Archive for ‘November, 2013’

Thanksgiving Day Weekend: as of Saturday evening

Thanksgiving Day started foggy.

I raked part of the yard while the turkey was in the oven and some after I indulged.

Small scale turkey dinner of turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy (one of the BEST gravies ever!!!), roasted green beans, cranberry-orange-meyer lemon sauce with coconut-popsicle for desert!

Lovely dinner. Bear had some turkey also. Auggie was not interested in the turkey.

I think my favorite part of Thanksgiving dinner is the turkey-potatoes-gravy part … with a tart cranberry sauce alongside.

BUT, this year…running a close second was a mashed potato-broccoli pancake with sausage and more of the turkey gravy: day after T-Day breakfast.

And this morning, in honor of Hanukkah, I had sweet potato latkes with sausage and gravy.

Amen and Oy Vey!!

And then Bear did this…

…Auggie, too…

…and me, three!

Friday night, it snowed…a little bit:

Where is Auggie?

Incoming!

Keep 2 feet on the ground at all times!

It doesn’t matter which 2 feet!

PAX

Phew…all that playing in the snow…time for a nap.

Later…

On the front porch, with a glass of wine…rosemary-walnut-parmesan shortbread crackers. I am a total shortbread convert courtesy of Sue of The View from Great Island (search shortbread). These “wine crackers” – kind of a savory, buttery biscotti. Utter-YUM!

Meanwhile…we have been issued a winter storm warning for Sunday through Wednesday: 1-8 inches of snow, wind, COLD as in below 10F during the day and below 0F overnight. If NOAA is correct, December is going to start with a Winter bang!

Bear and I went to town this morning (Saturday) and replenished supplies. The forecast is for a winter storm, not a “storm of the century” kind of thing…but, I prefer to stay home and off the roads if things are even the least dicey…let those that must go be out there. So – the pantry is stocked with all manner of food and treats for Bear, Auggie and me and we will let the storm happen, if it does and be happy and warm in our own little house, in our own little woods.

Fog…kind of freezing

NOAA finally gave up on the freezing fog icons…

And so…

Not the prettiest, but my mail carrier person disclosed that in town it WAS Freezing Fog.

The roads are a bit slick and it is a sneaky kind of slick as they just look wet. But it is 26F and the fog/humidity/moisture has descended and so the roads are slick. Bear and I made a late morning trip to the dump and the vacant subdivision for a walk… a SLIPPERY walk!

And then we came home and I started a fire in the woodstove and am very thankful that I do not need to go anywhere…for days or even a week !

We missed the storm that the rest of the U.S. had/is experiencing, but freezing fog is sneaky…it drops down, looks wet, but is frozen and slippery.

Take care, all!

Almond shortbread

After I made the Pecan Pie Shortbread …and by the way, it freezes beautifully … I wanted to try a version with candied pecans. I found a recipe for oven baked candied pecans that I thought would work. Then I got to thinking about almonds.

So, while not as pretty visually and I still don’t have a tart pan with pretty fluted edges … the almond version is VERY good.

I modified Sue of The View from Great Island’s Pecan Pie Shortbread recipe by using 1/4 tablespoon of almond extract and 3/4 tablespoon of vanilla extract. For the almond topping, froth 1 XL egg white, 2 tablespoons of sugar and 1 cup sliced or slivered almonds – spread on the shortbread before baking. Per Sue’s recipe, I covered loosely with foil to keep the almonds from getting too brown, removing it for the last 10 minutes.

Maybe next round some red and green sugar lightly sprinkled to give it a bit of a Christmas look.

My kitchen helper this morning…

The last time he tried to use this chair as a jungle gym, it tipped over: crash, bang, boom and surprised Auggie! He’s about 9 1/2 pounds now and longer so the play chair has become the nap chair when I’m in the kitchen.

Happy Day before Thanksgiving and Hanukkah and safe travel to all on the move.

Moments from Monday

Does Auggie make Bear itch??? …maybe not allergy-wise, but maybe general irritation-wise (that BABY!!) :) !!

The lunch time walk scenery…hazy, but not foggy. There was some brief, morning fog, but it dissipated quickly.

Another view along the same road as the prior photo…from my parking spot for the walk, looking East. The middle of the valley WAS hazy but the fringes were clear.

Bear keeping an eye on the ever roving Auggie-boy…

Auggie, the hunter, in one of the critter-condo areas. This spot, just north of the house.

Moments from Monday.

A moment in time

No video yet. I have a LOT of video.

Maybe over Thanksgiving weekend.

Or maybe over Christmas-New Year’s.

I cannot explain, but I am not a fan of video. I don’t like to watch video or even much tv or movies.

I REALLY do NOT like taking or editing video even when I understand that it best captures certain things.

Also, I am not very good at video :) !!!

On the other hand, I absolutely love still photography and telling the story with a photo.

But.

I WILL – at some point – try to look at the video I have/will have and see if I can put together something that shows the fun that Auggie and Bear have together.

Meanwhile.

Moments in time will be shared.

The Bear-boy…on Beardog Point…sunset in the background: a moment in time.