Orlena, hush! People are trying to sleep

Remember my tater tot concoction from the last post? Yep. This is it. SO good. Tots that are hot and slightly over-baked and heavily salted; a slice of pepper jack cheese; and one over-easy egg, runny yolk, please. 

I’m trying to write this post, but apparently, we are in the path of winter storm Orlena, and it’s distracting. She is SO stinking loud. The wind is having a field day. I was woken up super early this morning when a huge, noisy gust blew through and sent what I can only surmise as tree branches and other small-ish projectiles dancing across our rooftop. This is how snow gets ushered in around here, almost always involves wind, but I guess it's like that everywhere. I don’t dislike snow, but I’m not an overall fan of big weather systems. They usually start with barometric pressure headaches and end with yard cleanup.

I have to keep reminding myself that it’s still winter, especially if the sun is peeping out at me. Nothing like the sun coming out and my thinking that it's warm, only to step outside and it is 22 degrees. Soon enough, it'll be warm, then hot, then too hot. That will give me new weather reports to rant over. But with that heat comes fresh tomatoes and Sonic drinks, so . . . . . it's worth it. Plus, every now and then, we get the perfect summer storm, where the rumbles of thunder, the balmy breeze, the scent of garden flowers and veg and freshly-mowed grass fill the air. You open wide a couple of windows in the house just to get that smell inside and to watch those curtains blow wildly a few minutes before you begin racing around, trying to close them as quickly as you opened them because the deluge just hit. I LOVE that game.

Speaking of winter, it’s been all about the comfort food. Last night it was roasted potatoes, carrots and onions, topped with salt, pepper, shredded quesadilla cheese and a giant glob of sour cream. If I had been thinking, I would have roasted those veggies, then topped them with chopped up hard boiled eggs and a béchamel sauce when they were half finished, then popped them back in the oven to finish baking. That is SO good, and it is comfort food dressed up a bit fancier. But I didn’t think of it until I was eating the less-fancy version of roasted veg. Still very good, though, and good for you.

Here we are, staring at the last day of the first month of 2021. Isn’t that CRAZY? It’s going to be a good day to stay inside and do a project. It’s nothing but a soggy mess outdoors, and we don’t switch over to snow until Monday in the wee early hours of the morning. It’s a paint project, which offers fairly quick gratification! Fresh paint always looks good and is very forgiving.

We’ll wake up tomorrow to see what February 1^st brings us, a blanket of snow or more soggy mess. The snow goes on through Tuesday morning, so whatever happens, I think we’ll see some more of the white stuff.

In the meantime, buttermilk waffles topped with cheddar cheese, vegan sausage and heated maple syrup are calling my name. I put the cheese and sausage right on top of the waffles, then drizzle the whole thing with hot maple syrup. Tastes and smells like soooo many good things: autumn, the county fair, and a winter day. Funny how some foods just cross so many lines in the comfort food department, isn’t it?! Happy last day of January to you. Here’s hoping February is good to all of us.

Sweet babies and the addiction of the tots

Y'all, look at these babies. These two have the sweetest temperaments, baby Oliver and Lacey. All the kitties adore Lacey and her calm, even temperament. I noticed that when Oliver got in the bed with her, she gave him two kisses/licks on top of his head. I've seen her do the same with Georgie and baby Oscar, two of our other kitties. You won't find a nicer dog or kitty than these two. They're the best of everything, all rolled up in fur jammies. Also, see that bed they're on?? We won't EVER discuss what I paid for it, but just know that it's a brand from Europe (don't start on me, I think we all know that all of my money is spent on the four-leggeds), and it took a long time for Lacey to take to it. She likes her big couch in the living room best, but when she's in my home office, she loves this bed, too. FINALLY. It's the plushest dog bed I've ever seen. No wonder kitty loves it, too.

I'm craving Sonic tots (nothing new there), but it's 5:40 a.m. No worries, I have a bag of tots in my freezer, so I oven-fried them. I'll melt some pepper-jack cheese on them and top them with an over-easy fried egg, heavily salt and pepper all of it, and I'll have my tots. The key to making them taste like Sonic tots on at least some level (Sonic deep-fries their's, but I don't bother with that at home) is to bake them in the oven a tad longer than the package says. I kept them in three minutes longer to get them super browned up and a bit of extra crunch. By the time you add the pepper jack and the over-easy fried egg, that crunch will soften up a tad and it'll be just about right. Like I said, I do heavily salt and pepper this but you don't have to do that. If you have some on hand, pepper gravy drizzled over top of all of it is tasty, too. It's a big breakfast and will keep you filled up for quite a while!

I saw a recipe for a triple chocolate poke cake; it looks super easy. I'm thinking Easter?? Although for Easter, I love a big, fluffy, two-layer coconut cake. It's almost a crime to not have coconut cake at Easter. We'll see what I end up with, but I'm betting coconut will win again. 

That's it for today. Lots to do. Got some of the stuff yesterday for one of two home projects we are starting. I did a tiny splurge on the pulls for the large vanity that we are re-painting, but since we already had the paint for the vanity, I went ahead and got pulls that I knew I'd love for a long time. We are using the remaining Duck's Egg Blue paint that we used on our back door. Should be plenty, and I really don't want it to go to waste, since it was a special-mixed color and those cost a bit more. Here's the pull; it's ceramic and heavy-duty, so it should hold up for a long time. 

I'm going to go eat my super-charged tots now. If I can remember, I'll take a picture because food is life! Blessed Sunday to you, wherever you, whatever your plans.

Enjoy the remainder of January, February is gonna be messy!

Baby Trudy with toys . . . my indulgence picture for today, because I'm obsessed with her.

Well, if the weather predictions are right, we'll be rolling into February as usual - snow and rain mixes for the first few days and - not really even a guess, basically just historical observation - lots of much colder temperatures. It's not been very warm this winter, anyway, and it IS winter, after all. But February does have a knack for yucky in most parts of the US! There's the promise of spring with it, though, so that means planting and gardens! 

I still love a rainy day or an especially cool day or cloudy, balmy days. But I find as I get older that I really love being able to take my border collie outside in the wee morning hours (Lacey LOVES that time with me) without having to add layer after layer of warmth. There is more star-gazing in milder weather, too, because often, in the warmer months, I'll sit in a lawn chair in the darkness under that great, night-time sky and just gaze while Lacey goes nose to the ground, looking for who knows what! Sometimes she HOWLS a bit!

I have a very old, tattered pair of thick cotton men's boxer shorts that I adore. They're like shorts on me, they are big and comfy and they look like someone dragged them through a shredder and back again. I wear those to death in the warmer weather around the house and property. They pair well with old wellies and junker tank tops. It creates a real sight to behold, and my philosophy is that if you come to my house unannounced and get a gander at me in this uniform, then that retina burn is on you, not me! It's not pretty, but talk about comfortable on an 80-degree day with full sun!

So, in an effort to not rush my time away, I'll be focusing on pulling together a list of mysteries to watch during the month of February, some older favorites and, hopefully, some new ones, as well. This very exciting Saturday finds me beginning that particular search, as well as yelling at two cats who repeatedly keep trying to sharpen their claws on our loveseat. I've removed the slipcover for washing, and they seem to think that means it's go-time. Cats don't respond to much of anything, so the yelling is an exercise in futility, but, of course, I keep doing it. The cats just sit and look at me and blink. If they had middle fingers, they'd be showing those to me.

Don't faint when I say this, but I'm in a bit of a food rut. Basically, I just want to drink tea and eat cookies. I think we all know that's not a good idea, that one needs to eat real food. I'm thinking that today is a good day for chili topped with sour cream, so maybe we'll have that tonight. I also like vegetarian baked beans on toast, which is ridiculously easy to do, so maybe?? I'm a bit hung up on retro food right now. I'm giving serious thought to identifying a few to try, particularly the casseroles. Granted, with my age, I grew up eating some of those "now-retro" casseroles (tuna casserole, anyone?), but some I've never had before, so that could be fun.

I do feel like a Bojangles biscuit run may be in our near future. I get hung up on these from time to time. They're obviously not nearly as cheap as making your own, but when we do get them, I work them into at least three meals, so it's not like we sit and eat a dozen in one setting! They keep well in the fridge for a week, so while they're a bit of an indulgence, on the weeks that we do get them, they're part of our meal plan and grocery expenses for that week. They are not an added expense. I'm too frugal for that!

Speaking of groceries, it's time to survey the cabinets, fridge and freezer and make the grocery list. I'm not a fan of going to the store, so I have to remind myself to be grateful that I can buy groceries. Many people go without, often going hungry, and that's just heartbreaking. I'll be counting my blessings even more during these remaining winter months. God is faithful, and so I must be, too.

Valentine's Day and French toast with maple syrup

Well, I've gone ahead and added a few touches to the house for Valentine's Day, because, why not? I'm not super big into the holiday, if I'm honest. We don't do reservations at expensive restaurants, and we grow tens of thousands of flowers each year, so while I do love a bouquet of flowers, it's not really the treat for me that it might be fore some people. Now, the chocolate? Yes, I do love chocolate at Valentine's Day, but then that's not different from any other day of the year for me. I eat chocolate regularly, life is too short to save it for special occasions! When I was single, I always bought myself a box of chocolates in the shape of a heart each year for V-day. I still love the smell of a box of chocolates when it's first opened, that heavenly cocoa mingling with all those flavors - maple, vanilla creme, orange, caramel, nougat, marshmallow - you get the picture. Below are some of my doo-dads, nothing exciting. I especially love the tiny candy-cupcake candle in the candy wrapper. 

For me, a good Valentine's Day dinner is pizza and salad or soup and sandwich at home, where it's warm (let's face it: February is VERY cold in upper Northeast Tennessee), and I'm in my flannel or fleece pajamas, watching a movie or series with the person I love. It's mundane, but then if life is only ever fireworks and marching bands, I would be exhausted. I'm not a fireworks and marching band kind of girl. I've never understood social butterflies or the need to always be going, going, going in addition to the craziness of every-day life. There is lots to be said for a quieter, gentler way of living, particularly these days.

I'm gearing up for my house project, seeking out 1940s vintage OR retro reproduction wallpaper. Doesn't have to be the real thing, but I do want a 1940s pattern. This paper is not going directly on the walls, but it will be used in a larger capacity, so I have to absolutely love whatever pattern I settle on because we'll be looking at it for a while. The real deal - vintage, not reproduction - is around $18 a yard and up to $200 for a roll. Nope. Not doing that. I have managed to find some very similar patterns in modern day design, and they are around $20 or $25 for a roll. Still pricey, but as I only need a roll, it's still an inexpensive project. Our house was built in 1950, so I'm cheating a bit on the decade for the paper, but, frankly, I don't want 1950s paper. I prefer designs of the 40s, where Art Deco was on its way out but there was still just a tiny hint of it bleeding over into the more modern designs.

If you ever watched the Poirot series (GREAT for the dark, winter months!), you'll find a ton of Art Deco in the early seasons. What I have learned is that I LOVE the large Art Deco features: the buildings, the lights, the sconces, the wallpapers, etc., but I do NOT like the smaller, Art Deco touches. I'm not a fan of brass and some of the bright, Art Deco colors for interior design, nor do I care for some of the eye-catching elements like seashells motifs, etc. But I do like how Art Deco holds its own just a tiny bit into the next couple of decades. Its influence adds a touch of throw-back as the world progressed in design and began changing what appealed to our visual senses. And, so, the search is on for the wallpaper. I'll know it when I see it. Funny how that works, isn't it?

Heading to the kitchen for some cinnamon French toast sticks. Aldi sells a large box of these for VERY cheap, and they go great with a one-egg/one slice of cheese omelet or a side of vegan sausage. They heat up beautifully in the microwave and make the house smell like the county fair. When you add maple syrup, they taste like the end of summer with the promise of cooler days ahead. Just lovely. I add the omelet for protein. It's a very cheap breakfast and very filling. I always warm up my syrup in the microwave. I hate how cold syrup makes whatever you're eating cool too quickly. This way, the food stays warm while you eat. 

Happy hump day! We are heading into the last part of January 2021. It's always a bit of a shock to get that first month of a new year under my belt. Just iterates how time flies!

x

Snow, shortbread, and a whole lotta coffee

We woke up to snow again this morning. And wind. Always with the wind, good grief. It has snowed off and on since Saturday, flurries here and there, then the sun pops out, then drizzle, then flurries, you get the pattern. Naughty Harold is keeping an eye on things from the front porch for me, a handsome fella with his checkered scarf. I keep reminding myself that we are not yet even a month into winter, this is to be expected. I do love the way snow looks. It's beautiful, but it creates so much mud and muck. It's a constant effort to keep floors respectable when it's like this.

I felt like it was a shortbread and coffee kind of day. Love my Border Collie cup from England. Absolutely adorable. It's hard to find mugs or cups and saucers with a true BC on them, especially a delicate kind of cup, porcelain or quality china. This mug has several different types of doggies, but my mom got it for me years ago for my birthday, specifically because it has a prominent and obvious BC, my heart breed. 

    

It's also a day for candlelight. Sooooo gloomy out there. I love birds year round, but there's something about Cardinals that just say winter to me. I've had this candle shade for over a decade - maybe longer - now. It was a gift from a girlfriend who knows my love of birds. I do not use it at Christmas. It's for my winter decor instead and only ever gets used from December 26th through February 28th or 29th. The candle is simply called "Apple," and it has a gentle apple smell, like what you would expect if you leaned over a barrel of apples at a farmer's market and inhaled a deep breath. Heaven. Clean and sweet and mild and comforting. 

I've been trying to decide what new type of flower I want to put in the garden this year, but after browsing through what felt like ten million types of flowers (nah, not that many, it just felt like it), I actually think I'm going to plant two huge patches of Calendula in the front gardens this year. I've done them before, but it's been years ago. I had forgotten about them! They're very hearty, love morning sun and do well in partial shade. They're orange and yellow and they last through the first hard freeze, so they should do beautifully in summer and up through the first month and a half of Autumn. Birds and bees and monarchs love them, as well. I don't plant anything that doesn't provide for that population. The whole point of the flowers, after all, is to help the earth along. The fact that they're so beautiful is a bonus.

Am dying for egg noodles tossed in melted butter with a ton of salt and pepper and a glob of sour cream. Has zero nutritional value, but that's what lunch is today. I just need it. I may crumble some vegan bacon over top of it for protein, or I may not. Sometimes, you just have to indulge in that comfort food and tell your conscience to keep quiet when it's telling you that you need to add something green or orange to that plate!

I have come up with a crazy house project that I'm going to be mapping out soon. We''ll see how it goes, and it's something that can be done as the winter weeks drag on. Spring is rainy and cold and muddy, too, so if I drag my feet on the project, it won't matter. Spring will provide additional time for it, as well. 

I'm off to cook my noodles and to maybe spend an hour reading a book while I eat. It's certainly a day built for staying inside!

Oscar's Back! And So Am I

If you found me here again after my hiatus, then you know that I'm back in this space because after a brief return to FB, I finally made the decision to leave FB all together as of January 15th. The picture of Baby Oscar has nothing to do with that. I just think he's so stinking cute. Okay, now that that's out of the way, let's talk about the coming days (not politics, silly, FOOD and WEATHER!). Scroll down past Baby Oscar, please!

Here's the deal: we've had quite a bit of snow and rain so far. Two measurable snows in December, and flurries and ice cold rain off and on fairly regularly. We also had a white Christmas this past year! It was crazy cold but beautiful.

We're all sort of stuck, aren't we? Can't do a whole lot, thanks (not really) to Covid. What I CAN do, though, is start getting my flower seed order together. I generally order in March, but I may order a bit early. We've not had a shipping delay issue yet when we've ordered any type of product, but it would be just my luck that my seeds get delayed! As we all know, planting season doesn't care if your seeds are delayed. If you don't get them into the ground at the right time, then you won't get your gardens!

This time of year is always hectic with my job. Certainly not complaining! I love what I do, and I'm really glad to be busy. But we are back to the concept of time flying! When a person is super busy, the days can go by truly unnoticed. I have to be careful with that. We are two full weeks into 2021, and I cannot figure out how that already happened. Of course, if you know me, the translation calendar-wise is that we are less than ten months away from Halloween. Just sayin'.

I find the last half of January and the entire month of February and most of March to be a challenge in the mood area. I don't think I have full-blown Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), but I do think that, like so many people, it can affect me. I notice that on the rare days when we get decent sunshine, I feel more hopeful and much, much warmer, even if it's only 25 degrees. It does make a difference for me.

So, over the course of many years, one thing that I've always done during the gloomier months is return to my comfort food both figuratively and metaphorically. For me, comfort food is a much broader expression now. I use it to include food for the soul - favorite movies or series; a favorite author; a spiritual ritual - anything that soothes and comforts. I enjoy a really good, intelligent mystery with lots and lots of Constant Comment tea and whatever goody is on hand (or, you know, a run to our local Peggy Ann Bakery for those goodies . . . that's a big thing, too,  ha ha). I don't get a lot of downtime in my days, but when I do, I certainly try to enjoy it! I'll spend some of this weekend identifying a new movie or series to enjoy during the last half of January. 

Here's to 2021. We'll see what it holds for all us. I do not believe that turning the calendar to a new year brings a magical change. Change begins in the heart. Real change is hard and takes courage and understands that there will be hard days where we go backwards instead of forwards. But we can still enjoy the concept of a new year, for sure. Lots of nice things to anticipate in the coming spring season, and I'd like to go on record right now to let Mother Nature know that I'd appreciate it if she'd behave this year. No high winds please!

Blessed weekend to you. Stay safe, wear your mask, wash your hands and avoid going out unless you absolutely have to!