One Smart Kid

This little gal has made a video in response to an article written by Dr. Oz that conventionally grown food is just as healthy as local and organic food. He went so far as to say canned foods are a bargain food and just as nutritious.

I never watch Oz because he has always come off as an advocate for big agra and his health information is outdated. He states that eating real, organic, local food is "snobby" and "elitist! What??? Is he kidding? He supports the large food companies, with their CEOs who make more money in a year  than most of us will see in a lifetime, and calls budget-conscious people who support small farms part of the 1%?

Here's my note to Dr. Oz - stop drinking the Kool-Aid! You have, in my opinion, a serious conflict of interest in most of what you present. Studies funded by the Canned Food Association are going to tell people that those BPA lined lids are not good for you? That the pesticide-laden food one finds in those cans is safe? As Coral says.... puh-leeze!

Take a look for yourself and share, share, share. Let's see if we can get Dr. Oz to see this and respond!

Deliciously yours,
Mrs. K.

After Thanksgiving!

Well, I certainly hope your Thanksgiving was as lovely as mine. That nasty stomach virus I had been dealing with finally let up and I was able to enjoy my dinner. I made sure not to over-indulge. Although the wine didn't sit well, otherwise I am back in fighting form! Yay! I don't do sick well.

Our Thanksgiving was spent at my husband's cousin's club (what a mouthful!) which included very moist and delicious turkey, naturally, but also excellent ham, apple cider glazed salmon, and prime rib that didn't require a knife to cut. Along with these, there were traditional fixings, mashed potatoes, gravy, sweet potatoes, green bean casserole, stuffing, a wonderful salad table that included a sauteed mushroom and Brussels  sprouts salad with bits of bacon that was out of this world. I will be figuring out that recipe, for sure. There was plenty of breads; cornbread, rolls, sliced breads of all types, butter and honey butter. Then there was dessert... two rooms worth, traditional pies and everything in between and around, including a sugar free table that I don't think anyone touched, hehe. The chef even made his own truffles and white chocolate covered almonds. OH...... delightful. However, with my tender tummy, I did not over indulge, enjoying a few little bites of this and that along with a lovely cup of tea. Best of all, Mike's cousin and his wife, Aunt Harriet and her friend, Arlene, were there to share the day. We sat a good long time, chatting, laughing, and remembering. My own mother was home with my nephew and a few friends. She said she cooked up a feast that she hasn't done in years when we talked on the phone. Thanksgiving, a wonderful day!

How appropriate that Common Sense Homesteading had this post today - all about natural remedies for.... you guessed it, upset tummy! See the post here. Good information to add to one's housekeeping book or file.

Do you remember those old Victorian housekeeping books? I have a number of them, including Mrs. Beeton's, of course. My edition is probably early 1900s, but there were many editions. I also have a copy of A Jane Austen Household Book, which includes Martha Lloyd's receipts; not an antique, but most interesting. I do have many actual antique books which I love to peruse and even attempt the recipes - adjusting measures and ingredients as needed. There is a lot of advice about remedies too, which Laurie's post at Common Sense Homesteading reminded me of.

Folks are  so quick to take a pill when, most of the time, a cup of chamomile tea with a just a pinch of mint will do the trick for the upset tummy. A tea of crushed fennel seeds also relieves the, pardon the expression, burps. Herbal tinctures are also very good - melissa, passionflower, chamomile, all relaxing when stress is about to overwhelm or you can't sleep. Of course, there are good medicines today, so I like to utilize the best of both worlds; the ultimate tummy soother: Pepto Bismol! Works for me, LOL!

Moving along, it is now officially THAT time of year, the countdown to the holidays! On the agenda for me, finishing handmade gifts, candy and cookie making, cakes, homemade eggnog, and, of course, decorating. I like to have my tree up on December 1st so I can enjoy it all month. Last year, I was way behind getting my decorating done and that definitely will not be happening this year. I am ready to go!

We, in this household, celebrate Chanukah as well as Christmas, Mr. K being Jewish. I love it!!! Getting a little Chanukah gift takes the edge off waiting for Christmas, LOL! (oh, I have to stop with the exclamation points! Argh, there I go again.) After all these years being married, we curb the gift giving to just little goodies, but still, it is the excitement of a sweet little something wrapped in pretty paper. So, in addition to the Christmas food making, there will be LATKES!!!! And no latke incident as happened a few years ago - I will post that another day, a funny story, just before Chanukah which begins the evening of December 8th. Out with the menorah and blue paper!!! Onward potatoes, onions, applesauce and sour cream!!! The smell of frying will permeate my home for a few days, but it IS worth it. Nothing like homemade potato pancakes!!!

What about all of you? Ready to decorate? Recovered from the wonderful gastronomic indulgences of Thanksgiving and plotting those for Christmas? My Christmas pudding fixings await me!

Did I say Christmas pudding???? I certainly did. Today is Stir-up Sunday, the Sunday before Advent or the Sunday after Thanksgiving, according to some. In any event, mine is not a traditional plum pudding, but a dried apricot pudding. Each and every Sunday after making it, I unwrap it and douse it in rum, wrap it back up and leave it in the fridge to do its thing. By the time Christmas Eve rolls around, that baby is potent! And quite delicious with a lovely, buttery rum sauce drizzled over it. Lights up like a torch too, hehe! Yes, we set it alight in the traditional manner. Fun, fun.

So, off I go, because in addition to the pudding and some ham steaks for supper, there is stitching to be done.

Tangled in threads and deliciously yours,
Mrs. K.

Remembering Thanksgiving

When I was a child, Thanksgiving was a very exciting time. Most years, family joined us for dinner, but sometimes, it was just the immediate family, my parents and us kids. My dad always cooked breakfast for us on Sundays and holidays, pancakes! He made great pancakes and we ate piles, literally. He would just keep cooking until he could see we were full, then he'd sit down and have his breakfast.

There was one thing my dad, who's gone now three years as of October, did for us on Thanksgiving when we were kids, that I always remember with such sweetness. We'd come to the breakfast table, waiting for those pancakes, and there was a little gift at each of our places; just small things, a little mini tea set, a little girl's make-up kit - not really make-up, but the play stuff. My brother would find Match Box cars, little tools, those sorts of little toys and goodies one found in the Five and Ten, or in our case, the Hopewell Pharmacy. We could never wait to see what he got us. Small things, big memories.

Yesterday, as I am just getting over a stomach virus from hell, I made a pot of homemade chicken soup. I had a large pack of chicken thighs in the freezer, so I used those. I cooked the chicken with some onions, garlic, celery with leaves, and a couple of carrot. When the meat was cooked, I removed it, but threw the bones and skin back into the pot, cooking another couple of hours. I then strained the broth and put it back into the pot. Along with more fresh onion, lots of garlic - all told, about 8 cloves, carrots, and celery, I threw in a leftover half bag of frozen spinach, some barley, about a third box leftover ditilini macaroni, and finally, some cheese tortellini. That is the best chicken soup I have ever had, and I consider myself a connoisseur. Love chicken soup.

Wasn't sure how Mr. K. would react to such a mixed pot, but he ate three bowls and told me I better make it again just that way. He said I could always add matzoh balls too! As I've mentioned before, we mix it up in our home and it's all good.

Tomorrow we are off to Mr. K's cousin's club, as we have been doing for the past few years, joining relatives and friends. They put on an incredible spread, so it will be a wonderful meal. For leftovers, I've got that pot of soup in the fridge, but who knows, maybe Sunday, as I stir up my Christmas pudding, I'll make a little turkey dinner just for the two of us. As for the pudding, I'll share the adventure of the first one I made later in the week.

Deliciously yours,
Mrs. K.  

Whole Foods Sells Organic Food From CHINA?

Take a look at this! If you shop at Whole Foods, you will want to take a closer look at what you are buying and where it comes from. READ THE LABELS! Whole Foods brand California Blend Frozen Organic Veggies are from China! While California is shown in large type, the "from China" note is in very small print. It isn't only these vegetables, either, it is other foods as well.

I found out about this from The Healthy Home Economist blog. I highly recommend this blog for keeping informed about traditional, healthy foods and how to cook them.

There are problems with products from China all the time. Remember all the dead pets? Why would anyone want to buy so-called organic food from them? Why is any market supposedly dedicated to organic, local, sustainably grown food buying produce from China in the first place? 

Watch this and learn, then let Whole Paycheck Foods what you think. 

Deliciously yours,
Mrs. K.

Plum Butter, Yum!

Yesterday was a busy day as I finally got my plum butter made; I had planned to do it Sunday, but got sidetracked with other things... reading a couple of good mysteries and stitching. I just needed a lazy day, so I gave myself one. However, those plums were ready to go and so I had to get busy.

This jam is such a gorgeous color in addition to being SO delicious! I used a mixture of dark purple and red plums, sugar, cinnamon, and just a touch of cloves. Perfection, if I do say so myself. ; )

I always begin by selecting the most luscious looking plums I can find. I needed about six pounds. I wash them  and let the soak a bit in a tub of water to which I've added some vinegar; this is to clean them really well. I then rinse and quarter them, removing the pit. I add a bit of water, just enough to keep them from sticking, cover and cook until soft. Plenty of checking and stirring is needed. Sometimes a bit more water needs to be added, but these were very juicy so I didn't have to. When softened, I put the cooked plums through a food mill, measure, so I know how much sugar to start with, and put back into the pot. Peels were disposed of and I was ready to make the fruit butter.

Sugar, I started this batch with half a cup of sugar per cup of fruit puree, then the spices, a tablespoon of cinnamon and a half teaspoon of cloves, were stirred in. I slowly brought to a boil, then reduced the heat a bit. Once the sugar has completely dissolved, I taste and make any adjustments in sugar and spice. This batch needed a half cup more sugar, but the spices were perfect.

Bubble, bubble, simmering away, stirring with my lovely, handmade, heart-shapred wooden spoon. I bought it last year at the Southern Highlands Craft Fair in Asheville, NC. Puts a bit of extra love into all this goodness. When I think the consistency is just right, I check my fruit butters by placing a bit on a chilled saucer that has been waiting in the freezer. I put the saucer back in the freezer for a moment or so, then check. Perfect timing yesterday!

Into the jars, edges wiped, lids and screwbands placed, I try not to burn my fingers on the hot, sterilized jars, but, ouch, they are hot!

I use the water bath canning method for 15 minutes. Boiling away!

 The end result... ooh deliciousness! The color is so pretty too. As the jars are removed from the canner, I wait for that "ping" as they seal - love that little sound! Naturally, Mr. K. couldn't wait to sample some, and since there was one jar that was only about two thirds filled and didn't go into the canner, he helped himself. There's always one of these left that goes right into the fridge, after the taste tester has done his job, of course!

Today... pear butter, which I've not made before. I found some lovely pears so I thought I'd give it a try. I'm rather partial to pears. I checked through my cookbooks, but couldn't find a recipe, so I checked on line and found one. I was concerned about the canning method, wanted to be sure there wasn't any issue. The recipe I found adds a little orange juice. Sounds good! I'm also going to get my pomanders done tonight and get them to curing. You can imagine how wonderful my home smells with all this going on.

Next week is apple butter time. Apple butter is my favorite. There is just something about that taste, the apples, my favorite fruit, and all those spices. I love the scent of cinnamon, cloves, allspice, along with apple and orange. I make a simmering pot pourri that keeps our little place smelling lovely with these ingredients for when I'm not making fruit butters!

Oh well, off to the kitchen!

Deliciously yours,

Mrs. K

Memories

I was reading today's post over at the Blind Pig and Acorn blog, all about life in Appalachia, (www.blindpigandtheacorn.com). Tipper's post was a list of remembrances by one of her readers about growing up in Western North Carolina. I have loved Western North Carolina and Appalachia since my very first visit some years ago. It seems something just draws me there and I keep going back, hoping to move there someday.

I grew up in upstate New York, near the Catskills, and lived in a small town, an area much like Western NC. That's probably the reason I love NC so much - nostalgia. I have always felt I was born in the wrong time because I love to do things the old fashioned way, love old crafts. I prefer cooking right from scratch, canning, weaving and embroidery, etc. There is so much of that back home and in NC. I know I won't get Mr. K. back to New York, but I keep hoping for at least halfway back!

The list Tipper posted by one of her readers reminded me of my favorite spring and summer pursuits as a child in the country. Inspired by that list, I thought I'd share some of them here.

- picking wild strawberries in fields and woods - those little tiny ones.
- going barefoot as soon as it was warm enough. We never wore shoes all summer and we would use our toes to pop tar bubbles on the tar and gravel road. Took a long time to get the tar off!
- building forts, with the trees that fell during winter storms, in the the woods.
- wandering the woods, alone or with friends, without any cares or fears.
- lightening bugs!
- watching bees on the flowers.
- barbecue every weekend - hot dogs, hamburgers, steak; especially my dad's Chinese hot dogs and hamburgers!
- sleeping out on the porch or in homemade tents out in the backyard.
- helping to plant our garden.
- stealing tomatos and cucumbers from the gardens to snack on, fresh and still warm from the sun.
- spraying each other with the garden hose to cool off until we got an "above-ground" swimming pool.
- my mom's potato salad with those hot dogs and hamburgers.
- watching the vegetables grow. I was born in the city and we moved to the country when I was eight. I was fascinated by all the flowers, gardens and trees.
- my mom's daffodils in the spring when it seemed too cold for flowers to be blooming.
- weeping willow trees.
- the row of lilac bushes in our backyard and the scent of them.
- neighborhood block parties.
- my first taste of venison.
- sitting on the patio on a Saturday night with everyone, roasting marshmallows, listening to the adults talk.
- falling asleep with the windows open, listening to the sounds of nature, trying to figure out what each sound was.

When we moved from the city to the country, my first experience was getting stung by a yellow jacket. We had some Lombardi trees along the driveway and I was sitting playing with the dirt around the trees when all of a sudden I felt the most awful stinging on my finger. I let out a wail and my parents and relatives, who were helping with the move, came running out. A neighbor came over and diagnosed the problem. A little ice and love from mom made all well. After that, stepping on bees and getting a sting in the foot was no big deal, we'd just rub our feet on the grass and went on our way. I guess the rubbing pulled the stinger out! Funny, everyone got stung now and then, bees, yellow jackets, wasps, but I never knew of anyone who was allergic.

No one would mind when we kids would steal a few vegetables to snack on. Those were the best, still warm and just so good. Sometimes we'd even make a salad. Everyone had gardens, some bigger than others, and people shared the bounty.

Now, my dad loved to barbecue and we loved to eat it so we barbecued a lot. He came up with a very funny, but really good idea to top burgers and hot dogs - Chun King chow mein!!! It sounds weird, but honestly we loved it. He would take one of my mom's copper bottomed pots and heat the chow mein on the edge of the grill. We'd bring our plates over, rolls open and waiting. He'd give us a burger or dog and top it with a spoonful of the chow mein. Boy, they were good. When friends would join us, they'd hesitate, but eventually give in and try it. They never could believe how good it was.

Weeping willows are still my favorite trees. It was such an amazing thing for us, fresh from the city and even later, to put a branch in some water and watch the roots come out. Those branches grew into trees pretty fast too and made wonderful places to to play under. We would also just stick a branch in the ground and it would grow into a tree pretty much in no time at all.

And I still love the sounds of night time, frogs in the lake, the wind in the trees and hedges, all the other rustles and sounds I can't identify, that lovely stillness that comes on slowly as we turn on a few lamps. We settle down, me with my needlework or a good book, and Mr. K. in the den watching TV or sometimes joining me in the living room, sitting in the willow rocker, chatting.

Life is good and so are the memories.

Deliciously yours,
Mrs. K.

Happy May & What's New!

Wow, May already! Time sure seems to be flying by - now that I'm all grown up and would rather it didn't! I remember being a teen and wanting time to whiz by so I would be an adult. Didn't know how good I had it! Now, I'm on the latter side of 50 and would like it to just SLOW down. Seriously, I used to wish for Friday and it took so long to get to the weekend, but now... before I know it the week is over! OK, enough of that! Happy May to all!

 I'm up to a new thing and I thought I'd share. I have very long, butt-length, hair, but it is very, very fine. Mr. K calls it angel hair - he's so romantic, as I've mentioned before. Anywho... I had been reading about how it is very hard on hair to shampoo daily, let alone put all those chemicals that are in shampoo on our heads. I read about the "no-poo" (eyes rolling) method and thought I'd give it a try. Now, my scalp tends to be very oily so I knew going in I was going to have some adjustment issues. That's what gorgeous barrettes and hair clips are for, right? So, about three weeks ago, instead of my usual shampoo, I just threw some baking soda on my wet head - not much, and worked it over my scalp, giving it a good scrub. I rinsed with plain water (in the shower) and then poured about a half cup of apple cider vinegar rinse through it, letting it sit for about five minutes. My rinse recipe is 1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar (organic) diluted with 2 cups of filtered water and 6 drops of pure lavender essential oil. I use about a half cup of the rinse, letting it flow down my hair. I sort of gently mix it into the hair. After rinsing, it still smells like vinegar and lavender, but that vinegar smell dissipates. My hair feels very difference than when I use shampoo. Shampooing makes your hair feel squeaky clean, which means all the good oils have been stripped away. My new method leaves my hair feeling heavy and silky, combs out very easily too.

I only do this twice a week, after years of daily shampooing - some people go a few weeks, but I can't, at least not yet. However, I have bangs and they get a little oily looking so I use cosmetic clay which I dust into them and the hair around my face. I let it sit while I do my make-up, then comb out. Voila! Oil-free bangs. The cosmetic clay works great as a dry shampoo; sprinkle, wait, then brush. I like to place a drop of lavender essential oil on my hand, rubs my hands together and then run them through my hair to give it a nice fresh scent. Oh... and I brush out my hair every night with a natural bristle brush. I read that this distributes the natural sebum (oil) down the length of one's hair, keeping it shiny and moisturized.

So far, so good. I am noticing that my scalp's oil production is adjusting and my hair is nice and shiny, tangle free and liking this method. I tend to keep it pinned up most of the time because hair this long gets into everything - including a small fan one time! Luckily I was able to turn the fan off before any damage was done, however, it took a few minutes to untangle myself. I've also dipped it in various items, but I'll skip over that. Yikes!

So this is my second step in getting chemical products out of the house. I began with using coconut oil for cleansing my face and moisturizing. It is a fabulous make-up remover too, just melts eye makeup right off. Next on the agenda is housecleaning products - I've begun making my own after collecting recipes from the internet and various books. Vinegar figures prominently along with baking soda, as you might have guessed. Love to hear from anyone who is making their own cleaners and skin care products. Oh... and if you are using the "no-poo" method, I'd love to hear about your experience.

Well, that's what I've been up to. More progress has been made on the anniversary needlework, but I keep getting distracted by books, ducks, contemplating life - my usual. Time for a cup of tea and some stitching on that anniversary piece. Leftovers for supper, so I'm good to go!

Deliciously yours,
Mrs. K.

The End of An Era!

This is my old, 1973, avocado green stove. My mother-in-law chose it, along with the same color fridge, when their condo was being built and since it still worked fine, we didn't replace it when we moved in, around 2001. The fridge passed on in 2002 - not bad, but the stove continued on! Last week, after almost 40 years of service, Madame Hot Avocado passed on. The burners are still fine, but the oven just stopped. She doesn't owe us a penny, she served us well, may she rest in peace.

YAY!!! Oh, I can't help it, that color!!! It just didn't sit well with me. In fact, it was one of my mother-in-law's favorites back in the day; even her living room/dining area had green carpet. Thank goodness that had been replaced! But honestly, almost 40 years - that's a heck of an appliance!

Off we went to the Sears Appliance store and Manny, our extremely helpful and very nice salesman, showed us what was available. Now, I did really want the same type range top - coils. Well, while you can get them, they are rather passe' - my age showing, as I really didn't want that flat glass top range, I had heard horror stories about keeping it clean; in fact, my mom has one and it seems a lot of trouble to keep clean. However, Manny explained it all to me, despite my crabbiness, and with my husband encouraging Manny, they won me over. Of course, they also told me not to expect almost 40 years of service from these new appliances, but I'm not buying that - this will last a good long time. As for Mr. K, I told him that mine is the final word regarding the choice of stove... unless he wanted to take over cooking. He went off to look around. (snicker, hehehe)

Delivery was yesterday. The two men and one woman (delivery/installation guy had two trainees) were really super nice and Madame Hot Avocado was gone and the new stove was in, including moving a little cabinet, in less than twenty minutes! No, I am not a paid spokesperson for Sears, but, honestly, the whole process was easy peasey and the sales and delivery folks were just plain nice.

So... here's a photo of my new stove - black, big oven, those wonderful burners and warming burner too. I know... most people have this, but you have to remember I've been cooking in 1973 for all these years!

Now I have to finish putting everything back in the cabinet that we had to move as well as get rid of another one that will no longer fit - the old stove was 26 inches wide, this one is 30. And yes, I cooked dinner on it last night - tortellini Alfredo - quite yummy. Wow, that water boiled fast on the double burner! The little warming burner kept the sauce at the perfect temperature and Mr. K was very happy with his dinner.

Today I plan to do a little baking, just to try out the oven, among other housewifely chores. I also need to work on my anniversary needlework which needs to be finished and framed by the end of May as well as music practice. 

Oh... speaking of needlework for anniversaries, this is the third time I am stitching something for ours. The first one, in honor of 15 years, I designed myself, stitched it and NEVER framed it! Going through some other unframed work, I found it and Mr. K said we should have it framed - finally. So here it is, after 17 years! Different types of stitches, a drawn thread band, a little heart button and a favorite verse.

For our 30th anniversary, I stitched this little pillow which Mr. K keeps on his side of the connubial couch. He gives it a little squeeze every night before giving me a little squeeze! He's very romantic, is my Mr. K. 

This design is by Beth at Heartstring Samplery with a couple of little changes to personalize it. 

So... there we are, I better get busy! Brownies, music, and stitching!!!

Deliciously yours,

Mrs. K

Busy, Busy!!!

Well, the tree did not get decorated - but will be by Friday!! Absolutely, without any more interference. Ah, well, no stress, it will be what it is. Some things, like tearing apart book cases and such, proved to be a bigger job than I anticipated. For some reason, beyond my comprehension, I decided to reorganize my little studio as well. I know - let's not go there.

Decisions, decisions!!! I'm trying to narrow down the cookie list. Of course my shortbread must be first on the list - there could be a riot at my door otherwise. Oh, and those ricotta cookies - must have those too. However, I have come across some other recipes I would like to try, such as Italian Almond Cookies, Maple Chocolate Chip Shortbread and a basic sugar cookie. I always make fudge as well and  can't leave that out. I came across a recipe for Pumpkin Spiced Fudge which sounds yummy so I may make a pan of that to go along with the traditional fudge. Oh... and the eggnog! Last year I made real, honest to goodness, homemade eggnog - from scratch. There is NO going back. It was not only delicious beyond anything I have ever had, but it is nutritious with all that organic whole milk and eggs, lovely spices and just enough honey to give it a touch of sweetness. You won't believe this, but I didn't share it; no, I kept it all for myself - and no, I'm not ashamed to say it! ; ) This year I will make a bigger batch so I can share, but it does take a great many eggs, milk and some heavy cream.

There are also some aromatherapy blends and linen mists - all completely pure and natural - to be blended and bottled. What else? Oh... I have some goodies from the beauty supply which I can't mention here because of certain individuals that read this blog! Hehehe - just think about that!

I just found this in the bottom of my stitching basket! Stitched last year and never put together! I can't believe I didn't finish it. The design is from Cherished Stitches and was in the 2010 Just CrossStitch ornament issue. Another task on the list - albeit a quick one. This is for my tree.

So there I am, busy doing thinks I love to do for a season I so enjoy. Hope you are enjoying this time as well and letting the stress just flow away. Breathe in the scent of pine, bayberry and cedar - that will make you feel good!

Deliciously yours,
Mrs. K

Holidays

Christmas tree with my needlework light close by!

I'm sure everyone is gearing up for their holidays. I'm a little behind in the decoration department because I decided to tear things apart and really have at the cleaning. In any event, in this house we celebrate multiple holiday as my husband is Jewish. I myself love to celebrate anything and everything so we have an open house on Christmas Eve, light bayberry candles on the Winter Solstice and celebrate Chanukah. In general, we celebrate the arrival of winter - despite the fact we are in Florida.

We both were born and raised in New York - once a New Yorker, always a New Yorker, and honestly, I'd probably go back if I knew I wouldn't have to drive in the snow - it terrifies me. Anyone who has lived in Florida for a good length of time dresses appropriately for our winter - anything below 70 degrees and out come the sweaters, boots, coats - seriously!!!! And we all complain about the how cold it is. Meanwhile, relatives and friends who live where it really is cold just have no sympathy or patience. We live where it is really hot most of the year, I guess it thins the blood and we freeze when the mercury heads below seventy, what can I say? I won't even go into how we react to fifties - and yes, it drops down that low sometimes.

I'm always hoping it will be chilly around Christmas and especially Christmas Eve. Our little condo is the standard brand - and almost forty years old, but quite cozy and nice. The one thing that was missing and I desperately wanted was a fireplace. Well, there's just no adding a real fire place to a condo. Being me, I went on a quest to find a way. I didn't want an electric fireplace because they actually give off heat. In my search, a few years ago, I found something called a ventless fireplace at Plow and Hearth - see this link -http://www.plowhearth.com/Petite%2DVisionary%2DJelled%2DFuel%2DFireplace_p8278.html
This is almost exactly what mine looks like. Those "logs" are ceramic and you place these little cans of natural alcohol gel behind them. This stuff actually crackles and pops just like a real fireplace, but... no heat to speak of, all natural, no toxins. It looks like they are using two cans of gel in this photo, and you can use up to three. I have only ever used one.  I remember when we first got it, friends came over and I lit the fire. All of a sudden I noticed no one was talking, we were all staring at the fire, listening to the crackling - we were all delighted. So I use it quite a bit and it makes me feel like I've got the real deal. And yes, we hang our stockings there too! Even in the summer time one can use this since there isn't any heat - yay!!!

My husband never celebrated Christmas growing up, of course. He came from a very conservative Jewish home. There was quite a to-do when we married, I can tell you and not from my side. However, it all worked out and I was extremely close to my in-laws. They would come to our place for Christmas. My hubby tends to get really excited about Christmas despite the fact that we rarely exchange more than one gift. We've been married for over 31 years, there just isn't anything we need. Still, he wakes me early, asking, "Is it Christmas yet?' and drags me out of bed. I usually find that he's been up, the tree is lit and the music is playing. He's very sweet.

When I was a little girl, one of my aunts lived in Germany as her husband was in the army. She sent us advent calendars and since then I have just loved them. I always buy one for myself and this year is no different. I purchased mine from The Victorian Trading Company, http://www.victoriantradingco.com/, along with my holiday cards. I love all things Victorian and this is a great place. Ah... I just realized I haven't opened the little window for today... better do that!

I bet you're wondering about the pork! Yes, hubby eats pork, we do not keep Kosher. There are many things he strongly adheres to: never drives or even leaves the house on the high holidays, etc. but the man loves a pork roast! What can I say?

For Chanukah, I make latkes (potato pancakes), the delight of my husband's life, and we light candles. DH would eat those pancakes every night if I made them. Where he puts them, I don't know, he eats a truckload. You would think I was feeding a family of ten. I prefer Chanukah early in December because it takes the edge off waiting for a gift, LOL, but many is the time that we are lighting the menorah and the Christmas tree is decorated nearby, and the Solstice candles are burning merrily too. It's all good, don't you think?

Perhaps if the rest of the world thought this way there really would be peace on earth. And now... off to open today's window on the advent calendar and brew a cup of tea!

last year's celebration

Deliciously yours,

Mrs. K

New Blog!

So... who am I and what am I going to be up to here? Well, I'm very much in love with my home, it's my sanctuary - there's no better place I like to be. However, I have lots of interests, get about town and enjoy all sorts of things. I wanted to make a place to share that joy, so this is it.

I'm sort of a gypsy-spirited gal - mature - turned 55 a few months ago, but feel like I'm 11 at heart sometimes. I rather like my age; while I know there's still a lot to learn, I know I've "gotten" many important things - I KNOW what counts now. That makes me happy and I think I am able to just enjoy life more.

I love to stitch, craft, weave, cook, bake, write, oh... all things Victorian, secret vice - regency romances and the list goes on. Each day is an adventure. Like today! Up early and off to the post office to mail a couple of packages, I returned home with the intention of tending to some cleaning and holiday decorating. Well... my buddy called and we were off to the needlework shop. The cleaning can wait!

In the meantime, with the holidays coming on fast and so many of us baking cookies, here is a link to the Farmer's Almanac and their tips for cookie making.

http://www.almanac.com/content/ten-things-cookie-bakers-really-ought-know?utm_source=Almanac+Recipe+Box&utm_campaign=4f931378d4-OFA_Recipe_Box_11-30-2011&utm_medium=email&mc_cid=4f931378d4&mc_eid=1544a334d6

Wow - long link! Enjoy!

Mrs. K