How Much Activity Can You Put Into Seven Days

The past seven days have been busier than usual but everything went very well. We have been to the movie, UNKNOWN starring Liam Neesom, out of the area for a little shopping and again out of the area for appointment with MSM's cardiologist and a local appointment for me for a long overdue physical exam. Remember, living in the mountains means that sometimes we have to travel out of the area for some of our shopping and medical appointments.

 

The beautiful blossoming trees were all over the place down in the valley and it was a  fabulous sunshiny day.

One day away this past week ended with a very nice Japanese Bento Box dinner. This past Christmas time, MSM started enjoying Japanese food with me. I have liked sushi and sashimi as well as most japanese food for a long time. Unfortuneately, we do not have a quality Japanese Restarurant nearby where we live. But, this was good.

This week we also attended the evening Taize' service that takes place once a month at our little church. Since, I live so close to the church we usually walk.

During the Taize' service we had a big lightning and thunder storm. The lightning was so bright that we could see the bright flashes through the church windows. I was a little concerned about Lily being at home an frightened. And, yes, she was very upset when we returned home and needed a lot of comforting. She eventially calmed down and so did her "comforter". Both of them were sound a sleep in no time. Now, that was the end of a busy seven days!

Yes, we certainly know how to pack a lot into our days. And, that was just some of the activities. 

I hope you are having a Fabulous Day.

Afternoon Tea - - - - - - I Mean Tuaca

What could be better on a very rainy afternoon? I have a great friend who among other things always takes care of Lily when I need to be away for a whole day. She calls herself "Lily's other Mom" and she spoils Lily more than any dog should be spoiled. Even though these days I rarely have alcoholic drinks this little afternoon ritual has become a little more frequent during this endless winter weather. What could be more enjoyable than HOT APPLE PIE on a dreary afternoon? It's a special treat that tastes scrumptious, looks special, smells heavenly and has a silly name - - - what more would you want?

The first time I tasted this drink was in 1996 when I was asked to work on a fund raiser for the Calaveras County Master Gardeners. I was asked to be the editor of a collection of recipes compiled by the members of the organization. The name of the cook book is The Gardeners' Table. At a later time I may post about the birth of a cookbook.

This is how you can make "A Hot Apple Pie".

1 quart apple cider

3 to 4 whole cloves

5 oz Tuaca Liqueur

Fresh whipped cream

Ground cinnamon

Bring the apple cider and cloves just to the boiling point in a medium saucepan. Pour the Tuaca (1-1/4 oz per serving) into 8 ounce stemmed glasses. Remove the cloves and pour the cider into glasses to within 1/2-inch of the rim. Top with whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon. ENJOY.

 I know these next photos are shameful. But my friend breaks all of my rules that I have for my little dog.

I hope you are Warm and Comfortable on this winter day.

What's She Cooking

This recipe,Tofu-Spinach Manicotti is from an old cook book and I thought it sounded very healthy and  nourishing. You know how labor intensive it is to make manicotti? Well. this endeavor was a waste of time and basically "a flop". While preparing it I thought it was a little heavy in the amount of basil. I should have listened to the little voice in my head that was thinking that. I even added cheddar cheese on the top with hopes of improving the flavor. No such luck! MSM is so good to me. He ate a large portion for dinner with me. I was complaining about all the preparation work and my disappointment with the end result. When I said I didn't think I would make it again, he just said, OK. No criticism - just kindness. I think I'll keep him! But, I'll throw the recipe out!

What a disappointment. Tomorrow is a new day. I have always enjoyed trying new recipes and I will continue to do so.

I hope you are having a Good Weekend.

It Snowed Again

- - - - Since we visited last Friday, Just as I said, it did indeed snow some more on Saturday night.  This picture of Lilly was taken on Sunday at the home of MSM on the back deck.

Look at all of that snow! This is only five miles drive above where I live. Thank goodness, I did not get this much snow at my elevation.  Unfortunately, his power was out from Thursday evening until Sunday. But, then the phone service went out for a few days. All of the different utility services have been working very hard to remedy the uncomfortable situation.

We decided to get out of the snow for an afternoon on Sunday. So, we drove south and then west to a small Gold Rush town called Mokellume Hill. The sun was shining bright and we had a good time. We visited the Union House which has been recently (three weeks ago) opened after renovation into a cozy dining room with yummy food.  It sits at the corner of Main and Center Street right in the middle of this litle town and has some interesting history.

"'The Union House bears Jeff Tuttle’s name because about two decades ago Jeff conceived the idea of making an old service station over into a beer garden, deli, and community center.

When he became DA of Calaveras County over ten years ago he did not feel it right for the county’s chief law enforcement officer to be running a bar. So he leased, and then sold the property, which fell upon hard times, and was taken back in foreclosure by Jeff’s widow following the sudden death in April of Jeff ." If by chance you are interested in a little more history of this 157 year old building and everything that is planned in the future you can find it here: Union House.

When I say yummy, this is what I mean. The turkey, red onion, lettuce, avocado, cream cheese and cranberry on a fresh croissant sandwich was great. Along with some hot chocolate and I was all set.

We wandered around the tiny town with our dogs on leases and read all of the historical society signs on the very old buildings.

The Mokellume IOOF is said to be California's first three-story building to be erected outside the coastal towns. The original building was erected in 1854 as a two-story building. A third story was added later in 1861.The Independent Order of Odd Fellows (IOOF), as you probably know is a altruistic and benevolent fraternal organization derived from the similar British Oddfellows service organizations which came into being during the 18th century, at a time when altruistic and  charitable organizations were far less common.

I especially liked the sizable sign on the Blacksmith Shop. I guess it no longer is a "secret".

It has been a crazy week with another storm yesterday. No snow here but about six inches up the road. Another storm on the way for the middle of next week! When is Spring going to pay us another visit, like it did a couple weeks ago?

Hope all of you are Warm and Safe.

The SNOW Is Melting

Yes, the storm finally came and another one is on the way in a day or two. But, for the time being the current snowfall is starting to melt. At my home it started last evening with gusto and continued throughout the night. In addition to the rather heavy snow the electricity went off at 7:30 PM. and did not come back on until early this morning. So, shortly after the power went out I lit my very efficient Aladdin Kerosene Lamp that I bought when I first moved up to the foothills. I have not had to use it very often through the years. But, I am always glad that I have it when needed. This past summer I had it fully serviced by a local lamp specialist (the one and only time) and I am so glad that I did. A couple years ago, I used it to knit by when the power was off. This is what it looked like then.

Since, I did not feel like doing any handwork if I had other options, I starting thinking what I might do to occupy the time until the lights came back on. I remembered that I had a couple DVD's that I had not viewed and that I had  my laptop computer which can run on the batteries. So, I watched EAT PRAY LOVE. It was a fun way to pass the long evening hours. 

Without electricity the house can get very cold. However, that was not the case for me. Fortunately, in 2005 I replaced a wood burning stove in the living room with a great propane burning stove. It is so nice, and Lily really loves it also. 

Speaking of Lily. Look at these small foot prints in the snow. She was so cute when she willingly went out in her red thermal jammies to do her business. I wasn't able to take a photo of her but I sure wish I could have.

These camillia blossoms will  proably be fine since they are in bud form. We just have to wait and see.

 With the melting snow, the creek level is starting to rise below my bridge.

I find the color contrast of this rock and snow interesting.

For a native Southern California gal, I always get a thrill with the amount of snow that has been visiting me here in the foothills. And, we have certainly been getting more in the recent years. There were many years when we did not have snowfall at this elevation of 2,000 foot.

Thanks for sharing my "Snow Thrill" with me.

I send Happy Wishes for a great day to all of you.

Is Spring Coming

I sure hope so! We have all talked about the interesting weather patterns this year. These blossoms were picked yesterday and today the tree is covered with SNOW. Not in my yard but very close by. The weather man says that there will be SNOW at my home by the end of the week - - - and he may be right. It is raining and very dark outside and it is the middle of the day. Is the weatherman ever wrong?

I love these blossoms and I wish I had some of these in my garden. Maybe, someday I will. I have been having some very busy days with doing one thing or another. But, I have found some evening time to crochet on a Ripple Afghan that I am enjoying mostly when I am watching television. It is such a great pattern for that type of needle work. I have made many afghans similar to this throughout the years. And I really like this particular pattern. You can find it at Susan B's Ripple Afghan pattern site.

You all know how much I love flowers and my garden. Well, this is a collage of  photos taken today of the beautiful flowers from over a week ago when we provided florist flowers for the church alter. They are still very perfect at every angle. Enjoy them with me!

That's it for today.

Hope you are having good things happening in your life today and always.

Heart's Day

Just popping in to say - - - - - - - - - - -

Yes, I will be back when I have more time.

Sunday Morning Church Flowers

I guess I can't stay away!!! At least for very long.

Our little church had a request lately for members to sign up to provide the weekly flowers for the church alter.  Since there were many blanks on the calender we thought this would be a good Sunday to volunteer. Aren't these lovely? The colors are so vibrant!  In a way, they are kind of a celebration statement of our first year together. And, I might add that I want these flowers to also be my valentine flowers.  I have told MSM my wishes.  He has been so very generous with me lately and I am grateful.  It is so nice to  enjoy these flowers in my home following the church services.

 

This afternoon, I plan to watch the Super Bowl so  I can see the commercials. I find it to be so much fun. And, also there is a Chili Cook-off downtown on Main Street that we may check out before the game starts. So much available to do and so little time. Where did the month of January go anyway???  My break from blogging isn't exactly happening. Don't know when I will be back.

Whatever, your day brings, I hope you have a Fabulous Day.

Surprise Popping In

I couldn't help myself! I really want to share this celebration with you even though the photos leave a lot to be desired. We had a wonderful evening enjoying reflection of the past year and the happiness we are experiencing after some challenging times. As time goes by I am sure my recollection of the difficulties will lessen. Life is so good that I have to pinch myself to make sure I am not dreaming. I am so grateful!

Our dinner was very nice starting with a wonderful crab salad and ending with fabulous desserts.

I guess blogging is addictive or I would not have come back to pop in so soon! I don't know when that will happen again. Who knows?  :-)

I hope you have a Wonderful Weekend and enjoy the Football Game, especially the commercials.

The Time Has Come

Yes, it is time to officially take a break. My life has become so busy that my attempt to blog on a somewhat regular basis is just not happening.

Today, we had a contractor come to my home to discuss the possibility of putting a second story on the house. My house is located in one of the best locations in the town of Murphys and I do not think I would be happy leaving this house for another one that would be larger. Importantly, I have the very best neighbors!  And, to sell my house at this time with the recession would not be a very good decision economically. So, we will be exploring  possibilities for more living space. I take it day by day and I think we will find the answers. 

It will be one year tomorrow since My Special Man and I went out for the first time. We will celebrate by going downtown to dine at a very  lovely place called - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - V Restaurant which is about a five minute walk from my home.

The year has been filled with the worst and the best of times. I believe that we are in a very good place with our relationship and the love for each other grows more and more each day! I don't think I could want for more from another human being unless it would be that each of us were a little younger. But, then we probably would not be the people that we are today. God is good.

I am wishing all of you very Happy Days until I return, sometime in the future.

Superb Home Cooking

The weather is so perfect for Crockpot cooking. So that is what I did yesterday. I saw some great looking beef short ribs in the meat counter and I knew I had to make them for dinner. Wow, did I ever hit a home run with this recipe from Allrecipes.com. When I saw that it had great reviews and that 13,000 (Yes,that is correct. I did not add an extra 0) plus people have viewed and saved this recipe I knew I had to prepare it. As some of the reviews suggested I doubled the sauce ingredients and that was a good idea! 

Slow-Cooked German Short Ribs

Servings: 6

"Beef short ribs and onions slow cooked in a spicy red wine sauce. Goes great over wide egg noodles."

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
3 pounds beef short ribs 2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, sliced
1/2 cup dry red wine
1/2 cup chili sauce
3 tablespoons packed brown sugar
3 tablespoons vinegar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup water

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, combine 2 tablespoons flour, salt, and pepper. Coat the short ribs with the flour mixture.

2. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Brown short ribs in olive oil.

3. In a slow cooker, combine onions, wine, chili sauce, brown sugar, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, and chili powder. Mix thoroughly. Transfer the short ribs from the skillet to the slow cooker.

4. Cover, and cook on Low for 6 to 8 hours.

5. Remove ribs, and turn the slow cooker control to High. Mix the remaining 2 tablespoons of flour with 1/4 cup water, and stir into the sauce. Cook for 10 minutes, or until slightly thickened.

Also, I used one package frozen boiling petite whole onions instead of the sliced onions. They were nicely caramelized and tasted great. I also made carrots and boiled potatoes which were especially delicious with the sauce that I reduced down to a silky smooth glazing sauce. I did not add the thickening flour.

This is a winner that will surely be added to a new recipe box of OUR favorites!

It is clear to me that I do not have as much time to post on my blog as often as I would like to. But, I will continue and try to post at least once a week. I will see how that goes. I continue to enjoy all of the blogs that I follow even though I am not able to check-in as often as I would like.

Wishing you a Fabulous Day.