Black Tea on a White Morning

What a surprise to wake up this morning and find snow! We were able to watch big fat snowflakes fall all morning before it was all melted by lunchtime.

Sometimes snow can feel like a fluffy wool scarf. All cozy and delicious until it's been just too long and it starts gettin' itchy. Today was a lovely cashmere scarf. A perfect accent piece to the day.

Organizing the Rainbow

I spent a good part of this past weekend (in between coughing fits and naps) winding bobbins with embroidery floss. The feel of the thread and the rote motion of it all was quite soothing, actually. Plus, all of the colors felt like candies in my lap. The girls thought so too and became quite giddy when selecting the next skein for me to work with.

Now my fingers are just itchin' for a new project. Maybe some cloth napkins with juicy looking fruit at the corner.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

There is something to "comfort food." This is a sure-fire recipe for that happy, cozy feeling I like to bake up from time to time.

Cream:
1 c. butter
1 c. sugar
1 c. br. sugar

Add:
2 eggs
1 t. vanilla

Then mix in:
1 t. salt
1 t. baking soda
1 t. baking powder
2 c. flour (I use white whole wheat or half ww/half regular)
2.5 c. oats, ground almost to powder
6 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips

Bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes.

*These freeze really well. Pop a frozen cookie in the toaster oven and it's mmm, mmm good!

February 7, 1998

I remember having these photos taken.

Dreaming of the future.


We're still dreaming ... together.

Anniversary Tulips

Mulberry Wool Handbag

I found this cotton 'linen' (I tried to convince myself it was linen, but I think it's just a nice cotton) and plaid wool yardage at the thrift store the other day. I think I need to convince myself to always buy thrifted yardage if it is at all cute and a decent price. It's so interesting how the fabric acquires a life of 'becoming.' I really enjoy the process.

I made a couple of reversible bags (I do love bags!) and placed a deconstructed flower in the upper corner. I'm really happy with it. I'm picturing the bag holding a wallet, book, and maybe a moleskine journal and pencil. Perfect for a morning at the corner coffee shop.

This project had better tide me over for awhile, as my cranky machine is acting up again. Darn bobbin tension!

My Funny Valentine

,Little yo-yo & button.

Pretty seam pinking with Grandma's shears.

Too busy for pictures. I'm looking at hearts.

Sweet Potato & Apple Casserole

Now that we are all pining for spring, this is an odd recipe post. However, I've had this ratty recipe bumping around since November and it was so very good. I keep expecting to throw out this nappy piece of paper on accident then be forced to mourn it's loss. So for posterity, here it is:

3 lg. sweet potatoes (or yams), peeled & quartered

Boil for about 25 minutes or leave peel on and bake 'til almost done. Cool and cut into .25 inch slices.

.5 c. packed brown sugar
1 t. cinnamon
1 t. nutmeg

Mix and layer in a buttered baking dish with sweet potatoes and:

2 lg. apples, peeled & sliced

Mix and sprinkle over top:

.25 c. unbleached flour
.25 c. packed brown sugar
.25 c. melted butter
.25 c. chopped pecans or cashews

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. This can be made the day before and I double the recipe.

Welcome to the Family

We are quite the under-achievers when it comes to watching sports. It's not that we don't appreciate sports or enjoy them ourselves. We just tend to forget about them, too busy with our nerdling-activities.

We did, however, all manage to pile onto the couch for the super-bowl this past Sunday. It took a few minutes of establishing who the "red guys" and the "men with the yellow pants" were. The red cardinal on Arizona's helmet was misidentified as St. Louis (baseball, I think) and the Pittsburgh 'Steelers' were called the 'Raiders' for about 10 minutes.

I give you this background information to set the stage for our surprise when Lucette calmly announces: "There's my husband." She was referring to one of the players. One that we had obviously never noticed, discussed, or appreciated before.

Now, I understand that men like the sport for its various attributes and women often like it for the players' various attributes. So I'm thinking little five year-old Lucette has spotted a strapping young quarterback with sandy blonde hair and a toothsome, boyish grin to fancy for the afternoon.

In actuality it was this man. Strapping, certainly, boyish ... uh, maybe, but that's about where her dream man and my imagination stopped cooperating. "Really?" we asked her. How come he's your husband? Her matter of fact response: "He's handsome."

Upon further probing, we discovered she was specifically taken with his "fluffy hair" which had the added benefit of easily identifying him even with his helmet on. His name is Troy Polamalu, Lucette pronouncing it as a sultry "Pala-Olive."

I suppose as long as he is good to his mother ...

In the Front Window

As I am getting weary of my own miserable, sickling self (my Pollyanna gumption has simply worn-out), it was nice to find something pretty to look at in my stash of photos.

The books in the background are my favored Bobbsey Twins, passed down from my mother.