OPEN FACED SANDWICHES

Ingredients:
Bread (white or wheat your choice)
Large Tomatoes
Bacon (works with turkey bacon or regular)
Real Mayonaise
....and a big appetite!!!!

First.....
you cook the bacon. No matter what kind of bacon you use, drying the bacon after cooking is essential!! This helps the bacon to keep its flat shape and gets rid of all that extra grease. This was my grandmas job and boy did she cook them great!  her tip : "Be prepared to have greasy hands and lots of paper towels".

She cooked hers on a skillet but you can use whatever you have.... just be sure to keep em' flat and dry them when they are done.  You want them a little crispy!

Next....

Slice the tomatoes!!
you want a nice thick slice.  you also want to make sure they are all uniform so they will cook evenly in the oven.

Yuuuuuuuummmm!  They are best from your own garden!!!

Once everything is prepped you are ready to build it.  "If you build it I will come!"

OKay next it the time sensitive stuff.........
Step 1.  You broil the bread (only on one side) until lightly toasted.
Step 2.  Quickly and  lightly mayonnaise the un-toasted side of the bread.

Step 3.  after all the slices are mayonnaise and placed on the pan toasted side down and mayo side up.

Step 4.  Then place one slice of tomato on each slice of bread.  It is important , I am told by my aunt Karen, to make sure each slice of bread is covered edge to edge with tomato.  If you have to use two pieces of tomato to do that , than do it!

Step 5.  NEXT COMES THE BACON!!!! Again cover the whole area you should not be able to see the tomato when your done adding the bacon. (this is my favorite part).

Step 6.  Now you add the Blanket of Cheese over the whole thing..... my taste buds are bursting!!

All thats left to do it toast them.  this is an art my Aunt DEEDEE has mastered!

Too much heat and they brown and the cheese gets hard relatively quick.  Too little heat and the cheese does not melt into the crevices of the bacon to encapsulate the tomato to allow all juices to mesh together so when you bite into it they all explode in your mouth.

Case in point........

now "Open your Mouth" and Enjoy!!!

The next best Popsicle .....

Refreshing and delicious!! Ill never eat another Popsicle again! The Goji White Grape Flavor will send your taste buds into Orbit with the tropical flavor twist that stimulates your palate. Enjoy!!

"How to" Amish Auction

This is my fool proof way to approach a Amish Auction:

1. Get there early to scope out the Baked goods and all other auction items!
2. Be sure to stand by what you "cant leave there without" because these people at the auction are just as "hungry" as you...... and they are not Amish, so they have no problem elbowing you when it counts. Lol.
3. Know your auction number by heart and don't be afraid to shout it out if need be!
4. If there is a lot of an Item that you want... and it can be sold at any quantity... don't bid.  In all actuality you are bidding against yourself.  When someone bids on theses items, and wins, they have their choice of how many to take.  Whatever they don't take you have an option to take at their price..... if no one wants them at that price they go up for re-bid and you can usually get them for a steal!!! just be patient..... but don't let them all get scooped up.  know what's going on around you!!!
5.  Have good Auction etiquette .... if you bought all 7 of the pies and someone asks to buy one from you.... charge them what you paid for it not what you think they should pay.  Do unto others people!!!
6. Some of the Auctioneers don't really look around for more bidders.... this is a good and bad thing. Good that it cut the competition in half but bad if your not able to get as close as you can.  So be polite but be Aggressive!
7. The last but most important thing......... Write down everything that you buy!!!  After all the moving , bidding, maneuvering and bidding again you don't want to forget all the fruits of your labor!  Its a simple thing but very important.  Its easy to forget something ... even for the most organized shopper.

I went today and took my Boyfriends mom and grandma and we had a ball!! HOpe you have fun at your auction!

Thursday is the best day for Garage Sales!!!

Just some insight for you Garage sale goers....Seek out the thursday Garage Sales on Craigslist! late Weds night and Early Thursday Morning listings and map quest your most direct route to maximise your gas usage.  Plus alot of the times they list what they are selling so you can proritize too! We went today and boy did we make out! Gary got a PING hybrid club ($280.00) for $40.00 bucks and 12 "Pro-V-one" golf balls ($60 doz) for $4.00.   Got a Craftsman saw for .25 cents. Pools stick in a case for $1.00 and lots of odds and ends for a fraction of a dollar.  My favorite thing I bought today was a Woosie!!  Thats right I said Woosie....a Coozie for a wine glass. I just love this idea! http://www.woozie.com/

Woozie $0.50

My Giraffe print Woozie!!!

Titliest Pro V 1 golf balls $4

pottery $1.00

Decor Grapes, candles, Pool stick...lots o stuff!

Guess small handbag....$1.00

Check it out!

....and Hello to you!

Introducing my new (New to me) 2008 Ford Fusion !  She is Beautiful and rides like a dream.  Loaded, Leather with <18,000 miles .  Sold my Jeep on Faith and once again I was taught the lesson that walking of Faith is difficult but the rewards of faithfulness far exceed my expectations.

Good-Bye old friend

Good bye old friend......
We sure have had some Awesome rides together;
Now it's time to bring Joy to another.
I wake up and feel a piece of me has died;
but I will always remember our final ride. Thru AZ heat, across country to Ohio's notorious snow.......the hardest day has been when I had to watch u go.
Good bye old friend.