December weekend 4

 How swiftly the weeks of December have passed!  It hardly seems possible that four weeks have passed and that Christmas Day is now behind us.  

We stayed at our camp on Thursday night, December 22 because the temperatures were conducive to it.  We knew they were projected to rise overnight.  Even though it was snowing when we went to bed, by morning it was supposed to be in the 40s and raining hard.    This held true.

We headed home around 8 am.  There was still snow on the ground at the camp, but it was raining hard.

The forecast was for heavy rain all day on Friday.  Then it was predicted to cool down very fast, leaving all sorts of ice behind.  Oh, and let's not forget the river flooding warnings for the rivers in our area. 

I had baked little apricot fruitcakes (my walking partner's favorite!) a day or two before, and so I wrapped up four of them to take to her and her hubby.  We drove there in pouring rain and had a nice, if brief visit with them.  She had baked eggnog cranberry muffins and sent us home with a couple!

Meanwhile,  unbeknownst to us, quite a lot was happening back in the woods between our little camp and our daughter's home.  At 5:06 pm I got this message via Instagram:

We were blissfully unaware of all this.  The land up behind our camp (and their house) is very steep, and apparently the warm temps and heavy rain had melted the snow so that these large amounts of water were coming down through the woods.  Enjoy the videos which Carrie sent us!  So thankful for capable, helpful neighbors!

You can glimpse our camp in the photo above.  Ari had to pick her way up the driveway around water and washouts.  

Jim and Carrie's power went out around 6 pm and was out all night, coming back around 4:30 a.m.  A lot of games, piano playing, singing and more took place by headlamp in their resourceful household.

Saturday I woke up with a scratchy throat and just wasn't able to accomplish as much as I would have liked that day.  It didn't seem like Christmas Eve; since we would be alone I didn't make our usual Christmas Eve menu.  I did make a very good low-carb creamy taco soup that we both enjoyed.  It soothed my throat quite a bit.  And after supper, between Mr. T and myself, we managed to get all of the gifts wrapped for Christmas day, and also assembled the crockpot full of Ranch House Chicken for Christmas dinner.

 

I've written about our lovely Christmas day over on my Christmas blog, so do head over there and read The Day After Christmas.  I didn't go to church myself due to still not feeling top-notch (I watched the livestream), but did join in on our family get-together since my scratchy throat is likely the same thing their kids have had.

But it was a lovely day, with beautiful music, thoughtful gifts, yummy food, and just precious family time.  A blessed Christmas day indeed!

A hearty breakfast for a snowy morning

Yep, I said snowy.   Thankfully, we didn't get all of the snow that was being predicted, but we got enough.  The above photo is what it looks like out our front door this morning (after plowing).  Below, a photo of what it looks like from the back deck.

I've been thinking I should share a recipe that I've been making often in the past couple of weeks.  It's warm and comforting and ready in just a few minutes. It contains no refined sugar.  (And if you don't like bananas, read on.  It can be made with apples instead.)

BANANA WALNUT OATMEAL

2 cups hot water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup quick oats
1 banana, chopped
2 Tablespoons maple syrup
Chopped walnuts to taste
Raisins to taste (optional)

Place the hot water, salt, and cinnamon in a 1 1/2-quart glass or Pyrex casserole dish.  Microwave on High for 2 minutes.

Add the oats and microwave on high for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes.  The mixture should be thick and bubbly.

Stir in the banana, maple syrup, and walnuts (and raisins if you are using them).   Photo below shows them not stirred in yet.

Cook on High for 1 to 2 minutes or until as thick as you like it.

Serve in bowls with a dab of butter and/or a drizzle of half and half, if you like.

This is supposed to make 2 servings, but we find that it makes at least 3 good-sized servings.  You can see how much remains in the casserole after I took a serving out.  I store the leftovers in a plastic container and we scoop out servings to reheat as needed on another day.

Now, for some further commentary on this:

* You can use shredded apples instead of the banana.  All other proportions would be the same.  I adapted this from an apple oatmeal recipe, in fact.  If you prefer to chop the apples, prepare to either cook it for a longer time or have crunchy apples.

* If you prefer not to use a microwave, this can be done on the stovetop.  It will just take a longer amount of time, but not a whole lot longer.  Follow the cooking directions on the oatmeal box and then cook for a few additional minutes (maybe 5), stirring, after adding the syrup, nuts and fruit.

I like to use the microwave because it's fast, and a glass casserole is far easier to clean up than a gummy oatmeal saucepan.  But every cook for him or herself.

Store leftovers in a covered container in the fridge and scoop out servings to reheat as needed.

Hope your family enjoys this if you try it.  We certainly do!

A few snow pictures from this morning

Yes, from April 10!  Sigh ...

I seem to really be falling behind with blogging these days; it's been a week!  I have so much in mind that I want to blog about -- recipes, cleaning/decluttering projects, crafts I never got around to sharing photos of, recent happenings, and more -- but finding the time has been what's been difficult.  I decided that for today I would just put up a quick post concerning our weather.  These photos were all taken early this morning.

 From a corner of our balcony

 Wintry woods and stone wall

 Driveway from the dormer

That triangular shape in the middle of the photo is a metal sawhorse that was used in putting wood in the cellar in late fall.  It never got put away, and we've been using it as a benchmark to measure our snow accumulations.  For the longest time we couldn't even see the top of this sawhorse,  just its mounded shape.  You can see that the snow has settled a bit since then, but this morning it's frosting the top of the sawhorse again!

I must confess I've been having trouble keeping this wintry weather in perspective.  I actually told my husband this morning that this would be pretty in late November, but ...

Then I read what our friend Rand Hummel from The Wilds of New England wrote on Instagram this morning: "Although summer camp is only two months away, God is not finished painting glorious winter scenes like He did this morning. Thank You Lord!"

And thank you, Rand.  What a great way to think about this morning's wintry scenes!  That certainly altered my perspective.  I almost never look at Instagram in the morning, but today I'm thankful that I did.

A few snow and ice pictures

It's been snowing all day, but none of these pictures were taken today.  I guess, though, that the falling snow got me thinking about posting a few snowy pictures taken over the past couple of weeks.  Doesn't that top photo look as if the branches have been flocked with white flocking?  It really surprised me to see real snow coat the branches in that exact way.
  

These pictures so reminded me of Isaiah 1:18 -- "Come now, let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool."

I love this verse which speaks so beautifully of God's love, mercy and grace!

In fact, I love it so much that I once stitched a cross-stitch version of it.  I still love this design! And I do apologize for the wonky angle of the photo, but it was the best I could do given the narrowness of the hallway that these samplers are hanging in.

Just a few more snow and ice pictures.  Love the little icicles on these fir trees!  we  have had so much rain this winter, pretty much alternating with the snow, that some days there are icicles in very unusual places.
 
 
"He  giveth snow like wool: He scattereth the hoarfrost like ashes.  He casteth forth His ice like morsels; who can stand before His cold?" (Psalm 147:16-17)  



Hope you've enjoyed this look at winter in these parts!

Wednesday Medley for January 23

 

  Time for the Wednesday Medley hosted by Terri at Your Friend from Florida!   Terri asks the questions and bloggers come up with their own answers. 

 Wouldn't you like to join in also?  It's easy, and might be good blog fodder on a January day.  Just head over to Terri's blog, get the questions, then copy, paste, and answer them on your own blog.  Then you can go back to Terri's and link up if you like.   Here we go!

National Pie Day is celebrated annually on January 23rd. (Not to be confused with March 14 which is PI π Day.) 

National Pie Day was created simply to celebrate the pie.  It is a day for all to bake or cook their favorite pies.  Even more importantly, it is a day set aside for all to enjoy eating pies!

 1.  Okay, fess up.  Tell us your top three favorite pies, please.  Will you have some pie today?

 I probably won't have any pie today, but I am thinking about making a couple of pies for Friday night when we have friends over for supper. 

My three top favorite pies -- oh, this is a tough question but I will try.

* Reese’s Pie -- a layered chocolate and peanut butter pie.

* Red, White, and Blueberry Pie -- best made in summer when the blueberries are fresh.

* Apple Crisp Pizza -- maybe not technically a pie, but is essentially a large one-crust pie made on a pizza pan.  Scrumptious!

2.  While we are talking about food... are you a picky eater or are you ready to try almost any new food?  What is the worst thing you have ever eaten?

I don't consider myself picky at all. I would try almost anything ... but would definitely draw the line at things like eel or rattlesnake.  The worst thing I've ever eaten?  I really can't remember, which is probably just as well.

3.  Baking could be considered an art as could cooking.  How do you define art?

The beginning of the definition of art in my computer dictionary reads:

And yes, I agree that baking and cooking are both arts. Especially baking.  I frequently count baking as crafting, and I count both cooking and baking as creative pursuits.

4.  Tell us a really stupid joke that made you laugh, please. 

 I just can't think of any jokes right now, stupid or otherwise. But the vintage ad below makes me smile.  My aunt had a stove almost exactly like this.

5.  January 23rd is also National Handwriting Day. Do you have nice handwriting? Did cursive writing come naturally or did you practice in those double-lined practice books until your fingers hurt?

I'm glad we are still celebrating handwriting even though cursive writing is no longer a priority in schools.  My handwriting was okay, I guess.  I didn't have to work at it really hard as some students did.  That said, when I was 18 my legal signature became printing, not cursive.  It is still printing to this day.

6.  Tell us something random about your week.

Hmmm .. the extreme cold is probably the biggest news. Right now (I'm writing this on Wednesday), here's the temp here:

Take a look at this, though:

I guess the real randomness here is the weather itself.
And there is the Wednesday Medley for this week! 

Really cold!

Yes, it's really cold here in New Hampshire!  What you see above is the temperature right now, at 4 pm.  And then for tonight, we have the same as last night:

That's right, another wind chill warning!  Even colder than last night's, actually. 

So, how about some other randomness?

Let's see.  Well, yesterday was pretty much a day of snow and wintry mix.  Although we didn't get the huge snow amounts we'd been promised, still there was plenty of snow.  Our church, along with others around the state, cancelled services for the day.  I didn't get any snow pictures because it really seems that we already have plenty of them from previous years. 

Mr. T and I decided to watch the live stream morning worship service from Grace Baptist Church in Elko, NV, where our loved ones attend.  What a lovely surprise to see our daughter playing the piano for yesterday's service!  Yes, she's in a rotation of pianists but there are quite a few, so for her to be playing yesterday was by no means a given.  A special blessing for us!

Friday night we had friends over for supper and a little discipleship type Bible study.  If you're in the mood for a little comfort food, here's what I served for the main course:

Chicken Pot Pie!

It went over really well.  Although the photo above is not mine (it's from Genius Kitchen), it looks exactly like mine.  I prefer to make chicken pot pie in a glass 13x9 pan just like this one. 

One thing I would mention.  I wanted to make the crust (there is only a top crust) gluten free, so I used a King Arthur gluten free pie crust mix.  It really soaked up the gravy, making the chicken pie rather dry.  Still delicious, but rather dry.  If you happen to make this and use a gluten free crust, I definitely recommend making a larger amount of gravy. 

For a side dish, I made this Squash and Apple Bake I've been making for over 40 years. 

Photo from Taste of Home

It also got great reviews.  This recipe was actually published in a Gooseberry Patch cookbook
along with a heartwarming memory of preparing this dish as a newlywed.  I can always find the recipe when I want to use it because it is safely in my free copy of the book!

I also made a cooked cranberry relish from a Ken Haedrich recipe.  It uses apples and oranges in addition to cranberries, and is quite delicious.

For dessert I made a Gingerbread Pudding Cake in the slow cooker.  All of this turned out to be the perfect meal for a cold and snowy night.

Saturday Mr. T had to work, so I just puttered around the house.  It would have been my turn to bring snacks for the coffee break between services at church on Sunday, so I baked a couple of coffee cakes.  I cut them in squares, packed them in tins and froze them, since we didn't have church.

When he got home in the late afternoon, we went and cleaned the church.  Although we were almost sure to cancel services, we wanted to clean anyhow and have it done.  The snow began while we were cleaning.

Yesterday I did lots of work on my Sunday School lesson and listed some vintage Valentines in my Etsy shop. 

Oh, and I've been wanting to make a Christmas cookie recipe book on Shutterfly.  I got a free photo book offer that expired today, so I spent a lot of time on that project yesterday and did get it done.  I'm quite pleased with how it looks; I'll post pictures when the book arrives.

Today has been very cold, as previously mentioned, and I've tried to alternate between upstairs and downstairs and between sitting still and moving around, just to stay warm.  I have Tortilla Enchilada Soup in the slow cooker.  It's one of the most warming suppers I can think of!

Friday five for November 16

Another Friday, and let's see if I can find five things to share about my week!  I recently came upon and scanned the vintage syrup advertisement above, and thought I would share.  This image reminds me so much of winter days in my childhood!  It looks like winter here today, so it seems appropriate.  (Feel free to snag this image if you can use it for something.)

But on to the Friday five.

1.  Attending our oldest granddaughter's high school musical on Saturday night.  It made for a later night than usual for us, but we were glad to take the time.  The kids did an amazing job in both acting and singing.

That's Sarah at left below with another granddaughter, Emily.  This was taken in Salt Lake City in summer 2017.

2.  Managing to accomplish a lot of housework between Saturday afternoon and Sunday afternoon.  It felt good to have both time and energy to do several household tasks.   Scrubbing the tub was one of them.

3.  Having beautiful weather here on Monday.  Someone said it felt like spring, and I guess it sort of did.  It wasn't warm enough to be what we think of as true Indian summer, but it was a really nice day to get out and walk.  I was invigorated enough to tackle more housework when I got back.

Berries along our walking route

4.  Saving over $26 on groceries yesterday between regular coupons, digital coupons, and a $15 discount from our supermarket's rewards program!

This was a good week for this to happen, since I was buying snacks for the coffee time at church this week, a few extras for Christmas and Thanksgiving baking, and some items for the food pantry.

5.  God's grace to have a good attitude about snowstorms -- two in one week, and it's not even Thanksgiving yet.  The challenging thought is that this snow may not melt as many early snowstorms do ... it may be with us for the winter!  But I do have to admit it's pretty.  Photo below is from a November snowstorm last year, along our walking route.  We have more than that, currently -- several inches of the white stuff.

And that's Friday Five for this week!

Report from the sidelines

Recently I had a phone call from a real-life friend who now lives in another state and enjoys reading my blog.  She was concerned because I hadn't posted in over a week.  Basically, the reason is I just can't sit at the computer desk for longer than a few minutes at a time.  So, in case you've been wondering too, here is a brief report from the sidelines.

 A week ago Sunday as I was preparing to get in our van to leave for church, I stepped on a sloped patch of ice and my feet slid completely out from under me.  It was obvious after a few minutes that I wouldn't be going to church.

I'm okay -- no broken bones -- but I'm being reminded every day that I'm not as young as I used to be, and that a fall in one's sixties is far more of a big deal than a fall in one's forties.  I've fallen on ice in a similar way before -- twice, to be exact -- but it was 20 to 25 years ago.  I remember hitting my head so hard I saw stars, the one time.  But still, a short-lived headache, some temporary aches -- that was it.  This is taking a lot longer to recover from, though I am making good progress and can do more every day than the day before.

Above you see some of my best friends at the moment.  Below is another.  It's my barley hot pack.

If you'd like to try making one, scroll all the way down to "Popular Posts" and there you will see a link for how to make a barley hot pack.  When the pain subsides and I can sit in the proper chair again, I am going to make another, and also replace the barley in this one and wash the cover.  It's had more than its share of use here recently.

I didn't get a picture of this, but arnica massage oil, introduced to me by my daughter, has also become a new friend of mine.

So I can't blog and I can't sew or stock my Etsy shop.  I can barely even eat, as the kitchen table chairs aren't comfy either and I refuse to eat in the recliner, my most comfortable place.  (But no worries -- I'm managing.)  I've also been able to keep up fairly well with laundry, preparing meals, and so on.  Here's some more of what I have been doing to redeem this unexpected time:

I was drawn to this simple study for my morning quiet time for March.  Little did I know it would be exactly what I needed!

Praying, of course

Working on a crocheted hot mat -- love the cheerful colors

Working on this cross stitch UFO -- and I have made a plan for completing it.  My friend Arlene says the stitcher gets to decide when a piece is completed.

Making a grocery list and planning menus for the week

Reading through this for the umpteenth time ... I need it right now

Working on my Sunday School lesson

And even doing a little light reading.

And that's the report from the sidelines (in a snowstorm!).