And the Snow Came Softly Down

The view at dusk this evening

They had forecast snow for today and they were right.  I woke up to hear my phone signal a text and found one from Ann saying too much ice, no school today. Apparently there was black ice everywhere.  Dan said he had trouble even in the gravel while getting the paper when he got up. And it was starting to snow.  A day to spend in the kitchen for certain as the snow continued to fall. At first I thought I would begin on my Christmas cookie baking, but then I remembered a recipe I've been wanting to try.

A little back story:  When my brother and I were kids, as in grade school, my mom, who was not a baker, would very occasionally make a sweet roll she called orange kuchen rolls. Oh, were they ever good! For whatever reason, she only made them during a short season of a year or two. They had a crunchy topping of butter, sugar and grated orange peel and the bottoms were gooey with the same ingredients.  

When we were cleaning out my parents' house, one of the things I searched for was that recipe. As I looked, John came in and asked if I'd found a recipe for "those orange rolls Mom made when we were little." He'd never forgotten them, either!  I never did find it.  I searched the internet and came up empty.  I looked through her old cookbooks. Nothing.  And then one day this past year, I was looking through her Electric Bread cookbook which I had kept and spotted a picture that looked like those orange rolls I remembered. The recipe was called Orange Kisses, and from the description, sounded like it came from the same era Mom made hers.  

Today was the day.  I texted John and told him my plan to try and began.  I did use my Zojirushi bread machine to make the dough and then finished up in the oven.  I seemed to remember that Mom made hers in an angel food cake pan, so I dug out mine and used it.  That was mistake number two.

Mistake number one you ask?  Well, I've used the same brand of yeast for ever and a day.  It's Saf-Instant Red and it's great stuff.  I opened a new package about the time the virus became known and everyone was buying up all the flour and yeast in the land.  And a strange thing happened the first time I used it.  My bread rose twice as high. What? So I tried again, with the same results.  High is nice, too high, not so much. As a result, since then I've used half the amount of yeast a recipe calls for.  Until today.  Um hum, I used the full amount and my dough was very soft and puffy.  

Back to the pan.  The  butter and sugar/orange peel mix leaked out the bottom of the pan, all over the oven I just cleaned a few weeks ago. 

I know what I'll be doing tomorrow!  Running the self-clean program again!  

Meanwhile, the rolls.  The verdict?  I think I've found the right recipe! I'm so excited! I just ate one, and despite the "fluffiness" of it, the taste seemed to be what I remembered, with the crunchy top and the gooey bottom.  Bruder Bear will be thrilled!

I made supper in the crockpot, potatoes, carrots and hamburger in white sauce, but I just may eat my way through these rolls instead.  Oh, and about the yeast.  I think it's been a gift to me that it's, for some reason, double strength, because it has been impossible to find these last ten months.  I've made all our bread and I still have so much yeast left. I'm thankful. ♥

A Tale of a Rotisserie Chicken. . . and Stew

I mentioned that we went to Costco a week or so ago. One of the things we purchased was a rotisserie chicken for the amazing price of $4.99.  I meant to have it for dinner that night when we got home, but we were later getting to Costco than I had anticipated, which meant we were later leaving, so we popped into Taco Time and got a bite.  Which was interesting because they served it to us in a bag, which we carried to an available table and unpacked.  Such strange times. . .

Anyway, the chicken became our Saturday night dinner, and then again on Sunday.  And there was so much left!! A day or so later, I decided to chop some up and make chicken and black bean enchiladas.  The recipe said it made four or five, but I ended up with a dozen!  I froze six and we ate the other six that night and the next. And still there was chicken left, so I chopped it up and froze it.  Saturday night I decided to make pizza and opted for white sauce and the frozen chicken, along with a little Canadian bacon, red peppers and olives.  We ate the pizza for two nights and I ate the rest for lunch today. (Dan was so kind to let me have it!) And we still have those six enchiladas in the freezer.  That $4.99 chicken has already fed us numerous meals with two still to go. I feel kind of like it was the loaves and fishes!  I think I'll be buying another soon.  

And stew?  We have had a very cold November.  We have snow again, with more forecast for tonight and tomorrow night.  I love cold weather cooking--soups, stews, breads, muffins.  Right after breakfast this morning I pondered supper.  I knew I had some potatoes and celery in need of using up, so I thought of stew.  I have a recipe I clipped from the paper years ago called Five Hour Midnight Stew.  It's fairly simple, but you have to remember to get started early as it bakes in the oven for five hours as the title states.  

It tasted so good!  I had some leftover muffins from a couple of weeks ago in the freezer so I zapped them to complete our dinner.  There's lots of stew left, so I'm good to go for a few nights.  ♥

A Real Graduation!

Yes, people, Keaton did get to have a real graduation ceremony!  We kind of held our breaths, but it took place Saturday night with many concessions to the times, and all graduates got their moment and their diplomas.  

Only family members were allowed to attend and had to wear masks. Each family had a separate seating area that was marked out, included plenty of space to spread out, and was in the balcony, so we were well distanced from the students! The students, of course, wore their masks as well as their graduation gowns and caps.  One of the moms found masks featuring fabric that said Class of 2020 and bought masks for the entire class!

Keaton was valedictorian and did a great job giving his speech (he got to take his mask off as there was no one close by).  

All masked up and ready to graduate!

Diploma in hand!

Masked and socially distancing.  Such strange times. . .

The ceremony was video taped and shown live on Facebook and YouTube so friends and far away family could watch and the parents were able to arrange a wonderful outdoor party following that was really fun, complete with tiki torches!! 

And here is one last fun photo--a bunch of neighborhood moms got together and ordered these shirts for their grads to commemorate this crazy graduation year (note the mask on the O in Senior).

And that's the way it is in 2020!! ♥

Etcetera

The last two weeks have vanished in a blink.  What have I done, I ask myself.  Good question! Reading, of course.  Having that Kindle app and taking advantage of two free months of Kindle Unlimited has made me like a kid in a candy store!  One book was very different and also thought provoking given these times.  The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson is an historical novel based on real events.  

I've finally had to make a mask or two.  Most of Dan's consulting work involves workshops and field trips and most have been cancelled due to the virus, but one is taking place this week with all kinds of precautions.  He will need a mask as he teaches so I bit the bullet and made him two out of tan fabric with pine needles on it. Suitable, I thought!  

The weather has been all over the place,  Cold, wet and dreary, hot, sunny and necessitating turning on the AC, and now back to overcast and wet.  Lots of thunder and lightning, too.  As we tell each other, it's still June! Truthfully, given the current events politically and healthwise, I'm hoping for a cool summer to help keep people calm.  

The baby shower was fun and the mom-to-be loved the bibs.  I'm thinking of making some more this week before I forget how cute these turned out.  I also have a friend who became a grandma for the first time that I want to send some bibs to.  She can keep them at her house or send them on but either way, I thought she'd have fun opening the package.  

This cool weather has been wonderful for the flower pots and the garden.  Here's the view from my front entryway.

And here's a cute one of Daniel and his friend Crosby at their swimming lessons last winter.  Here's hoping they can soon hit the water once again.  

Happy summer!  ♥

What Ho!

I know, what a strange title! But there's a reason behind my madness.  I've been having the most fun reading books on my iPad Kindle app and I discovered a wonderfully entertaining book series set in circa 1910 England. It's the Lady Hardcastle mystery series by T.E. Kinsey and each one kept me happily reading from start to finish.  Lady Emily Hardcastle and her diminutive Welsh maid, Florence Armstrong, have stolen my heart and now that I've read all six in the series, I'm going to have to wait until December when the next book comes out.  Drat!! Looking for a good read?  Look no further (with the added plus of all those ridiculously fun British sayings like, "What ho!"). 

Having finished with Lady H and Flo, I went to our overstocked shelves in the family room and set about to look for a familiar read.  Back in the '70s, M.M. Kaye achieved fame with her book, The Far Pavilions and while I do like that one, my favorite of her books is Shadow of the Moon.  

My copy has held up well, but it's old by paperback standards, so yesterday Dan encouraged me to look online for a hardback.  Done, and done.  Meanwhile, ol' trusty and I will once again head to the India of the 1850s.  For those of you who love stories with an historical background, this one will satisfy.   

Meanwhile, I'm excited to announce that I was able to get my haircut yesterday and feel like a new woman! It's amazing what a haircut will do, especially when it's been forced to be put off far beyond normal time.  

I also need to confess that having been confined to home for all these weeks has led me to shoe shopping on line and I've purchased not one, not two, but three new pairs of shoes in the last month.  A new high (or low??) for me!!  However, I am unrepentant and am enjoying wearing each and every pair.  

The pair above matches my new purse and I feel quite coordinated when setting out to the grocery store!!  ♥

And in the Kitchen

Well, here we are, finishing up week eight (or is it nine?) of this quarantine, and I'm thankful I'm still actually enjoying coming up with two meals a day (we're both on our own for lunch because we're never hungry at the same time).  Our food is holding out well, and we've made several trips to the store at low volume times.  

I've heard that before this is over, we'll all have added the Covid 19, meaning adding nineteen additional pounds.  I hope not!!  But I will say that desserts have come into play way more than usual around here. Homemade pudding, peach shortcake, cookies, pie. . . Yum!!

The other day I noticed my fruit bowl had some fruit that should have been used earlier.  A couple of lonely bananas reminded me of a recipe I got from my Aunt Betty Jane, back in my high school days.  I stopped by her house one day and she was making them and allowed me to copy the recipe with the comment that the handwriting was her younger son's when he was home one day and wanted to help in some way.  So, this is a recipe from sometime in the 1940s.  

Banana Oatmeal Cookies

1 1/2 cups flour

1 cup sugar

1/2 tsp soda

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp nutmeg

3/4 tsp cinnamon
3/4 cup shortening
1 egg, well beaten
1 cup mashed bananas

1 3/4 cups quick oats

1/2 cup nuts

Mis together flour, sugar, soda, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon. Cut in shortening (I just use my Kitchenaid and it does the work).  Add egg, banana, oats and nuts. Beat until thoroughly blended.  Drop on ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 400° about 13-15 minutes.  Remove immediately.  Makes 3 1/2 dozen.  

I used to like to make these just before the kids came home from school and have them ready with a glass of milk for a tasty snack.  Memories. . .

And then yesterday, I took some less than stellar looking apples and turned them into a yummy apple pie.  I don't even remember the last time I made an apple pie.  Dan was in heaven.  

Today I have some blueberries that I need to turn into a coffee cake for tomorrow's breakfast.  And Sunday's, too!  Bon appetit!  ♥

A Little Pajama Party

Some time ago, I thought it would be fun to have a dolly pajama party and dress all my dolls in pj's.  Of course, this meant that the dolls had to have pj's to wear.  One thing about a quarantine, or "shelter in place", or whatever you want to call it--plenty of time at home to ponder things that have been put off for various reasons.  So, one day last week I decided to see just what I had in the way of jammies for my girls.  I dug through boxes and drawers of doll clothes and discovered I had more than I thought.  

I think I've mentioned in the past that long about twenty years ago when an internet doll company called iDolls went out of business, I bought a number of dolls and doll clothing in anticipation of gifting future granddaughters. Instead, I have four grandsons and no granddaughters so most of the dolls and clothing just went into storage. I did turn one doll into my version of Amelia Peabody, intrepid archeologist/sleuth from the book series by Elizabeth Peters, and one into Evie Tozer, a character in a favorite Tom Selleck movie, High Road to China. 

As I rooted through the doll clothes, I found perfect outfits for Amelia and Evie, and also a nightgown for another doll.  It also turned out that I had jammies for several other dolls.  That left three to sew for, and now motivated, I began.  

So here are my play dolls, all set for a slumber party. Clemmie is sporting her new jammies and is ready to read Tootle to the assembly.  A few bears have joined the party and everyone is ready for fun.

See little tiny 8" Betsy McCall?  I discovered I had a pattern that included clothes in her size as well as for the bigger 14" Betsy behind her.  With a little trepidation, I decided to give the shorty pj's a try.  Well. Let me just say that I think I could have made several pairs for myself in the time it took to make them.  It has a separate yoke, self fabric ruffle, and puffed sleeves. Oh my goodness.  So much detail in such a tiny little garment.  But I prevailed!!  As long as one doesn't look too closely.  (And the reason there's a bear laying in front of her?  She's still wearing her shoes and socks. Those little shoes are over sixty years old and I could see that the rubber "buttons" were hanging on by a thread and any attempt to unbutton them would surely lead to disaster.  So, what to do?  Hide the shoes.  So I did.) 

And here are Amelia and Evie in their time appropriate sleepwear.  

Amelia Peabody circa 1890

Evie Tozer, circa 1920's

Sweet dreams!!  ♥

Purses

These days, we must find our excitement where we can. I confess that I've never been much of a shopper,  at least in the sense of going to an actual store to browse and buy.  Even when I really needed something, I could usually find plenty of reasons to put off going in search of it.  When online shopping became a "thing", I loved it!  I didn't have to go anywhere.  When I was still teaching, I Christmas shopped on my lunch hour, sandwich in one hand, surfing and buying with the other, usually paying high shipping fees as I'd even put this type of shopping off until the last minute.  As I said, a shopper I am not.  

So, recently I noted that my trusty purse had a problem.  I've had the same one for I don't know how many years, six, seven?  It's black and before its most recent problem, I'd had to take a black sharpie to some worn spots on it.  Worked like a charm, until I noticed it was becoming unstitched in a crucial spot.  I am not a fan of carrying a purse in the first place, but they are a necessary evil for us ladies.  In order to make peace with the item, I have some specifications that must be met.

Here are pictures of my last two purses:

Trusty black purse

Adorable (but small) red purse

Notice that the fronts of both of them have additions. An easy-to-get-to area where I can have ready access to my driver's license, credit cards, etc.  

Alas, the black one became unstitched in the corner where I stowed my cell phone and I could see no way to fix it.  

I began to feel quite tacky, which would never do.  Since we're home all day and catalogs seem to fill our mailbox on a daily basis, I began to look for a replacement. About ten days ago, one arrived from The Vermont Country Store and as I glanced through it, a purse jumped out at me.  It had a front on it!  It came in black with dark brown accents.  I ordered!  And today it came.

It's bigger than I usually buy, but not so much so that I can't live with it.  And the front area is wonderful!

It even has an area for coins! And I discovered that the main purse will hold my iPad should I want to take it along for reading when Dan stops to look at trees (yes, he really does) when we're out.  Double win!!♥

Hmm... Hmm...

I feel like I should write a scintillating blog post, but what can you say about day after day of the same thing?  I am thankful that I'm continuing to enjoy outfoxing dinner for the 30th night in a row, so that's a good thing.  We are eating well.  

I have been doing a lot of reading on my iPad.  Ann introduced me to the Libby app and I'm happily downloading books from the library as well as getting the freebies from Amazon Prime.  I never thought I'd like reading on a mobile device, but I'm having to eat my words.  

Dan has gotten to go out in the woods several times this week, and he also taught a "class" using Zoom with the help of the U of I forestry extension department.  (He didn't enjoy it...) 

Our excitement tonight was peach shortcake featuring peaches I froze back in August of '18.  Still delicious! The cake part was a recipe I got many, many years ago and is an easy yellow cake.  According to my handwritten recipe card, I got it from the Family Weekly, which was, as I recall, the precursor to the Parade Magazine we get in the Sunday paper these days. Here's the recipe in case you've got some frozen peaches or strawberries in your freezer and don't want to head to the store for those cute little shortcakes in a package.

Shortcake (Yellow Cake)

2 cups unsifted flour

1 1/2 cups sugar

3 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup butter

1 cup milk

2 eggs

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

Heat oven to 350.  Grease and flour a 9 x 13" pan, or two 8 or 9" cake pans or two 8" square pans. Mix flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.  Add butter and 2/3 cup of the milk.  Beat two minutes at low speed.  Add remaining 1/3 cup of milk, eggs and vanilla and beat two minutes longer at medium speed.  Turn into pans and bake 30-35 minutes or until done.  

I've made this dozens of times over the years and it always tastes so good.  Sturdy, sweet, and when split and topped with the juicy fruit, soaks it up beautifully and is very satisfying in an old-fashioned sense.  Didn't think to take a picture.  ♥

Another Day--With Sunshine!

It's true!  The sun is shining, the birds are chirping and the windows are open. It's a glorious day for certain! It's amazing how a lovely day can boost the spirits.

We were excited to learn yesterday that the yard waste section of the recycling center was reopening and so my sweetheart is out mowing the lawn and gathering up the few remaining leaves from last fall. He's a happy man! Ann, Eric and boys have taken advantage of this beautiful day and loaded their kayaks and headed for the river to, as Ann termed it, "isolate on some water."  As Eric works, Ann teaches, and the boys do schoolwork from home using their computers and other devices, the time had come to go have some fun.  Good for them.

Dan and I went to the store the other day, my first outing in three weeks.  We found everything we were looking for and as we checked out, I thanked our outgoing and smiley clerk for her work. Before she let us put our purchases on the counter she had very thoroughly cleaned every inch of her stand as the previous customer left.  She looked at me and then said, "I'm marking you down as one of my angels," and proceeded to make a tally mark on her left forearm.  I looked at her and she said when customers were nice as I was, she marked them down and it helped her get through her day.  I still must have looked confused so she told me that many of her customers were angry and rude; some yelled and one even gave her the one-fingered salute, and not the good kind.  I was shocked! She nodded and then gave me a big smile and said, "Thank you."  If I could have hugged her, I would have.  

I'm continuing to knit on a new pair of socks although the color is not the greatest.  I've loved the other socks I've knit from Knit Picks Stroll Tweed sock yarn, but this brown isn't very appealing. They'll be warm and cozy though, and that's all that counts.  (I'm still loving that adorable yarn bowl!)

I also finally bought a cover for my iPad with help from Eric while we were on vacation.  I'm not really a pink girl, but this makes me smile every time I see it. 

I love that it turns off the iPad when it's closed, and when I open it, it quickly goes right back where I left it without punching any buttons.  That grooved top also folds to become a stand.  ♥

Day 500 of Quarantine

Or so it seems.  Hmm, even for a homebody like me, these days are getting a little weird.  There were always things we did each week that helped us keep track of the days, but now we don't even have church on Sundays. We gathered in front of our TV last Sunday and using my computer and our Chrome-cast, watched "church" live-streamed via Facebook. Somehow, it didn't seem like Sunday. . .

One thing that has helped me pass the time besides the laundry (haha!), is Ann's reminding me that I could download the Kindle app on my iPad and get books through Amazon Prime.  I've rewarded myself with several interesting/fun reads over the last couple of weeks which has been very helpful because the library is closed.  One was recommended by Ann and I found it interesting because I could remember many of the names featured in it.  It's Upstairs at the White House: My Life with the First Ladies by J.B. West who was Chief Usher during five presidencies, Roosevelt through Johnson.  

Of course, meals are a constant and keep me busy. There's no eating out because all the restaurants are takeout/delivery only, and somehow I can't bring myself to eat something made by someone who may have the virus and not know it yet.  While I'm trying not to dwell on the reason for this quarantine,  I don't want to be imprudent.  So, all meals by Chef Moi.  This morning I thought I would upgrade our breakfast and decided to make Ann's recipe for scones.  Oh yum!  We each had two, I froze four, and tomorrow we'll feast on another four.  

I'm thinking of other things I can make and freeze some of.  Stocking the freezer seems like a worthwhile endeavor during these must-stay-at-home days.  ♥