Just in time for Christmas

My thumb isn't green so when it comes to growing flowers indoors I usually don't have good luck or anything to show for my efforts. Several years ago a friend gave me a square box with a picture of a showy flower. I didn't think it would grow to be like the picture but with a little water it opened up and brought a lot of joy into a dark dismal winter day.

Since that first time I have always bought a new bulb and hoped for the best. This beautiful bloom is an Amaryllis. It is native to South Africa and grows wild there. This year my Amaryllis opened up two buds on the 23rd and today it was in full bloom.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Grandmother

The Twelve Dishes of Christmas

For Christmas at the cabin, my Grandma made for me:

12 rolls a' rising
11 wines chilling
10 pounds of taters
9 scoops of dressing
8 eggs a' frying
7 plops of gravy
6 pounds of bacon
5 sizzling steaks
4 bowls of bisque
3 candied yams
2 pies baking
And Tom Turkey roasting in the oven.

Burp!

Merry Christmas Everyone,
Daughter and Mom (with the help of husbands)

Our New Look

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Spicy Tomato & Blue Cheese Soup on a Wintry Evening

This recipe for Spicy Tomato & Blue Cheese Soup is a must try. At first glance, it may seem like an odd combination, but in reality, it is a delicious, spicy, creamy concoction. And even if you don't like blue cheese, I think you might still like this soup. The cheese only adds a hint of flavor, but a heap of creaminess.

I could not find Roth Kase Buttermilk Blue Cheese as the original recipe calls for, so I just picked a generic soft, creamy kind. It worked just as well. I would not however make Adam Roberts' other substitution. You must use sriracha sauce, as the recipe states. Do not substitue Tobasco for it. Sriracha has a wonderful complex spiciness that just can't be replaced by Tobasco.

I paired this delicious soup with a homemade boule from "Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day", a must for any bread lover. My mom, both grandmas and my sister-in-law have this book. All are wonderful cooks, so that should speak volumes.

I also made a fennel and apple salad. The recipe is here. If I were to redo this, I would have cut down significantly on the fennel or maybe even eliminated it, as the apples in the vinaigrette were delicious enough by themselves.

Clearly, this meal wouldn't be perfection without a nice, cold bottle of Winter, White Ale.

How fitting for a day like this?

Daughter.

A NEW PET

We have a new pet, Roxie! I think he is a boy but Foxie Roxie is a name I couldn't resist. He thinks that this is his yard. He has moved in under a bay window and dug out a hole for himself. Luckily he has been careful and not disrupted any plants. I tried filling in the hole several times but he is a persistent bugger. I happened to walk past the window and spotted him perched on a rock with his eyes half-closed basking in the sun. Taking a photo through the window I caught him in the middle of a yawn...what a life!



Hmm..what's that! My movement must have caught his attention. He turned to see what might have disrupted his peaceful respite. I must say he has a beautiful coat. With the cold weather we were experiencing, it is full and lush.



Just too much activity around here for any napping! Shortly after this picture I tried to get closer to the window for a better shot. He caught sight of me and turned on his heels, ducked under the fence and headed off where he could relax without so much interruption!

Christmas Ornament Memories

It takes me a couple of days to decorate my tree. It is filled with special memories with all the ornaments. I store my ornaments in old metal lunch boxes. They are categorized by who makes them. Some of the older bulbs came from my Mother's tree. No one wanted them when she offered them so I became the proud owner of them. Many of the ornaments were made by our kids. The boys made space ships, God's eyes, race cars. My daughter contributed angels, trees and stars. One box is especially used for Grandkids offerings. Clay baked candy canes, ballerinas, horses and a Santa. Most of the ornaments are hand made which make them a one of a kind. Each child, grandchild and special person who contributed to our tree is remembered. It is a fun time as I remember unwrapping special hand made ornaments when we opened our packages and my kids saying "Do you like it Mom"? These are good memories. Have a Merry Christmas. Grandmother

Hic...cup!!

Paperwhite narcissus are a popular bulb for holiday decorating, but one of their faults is that they can get floppy. A sure fire remedy for floppy paperwhites is a stiff drink. While a stiff drink makes me giggly and floppy, it has just the opposite effect on paperwhites. They stand up tall and straight when they share a cocktail with you. They are cheap drunks as you don't need the expensive stuff. Just plant your bulbs as usual and water...the plain stuff...until green shoots are about 1 to 2 inches tall. At that point begin hydrating with a solution of water and liquor about 1 part liquor to 7 parts water. If you need scientific research to convince you, check out this website. Cheers to you and your paperwhites...hic! Mom