Heart In Hand Broken China Pendant Necklace

Give the gift of love that says, "You hold my heart in your hands" this Valentines day. Created using a hand cut broken china pendant that I created myself, and a mix of glass beads, pearls and charms, this is a one of a kind piece. You can find this by clicking on  ebay

Cottage Chic Soap Dish

A lovely pairing to create a sweet and pretty cottage chic jewelry tray or soap dish. See this at Simply Sheryl's etsy

"A Bird In the Hand" Silverware Pendant Necklace and Earrings

 It has been said that it's better to have a lesser but certain advantage than the possibility of a greater one that may come to nothing. Thus the phrase, "A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush."

This proverb refers back to mediaeval falconry where a bird in the hand (the falcon) was a valuable asset and certainly worth more than two in the bush (the prey).

The first citation of the expression in print in its currently used form is found in John Ray's A Hand-book of Proverbs, 1670.
It's amazing how long certain sayings can stick with society, especially when we can't even remember what we said last week. Just like an old commercial where a musical ditty such as "you'll wonder where the yellow went, when you brush your teeth with Pepsodent!" is still rattling around in my brain, and comes to the forefront on occasion, such sayings as "A bird in the hand" come to the tip of our tongue, when appropriate. When I saw the lovely hand pendant, and the bird with nest and such string of beads, I immediately thought of the phrase, inspiration for a pretty creation! Stop by my etsy shop if you would like "A bird in the Hand", for yourself.  Simply Sheryl's

A Quick Blueberry Mix Fix for a Healthy Breakfast

If you are someone who likes the convenience of boxed mixes, here's a little tip to make it a tad healthier. It won't change the basic muffin, except to make it tastier. Add 1/4 cup each rolled oats and flaxseed meal, and 1/2 cup chopped pecans. Whaalaa! Tasty goodness, made easy!

Who Knew? Genealogy can be a lot of fun!

 As I've been searching for family information, I've found a wealth of knowledge about the talents of my family members. This glass pipe, and the bird pickle dishes below were designed by Julius Proeger, one of a line of Julius Proegers in my mom's side of the family. Pretty awesome I think!

 

 

 You may be wondering what Carmen Miranda has to do with my family, well, apparently my grandmother, my mother's mom, used to do hair for people in LA, and Carmen was one of her clients! How come I didn't know that before?! Very cool bit of information.

Here's a photo of the headstones for the first Julius Proeger in our family line to come to the US. Funny, there's another line, with a Julius Proeger, we are trying sort out, to see if he is related. Probably, but we can't say for sure right now.
If you think your family has nothing to learn about, you might be surprised! Genealogy is so fun, and it really turns the hearts of the children to their fathers, as is stated in Malachi. Of course we LDS folk believe that families are meant to be together forever, and that Heavenly Father has a plan for that, but even if you don't believe that, you will still find doing genealogy richly rewarding.

Sweet and Savory Potato Salad

Shhhhh..... this is my version of a family recipe. You know, the kind that is supposed to be a secret..... or not. I asked, she shared! So I don't think this is too secret, right?
This is a different way to make potato salad from what I'm used to, but the family loves the original so I tried it, with a couple of twists.  Start this the day before so that the potatoes and eggs have time to chill nicely.

Sweet and Savory Potato Salad

6 medium potatoes
1 almost large sweet potato or yam
3 eggs
1 cup Miracle Whip
1/3 cup Mayonnaise
1 t. sugar
1 T. yellow mustard
1 T. creamy horseradish
2-3 T. sweet pickle juice
2 green onions, minced, tops and all
1/3 c. minced sweet pickle chips
Salt.

In a large pot boil over medium low heat all the potatoes and eggs. Drain, cool in cold water, drain again and chill over night.  Peel and dice potatoes into small cubes. Peel and mince the eggs. In a large bowl combine the potatoes, onion, sweet pickle, and eggs. In a small bowl combine the mayo and Miracle Whip, sugar, mustard, horseradish, pickle juice. Stir into potato mixture and mix until well combined. Add salt as needed. Chill and enjoy! We are all sitting around with stuffed tummies full of honey baked ham, potato salad, steamed broccoli, and sliced cucumbers..... soooooo good!

Spiced Oatmeal Waffles With Maple Pecan Syrup

Okay, don't laugh! I know I should have taken a photo before half of my breakfast was gone, but I got caught up in the enthusiasm of the meal. Everyone was so excited about homemade waffles they didn't want to wait for a photo shoot....lol. We bought a cheap little waffle iron, because I'm a stickler for food made from scratch. The fun of cooking from scratch is that if I want pumpkin waffles I can do that, or as in this case I used oatmeal flour made from toasted oats. These were such a hit, I don't think I would be tempted to try the "basic" all white flour waffle recipe. I learned some tips as I scoured the internet for recipe ideas. One is, the professional waffle houses make their batter the night before. I didn't realize I could toast oats and then blend them up into flour, yay! Buttermilk is a must, and you don't have to beat egg whites separate if you have a good buttermilk recipe. These waffles were soft on the inside and crisp out. I did make changes to assure that, such as half butter half oil, and a dab more sugar than this recipe called for. Enough gabbing and on to the recipe. Oh, as a credit to the original creator, Alton Brown, this is his recipe for the most part, but I tweaked it and will tell you the difference.

Spiced Oatmeal Waffles - (the night before you want these make up the batter)

5 1/2 ounces oats, toasted in a dry skillet
4 ounces flour
3 T. brown sugar  (Alton uses white) plus one T. white sugar, my addition
3 eggs
2 T. each melted butter and oil   (Alton uses all butter)
1 t. baking powder
1 t. salt
1/2 t. baking soda
2 cups buttermilk
1/4 t. pumpkin pie spice  (my addition)
1 t. vanilla    (my addition)
Toast your oats in a dry skillet, watching to make sure they don't burn. When cooled whir in a blender or food processor until flour like consistency. In a glass bowl or 4 c. measuring cup combine all dry ingredients. In another bowl whisk together the eggs, fats, vanilla and buttermilk. Gently mix into dry ingredients. Don't beat too vigorously and don't worry about lumps. You want light fluffy waffles and over beating will make them tough. Cover and refrigerate over night, which is not a recommendation from Alton but several others did say that helped make the batter thick and certainly didn't seem to hurt anything. Take out about 30 minutes prior to cooking the waffles. This will make 6 large 4 section waffles. Follow the instructions on your waffle maker. Mine is a small Rival which makes to square waffles at a time and I figured out that a quarter of a cup of batter on each side was enough. Now for the syrup.

Butter Pecan Maple Syrup
2 T. butter
1/3 c. chopped pecans
1 c. maple syrup

In a small saucepan melt the butter and cook the pecans lightly. Add the syrup and heat til very warm. Serve with the waffles or any favorite pancake, or french toast recipe. Enjoy!

Mayo or Miracle Whip?

You decide! We are making Aunt Lola's potato salad recipe today, we shall see which wins out. She uses both, and I have in the past but our family is definitely mayo. How about you?

Bleeding Hearts Artisan Jewelry for Valentines

 Yesterday morning was bright and blue, with feathery wisps of clouds on the horizon. The warm breeze brushed my cheeks with a touch of sunshine, belying the storm to come.

This morning the wind is pushing the storm our way; a promise of snow and colder temperatures. I think Valentines Day must come in February to brighten an otherwise potentially dreary month with a bit of color and remembrance of romance to warm our hearts.
It's only January I know, but it's never too early to get a gift, either for yourself, or the one who brightens your day.  Give them a gift that will remind them of your love by visiting Simply Sheryl's.

A Lovely Memory Wire Bracelet for a Valentine....

A luxurious mix of stone, cracked glass and lampwork beads complimented by antiqued silver spacers and bead caps make this one of a kind bracelet the perfect gift for yourself, or a loved one. See more about this LOVEly piece at  - Simply Sheryl's

Red is for Love Broken China Pendant Necklace

Red is for love, sacrifice, and redemption. All three have a connection in that when we love, we are willing to sacrifice, and redemption, true change can come when one feels love.

A bit of broken Memory Lane China by Royal became a lovely wire wrapped pendant, embellished with glass beads and silver findings. To see more about this stop by my etsy shop - Simply Sheryl's

Enchanting Simplicity in Jewelry - a Silverware Pendant

 I'm sitting here enjoying the fleeting moments of quiet peaceful silence as I'm all alone for a bit. As a caretaker for my MIL that doesn't happen very often so I'm going to savor the time as I share what I've been up to. An old spoon handle was the inspiration for this lovely piece.  The spoon itself had seen better days, probably used many times over to serve some delicious casserole, or fluffy mashed potatoes. Did the spoon belong to only one owner before ending up in my stash, or was it passed down from mother to daughter or son? The story itself could be very intriguing!

As a lover of old things turned new or re-purposed  I separated the handle from the rest and created a pretty pendant.

Every nice necklace needs a matching pair of earrings as well. If you would like to purchase these stop by my etsy shop - Simply Sheryl's