Around Here

Around Here... it's been cold... icy... and snowy... finally!  Not the cold.. I could do without that.  But if it's gonna be cold it might as well snow.  It's Wednesday and I finally have kids arriving at the day care.  I was honestly ready to come back to work after five days off.  Here's a few pics from around here.


This is chicken salad.  Not like the chicken salad that goes on croissants.  This salad is for the chicken!  Since she has finished molting and is looking a lot healthier her appetite has become a lot healthier too.  This sis really mainly scraps of lettuce, spinach and wheat grass with chopped tomato, blueberries, kidney beans and torn whole grain bread ends.  She's been gobbling it up!  Today I included brown rice for her.  Shaun said "all this needs is a little salad dressing."

I was getting all set up to read in front of our warm gas logs that ran for a whole minute before cutting off.  My awesome brother-in-law came over and fixed them for us.  A broken source of alternate heat is not good is the electricity goes off.

Believe me... as pitiful as she looks she did this to herself.  Her whole back is covered in ice and snow from tossing toys around and diving for them.  I think her hair under her chin looks like a catfish.  She had a thawing out in the warm shop before coming back in the house.

I bit of snow falling.  Not as much as they were predicting but enough to play in.

Play hardly ever ceases with this girl.

Put cruising around.

Looking for a barn for my fair picture this year.  I think this is a good one.  For sure a unique one.

On The Menu

I've heard that an open bottle of wine doesn't have a very long shelf life.  Especially when you over indulged with the first bottle and thought a second bottle would be a good idea.  Turns out the next day... it wasn't such a good idea.  I keep mine corked and in the fridge and usually don't finish a bottle in a glass but prefer to use wine in recipes.  I will never get tired of the way cooking with wine makes my house smell.  Lucky for me The Pioneer Woman just happened to post a recipe on facebook from 2009 for short ribs that uses two cups of dry red wine.  Bingo!  A use for the rest that second bottle cause I shore ain't gonna touch it otherwise for a while!  I seriously just spelled the same way that I talk.  I love it! Here's a pic and a link to her recipe and a few more.  The chicken with tomatoes and garlic is absolutely one of my favorite recipes to make.  I have thighs in the fridge right now for this very reason.

Braised Short Ribs

Photo and recipe credit: ThePioneerWoman.com      

and my favorite.

Chicken with Tomatoes and Garlic

Photo and recipe credit: ThePioneerWoman.com      

Burgundy Mushrooms

Photo and recipe credit: ThePioneerWoman.com      

And here's a fantastic recipe using white wine that I've made a bunch.

Lemon Chicken Cutlets

Photo and recipe credit: marthastewart.com                        

And now a few of my own.

Rabbit in Mustard Sauce

Venison Minute Steaks

A Quick Marinade

A Valentine For Him

Since my Valentine is so sweet, I feel he deserves some comfort.  He needs new house shoes so I picked out some good warm ones.  He mentions the electric blanket that he loved until Dottie chewed the cord in two when she was little.  Although, if I go with the blanket I think it would be better to get a throw instead of a queen size.  I don't think I would enjoy the heat on my side of the bed.  I get too hot at night for that, oh and this is about him not me.  I also am thinking of getting him a pair of sweat pants for lounge wear.  He has one pair of flannel pants and for comfort's sake I think he will enjoy an alternate to the flannel.  

We are planning a quiet evening at home with a couple of steaks and potatoes with brownies and ice cream smothered in chocolate sauce for dessert.  Using this recipe for the sauce of course!

DC Decor

After cutting out and stitching my felt heart garland for February I had a thought for March.  Clovers, of course, came to mind but also gold coins, pots of gold and leprechaun boots.  I got busy goodling (that's one of my Mom's words... like when you goodle around in your purse to find your keys) through my felt stash for green felt.  I found I had just enough for one whole garland and some to add to the second garland.  I really love these and like the fact that despite being precious I can use them year after year.  My thoughts have already wandered towards April and Easter... I'm way ahead of you!

This is my day care journal where I store ideas and templates.  I make little pockets taped to pages for my cut outs.

I always seem to make too much glitter glue.  I can't wait until summer to see these beauties sparkling in the sunshine on the day care clothesline.