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Tuesday, November 27, 2018

Morning Project

I dug out the 1899 grinder from the cupboard, rinsed and clamped it to the countertop with a potholder protecting the wood. After all of the previously prepared chunks from the gallon bagful were ground, followed by a couple of Ritz crackers to clean the interior, I bagged some to share. Then I made ham salad from the portion I kept. My ham salad consists of mayonnaise, mustard and sweet relish. I must say it is tasty! Perfectly ground with minimal cleanup. I only rinse all parts of the grinder in very hot water and dry completely before putting it back together for storage. If we want more, I can always pull some of the packaged slices from the freezer and grind it for either salad or as an addition to scalloped potatoes or scrambled eggs, quiche, and more.

It goes from "catch" pan to large bowl as we go.
My salad is in a 3.5 cup bowl
and will last a couple of days.
please click on image to view larger

Monday, November 26, 2018

Pie!

This morning I baked while the rains poured down outdoors. My apple pie was made from Cortland apples that I sliced and dried in October 2017. It really is DELICIOUS! I didn't dry any this year and will do so next autumn. I only have 3 bags left in the freezer. Yes, I dry, bag, freeze. The Macouns are all gone. See how they were dried and frozen last year.
I already had frozen the juice from six large lemons so I can save time and trouble. I thought it was a smart move. The tiny Glad cups are good for the storage.

I was prepared for the pie to run over its edge and that is why I put it on a foil-covered tray. Well, it didn't. The next time I'll use less flour for thickening. As you can see I used a foil pie dish. It was one I had saved after quiche was baked in it. Less cleanup!
We each had a slice at 10:30am and I'll tell you....it was like eating candy it was so scrumptious!
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Sunday, November 25, 2018

Pacific Northwest in a Vans RV-9A Part Seven. Visiting the Professor

I snatched this frame from nephew's latest video and saw a shark's head. Made an imaginative creation. Just fooling around. The video is his 7th of his trip to Alaska. It is a really nice video and some parts of it, especially the trees from a downward view are amazingly beautiful. 
please click on image to view larger
The video is about 10 minutes long and wonderful.
Worth taking time to view in my opinion.

Saturday, November 24, 2018

Leftovers

Today I took care of the 12 lb. ham, less a few slices we ate on Thanksgiving Day by cutting and packaging it for further use. We'll also share some. I cut off all the slices I could and made up 10 pouches in the old-style sealer bags. Then the larger pieces were cut into chunks, some to be used for soup and the rest to be ground into small salad sandwich-style pieces. Of course I'll use the old fashioned Gem Grinder for this. The food processor makes it either too chunky or too mushy.  The bone and smoky brown rind will be boiled and and used for my fabulous split pea soup. Whew! Tired me out!

1976 Dazey seal-a-meal
Sealed and ready to eat now or freeze
1899 Gem Food Chopper
Cut into chunks ready to grind.
That is a gallon bag!
And then......soup bone!
That's all for today!
Don't forget to click on an image to view larger

Thursday, November 22, 2018

A Good Day!

By a good day, I mean it isn't snowing, the roads are not treacherous by weather conditions for those who chose to travel and our home is warm, we have food, we have comfort and our health seems to be in the "well" section of the dial.  It is an unusual Thanksgiving that we have this year as we did last. We stay home. We don't have family for meals. This year we didn't have turkey. We are content. We agree that it is time to slooooowwwww down!

The main thing is that we are thankful for multiple reasons and celebrate this day our own way. Did you watch the Parade in NYC this morning? It was impressive. Did your meal and your relatives, friends, and others eat well and have very happy visits? We hope so. There are so many people suffering emotionally, physically, financially...many are having an awful week and a bad year. Our hearts go out to them. Be sure to find one little nugget of goodness, something to be thankful for and then you too will have had a happy thanksgiving. We did.
8:00 AM 12°
 The ice is beginning to form on the lake.
 Before baking the ham...
 We shared some good stuff...
 We ate simple...
... and have leftovers to share!
Tonight it will be sandwiches with lemon cake and ice cream dessert. 

Tuesday, November 20, 2018

Some Treasured Gifts Through the Years

Each and every item shown here was a gift from a friend or relative. These are memories galore and thankfulness to all the givers. 
Many are hand-made. Remembering through photos is easy for me and, hopefully will give insight to others when I'm no longer here. Each image is documented as I have had a photo book made with information printed on a list inserted into the back of the book. 

Some Vintage Things




This is a long video (about 9 minutes) and identification of the images can be found in the upper left corner. I have been trying to document with photos (some old images and some newer ones) the objects that surround us here in Cabin Tranquillity. I use almost all of the kitchen utensils and enjoy doing things the "old way." Most of the items are considered to be "vintage" (older than 20 years) and there are a couple of them that are over 100 years - you might call them antique. I am not a collector, I'm an accumulator and a saver. Most of these have been passed down through my family.

Friday, November 16, 2018

Picture Story

Last night as it was snowing.
 Mac Cheese!
This Morning...
Except for the cold,
he enjoys his snow-blowing activity!
          please click on image to view larger           

Thursday, November 15, 2018

Tongue Lashing

I am NOT easy to live with. I’ve a very contrary personality. I’m critical but not confrontational.  No one knows me as well as I know myself! I need to bite my tongue more but never learned how to do that well. Yesterday I blew my stack when the Mister made a mistake when he was only trying to help. Actually he has taken over some of the actions that I have done for years and it is hard for me to accept his help. I realize that he has undertaken chores willingly but it is very difficult for me to give them up. Does this make sense? 

What he did was to fill the old red pump container on the kitchen sink that I use to hold dishwashing liquid, Dawn. I guess that he had never done that routine before. The problem was that he refilled it when it got low, with Tide. When I saw him putting the Tide container away I asked him what he was washing. His reply was, “Nothing, I’m only refilling the red pump container.” WHAT??????  I went into scolding and ranting about how stupid that was and didn’t he know the difference between them? His reply, “They’re both blue.” WHAT????? On and on I went. Shame on me.  Apology made today.
Could YOU live with me? I don’t think so. I have OCPD - not true OCD. It is a personality disorder. I don’t flick switches on and off a dozen times before leaving the room and have no special rituals or procedures. What I do, if I can, is keep everything in my surroundings square, level, or in the position that I deem it must be kept. Every thing in my surroundings must be balanced. Everything is placed logically - to me. Everything must be put away after use; a neat freak. The organization of placement is important. Well I can’t help it. It is my nature. Don’t even think of hanging or folding my laundry or putting it away, please.
I try very hard, believe it or not, to stay quiet when I see the salt shaker being refilled over the counter and not over the sink. It is hard to overlook the way the dishes are stacked in the drainer when washed. I like it that he washes dishes and don’t want him to quit that duty. 

There is so much more that is important than being so critical. We still always say “thank-you” and “you’re welcome,” “please” and  “excuse me” and are usually polite, but then I go on a dress down and forget to be considerate. It doesnt matter to me one little bit how others keep their indoor environments, I can visit a friend and see their messes but am completely comfortable there. Its my own that has me trapped into my customs. 

My dad once told the Mister that when my mom criticized him for something, he learned how to let it go in one ear and out the other. The Mister almost has this perfected - almost. 

Tuesday, November 13, 2018

Cozy


We have stressful lives sometimes(who doesn't?)and something that makes us laugh or smile helps get you through the day. Your home needs to be a little comfort zone, a nice place, a safe place, a fun place, cozy with homemade treats.
One of our favorite suppers is quiche. Last night I created one with chopped spinach, grated cooked (left over) potatoes, chopped onions and topped with shredded seriously sharp cheese, sprinkled on top with salt, pepper, and Romano/Parm. Yes, the crust is the kind I unrolled and fit to the dish. So simple - so delicious.

Today for lunch dessert and sharing, I baked a dish of brownies. So rich...ummmmmmmmm.
 ~please click on image to view larger~
SMELL the goodness!
  
 

Saturday, November 10, 2018

Through the Windows

We did get the golf car covered just in time! Today was our first real snow flurry. Mother Nature hinted at this yesterday with a few wet flakes, but at exactly 30° this morning there was a little covering. Thousands, yes I mean thousands of geese have just landed at our end of the lake and are gathering to head to warmer land. Winter is coming. For sure.
 Suncatchers need sun to sparkle!
Sugar cookies topped with lemon zest are in order to warm our tummies!
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Monday, November 5, 2018

Revived & Remembered

I have had the little carriage clock sitting on a shelf for a long time but it was never used much as it is battery operated. My parents gave it to us as a 30th anniversary gift. When I was cleaning out Mother's paperwork many years ago I found the original sales slip from the jeweler's where they purchased it.  I folded and inserted this paper into the back section of the clock. Today I was taking pictures of some of my treasures and opened the back. I was shocked to see that I had left a battery in it and it had corroded terribly. What a mess! The mister was able to pry it out and I proceeded to scrape and clean out the area with a paste of baking soda. After cleaning and drying and a new battery inserted, we were surprised and happy that it works! Even the bell rings when the alarm is set. This little treasure keeps time pretty well, losing only a couple of minutes every hour. That's good enough for me! It works. Nothing perfect here really matters to me. This little 4" high charm now sits back on the shelf without a battery. 
Bulova "Time Flies"
To view larger, click on image

Friday, November 2, 2018

Onward...

"Nature is the thread that connects us all."

This is a quote from one of my very favorite TV shows, Mountain Men which is regularly found on the History channel. I would hate to miss an episode as this show really has captured my interest.
I almost can't believe it's November already. Not many pretty colors this year. Too wet. BUT! I found a couple.
The cabin is stripped of it's enhancements of pretty plant life, and we're almost ready for snow. I say this because the golf car isn't yet covered. There may be another day or so I can venture out and find a shot or two.
please click on image to view larger
 James awaits his winter attire. I hear his teeth chattering already! By the way, mouse count-5, vole- 1. Trap reset almost every morning.