Style and Focus News Bites: Emma Watson Teams with People Tree to Create Clothing Line

Late condolences to the families of Patrick Swayze and Sen. Edward Kennedy.Emma Watson is teaming up with People Tree, a fair trade fashion company, to create a clothing line called "Love From Emma". All proceeds made from the collection will be donated to the People Tree Foundation. "I wanted to help People Tree produce a younger range because I was excited by the idea of using fashion as a tool

Handbag Pick: Fall Travel Bag

With the upcoming travel season approaching these chic Wool Duffle Bags ($49.50, Gap) are roomy enough for a holiday visit home to see mom and dad or a fall romantic weekend getaway. No need to over pack, these bags are perfect for all your essential items and then some.

What I'm Reading Now: Tears Of The Giraffe

I'm ten pages into the second book Tears Of The Giraffe in The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith that has Precious Ramotswe and Mr J.L.B. Matekoni basking in their engagement. This book series is a must for any reading list.About the book:Precious Ramotswe is the eminently sensible and cunning proprietor of the only ladies' detective agency in Botswana. In Tears of the

Nesting: Cozy & Stylish Seating

Blanca Settee shown in Espresso Chain Link Jacquard ($749.00 - $1,099.00, Pottery Barn)I'm totally in love with this settee, it has such a retro feel to it. One the great things about it, is it can go in so many different rooms, and it adds a little touch of glam. I know all the experts and insiders talk about investing in a good handbag or shoes, which is true but what about good furniture. You

Prune chocolate cupcakes - 25th Vintage Recipe Thursday

Vintage Recipe Thursday is meant to preserve your own original vintage family recipes, or out-of-print, copyright-free recipes from old cookbooks, magazines, newspapers. You're invited! Get the details by clicking to the Vintage Recipe Thursday Homepage. I post recipes from the Searchlight Recipe Book, first published in 1931. My 16th printing is from 1943. What will you post?****************

Have you saved room for dessert?

Each Wednesday I host Save Room for Dessert at The Krazy Kitchen, a blog hosted by seven blog friends, and we have a different carnival or meme for each day of the week.It's easy to participate in Save Room for Dessert Wednesday (or any of the other daily memes,) -- just regular blog etiquette to be polite and fair to all -- no difficult rules.Just post a dessert recipe on your blog, link to Save

QUICKIE PIE & AMERICAN CHOP SUEY!!!

My friend Angie posted this recipe in Primitive & Rustic Crafts & Decorating Forum a really great forum...Click on the name to go there to join!

QUICKE PIE

I like the crust better than the filling and so I made a 1/2 recipe more of the crust and then baked it in a cast iron skillet. Crust is fabulously crusty...Made one with the Blueberry Pie Filling and my grandson ate half of it as soon as it had cooled down some...Made an Apple Pie Filling one and then sprinkled cinnamon/sugar all over the top and that was also good, but our favorite is the Blueberry one...My grandson wants me to make a Strawberry Quicke Pie next!

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 stick butter (1/4 cup)
1 cup SELF RISING FLOUR
1 cup sugar
1 cup milk
1 21 oz. can of fruit pie filling ( your choice)

DIRECTIONS:
Melt butter and pour into a 2 qt. casserole dish
Combine flour, sugar and milk together, stir til well blended
Pour over melted butter (DO NOT BLEND)
Add fruit filling. (DO NOT BLEND)
Bake at 350 degrees for about an hour.
Use toothpick in the center to check for doneness!
Even tho I added extra to the crust mix, it only took one hour to bake!

AMERICAN CHOP SUEY

Adapted from Country Cookin' by the Monterey County CowBelles, 1975 edition

INGREDIENTS:
2 medium onions, chopped
1 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
1 pound pork sausage, finely chopped, or ground beef
1 cup uncooked rice
1 can Cream of Chicken Soup
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 can bean sprouts, or 1 cup fresh bean sprouts, chopped
1 can water chestnuts, sliced
Salt and pepper to taste
6 ounces chow mein noodles

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven at 350 degrees.
Over medium-high heat, sauté onions, celery, and green pepper until just cooked but not yet brown. Add meat and cook for 1 minutes, until no longer red. Transfer to a casserole dish. Add rice.
In a separate bowl, mix together Cream of Chicken, water, soy sauce, bean sprouts, and water chestnuts. Pour half into the bottom of the dish, layer rice on top, and pour the rest of the mixture over the rice. Add meat and onion mixture on the top.
Bake for 1 hour.
Sprinkle chow mein noodles on top before serving.
This is an easy casserole to fix for a fast Chinese supper...