It's Hard to get Much Better Than This

The day after Thanksgiving, Julie and Sydney came to our house for a few hours. We three girls had the house all to ourselves and decided it was a nice quiet time to teach Sydney how to knit. Julie baked a double batch of chocolate chip cookies and Sydney patiently watched as I showed her the basics of knitting. I love the look of absolute concentration on her sweet face.
Well, she got the hang of it pretty fast and when we realized she was going to do more knitting on her own, we scooted to a nearby knitting shop to buy her a pair of her own knitting needles. There's no stopping her now. She left that day talking about the Barbie and American Girl doll clothes she was going to be making.

Hmmmmm.....now I know where to send all that leftover yarn I've been saving in my stash! Julie called the next day to report that Sydney was up at night with the light on in her bedroom knitting. Giggle.....don't you just love it? I know I do.

Yup, it doesn't get much better than this,

Grammy Debbie

Linda, this one's for you

Alright, I just had to post a picture of our turkey before it headed to our Thanksgiving table. Julie did an awesome job carving and arranging the platter, don't you think? But, now back to the reason for this post. Miss Linda, wife to Joel's cousin, Steve, has been after me for more than 5 years to give up my stuffing recipe.

She jokingly told me back then that she wanted me to write down the recipe before I went into surgery 5 years ago.........you know.........just in case I didn't make it out of surgery. Ha! It's not that I didn't want to share it, the problem was that each year I just made it up as I went along. Most of my recipes are from other women in my life or they come straight out of the hundred or so cookbooks that are in my collection. I love to share recipes and as much as I love to cook, I had never actually measured and written down this one and only original recipe of my very own.

How flattering that anyone would even want a copy! But then the kids started to ask how I made the stuffing and I realized that I needed to get serious and write something down so they could duplicate the taste they have come to know as our own stuffing. I think most cooks have had a taste for something their relatives consistently made as they were growing up and no matter how hard you tried, the recipe just never came out exactly as we remember it tasting when someone else made it. Well, I don't want my kids to feel that frustration, so this year I seriously measured and fine tuned the recipe so it would be easy to make. There's nothing fancy about it, kids and Linda, but it's what we love. Hope you enjoy it.

Our Family's Best Holiday Stuffing

2 tblsp. olive oil

1 medium onion, diced

4 stalks celery, diced

2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and diced

4 cups Pepperidge Farms Cornbread Stuffing

6 cups Pepperidge Farms Country Style Cubed Stuffing

1 cup raisins

2 cups coarse chopped pecans

1 tsp. dried thyme

3 cups low sodium chicken broth

1 stick butter

salt and pepper to taste

Saute' onion and celery in olive oil until onion is opaque. In large bowl place apples, both types of stuffing, raisins, pecans and thyme. Heat chicken broth and butter in microwave until butter is melted. Pour over the stuffing mixture and stir until evenly moist. Season to taste. Pour into 9" X 13" casserole dish and bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes.

I couldn't resist taking a pic of my newest idea. There is never enough room in the refrigerator when preparing holiday meals. I had made all my casseroles the day before Thanksgiving but how do you find enough room for them in the refrigerator? Duh! It occured to me that I could stack them by using my baking cooling racks in between the dishes which prevented the weight of the ones on top from crushing the ones down below. Hope this tip works as well for you as it did for me.

Still "stuffed",

Debbie

Recipes and lists, Oh, My!

For those of you who think I'm so organized...let these pics be evidence to the contrary. My kitchen looks like something blew up in it and I've only just begun. You can't see the cooler hanging out in front of the oven.....I needed to use it to hold the turkey after it's in the brine bag since it won't fit in my refrigerator with everything else that's in there!

The cooked giblets are cooling in their pot alongside the brine that also has to cool before dunking the bird into it's lusciousness. My recipe books are out and scattered across the counter for reference and before the night is out, I'm sure every surface of the kitchen will be covered with dirty pots, pans and dishes.

And speaking of the bird, my "fresh" 25 lb. turkey had ice crystals on it when I opened it this morning. Good thing I didn't wait until Thanksgiving day to open it up and discover that little detail or we'd be having Chinese for dinner. Trust me, the turkey is soaking in cool water even though the sink looks empty in the photo.

Ok, doesn't the brine look pretty in the blue dutch oven? I had to try this recipe after seeing it on Pioneer Woman's website. I'll let you know if it keeps the turkey moist and tastes as good as this looks. Well, I guess I am going to get back to the turkey, pies and casseroles.

Happy Thanksgiving,

Debbie

Christmas must be near

I thought I'd show you what I've been working on in the sewing room lately. The owner of the Quilt Shop of DeLand asked me to make up this log cabin sample for her to hang in the shop for the holidays. Piecing it was straight forward and Judy provided the traditional fabrics that went into the quilt.

Here is a closeup of some of the free hand machine quilting pine boughs I sewed on the tree. If you'll notice, I took the pics out by our pool......Christmas?Pool?80 degree weather? Hmmmm.......I hope it cools down about 20 degrees before Christmas really arrives.

One of Santa's elves,

Debbie

Susan's Quilt; yup, it's done!

This past Labor Day weekend my friend, Susan Marie and I, went up to the river to stay at the cabin for a few days of girlfriend R&R..........and to quilt. You see, Susan loves fabric and color and all things sewn as much as I do. She had saved her gently worn capri pants that were her favorites and wanted to piece them together to create a tropical colorful quilt so she would never have to give those pants away!

Well, Susan had done a lot of the work ahead of time by tearing them apart and we began the task of cutting the pants legs into squares and rectangles. At the end of Day one we had them all cut out and laid in a pattern we both liked. Then with 2 sewing machines set up, the piecing began.

Susan started joking that we'd never get finished.........ok, I need to clarify something right here and now......Susan kinda sorta has a cute little habit called "I don't always finish what I start.". Ummmmmm.....that just doesn't compute in my "git 'er done" brain. I reassured her that she would indeed go home with a finished quilt. She expressed some more doubt that the whole thing would be done and she would finish it "some day". Ha! Not on my watch!

Needless to say you can see where this is going. She most certainly did finish the quilt before we left for home and it turned out darned cute, too, wouldn't you agree? I had teased her for days that I was the one who drove us up there and she was not going to be returned home until the quilt was competed. After the look of shock wore off on her face, we giggled about it for the next two days while she "got it done".

We're still friends, so I guess I didn't push her too hard and she is very proud of her quilt, and rightfully so.

Good job, Susan,
Deb

Ah, yes......

Many of you already know that my mother-in-law's husband went to heaven in June. Madalen is doing remarkably well transitioning once again to life without her spouse. She is, however, suffering from moderate dementia. We make certain that her needs are taken care of and check in with her frequently but we also realize her days of living independently are quickly coming to a close. One downside is that since Ken died, she just sits in her living room in her recliner. Her lack of interaction with others has been a big concern for us and we feel she needs the stimulation of conversation, but she simply won't get off that chair.

Most of the time her memory loss simply means we have to search for that document a little harder or recheck her grocery list before leaving her house to be certain we're not buying yet another 5 lb. tin of coffee to add to the others already in the cupboard. She is unable to tell us the mysterious name of the woman who takes her to church every Sunday and is shocked when we discover 10 bags of old, filled kitchen garbage bags in her little shed that desperately need to be hauled to the dumpsters nearby before her building gets condemned.

So imagine my surprise when Joel got off the phone after talking with her last night and he was grinning. Usually when he hangs up the phone after talking to his mom, he has a look of concern on his face. Not last night, nope, grinning from ear to ear. Ok, I'll bite.....what's going on? He said that his mom was having 8 women over on Friday night and they were going to "play something". As he questioned her further, she said she didn't know who was coming or what they were going to play because she couldn't remember. We both giggled because we were tickled that she was actually entertaining a group of ladies again. Don't know who they are or what they're going to do, but she has actually asked ladies to come over to her house! Can't wait to hear how it went.....we'll have to call her Saturday morning.

Taking one day at a time,
Debbie

Can't Let It Go

Ok, I started to blog about this several times today and kept shying away from it, but I can't seem to let it go. A few days ago, I saw an interview on tv with a pastor and his 10 year old son. Their story was very touching and caught my interest. I looked them up on the internet and immediately downloaded their book onto Joel's Kindle so I could begin reading it. This story has had a profound effect on me and it seems that I should share with all of you something that has hit me this hard.

You can discount what you are about to read and I'm fine with that or you can be amazed like I was. The name of the book is "Heaven is For Real" and the author/dad is Todd Burpo. You can read excerpts from the book on their website: http://www.heavenisforreal.net/ and if you are as intrigued as I was you will soon find yourself purchasing the book and reading it all in one sitting. Also, you can view the video @ http://video.foxnews.com/v/4419243/heaven-is-for-real . By the way, if you have a tender heart for the Lord, grab the tissues.

The book is neither long nor lofty which makes the effect it has on it's readers all the more amazing. The father is very forthright in his recalling of the events and the son is so believable. I don't usually go "all in" for hyped scenarios in supposed real events books, but this one has definitely caught my attention. Let me know what you think.

Pondering,
Debbie

The Great White Egret

This morning as I sat down in my cozy chair which looks out over the backyard, I looked up and this is what I saw a mere 10 feet away. Isn't he wonderful? He was standing there on one foot, occasionally taking a drink from the pool. I had never noticed how large the feet of these birds are until today.

I started my reading and would occasionally look up to see if he was still there. Then he decided to show off and preen for me. He kept nuzzling his pure white feathers and craning his neck in impossible configurations as he went about his morning routine. Show off!

He took a few more sips from the pool and effortlessly lifted himself off the ground and up over the roof of our house. Maybe I'll see him again tomorrow. Hope you enjoyed the show as much as I did.

Deb

Grandma's cabin

This is the entrance to what we call "Grandma's cabin" up at the river. The owner's mother stays here when she comes to the camp and she's our neighbor's grandma, hence, Grandma's cabin. It sits right on the riverfront and has a pretty little porch, just the right size for sitting a spell and enjoying a cup of coffee.
The raised boardwalk keeps your shoes off the sandy soil and looks pretty, too.

Couldn't you just cozy up with a good book on the screened porch? I know I could. As a matter of fact, I often sneak over there and hang out with my coffee and enjoy the view of the river.

See what I mean? The outside deck is snuggled in under a canopy of oak trees and hugs the bank going down to the dock and the river.

And this is what you see when you look up from the dock down below. Pretty cool place....one of my favorites. Come visit with us......

Debbie

?12 Days of Christmas?

You know the words to the song, right? 12 drummers drumming, 11 pipers piping, 10 Lords a-leaping, 9 bras a-hanging.........whaaaaaaaaaa?! Yes, I made 9 "Ta-Ta" Totes during one of the last trips up to the river and they needed to hang for 24 hours while the glue that holds on the Swarovsky crystals was drying. What better place for them to hang out than from old gym locker baskets in the sewing room?

That's my version of art. Now hum along with me......five golden rings........

Christmas on my brain,

Debbie

Singing

When I opened the blinds this morning and saw the fog over the oak trees, I ran down to the river to click off a few shots before the fog lifted completely. If you double click on the photos you can see more detail.

There is something so peaceful about being engulfed in fog.....like the rest of the world is shut out and along with that your problems and cares are shut out as well.

I was trying to put into words how these scenes make me feel and I decided that mornings like this make my heart sing.

Hum along with me,

Debbie

Winches and Pulleys

" Hmmmm.....so what am I looking at?", you ask. If you follow the orange rope up into the tree, you can see the outline of an old pulley. The old pulley leads down to a boat winch attached to another tree. Hey, stay with me here.

This is Ron, the very handy guy who rigged all this up for me. Now exactly what is at the other end of the orange rope? My staghorn fern, of course! Doesn't everyone hang their staghorn this way? Well, maybe not, but that's how we do it at the river. I have three staghorn ferns at home and brought the medium sized one up here to hang amoung all the oak trees. Hope it's happy here.

The cool thing about this set up is that anytime I want to water or feed the staghorn, I just have to lower it using the boat winch. Love it, love it. Ron is the one who came up with this idea for his wife and I have been admiring it for a couple of years now. He agreed to hang my staghorn the same way and completed the task yesterday. Yippee!

River Rat,

Debbie

Meet Betsy

It's been a busy weekend for us up at the river. Joel and I bought a car to replace my Audi when the lease is finished in a few months. The man we bought the Tahoe from says that his wife and children name all their cars and that our car is named Betsy. So, I guess the name will stick with us.......at least for now.

It'll be so nice to be able to haul anything I need from now on since I'll have great cargo space in the back of the car. My Audi has been fun to drive, but the trunk isn't much bigger than a suitcase!

More later......

Deb