Yes I am still anxiously awaiting spring. Seems it has been so long since we had steady warmth.
Tomorrow is to be sixty degree's I surely hope so. I know it is just turning March but still......I long for springs strong rays.
I am happy the way our master bath has turned out. New paint on walls, ceiling and baseboards, waxed cabinets, new wall art and sheers at the window with gold stars. Everything is in caramel and creams and white with rusty red accents. So it is a nice extension of our bedroom in those same colors.
I even bought a new toilet set. A white wood with bead board work. All is just fresh and new looking. Thank you hubby for your hard work and me too for my artsy whimsical motif.
More good news the tax booklet is mailed off to our CPA. Yeah.......I am always so relieved when that dreadful chore is finished.
To celebrate my very busy week hubby is taking me to pizza tomorrow. I always love going for pizza. We are going to Papa's Pizza this time not our fave Italian place Ambrosia. Papa's is delish pizza too with a very good yeasty crust and flavorful toppings. We get a half and half so we each get some of our favorite ingredients.
I made up a menu yesterday for the week ahead. We are going to have some tasty fare.
Tonight we are having Creamy Pappardelle with leeks and bacon. Sort of a take on Spaghetti carbonara. This is a new recipe so if it meets my expectations I will post it tomorrow.
Other meals this week are a linguisa cabbage soup with vegetables, Seared sirloin steak with mushroom wine sauce and garlic creamed potatoes, roasted lemon and herb bookend chicken with roasted vegetables, then using leftover roasted chicken I will make white chili with chicken. We are also going to make a brunch with cassolets filled with a corn tortilla, refried beans, cheese and topped with a soft fried egg and homemade ranchero sauce from our own tomatoes. Kind of like Huevo's ranchero's but in the little casseroles. We will have OJ and champagne to go with. So many delicious meals to look forward to in this coming week.
I had a great visit with my brother yesterday afternoon. He was happy with his new purchase a 2012 GMC truck, black with tinted windows. His son said he looked like a undercover cop. Funny. We are still hoping to get together in March. He took his boat from the lake to his home in Kalama and has been staying there until the weather improves. We are hoping that March will work out to spend time at the lake together.
My husband and I had a trip planned to the beach but we have had to change plans as hubby has two large jobs coming up asap. So we will wait and watch for a break in the schedule and plan again.
Well I think I will take a stroll through my new bathroom.......laugh. I just love looking at it now. It is always nice to do something different in ones home. Next we are redoing our laundry room.
Have a nice weekend.
Yes I am thrilled to get rid of the tired old faded blue bathroom. Hubby is working hard today on that master bath. He has removed all the hardware the baseboards which will be repainted also. I have cleaned the light fixtures and the fan cover. All will be fresh and clean and newly painted.
I choose a wall and ceiling color that is couple of shades darker than the floor and counter tile. So the paint and tile will set a nice calm backdrop for simple wall decor and some new curtains panels set off the window hanging from a wood pole. The window is opaque so no need for a cover over it. I just want something to soften the window and bring some interest to the room. Today is prep work and tomorrow my husband will paint. Then I will wax and clean the cabinets.
I wonder why it is that folks put off doing something like this? We knew we had to tackle this project for some time but yet we did nothing.
I am anxious to look for a couple of prints in simple frames to pull in our bedroom colors and select the window panel colors from the suggestions in the art work.
I am very happy with our bedroom which is done in a dark Mediterrean blue it has an enormous vaulted ceiling in cream color so the dark color on the walls does not make it appear small but it does make it intimate and cozy. We have a king brass bed in a very simple style. And sadly a mishmash of furniture. A great quality triple dresser right down to smooth gliding dovetailed drawers. It was given to me years ago. It is a light wood more than likely maple. I have a round table with a rusty red cloth on it for my night stand, hubby has an antique table for his. Across from the bed we have a 46 inch flat screen mounted on the wall without a cable in sight. Hubby did a great job of installing it. All the wiring runs down behind the wall. Under the tellie on that wall sits an old oak teachers chair I scarfed up at a yard sale. The colors in the bed quilt are caramel, rusty red, several blues and cream. Lots of bed pillows mimic those same colors. I have sheer rusty red panels on the window with a blind behind. The panels have a swag valance in the same sheer fabric that are adorned in little glass beads. Simple but with some sparkle. I will pull those colors into the adjacent bathroom.
So you can see I am looking forward to my newly painted and clean fresh bathroom.
While hubby is busy in the bathroom I am closed in the office once again working on taxes. I accomplished quite a lot yesterday afternoon.
The wind is up this afternoon not steady but gusty. The rain has started lightly at the moment but will increase as we go into evening. There is a storm approaching and it possibly could bring snow to the valley floor.
Thinking of snow my darling granddaughter Megan and family in Kansas had a huge amount of the white stuff yesterday. She wrote that she drove into work in downtown Topeka but no one was there and she drove back home in the horribly scary storm. She said if she did not have four wheel drive she would not have made it. So the whole little family was home and snowed in. I told her a great day for cookie and snowman making! Believe me I spent many winter days doing that exact same thing with my little ones as we lived in snow country.
I made chicken Parmesan last night for dinner. Oh my it so wonderful. We never go out for this meal as we do it so well here at home. I made a large amount so we can repeat tonight. Unlike a lot of people we appreiciate leftovers. I always make a good meal from scratch which takes time so it is nice to be out of the kitchen every now and then and just reheat our previous nights meal.
Tomorrow I am making a chocolate silk pie, topped with fresh whip cream. We love this pie. You take a bite and the pudding just melts and slides down your throat.........silk! Thus the name.
Well I need to roll my chair over to the big old desk and get back to my tax duties.
Have a fun Friday!
We are making reservations for the coast. This is the hotel we stay at in Florence. Driftwood Shores is the only beachfront hotel in Florence so there is no choice but it a nice hotel with a long smooth beach. The hotel however has raised their rates considerably in the past couple of years. I guess one can do that with no competition. Regardless we are looking forward to our little getaway for a few nights. We are watching the weather forecast for Florence and will plan accordingly. I am getting excited already.
We have a nice morning. Mostly clear skies and the sun is streaming in through my dirty winter windows.
I will take my walk early as I suspect it could turn to cold showers later in the day as there is a quite a hearty storm front coming in.
We are going to stay sequestered inside this weekend because it is going to be nasty cold weather. Also hubby is still recuperating from his cold so he needs to take care. He is going to paint our master bath. We should have done that some time ago but I have been procrastinating as I cannot decide on a paint color. Here I selected paint colors for entire homes when I was a decorator but I cannot find a suitable color for my own bathroom? But isn't that the way it is? Now my husband is pushing me so I will go tomorrow for paint. I surely hope I am happy with my choice as there is no second chance.
I am making curry batter fried eggplant tonight as a side dish to baked chicken breasts in marinara sauce. I also will serve a fresh spinach salad.
I am starting the taxes today. This afternoon I will go through the file cabinet removing folders with all our expenses for the year getting them complied and ready to add and calculate tomorrow. I should be through by Saturday or Sunday. I will be in tax world while hubby paints.
I am now going for only a short walk as it is cold out. I certainly do not want to get my husband's cold so I am rather babying myself. I am getting needed sleep at night and taking it rather easy throughout the day. Eating proper and drinking a ream of green tea. I did have a touch of a burning throat but it is gone, for that I am very thankful. I say, body heal thy self!
Have a nice Wednesday it is hump day!
Not for me I have no more humps in my week :)
Ciao
I cannot wait till the farmers market opens in a couple of months. I am so tired of grizzly looking vegetables and fruits at the stores. Everything I look to buy either has fuzzy roots sprouting, or it's brown and spotted , wilted and disgusting. All the apples taste like cold storage. The only thing I have purchased of late that is delicious is oranges. I bought a large bag at a good price and they are sweet, juicy and surprisingly fresh. Asparagus will soon be in the grocery stores and that is always something to look forward to. I buy it every week while it is on. We adore asparagus I put it into to so many dishes as well just eating it on it's own.
I ran errands this morning and went to Walmart. I really do not like going to Walmart but go for the same items every month. I must admit on the items that I buy there it is a much better value. So that is the lure. One good find today was "Dave's Killer bread" for $2.50 a loaf! Unheard of! When I got home I was starving as I do not eat in the mornings so I grabbed a piece of that Dave's bread and put together in short order a half of turkey and sweet pickle sammie with lots of mayo and black pepper. Always one of my favorites.
I just received word from Amazon that my purse is probably lost. I had checked this morning to see where it was as it has not been delivered and was to be here no later than the 15th. So it appears I have no purse coming and they have credited my account. I really liked it but now I think I will go to TJ Max where I normally get my purses and check out what they have. It was a little disappointing but hey life goes on.. ....with or without a green handbag.
I made my honey a pot of chicken veggie soup last night for dinner as he has a cold. It certainly tasted good to him and there is enough left over so he can repeat tonight. He is working alone in a house as the folks are on holiday so that is good he is not exposing anyone.......other than me. So far so good.
Only nine more days in February, well it is the shortest month of the year but it seems to have whipped by extremely fast for which I am glad. Now to get March out of the way and spring is here!
I am off to the kitchen now to whip up a batch of lemon pudding. Nothing better than tart lemony pudding to brighten your day.
Thinking of bright things there is some sun peeking about today. I saw it couple of times slip out behind big stormy clouds.
Good to see it's face occasionally, I have missed it.
Later.
The sunset from the back deck last night was quite beautiful. It was a strange evening with big breaks of sky and huge clouds that finally melted together at sunset.
I am making french bread today with my Kitchenaid stand mixer. Have not tried bread yet with the mixer but I did make pizza dough and it turned our perfect and was so easy.
The reason for the french bread is that we have spaghetti left from last evening so we will dine on that again tonight with the added addition of home made bread to make the meal more special.
We lamented last night as we ate the spaghetti with the heirloom tomatoes from our garden that it was a our next to last jar. We decided right then and there that this spring our entire garden except for some Walla walla onion plants will be tomatoes. We have no fear of not being able to use them all as when they ripen I will make sauce. So we will have plenty for eating and many for sauce. I do not like being short on sauce when there are still six months before tomaotes will be on the vines again.
My daughter and her fiancee Doug are in a incredible condo at Lincoln City. She sent pictures this place looks like somewhere I would want to live. All commercial high end stainless steel appliance in a huge kitchen, river rock fireplace, two huge bedrooms with windows floor to ceiling. Big screens in all the rooms, hot tub on the pexiglass deck......looking right to the ocean. Looks like a bit of heaven. They are there for three nights and have lucked out the weather thus far. The name of the condo's is Pacific Winds in case you care to check it out.
So good for Gina and Doug a celebration of their duel birthday's and Valentines all rolled into one.
My hubby said to me a couple of days ago that we needed a little escape somewhere as my trip to my brothers is cancelled and his schedule is flexible at this point. But where to go? I really do not like going to the coast if I cannot get out on the beach and walk and the upcoming weather does not look hopeful for that. We thought of Belknap Springs but truthfully we use our hot tub here at home regularly so the lure of Belknap is not strong. We could go to Bend but then there is always the pass to contend with and that makes us anxious as this time of year we can get a big snowfall in the mountains. So we keep trying to come up with ideas. We even thought of Seven Feathers by Roseburg but with our Reno trip coming up we would rather save our dollars for that. So here we are wanting to go somewhere with no where to go. We will keep thinking on it maybe something will come to mind.
Sunday today my favorite day. I am home alone and I doing nothing it seems. Just a lazy gal today as usual on Sunday's. The fog is burning off, it is getting brighter and steam is lifting off the streets so I am hoping for a nice walk this afternoon. I see on my last recent walks that crocus are showing themselves. Always such a thrill to see the crocus and daffodils sprouting.
For the rest of the day I will make bread, listen to music and read. Then come tomorrow I am into the tax business.
I need a cup of hot tea now and a piece of grainy bread with butter and honey. I love that!
Ciao
We always adore eating this little cake so big on flavor. A large dollop of fresh whipped cream makes it a grand desert.
I fixed a simple dinner last night of scalloped potatoes and ham. It is simple but it does take a while to make. I used my new mandoline slicer that way all the potatoes are sliced exactly the same. Then I chopped ham and onions and set aside. I used our 8x11 casserole dish, buttered it and laid in the potatoes ham and onion.
Next I made my white sauce with seasoning and poured this rich creamy sauce over the top of all. Then I covered the top with a combo of shredded cheddar cheese and italian shredded cheese. Bake in a hot oven 435 for approximately 45 minutes or until the cheese is starting to crisp and the potatoes tender.
Using the mandoline cuts down on the baking time if the potatoes are thin sliced.
Hubby had a nice wedge of these potatoes this morning with his egg, a satisfying little breakfast.
Tonight for dinner I am making pasta. I have not decided what yet but am hungry for it and I still have the good tomato sauce from our tomatoes in the freezer.
It is cloudy here today once more. Yesterday the fog never lifted so it was grim and gloomy all day. At least today it is clouds and we are to have showers. The forecast does not look good for the next week.
I have cancelled my trip to see my brother. We wanted some decent weather while at the lake. So I will make it work in March when we get a few days of sun. Hopefully there will be some.
Now that I am not making my little trip I will start on the taxes this coming week. I must get all ready for the accountant and that is a big job. Even though I am organized throughout the year it does take time to account for every little receipt. I am normally sequestered in this office plowing through paperwork for about three days.
So it is Saturday and no husband till late tonight. I feel a little tired today so will not try to accomplish to many things. I do have a few idea's for the day so I will leave you now and tend to them.
Have a lovely weekend.
Today I will chat a bit as I have not posted for a few days.
I will start with Wednesday which was a very fun day. As hubby got home early we decided to go out for lunch and he was hungry for guess what? You are right mexican food. So back to our fave place we went. We enjoyed our lunch and came home and played cards for the remainder of the afternoon.
Yesterday was my daughter's birthday and Valentines day it was also her fiancee's birthday. How funny they share a birthday together.
My husband and I had a great Valentine's day.
He was home early and I had his little gifts already wrapped and sitting on the table with a big red heart balloon. He placed my gifts and card on the table beside his. He was so anxious to give me my gifts, he was so cute. But we waited. We went out to the deck and sat and sipped wine with our faces to the warm sun. Oh it was wonderful to feel the heat after so long.
Our dinner was yummy. We decided we wanted fish for our special meal so I ran to the fish market that morning and bought Alaskan cod. I just put a rub on the fish of salt, pepper, cumin, coriander and paprika. Then I wrapped the fillets in plastic wrap and put in the fridge for a couple of hours.
When I was ready to fry the fish I heated the cast iron skillet and added a dollop of butter and olive oil. I set the stove top burner to seven. I did not want the butter to burn but needed the pan hot enough for a quick sear. It worked out perfect. The pieces were tender, juicy and flaked off perfectly. You never want to overcook fish it has to be perfect and if not done enough it will not flake apart.
I had made a cilantro chimmichuri sauce earlier in the day. This is such a beautiful deep green sauce.
So I plated the fish with that sauce surrounding it, baby glazed carrots and rice to the side made for a colorful meal.
The meal was lovely not only pretty to look at but tasted so luscious. I did take a photo but it did not turn out. Somehow my camera was on the wrong setting so it was blurred.
We sat at the nook table once again I put on a red table scarf and white napkins and assorted white candles and the heart balloon bobbed above us. We opened a nice bottle of wine. After dinner we opened our little gifts to one another. One of my gifts a darling silver charm bracelet, love it. It was a sweet celebration.
The rest of the evening unfolded listening to new C.D's we had bought one another, playing games and finally we soaked in the hot tub under a star crusted sky. A happy day~
I am going now to work in this office now then nestle into my chair and read.
Unlike yesterday's sun today we are locked in fog once more. It is so disheartening to know that sun is shinning up there and we cannot see it.
Later this afternoon I am going to make a pineapple upside down cake. I was going to make this cake a couple of weeks of ago and still have not done that. So today is the day as we have been out of toll house cookies for a few days now.
Have a nice Friday the weekend is almost here. My husband is working all weekend but we have had our fun.
Sometimes I long for the river. Summers spent on sandy beaches throughout my young years are rooted as deeply as a tree in my mind. Even as a child I would find myself drawn to seeking out treasures on the beach. Pieces of colored glass with edges worn smooth, bottles, bit of this and that and especially driftwood. Those gnarled pieces of wood turned silvery white scattered about the beach were a magnet for me and still are. When I lived by the river it was just part of my life I never gave it a significant thought. But now that I do not have it I sorely miss it.
When I go to my brothers in Kalama in Washington state we always go to river because he is like me. What was in your childhood is hard to dismiss.
We have a special place that we go that requires a little four wheeling. No one is ever there it is still and quiet except for the wildlife and ship traffic. We set up a an umbrella if it is not windy with two chairs to either side and the ice chest in the middle to double as a table for our lunch. We sit and remissness about younger years spent on the beaches of the Columbia river on the Oregon side as that is where we lived.
The day slips away while we lunch and sip our drinks and scout the beach for treasures. Oh how I hate to leave as the sun starts to fade. It really is not enough to sustain me for another year until I return the next summer.
Today here in my village it is once again cloudy with a few sun breaks. I have not taken my walk yet as the street sweepers and cleaners are busy on our street. The winter grunge and debris clogs the drains and the streets are disgusting.
On a brighter note our Sunday dinner was amazing and fun.
The flat iron steak seared to perfection then sliced and layered on a good drizzle of my own rich steak sauce was a treat for our tastebuds.
I am going to share that sauce recipe as soon as I figure the proper amounts of ingredients as I made it in my normal fashion, a splash of this and tad and pinch of that. Well you get the idea. It was a remarkable meal and we both decided we are going to make it a Sunday ritual.
Tonight in my kitchen I making 'Chicken breasts with mustard and tarragon sauce.' This is great little recipe. It does call for fresh tarragon but my dried will have to suffice as I have no fresh on hand. Hopefully I remember to take a photo tonight and will post it with the recipe tomorrow. It is not difficult to make it just takes a little time. I like to serve it with rice or couscous. My sides tonight will be brown rice and fresh cooked spinach.
Bon'appetit!
Yes it is true I love Sunday's.
Today was a perfect example for a perfect Sunday at least for me.
I decide before getting out of bed if there is anything I really want to accomplish. Sometimes yes there is a special project or meal etc but otherwise Sunday is a day for me. There is such a decadence in this kind of thinking. I am afloat in the breeze at the whim of what will be. I like that. Having one day a week with an open agenda makes every decision throughout the day thoughtful.The choice is mine to do whatever makes me happy.
Now as I have to make Sunday work for me in this way. I make sure all that needed to be accomplished the past week is done and all my ducks are in a row so to speak and I am ready for Monday. If I did not do this beforehand I would not be able to enjoy my free day.
Today I was up at six-thirty to help get hubby out the door. Then there is the huge Sunday paper to read a total pleasure for this gal that loves to devour everything in print.
After a chocolate chip cookie and two cups of tea this morning the paper was thrown about on the floor having fulfilled my need for newsprint and it suited me well. Then on to the computer to catch up on emails and check out FB, to see what is happening today in others lives. Then off to the shower and dressing, face on, hair done etc. I am quite quick thirty minutes tops.
Now I surely want to tidy the house as quickly as possible it is not a day for housekeeping. So a quick pick up is all that is required.
Now the day is mine, all mine!!! I need to say this brings me much pleasure. A quiet house to fill with music of my choice, so many choices, this morning I chose classical piano music.
Now that I can do anything I wish I decided this was a good to day to wash the new sheets I just received via Amazon and put them on the bed. So this was my little extra project today. So tonight silky soft clean sheets ah the pleasure.
So with that little extra done I settled down to read while having a little snack/lunch. I was not really hungry but I had a glass of iced green tea and a leftover cheese biscuit . I did choose the smallest one lol. I must admit that little bite to eat and the book turned into well over an hour. I just get lost in books as you know it is so hard to put one down.
By then the sun had made a very brief appearance and I knew I had make haste and get my walk in. So out the door for a forty minute walk. Back feeling all refreshed and a tad chilled I cuddled down once again in my chair with nose in book to give my back a rest. Well time went by........
After some while I decided I needed to get the rub on my steak for dinner. I was thinking yesterday I wanted to do something chicken for Sunday dinner but I spied a flat iron steak in the freezer. Dinner will be flat iron steak with a from scratch reduced steak mushroom sauce full of amazing flavors. To the side a big baker with toppers of chopped tomatoes, scallions, italian shredded cheese and sour cream. I bagged the idea of the dining table and have set the little nook table with a cute colorful cloth and napkins, candles the works. It looks cozy and festive.
I talked to my brother for an hour or so also. I always love our chats. We decided if the weather is bad I will delay my trip to see him. We do not want to be sequestered inside the trailer in a rain fest. We both like to be outdoors to hike around and fish etc. We are both flexible so anything is pretty workable.
So the day melted away slowly and leisurely a very enjoyable Sunday.
So here I sit typing, the little table is waiting, the bakers are in the oven and hubby is taking a quick hot tub.
After dinner we will watch the Grammy's. So in my opinion this simple perfect Sunday is just what I had in mind.
Yes it is true my grandson Tyson is going to be a daddy. He and Lindsey are going to be parents. I am still in shock. Thus making me a Grammy Great and my son will be a Granddad.
Tyson will make a great father. He is sensitive to ones needs, he is patient, understanding and gentle. As you know he is training hoping to get a position with the Portland Fire Dept. After training though he will have an opportunity for other locations also. It is very hard to get on with the PFD as it is a very coveted job with many applicants. Right now he is taking EMT training at Portland State.
So now come Thanksgiving it will be Tyson, Lindsey and baby. A new little life to cuddle and love and enjoy. Oh this family is going to go nuts!!!! I will be called Grammy G. I love it!
Hubby is hard at installing a new hardwood floor today he will work late as his jobs are lined up like cord word as they say.
So for dinner tonight I will make something that can be reheated or held till he arrives home. I thought chili would be good with some cheesy biscuits. I was sure I had some ground chuck in the freezer but did not so I am going to use Trader Joe's turkey meatballs. I thought why not? I will thaw them and half them I think it will be tasty. I will make my regular chili and toss those tasty meatballs in for the simmering time.
Remember Theodore Roosevelt he said "Do what you can. with what you have, where you are."
I do not believe he was referring to making chili but it fits!
We have sun and clouds today which is far better than fog. Yesterday it was very nice. My neighbor Dee worked in her flower bed for most of the day. I certainly would like to be a gardener but I have very little interest so therefore I am not. Oh I do so love a beautiful flower bed, sweet little flowers smiling but....
Now I do not mind watering the vegetable garden and tending to it's needs. But I have never had a knack with flowers. I deplore weeding, I am not sure when to trim flowers back etc so I just fly by the seat of my britches. The most I can usually muster up are some pretty pots full of color.
So when I see Dee pruning roses doing this and that I am a little in awe but still do not want to do it........laugh.
Hubby was home yesterday and it was a cozy laid back day for the two of us. So I decided to make toll house cookies. Is there anything better to make your heart smile than a hot chocolate chip cookie? We had a couple straight from the oven with a cup of hot tea. Hmmm so warm and tender with soft gooey chocolate chips and the crunch of walnuts.
I had one this morning with my coffee. I was thinking about that cookie and coffee before I got out of bed this morning.
I am going to make a lovely Sunday dinner tomorrow I decided. My husband will be home early after applying finish to the floor he is installing today.
I am thinking something with chicken. I will check through my recipes and see what sounds appealing. We may even eat at the dining room table. I like to do that occasionally. As we have the nook table adjacent to the family room and kitchen that is usually our spot or worse yet, eating in front of the tellie on the coffee table. A very bad habit and certainly not comfortable in any way.
So I think a beautifully prepared Sunday meal on nice china and in the dining room will be a treat and it will remind me of my Mother's Sunday suppers as she called them.
Well this old Grammy G is going to leave you on this nice Saturday in February and finish her chores, then walk and find a sumptuous chicken recipe.
Happy weekend.
We just returned from the Cornucopia 5th st Eugene.
I have been here a number of times it always pleases. This time though I had to give it a review.
I had the daily special the Corny Ruben sandwich. All I can say is I was totally satisfied and more with a half sandwich(the rest is tucked in my fridge). This is by far the best Ruben I have ever had in this town right down it's homemade marbled rye. WOW! My taste buds are still dancing. Everything we ate was over the top good.
I have never been disappointed at this establishment The service and food is consistent.
So if you need a eatery that fills that homey place in your heart and tummy find a table at the Cornucopia at 5th st. grab a handful of napkins and be thankful for this little establishment.
Finally I am through online shopping! I have spent the last few days deciding on what I want. So to the other items I have already mentioned I added a leather cuff bracelet and a green chefs apron. My poor old black chefs apron is a rag at this this point. That apron has had many good trips to the stove.
I also ordered some needed sheets for our king bed. King sheets are expensive. I found through Amazon a closeout on a 1500 thread count king set which includes king pillow cases they are in a deep cream color. Now if you can imagine these sheets regularly sold for $300.00. Yes it's true. When you get to that high of thread count that is what you pay. I got them for $25.00 they were the last pair on close out! Happy, happy! They came yesterday and they feel like silky cashmere. They are so incredibly soft and they will wear for years with that high thread count. I cannot wait to wash them and get them on our bed. It will be a luxurious experience.
So I am shopped out for a while.
I made a delish recipe last night. It is called. White wine coq au vin. Now usually coq au vin is made with red wine and it is equally as good but this is lighter version and we loved it.(large print here again cannot figure this out)
Now if any of you want this recipe just message me at the end of the post and I will send it off to you. I hesitate to type it up now as it is quite long.
But let me just say that it consisted of chopped chicken thighs, white wine, carrots, celery, onion, chicken broth fresh italian parsley and tarragon, herbs of provence and a few other little ingredients. I served it over rice and it was silky, aromatic and so tender and creamy.
I just had the leftovers for lunch and hummed all over again.
All the February birthdays are upon us once more. My children, hubby's mother and three nieces and one nephew. So the cards started going out today. It is odd how we in this family have the abundance of birthdays in February, May and October. Just those three months. Well I suppose it keeps it simple as far as remembering everyone.
We have a decent day here today as it was yesterday and this past Sunday was amazing. We had 61 degrees on the deck I really did detect a hint of spring in the air. The birds were crazy with happiness and everyone it seemed was outdoors trying to do something. But we all know there is a while yet before spring so not much one can do in the yard etc. I was lighthearted as I walked feeling the warmth of the sun on my face. A special day for February.
I am going to finish this blog now and get on with my chores that I have not finished.Then off for my walk today. I have been walking every other day as I have been plagued with shin splints.
Tomorrow hubby will be home and we are off for a lunch date. He said, lets think of somewhere different to go.....oh dear I always stress over that. I prefer my regular places where I know the food and service are to my liking. But I will try to come up with something.
Have a nice hump day.
Adios.
How cute are these items. These are my shopping online purchases. The purse is a shoulder bag shown like this but you can fold the top down and use the other handle like a handbag. Too cute!!!!!!
I have had fun. I love the leather wraps on the watch and bracelet. I am so into green right now I do not know what has happened to me.
I saw a lady the other day in the grocery store and she had on a knee length kelly green wool coat. I just stared at it as if I were in love!
Navy blue has always been my favorite color to wear and black has always been a staple with a little rusty red,turquoise and purple thrown in. Perhaps change is good.
Well it is a lazy day around this household today. My husband is home after a long run of working. So he is totally a couch spud. We stayed in bed until after eight we have been getting up no later than six so that was a treat this morning.
We ran to get fresh cod late morning and stopped at fast food and grabbed chicken sammies for lunch.I must admit they were tasty and hit the spot. Bad us.
So tonight we dine on crispy codfish. I am making a simple coleslaw and will make some home made fries to go with.
We will not be having guests tomorrow for the Super Bowl game as my sister in law is working. She did not know what her schedule would be until today. I will still make the same fare for the two of us. So I must get my pineapple upside cake made in the morning. I hope it will slip right out of the pan this time. Sometimes there is a little problem when I invert it and I think I may have figured that out. If the cake has not completely cooled it will not release as easy. So hopefully this time all will be perfect. Inside each pineapple I put a roasted pecan. I like that idea better than the old way with a red dyed cherry.
That brings up another memory I remember well when margarine first came out. My mother would purchase these bags of white margarine and there was red drop in the bag. You had to manipulate the bag with your hands kneading it and squeezing it until the red liquid turned the white margarine yellow. My little brother and I would throw the bag back and forth to one another. It was quite a lot of fun. That was that cancer causing red dye same as in the cherries.
I let my brother Jack know the dates of my trip there toward the end of the month. He is one happy man as his sis is coming for a three day visit. Hopefully the weather will cooperate as we will be spending our time at the lake.
I need to plan what food I will make for us while there. I just take over with the meals when I go and he loves that I do. We will miss the fact that my hubby is not with us but work must go on and he is one busy man.
Hubby just opened a brew and I am thinking I would like a glass of wine now. After all it is Saturday and a day off for him. We signed up for Netflix again. So we will watch a movie after our codfish dinner.
Have a great weekend I am.
Shopping online I love it! I am not a shopper as you know I have certainly mentioned that many times on this blog. But it is lovely for me to sit at this computer and browse through different venues looking for wanted items.
I still have my gift card from Christmas only one purchase on it so today I went to Amazon and ordered a green strap watch....yes green.....go ducks! I also ordered an adorable bracelet in black leather and with green and sparkly beads and leather wrappings. I ordered a hanging cosmetic bag that I have so needed. I had one years ago when we traveled but it went by the waste side several years ago. This one is adorable, black and white zebra print on the outside and bright purple on the inside. My next purchase will be at the Duck Store here in Eugene. I am wanting a black snug fitting hoodie with the Oregon O". So Zo goes shopping but mostly online lol. I am having fun!
I just got the phone after a hour or so chatting with my brother. I was making plans for my trip to visit him. I will spend three days with him at his lake place and then stop at my daughters in Portland to spend a day and night, the next morning coffee with my son and then home before the traffic gets to packed. So I have all my ducks in a row as I do not have much time and want to make every minute count.
I made the steak stew last night with Irish soda bread. My daughter gave me a bag of Bob's Red Mill Irish soda bread mix. I did not know what to expect but we liked it. Talk about hardy. A person could live a week or so off of one loaf if need be! It was the perfect accompaniment to the stew. A very hard crispy crust and very heavy and dense inside. You should try it.
Hubby will have the leftovers tonight but I am making myself a noodle bowl. Asian noodles with sliced scallions and chopped cilantro with a tad of toasted sesame oil and soy sauce. Yummy. I like something simple like that.
Well the Super Bowl is here Sunday already. Seems it was just last year. I do not care about it in the least. But hubby does so I will watch it with him. I believe we are having his sis and brother in law as usual. We make up a score board and each put in ten dollars and win on the quarters. Usually seems a couple of us split the pot. But who knows, I won it all one year. That was fun.
If I had to pick a team that I would want to win it would be San Francisco. There are some Oregon Ducks playing for them which makes it better and they are a west coast team. My husband has always liked the 49'ers.
I am just going to serve a big pizza and make a pineapple upside down cake with whipped cream. Sister in law can bring snacks of her choosing. All easy and simple.
It has been another foggy day after delighful day yesterday. When I looked out an hour ago we had a nice pink and orange sunset. So the sky has cleared so I am going to take a hot tub this evening and gaze at stars.
I am going now to make my noodle dish as I am getting a little hungry I have not had anything today except some left over veggies and rice. Though it was filling and has held my appetite at bay the noodles seem to be calling.
Bon appetite.
Yes I am still anxiously awaiting spring. Seems it has been so long since we had steady warmth.
