Salad topping= YUM! (updated)

Not too long ago my husband made a cabbage salad with a ramen topping that was really good. Honestly, I'd be happy to have it at least once a week. At least.

A  few days ago I needed to bring a salad to a potluck and wanted to bring something yummy but only had mixed greens and some random veggies. I did have ramen however. So I gave the hub a call and he briefly told me what he used in his topping (instructions included lots of "eyeball it") and slivered almonds which we were also out of. So I cut up all the veggies and went to work making my version of the topping to dress it up a bit. I loved it, my oldest daughter lived it and I h ad to swat her away from it like a fly. I was so pleased hat everyone at he potluck seemed to like it. Today I made it again so here are the steps and the "eyeball recipe"

1) ingredients-1tablespoon butter, 1 tablespoon sesame seed oil, 1 tablespoon sesame seeds, two tablespoons brown sugar, saracha chili sauce (a few squirts or to taste), one pack ramen. My husband uses slivered almonds in his but when I am moved to make it we always seem to be out. Naturally it's your call. 

2) in a saucepan melt butter, add sesame seed oil, seeds, nuts, sugar, and saracha. 

3) while package of ramen is still closed smash the hell out of it, make sure you remove the flavor pack when you open the package.

4) dump into saucepan and stir until ramen is covered

5) spread mix on cookie sheet and put in oven at 350 to brown and crisp

6) watch like a hawk because it will burn!

7) stir now and then 

8) when it's brown remove and cool

9) break up and sprinkle on salad, or eat from a bowl like I love to do!

10) YUM! Enjoy your sweet and spicy topping!

Birthday Stuff!

Recently my oldest daughter, L, turned six. We don't have a big party with a bunch of kids every year, but we always have a family party with her cousins, grandparents, Aunts and Uncles. These are my favorite. We have a nice big magnolia tree in the front yard so it's a good place to have a kids party in the spring. To dress it up for the occasion I hung paper lanterns and other round paper things which L helped me pick out at a few discount stores and a party center. I think it came out really festive!

In my purse and shoe days (I call them that because they were the days before kids when I could spend money on purses and shoes) I trolled the vintage stores, thrift stores, antique malls and estate sales buying old table clothes. Now I use them, miss-matched as they are, for dinners and other family events. For the b-day party I used pulled out six or so for the tables rather than those disposable cloths I think they give even a 6th birthday party a more permanent feeling, and are more environmentally friendly! On that note, although we did use disposable cups and flat-wear we also employed our cafeteria plates which my husband and I picked up some 8 years ago for less than $1 each at Big Lots. All the soda cans (I got the smaller 7oz type) and the few water bottles we provided were all recycled. I was really happy with the lack of trash at the end of the day.  

Here is the yard the same evening with the afternoon sun beginning to set behind the tree. Although my children have asked to have the decorations left up they are already bleaching out from the sun and several have dissolved thanks to a few days of heavy spring rain. Oh well, it was lovely while it lasted! 

Keep It Simple?

I keep attempting to simplify my life, to cut out what isn't needed in order to keep myself sane. I don't know about other working moms but each time I eliminate one thing, two more pop up on my calendar. Is it just my poor ability to schedule? Life seems to be a roller coaster these days!