ample amounts of delicious meats available for our use. Thanks Dad!! When we would eat out at Macaroni Grill in years past they served a steak called "Boursin Fillet." It was my favorite menu item, I ordered it every time! They have since changed their menu and don't feature this anymore, it's a shame! So whenever I have something at a restaurant that I love, I always try to recreate it at home myself. This recipe is one of my versions of that steak I so loved at Macaroni Grill. For the mushroom gravy sauce I use a Pioneer Woman Recipe, so watch for that link! I start with the charcoal coals, get them going, then I get going on the sides and sauce and when the coals are ready and the sides almost complete then I have "Handy Hubby" grill the steaks. (He's really good at getting them perfect, so I let him be the master of the grill!) I like to serve this steak on a bed of either smashed Cauliflower or Butternut Squash, in this case I did both! For the cauliflower, I steam it until tender, then put it in my mixer and smash it up and then add about a 1/2 stick of cream cheese and salt to taste. For Butternut Squash, I cook it in my oven at 400 degrees in a Pyrex with little water in bottom (covered) until tender. Then I smash it also in my mixer and then add about a 1/4-1/2 stick butter and salt to taste, until smooth. I season my steaks with McCormick Grill Mates, Montreal Steak Seasoning prior to grilling. Now for the sauce part: I like this recipe that comes from the amazing Pioneer Woman, it's her recipe and here's a link: She calls it Steak with Burgundy Mushroom Sauce:  Pioneer Woman Link

Once you have your sides done, sauce is done and steak is done, to serve I put a bed of the smashed vegetables down on the plate, lay the steak over them, pour the mushroom sauce over and top with a dollop of Boursin Garlic & Herb Spreadable Cheese. And get your knife ready to dig into this rich and flavorful take on a steak!! Hope you enjoy this recipe and have a fancy foodie day!
To view the other version click here: First Version/Recipe

What you need:
Steaks, I used bone in rib eye today
McCormick Grill Mates Montreal Seasoning
Cauliflower, 1 large head
Cream Cheese
Butter
Butternut Squash, 2 pieces about 4" x 12"
Mushrooms
Garlic
Green Onions
Red Wine (or I think you could substitute with Beef broth if you don't like to use wine)
Salt and Pepper
Fresh Parsley
Boursin Garlic & Herb Spreadable Cheese

Fashionable Farmer/Runway Rancher, Episode 6: Trend Capes and Fringe, The Mini-Cowgirl Cape

You don't have to be Superman to love capes!! The runway is filled with coats that have cape-like
draping, capes and fringe, I'm in! So today's look is how I would style cape-like draping and the fringe trend in our cowgirl way. My oldest daughter has been begging me to make her a "poncho" so I decided to make one.  I bought a yard of Suede Cloth from Joann Fabrics, using the 40% off coupon, score! And then used a Simplicity children's cape pattern. I modified the pattern so as not to use the hood or the tie that is included in the pattern. I have also always wanted to learn how to embroider using beads so I added beaded embellishment to the neck of the cape/poncho. My little was super excited (she had to wear it to school today!)and this went together pretty fast. The sewing is super simple, it's just sewing the back seam together, and finishing the neck with a hem, it's the fringe cutting around the bottom and the beading that took the most time. I still however was able to finish it in a day. (I beaded while overseeing the kids homework.) I think this would be gorgeous and luxurious in a real Suede, but this will do for now! Here are a few pics of the first one I did:

A little fringe inspiration from InStyle Mag.

Fashionable Farmer/Runway Rancher, Episode 5: Peplum Cowgirl and a Throwback Belt

Hello my fine friends. Welcome back to "Patch-A-Heaven!" Today I bring you the latest look in my Fashionable Farmer/Runway Rancher Series. In this series, I take runway trends and style them with my cowgirl flare. I have loved the peplum trend since it came round!! And I love that it has lasted this long. Sometimes a trend is here today and gone by noon, but this feminine look is staying put for Fall. So here is my peplum done up "cowgirl style." From some of you I may get an "Oh no....she didn't!" just mix a Western belt/buckle with English style riding boots. But....I did!! And I love it! I put my brown cowboy boots on first and it just didn't go. So I switched and I think it's a keeper. The belt is a real throwback to my childhood! I got this belt for Christmas from my dad when I was really young!! I have had it for years, it's pretty crazy that it still fits. I found it in the tack room the other day and thought it would go perfect with this outfit. It has my name on the back, how quaint! (why did we stop doing that??) And I chose this buckle for it's gold coloring and it's a throwback too, so it goes perfectly with the belt. (I won this in 4-H in 1994, way long time ago!) The boots are Madden from last season. The clutch is a gold sequin number I snagged from Brickyard Buffalo. The peplum top is a Fancy Ewe Creation, I used a retro 1940's inspired Simplicity pattern and altered it a bit to suit me. The necklace is from Koo-de-ker. And the jeans are J Brand. (I love these jeans! Expensive...yes, but they are so comfortable and they hold their shape! Also Koo-de-ker.) Of course you could easily wear cowboy boots, just the style/color combo I had didn't flow. (I think someone needs a new pair of brown cowboy boots.) Peplums are so fun and feminine! Grab one and style it up Cowgirl!

And have a fancy day!!

Here are some pics of my peplum cowgirl look:

Here is a pic of the throwback belt.

This is the pattern I used to make the peplum top, I however modified it. I made the opening in the back with a zipper, used the back for the front and used shirring at the neckline and waist to cinch it in.

Prayers For SpongeBob

Prayer is such an amazing thing! It's what allows us to communicate our deepest feelings, problems, worries, calls for help, and gratitude for blessings to the Divine. If I fail at everything else in my attempts to teach my children, this is the one thing I want my children to understand: Who they are (children of a loving Heavenly Father), Where they came from (Heaven with Him), Where they are going (Back to live in His presence), and what to do while they are here on earth (seek to have His help in all things.) So prayer is something we do around here regularly. Usually you can find us saying our nightly prayers together, however there are times when I allow my kids to go it alone. I feel that it's important for them to learn that their prayers are their own and their relationship with God is their own, (I'm here to guide them in learning to reach out to Him) so I allow them some alone time with God. Now, that doesn't mean I'm not outside the door, dropping eves once in a while! This is just to I can see if they are "getting it." So that brings me to today's post, the other evening I decided to allow them to pray on their own. I proceeded to begin my own nightly routine. I wasn't really listening until I heard something unusual, but very sweet at the same time.  As I walked into my closet I heard, "and please bless SpongeBob that he will have a good night's rest, and bless Squidward that he will get better at playing his clarinet, and please bless Patrick that he will be smart, and please bless Mr. Crabs that he won't be so greedy." I really couldn't help but chuckle a little under my breath! It was silly because these characters aren't real, but she was so sincere in it that I had to feel proud of her. (God wants us to pray for things with a deep sincerity and this is one thing I've been trying to teach them.) Now you might think this completely off the wall and think that I should intervene and say that we shouldn't pray for "people" who aren't even real. But it's my opinion that, it was perfect! She saw needs in "her world" though it be fictional, she was thinking and praying for others besides herself. She was communicating the feelings of her heart and thoughts of her mind to her God. I have heard my kids pray for real people in the same manner, and I know others have been blessed by their diligent prayers, but this one just tickled me and I've been thinking about it a lot so thought I'd share! I'm not a big SpongeBob fan, and we don't watch it often, but it inspired a heartfelt prayer and for that I'm grateful. Children are so pure, innocent and kind by nature and it's inspiring to hear their prayers. Today I'm grateful for a loving Father in Heaven and that He hears and answers our prayers. Hope you all have a super day! Much love from "Patch-A-Heaven."