Wet and chilly morning; I am grateful for the extra quilt on the bed as I try to sleep in but the warmth of the fireplace and the aroma of bacon are impossible to resist.
We pile our plates with pancakes and crispy bacon, warming our hands on steaming mugs of freshly brewed coffee, and settle around the fireplace with our favourite books.
Someone has the audacity to go out and rake leaves but the rest of us snuggle on the couch with the warm and woolly afghans, comforted by the crackling of the fire and the sounds of pages turning.
I have had these wood boxes for a number of years, stacked in a corner, unused. But this past summer, as I decluttered, I re-evaluated my collections, deciding whether to put them to good use or get rid of them. With these crates there was never any question; I would find a use for them. And I did, in my sewing room.
Stacked one on top of the other they now hold my bags of pre-cut quilt strips. So easy I don't know why I didn't do this sooner.
When you're trying to sell your home, the realtor gives you lots of advice about how to ready your home for a showing. One of those gems is not to cook anything smelly like fish or cabbage. Well, today Mr. Cowboy broke that rule and cooked up a batch of cabbage rolls that were out of this world.
I knew what Mr. Cowboy had planned for dinner today. The recipe is called Easy Pyrahi; easy because there is no yeast to contend with. As I opened the front door I was greeted by a creamy aroma (the dough is made with whipping cream, buttermilk, and sour cream) which made my mouth water.
We had two choices for dinner; beans and cottage cheese. And dessert; he used the rest of the apples we bought in Osoyoos for some bite-size apple pies.
It certainly doesn't look easy but Mr. Cowboy couldn't stop talking about how quickly everything came together thanks to the new granite counters. Yes, they are nice but we certainly can't take them with us.
It's a tradition; pancakes for breakfast on Sunday mornings. So I'm always on the lookout for new recipes. Found a great one in the October 2012 issue of Prevention magazine; Pumpkin-Bacon Pancakes. I roasted up a Sugar Baby that I bought at the Market, let it drain overnight and then pureed it. With loads of cinnamon and bacon, these were fantastic!
With the rest of the pumpkin we whipped up a batch of Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies; these are the best ever cookies full of oats and chocolate chips. Recipe found in a magazine in 1983.
Two weeks ago I caught the 'gang' stampeding down the street, cutting through the neighbours empty lot, and disappearing down the grassy slope before I could get any more pictures.
But this evening as I walked up the hill, there in the neighbours yard, someone sitting quietly and not even bothered when I took his picture.
We had a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner at the home of a dear friend. To show our appreciation for all her hard work, I made an Apple Crostata, a recipe from the Barefoot Contessa Parties cookbook. It is the best I have ever had. The crust is all unsalted butter, superfine sugar and flour. The apples are cut into chunks and the topping is full of cinnamon and allspice. A great ending to a great meal.
Years ago at a flea market across the bridge I bought this lampshade for .25 cents. It was the right size so I bought it even though it is ugly and the inside was cracked.
But when I saw this beauty for four dollars at the junk store I knew that the time had come to retire my .25 cent shade. This vintage drum-shaped shade is in great condition and goes quite well with my Italian ginger jar lamp which also came from the junk store.
