Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Kitchen Post

 Another nod to Easter in our kitchen...  These little chickies are a new addition from Randolph Mercantile.  I had the basket and eggs, and the beautiful quilted hen is a treasure from my grandmother's hands...  She is quite proud of all her "babies" this spring!  I like the way the winter's picture in the background echoes what's happening with our weather.  One day is sunny and tempting, the next it's spitting snow!
  I had to add this delicious recipe I found online at Martha's Vineyard Inn:  "Nantucket Pie."  I am currently on a Susan Branch Blog "fling," so anything Martha's Vineyard is high on my priorities. This Inn happens to be in Michigan, but the name caught my eye...  How beautiful! This recipe is perfect for three actually with some fruit and a bit of raisin toast...   If you haven't visited Susan's blog, check it out on my sidebar or with the above link.  I am having so much fun "meeting" with her and watching her little kitties at play... Life seems beautiful on the island...
and right here in Mom's warm, toasty kitchen...  Come over for a cup of tea!  As you can see, I have a golden tin of Harney and Son's Royal Tea tucked in behind the nest...  It's a fairy-tale treat created for William and Kate's  wedding...  Ah....  another post!

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

The Cozy Home... a day to rest...

 Today I am home with some kind of miserable sinus mischief, so it is a perfect day to cozy in and have a comfortable kind of morning...  I started the day with Gloria Jean's Keurig hot, hot coffee flavored with toffee...  not a bad beginning..  The warm cup against my face felt almost as good as the coffee tasted...
 Over the weekend I decorated a little for spring and Easter.  I realize it is almost two months until Easter, but signs of spring have been tempting us in the Midwest all winter long...  This chicken carriage drawn by a dapper white hare is a gift from my son...  He gave me a Christmas gift certificate to my favorite store ---- Randolph Mercantile!  I had hoarded saved  it until I went with friends over the weekend to the beautiful early weekend before their Spring Open House...
 The lighted house is from my own home.  My son brought it over a long time ago, and it has worked its way to a temporary home by the fire...  I love holiday decorations so much...

Mr. Bunny, a gift to Mom from a dear friend, presides over the mantel festivities... The little bottle brush tree sparkles on the end by a Snow Bunny....  from another friend to me! and a cute Marie Osmand Easter doll sits on Mom's side of the mantel...
Ahhh...  a perfect breakfast.  My mom spoiled me with a dish of warm, right-from-the-oven, cinnamon-y, white raisin rice pudding...  Food for the gods!  Our House Tour edition of Country Sampler arrived this week, and it's on my "to do list" today...  (Isn't that a decadent list?)  I just think it's a pity to be home sick, don't you?  Pitiful.... simply pitiful....


Thursday, February 23, 2012

A Touch of Spring


It's here in the air...  I feel it even in the midst of a cold misty morning...  I suppose since we have been blessed with the mildest winter (so far) of my memory, we must be pushing the envelope.  I know I am, and that's unusual for me, the inveterate winter-lovin' woman that I am.

I made a batch of corn chowder from Pioneer woman for Tuesday night's menu.  I recommend it!  I used frozen white kernel corn instead of the fresh...  and I used regular 2 percent and a mashed, peeled baked potato instead of cream...  You can find the recipe HERE.  This is her picture, but mine looked just the same... even to the little freckles of pepper!!!

Tonight my friend is coming for a pizza and Survivor Season ? on television...  Your tribe has spoken!  I have a killer "Survivor" Unit for World Literature...  I used it a few years back, and it was fun except it made my kids mad at each other...  We are truly only a few inches past all that barbaric-ness anyway...  I fear.

Have a great weekend.  Start it early with a great drink or special coffee in the morning...  I plan to!

Monday, February 20, 2012

The Presidential (Day) Tour...


 Beautiful, bright blue day...  and we headed to easily the windiest, coldest city in Missouri, Kirksville!  I should know.  I spent my college years there.  We had not visited Kirksville in about a year, and the highway now skirts the city unless we turn off!  I wanted to see Thousand Hills Lake, my favorite spot in Kirksville (except campus, of course).
 We drove through the quiet, chilled Lake Resort, and we saw not one other soul out there this morning...  But the waters were dancing in the sunshine, Mom said...  and she was right.
 There is a nice little restaurant there on the lake, but it was closed for the season.  We didn't really want anything more than a small tour.  This was the lake famous for one October jaunt with my mother and grandmother in 1972...  I surprised them with a mystery tour because the leaves were amazingly vivid here against the lake and blue skies...  My grandmother saved large leaves on a string from that magical day.  I remember so well that I chose to stop at McDonald's and buy them each a two all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, on a sesame seed bun --  BIG MAC.  They had never tasted one before; in fact, Mickey D's was relatively new to our area...  What a treat!
 Mom and I decided to go to Ruby Tuesdays...
 Their broccoli cheese soup is amazing...  She loves it.  I ordered grilled chicken green salad...  (They have the calories printed on the menu after the entree, for heaven's sake!)
 Last night in the middle of the night I added a Shady Peanut Lane page to Facebook and planned out my new online store..  My son is going to fix me up in the extremely near future.
 If you wish, you may "like" me on Facebook by following the link on the top right sidebar...  I'll let you know when my store officially opens..

For today we are home again...  In time for all the puttering I could imagine....  except now a little nappy sounds cool!

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Happy Valentine's Day

Today doesn't seem like Valentine's Day for some reason, but according to the roses that are waving around the school, I guess it is...  We also have been blessed with some wonderful "singing telegrams" courtesy of our Coach, our principal, the librarian, and the counselor...  Let me just say...  They are soooo funny!  The expression on the kids' faces says it all....  Oh, my goodness....

Hope you are all having a wonderful and sweet Valentine's Day...  Enjoy happy memories and sweet thoughts all day long!


Sunday, February 12, 2012

Valentine Cheer

 My dear cousin brought us a sweet today for Valentine's Day...  Lovely on a plate!

Saturday, February 4, 2012

game face


Super Bowl Sunday...  Have fun!  


Thank you to someone for this picture.  I found it one night when I was playing Scrabble online...