Monday Morning Staff Meeting

Thank goodness the Farmer's alarm clock was set, otherwise I would missed the staff meeting.

First thing on the agenda, as always, is FOOD.

This morning we are going to have one of the simplest and delicious concoctions ever invented. It's called Stawberries Chantilly.

Many years ago I was invited to a co-workers apartment for brunch. At the end of the meal she brought out Strawberries Chantilly. I sat there, feeling like the provincial who just fell off the turnip truck. I'd never heard of this delectable delight and it was something in the hostesses attitude (disbelief perhaps?) that made me feel like the unsophisticated twenty-something that I was.

NOTE: Never, ever make your guests feel like they're out of the loop. Inform them with delight, include them, encircle them. They may forget what you served but they will never forget how you made them feel.

Here are the makings of Strawberries Chantilly.



Strawberries, sour cream and brown sugar. That's it.

How can these three simple ingredients add up to such a wonderful treat? They just do.

I dug through my vast collection of serving pieces and was able to find a miniature sugar bowl for each and everyone of you. That way you can double dip to your heart's content. Double dipping is paramount when you have large strawberries such as these.



Dip the strawberry in the sour cream and touch it into the brown sugar.



Do it again and again until everything is gone.



Dig in and let me know what you think.

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I'm finished with adventure for awhile. In the past two weeks I've walked the Appalachian Trail with Bill Bryson, rowed around the entire eastern half of the United States with........... and been dragged as an enslaved shipwrecked sailor across the Sahara desert.

I am seriously worn out. My feet hurt, my hands hurt and I've decided that extreme heat and hunger is not my thing.

The snow covered landscape of northern Illinois is quite inviting after all.

I want to thank reader Orlin for his tip that TWO gallons of milk should not be stored in the fridge door. He's right and if I'd put some thought into it I would have realized that the weight will indeed cause the door seals to fail. Heck, I love my sponsor but I'm not wanting to order anymore parts just now.

Barbara questioned the leftover wine. The guests didn't drink it all and to tell you the truth, I'm not much of a wine lover. It never fails to give me a headache, no matter how expensive or fine. I'd prefer some hard liquor, specifically a nice cold Tanqueray and tonic with two limes, on the side.

I do love sauces made with wine though so feel free to share those recipes with me.

Speaking of recipes, I have four file boxes filled with recipes and four shelves in our in-home library filled with cookbooks. So tell me, why do I prepare the same things every night for dinner? I think it's because I don't plan menus ahead of time. If I wanted to make one of those recipes in the file, I never have all the ingredients.

Perhaps I should cook along with someone. SCHNITZEL (Susan) would be a good choice. She makes wonderful and interesting dinners for the Trout. Yesterday she was cooking some Rancho Gordo beans from Mexico. I've never heard of them but they sound delicious.

Or the Mennonite girls. Holy cow, those women can cook. Their blog is aptly named MENNONITE GIRLS CAN COOK. Today they're making chicken noodle soup.
Heck yeah!!!

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I truly appreciate each and every one of my readers. Well, except for the comment spammers. I'm preparing a large cauldron of hot tar for their visits.

I do apologize though that my responsibilities around here currently don't leave much time for answering comments. I'm trying to work on that because I believe if you are kind enough to read and leave a comment, it's only polite to acknowledge that.

The Farmer is still unemployed and as you well know, jobs are pretty scarce. I've been looking also but without a degree and at my advanced age the scarcity level goes up. And so, I work to create my own job, make my own luck and affect our future in the best way I can.

I have little tolerance for people who sit around and bemoan their fate. Yes, life can throw you some unexpected and sometimes crushing blows, but we must at least get up and push forward in whatever way we can. There are entire nations of people who do not believe they have any power say in their future and having traveled to some of those places I can attest that it is true. The climate and conditions under which they live dictates that they accept the status quo and they wait endlessly for someone to do for them, instead of doing for themselves.

This is the can-do spirit that Tressa, from AMERICAN IN NORWAY talks about. If you are raised in a culture that is steeped in the idea that you be the architect of your own future, then you are given the gift of hope. At times Trisha is driven to distraction by the laid-back nature of the culture that has a different mindset, not bad, just different.

OK, I don't know where all that came from but I've been thinking lately about how lucky I am to simple be able to fire up a sewing machine and sit in my room and make a difference in my family's life.

It's huge.

Immigrants will tell you.

It's huge.

I am thankful and I'm keenly aware that this is not possible for some women and that I why I donate a portion of my earnings to TRICKLE UP. They provide small loans to women in third world countries so that they can set up a sewing machine in their home, or the supplies to operate a fruit stand in the market. A hand up not a hand out.

Hope. Empowerment.

It's huge.

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Why do my thoughts always return to food?

Yesterday's newspaper contained an article about waffles. I'm not a huge fan of waffles because they always seems so dry and bland. But the author assured me that the waffles served in tiny cabins at the bottom of ski slopes in Vermont, were waffles to die for.

The company is called WAFFLE CABIN and they have locations at ski slopes in Vermont, New Hampshire, New York and Massachusetts.

Drat. I don't ski, I don't snowboard and I don't have the money to travel to Vermont. The author of the newspaper article did provide a recipe that she felt replicated the Waffle Cabin waffle. I'm e-mailing her to request permission to share the recipe with you.

In my kitchen I simply beat some wet and dry ingredients together and slap them on the griddle. Her recipe calls for two different mixtures, a sponge and a paste. There you go, once again I'm feeling like a rube because I've never heard of a "sponge". Well, you learn something new every day.

How about you? Waffles or pancakes when you're out for breakfast?

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Meeting is now in your hands. Let's get to work. What's on your agenda this week?

New Job Descriptiobn

Do you remember when I went down the list of my job description here at the homestead?

JOB DESCRIPTION

It's OK if you don't want to jump over to that post, I'll run down the list.

LAWN CARE SPECIALIST - Mowing and weed whacking 2 acres.


CARPET CLEANING SPECIALIST - We have one of those vacuum cleaner type carpet cleaners. With all the comings and goings and animals, we need it.

CONSTRUCTION MANAGER & LABORER - You'd be surprised what skills you've got hidden inside. I leave the plumbing and electrical to the pros but I'm willing to attempt just about anything else.

WATER TREATMENT FACILITY MANAGER - Two words - well water. Yes, we have an entire water treatment facility in our basement. I'm in charge.

SECURITY SYSTEM SPECIALIST - As the furnace repairman said on a recent visit, "Oh, I see you have one of those low-tech, old school security systems. Yep. Two Chihuahua's. If you think anyone is getting in here without all hell breaking loose, you're wrong.

Now I'll add one more item to my job description. It's a surprising one.

APPLIANCE REPAIR PERSON - Nope, not a specialist, just an intern in this department. Normally for appliance repairs I call Randy. He lives nearby and runs the business out of his home. His honest and he doesn't charge an arm and a leg. He gives good honest advice about whether to repair or replace. I like Randy.

But recently I had a problem with my fridge.

The crisper drawers derailed!!



I'll admit that we had them loaded with some pretty heavy stuff during the holidays.


Leftover wine from our holiday parties. Save it and use it in cooking.

The drawers slide on a track that's attached to the upper shelf. The track is pretty sturdy but it finally cracked under the weight.



What to do? Since the Farmer is not working I was dreading a service call. Our budget can't really afford it. And then.....

I received an e-mail from a company that wanted to be a sponsor on my blog. What do they say about serendipity and being at the right place at the right time?

But first, let me tell you that I've had some advertising nightmares on my blog. In an attempt to raise some revenue to upgrade and provide you with interesting field trips I allowed the company that rhymes with "Boogle" to advertising on my blog. They have little computer bots that "listen" to what you're talking about in your posts and then supposedly place appropriate ads.

That's the idea but one day it went terribly wrong. I think I told a funny story about my grandmother's "underpanties". The next thing I know my sister was calling me on my cellphone asking, "Have you seen what's on your blog today".

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"There's an ad on there. I'm pretty sure you don't want that on your blog. You better get home and check it out."

I ran home to discover there was an ad from the "Naughty*Panty*Man". Seriously!!!!

"Boogle" ads were outta there as fast as I could trash the code.

Now I only accept a few sponsors and only those that I personally investigate and would support. Which brings me full circle to the broken rail on my fridge. The very day I was contemplating calling Randy-the-appliance-repairman I opened an e-mail from a company that was looking to partner on my blog.

They sell replacement parts for appliances. Hmmmmm. I checked them out and discovered that they stocked a replacement rail for the fridge and, with shipping it was only $11.00. I ordered the part and it was here in TWO DAYS!



A piece of the plastic on the upper shelf had a hairline crack that we repaired with Gorilla Glue. (More about Gorilla Glue another day). The new rail snapped in place.

HOORAY. The fridge is repaired for $11.00.

They also carry other stuff, like the door shelving, just in case anything happens to them.



If you look at the very top of my sidebar, above the Craft Hope Haiti button you'll see something that says, "Whirlpool Parts". That's my sponsor. Don't be fooled by the title, they carry parts for all models including my Maytag french door fridge.

I found another great company that repairs cameras. I'll you about them another day.

The One that Got Away

Actually, it's the second one that's gotten away in the last year.


The Pink Beauty

Awhile back I had a chance to buy one from the sewing machine guy who sold me Beverly.



But the Farmer had just lost his job and I had a tuition payment looming so I took a pass. I knew that there would be another one appear from somewhere. I haven't seen one on Ebay for quite awhile but I did find one (very affordable too) on Craigslist, but in another state.

I e-mailed the seller and he agreed that he'd be willing to ship it. I asked him to compute the shipping charges and let me know, I'd transfer the money via PayPal. That was the last I heard from him. I didn't follow up. Why? Because something inside told me he wasn't really committed to following through and I have learned over the years to listen to my instincts. And so, she slipped away.

There will be another one on the horizon, one with my name all over it.

Why do I need another machine? It will help me work faster if I have two sisters side-by-side, threaded with different colored threads. Most of my projects take two or three different thread colors and constantly stopping and starting is annoying.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it. HA.

Now...... if I have three machines, things will positively spin out of control and I'll be a one-woman factory. That's what I'm telling myself because I have a 1950's LAVENDER machine in the garage that I picked up at Goodwill about a month ago. I've got to get it out to Zoltan-the-retro-sewing-machine-repairman out in Rockford so that he can tune it up and add a new belt.

Three machines. Oh.....four if you count the modern-plastic-multi-stitch-machine that won't sew through anything thicker than toilet paper.

But, who's counting?

Let's Go Thrifting

Do you go thrifting? My question to you is, if not... why not?

At least once a week I try to go thrifting. It's always been a fun challenge to me to see what I can find on my little thrifting adventures My favorite spot is either of the local Goodwill stores. They are located near high-end neighborhoods which means they usually have great stuff. Sunday and Monday they run a half price sale on certain colored tickets.

I also like to frequent a Salvation Army store that's located a further distance. This store is requires you to do a bit more digging to find treasures but the results can be rewarding. This is where I found a copy of Julia Child's cookbook, signed by both Julia and her husband Paul for under a dollar.

One of the employee's at the local Goodwill has told me that Ebay power sellers visit her store at least once and sometimes twice a day. You need to duck in the store regularly in order to find the better items.

My first stop is actually the donation drive-thru because before I can bring anything into the house, something must leave. Then the car drives itself around to the front and I seek out the handbag rack. My neighbor Donna has me addicted to handbags. At $1.99 each I can certainly afford to have a handbag wardrobe. In the past I've found two Dooney & Bourkes and my collection of Liz Claibornes.

Of course I visit the men's department to snag the best shirts for my aprons. I've found tons of Tommy Hilfiger, Ralph Lauren and other designers.

Last year I knew that we would be hosting a large Mardi Gras party and I kept my eyes out for hurricane glasses from Pat O'Brien's in New Orleans. They would appear on the shelves, one or two at a time. In a few months I had the set of 24 needed for the party, spending no more than 99 cents on each one and matching the two the Farmer and I got on our honeymoon.



I also make it my business to check out the domestics department. There's hardly a better fabric bargain than a large decorative tablecloth. Unless otherwise marked, everything in the domestics department is $1.49. I dig through the large table that contains throw pillows. Every week I find at least one or more decorative pillows that are down filled! If you don't like the pattern you can recover it and have a luxurious down filled throw pillow on the cheap.

Here's my loot from this week's shopping spree.

This lovely throw pillow (the beige one) for my bed. It's dupoini silk covered wth hundreds of small pearl buttons and sequins, and it's down filled.



The bed was looking a little boring with the beach glass blue and beige color scheme. Just for fun I picked up this cherry red pillow.



It's cover is fully quilted and it's also down filled.



Three dollars for two decorator throw pillows.

I also found a nice black sweater and a crisp white Liz Claiborne shirt.



Total bill - $15.00.

I'd love to hear about your thrifting successes or your favorite thrifting spots.

Monday Morning Staff Meeting

Thanks for attending the Monday Morning Staff Meeting. What's going on with you this week?

Can you believe that I'm just now getting some of the Christmas decorations put away? Well, we did have some holiday parties that extended well into January, but still......

How about you? Are there any nutcrackers still on the mantle?

A recent trip to IKEA netted me some Christmas ornaments that were on sale at a ridiculously low price. Their ornaments this year were red and white with hearts and that says Valentine's Day to me. I thought, "Oh good, I can be lazy and leave the little tree in the dining room and decorate it for Valentine's Day.

Perhaps my laziness will continue and I'll decorate it for Mardi Gras, Easter and the Fourth of July.

The only problem is, how do you dust a Christmas tree?

I got it, I can decorate with dust bunnies!

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Last week I reported about walking the Appalacian Trail with Bill Bryson. I was tuckered out just reading about it.

This week I headed out on the water with Nathaniel Stone and that's the title of his book, On the Water.




The dust jacket mentions the phrase, "in the timeless style of William Least Heat-Moon" which makes me leery. Heat-Moon's book, River Horse, is probably the best real-life adventure story I've ever read. I was not prepared for this book to be of the same caliber.

I cannot imagine that this book is languishing on library shelves and that it does not carry the small gold icon that Oprah awards her book club choices, not that I'm a big fan of Oprah's, but that kind of thing would give this book the attention it deserves.

It's not a dramatic life or death adventure, but it is all about life.

As a ten-year old, pouring over an atlas of the United States, Nat Stone discovers that the eastern United States is actually and island. You could take a boat from New York harbor and travel up the Hudson River, across the barge canals and down the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico and up the eastern seaboard, completing the circle and ending where you started.

As an adult, he decides to do just that, rowing his way around the island that is the eastern part of our continent.

Stone writes with clarity and humility. This journey is not about challenge or achievement . He's not out to find himself or prove anything except that he can survive on his wits and the supplies he can carry in his small rowing shell. It's about living simply, living in the moment and being open to all that comes your way.

There are small moments throughout his life that he captures mentally, saying to himself, "Remember this".

Yes. Find this book. Read this book. Remember this book.

On the Water by Nathaniel Stone. Published by Broadway Books, a division of Random House.

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Read what Laura at Piece of Cake has to say about good energy.

LOOKING FOR GOOD ENERGY

I know those kinds of homes. I've been in homes where good energy seems to emimate from the walls, seeping up from the floors. I'm afraid it doesn't much happen around here. We're mostly tired or frantic.

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Our friend George has been cooking some wonderful things over at his place. If you haven't visited, check it out. By the way, I love the title of his blog.

A NOD IS AS GOOD AS A WINK TO A BLIND HORSE

Look at his sidebar and you'll see a list of categories. There are lots of great recipes there.

I'm still determined to make his Dark Christmas Fruitcake.
I just need to get a few ingredients.

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Anyone who has been reading this blog for awhile knows that I'm on a lifelong search for the perfect piece of pie. This was my stepfather's goal and when he died the task fell to me.

Well, someone's got to do it.

But now I stand in shame, humliated by the fact that I missed National Bake a Pie Day. It was Saturday, and no, I did not bake a pie.

I'll just claim ignorance and besides, in my world every day is bake a pie day.

Today it's pumpkin pie. Just because.

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I'm turning the meeting over to you. Anything you'd like to discuss? What have you been up to this past week?

Whiteout

No, I'm not talking about an office supply, I'm talking about an atmospheric condition called a whiteout.

It just occured to me that we have a wildly diverse set of weather conditions here in the midwest. I can remember when I lived in Texas I'd wake up each morning and declare, "Oh my, ANOTHER sunny day."

That was said with a fair dose of sarcasm because if you're from the midwest, after constant sunshine can get on your nerves. I'd pray for rain simply to break the monotony.

Here in the American midwest, thousands of mile from any ocean, we get fog. Heavy, dangerous fog.

The ground has been covered with a thick layer of snow and cold temperatures. This was followed by a warm-up, melting some of the snow, creating fog. Think about driving along the road and encountering fog in low lying areas near a stream. That's the effect except that all the corn and soybean fields put off the moisture that would have been in the stream.

This was the scene yesterday.

White snow, overcast white sky, white fog. Whiteout.



OK, greyout. It was kind of grey.

Can you find the horizon? Just barely, because there's a tree line barely visible in the distance.

It's does make for lovely vignettes, such as this old barn.



The only time I've ever been scared while driving was during a total whiteout, not even when I was driving inside the edge of a tornado. You lose even your sense of up and down, gravity is the only constant factor.

I've decided to continue the weather posts because it occurred to me that I'm interested in the weather in other parts of the country and the world, and so other's might be also.

Have a great day everyone!

Let's Go in the Kitchen

I can't think of a thing to talk about today, so let's go into the kitchen and cook.

Today I'm going to share a very easy recipe that I served at my recent dinner party. I've had this recipe for years and can't recall where I got it. It's a perennial favorite.

Many years ago we attended a pot luck party at the home of a friend. The brandied carrots were a hit and as usual, I'd brought a double or triple recipe, there was some leftover in the baking dish sitting on the kitchen counter. One of the guys made a beeline for the carrots and stood in the kitchen munching on the leftovers, carefully lifting each matchstick carrot and plopping it in his mouth.


PRINTABLE RECIPE

Many of my older recipes do not have indications of how many servings. I'd say that this one feeds 4-6 people. I made a double batch for the party (6 guests) and I had plenty of leftovers.

Peel your carrots, cut in half lengthwise and then in quarters.



You'll end up with something that is like a matchstick cut, but you don't want them really thin, just quarter the carrot.

Arrange them in a baking dish.



Melt the butter, add the brandy and the ginger. Heat at a low simmer for about 5 minutes and pour over the carrots.



Cover the baking dish with foil and bake in the over for 45 minutes to 1 hour. The baking time depends on how thick your carrots are. Check for doneness at about 45 minutes.

If you wish a little bit sweeter carrot, add a small amount of sugar or brown sugar to the butter mix.

Try these and tell me what you think. They're very easy since they can be baking in the oven with your meat.

A Cure for Cabin Fever

A trip to Belize.

But when that's not possible, I like to cure cabin fever by traveling along on other people's adventures.

This is a habit that was developed when the kids were very young and I as a stay-at-home mom. I would revel in the adventures of Jacques Cousteau and Jane Goodall. The newest incarnation, such as Survivorman, just don't quite live up to the standard set by those earlier scientists. Perhaps because their adventures actually had a mission.

Last Sunday, weary from a Saturday of pushing grout and cleaning up the nasty white glaze, I escaped to the local library to see if I could find something to read, preferably someone's adventures put to paper.

I tucked a list of want-to-reads in my pocket but I swear my library has none of them. In desparation I decided to cruise the stacks, hoping that something would catch my eye.

Bingo! Within two minutes I was standing before a shelf that contained cabin fever gold. There was a bunch to choose from but I settled on three, speeding home with my bounty.



The Farmer settled in for an overdose of American pasttime. I don't need to say the word, do I? Leaving him safely ensconsed on the La-Z-Boy, wrapped in his Snuggie with two Chihuahua's to help keep him warm, I retired to my bed, plumping up the buckwheat hull pillows for a long read.

There are four books in the above photo. The one on the bottom is Robert Louis Stevenson's, "Treasure Island". I just couldn't get into it. There's a lot of archaic language that made it feel like I was trudging through sand. So, I ditched it. You've just got to know when to cut your losses.

I dug into the first book and I'm totally worn out, tired to the bone. In the past three days I managed to hike the Appalacian Trail, from Georgia to northern Maine with Bill Bryson.



It was an interesting hike (and read) but I'm bushed. I briefly entertained the thought of putting on my winter boots and going for a hike on the nearby trail that was created from the bed of a now-defunct railroad.

Briefly. I walked down to the mailbox in the biting wind and thought better about the idea. You've got to love Bryson though. He manages to find humor in just about any endeavor and this is no exception.

Tonight I'm leaving in a rowboat for a tour around the country. I think we're going to travel along the coastline but I'm not quite sure.



This book will have a long way to go to compete with William Least Heat-Moon's, "River Horse", which was the best real-life adventure book I've ever read.

When I get tired of rowing I'll leave for the Sahara desert. "Skeletons of the Zahara" chronicles the tale of sailors who were shipwrecked off the coast of Africa, captured and forced to walk across the Sahara.



There's one good thing...... at least it will be warm.

The Farmer and I have had plenty of real-life adventures but sometimes it's better to let someone else to the work, such as walking for almost 900 miles. Thanks Bill. It was a great trip.

NOTE: Thanks also to loyal reader Barb, who knowing of the impending cabin fever sent me a terrific book written by her father.

Create Your Own Chalkboard

Normally my chalkboard resides in my sewing room and has a list of tasks and reminders to myself.



I'm a very visual (and forgetful) person and this is a way to keep things in my face, so to speak.

I had been using chalk.



But thankfully I discovered chalk markers.



For the recent party I decided to take the chalkboard downstairs and create a menu board.



Thanks for all your kind comments about the handwriting. I studied calligraphy and taught at park districts for several years. Calligraphy is not difficult but I'll admit it's not something that you can teach yourself. It's de-mystified when someone shows you and you become proficient with tons of practice.

At one point I was hired by a school district to teach a group of students whose handwriting was deemed unreadable. When the students understood the concept of breaking down the letters into geometric shapes, they made a breakthrough. Some students ended up with handwriting better than their teacher.

I'd admired those large chalkboards in the Pottery Barn catalog, but my budget simply could not bear the cost. I need to stretch my dollar as far as it will stretch and besides, I love the challenge of how to recreate some of these looks on a budget.

I try to shop Goodwill at least once a week, usually on Sunday or Monday when they have a 1/2 price sale. The secret is to keep your potential projects in the back of your mind so that you can be on the hunt for that particular item.

To create a chalkboard, keep your eye out for a large frame, something with a backing board. If it's mounted under glass you're going to need a way to dispose of that because you're not going to need it. This frame is 22 x 30 inches, a nice size.

Remove the artwork. The backing board is going to be your chalkboard.

Chalkboard paint is available in the paint department of home improvement stores. It's sold in small quart cans. Give the backing board at least 3 coats of paint. Re-mount it in the frame and voila....... you've got a chalkboard that can serve many purposes.

If you mount one in your mudroom, family member can leave notes.

What I'd really love to do is paint an entire wall with chalkboard paint. I've seen instances where people have a chalkboard wall in the kitchen and during a party guests write messages or doodle.

Have fun creating your own chalkboard and saving some money for other projects, like tiling a 1,400 sq. ft. basement floor!

NOTE: YES!!!!! My son and I have finally finished laying the tile. Half of the project is grouted and we're working on finishing the other half. Grouting a floor is a nasty, nasty job. I'll show you some photos when we're finished. I conferred with the tile guy at the home improvement store on some issues we were having with cleaning the tile after grouting. He's been very, very helpful during this entire process. Surprise......he said that he's been using me as an example when teaching tile demos at the store.

"If this 62-year woman can tile an entire basement, you can do it too." And yes....you can!!!

Swedish Meatballs

Last week's Bunco party was a success and now it's time to pass along those recipes.

First, thank you to those who gave me hints on how to create a link for printable recipe. I'm a little technologically challenged, but I figured it out.

Lisa asked for the recipe for the Swedish meatball sauce. I'm also providing the recipe for the meatballs. I had a lot of menu items to prepare for the party and in an effort to budget my time, I actually purchased a bag of frozen Swedish meatballs at IKEA.

"Food? At IKEA?" my friend asked.

Yes, IKEA has a food department that carries specialty Swedish items. I passed on the herring floating in different sauces, and the salmon paste and cavier packaged in tubes resembling toothpaste. The ginger cookies looked interesting, as did the Lingonberries, but I left the store with nothing but the meatballs.



If you don't have an IKEA nearby, you can make your own Swedish meatballs.


PRINTABLE RECIPE

Here's the recipe for the sauce.


PRINTABLE RECIPE

TIP: When forming meatballs, continually dip your hands in cold water.

When making a sauce with a flour base, always cook the flour while stirring. If you don't cook the flour your sauce will have a gummy flavor and texture.

Thanks for stopping by today. We're fighting the battle against cabin fever. It would be easier if I still had my snowmobile. I could race across the open cornfields under the moonlight. Believe me when I say that nothing can compare.

Monday Morning Staff Meeting

Welcome to the Monday morning staff meeting. I'm glad you are able to attend, no matter what the time!

First of all, the food. We're going to have oatmeal this morning but unfortunately I don't have any photos. I think everyone has a favorite way to eat oatmeal. My grandmother cooked it to within an inch of it's life (long, long time) and add raisins which plumped up and added a sweetness. I remember it with fondness, but that's not how I like my oatmeal.

Give me the old fashioned kind, not instant, barely cooked and strained to get rid of all the gooey stuff. Honestly, I prefer the steel cut oats but I normally don't have 20-30 minutes to stand around stirring and waiting. My sister makes them in a crockpot and perhaps I'll try that method.

I put a dab of butter and just a hint of sweetness, using either regular sugar, brown sugar or maple syrup. No milk or cream.

How do you like your oatmeal?

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If you look on my sidebar you'll see a button for Craft Hope Haiti.

Craft Hope is a group that I've been involved with for awhile. They sponsor projects in which a crafter can produce an item to be donated for use by those less fortunate. We've done quilts, blankets, sock monkeys, dolls and more!

They've set up an Etsy shop filled with donated crafts. The proceeds will go to Doctors Without Borders, earmarked for Haitian relief efforts. What a great idea. Not only will you be making a donation, you'll get something really cool in the process. One of my aprons will be listed soon.

Hooray for the power of the internet to help these people.

Also....... Rue alerted me to to Shore House Chic's fundraiser. She is auctioning off a cool tote filled with goodies.

SHORE HOUSE CHIC TOTE AUCTION

Update: A commentor on my previous Haiti blog entry was worriedly seeking information on his aunt and uncle who were on a mission trip to Haiti, working with Dr. Hubert Morquette. He found my blog via a search engine and I was able to assure him that the Morquette family was OK and since his relatives were staying with them I could confidently assure him that they were also OK. He has heard from his relatives, confirming that they are unharmed. His uncle is a retired kidney and liver transplant surgeon on his first mission trip following retirement. He's been thrust into a situation that will make good use of his skills as a surgeon. Please pray for their continued safety and for all those affected by this tragedy.

The orphan situation in Haiti was formidable before this catastrophe. It will now grow exponentially. Pray for these children.

Here's James. He's at King's Garden Orphanage just outside Port au Prince. We supported him for several years. He found an adoptive family and we were all very excited. Unfortunately over 2 1/2 years later the adoption still has not bee finalized and he's still in Haiti. Keep him in your prayers also.



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I promised you some close up photos of the hoarfrost. It continues to cover everything, which is very unusual. Normally it's a temporary but stunningly beautiful event.

During an ice storm everything is covered in a glassy coating. Hoarfrost occurs when the air is laden with moisture, usually the conditions are foggy. The moisture clings to the branches and when temperatures dip the moisture freezes and continues to grow crystals in an outward direction. These branches look furry.



Crystals forming on the branches.



If there is a breeze, the crystals form in a direction. See them blowing outwards to the left?



That's hoarfrost, one of nature's most beautiful shows.

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Coming up this week is my recipe for Swedish Meatball sauce and more. Stay tuned.

I want to thank everyone for taking time out of your busy day to visit with me. I appreciate it...... even more since we're pretty much stuck inside. Cabin fever is ramping up and soon we'll be doing crazy things. Speaking of cabin fever, has anyone read Giants in the Earth? It's a wonder that anyone kept their sanity during the harsh winters on the prairie.

Have a great week everyone. I'm now turning the meeting over to you. All spammers - please leave the room or I'll have to call security.

Rewards

Sometimes we are rewarded for living in a cold climate.

Such was the case this morning when we awoke to this.



Today we are living in a fairy wonderland.



My neighbor Susan lives deep in the woods. Walk with me towards her place.



Isn't the air cold and crisp. It's so quiet. Do you hear the bird off to the left?

Come back later when I'll have some closeups of the hoarfrost.