As the wreath falls…

                               And just like that, Christmas 2022 is over 

Gingerbread Houses

One of my favs 2022
Ice skating gummy bears

 Every year, just before Christmas, I spend a week baking Gingerbread houses.  I invite my young nieces, my older nieces and my sister.  This year I baked and assembled 5 gingerbread houses and 1 glass (Jolly Ranchers) house.  I buy tons of squeezable icing, candy, and assorted decorating edibles.  

Lots of baking using Pampered Chef molds

Baking takes several days because one mold makes only half a house.   I have 3 molds so I bake 1 and 1/2 houses a night.   They need to cool completely and lie flat.

Assembly

Assembly is a two person job, one to apply the ‘glue’ (icing) and one to hold it in place while the glue sets.

Jolly Rancher and Starburst placement

Every year we have both glass and gingerbread houses.  I let them decide what I put together for them.  The glass houses are very cool cos you can put a tea light in and it lights up!   But…. Even in December they don’t hold up well in the Florida heat and the roofs slide off and walls fall in.  But super cool while they last!

Melts into a tasty piece of glass

Ready to party!

And finally the table is set, houses are ready and the holiday tradition commences!!

09/11

 I remember where I was on that terrifying day in 2001.  I worked in a school for autistic children and we turned on the tv and watched in horror.  We waited for the parents to pick up their kids and were surprised at how quickly the school emptied even when the danger was a thousand miles away.  At home Poopsy put in a tape to record it not realizing that it would be recorded from every angle and played over and over until it was burned into our heads.  It’s still fresh over two decades later.

A few years ago my BFF and I took a trip to NYC. The 911 memorial was on our agenda (along with a Billy Joel concert and photography class in Central Park).  We gave it a lot of time and our respect and love.  My photos do not do it justice, but if you are ever in New York it is worth a visit.  Beware, it will break your heart and you will leave there forever changed.

Rest In Peace Beloved Queen

 

I have been a faithful royal watcher since Diana came into the picture.  I watched her engagement, wedding, death and funeral.  Over the years I haven’t always agreed with or understood the decisions and decrees made by the queen. But I have always respected her diligence and passion for the role she played.  I think her family has brought her joy and heartbreak, and losing her prince was more than her heart could manage.  And my heart was broken when I heard of her death, she has been a distant part of my life for a very long time.  Another piece of history in the books.  Rest in peace dear Queen Elizabeth, you will be missed.

The Ever Changing Big Family (Sandhill Cranes)

 There’s a comedian (don’t recall his name) who had a joke about moving to Florida and commented on the wildlife.  He exclaimed “they have birds THIS big!!!” With his hand gesturing over waist high.  When we moved to a home in a rural area several years ago there was a resident Sandhill Crane we called Big Bird, Bebe for short.  She is BIG!   Over 3 feet tall and she’s gorgeous with lovely yellow eyes.  She showed up every day and loped around the yard chasing off any other birds at her whim.  

Bebe Big

Then one day she was gone.  We watched for her every day but no Bebe.  We were seriously sad and missed her and hoped she was safe.  

Never fear!  This story has a happy ending!  A few weeks later Bebe came back!  With a boyfriend!!!   We dubbed him Big Daddy and they officially became ‘The Bigs’.  Bebe and Big Daddy decided to start a family and we were all in love with the twins who arrived the following spring. 

Every year Bebe and Big Daddy have blessed us with new baby Bigs sometimes building their nest in the lake and sometimes in our yard or a neighbors.   We worry about predators (gators, coyotes, etc.) and have lost a few over the years.  But the hardest part is when Bebe chases off the baby to make room for the next one.  Most cranes have one baby clutch a year, but Bebe has always had two, and sadly the second set has typically not survived.  

But this year we lucked out and Baby Big was brought to visit us in late June and is growing by leaps and bounds!

Today we noticed that Bebe and Big Daddy flew off leaving Baby behind.  So we ran out to see what was happening to cause such a rare event!  She was standing in the yard lost and looking for mom and dad.

Baby Big left alone 

There was a ton of Sandhill cranes circling over the lake and Bebe and Big Daddy were on the chase.  Once the ruckus settled there were 8 cranes on the opposite shore with the Bigs between them and Baby.  8 cranes together is rare as they typically pair up so this is probably a group of  youthful birds still looking for a life partner.  We kept watch on Baby and observed the behavior of the flock.  They eventually moved off, first two, then four and the final two.  They gathered again farther away.  Bebe and Big Daddy moseyed their way back to Baby and everyone settled back into their routine.

Peaches Peaches Peaches

I love peaches.   I like their fuzzy skin, the big ole pit, their funny shape and the sweetness in the meat. I have a friend in Georgia who managed to get a box of peaches delivered to my front door (when I had the Covid 😒).  They were beautiful and delicious and there were A LOT!  I didn’t want them to go to waste so I started researching how to make peach jam.  And voila! a quick, easy and delicious recipe was found.  It wasn’t the typical jam process where you hot process the jars, but this is called freezer jam that can be kept in the fridge for a few weeks or in the freezer up to a year. And it’s quick and easy!  So I washed up a bunch of jars and lids.   First I blanched the peaches (cut an X across the top to make an easy to peel option), and then peeled and pitted them. I put them in the dutch oven with sugar and lemon juice and started mashing them.  Brought the pot to a boil for a few minutes then ladled them into the jars!  I filled a few regular jam jars and more mini jars since the jam isn’t shelf stable and needs to be eaten within a couple weeks.   OMG it’s delicious!!

Here’s the recipe I used from thebusybaker.ca    This is for one jar but I had lots more peaches and adjusted this basic recipe accordingly.

Easy Peach Freezer Jam

Ingredients

• 8 ripe peaches
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Instructions

• Add the peaches to a deep pot along with the sugar and lemon juice.
• Stir to combine and turn the heat to high, stirring every now and then until the mixture starts to bubble and become hot.
• Use a potato masher to mash the peaches until they begin to fall apart.
• When the mixture begins to boil, continue to stir every 30 seconds or so.
• Use an instant read thermometer to measure the temperature of the jam as it boils.  Be sure the thermometer is measuring at the middle of the jam and not touching the bottom.
• Continue boiling as the temperature climbs and don’t let it stop boiling until it reaches 220 degrees Fahrenheit (for low altitudes) or 218 degrees Fahrenheit (for high altitudes).  This should take about 8 minutes or so.   It took longer for my batch since it was quite a bit larger.
• Once the correct temperature is reached, remove the pot from the heat and carefully spoon the jam into a standard mason jar.  The jam might seem a little bit liquid at this stage - don’t worry!  It will thicken as it cools.
• Add the lids to the jars and allow to cook at room temperature until completely cool.
• Store in the fridge and enjoy!

Notes

• Use the proper water-bath canning process to create a shelf stable version of this recipe, if desired.  The recipe, as it is, is a refrigerator or freezer jam.
• The recipe makes about 1 1/2 cups of jam (to fill a large standard mason jar).
• Store this jam in the fridge for up to 2weeks, and in the freezer for up to 6 months.

Please visit  thebusybaker.ca for additional notes and nutritional info.

Covid Sucks

 After 28 months of masks, cooking 3 meals a day, working from home, missing out on family and friend celebrations…. Covid found its way into my house.  Sweetie came home from a trip on July 4th, tested positive 3 days later and I was positive two days after him.  We called doctors, got meds, followed the protocols, and hoped for the ‘cold Symptom’ Covid.  But not our luck. Within hours of testing positive Poopsie was feverish with body aches and couldn’t lift his head from the pillow.  I masked up, wiped everything down and moved him to the guest room, LOL, cos there’s a chance I don’t have it, right?  I made the mad dash to the grocery store and cleaned the bathrooms and cancelled plans.   Then I went to bed for 10 days.  

I have this fear that I will retire and never get dressed so I obsessively get dressed and make my bed every day, even when I had the vid. And then I would get back into bed.  

Luckily we have awesome neighbors and family who brought food and checked on us every day.  I would meet my across the lake neighbor at the gate, both of us masked, and she would hand bags over the gate then blow kisses from the.road.  You don’t realize how much those tiny kindnesses mean until you need them.  I hope I can repay or pay it forward some day.

So,

I’m sending this message out to the universe to say… Covid Sucks.    But we recovered (with a lingering cough) and we are back to normal life with the threat of Covid.

Independence Day

 “In New York Harbor stands a lady

With a torch raised to the sky

And all who see her know she stands for

Liberty for you and me

I’m so proud to be called an American

To be named with the brave and the free

I will honor our flag and our trust in God

And the Statue of Liberty”

Larnelle

We go to NewYork City every few years and I always watch for this girl when landing and taking off, and make my way to Battery Park to try to catch a ride over to visit in person.  I think she’s beautiful.  She’s French.  She was an amazing actress in Ghost Busters.  She’s reliable and steadfast.  She’s cool.  She was a gift from France on July 4, 1886.  

July 4

July 4 has had an uncanny way of marking history.  We all know the biggie… when Continental Congress signed the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776.  (Read up on this to get the details, it wasn’t as simple as you might think).  But do you know about these other happenings on July 4?

1) Iroquois nation cedes lands to British colonies in the Treaty of Lancaster (July 4, 1744).

2) British soldier George Washington surrenders to French Captain Louis Coulon de during the French and Indian War, ceding Fort Necessity in Fayette County, Pennsylvania (July 4, 1754). 

3) Continental Congress Signs the Declaration of Independence (July 4, 1776).

4) West Point Military Academy founded (July 4, 1802).

5) Thomas Jefferson (3rd U.S. president) dies (July 4, 1826).

6) John Adams (2nd U.S. president) dies, on exactly the same day as Thomas Jefferson. Both men had served as president and attended the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

7) James Monroe, (5th U.S. President), dies (July 4, 1831). 

8) Slavery abolished in New York State, exacerbating tensions over the slave trade in the South (July 4, 1827).

9) Confederate Army of Northern Virginia retreats from Gettysburg marking the end of the invasion of the North (July 4, 1863).

10) The Philippines gain independence from the U.S. (July 4, 1946).

11) Lyndon B. Johnson signs Freedom of Information Act, marking a new era of transparency in government (July 4, 1966).

Is this news?

 In a world where a pandemic is raging, historical legislation is being reversed, gas prices are soaring, hurricanes are forming in the Atlantic, there’s a pilot shortage, the first Mexican born woman rocketed to space…

Is this news?

Soap Making Fun

Leftover batter in a fun mold

I have been making our soap for several years and have a basic day to day recipe that I use for the house.  But every once in a while I like to branch out and make pretty soap.  I follow the monthly Soap Challenge Club and occasionally dip my toe in.  Last winter my niece (JK) and I entered the Mantra Swirl/Mantra Marble’s challenge.  We used the cold process method which uses lye and oil that react together to make soap.  We wear masks, eye protection and gloves.  It is not a challenge for the careless because lye burns are real!  I decided on a pink soap with brown and white swirls named Peppermint Patty.  First I had to find a slow tracing recipe so I would have time to manipulate the batter - it needs to be very fluid but still harden into soap.  Then color the batter and pour into a mold with separators. I alternated the browns/white in the center.  

The Pour

The Swirl

The Cut

Peppermint Patty Entry

I got a few votes and learned some new things.  Maybe I’ll enter again!

JKs Mermaid Tails entry

On my soap I used the basic Mantra Swirl, JK did the Mantra Marbles.  Can you see the difference?

Rooster In Charge

 Our Rooster, Gurgles, is the perfect blend of gentleman and womanizer.   He’s the first one down the ladder in the morning and waits at the bottom for all the girls to join him.  He lets them eat first, makes a particular noise when he finds something interesting or tasty for them to share, and runs to get any strays that wander from the flock.  A couple of days ago one of his girls ran under the lawn mower (we attribute this reckless behavior to their little bird brains and the discovery of freshly cut grass to play in).  We checked her over and didn’t find evidence of broken bones, broken wings or internal trauma, but she was favoring her right foot and there was a wound.  So we cleaned and medicated and kept her inside to rest and heal.   After a day we let her wander around outside (securely away from the others) for a while to assess her injury and ability, and on day three we put her in a cage near the coop so she could be close to her friends. Gurgles was ecstatic and frustrated!  He would ‘talk’ to her through her cell bars and dance around her throwing grass and sticks in his demand for her release. Finally we put her back with the flock to see if she could manage normal chicken life.  Gurgles, as hoped, keeps her safe.  When she needs to rest he stays with her keeping watch.  When she lags behind he hangs back with her.  And when her sisters tease he steps in and settles any disputes.  She is still favoring her leg but healing nicely, phew!  The flock has lost their fascination with the lawn mower, thankfully.  And we feel confident in Gurgles’ ability to manage care for now. 

Saharan Dust - the glory and the pain

A couple of days ago the sunsets across the lake became a gorgeous blending of  reds and golds… and my head started pounding and I got a bad case of sniffles.  Coincidence?  Maybe not!!  Saharan dust has been creeping from Africa across the Atlantic, and found it’s way to Florida where, when the sun is low in the sky it reflects off the dust and brings photo worthy sunrises and sunsets!!  This dry, dusty air can also cause coughing, sniffles, headache… you know, allergy and flu (and Covid) symptoms.  I am enjoying the beautiful skies and willing to medicate the associated pain.  This Saharan Plume is just passing through and will be gone in a few days.  I hear there is another one coming with Florida in its sights so I’ll make sure the allergy kit is stocked and set up the camera.  Happy Summer Solstice!

 

Look up in June - 5 Planets Align

 This month a rare and beautiful sight will be visible in the early morning sky.  Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn are lining up in June with a guest appearance between Venus and Mars by the waning crescent moon on June 24.  The best time to view will be in the 30 minutes before sunrise and should be visible to the naked eye.  For those of us in the Northern Hemisphere look toward the east to southeastern sky, Mercury will be low in the east and the other planets will form an arc upward toward the south.

Don’t miss it cos the next opportunity isn’t until 2040!

A day at Pearl Harbor

My sisters and I visited Pearl Harbor today.

It’s a beautifully preserved memorial in honor of those who gave the ultimate sacrifice and those who survived to fight for our freedom.