B-Movie Star

When I woke up this morning, there was a small group of deer out in the garden trying to find some breakfast. I grabbed our little *coughcrappycough* digital camera and tried to get a shot of it. To be fair, I am shooting into the rising sun, through a window and a screen, and I'm trying to be quick before they notice me and run away. I think even Ansel Adams would find that a bit of a challenge.

Poor things - I know there's not much to eat out in that dried up garden!

Then about lunch time I see they are back in the neighbor's yard trying to find some lunch. I'm ready to make them some sandwiches and take them outside. Do you think deer like peanut butter and jelly? That's about all I have because I have to go grocery shopping tonight.

Now I'm trying to photograph all this at a distance. Hoo Boy - this looks pretty bad! You can't tell, but there's like about 6 deer out there. Another neighbor we have keeps a deer feeder, but I'm guessing it needs to be refilled.  The deer are running through our back orchard all the time. Each time I see them though I get excited. It doesn't get old. They're so much bigger up close then you expect them to be (some of you know because they've jumped out in front of your vehicle)!

So if you're feeling bad today, be happy you're not a deer looking for lunch!

So, it's been pretty darn cold around these parts. Okay, it's been pretty darn cold in a lot of places. So, to take our minds off the bitter cold and the frozen tundra that awaits us outside, let's all concentrate on MR. SUN!  Where have you gone MR. SUN? Come back soooooon!

One of my favorites - you're learning without knowing it! BONUS! (plus, how flipping cute is this video? I want to move to this happy land).

From Gabby's childhood . . .

Okay - Keep warm!

This came from Disney's Family Fun site. It's just too cute - and it would be a lot warmer to make this snowman than one outside!

Ingredients

* 1 3/4 cups cake flour
* 1/2 cup Dutch-processed cocoa
* 1 1/4 tsp. baking powder
* 1/2 tsp. baking soda
* 1/2 tsp. salt
* 1/2 cup butter, softened
* 1 1/2 cups sugar
* 3 large eggs
* 1 tsp. vanilla extract
* 1 cup milk
* 1 1/2 cups vanilla frosting
* Shredded coconut (optional)
* 2 black licorice drops
* 1 large orange gumdrop
* Red shoestring licorice
* Red fruit leather
* 3 starlight mints
* 3 small gumdrops
* 2 sticks chocolate licorice

*Heat the oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour two ovenproof glass bowls, one slightly larger than the other. (Note: For our cake, we used one bowl with a 1-liter capacity and 6-inch diameter and the other with a 1 1/2-liter capacity and 7-inch diameter.)

*To make the cake, mix the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large mixing bowl. Sift the ingredients onto waxed paper and return to the bowl.

*In a separate bowl, blend the butter with the sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Mix in the vanilla extract.

*Alternately, add the flour mixture and the milk to the batter in thirds, combining well after each addition. Fill the bowls about two thirds full. Bake the smaller cake for about 50 minutes and the larger cake for about 65 minutes.

*When done, the surface will spring back when touched and a toothpick inserted in the center will come out clean. Cool in the bowls for 10 minutes. Then invert onto a large, rectangular platter (about 17 by 12 inches) so the cakes resemble a snowman. Cool completely.

*Ice the cakes with the vanilla frosting, then sprinkle with shredded coconut, if desired. Add licorice drop eyes, insert an orange gumdrop nose and fashion a broad smile with shoestring licorice.

*For the scarf, cut two 2-inch-wide strips of fruit leather, notch the ends and wrap around the neck of the snowman. For the buttons, use starlight mints topped with gumdrops. Finish off the snowman with two chocolate licorice arms. Serves 10 to 12.

They don't know what a road is yet, so they don't know why they would cross it.

You've heard of bats in your belfry right? Well have you heard of chickens in your laundry room? Well, that's what I have right now, and let me tell you I'm getting pretty tired of it! I told you that we had hens sitting on eggs and that one batch of eggs hatched - well that was exciting and everything - then we had a couple more eggs hatch but the hen wasn't taking care of the chicks and we lost some chicks. It was very stressful! It was really too cold for the hens to be hatching chicks - plus the cold forced all the chickens to be literally "cooped up" together and I think that was also a factor in losing a couple of the chicks. After  losing a couple chicks we finally went out and gathered up all the eggs that the hens were setting on, as well as the chicks, and brought them into the laundry room. We candled the eggs and put the ones we thought were fertile under a heat lamp. I know you're supposed to have an incubator but I was just going to try it the old fashioned way and if they didn't hatch, well, they didn't hatch.  Lo, and behold we've had eggs hatch in our primitive little set up!

And now, I am ready for the chicks to go back out to the coop.  They are cute when they're little, but then they start to go through that ugly stage and they start to smell pretty bad. It's also been a task to have to keep an eye on the eggs - they have to be turned three times a day. Luckily, the due date for the eggs has passed and the ones that didn't hatch are gone! It was pretty miraculous to watch a chick peck it's way out of an egg shell, I have to say, but next time any eggs hatch around here I want it to be during warm weather where the mama hen can raise her own babies. I've most certainly learned a lot from this experience!

We've ended up with seven chicks and right now they are in all stages of growth. The two largest ones are funny - one of them is a rooster (sigh) and he's already jumping up on the tops of the boxes and gates that we have him in. He looks so cute and funny perched there, trying to be all impressive and tough. The other ones are still too little to tell what they are. The smallest one was hatched on January 2nd. We thought he was going to die. Seriously, his little head just flopped around and when you put him down he would roll over and go "belly up". When I went to bed that night, I was sure that I would wake up and he would be dead.  Nathaniel had put a little crucifix next to the chicks - it has a Saint Benedict's medal in it, and in the morning the chick was up and looking like he could take on the world. It was astounding. We decided that we should name the little guy "Benechick,"  (yes, we are pretty crazy around here if you hadn't already surmised that).

On a cold day there's nothing more comforting than a pot of stew cooking in the kitchen. I usually make stew the old fashioned way - I just throw in whatever we have, and it usually turns out great.  I often start with a beef base -when I cook a pot roast I save the pan drippings and freeze them to make a stew base. If you don't want to go to that trouble,  you can use canned soup or packaged broth.  Really, it's hard to go wrong with old fashioned stew.  Make some cornbread to go on the side, and you're set!  In fact, I think I'm going to go make some right now!

* 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
* 1 pound beef stew meat, cut into 1-inch cubes
* 1 small onion, chopped
* 1 tablespoon canola oil
* 1-1/2 cups water
* 1 can (10-1/2 ounces) condensed beef consomme, undiluted
* 1/2 cup sherry or reduced-sodium beef broth
* 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
* 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
* 1/8 teaspoon pepper
* 2 medium carrots, chopped

* 1 large potato, peeled and chopped

Directions

* Place flour in a large resealable plastic bag; add beef, a few pieces at a time, and shake to coat.
* In a large saucepan coated with cooking spray, cook beef and onion in oil over medium-high heat until beef is browned on all sides. Stir in the water, consomme, sherry or broth, Worcestershire sauce and seasonings. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 1 hour.
* Stir in the carrots,  potato, and whatever other veggies you want to add.  Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 30-45 minutes or until meat and vegetables are tender.

*Feel free to add whatever veggies your family likes - corn, peas, turnips - every time I make stew it's different!

Here's a little calendar I put together to share with you all.  It's a 12-month at a view calendar you can download and print to keep near your desk or phone (or anywhere!) for a quick reference.  Enjoy, and belated Happy New Year!

Click on image to download.

Need some help staying warm? This delicious recipe is just what you need on a freezing cold day! Make some Mexican Hot Chocolate, curl up under a blanket and read some Isabel Allende! (She's not Mexican, but her stories will fire up your imagination!)

Ingredients
* 1/4 cup baking cocoa
* 2 tablespoons brown sugar
* 1 cup boiling water
* Dash ground cloves or nutmeg
* 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 3 cups milk
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* Whipped cream
* Whole cinnamon sticks

Directions
* Combine cocoa and sugar in small saucepan; stir in water. Bring to boil; reduce heat and cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
* Add cloves, cinnamon and milk. Simmer 5 minutes (do not boil). Whisk in vanilla. Pour hot chocolate into mugs; top with whipped cream. Use cinnamon sticks for stirrers - mix will settle to the bottom if not stirred before drinking.

Stay Warm!