yummy! the recipe is here!


... but for some reason, i went digging in all these books. i like cooking a big batch of something so i don't have to cook again for several days.

i'm a little teapot ...

short and red ....


i tell you what, i have been absolutely spoiled during this holiday season! and it's a good feeling .... i send out many thanks to all those who were so kind to me :)


... including those who are anonymous .... i finally was able to punch in the last quarter of 2006 via the kindness of a stranger. i did a good deed on friday. the person asked, "what can i do for you?!" ... my reply, "all i need is the north dakota quarter." ... somehow, i missed it. well, someone else over heard, and delivered ! ... and now, i am ready to move on to 2007.


yes ... i am .... as is jackie & the hippie ... and i even think rrrrrita might participate!

i got this lovely vase a couple of weeks ago when my neighborhood had its annual artwalk. a good friend of mine was participating, and at the end of the day, i got to take the froggy vase home with me! i bought these button mums the next day, and they still look as good as day 1 ... probably because my place is like an icebox.

speaking of iceboxes ... i'm sure everyone has seen the news on cnn. i think it's rather unfortunate. but, i have to say too that it's a high risk activity. and only these three can or could tell what happened. and there's not many mountain climbers around with friends in his/her peer group ... because joe died in an avalanche, miguel disappeared on the descent, and franz developed hypothermia. these people go out seeking something that no one else has seen. they feel unfulfilled without the adventure. and everything has its risk, but i think i'd rather see another day than die cold and alone on a mountain top. and i'm not looking for an argument on the quality of life. please, keep your opinions to yourself. it's not often i rant here. but when someone says they only expected one overnight and to go light & fast, i still believe you should carry gear that could sustain you no matter what. ... in my humble opinion. it just pisses me off!

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food bliss

i am having a turkey sandwich with ninth street bakery bread, with dijon, romaine, tomato, cheddar and red onion. i'd forgotten how yummy and pungent red onion is. it's wonderful.

visitor

solace finally came to visit cupcake....






9 april 2004 - rocket, solace, ktr, cupcake, and grits - springer mountain.

perfect day!

the weather outside is ... delightful ! seriously, it's so warm, that i have my doors and windows open, and cooked wearing a tank top! in november! almost december!

and with this warmer weather, the cooking was on the light side ... jackie's mediterranean chicken stew. i have fumbled through many a recipe. but, what made this one so special was, if i had a question, i called the chef directly!

she made this on sunday for dinner ... and it was so simply delicious. i love cooking, and i love knitting, and jackie is a cooking-knitter!

happy thanksgiving !

have you even been grocery shopping the day before a major feast holiday? well, mom and i dashed out yesterday evening for some last minute items. one item on the list for brining our turkey ... kosher salt. on this aisle ... the baking aisle.

the funny thing was the cookie aisle was completely empty!

we also bought a silcone basting brush and a deep pie dish for the apple pie which is in the oven right now, and i'm not sure if it's finished baking or not, because it's not "bubbling" like the recipe says it should be. hmmm ....

if i don't burn anything, i will have pictures later!

home for the holidaze ...

see what justin did with my new bread pan?

the weather here has been all over the place. somedays, it's cold, other days it's balmy, and sometimes it's perfect. sometime ago though, before i brought all my cacti indoors, we had some very cold nights ...


... and my christmas cactus budded! and now it's about to bloom !


... and i wonder if i throw its butt out again, on some cold nights, before christmas, will it bud again?!

i do know, though, that i will do paperwhites again this year. some people think they stink, but i like their fragrance. but, i also like scents such as onions & garlic!


i went to my library's annual book sale this morning. the money goes directly to my library's funding for buying more books. i learned that my library fees go to the county. that was quite a disappointment. so, if you're in the triangle area, please venture out to the book sale!

oh, and speaking of cooking, 'cause i love to cook and i love great food ... i made some chicken chili on monday. i was all distressed because i could not find my recipe ... but, i remembered that i had posted it HERE ! i still haven't found my paper copy, so i sure hope blogger doesn't go under in the meantime!

another wonderful sunday ....

that is how you (or jackie) makes the absolute best chicken & dumplings in the world!

this is the second time i've seen it made, ... the first time by jim (of jim&corbett) when i went up to new york for rhinebeck.


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we also had a little banana bread bake off. i lost. i soooo lost. for starters, i had not read my recipe correctly, and mixed all the dry ingredients first. i was suppose to cream the sugar with the butter. oops. so, i kinda creamed the butter with the mashed bananas. that wasn't such an issue though. then, just before i put it into the oven, i realized i had forgotten the sour cream! so i scraped the dough back in the mixing bowl and added the sour cream. then, as i learned after the fact, my loaf pan is the wrong size. it needs to be just a little bit bigger. oops.

so, guess which loaf is mine? ... i'll give you a hint ... it's probably the one that is super moist in the middle with the outsides well-baked! (yes, the little dark loaf in the left corner!)

see, it's totally beneficial to cook with someone else, or else i would never figure out how to make dumplings and that my banana bread can be better!