Snow ~ Dinner Rolls Trial #2 ~ Sorghum Butter

Oh my.  Yesterday I had so much to do, a lot going on (windshield guy showed up and Jalopy Joe is back in action almost), and by noon I realized I had not made the teriyaki sauce.  Whoops.  I had laundry, carpets to clean, move furniture, spot clean carpets, dust, wipe woodwork, wash a few blankets, was my dirty rags, take a dog out (in, then out, in, then out...), dishes to wash, dry and put away, dinner prep and so forth.  I even got a a teeny tiny, itsy bitsy start at handmade Christmas gifts.

I had to wait for my daughter to get home, to help move an antique desk into the living room.  It belonged to Hubby's Mom.

We woke up to our first snow this morning.  At a chilly 33°F too.  Blowing and cold.  Old man Jesse couldn't hold his ol' bladder, so he woke us up at precisely 5:05am, which makes me wonder if his Mom will be able to do the same for him when she gets her new living arrangements come next summer.

I made these rolls once before, but wanted to make them again, using 2 baking dishes for feeding the large crowd on Thanksgiving day.  Successfully, I baked 40 rolls with this recipe, at 20 per baking sheet.  Delicious too.  The recipe is an overnight one (which is what I love about this recipe), and you can find it at Rebecca Knox's blog - Refrigerator Rolls. By the way, these are amazing the day after they are baked as well. 

I also made sorghum butter to try on these rolls (and later on cornbread).  By the way, it was delicious.

To make sorghum butter - 1 part syrup, 2 parts unsalted, softened butter.  Mix and enjoy!  

This and That

It's been one of those weeks, were we need to be here and there, and still somehow manage to get things knocked off the to-do list. 

Today, the windshield folks are to arrive here and put a new one in.  They didn't arrive when I was told, so it was re-scheduled for today.  Crossing my fingers they get the job done and it doesn't rain.

The new time change is for the birds.  Hubby leaves for work when it's pitch dark, and arrives home in the pitch dark.  I've managed to get a good load of wood each night before dark, so he doesn't have to do it after work.  So far, so good.

Tiger (youngest daughter's cat) has been in heaven again.  Without Mia here, his anxiety is down and he's out and roaming the house again.  Poor thing.  Jesse has been great.  He's true farm dog.  Behaves well, roams the homestead on his own again (no sign of coyotes), and is a great watch dog.  Speaking of dog, I will need to buy Jesse a red battery operated light.  His reflective collar isn't that great, and with the time change I can't see him when he's not on a leash.

I've ordered a fireplace screen for the woodstove.  Not only do I need it for when I have Mia here, but when all the "littles" in the family come over too.

I made another trip to pick up my library loot.  I can't wait for a few free minutes to browse through the books.

Dinner lately, has been on a whim.  I think I'll whip up some homemade teriyaki sauce and make chicken teriyaki for dinner.  It's time to bake something sweet too. It's be a matter of how much time I have today.

Just a tidbit to share - smoke alarms have a life expectancy of 10 years, so be sure to replace the entire smoke alarm that often. 

I've gotten all my points to keep our insurance at the same cost, but Hubby still has to get his before mid-December.  Speaking of insurance, we are one of thousands that have Aetna.  ProMedica has bought out all the hospitals and most  of doctor offices around us, and as of now, ProMedica will not be accepting it after January 2019.  They could come to an agreement by then, but if they do not, the only hospital we can go to is an hour away, and I'll have to find a new doctor.  What a mess.

I can't believe this is a no-picture post today.  

In the Jungle...the mighty jungle

 View of the larger garden, and raised beds looking south.  Pretty scary, and downright a frustrating mess.  These photos were taken a few months back.

I "bit the bullet" and went out day after day ripping it all out.  Yeah, rain prevented us from winterizing the garden this fall.  I'm pretty frustrated, but what can you do?  Nothing.  That's what we can do.  Spring will be a very, very busy spring for us though.  Snow is in the forecast for the weekend, and Hubby is working overtime all week, including the weekend.

I'm so happy the political ads are done.  I got so much junk mail this year.  

We are past the funeral now, and continue to pray for "A's" family.  We are so emotionally drained, I can't even imagine what his family is going through right now.

We had high winds yesterday, so I can thank the weather Gods for clearing all of the leaves off one of my porches.  The wind has died down today, but the cold is moving in.  I have tomato stakes to get out of the garden and into the barn, but that's about all I'll have time for out there.  

This morning it was Tiger who gifted us a mouse.  Right in the living room.  Good Kitty.  He's such a good mouser.  

Well, this day will be another day of "busy." Breakfast was literally coffee and toast.  I know, I know.  I'll eat a banana in a bit.  Just gotta get the dishes dried and put away first.

Homemade dry onion soup mix

Homemade dry onion soup mix
1/4 cup homemade, organic onion flakes
1/4 tsp. homemade, organic onion powder
1/4 tsp. organic home dried parsley
1/8 tsp. organic celery seeds
1/8 tsp. organic paprika
1/8 tsp. organic ground pepper

Mix together, and store in an airtight container.  1 serving.  I like to store this in my freezer if I make it ahead.  The onion powder will draw moisture if you do not.

Happy Homemaker Monday

I'm joining up with Happy Homemaker Monday, with Sandra at Diary of a Stay at home Mom.  It's been a rough past week with another death in the family.  The wife to a very dear friend (and couple) of ours passed away.  The funeral is this week.  Hubby's friend was like a brother to him.

The weather outside is. . .

In the 50's, cloudy, and a bit on the windy side.  Wet from last night's rain, and more will arrive later today.

On the breakfast plate . . .

Egg/sausage and potato burrito.

As I look outside the window . . .

The leaves are turning color here, but falling quickly.

Right now I am. . .

Puttering around with indoor "stuff" waiting on a person or persons to arrive to install a new windshield on one of the cars.

As I look around the house . . .

It's looking pretty good, and the pears are disappearing off the table today.  The last of them rotted too quickly, and although rotten pears would make nice wine?  Well, it's not happening this fall.

On the to-do list . . .

~Fetch firewood, empty ash pan

~clean pears and put some in the freezer for pies

~Fill two storage bins and put away for winter

~dishes

~floors
~make homemade dry onion soup mix (recipe will be posted soon)

~dinner prep (meatloaf, mashed tades, corn)

~start putting back porch furniture in storage

~knock down cobwebs, they build as fast as I knock them down

~laundry

....much shorter list today, thankfully

Currently reading . . .

Same book.

On the TV . . .

Regular ol' local TV movies.

What I am creating at the moment . . .

 I making more of these wine cork Starbucks's ornaments to sell - instructions are on my S.C.R.A.P. blog.

I just finished making necklaces to match the earrings I crocheted.  These will be sold hopefully at the next craft bazaar.

I'm about 3/4 of the way of finishing the scarf that was ordered for a Christmas present, and of course many other projects.  On the crafting to-do list - make wine cork keychains, wine cork earrings.

Favorite photo from the camera . . .

This always makes me smile.

Prayers, inspirational quotes, devotionals . . .

Praying for our dear friends and their family, as Heaven gained a beautiful soul.

This and That ~ Handiwork

I printed off new recipes for the Thanksgiving and Christmas meals.  I dried more onion flakes and onion powder.  Deep cleaned the bedroom and kitchen (more in there to do yet).  Got some work done on our 19 year-old's car, put away half of the porch pots, picked up long sitting weed piles, swept off one porch, put some barn siding in storage for any future needed repairs, washed a few rugs to later used for laying on for car/truck repairs, and put the camping coolers back in storage.  We also got one of the air conditioners removed from the window and in storage. 

Mia is back with her Mom for a few days, but may be back soon again.  She too, is in looking for new living arrangements.  Mia chewed the cover off of one of our youngest daughters books (borrowed from me) while we were out running errands.  I guess we'll need to keep those put up now too.  You know how much we love books too.  Sigh...

I made a few sets of hand crocheted earrings to sell.  I'll be getting more made this month.

As for winterizing the vegetable garden and herb garden?  Well, it'll all depend on weather and time this month.  We haven't been able to get one iota done out there.  Today's a good windy day, and laundry is on the line. The ground is pretty wet though.

It's a "slipper Sunday" for us three here today.  Meaning, we are only doing what we can in slippers and cozy clothes.  

Antique Cookbooks

 1918
I inherited a few antique cookbooks that belonged to my great-grandmother, who had passed them onto my mother, and now myself.

1936

1935

This book had a piece of paper in it with my grandmother's handwriting.

Look at those costs.  Sorry for the dark photos, it's been nothing but dark, rainy, dreary days here lately.

Our dear friend in hospice, just one year younger than myself, passed away last night.