Happy Wednesday

  The week is half gone already.  I have been busy doing some housework this morning and also making a list for tomorrow's grocery shopping.  While I was looking in the pantry and fridge  to see what we might need I noticed some ingredients that have been lurking in there for too long. After seeing this recipe ( below) just yesterday I decided I'd make something similar using what I had on hand. Into the blender I dropped the rest of an 8 oz block of cream cheese ( there was about half of it left), a can of condensed milk ( left from Christmas), and a can of frozen lemonade concentrate that has been in the freezer for a very long time (Why oh why did I buy that?) .I had to add some water to make it easier for the blender but in the end it got everything nicely mixed. Into 10 small dishes I put about a Tbsp of graham crumbs then topped them with the creamy mixture. The portions are small but so rich that they don't need to be bigger.  I'm quite pleased with the result.

 

Another item I was looking at last night was this list that someone posted about tips for keeping the house neat and tidy. If I had to choose only three tips that I consider most important in my house I think I'd choose the first three.  Which do you rank as best of these  tips?  Or maybe you'd add a different tip. I'd love to hear it.

 

 That's about all for today.   Thank you for coming by!!

 

Monday

 

Here we go into the last week of February. I think it went fast, in fact I feel the winter went by very quickly.  Time could slow down now that we're nearing the more pleasant weather.

We walked before the rain this morning, later it poured then it got quite mild and nice out. We drove to Fish Trap Creek and walked there. Not as many birds to see, nevertheless it's a nice place to walk. 
DH's knee seems to be getting better again. He thinks he'll try not wearing the brace tomorrow. We'll see how that goes.
 

 Finished another puzzle. 

 I made an Impossible peach pie which was enjoyed and is now gone.

 Laundry tomorrow. I also want to sow seeds in some of those peat pots I bought. I have books to return to the library and two more to pick up. That  will be my day.

Thanks for coming by! 

Walking at Willband

 Just 2 degrees above freezing this morning. We walked under cloudy skies but there was no wind so it was pleasant. Dear Husband wore a good knee brace and although we walked even slower than we usually do we made it.  There were patches of ice on the water.  A pair of Eagles was circling around, no doubt wondering how come they couldn't see any fish. I hope they didn't end up taking a duck or a goose :(

 

In the picture below the beavers are working on a dam where the creek narrows. Just before that there is a Heron on the right side. Very hard to spot it. It just looks like a spot of white.
 

That's all for today 

Thanks for visiting

Friday Chit Chat

 

 

 I finished my latest library book and it was quite an enjoyable read. I described it to someone as a fairy tale that takes place in the 1940's.  Here's what the internet says:

 

Mrs. Endicott's Splendid Adventure

by Rhys Bowen  is a historical fiction novel set in 1938, featuring 50-year-old Ellie Endicott, who escapes her cheating husband by driving his Bentley to the South of France with her housekeeper and a friend. The book is a tale of resilience, friendship, and self-discovery.

 

I was at the Dollar Store yesterday looking for peat pots. Last year I waited too long and there were no more so I wanted to be sure to get them in time. I priced out just the pots then I saw this kit and it was actually a better deal plus I got the tray with its clear lid. Now I'm ready 💗

Its a mostly cloudy day. DH is hobbling around the house leaning heavily on his cane since one of his knees  is very painful ( both have been replaced surgically,  but continue to be a problem). Eldest is coming for lunch. So that is my day. Thanks for coming by.

 

 

Thoughts of Spring

 

 I know many are still dealing with winter weather and snow but  thoughts of Spring are surely in our minds.  We are currently having colder nights that any so far this season but the only snow we've seen was a skiff one morning this week.
I got my little seed chest out of the garden shed and brought it onto the porch so I could take stock of what I need to buy ....which is mainly flowers because we have too much shade for vegetables to do well.  I will grow beans again and choose the sunniest spot for them.

 

 Eldest Daughter came for lunch and brought me a bloom from one of her hellebores ( along with a sweet painting of the same).

 

It's clear and sunny this morning. 0C when I first looked but now the temperature has risen slightly. 

I have done a load of laundry that didn't get done on Monday.  The plan for my day is....bake bread and make a pot of Black Bean soup with any other vegetables I find in the fridge. Also today I have to make up a grocery list based on what our local stores have on sale.

PS .......Did you have pancakes yesterday in honour of Pancake Tuesday?  I made crepes and I paid attention to how I am able to swirl the batter around in spite of the weight of the cast iron pan. 
I hardly lift it up, I just tilt it around and that seems to work just fine. 

Thanks for coming by

 

 

Sweets

 

 Here it is Monday morning again although it's not quite a regular Monday morning. It's a day off for the employed and it is called Family Day. It doesn't make a lot of difference to those of us who are retired.

It was a lovely weekend filled with family and a lot of cake!  One of the cakes was a traditional German cake called Bienenstich. It consists of layers with a wonderful cream filling. A picture from the 'net.

 Bienenstich Kuchen, a German delight, also known as Bee Sting Cake. Carmelized honey almonds on top, cream filling with a yeast rise dough cake that is firm and not sweet, kind of like cream puff dough is a pastry but not sweet.   ( I find the filling very sweet!) ( This cake was bought at a German cafe).

 Some of the chocolate hearts that I made.

 

Recipe for Easy Fudge

2 1/2 to 3 cups of chocolate chips ( depending on how firm you want the fudge. I used 3 cups)
1 can of condensed milk 
 1 tsp vanilla ( I forgot to add it)

The directions are simple. Using parchment paper in your pan makes it easy to lift out once it has hardened.Add the chocolate chips, condensed milk, and vanilla extract to a microwave-safe bowl.

 Microwave for 1 1/2 – 2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds, until completely smooth.

Pour the fudge into your prepared baking pan. Smooth out the top with a spatula. Let cool completely.  *****     *****  *****   *****   ****    About my cast iron frying pans...I have 2 that are 12" in diameter and I keep one for savoury and the other for sweet ( such as crepes and also Dutch Baby). In case anyone wants to know about Dutch Babies I'll post this from the All Recipes site.   A Dutch baby is a cross between a pancake and a popover. It’s similar to a large Yorkshire pudding. Unlike other types of pancakes, Dutch babies are baked in the oven instead of fried on the stove. They also don’t contain leaving ingredients, such as baking powder or baking soda.   The ingredients and directions are on that site. I wish I knew how to insert a link but I don't.
One change that I've made to the recipe is to sautee sliced apples in the pan before adding the egg/milk mixture.  As it bakes it puffs up but like a souffle it will fall once out of the oven.  We find it very tasty!!

again....the picture is from the internet That's it for this damp and grey day.  Thanks for visiting.    

   

   

 

Happy Friday💖

 

 Happy Friday!!  It is still raining like it wants to make up for the three days when it didn't rain.  We won't complain because it could be worse, it could be snow!

We did our usual Thursday grocery shopping. We always go early before the store gets crowded and we had a pleasant surprise when  we got there. We were not aware that the first hundred (?) customers received a free cast iron frying pan . This was to celebrate the end of the dreaded rearrangement of the store when no one knew where anything was.  So now I have 3 cast iron pans. One is only used for things like crepes and is never washed. I hope that doesn't dismay anyone but the best way to treat it is to wipe it well with a paper towel after using. Nothing ever sticks to it. Here's the new one.

A pretty miniature rose jumped into my cart while I was shopping💗
 

Likewise some miniature daffodils just starting to open as well as some Hyacinths. My cart seems like a magnet for plants :)
The little shrub is a Lemon Cypress which I'll keep on the porch.

 In the kitchen .......I made a batch of fudge. The recipe that calls for a can of condensed milk and 3 cups of chocolate chips. Absolutely foolproof fudge. I poured a thin layer on parchment and hope to be able to make little hearts with a cookie cutter. I hope it works but if it doesn't,  the fudge will still be tasty.

Thanks for visiting today

 One last Valentine.....