Friday five for February fifteen

Wow, is that an alliterative title or what?

Somehow it is Friday again, and snowing like a bandstand (as we say in our family -- long story!) so I'm taking a few minutes to share five blessings from the week.

And no, those Valentine cookies aren't real.  I did use a cookie cutter to make them, though. Need to get back to making some felt food, as I still have grandkids young enough to be interested.  My Nevada daughter told me the other week that they had gotten out some of the felt food for the youngest one, but all of the kids ended up getting involved -- playing grocery store, restaurant, and more. 

1.  Breakfast out with my hubby last Friday.  We went to a new-to-us place with a pretty limited breakfast menu, but thoroughly enjoyed our meal and the atmosphere.  Wish I had thought to take some pictures.

2.  Finding time to blog about the Christmas cookie book I made with Shutterfly.  It's on my Christmas blog -- Mrs. T's Christmas Kitchen -- so do check it out if you've never visited.  I'm so tickled with this book, as it's a project I've been thinking about for awhile.  (Yep, those are felt Christmas cookies on the cover.  Recipe for those not included, though.) I have lots more photos of pages from the book in the post on my Christmas blog.

3.  Being able to get out and walk both Monday and Tuesday.  The weather hasn't been conducive since, but those days we had mostly bare roads to walk on and got in probably close to 8 miles.

4.  A fun day in the kitchen on Valentine's Day.  I have a friend with a Valentine birthday and really wanted to bake a few goodies for her.  Of course, Mr. T was delighted, as well!
 

There are marshmallows hiding under the frosting ...

 5.  A nice surprise in the mail yesterday when a handmade Christmas ornament I'd ordered from an Etsy shop arrived.  Check out this pretty ornament from Treasures with a Twist!  Check out the shop, too.  Marjorie has made many other gorgeous ornaments of the same type.  They are good quality and good value, too.  My scan does not begin to do it justice.

That's it for this week's Friday five ... Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!

Valentine Medley for February 13

 Somehow it's Wednesday again, and 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?  It's easy, and could make for a fun blog post on a wintry day; this week's questions have a Valentine theme.  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 goes!

1.  I think St. Valentine's Day is for everyone, whether you have a romantic love interest or not.  I received a Valentine card from my sister (thank you Patti!) - case in point.  It is all about LOVE, not just romantic love.  What are your traditions for celebrating Valentine's Day?

I agree with you.  Valentine's Day can celebrate family love, the love of friends, and more.  We have no hard-and-fast traditions I guess ... we have learned to be flexible as to how we celebrate.  Sometimes I will make a special supper or breakfast for my husband and myself on Valentine's Day, or sometimes we will go out.  We tend to save money we would have spent on gifts or flowers to use on getaways at a later date.  When the kids were younger, and even a few years with grandkids,  as below, we would make Valentine cookies together.  When my kids were at boarding school for high school, and then when they were away at college, I would send Valentine care packages. 

2.  When you were in elementary school, did you decorate a shoe box and deliver those little valentines to all your classmates?   Perhaps in Sunday School?

Loved this illustration of a Valentine box on Terri's blog, so kept it when I copied and pasted.  It wasn't always a shoe box, but yes -- in elementary school, we would decorate boxes in which the little Valentines from our classmates could be deposited.  Valentines like the one below from the 1960s.  We decorated the boxes with construction paper cutouts, paper lace doilies, red heart stickers, and much more.

3.  Do you enjoy playing Cupid?  Have you ever introduced a couple who really clicked?

Not really.  I know some people love to play matchmaker, but I'm not one of them.  Too much responsibility.  No, I don't think I ever have introduced a couple who really clicked.

4.  Which traditional Valentine's Day gift would you rather receive:  Chocolate, flowers, or a card with a personal message?

A card with a personal message.

My daughter made this Valentine for me probably 30 years ago.

5.  What is the best movie to watch on Valentine's Day?

I almost never watch movies so I have absolutely no idea.

6.  Tell us something random about your week!

It's likely to be interrupted by a major snowstorm -- though nowhere near as major as what those in the midwest and northwest are getting.  Our winter storm warning for Tuesday said snow was to start at 4 pm.  It's Tuesday at 4:07 as I write this and, sure enough, light snow is beginning.

That's the Wednesday Medley for this Valentine week!

Friday five for February 8

Gorgeous graphic by Abby at Little Birdie Blessings

 Time again for the Friday five!  Here are a few of the things I'm thankful for this week:

1. Glorious, beautiful sunny warm weather for the first three days of this week!  Tuesday was in the 60s -- pretty much unheard of for New Hampshire in February, but we'll take it.

2. Our van passing the state inspection on Monday.  Those "check engine" light problems can be tricky.  So thankful to have a sticker for another year.

3.  Mostly clear, mostly dry roads for walking on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday.  My walking buddy and I were able to cover a total of 11 miles on those days!

4.  Being able to take at least four full bags of clothing to our local thrift store and box after box of books to a book drop.  These are items from my childhood home and I am so thankful to be making good progress in clearing it out.

5.  My hubby having today off from work unexpectedly.  One never knows what conditions will be on a logging job -- and on his job site today he just didn't need to be there.  What a blessing to have him around home and be able to do our grocery shopping and some other errands together!

And there you have this week's Friday five!

A delicious winter side dish

Photo is from Taste of Home

 I was going to wait and share this recipe in November or December, because it would make a perfect festive side dish for Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner.  But then I realized that Brussels sprouts are fresh in produce departments right now, and so any time in winter might be a good time to try this way of preparing them.

In keeping with my habit of reading through my past issues of Country Woman and Taste of Home during the appropriate months, I was glancing through the December/January 2011 issue of Country Woman last month and came upon this interesting-sounding recipe: Maple Bacon Glazed Brussels Sprouts. 

I had everything on hand that I needed to try making them, including a bag of fresh Brussels sprouts that really needed to be used up.  (Well, I didn't have bacon, but I did have real bacon bits, so just sprinkled some of those on at the end.)  The only thing I would do differently another time would be to use less maple syrup.  I think 2 or 3 tablespoons would be plenty.  It was just a little sweeter than I felt necessary.

One reviewer said that she simply roasted the Brussels sprouts with a little olive oil, salt and pepper -- and that when they were tender she just drizzled some maple syrup on them and sprinkled on some bacon.  I think I might try that next time, as it would be less work at the last minute.

Mr. T is not a Brussels sprouts fan, so he looked at them warily but was game to taste them.  He was very pleasantly surprised and said that he actually likes Brussels sprouts when prepared this way.  I do like Brussels sprouts as a rule, and this is a fabulous way to prepare and serve them.  Maybe you would like to try this, too!

Wednesday Medley for February 6

 

 Yes, it's Wednesday again, so it's time for the Wednesday Medley hosted by Terri at Your Friend from Florida where  Terri asks the questions and bloggers come up with their own answers. 

 Wouldn't you like to join in?  It's easy and fun.  Just head over to Terri's blog to 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 goes!  But did you know that this is

NATIONAL FROZEN YOGURT DAY?

Yes, indeed -- National Frozen Yogurt Day is observed annually on February 6th.

Frozen yogurt sales are increasing every year as people want a healthier alternative to ice cream. The explosion of flavors and topping choices add to the popularity of frozen yogurt.

Frozen yogurt was first developed 1970 in the United States as a soft-serve treat produced by H.P Hood called Frogurt. Humphreys and Dannon soon followed with their own versions of the treat. Its popularity grew in the 80s, mostly due to frozen yogurts “health food” status. Ice cream manufacturers soon caught on, offering low-fat options.

Frozen yogurt is again making a comeback as consumers have begun to prefer the tart taste of yogurt.

HOW TO OBSERVE

Give the following recipes a try:

Creamy Vanilla Frozen Yogurt
Chocolate Frozen Yogurt
Cherry Cheesecake Frozen Yogurt
Frozen Strawberry Yogurt

Use #NationalFrozenYogurtDay to post on social media.

HISTORY

Within our research, we were unable to identify the creator of National Frozen Yogurt Day. 

Terri says:

Frozen Yogurt Day was the most fun of the choices for today's first question.  I have no idea why the creator chose a winter day to celebrate a frozen dessert, but here we are!!  Let's talk about food today (one of my favorite subjects)!

1.  Today, Wednesday, February 6th, is Frozen Yogurt Day!  A cold dessert on what must be a very cold day for most of you reading this today!  Do you enjoy frozen yogurt?  Does it matter what the weather is?  Share with us your favorite flavor and/or topping, please!!

 Actually, I'm reading this on Tuesday and it is above 60º in New Hampshire.  Pretty amazing for February.  I bought some of those Yasso Greek frozen yogurt bars recently ... got the coffee flavor with chocolate pieces in it.  They are very good!

A "Snowball" from our favorite summer ice cream place

2.  What food do you know you shouldn't eat but can't help yourself?

Hmmm ...good question!  Realistically, anything containing sugar.  Deep-fried foods, too.  I don't cook those at home, but we took someone out to lunch on Sunday and I had fried shrimp.  So good.

3.  If your life was a meal, what kind of meal would it be?

That's an interesting question!  I really don't know how to answer it.  I would like for it to be a balanced meal, I guess, with wholesome things that are good for me as well as sweet moments and treats.

4.  Do you like spicy food?  Why or why not?  What is the spiciest food you have ever eaten?

I do enjoy spicy food.   Not sure why.  I just like the way it tastes.  I like spicy Southwestern flavors as well as Cajun flavors and Indian food.  I think the spiciest food I have ever eaten was at an authentic Mexican restaurant in Colorado.  I remember breaking out in a sweat.

5.  (Most of you know I have been sick with a cold.) What food do you eat or crave when you have a bad cold?

Chicken soup.  I will even prepare it myself if need be.  But thankfully I haven't had a cold in a long time.  A memory along the line of what we eat or crave when sick: years ago, I think it was the first year we were married, I was really sick -- guess it was probably the flu, now that I think about how bad it was.  I actually spent several days in bed as it was the only warm place in the house.  I was just getting back on my feet but not wanting to think about cooking, when my elderly great-aunt showed up at our front door one day.  She had a grocery bag containing a large Italian sub for my hubby and me to share, and a box of frozen jelly donuts.  Sort of an odd combination, but it sure hit the spot.  Her thoughtfulness -- on a minuscule fixed income -- was even nicer.

6.  Please tell us something random about your week (and maybe it will involve food).

The weather  is probably the top story.   It is VERY random indeed, with the last two days being unseasonably warm.  Snow and sleet predicted for Thursday I think, and then Friday back up into the mid-forties.

Here are a couple of random food thoughts: 1) We have several folks over for supper and a Bible study most Friday nights.  Usually I start thinking about what to serve by Tuesday or Wednesday.  I really enjoy feeding people.  Haven't decided  on this week's menu yet ...

2) There's a half jar of lemon curd left in the fridge from making these: Lemon Thumbprint Cookies at Christmas time.  Pretty sure I need to make another batch of these scrumptious treats to use it up!

That's a wrap for this week's Medley!

February goals

It's a new month!  Yes, 1/12 of 2019 is now history, so here are my goals for February:

* Do a February Scripture writing challenge
* Memorize at least 4 Bible verses and review some older ones

* Read the February chapters in the Daily Walk Bible

* Continue our discipleship study with new believers
* Continue study for Sunday School -- A Woman Who Reflects the Heart of Jesus
* Get to bed by 9 pm each night  
* Limit sugar
* Drink enough water each day

 * Walk and/or exercise each day

* Keep up with Flylady's homemaking zones of the week (with some help from Clean Mama)
* Do something creative each day
* Post in this blog as often as possible
* Post in my Christmas blog as often as possible
* Continue planning for family birthday gifts and crafting any handmade ones
* Continue stocking my Etsy shop and continue selling vintage items

* Do Etsy and trust bookkeeping
* Write at least 4 encouraging notes to friends and family
* Help and encourage my local daughter as I'm able

* Continue to encourage and support my hubby as he works through a pastoral search for our church
* Clean church and set up for fellowship time
* Continue to sort out and declutter my dad's house, hopefully taking many loads to the dump and thrift store and consolidating the remaining items yet to dispose of;  work on estate
* Plan meals with a greater emphasis on healthy eating

FEBRUARY'S HEALTHY HABITS:  Drink enough water/exercise/eat healthfully/get enough sleep
WORD FOR 2019: Courage

 

And here is how January went:

 

* Do a January Scripture writing challenge (the names of God) -- done!
* Memorize at least 4 Bible verses and review some older ones (I've been working on a four-verse passage, but now I can say it's -- done!)

* Read the January chapters in the Daily Walk Bible -- done!

* Set goals for the coming year -- done!

* Blog about my word for the year -- done!

* Evaluate the year just past -- done!

* Continue our discipleship study with new believers -- done!
* Continue study for Sunday School -- A Woman Who Reflects the Heart of Jesus -- done!
* Get to bed by 9 pm each night   -- not done consistently
* Limit sugar -- did okay with this
* Drink enough water each day -- not done consistently

 * Walk and/or exercise each day -- not every day, but I did do a lot of walking in January!

* Take the Clutter Challenge with Clean Mama -- done! (although I must admit not everything on the challenge got accomplished, I'm calling this done because I did spend good time on it each week)
* Keep up with Flylady's homemaking zones of the week -- not done consistently
* Do something creative each day -- done!
* Post in this blog as often as possible -- done!
* Post in my Christmas blog as often as possible -- done!
* Continue planning for family birthday gifts and crafting any handmade ones -- much planning has been -- done!
* Continue stocking my Etsy shop and continue selling vintage items -- done!

* Do Etsy and trust bookkeeping -- did a lot of work on inputting the Etsy information.
* Write at least 4 encouraging notes to friends and family -- done! (but there are always more people I want to contact!)
* Help and encourage my local daughter as I'm able -- done! (but it's never as much as I would like)

* Continue to encourage and support my hubby as he works through a pastoral search for our church -- done! (and I wish the search was...)
* Clean church and set up for fellowship time -- done!
* Sort out and declutter my dad's house, hopefully taking many loads to the dump and thrift store and consolidating the remaining items yet to dispose of;  work on estate -- done!  (but there's still a long way to go)
* Plan meals with a greater emphasis on healthy eating -- done!

JANUARY'S HEALTHY HABITS:  Drink enough water/exercise/eat healthfully/get enough sleep
WORD FOR 2019: Courage

Friday five for February 1

Not only another Friday, it's also a new month.  Can you even believe that 2019 is now 1/12th over?  It simply astounds me how fast time flies.

So, without further ado, here is my Friday five for the first day of February:

1.  A good day last Friday,  cleaning and sorting at my childhood home.  Still a long way to go there but it's good to see progress.

2.  A day of wonderful fellowship with friends last Saturday.  We got together with part of our family and some dear long-time friends for breakfast at Cracker Barrel. 
 
Then, in the afternoon, we went to visit our old friends who have recently moved back to our state.  We (especially Mr. T) helped them a lot with some projects around their new home,  then they ordered an early supper of take-out pizza.  Very good!

3. Strength for a very busy day on Sunday.  The usual services and fellowship snack time, of course.  Our pulpit supply for that day brought along several other folks in addition to his wife.  Two of them were teenage girls who help them with music at a nursing home ministry.  Such a delight to have additional musicians, as both our pianists are away at college.

Following that we took our van and left it at a shop where it was to be repaired and then inspected.  (More about this later...) We drove there in a fairly terrifying snow squall; thankful for safety!

And then we went back to my childhood home and spent a good bit of time cleaning and organizing.  Mr. T took many trashbags to the dumpster!

What a day ... we were happy to be home snacking on popcorn by the end of it.

Graphic by Abby at Little Birdie Blessings

4.  Christmas Club meeting yesterday at a local library.  Always a fun and encouraging time to share what worked for us as well as make plans for the coming year's holiday. 

My daughter was sweet to come and pick me up and take me home, because ...

5.  Our van is still at the repair shop!  Oddly enough, although this has been a major inconvenience in some ways, it has not been without its blessings.  I haven't minded very much at all not being able to go anywhere, although it would have been nice to be able to get to the grocery store.  It's been good to be home and get some things done here.  Just trusting God's plan in this different, somewhat inconvenient week.

From Abby at Little Birdie Blessings

And there is this week's Friday five!