Just a funny story about love.

Yellow Roses are My Favorite.

This week has been one of those you just can't do much about but sit back and shake your head ..........

It all started last Monday, or was it Tuesday?  Well, no matter.  The old oak seat to the upstairs throne suddenly lurched sideways as I was attempting to disembark.  There are two identical thrones with two identical oak seats in our house.  The upstairs bearing many more riders than the one in the downstairs as there is much more living going on these days up than down. 

If any of you have ever suffered this indignity you know just exactly what I am talking about.  We had assumed the "pin" and "hinge" were metal as that is how they were disguised to look.  BUT NO!  Treachery, they were plastic, (Just like the car that hit me as I was driving my old 1989 Fleetwood years ago.  Needless to say who walked away unblemished in that tussle!)  Well anyway,  it is a most disconcerting situation to find yourself in when at every turn you are about to lurch to the left or right with a bit of a bump.

My hero and husband of 39 years rode heroically to the rescue in his shiny black S-10 pickup on Thursday,  Valentine's Day.   He not only appeared with  a dozen of my favorite flowers, yellow roses, but a glowing new seat for our upstairs commode, which he promptly installed.

This having been traumatic enough I never dreamed another cataclysm of equal calamity loomed near!

The next day started quietly with our normal coffee and a kiss good-by as Brian left for his shop.  In my wisdom I had decided to give the house a top to bottom vacuuming.  After finishing upstairs I wrestled the upright sweeper a step at a time down the full flight of stairs connecting the two floors of our home. carefully balancing it as I swept one stair at a time until I reached the bottom.   There I found the rag rug runner and decided it was due to be washed and I gathered it up and went for the door that sits between the family room and the garage.  Being occupied with my thoughts I tossed the rug onto the floor of the garage, stepped back, and slammed the door.  HARD.

It is unclear at this point exactly what misstep I had taken, only that there had been one as I had somehow slammed the door on my poor little third toe!  I cannot tell you how it came to be my third toe only that it was.  Great throbbing commenced as did bleeding!  In hindsight I actually start laughing at what a sight I must have been as I hopped about barefoot (as I almost always am when  cleaning house) on one foot with Molly our dog looking at me most curious as to what had just transpired.

So, I get up to the bathroom. pour hydrogen peroxide across the wound, grab a compress, and get the frozen rice bags from the freezer on my foot by now propped up across an ottoman.  The rice bags are wonderful.  They are cold and ready and sport not a drop of condensation!!  Soon my dignity is somewhat restored so I band-aid my toes together to form a splint on what I believe to be a broken toe and proceed back down the stairs to finish my job and to clean up whatever spots of blood I have left.

I never deviate where I plug the sweeper or how I go about this task.  But today after plugging into the regular socket and turning the sweeper on there is a flash and then quiet as nothing is  running.  There is no power on anything in my field of vision.  The blue light on the computer is off, the light on the upright freezer is off, and the ceiling light for my office is out.  Guessed I had blown a fuse or something.

As my friends and family well know I am not mechanical.  Partly I will confess by plan.  I realized when a girl in school in the '50s that had I learned to type I would have had to have been a person who got a job limited at that time to typing, so I didn't.  Upon marrying I supposed that if I learned to change the oil in the car that too would have become my job, so I didn't.

I called Brian.  He told me I needed to open the electrical box and see which lever had flipped and push it back so I did as he said.  None were flipped.  Our house phone did not work either as they are rolled in along with the modem on the computer.  I had taken my cell phone with me for that reason.

So there I stood... by now sock footed on the cold garage floor.  Toe throbbing.  Nothing appeared to be wrong in the box.  I tried to call Brian but could not get through.  Unbeknown-st to me he was at the same time calling me, unable to get through!  I tried again, and again.  ENOUGH.  I gave it up and proceeded upstairs to sit, just to sit.

In hindsight it may have been my location below ground and around all of that electrical "stuff" that kept me from getting through.  I propped up my foot and turned on the TV.

Soon I heard the familiar sound of the garage door raising beneath me.  (Our house sits built into the side of a hill and the garage is below the living room and the dining room.)  Again my hero appeared riding his trusty S-10 pickup to my rescue.

He didn't come though because of the electricity.  He came to be sure I was OK.

The funny in this story is me.  Silly me.  And the love in this story is about old love.  The kind that comes from a lifetime of struggles,  ups and downs, good times, and bad.  It is about sticking together even when you may not think it is what you want to do.  But....if you do you will find it is well worth the trip.

Thank you Brian. 

"Painted Hearts" Cut Out Cookies for Valentine's Day Gift Giving

I love the way these bake up and leave a cookie dough outline around the outside of the cookie from  when you painted them.  The crackle is lovely and I dusted half of the cookies with red sugar which adhered well to the paint and gave a really nice effect.

I have had this recipe pulled aside to make for quite a while now and not gotten to it.  Ree Drummond the "Pioneer Woman" blogger had posted it for Christmas Cookies.  I have adapted it and am using heart cutters with pink and red colors to paint them to send off to my grandchildren.  Katie will surely smile if I have a package ready and pick her up from school and I am sure she will share with her older sister Emily.  Jack and Sam will be excited to get a package in the mail and cookies are always welcome treats.

My husband, Brian's Valentine, shhhhh don't tell.

So......it is 9 AM two days before Valentine's day and I have the cookies baked, Decorated and the frosting is firming up under the breeze of the ceiling fan above them in the kitchen.  I mixed them up last night and left them to chill overnight so I could bake them off first thing today.  The dough was easy to work with and I loved the way the painting went.  These have found a permanent place in my cookie file and I will for sure make them again and again!  As for today, I have but to box them up and deliver to the girls and mail off to the little boys!  I  am so blessed and it is such fun to be MOM and GRANDMA!

Ingredients for Painted Cut Out Cookies:

1 1/3 C. shortening
1 1/2 C. sugar
2 eggs 
2 T. + 2 t. milk (8 teaspoons total)
1 t. vanilla
4 C. flour
1 T. baking powder
1/2 t. salt

Combine the sugar and shortening in the bowl of a stand mixer and beat until smooth, add the vanilla and the milk and beat 5 minutes.   Add the 2 whole eggs and continue beating for 1 minute.

This recipe makes 4 nice disks of dough to wrap in waxed paper and refrigerate.

Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt together and add to the creamed mixture beating until it forms a dough.   Divide the dough into 4 equal portions resembling a disk and wrap each in waxed paper.  Slip the disks into  a plastic bag and refrigerate for at least a half an hour.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly grease a baking sheet or line with parchment or sil-pat mats. Set aside.

Ingredients for Cookie Paint:

2 egg yolks
5-6 drops food coloring (I made both red and pink paint.)
2 t. water

HELPFUL HINT:  Here is the part where I place the 2 unused egg whites in a small container and pop them into the freezer to use another day.

Combine the yolks, water, and food color.  Since I used 2 colors I placed one yolk and 1 teaspoon of water in each small bowl and mixed in the gel paste food color.   Paint the unbaked cookies with a soft brush using the colored glaze.  Add a few more droplets of water if needed to reach a paint like mixture.

It is fun to collect cookie cutters and they make nice gifts too.

Roll the chilled dough about 1/4" thick and cut with floured cutters into heart shapes.  Using a soft brush paint the tops with the cookie paint you have prepared.  I paint all of the way to the edge and when they puff up baking it leaves a nice rim.

Unbaked painted cookies ready for the oven.

Place on the prepared pans and bake for 6-7 minutes.  Do not brown the cookies, they should be slightly puffed and the glaze will look crackled.  Bake in several batches.  Remove from the oven and cool for 30 minutes before frosting.

Ingredients for  the White Decorative Icing:

1 pound powdered sugar
1/4 C. milk (You may add more milk a droplet at a time until you reach the right consistency if needed.)
1 rounded T. dried egg whites

The kid's all get a cookie with their initial made just for them.

Mix the sugar, milk, and egg whites and beat well.  Make sure the frosting is thick enough to retain it's shape.  Using a pastry bag or a zip-top bag pipe the cookies with the icing to further decorate.

Some of the cookie decorations are made just for fun.

Ultimately half of the cookies are painted and sprinkled with cookie sugar and the other half painted and frosted which makes for a nice variety in this big batch of cookies.   Yield 4-6 dozen cookies depending on the size of the cookies and if you re-roll the dough scraps. ( I always do re-roll.)

Hot Cocoa Mix in a Jar, Just in Time for Valentine's Day Giving!

Things have been so crazy around here since well before Christmas and this week has been no exception.  Finally though, I am hopeful anyway, we have passed the turmoil and will settle back down to a pleasant every day life.  Hopefully everyone is on the recovery list and on the way to good health and spring is just around the corner.....my lands!  Valentine's Day is next week!!

Given that realization I am planning some special cookies next week to give my Grandchildren and children and a special jar of a homemade hot cocoa mix.  We have 3 sons and I think I will make up another jar and give one to each family.  I just finished 2 and took a photo to share with you as this is such a nice idea some of you might like to try it too.  When my boys were young and at home I always kept a big jar made up of my special homemade cocoa mix.  This recipe is a bit more special as it includes mini semi sweet chocolate chips and miniature marshmallows.  I made them in layers using a funnel in quart jars.  It does look special and festive and a piece of red fabric fastened under the band with a red ribbon should do just the trick!! I will work on that too.

Ingredients for each quart jar of dry Homemade Cocoa Mix:

1 C. granulated sugar
1 C. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 C. powdered milk
1/2 C. mini chocolate chips
1/2 C. miniature marshmallows
1/2 t. salt

Layer 1/2 C. granulated sugar in the bottom of each jar you are making.  Next add 1/2 c. cocoa powder, 1 C. powdered milk, 1/2 c. cocoa, 1/2 C. granulated sugar, 1/2 t. salt, 1/2 C. mini chocolate chips, and 1/2 C miniature marshmallows. 

Gently lift the jar and tap it several times on the counter to tamp down the ingredients and then top off again with additional marshmallows.  Top with a seal and screw on the band.  Cut about a 5" square of red or other fabric and remove the band.  Lay the fabric atop the seal evenly and screw on the band.  Add a ribbon around the screw top and a card.

The instructions for the card should be to empty all of the contents into a large bowl and mix well.  Measure 1/3 C. of the mix into a mug and add 1 C. of boiling water, stirring to mix and melt the ingredients.  Return any remaining mix to the jar and reseal until needed.  Yield 12 servings per 1 quart of mix. 

I am going to make up another jar and gussy them up a bit and I will add that photo later.  For now I just wanted to get this idea out there for anyone who might like to give it a try.  I LOVE food gifts in jars!  To receive them as well as to give them.

Make a Scented Rice Bag as a Compress or Bed Warmer.

This heart shaped rice bag is made of pink checked flannel with lace trim and is perfect for a Valentine's Day gift.  It is COLD in February and this is a terrific bed/foot warmer!

Today I read a message from my sister-in-law Darla who I adore, asking me to give directions for a rice bag. I tried to put it on Face book as she requested but it was too long even after I cut as much as I could. then I scanned it and sent it to her e-mail hoping that would do the job.  We love these heated in the microwave for about 5-7 minutes then used as a warm compress or as a BED WARMER!  (Heavenly, just heavenly.)

Scented Rice Bag of Red Cotton Pillow Ticking.

Now it occurs to me since I have invested the time to take it from "just what I do" to "here is how to do it" maybe I should just go ahead and share the method. 

So here you go......my method of making a rice bag.

I usually make them about 16-18" w by 26-28" long to start when I cut them out. SO, you would cut 2 pieces the exact same size OR, if I can double one end or the other to save having to sew a seam I will cut it for example in one piece. Either 32" by 26" or 16" by 52". You then could either fold at the end or along the long side and save sewing one seam. I also have made a lot of these out of scrap fabric and it works just to make it fit sometimes.

Always use 100% cotton of a medium to medium heavy soft fabric. Wash and dry it before you even cut it and press it flat. If you want to be able to wash it you can make the bag out of plain cotton muslin then make a cover for it like a sham. Then just wash the sham. I usually just pitch the bag after a couple of years and make new ones. 

I buy the rice at Sam's club in 25 pound bags but you just want to use plain old cheap rice.

After you have cut the fabric to the size you desire PLACE THE RIGHT SIDES TOGETHER matching the raw edges and pin with straight pins. I always back stitch with my sewing machine to start then sew the seams about 3/8". On one end LEAVE AN OPENING OF ABOUT  5" to use to fill with the rice. BE sure to back stitch either side so you don't unravel. When you have finished stitching turn the bag right side and press it, ironing the 5" opening smoothly under. 

Next I cut a slice to the center of a paper plate and at the center cut a circle about the size of a nickel and fold it to form a funnel and use it to direct the rice into the bag. I staple the paper plate when I get it to where it works for me to direct the rice down into the bag balancing it on my lap. 

It takes 3 1/2 to 4 pounds of rice for the bag. You want to be able to fold and wrap it around where ever you are using it so don't pack it so tight you can't manage it. 

Add lavender flowers, or droplets of essential oils onto the rice and massage in into the rice now if desired. I would use a heaping cup of flowers or 4-5 drops of essential oil. Fold the 5" raw edges under to form a smooth edge and pin the whole end down flat. Shake all of the rice to the other end and then machine top stitch across the entire end of the bag.

Note: I double stitch all of the lines I sew and by that I mean I go back and sew a second line on top of the first one. I do this because the rice is heavy and small and I don't want to take a chance it will work an opening and leak out.

I microwave 5-6 minutes and have warmth for hours, especially under a blanket. If it is a little too warm just wrap it in a towel until it is cooler to the touch. 

ENJOY. 

I have probably made a hundred of these by now.