I’m always delighted to find my autumn banner with the fall decorations. Hanging it announces fall is here and that it’s a good thing! We live where forests once reigned and there are still oceans of beautiful color in the fall. There is the somber brown of oak, flaming red, orange and yellow set amongst […]
Apples to Apples
What do the month of October, John Chapman and Steve Jobs have in common? Give up? October is Apple month. John Chapman is better known as Johnny Appleseed. Steve Jobs founded a company named Apple. The answer is that they have apples in common. But there’s more . . . John Chapman was a nurseryman […]
Pumpkin Bars
I’ve had this recipe for Pumpkin Bars forever — one of those handwritten, spattered, tattered, cornerstone recipes. I love to make it in the fall when pumpkin is readily available. It has a nice autumn spice fragrance and a deep rich color that is so satisfying. It goes together in a snap and because […]
Great Blue Heron visits
My desk faces the window overlooking the back yard. Late one rainy afternoon this past week, I caught motion out of the corner of my eye and looked up just in time to see this big guy land on the roof of our garden shed. He glided in for a smooth landing and then turned […]
Crockpot Cheesecake
A yummy and super easy cheesecake! A cheesecake in the slow cooker, in fact. I like using the slow cooker for an “oven” because it is environmentally friendly. The crockpot is much smaller than the oven, so uses less energy, and does not heat up the kitchen. It takes a bit of trial and error […]
Crockpot Chicken N Dressing
Eating healthy is not difficult. Small changes make the biggest difference. Limiting carbs has gone a long way toward our goal of eating more healthy meals. If I had cooked a meal like this before it would have included the meat with potatoes or rice plus dressing and a starchy vegetable like corn. Now we […]






Welcome! I’m Charlene. I love to share quick and easy recipes, whatever I’ve learned in our last DIY project – anything that helps make life easier, better and more fun!! I hope you will find inspiration and add a pinch of joy to your day!