The cold crept back again 2 nights ago. Yesterday, the snow arrived. Heavy, all morning. And by evening, it was over knee deep with 18 inches on the ground. Night arrived as the clouds departed. Now it’s even colder outside with clear skies, stars from heaven blinking away, and a large yellow moon hung in … Continue reading A Surprise Sighting of the Owls of the Night
I retired a month ago. I sold my business and took down the proverbial shingle. So now what? Retirement used to mean you put in your 25 – 30 years, maybe even 40 years, collected the gold watch, and went fishing. If you had a pension you started collecting on it and filed for Social … Continue reading What Does Successful Retirement Look Like For You?
A Life Lesson: It’s the little things that count How often do the things that went wrong plague your thoughts? The harsh words spoken, an accident, a plan that went awry…. Our minds often tend to focus on things that were hurtful, a mistake or we delve into “what if” thinking. What if we change … Continue reading Can You Count the Important Things in Your Life?
Yogurt is an ideal base for meat marinade, says Michael Symon in his book Fix It with Food. Like me, Michael has Rheumatoid arthritis, and the book is about eating to avoid foods that trigger RA flares and inflammation. His recipe uses a whole chicken to roast, but I decided just to try chicken thighs. … Continue reading Super Easy Roasted Chicken with a Yogurt Marinade
I am a bird watcher....usually from my porch or deck, sometimes while walking in the woods. I enjoy watching them change colors in the spring, and the migrating transients that pass by, raise clutches of babies in bird houses and bushes all summer, and then somehow survive the cold and snow of a northern winter. … Continue reading How to Make Perfect Homemade Bird Suet Cakes
On special occasions I splurge for a prime rib roast. Christmas dinner for many years consists of a Spiced Up Prime Rib and all the "fixin's". To start - if my prime rib has been frozen, I defrost it a couple days ahead. Once it has thawed, or if I have bought a fresh cut … Continue reading How to Make a Perfect & Flavorful Prime Rib
I love baking bread. It's one of those things that just makes a house smell wonderful. I try all kinds and grains, and actually have a lot of different flours to use. This recipe turned out to be one of the best. Not too long ago I went shopping with a friend and we stopped … Continue reading How to make Maple Syrup Wheat Bread
I started to write an article for a magazine about farm dogs, and it turned into an expose of remembrance about my first dog. My article took on a life of it's own, much too long for the publication, and I had to submit a much abbreviated version. My first dog was a true friend … Continue reading Why a Dog Can Be So Important
What is a well-stocked pantry? And how should it be maintained? Over the last year many of us have reduced the number of trips to stores in person, or we have started ordering more things for delivery. In short, you need a pantry that filled with the necessities, and often used items for your household. … Continue reading How to Keep a Well-Stocked & Organized Pantry
Chicken stock is one of those staple items I always have in my pantry. And though I buy some store bought cartons of stock to keep on hand, I most often just make my own and either can or freeze it in pints and quarts. Every time I make chicken I save parts - necks, … Continue reading Learn to make Flavorful Easy Chicken Stock