A photo of my lemon roasted chicken. It was very juicy and had a nice subtle lemon flavor. We still have a nice portion chopped and ready to use in a chicken and rice casserole for this evening.
We woke to snow covered streets this morning and the snow continued to slowly float down in large flakes for an hour or so this morning early.
It was a lovely sight not having snow that often it is quite exciting. Of course nothing accumulated as it is warming up. We may have the same scenario tomorrow morning.
The book I am reading now by an author I have read before is quite different than my usual fare. It is a like a detective novel. There are quite a few characters some seedy some normal that make a great cast of characters. There are several different scenario's going at once but I am sure they will tie together at some point. I must remember everything I read and not skip read as I sometimes do in slow books. Every detail is going to count in this book. So yes I think it is enjoyable but I am not sure if I really care for this type of book. I can only answer that when the last page is finished.
I had lunch out with my sis in law Liz yesterday. It was nice having gal time. We had a good lunch then ran to a thrift store to see if there were any good treasures we could not do without. I usually only go to thrift stores to buy books but I looked at other items this time and bought a cute little sign for the outside fence in the garden come spring.
Last night I took a hot tub. I was not sure the sky was going to clear as it had been overcast for most of the day and early evening. But when I checked about eight PM all was clear and glittering stars laced the navy sky. I quickly ran and put my spa gear on and headed to that hot pool of water. There alone under a heavenly body of diamonds I soaked in the quiet hot water. To float weightlessly and take in the universe above you is always an emotional experience for me.
To be so insignificant less than a grain of sand in the cosmos puts my mind in a deep place. And that place has always had an allure for me.
I am now going to make a batch of apple fritters. Old fashioned apple fritters just like my mother used to make, battered and fried and dusted with powder sugar. I am still working on those apples that were given to us from the farm folks. I have them stored in the garage fridge they will be gone shortly but they surely have been a lovely treat to have on hand.
Till tomorrow.
I am thinking taco's. My tummy is better and on the way to well. Yeah. Today I have been watching what I eat. I have had a can of chicken noodle soup and some soda crackers so far. For dinner tonight I am just having some red potatoes and a small amount of gravy and a serving of a veggie. No wine for a few days. So you wonder why I am thinking of taco's does not take Einstein to figure that one out!
I am making roasted lemon chicken tomorrow evening and with the leftovers the following night I will make chicken taco's.
Lemon Chicken as you probably know is just roasted chicken with lemons inside the cavity. Salt and pepper the chicken inside and out. Take three lemons and wash them and roll them to soften them and then with a tooth pick poke holes all around into the lemon and put them inside the chicken. Then truss your chicken closed but not totally tight as the chicken may burst so leave a gap. Put the chicken in a roasting pan breast side down uncovered in a 350 degree's after 30 minutes turn the chicken, try not to puncture the skin but if you it does not really matter. Roast for another 30 minutes then increase the heat to 400 degree's and bake another 20 minutes.Plan on 20-30 minutes roasting time per pound. I use an instant read thermometer so I know it is always done.
Bring the chicken to the table whole for presentation and leave the lemons in while craving. The lemon juice will run all over the platter. Good stuff. Simple and lemony. To the side I will have roasted cauliflower with olive oil and a romaine salad. So a light dinner for us tomorrow evening. And taco's the next night...yummy.
Hubby just went to the hot tub. I declined. It is not raining out it is gray and cold and I am not in the mood for a soak.
No one sent us a 2013 calendar this year. Usually the companies we buy our products from or even the local garbage or power company send a calendar. So for the first time ever I going to buy one. Seems so strange as I have never done that. I know things are lean for businesses at this time so that is probably the reason.
I went and bought six books today that should last me about six weeks I suppose. I bought four with authors I am not familiar with though they all write national best sellers. So it will be a experience for me to see if I like their writing styles. I started one this afternoon. It is guaranteed to be a page turner thriller of sorts. I will see. I am more inclined to read women authors more often than men. I so like the sensitivity and warmth that a woman brings to the story unlike most men.
I worked in the office this afternoon and now all is tidy. That file cabinet gets in such disarray in a short time. I blame that partly on my hubby as he is always searching for something and then after he is finished it does not get back in the proper file. It is an ongoing thing I just deal with.
Well the four pm bell just tolled. Tea time! I will sit and sip a hot cup of tea in my comfy chair before starting dinner.
Just another blah winter Monday I hope I have not put you to sleep.
That's all folks.
Wow a restless night for me last night.
Ugh. If you have heard of IBS it started up again with me last night. Have not had a episode since last April. Not fun. I will not go into the details. It is enough to say I was in pain last night for several hours in which I could not sleep. So I found myself in my chair reading for about three hours until things subsided I finally went to bed and to sleep after four AM. So now today I am tired and sleepy. Actually I need to go get myself around into the shower and dressed as it is almost noon.
Hopefully this episode will not last beyond a couple of days.
It surprised by the pretty day here today. Hubby just came in from mowing the lawn and dealing with the last of the leaves. I will try for a walk later if I am feeling up to it as we are to have rain again beginning tomorrow.
Here's the report on the Senate Bean soup. It was very delish!
My husband really enjoyed it. Subtle changes over my regular recipe made for a creamy and flavorful soup. Tip here, if your ham is not salty and mine was not you do need to add salt, very important.
Here is the recipe.
SENATE BEAN SOUP.
First of all let me state I cut this recipe in two as there are just the two of us. We still have enough for another meal this evening. So that keep that in mind. Here is the full big recipe.
1 pound navy beans picked over
1 pound ham of your choice diced.( I used leftover spiral ham and diced it)
1 large russet potato peeled and chopped
Kosher salt to taste
1/2 cup milk
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large onion chopped
1 stalk celery chopped
2 cloves garlic minced
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley( I did not have fresh parsley so I used some chopped celery leaves and a little dried parsley)
Freshly ground pepper
Put the beans in a large bowl with three times the amount of water and soak overnight.
Drain the beans and transfer to a large pot or dutch oven. Add 10 cups of water and the ham if on the bone.
Bring to simmer over med heat then reduce to low heat and cook until the beans are tender about an hour and a half.
Transfer ham to plate and cut off bone and dice and add back to pot.(My ham was already cooked so I did not add it early on I added it after the beans were tender)
Boil the potato when tender mash with the 1/2 cup of milk add the mashed potato to the pot stir in well.
Melt the butter in a skillet and add the onions, celery and garlic cook till the veggies are translucent about seven minutes or so(do not burn you want a white soup). Add the veggie mixture to the pot and season with salt and pepper(I also used a little Mrs. Dash original seasoning as we like the taste).
Let all simmer until well melded and serve.
Not I always say this but the best way to eat navy been soup in my opinion is to grab a deep soup bowl, plop a corn muffin the bottom and ladle the soup over the top.This thickens your soup right in your bowl and nothing better than a spoon loaded with soup and corn muffin. Seriously try it sometime.
So there you have Senate navy been soup. It may become our go-to bean soup recipe.
I must go now to the shower and get on with my day though I will not do much except walk. A day for Zo to sit in her chair and finish her book, yes another book comes to it's demise. Now I am out again. Tomorrow I will run back to my book place and grab a few more to keep contented. I am really thinking I should allow time for my piano and other endeavors but I so love to read, especially in winter.
Have a lovely Sunday. Sunday's were always my Mother's favorite day of week. Everyone home, no school, no work, perhaps company for our delicious Sunday supper as Mom used to call it. It was a day to be spent with family doing simple things around our home and farm.
Ahh the peace of it.
I am thinking I am a little lonely for the coast.
We have not been for well over a year which is out of character for us.
Hubby and I will talk and see if it may be possible to go in the very near future. His work always comes first and it has to be that way for us.
We are back to gray and wet today. Though it rained during the night as the streets were wet but it has not rained today as yet.
It was so nice having that splendid day yesterday and last evening.
I am making the Senate bean today. This soup has been a mainstay for the Senate dining room since the onset of 20th century. It is basically no different than my navy bean soup except for the addition of mashed potato. I will let you know how you turns out if it is a winner or a loser in our household.
Mu husband is snuggled down on the sofa watching football it is quiet in our home today there is not much activity. That suits me just fine. I like quiet days.
I have been reading off and on today as I go about my house chores.
I stripped our bed and remade it so all is clean and fresh. I am down to one contour sheet that fits our huge deep mattress so a priority this coming week is new sheets. I like to go to Ross for this type of thing. Their prices are very good on quality bedding. Think I have mentioned that fact before.
I bought the cutest small size table lamp the other day for my living room. It is just perfect size and color. A bronzed dark brown base in swirls with a unique shaped shade in red and gold stripes. I have placed it on my old 1910 antique sewing machine in the corner of the room. I adore little lamps they throw such a cozy light with a 40 watt bulb in them. I have several placed throughout my home.
I suppose I am obsessed with coziness. I always have been. Not only in my own home but in eateries etc. I always search out cozy intimate places. When I go into homes with overhead lights glaring I am automatically ill at ease and it is the same with load noises. Put the two together and I am ready to flee out the door. It probably is a disease but it is the way I am. I always one to seek out quiet and cozy.
Perhaps that is why I am cat person instead of a dog person. I just cannot abide by the racket.
Well my dryer is being obnoxious now this the second time it has beeped at me. How dare it? Well I had better answer the call and finish my chores for the day.
Bye for now.
This is the scene right now on our deck. Our fire bowl is hot!!!!!!!!
I could only get within about four feet of it. It is made of steel so it really radiates out and heats an amazing size area. Hubby has fun building the fire and keeping it going with his hardwood scarps and the cuttings of limbs and trees on our lot. So at this time he is still out there watching for the first stars and enjoying the fire. I have obviously come in as I am on computer, but it was hard to leave.
I needed to wash and sort navy beans and put to soak for our Senate Navy Bean soup tomorrow night.
We went back to the mexican eatery we love today for lunch. This is becoming a fattening habit. Now the servers know what we drink,and what extra's we like etc. Well the food was good as usual and a lot so tomorrow we will eat out of our doggie boxes for lunch. Thank goodness we do not have dogs!
It was an amazing day today. The kind of day you want to have in mid-winter. Woke to clear skies and cold air. Everything outdoors looked pristine. It was to nice to stay indoors thus the trip out to eat, my walk, sitting on the deck this afternoon with winters sun on our faces and the fire and stars tonight. Perfect.
Hubby is going to watch another bowl game and I am going to go for a soak in the hot tub this evening. Alone I will float and look up into that black sky and stare at stars and wonder what I am doing here and what is life? I always talk to my Mom and others that have moved on. You would be surprised if you ask what you receive.The answers rejuvenate me.
Then when I come back in I will have a piece of leftover pizza that I made last night for dinner.
Speaking of last night..........WOW Oregon did an amazing job. It was so good to win!!!!!
I knew we were worthy of going to the National Championship, but no we had to have a bad game against Stanford.....darn....well I seem to be doing a lot of dots here but what to say? I suppose I should be happy with the Fiesta Bowl win but perhaps......more dots. I give up!
One thing I do have to elaborate on. When I was taking my walk today because it was warm but yet winter the birds were out in droves, perhaps confused. My ears were a buzz with their chirping.
Also I am so blessed as I walk that country road as I have mentioned before. One side is our development the other total country. I never look at the development side I only concentrate on the other view. Orchards, farms, old barns,dirt lanes etc. Besides the birds chirping I heard chickens and a rooster, and cows mooing and the grassy aroma of cow patties, fir needles, dropped apples in the fields decaying and faintly the smell of something approaching......spring? I know that is not possible but my senses picked it up. So it was a good walk and I actually lingered under sequoia trees that line the road. I was trespassing a bit but did not care. To stand under those giant trees my feet deep in needles was worth any argument I may have gotten from the property owner. I stood quietly and closed my eyes and once again I was a child, every thing felt and smelled the same. I so enjoyed that walk today, I really cannot explain how much.
So now I am hungry as hubby has put his leftover pizza in the micro and it smells amazing. So should I eat first before the hot tub or eat after.... decisions, decisions!
Whatever you find yourself doing this evening it is a day of your precious life. Treasure it and be in the moment. Who knows what lies ahead and the past is already gone so do not dwell. Be in the moment there will never be another day like it.
Sometimes when I am doing something simple perhaps lets say washing dishes. I concentrate very hard on my hands, the suds, the dishes and what I am doing at that very moment, just being in the moment so very focused. And you know what? I can recall that feeling again and again when I think of it. Focusing and putting your mind on what you are doing at the moment is a powerful thing and it can be recalled again and again. Quite amazing really.
So I leave you this evening with thoughtful thoughts. Deep thoughts really but we need them to clarify our lives and to understand what our life is teaching us. We can always learn if our heart, mind and soul will allow it. So let it run through your body and mind and find what it is you search for......God Bless.
My little collage say's it all.
The OREGON and KANSAS STATE game tomorrow with homemade pizza. We are excited! What could be better......alright, OK, I know the National championship or the Rose Bowl. But because of our undoing those games were not possible. So we take what we get and be thankful and hopefully win!
It is so cold today.........brrrrrr. Woke to a world of silver and white frosting this morning. Not a breeze was stirring it was like frozen breath. As the morning eased on the frozen fog lifted and the sun glistened on the lingering frost it was very pretty. The hot tub cover was a mass of sparkles.
So the day has been beautiful. Frigid with deep blue skies and nary a cloud to be seen.
Today I un-adorned the tree and packed all the carefully wrapped ornaments into the Christmas totes. Then hubby and I took a pitifully dry tree out the door leaving piles of needles to contend with. Well all is back to normal now after much sweeping and vacuuming Clean and fresh and uncluttered,I like it but I will be ready again next year to bring it all back out once more.
We left our little white lights atop the kitchen cabinets and the icicle lights on the back of house for a little atmosphere while taking hot tubs.
My menu is made out for the coming week. Tonight is my home made pizza.
This time I am using fresh mozzarella so much tastier. Also on the agenda for this week is Marcella chicken. Pork chops with roasted cauliflower with olive oil and garlic, ravioli with vodka sauce and salad, Senate Navy Bean soup with ham and bacon corn cheese muffins and a simple meal of patty melts on black bread with tomato soup.
Tonight it is bakers( a half for me) filled with butter,seasonings and scallions, then loaded with chopped salad, tomatoes and blue cheese dressing and topped with crispy fried bacon bits. We have had not had much food today so we are looking forward to this simple but satisfying meal.
Well I am going now to sit in my chair and read. It is almost four-thirty and I have been on my feet all day with the cleaning and such. So a little relaxing for me before I make dinner.
Have a nice evening.
This was the scene last night before our guests arrived. This morning was another picture. I just spent a hour hour vacuuming up crumbs from everywhere. What did we do? Have a crouton fight......one wonders.
The chowder was so good and I made homemade croutons at the last minute to go with Liz's cesar salad as she had forgotten them.
Guess how late I stayed up? Would you believe I stayed up until two Am. Astounding. My hubby and brother-in-law hung in there also and we three watched the ball drop and then some. However my sister in law was fast asleep snoring on the sofa long before the bell tolled. Yes snoring. She would not like I shared that fact....bad me.
Hubby and I slipped out of our warm nest this morning at ten........hello ten! I have not done that for years. I feel a little out of kilter do to different hours but no worse for wear. I kept my drinking to a decent level. Only two glasses of champagne and then sipped slowly on a couple glasses of a bright flowery Chardonnay with ice. I finished the evening off with several big glasses of ice water.
We have the perfect amount of chowder and bread for a repeat tonight. We did not eat our puddings our guests loved theirs. So we have ours to look forward this evening also.
Now what will the New Year hold for us. We were timid this morning when we unfolded the newspaper to see if we went over the fiscal cliff. Seems all will be OK.....we are thankful for that.
We are anticipating a busy year work wise for hubby. We are anxious to do a few updates in our home as the money comes in.
I am going to get back on my walking routine starting today. Cold, rain, fog, snow and sleet will find me out there trudging through it all. It has been too easy for me of late to stay in the warm house and my body shows it.
Also I want to always be thankful and appreciative for what I do have in this lifetime. The most important being the love of my husband, children, family and friends. Having a home and food on the table. These are or should be the basic's of life but so many go without and that is very sad.
Now I am going to peek in fridge to see what I can have for lunch. The fridge seems to be bulging at this point so I surely will find some tasty morsel.
Have a wonderful first day of 2013. Give thanks for all you have and chart a course of goodness and love for the new year.
Blessings.
A photo of my lemon roasted chicken. It was very juicy and had a nice subtle lemon flavor. We still have a nice portion chopped and ready to use in a chicken and rice casserole for this evening.
