Snow Storm

The snow is starting to blow.  Many schools closed even as early as yesterday, but there is just a dusting out there so far.

I got around to trying a cake recipe I printed back in (gulp) 2019 and it over baked.  I went online and read the comments.  Sure enough someone posted the bake time was incorrect.  It was not what I was looking for in a go-to cake either.  

When our grandson passed away at 4 months old, someone brought a butterscotch chip topped cake.  I could not get the recipe, so I wanted to try this one.  Nope.  It's not the same.  

Anyway, I'm still on the hunt for this particular cake.  It was one that would be great to take to help out a family or friend dealing with loss of family.

By the way, thank you if you prayed for our friend Hope.  Her husband passed away.

Our handyman has started to remove the carpet upstairs.  It's not looking that good as far as saving the original flooring.  I'm going up there today to take a look.  We may have to sand it down, but the most important part was getting rid of the ruined carpet up there.

My seeds have all arrived.  I'm still trying to put the house back together, and I still have laryngitis.  I did manage to clean the chicken's roosts and give them fresh straw before all this snow (if it does) arrives.

Do you have a "go to" cake for taking to grieving families?

Tuesday Tidbits

As hard as I try to put balance in my day, I find myself in the kitchen for hours.  First, breakfast prep, then dinner prep, then snack prep, then dishes...just seems endless.  Some days I love it, other days not so much.

I sliced up some carrots and bell peppers for my husband's lunch/snack, and realized he may want a dip.  Then I found myself making hummus, and more dishes to wash.

During our weekend shopping trip, we could not find borax.  We had to go to two stores to find ground pork.  It's beginning to look like more shortages or lack of product (or lack of employees to get the product on the shelf?).

While we were at Wal-mart to get supplies, I walked down the yarn aisle to look for Caron Simply Soft yarn.  They have completely taken all name brand yarn out (other than some redheart), and replaced it with generic brands.  Frustrating.  It seems the only place to get a good selection is JoAnn Fabrics anymore (higher prices though).

We called the dept. of transportation in our county, to have them pick up the dead deer.  They got rid of it yesterday thankfully.

We are gearing up for a snow storm tomorrow.  I'm not sure how much we will get, but I have a lot on the to-do list, and I could always take it as an excuse to crochet for the day.  

I still have laryngitis.  I've switched to sage tea (sage I grew, and dehydrated), and taking Four Thieves Vinegar.  I slept better last night, but we'll see what happens by the end of the week.

Happy Homemaker Monday

 

We are finishing up the wall decor in the living room (see photos below), and moving onto the next painting/repair/remodel project soon.  

I'm still dealing with laryngitis.  I'm told there is a virus that causes this for 3 weeks.  If that it true, I'm rounding week 3, and still sipping hot teas - ginger, sage, thyme, lemon and honey.  Today switching it up with 4 thieves vinegar.

We were invited to trailer our bike again to FL for Daytona bike week.  We declined.  Personally, I do not want to go on trips where there are babysitters and kids (that was a recent disaster).  I'd rather hunker in and get this house in order (greatly needed and deserved), as garden season will sneak up on us.  Plus, there is the cost to go.  We spent too much on the last trip.  We also want to save vacation days for camping this year.

I have to call ODOT today.  Someone hit a deer in front of our house yesterday.  We called the Sheriff and they would not come out with their "list" for someone to remove it.   Basically, they said it was on our property, so it was our job to take care of it (eye rolling here).  ODOT should be able to come remove it today.  

Today I am joining Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom.

The weather . . .

Looks like we'll be in the 30's the next few days and 100% chance of snow again mid-week.  Schools are delayed today due to snow.

As I look outside my window . . .

There is a layer of snow out there.

Right now I am . . .

Drinking coffee, writing up this post, and trying to wake up.

Thinking and pondering . . .

My husband and I are considering adding more chickens to the coop, with a promise to build a new coop (he promised as the coop they are in is a hot house in summer with no relief from heat, and no protection from flying beasts when out in the run).

On my beside table . . .

It's a hot mess and needs cleaned off.

On my TV . . .

Whatever we find interesting.

Listening to . . .

80's music.

On the breakfast plate . . .

Eggs, bacon, coffee.

On the menu . . .

-roast, veggies

-one pan chicken and veggies
-crock pot pork chops and oven roasted veggies
-Soup of some kind, possibly sausage/sweet potatoes and kale
-meatloaf and side crockpot root veggies

On my reading pile . . .

On the to-do list . . .

-clean master bath
-laundry
-bake a breakfast, prep dinner and do dishes
-dehydrate garlic

-finish putting shelf liner in cupboards (an abandoned project for some reason)

-re-pot the cactus plan (still need special soil for it)

-empty dishwasher, load it

Plans for the week. . .

*see to-do list

-moving all the paint supplies to hallway, and others to a storage spot, put all flooring tools back to their home, filling a box for donation, re-organizing family videos, and to-do list.

What I am sewing, crocheting, knitting or creating . . .

Not quite halfway done with the blanket.

Made these embellished paperclips for two of the girls for Christmas, and just found them the other day.  These are nice to make for "random acts of kindness" as well.  The top ones are mini dog bones and the bottom ones are flowers.

My simple pleasure . . .

Peppermint schnapps in my homemade hot cocoa (or coffee)

Lesson learned this past week . . .

Something I learned:  Cut potatoes in slices, when boiling to make mashed potatoes (rather than cubes).  They will cook evenly.  I've been cubing my potatoes, as learned from my mother, for years.  Who knew?

From the camera . . .

Guess how much we paid for that sign?  It is 24 x 42 inches and normal price $89.00, with sale price $64.99.  

We paid $6.48!  No kidding!  We had to drive way north for it, and it had a scuff on it.  Online is sold out.  The store clerk gave us 90% off and we literally got the scuff off with a Mr. Clean eraser. My husband fell in love with the sign, so hence the travel day, and in the end worth it.

Another wall project of my husband's.  He's having so much fun with "take back the house" project.

Sign was as gift from a daughter (ha ha!)

Decor went back up on the breakfast bar with framed photos. I finally framed the directions my husband wrote out for me 24 years ago (to get to his house).  I see it's upside down, so I need to turn that around in the frame ha ha!  Back then, we didn't have cell phones, and just had land lines.

My Aunt's chicken plates were put back up.  I have 3 more in my kitchen.  We are thinking of a reading chair at this wall.  Not sure just yet.

(a bit dark as it was a stormy day when I took these photos)

Prayers . . .

...for our friend Hope's husband Steve.  Not sure what happened, but she is asking for healing prayers (and a miracle) almost daily.

Devotional . . .

"As each of you received a gift (a particular spiritual talent, a gracious divine endowment), employ it for one another as [befits] good trustees of God's many-sided grace [faithful stewards of the extremely diverse powers and gifts granted to Christians by unmerited favor]. -1 Peter 4:10

A few of my favorite things . . .

 I've always wanted to make this post, so today it's what you will be reading about.  What are some of your favorite kitchen utensils, or other items?

(not advertising, just sharing) - small OXO spatula.  My absolute favorite for cooking eggs especially.  One curved corner, great for going around pan for sauces etc.  I love it so much, I bought the kids one for Christmas.  It's great for cookies too.

Not sure what the brand name is for these rubber gloves, but I found them at our Menard's in XL, and they hold up much longer than the yellow ones at grocery store.  They are a bit larger for the size, but hold up longer.

I love my neck light for crocheting/knitting.  You can see it's been taped due to a dog getting ahold of it.  I really need two of these.  I can use one, while the other charges.  The lights are bright and have 3 settings.  It's a Minger, but out of stock on Amazon.  My next light will be different, unless they re-stock it.  I love mine!  Especially during winter, when it's so dreary outside.  Like today.  It's snowing.

My favorite, affordable, kitchen thermometer.  There are nicer ones that cost more, but this one works great for now.  If it eventually dies, I will upgrade to the next best one.

My absolute favorite writing pen - Pentel Client.  Staples in town stopped selling them, but I can still order them online.  However, the last two I purchased do not write as smooth as they used to.  Time to find a new favorite pen?

Tea infuser (left in photo).  It's from ingenuiTea by adagio teas.  My Uncle got me hooked on this infuser, when he sent me one with teas included.  It is so easy to make any herbal tea that is not in a store teabag.  Here I made hot ginger tea using freshly grated ginger, and put honey in my cup.  You sit the infuser over the cup and the liquid drains into your cup, keeping the herbs etc. in the cup.  Easy to clean too.

The weather is not so great today.  Snow and more snow later this week - poor man's fertilizer they call it.  I had plans to at least clean the coop roosts.  We'll see if that happens.

 

Kitchen Progress ~ Garden Planning ~ New Breakfast Recipe Tried

Our rain turned to drizzling snow.

The kitchen table is almost cleaned up.   I went with a neutral tablecloth.  I was tempted to get out a Valentine's Day one, but this will work until Christmas.  I just have so much on this year's to-do list, changing tablecloths is off the list.

I still need to dust chairs, sweep and mop under the table, but now 3 people can sit there, ha ha!

I have stuff on a few chairs to deal with, and of course the entire floor yet.  Paint will be moved to the next painting project (hallway, bedroom, and master bath).  Upstairs is going to wait until next year, but we will be removing all the carpet very soon.

Sort of a boring post today, but I have been crocheting and watching the cooking channel, in balance with purging and tidying up the house.  The other day, I tried changing the channel, as it was making me hungry (and wanting to write down yet another recipe), but the remote died on me.  I had to get up and do something while the remote charged, ha ha!

I actually have another garden journal, but found the simple notebook works fine for me.  Anyway, the other is a journal with graph paper to draw out where and what I plan to grow each year.  I go out and map it out then draw it down on paper.  It's sort of fun to plan it this way too.  My stand is already in place, with grow lights - gettin' excited for another garden year.

I changed things up for breakfast, and the ladies (chickens) got a treat out of it too.

I have, however, found a new baked breakfast recipe to try.  I'm always looking for something different, and something that uses less eggs right now.  The ladies are not back to normal laying yet, so.....

Kitchen Table and the Over Flow of Recipes

 

Before (after the initial before ha ha)

At the end of the day.  The kids even spilled an oil lamp on this table.

I am sure if you have followed my blog over the years, you will see me post about my long and forgotten and most collected/printed recipes to try.  Ha ha!  Two made it to the Christmas binder and two to the trash.  Not sure if I want to go thru the entire pile just yet.

The table was worse than the above photo.  I had drawers from the breakfast bar, lots of tools, and other stuff.  It's winding down to outlet covers (will get replaced), crocheted item price tags, jar of buttons, dental papers, plant pots that had plants that died and what not.

The table is 24 years old.  It needs refinished.  It has permanent paint marks from the kids, and a few holes from hammering boy scout derby cars on it.  I will clean it up and most likely put a tablecloth on it for now.

My new file folder for the computer/bill paying station.  I have my stamps, note pads, sticky notes, planner and important files organized once again.  Instead of printing anymore new recipes, I jot the website and recipe in that yellow notebook.  If I try it, I will try it first without printing it.

For now, I am starting (again) indoor herb plants in the living room.  I need basil seeds though (three pots under window).

Hot mess!  More to clean up, and put paint cans and paint supplies where they belong, sort another box and other stuff that was moved.  I think there is shelving padding on that chair I still need to install in some more cupboards, and there are two cake pans a person never came to pick up, so those need to be dealt with.  Next week's project.

I finally unboxed my chicken cookie jar I bought back in Feb/March of 2022.  I got a great deal too - $8!  It's in the kitchen cabinet now.

Storms knocked our power out last night, so I was thankful my portable phone charger was charged.  We have candles, oil lamps and battery operated lights too.

Today, the weather goes back to a winter weather.  I'm still dealing with laryngitis, and swollen lymph nodes.  The fresh ginger root has definitely helped, but I'm not back to normal yet.  I also have a humidifier running in our bedroom now. Thank you for your prayers, good mojo, and good thoughts.  

Random - ness

 

Progress is slow, but continues - cleaned out two boxes of stuff from the computer area (we are talking stuff boxed up since last February/March).   Yes, there are very old floppy discs in that box, ha ha!  

Broke down 4 boxes to get rid of, and in the process, found my devotional, and some forever stamps.   I found a file folder filled with new recipes to try, body butter recipes, salves to try etc.  I'm half tempted to just toss it all out, considering it's all been in a file for many years now.  No surprise there.

Don't laugh, but in the process of that, and opening mail, I lost two lists I had going.  I am sure they went into the trash with the envelopes from the mail, and that bag was already taken outside.  The lists were started again, and carefully placed, so I don't do that again.

Garden seeds have been ordered.  I just have to check the herb garden seeds.  I am pretty sure I need basil, cilantro, and parsley, but will check again this week.

Laundry was started, but I'm limited to two drying racks inside, and I filled my unit in the laundry room that holds shirts on hangers. Just trying to save on my electric bill.

Outside Christmas lights are down and back in storage.  The rain returned, so that is off the list now.

I updated the home journal, and taped the paint swatch inside on the living room page.  I still need to get photos printed to add to the journal for the floor repairs we did.  I am also missing my paint chip for the doors and other trim.  I'm sure I will find it when I do more cleaning.

I think I over did work yesterday, so today it's hunkering in, crochet, thunderstorm day.  I did not sleep well with this sore throat.  I have already been on a round of antibiotics.

My husband's first day back to work was yesterday.  He talked to co-workers, and there is a virus going around with laryngitis.  Lovely.  Also, the trip to FL was a blessing for my husband.  He found out the guy he was to work with, had he not gone on the trip, had covid while we were gone.  

Anyway, I could not sleep with this scratchy throat, so it's ginger root tea today, possibly with honey and lemon.  My husband caught something too now, so he is not sleeping well either.  

I'm thankful for leftovers for tonight.  We have had to purchase eggs this week.  My ladies are not laying again yet, and that is frustrating, but they do deserve a winter break.