Good-bye 2009

Comfort Foods

Monday evening we all gathered at Scott and Bethany's for a home-cooked meal of their delicious calzones....... both cheese and chicken calzones.......both of which were wonderful!

This week on cold afternoons we have also indulged in sweet colorful mini-marshmallows melting in hot cocoa..... one of my favorite comfort foods! But many of us consider mashed potatoes as an all-time favorite food for comfort, and I made a layered mashed potato cake, frosted with sour cream and chives with a bit of cream cheese, then covered in seasoned bread crumbs. I heard about this from my cooking friend, Lady Godiva :-) It was served with a baked roast, fresh carrots from this summer's garden and homemade potato rolls. Mmm Mmmm!

What a Difference!

What a difference a year makes! These photos were snapped at the same spot on the same road near our house. Last year we had to literally hike out through the snow just to get to the kids' houses. This year we took a lovely leisurely walk in the sun! Yes, it was quite cold, but we counted our good blessings to be able to move around with ease this Christmas day!

Christmas Foods

It was great to have all my kids here for a Cheese Tortellini Soup Dinner Monday evening to open a few gifts before Scott and Bethany Lynn took off for Moses Lake to celebrate Christmas with her wonderful family.

The week before Christmas, we all gathered here to bake the annual Christmas Cutout Cookies, too. Christmas Eve brought the traditional White Bean Chili Dinner (no photo) after a Christmas Eve service at our church.

But the best was to come for breakfast Christmas Morn! A new Ebelskiver Pan was added to our household this year, and Bethany Jean and I put it to grand use, though I think we underestimated the amount of labor and time that was to be involved! We selected 4 different types to make.....

.....Raspberry-Almond, Lemon Curd, Molten Chocolate and finally, Walnut, Pear &Blue Cheese Ebelskivers! They were well worth the effort! Not only were we starving by time the delicacies were served, but they were extraordinarily delicious!

Merry Christmas

May your life reflect the light of the babe whose birth we celebrate today.....

Christmas Eve

We hope you have a ducky Christmas !

Raspberry-Cream Cheese Topped Swedish Pancakes

Just a peek at my breakfast today with daughter dearest.....

Family Christmas

December 20, 2009

Busy Day at School

What a fun day at school!

First Bethany J and I went to help out in Bethany L's classroom, during which time Bethany J shared some information about Guatemala to the students. She also spoke to Scott's classroom, as well as a 2nd grade room who had a Flat Stanley to give her. She will take it back to Guatemala with her and present it to a classroom there, take Flat Stanley's picture with the kids, and mail it back to this group of 2nd graders! They were sure excited about that, and meeting someone who would actually go with Flat Stanley to Guatemala!

In the afternoon we popped into Scott's classroom to bring a craft/gift for them to make.

What does one make with these ingredients?

Snowman Soup!

The 4th and 5th graders stamped, cut, colored, glued, taped, packed and stapled the treats together. And what an awesome class of kids they are! Follow directions perfectly! Must have a good teacher ;-)

And who can't help but love that kid who is so immersed in a good book that he gets a slow start? Way to go!

Winter's Sunset

Saturday's sunset as viewed through our frosty window.

Frosty Valley

Subfreezing weather for the past week plus, has brought a beauty of its own.

The valley floor, as seen from our lower road, is a frozen wasteland, though the river still flows.

The boggy fields are iced over, and everything else is clothed in shimmery white. The clear skies during the day make everything very crisp and pretty.

Home for the Holidays!

Our daughter arrived from Guatemala Tuesday evening, where upon we drove directly from the airport to The Outback Restaurant where she could partake of beef. Steak, to be exact. She doesn't eat beef in Guatemala...... just chicken. Ryan, Scott and Bethany Lynn met us there, and we all enjoyed a robust dinner: steak, lobster, tenderloin, chicken..... some of everything represented at our table :-) Bethany had come from 60 degree weather, to a butt freezing 16 degrees here. Quite a shock to her system. She is home for 3 weeks, as she is maid of honor in a friend's wedding, so she has much activity during the next week and a half revolving around wedding 'things'. And many friends to visit and catch up with, having been gone a year so far. Peace Corps. Anywho, it is wonderful to see her smiling face again! I know the time will fly by way too quickly..........

Ice Skating

The pond is starting to freeze over at nights now, with temps in the upper teens and 20's. Today it was thick enough that the ducks were not able to break through it simply by means of their weight walking across it. They didn't quite know what to make of that! They were slipping and sliding along, shouting noisily.

I finally broke through the ice at one end for them, creating a small opening. They quickly slurped up the freezing water and took turns dunking their entire bodies. Brrrrr!

Preparation for the Winter

A couple of weeks ago while making my way to the chicken coop to collect eggs, I passed this stump on the pathway. Obviously the chipmunks had been through a last minute frenzy to gather and stash food before the cold winter months set in for the long haul! The ground below the stump is littered with pine cone debris, too! What a party they must have had!

Christmas Snapshot of Long Ago

Christmas 1962 was a special one. It would be the last time the entire Arthur Vaughan Clan, minus Grandpa Arthur himself, would be together. Here are the four living sons of Arthur, and their families. One son, Charles, had been killed at age 15 after being hit on his bike. Grandpa Arthur had passed in 1961. Leukemia would claim the life of Robert Vaughan, son of Herb Vaughan, in December of 1963. Robert stands in the back row, 5th from the left. From my understanding, the grief of his passing stole the joy and breath out of the Christmas season for Herb, his wife Inez and sister, Jan, so that the entire family decided to no longer celebrate Christmas day together anymore. Little did we understand at the time this photo was snapped,

the significance of this Christmas time gathered together as a family.

In this photo you see Grandma Cora Vaughan, her 4 sons Earl, Herbert, Leland and my father Lloyd and their wives and children. There are 4 cousins in the young adult age range and 8 of us cousins in the younger age category. In addition there are 2 spouses belonging to cousins, as well as the live-in companion/friend that came to live with my grandma after Grandpa died the previous year. I am smack in the middle in the rear of those sitting down.

“Memory is a way of holding on to the things you love, the things you are, the things you never want to lose.”~ Kenin Arnold

Cold December Afternoons

The sun goes down early these brisk days. Actually, it never really gets up very high in the skies all day long. Not high enough to peek over the tall trees on our property anyway. I corral the ducks back to their pen at 4:00 so I can best the raccoons out of a dinner of duck. On the rare day like yesterday that the skies are clear, the sun shines orange through the trees and coldness. It is very pretty. Way more than this photo lets on.

A New Pumpkin Pie Variation

It appears my DIL, Bethany, is not going to blog the fantastic pie she made and brought for Thanksgiving dessert, so I will! It was my favorite of the 3 pies present: apple, pumpkin and this cheese cake/pumpkin pie one.

She used Bakerella's recipe at http://www.bakerella.com/time-for-pie/, and if you know what is good for your taste buds, you will click on that link for the recipe and directions! It will now become a new traditional "must have" at my Thanksgiving table!

The Day After.....

T’was the night of Thanksgiving,

But I just couldn’t sleep.

I tried counting backwards,

I tried counting sheep.

The leftovers beckoned,

The dark meat and white.

But I fought the temptation,

With all of my might.

Tossing and turning,

with anticipation.

The thought of a snack

became infatuation.

So I raced to the kitchen,

Flung open the door,

And gazed at the fridge,

Full of goodies galore.

I gobbled up turkey,

And buttered potatoes,

Pickles and carrots,

Beans and tomatoes.

I felt myself swelling,

So plump and so round.

‘til all of a sudden,

I rose off the ground.

I crashed through the ceiling,

Floating into the sky,

With a mouthful of pudding,

And a handful of pie.

But I managed to yell

As I soared past the trees

Happy eating to all,

Pass the cranberries, please!!

May your stuffing be tasty

May your turkey be plump.

May your potatoes and gravy

Have nary a lump.

May your yams be delicious,

May your pies take the prize

And May your Thanksgiving dinner

Stay off of your thighs!

by Lauren

Happy Thanksgiving Day!

Thanksgiving

The year has turned its circle,

The seasons come and go.

The harvest all is gathered in

And chilly north winds blow.

Orchards have shared their treasures,

The fields, their yellow grain,

So open wide the doorway ---

Thanksgiving comes again!

~Old Rhyme.

Arid Amidst Rain

Though the weather outside is stormy,

The air inside is cracklin',

The moisture's been all sucked out,

Let it mist, let is mist, let it mist!

On a pellet stove a pot of water,

Won't heat up to make condensation,

And my hair flies straight away,

Let it mist, let it mist, let it mist!

The solution is an humidifier,

It spews both day and night,

My skin's no longer flaking off,

Let it mist, let it mist. let it mist!

~Beanball

Watch Cat

Bagheera has a new favorite bench to perch on and keep watch down the driveway for any unwanted intruders. Should she spy something unusual, her job description then demands she skitter over to the non-watch dog sound asleep on the porch, rudely awaken him by whatever means it takes, and take off down the driveway, causing Scout to chase after her, thus insuring the frightening off of the unfortunate visitor!

And the Winner(s).....

I had 5 individuals comment on one of their favorite childhood memories, and they were fun to read. So thanks! My dear espouso was one of the commenters, and wouldn't you know, his was the name I drew! I knew he would not use the gift I made up, so here is what I decided: I will find another appropriate prize for him, and for the rest of you, I made up a set of these cards as a gesture of thanks! Those gals are mimamama, Beth and Nancy. Amberlynne, due to the cost of sending packages to you, I think I will count the pumpkin seeds I put in the tube with the ferns as your prize :-) Did you ever receive it?

More Amazing Fungi

The woods in our yard continue to surprise us with amazing fungi. How could we not have seen any of these before?!?!

As you can see, this one measured in at 8" across! Pushing up through the surface of the forest floor, the cluster of three were full of dirt and pine needles captured in the flared infundibuliform caps as they emerged.The stipe was fairly short, but incredibly thick and fleshy. I believe this one is identified as a Russula brevipes.

Transparent and grayish, these toadstools were slimy and sticky, and produced a medium brown spore print. I haven't identified it yet.

I have never noticed these false morels around here before! Maybe I just wasn't looking, though. Darrell seems to be the one who brings them to my attention! The browned-topped one is an elfin saddle (in the family of false morels). The stipes are deeply furrowed, with longitudinal ridges and pits, and chambered within. They are all identified as helvella lacunosa. According to my mushroom book, the white topped ones are the same thing, but infected with hypomyces cervinigenus. I am not sure if the white eventually turns to black, or if the black topped fellows are something else.

I found this Chlorophyllum olivieri out by the chicken coop. The cap is large, umbonate and broken into concentric scales. There is a distinct ring on a smooth stipe. The spore print shows abundant white spores. They like to grow by compost, so what better place to call home than right outside the chicken coop?

I hope you find some little tidbit of interest in this uneducated babble about fungi. I am brand new to mycology, so I may have incorrectly identified some of them, too. Just don't eat any, and you shall be safe :-)

Camouflage

I am presently completely fascinated with mushrooms and spiders that I am finding in the yard! We have such a variety in the woods...... amazing! This was a small, white spider with some red on its body that I came across while cutting down the summer growth in a wine barrel. As soon as Little Whitie realized she was in danger, she curled up into a little ball, and looked exactly like the white perolite (or whatever it is) that was surrounding her in the dirt.

All creatures great and small,

The Lord God made them all!

Winter's Nap

Just my Leo the Leopard Gecko takin' a little nap under the warming lamp :-) Isn't he so cute?

Lingonberries

In my garden are 9 lingonberry bushes that I planted several years ago. I have been crippling them along over the years. They aren't flourishing, but seem to produce straggling berries throughout the summer and fall.

This was the first year I had enough berries to make about 2 cups of lingonberry jelly.

Might be a nice addition to the Thanksgiving table this year :-)

New Walkway

This is for real the last project for this year, right? I hope so....... too cold and wet or snowy to be working outside anymore until spring.

Darrell has done a few more projects the last couple of weekends: 1) Put up another garage shed for the truck (the tarp kind on poles) to take the place of the one the snow collapsed last year, totaling the truck, though it is still fine to drive, 2) Built a little house/cover for the new generator we bought for when the power goes out. The old generator gave up the ghost, and since we have a pellet stove now for heating the house, we need power to run it, and 3) put in this great walkway around the front of the house. What a burst of productive energy! Thanks, hon!

Lazy Sunday Daze of Long Ago

A snapshot of my siblings and me in our Sunday-going-to-meetin' clothes, taken 56 years ago! Those were the days! As we grew up, we almost always arrived home from church to the aroma of a roast baking in the oven. My mother had a top of the line, double oven range that had the then new technology of programing it to come on while we were yet at church! Once home, we kids would go play while she peeled and boiled potatoes for mashing, and she would make perfect gravy from the roast juices to serve with them...... no one can top her gravy! NO ONE!!! She would also make a jello, usually strawberry-banana, and when it was half set, add sliced bananas. That, believe it or not, served not as a dessert, but as our salad! To this day, I still refuse to call jello a dessert! Of course, she always added a vegetable to the meal, much to our chagrin as children. It was usually corn, green beans (french-sliced), mixed medley, or peas. If it was peas, I found I could mix them into the potatoes for easier downing :-)

What are some of your favorite childhood memories? Post them in the comment section, and I will draw a name from all who posted, for a prize.......

Early Christmas Tweet

We have had our first official snow fall at home this year. It began last evening. I took the last of the raspberries that I had picked beforehand and made an early Christmas treat for my feathered friends today. They are chirping and singing and loving it :-)

Butternut Squash Risotto

Given to me by my gourmet cooking friend, this recipe is a winner!

Butternut Squash Risotto

1 small butternut squash

1 3/4 cup chicken broth

1/2 cup water

1 small onion, chopped

1 large garlic clove, sliced thin

1 1/4 teaspoons minced fresh ginger

3 Tbs unsalted butter

1/2 cup Arborio rice

1/4 cup dry white wine

2 Tbs chopped fresh chives

Grated fresh Parmesan cheese for garnish

Halve squash lengthwise and discard seeds and fibers. Peel one half and cut into 1/4-1/2 inch cubes. Put remaining half, cut side down, in an oiled shallow baking pan with diced squash and season with salt and pepper. Bake in middle of 450 degree oven, stirring occasionally, until tender and lightly browned, 15-20 minutes. Scoop out the meat of the squash half and coarsely chop.


This is Arborio rice, found in the grocery store where you find the packaged rice boxes and couscous.

Bring broth and water to a boil in a saucepan and keep at a bare simmer (important).

In a deep skillet, cook the onion, garlic and ginger root in the butter over moderately low heat, stirring until softened.

Stir in rice and cook over moderate heat, stirring constantly, about 1 minute.

Add wine and cook, stirring, until absorbed.

Stir in 1/4 cup of the broth and cook, stirring constantly, and keeping at a simmer throughout, until absorbed.

Continue adding broth 1/4 cup at a time, stirring constantly after each new addition and letting it absorb before adding the next, until half the broth has been added. It will begin to have a creamy look to it.

At this point, stir in the coarsely chopped squash (I prefer to add the diced squash toward the end so it doesn't mush up to much).

Continue adding the remaining broth 1/4 cup at a time same as before, until it is creamy looking, yet still all dente, about 18 minutes. Add remaining squash before you are finished. Stir in chives and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serve with fresh Parmesan Cheese on top.

Definition

Risotto: (n) a kind of pottage