snow day

whirlygigs in my backyard

More snow has moved into Upstate New York. A good day to stay home, wear a comfy turtleneck sweater, watch daytime television and eat homemade soup. This winter we've already had over 110 inches of snow in my neck of the woods . Six to ten inches are expected again today. Our all time record of 192.1 inches of snow was in the 1992-1993 winter season. That was the year of the blizzard of 1993 which started on March 13, 1993. Forty three inches of snow fell in a 48 hour period. My husband and I were cross country skiing at Beaver Lake Nature Center when it started to snow heavily around noon. We started home, stopped and had lunch, and then stopped at church for the afternoon mass. There were only about 20 people at the church. The priest said that he was giving us extra credit for showing up. After the mass we headed home. The blizzard was going strong. The roads were nearly impassable. Cars were stuck in the snow. It took a while but we made it home safely without any mishaps. It was scary but fun at the same time. I like a good snowstorm.

adoption day

I have adopted a new Raggedy Ann. She joins her other adopted sisters and brothers - all 35 of them. I think. They are not all pictured here and there could be more hiding away somewhere. I was not going to adopt anymore. This one has a dress with a brown print that I had not seen before. So, since they don't eat much, they never ask for anything, they don't make a lot of noise and they are always smiling - what's one more? They make me happy when I look at them.

it's a good thing

Sunflower from a garden past to brighten up this winter day.

I have been reading other people's blogs daily. I've been thinking that everyone's lives seem so interesting that they all have things to write about daily, sometimes more than once a day. My life seems so routine that I don't think I have that much to say. I work everyday, come home and make dinner, watch a little television, read stuff on the internet, work on projects. Weekends are spent grocery shopping, more cooking, sometimes I clean house (I don't have a routine for that-those who know me will agree), reading the newspaper, relaxing and spending time with my husband. Once in while we add some excitement by going out to dinner. Routine is not so bad. I am happy. As Martha would say "It's a good thing".

blueberries

Every summer a friend and I go blueberry picking. We go to a local blueberry farm and spend a few hours filling up our buckets with this wonderful fruit. My friend uses his blueberries to make pies. I am not a good pie maker. Making pies I believe is an art form. You have to have the knack for it. I do not. I bring the blueberries home and freeze them to use all winter. I like to take some frozen berries and eat them with my cereal or in yogurt for breakfast. I also make blueberry muffins or pancakes. I found this recipe on allrecipes.com and it has become my favorite. It has a small amount of sugar and the oatmeal gives it a crunchy texture. Sometimes I use this recipe without the blueberries and add walnuts and cranberries.

Oatmeal Blueberry Muffins

1 1/4 cups quick cooking oats
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1 egg
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup blueberries, rinsed and drained

Combine oats, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Mix in milk, egg, and oil; mix until dry ingredients are moistened. Fold in blueberries. Fill greased muffin cups 2/3 full with batter. Bake at 425 dregrees F (220 degrees C) for 20 to 25 minutes.

be warm & happy

It is very cold here in the Northeast. As I write this it is
2 degrees outside. It is predicated that north of here there
could be 24 to 48 inches of snow tomorrow. My husband
requested beef barley soup for dinner. This hearty barley
soup is a favorite at my house.

Beef Barley Soup

1 pound round steak, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 tablespoon cooking oil
3 cans (14 1/2 ounces each) beef broth
2 cups of water
1/3 cup medium pearl barley
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 cup chopped carrots
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup chopped onions
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 cup frozen peas
In a soup kettle, brown beef in oil; drain. Add broth,
water, barley, salt and pepper; bring to a boil. Reduce
heat; cover and simmer for 1 hour. Add carrots, celery,
onion and parsley: simmer for 45 minutes or until
vegetables are tender. Add peas; and simmer for 15
minutes. Makes about 2 1/4 quarts.

If I have any left over tomatoes in the fridge I chop
them up and throw them in along with the vegetables.

Add some crusty bread or homemade biscuits and you
have a warm and satifying meal. Good to have on these
cold winter days.

quilting bee cause i like to

The temperature when I got up this morning was 1 degree. Brr. More snow tonight and next week will bring more bitter cold weather. Instead of comfort food today I worked on comfort for the body. I have been working on this quilt for about 2 years. I bought this quilt top at an antique show for $20.00 and have been slowly quilting it. I have about a third done. It seems like there is never enough time. I am determined to get this done this year so that I can move on to other projects. I would like to make a quilt for my granddaughter after I finish this one. Something she'll have to remember her grandmother.

comfort food

Woke up this morning to a few inches of snow covered with a layer of ice. I had to chip away all of that before I drove to work. On the way I got held up by an accident on Route 81. Drove home in the rain. So, again I turned to food. Macaroni and Cheese and green salad for dinner. My daughter was visiting from Tennessee at Christmas time and her one request from me was that I make macaroni and cheese. No problem.

I will share my recipe for Mac & Cheese. Cook 2 cups of macaroni according to directions on box. Drain. Set aside. In the same pan make a white sauce. Melt 4 tbsp. of butter, stir in 4 tbsp. of flour to make a paste, 1/2 tsp. salt and some pepper. Add 2 cups of milk, cook at medium high heat, keep stirring (or milk will burn) until the milk becomes thick. Add as much cheddar cheese as you want ( I cut the cheese into cubes or you can shred it), stir until the cheese melts. I use Cabot's Hunter's Sharp Cheddar Cheese. Spray a baking dish with cooking oil spray. Put the macaroni into the baking dish and stir in the cheese sauce. I like a crunchy crust on my mac & cheese so I sprinkle plain bread crumbs on top. Bake in a 350 degree oven until the top is browned to the color you like, about 1/2 hour. Get a big spoon, put some on your plate and enjoy every bite.

cold january day

Today was too cold to go anywhere. I stayed in my pajamas all day. I watched a movie, watched football (Way to go Eagles!) and I made turkey soup with the turkey bones I saved from Thanksgiving. It made the house smell so good. Homemade turkey soup is one of those comfort foods that makes you feel good inside. It warms you through and through.