Old Man Winter

Yes, Old Man Winter is still playing jokes on us here in the upper-Midwest! And i ain't laughin'. This, dear friends, is what 17 inches of new, fluffy snow looks like. As if we didn't have enough to begin with! The real kicker is that March is usually our snowiest month of the year! I'm thinkin we won't be doing any grilling tonight.

View from the dining room....doesn't the hanging basket look like a cone-head???

View from the office.Wishing you a happy,warm, snow-free day!

The Day of Love

I hope you have a wonderful day with everyone you love!

In Love with Blogland, USA

There are so many wonderful blogs out there in blogland! I just marvel at how talented people are! I would definitely love to have lunch and treats at the above party! Mary Jane's daughter, Kari, at thebeehivecottage is responsible for this spread. I think i can speak for us all when i say-i wish she was my sister, neighbor, or friend!
And then there is Amy. All i can say is OMG! You have to visit her at her cottage. I wish someone would come in and help me pull together my decorating like this. I swear i would never leave my house. I just love the name of the market featured on her site: Ruffles & Rust. Isn't that just soooo cleaver???

Thoughtless Thursday

What ???

Basket Full of Posies

Ta-da! It is finished. Back in December each person in our Quilt Guild, Hands Across the Lake, took a packet of similar material and were instructed to create a "basket" block set on point. I chose to applique mine. i think it turned out quite spiffy if i say so myself. and i do. there are three flowers that are 3-dimensional. can you figure out which ones they are? its a little hard to tell in the photo, but they are the ones with "pointy" petals.

I have to admit i'm a little lax in the motivational department these days. Is it the winter blues? all the snow? cold temps? Why yes it is. All of those things.

Heaven on a Bun

Yes, my dears, it really is that good.

After foraging thru the cupboards i found i only had the ingredients for The Pioneer Womans Basic Drip Beef recipe. It was so good, i will definately try the Italian one next time. I did make just a couple adjustments to the recipe (including the name), so here it is:

Yummy Shredded Beef

1- 2.5 to 4 lb. chuck roast

3 Tbsp. Butter

1 large onion, sliced thick

1 Tbsp. chopped garlic

1/2 c. soy sauce

1 c. cooking Sherry

2 1/2 c. water

3 beef bullion cubes

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Melt butter in your stock pot, add onions. Cook till tender. Slap yer roast right on top. I mixed everything else up in a bowl, then poured it over the top. Put the lid on and throw it in the oven for 1 hr. then decrease your oven temp to 250 degrees and leave it in there another 4-5 hrs. Do not even lift the lid. I kid you not. this thing is so tender and easy to shred that it almost falls apart just looking at it.

I served mine on hoggie buns with melted swiss on top.

School's On!

Oh, my yes! I swear i could hear one huge glorious sigh as i awoke this morn. Mothers across the land breathing a sigh of relief as children crawled out of bed to attend the first day back to school after a 6 day break. It is now above 0 degrees. its funny how that used to feel cold, but everyone you meet has a smile and greets you with "nice day, isn't it?" And they really mean it!

Now, moving on. I have found yet another favorite. It is the Pioneer Woman blogsite. Please visit her. Below is her picture of Italian Drip Beef. This i will attempt for tonight's dinner. It looks soooo yummy! You can find the recipe on her page, and if it turns out for me, i will post it also very soon.

Have a wonderful Friday.

Thoughtless Thursday

Still no school, the interstate is closed.....

Have Mercy!

This morning as i post this it is -23, with wind chills of -36. That beats my post of a few days ago. Just to the northwest of us the windchill is -46. Mercy, i say, Mercy!!! Sunday thru Monday we accumulated 10 inches of fresh, fluffy snow. Then came the wind. Now for those of you who aren't accustomed to this, it means that every road in the county is continually drifted shut. Therefore, school has been cancelled for 3, yes 3, days in a row. Now, for me that's not so bad as my daughter is older and has her own schedule.

But, here is the typical household: Monday. Yippee, no school! Mom says, Lets watch a movie and bake some cookies, call Grandma and do a craft. Tuesday. Wow, no school! Mom says, Lets sleep in, watch cartoons, do a puzzle and clean your room. Wednesday. Boy, no school. Mom says, This is really getting old. What am i gonna do with 'em today? Seriously, is it that cold? are the roads that bad? What are those school officials thinking??? Send the kids to the Library than to an indoor pool somewhere. I can jump start the truck, i know i can.....

Good news on the horizon:

NO SHADOW!

Thoughtless Thursday

If i lived in an old farm house, this would be my dining room.
And, this would be my kitchen...
photos courtesy of countryliving.com

Baby it's Cold Outside

This was the view out my back deck as i let the dog out this morning. The sky was a gorgeous blend of yellows and pinks. Beautiful i tell ya, beautiful. The snow and icicles not so much. I have to say, it's warmer than yesterday. Yesterday morn when i awoke the windchill was -31. Yes, my friends, that has the capability to freeze certain body parts right off. Literally. Keep yer mittens handy, it ain't spring yet!!!

A Good Yarn

A new year, a new yarn! A while ago i was ranting about a new Japanese crochet book. Well, i did end up ordering it and absolutely fell head-over-heels in love with this blanket. Love, love,love the colors!!! i wanted to keep this one really soft and fluffy so i chose Caron yarn. i would like to have more choices, but where i live you have to drive at least 50 miles one way to the yarn shop. so, i chose what was in town. which is fine, i really prefer to buy local when i can. it's just that sometimes you are quite limited.

So, being on my budget of sorts, i couldn't purchase all the yarn at once. these lovelies are the chosen few to begin with. And i'm off.....

Think Pink

Usually for Valentines Day i decorate my hutch in reds. But this year i thought to go softer. Pink i decided, yes, pink. I commenced to scour the house for anything pink. I searched high and low, inside cupboards and out, up high and down low. Dear friends, i am at quite a loss for pink. I did find the box of dishes i had purchased at an auction last summer. They are quite beautiful, and all the pieces are there down to the gravy boat and serving bowls. Not bad for $17.

Here is the marking on back. I am not into china at all, other than just thinking how pretty certain pieces are. I have never heard of Canonsburg, PA before. Now i will need to dig the atlas out and see where it is. Anyway, i'm sure it is quite a popular pattern and not worth millions or anything. however, if it is worth millions (or even one million), would someone be kind enough to let me know as i just paid college tuition for my son yesterday! In the mean time, i will continue to wrack my brain over the pink hutch decorating thing...

Frugal Goodness

I've started off the year trying my hardest to be frugal. Not that i wasn't before; quiting one's full-time job does put a damper on a few things!

This morning i thought about going to our Farm Show here in town. I thought about wandering thru the neat rows of booths visiting with the people i know behind the tables. Then my mind wondered to lunch....they always have the best food there. You know the kind, wonderful home-made sandwiches and salads. Usually pies. Ice Cream. SNAP. Back to reality. Yes, i will still go to the Farm Show this afternoon, after all, when something different is going on in a small town, one must simply take advantage. But, no, i will not eat lunch there. Instead i made egg salad. Now, i can just here some of you...EGG SALAD you say? Yes, egg salad. I like egg salad. In fact, there are very few things i do not like. I eat sauerkraut, smoked salmon, even homemade eggnog. Raw eggs don't faze me (i know i heard you gasp, but i haven't died yet). In fact, i can only think of two things right off-hand that i dislike. are you ready? drum roll: Celery and Caviar. So, what do you dislike? please let me know!

For now, i'm going to hop on over to the Farm show. After all, i have some quarters in my pocket and i believe there may be some ice cream calling my name.....

Thoughtless Thursday

Just wish it was as green here in SD as it is in this photo!

January Blues...

I received this poem thru email, and thought it was so cute i would share it with all of you! T'was the month after Christmas,

and all through the house,

nothing would fit me,

not even a blouse.

The cookies i'd nibbled,

the chocolate i'd taste

at the holiday parties

had gone to my waist.

When i got on the scales

there arose such a number!

When i walked to the store

(less a walk than a lumber),

i'd remember the marvelous meals i'd prepared;

The gravies and sauces and beef nicely rared,

the wine and the rum balls, the bread and the cheese

and the way i'd never said, "No thank you, please."

As i dressed myself in my husband's old shirt

and prepared once again to do battle with dirt...

i said to myself, as i only can,

"you can't spend the winter disguised as a man!"

So, away went the last of the sour cream dip.

got rid of the fruit cake, every cracker and chip.

every last bit of food that i like must be banished

till all the additional ounces have vanished.

i won't have a cookie, not even a lick.

i'll want only to chew on a long celery stick.

i won't have hot biscuits, or corn bread, or pie.

i'll munch on a carrot and quietly cry.

I'm hungry, i'm lonesome, and life is a bore...

but isn't that what January is for???

Unable to giggle, no longer a riot.

Happy New Year to all, and to all a good diet!