Marie's Sunday Six

Welcome to my weekly Sunday Six Smile Makers. It is good to try to dwell on all the things in your life that bring you joy. One doesn't need to set aside one day a week to do that in though . . . it's nice to do it every day. I try to be grateful every day for small and simple things and also the larger things . . . but once a week, I like to share some of the outstanding smiles with you! I hope you don't mind!



After a week that has been filled with lots of clouds and showers, it was so lovely to see the sun shine yesterday. It was touch and go there for a time in the morning . . . I was thinking that the weather forecast had been wrong, wrong, wrong . . . but then the sun finally came out and stayed! Yipee!! I quickly stripped the bed, washed our bedding and then hung it out to dry! Line dried sheets and pillow cases make me smile. They smell so fresh and wonderful. One of my ten top favourite things in the world for sure!



Although we are not quite ready to get a puppy or any animal just yet, I have been browsing. Different animals grab at my heart at different times. Some days it is orange kittens, some days it's little dogs like this sweet little pug puppy which put a smile on my face this week. Todd said he was ugly, but I just think he is adorable in an ugly sort of way. Look at that cute lil face and that pudgy little puppy belly . . . not to mention those kissable puppy paws. How could you not love that to pieces! I know we will never be able to afford a pug puppy, but it does make me smile to look and dream. My mother's step mother had a pug dog named Timmie. I always thought he was totally adorable . . . but then . . . that's me!



Holding hands makes me smile. I am so grateful to have someone to hold hands with! Todd and I hold hands wherever we go. It's a nice feeling and not something that's just reserved for the young . . . it's also good for the young at heart! I love holding my Todd's hand when we are out and about. I love him so . . .



This bed made me smile! No, it is not our bed, but it is the kind of bed that I would have if money and space were no object! Imagine waking up in this every morning . . . oh how lovely that would be . . . I would have a different bedspread of course, probably something flowery . . . to fall asleep in something like this and then wake up in it every morning, would be like a dream come true, especially with Todd by my side. I think I am a bit of a dreamer . . . yes?? but that is not a bad thing. If you never have a dream . . . you can never have a dream come true.



I just love this little pillow I made yesterday. I had wanted to make a flag pillow for a long time and I sat down for a few hours yesterday afternoon and fashioned one. I had no idea when I started how it would turn out . . . or even that it would be a heart. I just started sewing . . . I just love how it came out!! I have it for sale in my Etsy Shop . . . but it would be ok if I never sold it, as I could quite happily live with it forever . . . but then again, I would also love to make another one so who knows! It did make me smile though . . .



Sharing a big bowl of rum & raisin ice cream with Todd last night. I know . . . I am not supposed to like rum, and I don't . . . but I do love rum & raisin ice cream (and butter rum lifesavors) It is only a flavour and when I did drink alcohol, I never liked to drink rum . . . but in an ice cream, paired with lovely raisins . . . it is sooooo good. It's not real rum that they use, only the flavour, so I think I am ok with that. I was so excited when I found this flavour of ice cream in the store the other day. I didn't know they had it over here! It's only taken me ten years to find it! I may never find it again . . . but for last night . . . sitting next to my Todd on the sofa . . . getting to share a big bowl of it while we watched a chick flick (He's Just Not That In To You), I was in seventh heaven, and that's no lie! Ice cream . . . husbands to share it with . . . chick flicks. That is a guaranteed smile maker!



Okay I know this is seven and it's supposed to be six, but being loved makes me smile. The love of family . . . the love of friends . . . the love of my husband . . . and the love of my God and Saviour. Everything else just pales in comparison. If you are surrounded by love (and all of us are if we choose to accept it) then you don't really need anything else. Love is one of the driving forces in our lives . . . I am happy to be loved and to love.

For we must share if we would keep,
That blessing from above;
Ceasing to give, we cease to have,
Such is the law of love.

Love someone today . . . its the gift that always gives back . . . and don't forget to smile today.

This is one of my tried and true comfort meals. Usually I serve it with mashed potatoes . . . just perfect for soaking up all that lovely gravy . . . yesterday though I was lazy and we just had oven chips with it. Incredibly good as well. Chips and gravy . . . mmm . . . mmm . . . mmm . . . yet another smile maker.




*Salisbury Steak*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

I think this is just another fancy name for burgers in gravy . . . but who cares . . . it's delicious no matter what you call it!

1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
1/4 cup round buttery crackers, crushed
1 egg, beaten
1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
salt and black pepper to taste
10 3/4 ounce tin of condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 TBS prepared mustard
1 TBS horseradish sauce
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup water
2 TBS freeze dried parsley flakes



Combine the beef, salt and pepper, crumbs, egg and onion in a large bowl. Set aside.

Mix the soup, mustard, horseradish sauce, and Worcestershire Sauce in a medium bowl. Add 1/4 cup of this to the meat mixture, mixing it in well. Shape into 6 patties.

Spray a nonstick frying pan with some cooking spray and brown the meat patties over medium high heat on both sides. Drain any fat that may accumulate if any. Stir the water and parsley into the remaining soup mixtue. Pour this over the patties. Cook for 20 minutes, until the meat is cooked through and the sauce has thickened a bit. Serve hot with mashed potatoes and a vegetable.



And then . . . just when you thought it couldn't get any better . . . there's a delicious cake over on The English Kitchen today . . . Chocolate Chip Oatmeal cake. Yummo!!