We have moved to Kansas, our home state, but leaving Missouri was terribly sad and more work that I could have imagined.
                       We are now settled somewhat, and I am anxious to start blogging! Moving shows one what kind of refurbishing needs done,
​                        like these snowmen, which my husband made over 25 years ago. 

I brought them into my studio, which is a mess, and started to refurbish them. I repainted them first and then put a matte varnish on them. I love the old tree posts!

The snowmen are made with treated landscaping timbers, and they can be any height you choose. 
The hat brim is made from a piece of 1 inch pine board cut into a circle with a hedge or oak tree post for the top.
The nose, a dowel rod, is sanded/ground to a point.
The base is a 2 x 6 inch base. 
The bottom base and post are put together with a lag screw. The longer the post the longer the lag screw needs to be.
The top part of the hat, the tree post, is put on with a lag screw to the hat brim. The hat then is tacked on with nails. You can see one of the nails in the picture below.

I love the faces on the snowmen! They have been stenciled on with a template I made with my Cricut. The scarves are scraps of material from my stash.

 Just a simple wreath, unpretentious, and in colors I don't usually choose.  Best of all, it's easy to make!

Supplies: 20 inch wire frame, 1 yard fabric, 3 sunflowers, 1 leaf stick, roll of natural branches, and hot glue.
Cut fabric into strips about one inch wider than it takes to cover the wire base.
Turn fabric on the ends of the strips about 1/4 inch to wrong side of material and hot glue them. This is so there will not be a raw edge showing on the front of your wreath.
Wrap the strips around the wire base and glue. 

Continue to wrap strips around the base until you get the crunched-up look you want. Turn the raw seams to the inside of the wire base.








​Then start adding the fun part, the flowers and accents. 

Make a simple bow of leftover fabric and scrap fabric by cutting strips all the same length, about 6-8 inches, and tying them together with a long string of jute under the flowers. Since this will make one side of the wreath heavier than the other side, I safety-pinned a weight on the opposite side of the flowers, between the strips of fabric for balance. Then the wreath could be hung evenly. 
I was finished except for hanging it on my front door. 

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POSTS YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED!

​

Do you see possibilities around you? I am always looking for an unusual item and thinking what can I use that for.  What can I make from that junk, in this case a piece of wood?

And the seeds were the final touch. I still think the seeded watermelons are the best! I put my watermelon slice outside for the centerpiece on our patio table. 

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Yes, a re-purpose of a re-purpose of an old oar! Living next to water, one just makes use of such things.  

The above is my original repurpose andpost back in 2014. Since that time, the mason jar had filled with water and the solar lid light had faded.

It was also time for some color! First I wanted to distress it as if it had been by the sea for many years, even though I just live by a lake. Adding Saltwash to some old white paint, I painted both sides of the oar. Saltwash makes paint really thick and lumpy. Painting with some colors that I mixed from old paint and highlighting in spots with mostly a darker turquoise, I achieved the look I was wanting.

The next step is to add the solar fairy lights mason jar lid I ordered from Amazon. Take a u-bolt clamp (with washers) that will fit the jar and drill holes through the oar where the u-bolt clamp will go into and through the oar. Place the jar securely in the u-bolt clamp and screw in the washers. Make sure the lights are working and the jar is secure.

At this point you could place your oar any place you would like. I decided I wanted it on one of the posts on my deck. Chalk the end of your clamp and mark the spot where you would like the oar by pushing securely. This will leave a mark where you can drill holes in the post to put the clamp into so the oar will hang. I also screwed the oar directly onto the post above and below the jar.

My shabby chic porch/deck - minus the little bird I added later to the oar!

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Pretty heart shaped leaves in beautiful pinks and greens will make a beautiful ground cover, the perfect plant for that special place in my yard that seems to be a problem area with rocks and clay.

I have made so many mistakes over the years of gardening, and this was a big one. I have been trying for three years to destroy this very invasive plant, which really smells awful, too! I've tried digging up the roots, smothering it with plastic, and using those toxic chemicals without diluting vinegar and bleach. It still shows its ugly head. Worse yet, I am still finding this horrible plant at the big box stores and upscale greenhouses/nurseries.  Please, fellow gardeners, don't plant invasive plants. Also, be very careful with pretty vines in your garden planters, such as creeping jenny. If a piece falls to the ground, before you know it, you have an invasive plant. Check your state's invasive plant list. Invasive non-native plants consume wildlife habitat and compete with crops. I am fighting winter-creeper, also, and I just last week found it for sale at one of my favorite greenhouses. :-(

I am planting more and more native plants for the pollinators, and my newest adventure is raising Monarchs and Swallowtail butterflies!

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Yes, it's a door! What a WOW factor it makes on my brick wall!

No, it is not an old door. Actually, I ordered it from Lowe's without a door handle hole. The door is 80 inches long and 32 inches wide and has 6 panels, just the perfect size for a king size bed. I did order it in white, which probably saved some paint. I bought the two pieces of trim at Lowe's also. The bottom one is a mop board trim and the other piece is just a piece of molding trim. I bought two doors at the time. I had the doors in my garage for over two years, knowing somehow I wanted to make a headboard, but things just were not coming together, even though I visited Pinterest often.

The two pieces fit together perfectly! After cutting them off the same length as the side of the door with the power saw, they were ready to be glued to the door.  (I think Lowe's will cut them for you, if you don't have the correct power tools.)

Next, it was time to paint. Have I told you before, I love to paint. Well, I do, and this time I wanted to try the new DIY paints. This is a clay and chalk paint, kind of expensive, in the range of Anne Sloan paint, but I am loving it! There are some great videos out there with tutorials. I would advise you to check some of them out before starting a project. One of my next projects is going to be with turquoise and another color, not sure which one though, and using a putty knife to apply the paint. I will have a few links of where to buy and videos at the end of this post. I'm loving the sealer, so much easier than a wax. The color I used was bead board and the sealer is liquid patina. It does take longer to dry, probably because of the clay, but so worth it!!!! I didn't distress the headboard, and I may still.  For now though, I'm just enjoying the white.

The final WOW is the transfer! I belong to a group on Facebook about transfer art. I have been dabbling in it for years, but this was my first time with tissue paper, yes, the kind you use in wrapping a package. Royce from Roycycled Treasures designs ephemera tissue paper and then Zazzle prints it. When you order it yourself, it has already been flipped so it has the mirrored look before applying. I suggest ordering a couple sheets extra, in case you make a mistake.  You can order it here.

I cut the paper to fit the top of each panel. The paper was not quite wide enough, so I did have to piece on one end. I started in the middle and worked out, which was perfect because it put the Eiffel Tower in the middle of the door/headboard. 

I used Modpodge diluted, about 4 to 1 and glued the transfer half way down and then used a bray to smooth flat. I then did the same to the bottom. Continue until you have all your panels glued and smoothed. Clean any spillage of glue. Let dry for 24 hours.

Lightly dampen the transfers and softly start peeling the paper. Everyone has a little different way to get the backing off the paper. I like the look of distress on the transfers, so I am okay with some of the paper coming off. Just be careful so you don't take off more than you want. 

Time to clean up and then to brush on the liquid patina.  

We used a French cleat to hang the headboard above the bed a few inches, so when the bed is made with pillows, the transfers totally show. 

Links to purchase DIY paint that I support, depending on which way I am traveling. They are all at least 1 1/2 hrs. from my home. 
​Miss Daisy Attic (Joplin, MO): https://www.facebook.com/missdaisysattic/  
                                                  https://www.missdaisysattic.com/
​
​Niss & That ( Louisberg Market, Louisberg, KS): www.facebook.com/pg/Niss-That-1625300977740131/videos/?ref=page_internal
​​
The Willow Branch (Springfield, MO): https://www.facebook.com/TheWillowBranchinSpringfield/

​Video: www.facebook.com/1625300977740131/videos/2041032892833602/

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Interior Frugalista

Is your outdoor lighting starting to look a little worn? You don't want to spend money on new lighting? How about just refurbishing?

The safest and first thing you will need to do is turn off the power source at the breaker box. 
​Then remove the light bulb. 
​

Start to disassemble the hardware so you can get to the wiring and remove the light fixture.  These fixtures were originally a shiny gold. They had tarnished and much of the gold color was hidden. Actually, I hate the gold color now.

Carefully pull the electrical wire and connectors from the light housing. Then unscrew the wire connectors. Make sure to save the wire connectors or have some new ones handy.  

Dismantle all parts of the fixture separately and spray paint. I painted the parts three times with complete drying between coats. The spray paint I used was Rust-oleum Hammered, dark bronze.

Reconnect the black wire to the black wire and the white wire to the white wire. Replace the (yellow) electrical connectors to the wires. Place the base of the fixture back on the plate.

Put the rest of the fixture back together. Be sure and shine that glass! Oh, and don't forget to turn the electrical breaker back on.

I love the new hammered updated color. We did all the outdoor fixtures on the house.  Will they last for another 18 years?

 I started making my own laundry soap, honestly, because my daughter started making her own because of cost,
​and after seeing how well it cleaned the clothes, I was sold!

This laundry soap is so easy and so CHEAP to make:

Ingredients for One Batch:
1 Bar Soap (any kind) I use Ivory most of the time
​1 cup WASHING ​Soda (found in the laundry aisle)
1 cup Borax (any kind)
Use only 1 TABLESPOON per load. I do decrease slightly for delicate loads or extra small loads and increase slightly for an extra-large load or an extra dirty load.

​I usually make a larger batch most times by increasing the ingredients times four.

Grate the soap first. I use my kitchen mixer attachment to grate the soap. No scraped fingers and it comes out in a beautiful fluffy pile, ready to mix with the other ingredients. You can always use a grater though. I then rinse off the excess soap on the attachment grater and place in the dishwasher. 

Add the borax and washing soda and stir until the ingredients are well mixed. 

At this time you may choose to add a scent booster. This is not an ingredient that is necessary though and does increase the cost slightly. Here are two brands that I have used. I only put in about 1/4 cup for an extra large batch of soap. You may choose to add more or less, or none at all. ​

My hubby figured up the cost and went to all this work to put it down on a sheet of paper for me: 

Hello and Happy New Year!
How many of you make your own laundry soap?
​Here are just a couple of reasons why you need to be making the change.

But, I wanted to store my homemade soap in a convenient location and have an easy way to dispense the soap to the machine, and the container had to be pretty!  After searching for the right container, I finally found what I wanted at Bed, Bath and Beyond. 

First I took off the silver clamp part. Like I said, I wanted this to be easy, because who wants to clamp and unclamp, not me. 

Then I took the seal off the container and spray painted the container, with Valspar Frosted spray paint.

Here is my laundry soap container sitting on a little shabby chic stool my husband made to fit in my laundry room.

I thought you might enjoy a picture of my laundry room. The room is not very wide, so it is hard to take a picture that shows the whole room. 

This is not your regular caramel corn! Nope, not even from a professional popcorn shop. This melts in your mouth, and you will keep saying to yourself, "This is, I swear, my last piece!"

I don't make it though; my hubby does. I usually just leave the premises, for better or worse. It does take a while to make, but be patient. It's worth those extra calories. 

It is very important to only use puffcorn in this recipe. This is the kind that we can find locally.  I'm sure there are different brands in different areas. 

Here he is doing one of the four times you must stir the corn.

Enjoy!
​This will be my last post of 2017, so Merry Christmas to all!

Let's talk about putting ribbon on a Christmas tree. Ribbon has taken over the Christmas scene, instead of what was called garland.  You know the kind, shiny silver or gold metallic, colored beads or strung popcorn. How do you put ribbon on your tree? Wrap it around and around the tree? Where do you start and stop? Or do you string it in long strands from the top? Okay, I admit I did do a tree for a raffle by wrapping it around and around the tree this year. :-(  

But I have changed my ways! Well at least for now. I still like the look of wrapping and sometimes the elongated ribbon, now though I'm liking this new way. ​

My tree is nine foot tall and really skinny, so wrapping or elongating the ribbon, just does not work for this tree. See how the ribbon weaves and loops in out of the tree.

​Below is how I achieved that look. Of note, you must purchase the ribbon that is wired on the sides. The width really doesn't matter. I used two sizes on this tree.  

Instructions:
​#1.Cut ribbon anywhere from 18" to 20". You really don't want the lengths to be exactly all the same.
#2. Fold the cut piece of ribbon in half.
​#3. Twist the ribbon at the fold, two or three times tightly.
​#4. Bow the ribbon as shown. 
​ #5. Tuck the twisted part of the ribbon into the tree, and make the bowed part look like a loop on the tree.

I'm thinking I like this new look!

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Little Farmstead
​

How to make my ferns that are still beautiful here in southwest Missouri, even though we have had a freeze, look like Christmas? I have been seeing several urns decorated with logs sticking straight up on different blogs and magazines. So I added red and gold spike sprays to the urns, simply stuck into the ferns.  

I chose red and gold spike sprays, matching my new poinsettia wreath. Cut all the spikes off as long as allowed from the main stem. 

The spikes will be different lengths. Simply push the spikes into the fern. The longest spikes should be in the middle and the shorter ones around the perimeter. 

Sometimes less is more, and with the wreath being so pronounced, the little touch of the spikes is perfect!

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Since I'm not usually a red person, I'm actually amazed I wanted a totally  red wreath. Yes, you can get poinsettias of every color now, but something about Christmas plaids are enticing me too. So my navy front door looks pretty stunning with a big red poinsettia wreath for 2017!

​Ignore the background in this picture, but I wanted to show that this wreath would be pretty with just a side of poinsettias too.
 
Supply needs:
Grape vine wreath (18")
Bush poinsettias (5-6)
Ribbon
Wire Cutter
Floral Wire       
                    
​                                            

This is a very easy wreath to make. Start by cutting a flower off a bush, leaving at least 3-4 inches of stem. 

Poke one of the cut flowers through to the backside of the wreath. Take a pair of pliers and twist/twine the stem through tightly into the backside of the wreath. Continue adding flowers, until you are satisfied with the look and fullness. 

Make a bow and attach with floral wire. Easy Peasy. 

Sharing my post with these AWESOME blogs:
​Have a Daily Cup of Mrs. Olson (SYC)
​Oh My Heartsie Girls
​My Thrift Store Addiction
​Chic on a Shoestring 
Nifty Thrifty Things
​Life on Lakeshore Drive
​The Red Painted Cottage

Plaid material, vintage lunch box and a gnome Santa. It really does go together in a quizzical Christmas scheme! I picked up the lunch box, several years ago and have had it on top of an old medicine cabinet, always thinking someday I will do something unique.

How many times do you walk through a junk shop/show and pick that special something up and someone asks, "What are you going to do with that?" Ya, me too!

I started by painting the lunch box with black oil enamel. 

Stuffing the lunch box full of green block foam and gathering floral picks from Hobby Lobby, the arrangement was on it's way to being the centerpiece for a Christmas gathering.

Gnome Santa's are a hot item this year, and this one fit just perfect.

I made the plaid square tabletop and the matching napkins. The material is from Joann's. 

The Santa keys will be my hostess gift for the ladies at my table. 

Sharing my post with these AWESOME blogs:
​A Stroll Thru Life
​Artsy-Fartsy Mama
​Savvy Southern style
​StoneGable
​Knick of Time
​Have a Daily Cup of Mrs. Olson (SYC)

Past Christmas posts you might enjoy . . . . . . .

Yes, a fun wreath for my front door.
I had seen an Easter Egg Wreath last year and never found the time to get it made.
​ But I did buy the plastic eggs at the end of the season for practically nothing.

These are two packages of eggs, sorry I didn't count them, probably about 48 eggs. I did have two packages of smaller eggs, (not shown) that I use for filling any holes. One will also need a hot glue gun, Styrofoam wreath, twig wreath (optional), Easter grass and a bow.

I had actually bought ribbon in a pastel color, but when I added the bow, it was just to bland. I went through my stash of ribbon and found
​ the black and white striped. Love the contrast between the pastels and the bold black and white. I hot glued the ribbon onto the wreath.

Sharing my post with these AWESOME blogs:
​A Delightsome Life
​Adventures of Mel
Knick of Time

I made these eggs last year and put them in cardboard egg cartons. Mod Podge items will stick to each other.
​So this was perfect to let them set a whole year, they were perfectly cured by that time.

Buy a package of napkins when you see some you like, because my experience is if you go to actually look for what you want you can't find any. One package is more than enough for two dozen eggs.

​Cut out the designs you want to use and Mod Podge the place on the egg where you want to place your design and then Mod Podge over the design on the egg carefully. I find it is about impossible to do more than a couple designs at a time on an egg. Place the egg with the backside that hasn't been Mod Podged (or the Mod Podge side that has dried) on a rack to dry. When the egg has been completely covered with your napkin designs let dry completely before letting them touch each other. Enjoy!

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​Stonegable
​Oh My Heartsie Girl
​Have a Daily Cup of Mrs. Olson
​The Vintage Nest
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​A Delightsome Life

This was my first attempt at hypertufa planter/pots over ten ago. This square planter has been used for many things, the last was a water bowl  for Toby, our Wheaten Terrier. I purchased this sheet greenery mat at Michael's and was delighted when it fit perfectly in my old hypertufa planter. The dimensions of the planter are 11 1/2 x 11 1/2 inches,  3 1/2 inches tall and 2 1/2 inches deep, so that makes the thickness about 1 1/2 inches. The greenery is 10 x 10 inches. Michael's has several sheets to pick from, it was a difficult decision whether to purchase the moss mat or the one I picked. 

 I don't make planter/pots like this one anymore but
​Kim at Hypertufa Gardener does and you
can ​check out her site here: http://www.thehypertufagardener.com/
​I do make leaves and such and you can check out my previous posts in the subcategory Cottage Gardening or individual posts here:
​Garden Grots
Concrete Leaves in the Garden
​Concrete Leaf Spitter
For the Love of Gardening  
​ Oak Hydrangea Leaf

Sharing my post with these AWESOME blogs:
​A Delightsome Life
​Adventures of Mel
​Artsy-Fartsy Mama
​Share Your Style
​Chic on a Shoestring
​Nifty Thrifty Things
​FabiFabu​​
​

Somehow, St. Patrick's Day seems to always get overlooked. I like to think that the green means that Spring is not far off! So with that in mind, and thinking, I need something new for my front door, I was walking through Dollar Tree and saw this cute hat, but it definitely needed more, so . . . . . .

Everything was from Dollar Tree: a green hat, burlap-wire ribbon, headband, green-white flowers, and green shamrock garland. I didn't use the green garland. So the whole project was $4.00. What a cheap decoration for my front door!​

All that was left was to hang it on my front door! So EASY!

​Sharing my post with these AWESOME blogs:
Oh My Heartsie Girl
​Mama of Many Blessings
​Over the Moon
​A Stroll Thru Life
​A Delightsome Life
​Artsy-Fartsy Mama
​Share Your Style
​Chic on a Shoestring
​Nifty Thrifty Things

Yes, that's glitter, just as bright as the day I brought it home! The rugs are constructed from heavy weight cotton canvas, hand painted, hand finished, and completely sealed for protection and long lasting wear. If you want to attempt this yourself, there are multiple sites on the internet to get you started, but it's always nice to buy from a local artist with this much talent! Floor canvas rugs or floorcloths have many different names and our part of our heritage.  

I think the shovel works perfect with this old piece of barn wood!

But how to attach the shovel to the wood?

Plate holders, yes plate holders. I was hunting for a way to hold the shovel on the wood, nothing seemed to work and then I found old plate holders.  Two on the front and one on the back, yes it seemed to work!  It takes a little time getting them placed correctly to hold the shovel, but keep working with it until you get it to hold the way you want it on the wood. The extra piece (not the spring) on the back hangs on the door nail.

Yellow spider mums from Hobby Lobby were hot glued on the board and a yellow polka-dot bow was added. I stenciled with white paint the word dig and my garage door décor was finished!

 I love the way the morning light shines through the trees on my garage door décor.




​


​

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​Grammie Time
​The Boondocks Blog

Okay, I admit I have outdoor rooms. I have seating in all my rooms and so my shade garden room needed a chandelier. I have a lot of upcycled junk in my cottage gardens also, so what would be more perfect than a part off of a vintage chicken feeder!

First I painted it white and then highlighted with pink and turquoise. I meant to take a picture of the chicken feeder top before I started this project but I get so excited about a new project that I forgot and maybe I am a little ADHD! Just look up vintage chicken feeder on the internet and you can find a picture of the whole feeder.

I purchased plastic crystals at Michael's, the package contained both square and tear drop crystals. The crystals came pre-drilled with a hole, so it was easy to put the wire through and attach them to the feeder top. ​Of note I painted the chain you see laying on the paint can, you can purchase white chain, but I couldn't find the size I wanted at the time. The pink arrow shows where I tied the feeder together with wire. The feeder is split to allow it to be taken off the bottom of the feeder to fill it with feed. Hey, I grew up on a farm and we had chickens.

Directions to hang the chandelier:
​1. I had a piece of iron that I bent on both ends to place in the tree, there are available hooks with both ends bent as above that can be purchased at any garden center.
​2. Decide where you are going to hang the feeder and how high.
3. Cut your chain appropriately.
​4. The feeder comes with four holes on top (see pink arrow above). Place chain in hole and separate one link of chain and bend outwards so the chain can't come through the hole.
​5. Put the four pieces of chain on an O-ring and hang on your hook.

Sharing my post with these AWESOME blogs:
​New House New Home
​Flamingo Toes
​Oh My Heartsie Girl
​Olives & Okra
​Friends With Joy
​The Chicken Chick

How clean are your window or patio door screens? Have you ever cleaned them? I tumbled upon this way to clean screens totally by accident.

Have you met Toby? He is our Wheaten Terrier and sometimes ornery. He loves to sneak by me when I am unloading the dryer and snatch the dryer sheet and totally tear it to bits! Sometime ago he had a dryer sheet and was preparing to tear it up, and I happened to be deciding how to clean a patio door screen. I grabbed the dryer sheet from Toby and wiped it across the screen. OMGosh! I looked at the dryer sheet and it was filled with dirt.

Amazing, I know!

Sharing my post with theses AWESOME blogs:
Oh My Heartsie Girl
​New House New Home
​The Chicken Chick
​The Vintage Nest
​StoneGable

​

This is the follow up to my post, "Antique File Cabinet Coffee Table".

I designed my subway art in Photoshop and then Staples printed it, the price for printing is minimal. This was printed on legal size paper and the design does not need flipped.  I have used the wax paper transfer method with my inkjet printer, (here) and it does work, but this is fairly large print and so much easier.

Free Download:

How I transferred my subway art onto the coffee table. Citrasolv is the key word here. I have tried everyway possible I think to transfer to furniture, fabric and whatever else, but this by far is the best! I had ordered the Citra solv from Amazon several months ago and decided this time I would try this method. Mainly because this was such a big piece to transfer.

* It does not require much Citra solv. The little jar is only about 1/4 full, and I didn't even use that much on the whole project. I put a lid on this little mason jar and saved the rest for the next project.
​* I measured my print to get it in the middle of the coffee table and taped the print at the top and side only.
​* Using a cotton ball, dip into the Citra solv and then wet only a small part of the print.
​* I used a brayer to make sure the print was flat on the surface.
​* Start rubbing with a paint stick, a knife, orange stick, or whatever you find comfortable in using. This print has several fonts so every little piece of the print needs rubbed onto the surface.
​* I check every once in awhile by lifting up the print to see that the print is on the surface.
* Continue this method until finished.
​* I let it cure for 24 hours and then lightly sprayed with clear varnish.​

​​Amy Vanderbilt's Etiquette
​A man, except under business circumstances, does not offer to shake hands with a woman unless she makes the move first.

How about an eclectically antique coffee table from an old file cabinet? I love the way this turned out, after admittedly, sitting in my garage for over a year. 

The cabinet had some wrinkles, but nothing I couldn't work with and love.

 
​Sometimes I  take the veneer off, sometimes I just leave the chippy places and paint over them, but this time I filled in the chipped veneer with plastic wood putty and sanded and sanded.

The paint was a satin finish from a hardware store, no special chalk paint this time, though sometimes I do use chalk paint. I waxed the cabinet with Annie Sloan clear wax and distressed slightly with dark wax. I kept the name plates and replaced the handles.

Now the fun part!!! I will post how I did the subway art in a few days.  I will also be sharing  the subway art that I made and used for anyone to download.  

Sharing my post with these AWESOME blogs.
​New House New Home
​Ginger Snap Crafts
​The Cottage Market
​The Chicken Chick
​Knick of Time
​The Vintage Nest

Amy Vanderbilt's Etiquette
​Decency dictates that a man or boy give up his seat to a tired mother with a young child or a baby in her arms, to a pregnant woman, or to an old or crippled one- or to an old or disabled man. The person to whom the seat has been given says, "Thank you," but never opens a conversation with his or his benefactor.
​

I can't believe I haven't put this in my repertoire of recipes before! I have adapted my recipe from:​
​ Skinny Mom​

Easy Shrimp and Grits​

Ingredients:                                                                                                                         Serves 8
​* 3 chicken bouillon cubes
* 2 1/4 cups water
* 1 1/2 cups milk
* 1 1/4 cups quick grits
​* 1/2 teaspoon salt
​* 1 cup sharp white cheddar cheese (grated)
* 1/2 teaspoon pepper
* 2 packages frozen cooked shrimp (about 80 medium size shrimp)
​* 2 Tablespoons Old Bay seasoning
​* 2 Tablespoons olive oil
​* 4 teaspoons minced garlic

Instructions:
1. Dissolve bouillon cubes in boiling water, add milk. Stir grits and salt into liquid mixture. Cook (microwave) until thicken, add cheese and pepper and cook one more minute.
​2. In a large skillet heat oil and add garlic, cook about 1 minute and add frozen shrimp and Old Bay seasoning. Sauté and reduce for several minutes, until shrimp has cooked through.
3. Serve shrimp over grits.​

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Amy Vanderbilt’s Etiquette
Original Publication 1952
Costume and real jewelry may be worn together if this is done tastefully.