Author: LDSVenus
My New Favorite Cookbook
LDSVenus
Ok I know I’ve been MIA from my blog for a little while. Not sure why but last year was especially hard for me in regard to the 2nd anniversary of my son’s death . I am feeling better and will try to be more diligent in blogging.
I hadn’t planned on posting a blog today but I found a cookbook I ordered last year sometime and realized it was a southern style cook book and might actually have a recipe for hush puppies, being a southern cookbook. I had been looking for a recipe in the numerous books I already had and use often, but none of them had one. It is the Southern Living Heirloom Recipe Cookbook. Low and behold it has a hush puppy recipe. The next page showed a Southern Cornbread recipe, this is when I realized I love this book.
My dad is from the deep south, my mom from the desert south west, that is important for the next memory. My mom liked to make cornbread but she always put sugar in it. My dad would tell her “that is not cornbread, that is cake”. They don’t put sugar in cornbread in the south. I have to say here that I never saw my parents fight, but this was a standing disagreement, lol. Ok back to the book. As I was reading the recipe (which does not include sugar), my memories, regarding my parents disagreement on how cornbread should be made, flooded back. Then I saw the quote under the recipe by Mark Twain “The North thinks it knows how to make cornbread, but this is a gross superstition. Perhaps no bread in the world is quite as good as Southern cornbread, and perhaps no bread in the world is quite as bad as the Northern imitation of it.” At that point I burst out laughing, hahahaha. I do love this book!! It is filled not only with recipes but with much humor and memories from the author.
I miss my mom a lot, so many times I wish she was still around to talk to, I lost her to cancer in 2000. I am thankful to have many memories of our lives as a family and to be able to see the love and humor that was a part of it. 🙂 You would love this cookbook, Dad :).
Memorial Day 2013
For those who have given the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom!
I want to thank all those who are now serving or have served, in any of the branches of the Armed Services, for your love of freedom and for being willing to serve your country. I give a special reverence to those who gave the ultimate sacrifice, their lives, for what they loved, a free and safe country. May we honor them in all we do and may we always keep this country free and safe.
(Tho’ Afghanistan wasn’t included on this older picture, please know they are included in this blog!!)
Happy Easter 2013
He is Risen!
Have a Happy and Blessed Easter
Yet Another Storm, More Snow and Wool!
2013 Polypay Ewe Fleece
Spring 2013 Polypay Ewe Fleece Up Close
You might wonder what storms and snow have to do with wool. I was given a Polypay fleece by a friend who owns a farm where along with growing corn, they also raise sheep for meat. Just before spring they shear the ewes in preparation for lambing. Last year my friend gave me a Polypay lambs fleece (1st shearing at a year old). This year she gave me a fleece from one of her ewes. I needed to skirt it (taking off the dirtiest parts and the short fibers) so that I can send it to the fibermill I use, who will clean it and prepare it into spinnable roving. Because there was a storm on the way, I had to bring it into my house. For those of you who have not been around sheep, they are a bit pungent, but I don’t find the odor that bad, tho my poor neighbors might :P. I did the first picking through for VM (vegetable matter ie: hay, straw, and sheep “stuff”) outside on Monday because I knew the snow was coming and wanted to get through that part before it snowed, it was cold, brrr. But I needed to bring it in where I wasn’t rushed because I was too cold to work on it outside for more than an hr and these sheep are not coated so their fleece has a lot of stuff other than wool in it. I learned from the last fleece I sent in that I need to try and get all the shorter (2nd cuts) out because if I don’t the resulting roving is full of noils (small knots in the roving). They are not preferable to me for spinning. I will mail this fleece off on Monday to the mill and we will see how the roving turns out this time, it’s a learning process for me. In the 2nd fleece picture you can see how nice and crimpy and springy Polypay fiber is :). This fleece also has a lot of lanolin which seems to keep the fleece nice and soft.
Yet Another Storm and Snow
This started yesterday afternoon about 3:00 pm, so far we have a couple of inches of new snow, but it’s still spitting snowing. I know spring is just around the corner, I know spring is just around the corner, I know spring is just around the corner……
*Update* We got 5 inches of snow.
Another Storm & More Snow
Late Feb Snow Storm
.This is what we got on that snow storm last Thursday. They had predicted up to 8 inches of snow. We got about 4 inches. I’m not really complaining, I’m not really a snow person, but I know we need the moisture and the weatherman said it takes about 12″ of snow to make 1 inch of rain.
More snow is suppose to be on it’s way this coming week. We will see what it brings. Hope you all stay warm and safe!!
More Snow
More Snow
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We had an ice storm last Saturday night and Sunday. Then on Wednesday we had a snow storm. This was the snow from that snow Storm. It was such a nice warmer winter until late December, lol. The last couple of weeks we have had temps with the wind chills into the minus 20’s. But to be honest that is warmer than normal as well. We get into the minus 30’s all the way down to minus 50 in December and January. Not my favorite part of winter, can you tell? But just 1 1/2 months and those warmer temps into the 20’s will be more of a reality. So until then I will just keep telling my self, just 1 1/2 more months, just 1 1/2 more months, just 1 1/2 more months……
The master cylinder for the brakes on my car went out so I’m trying to get that repaired so I have my car back, hate when my car is down for repair. But that little car needs something repaired every year, I just have a savings acct ready for when it happens. Told my mechanic that eventually it would be a brand new car :). It gets good gas mileage (especially when it’s not running) so I keep it :P.
I’m working on some spinning and knitting, I’ll get pictures to post of those in the next week.
Winter 2012 – 2013
1st real snow 2012 – 2103
,Well we did get snow this winter, I’ve just not been real good about noting a lot of things. We got this snow just before Christmas when everyone was getting a lot of snow dumped on them. The lower part of our state got about 18 inches but we only got about 4 to 6 inches, but it was a very heavy wet snow. I’m not complaining, but I know we needed it for the farmers who desperately need the moisture. After Christmas we warmed up and the snow melted (this would be our normal mid winter thaw), and we got some rain which was needed and I like better than snow and ice :P. We had a little bit of snow today but it was only a dusting of dry snow. The thaw is over (dang) and winter is back with it’s below zero temps. Tonight is suppose to be -3 and with wind chill -21, brrrr. Tomrrow should be a little warmer with a temp of 5 above, lol, but tomorrow night is saying minus 4 with wind chill around -22. Sigh Glad I don’t have to go anywhere tomorrow night or Tuesday. 🙂 Snow is in our forecast for this coming Thursday.
I didn’t get pictures of my Christmas cactus this year, it did bloom but was very late blooming this year. I’ll try to be better next blooming season. I need to re-pot it again this year. When I buy the pot this spring (in April), I will also get a couple of large pots (like barrel size) because I am determined to get my balcony garden going this year. Not sure how well it will do as I don’t get quite enough sun, but I’m going to try anyway :). I miss having fresh yellow squash and it’s soooo expensive at the grocery store.
I caught a cold in October, about mid month. It was a really bad chest cold that was going around (everyone was complaining about it that caught it), I was sick for 3 weeks and finally went to the Dr who thought it might be going into walking pneumonia, and so I took anti-biotics and got better. Was just getting over that cold and caught a head cold, arrrggg. 5 days into that cold I caught another head cold, beyond arrrggg. I am just now getting rid of the last of the coughing and was finally able to get my flu shot. This has been a really not fun winter. Because I’ve been sick and Thor was sick I didn’t get much done on my knitting or spinning. The little ones that were expecting sweaters have been very patient but are telling me they seriously need them now, lol. I have about 1/2 of a spool of the hand spun done and need to get busy on that so I can make the two scarves I promised. I’ll get there I promise. So I’m hoping for a better year, wishing all of you a better year as well (I think we could all use one).
Rainbow Bridge – Thor
Thor
Today I had to do what all pet owners dread. I took Thor to the vet one last time. He has been ill and on medication for the last year. The medication became two and caused other problems. The meds weren’t working anymore and causing more problems than they were curing. It was finally time to let him go. I will miss my sweet little fur baby, he has been my little companion for a little over 6 1/2 years. Goodbye Thor, I will miss you terribly. 😦
Merry Christmas – 2012
Merry Christmas
1 And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed.
2 (and this taxing was the first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)
3 And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.
4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, unto Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David)
5 To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.
6 And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.
7 And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger: because there was no room for them in the inn.
8 And there were in the same country sheperds abiding in the filed, keeping watch over their flock by night.
9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host prasing God, and saying,
14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
(St Luke 1:1-14)
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