Day 30 Moon by day

Just happened to notice this at around 10am in the morning!

Day 29 Brown Sugar Oatmeal Cookies with Cranberries

As you might remember, from an earlier post this week, I've had the builder in doing some roof repairs.  He's rather fond of home baking so I thought I would try out a cookie recipe that someone had recommended in a group to which I belong.

I mean absolutely no offence to my American friends when I say recipes that give the amounts in 'cups' are not really my favourite. I looked up conversions and could get grams (can cope with that as my scales will convert to oz. I still don't find grams easy even after all the years we became partially metric).
In my mind the final amounts for cup/grams did not really stack up so I decided to knock a few grams off here and there and see what happened. I also decided to use some authentic 'multi- purpose gluten free flour' that Sam had brought all the way from the states when she visited last Christmas. Really this was intended for my grandaughter, who is gluten intolerant. So I figured if it worked well it would be something I could bake for her!

Anyway enough of my prattling I give you the cookies in pictures:-

 The end result was not too bad. My builder seemed to like them!

These are Brown Sugar Oatmeal Cookies (I also added a cup of cranberries)

Imagine my surprise when I looked at the link and found that it was one of Ree's (The Pioneer Woman) recipes. I think next time I might put a little less sugar!!

I tried to link to Ree's page but couldn't so copied the recipe.

Ingredients

• 1 cup Salted Butter, Softened
• 2 cups Packed Dark Brown Sugar
• 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
• 2 whole Eggs
• 1-1/2 cup All-purpose Flour
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
• 3 cups Old Fashioned Oats

Preparation Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

In the bowl of an electric mixer (or using a hand mixer) beat together the butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Beat in vanilla. Add eggs, one at a time, scraping the bowl after each one.

Mix together the flour, salt, and baking soda in a medium sized bowl. Add it into the creamed mixture in 2 to 3 batches, mixing it until just combined. Mix in the oats until just combined.

Use your preferred size cookie scoop (or a regular spoon) to drop portions of dough onto a lightly greased cookie sheet, spacing them a couple inches apart. Bake for 12-13 minutes or until dark and chewy. If you'd like a crispier cookie, just cook a little longer!

Let them cool slight on the pan after removing from the oven, then transfer the cookies onto a plate for serving.

* Note: Add 1/2 cup finely chopped nuts to the flour mixture if you'd like a nutty flavour and crunch.

Day 28 Happy Thanksgiving 2013

This is one I used earlier! Actually did this in 2008 from a picture I took when I visited New England.

The sentiment remains the same I wish everyone a very happy and peaceful Thanksgiving. If you are celebrating with family and friends I know you will have a wonderful day, enjoying good food, laughter and fun.

You never know I might get to visit my daughter again over Thanksgiving, before I get too old to fly!!!

Sam if you read this I hope you and Fred  have a lovely day xxx

Day 27 Hair today gone tomorrow!

When I go to the hairdressers I also get to see these two cute little doggies....almost tempts me ....I said almost!!!

 Erick is the oldest

Olive is the baby. 

 They are no trouble and when they are sleeping like this you would not even realise they were even in the salon. This is a private run salon in the garden of my hairdresser's home, so it's just like visiting a friend, catching up on all the gossip and having a cup of coffee. Most clients have been going to her for many years and I know quite a few of them.

Day 26 Happy Birthday to the teenager!

Today my youngest grandson becomes a teenager

He was a very cute little toddler

He was still cute some years later and a lot more adventurous

I can rarely get a smile but that's teenagers for you!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BEN

xxxxxx Hope you have a great day xxxxxxx

Day 25 Fun Monday or is it!!

Early start today as the builder is here to repair roof on our annexe. The first thing he did was empty the water butt, good job it's winter and we don't actually need it. You know I really didn't like wasting all that water even though I know it will fill up pretty quickly.

The first thing you do when the builder arrives is to keep him happy.....

He has given up drinking coffee since he was here last but luckily I had fruit tea and I could get rid of one of the mince pies from Embee's raffle prize.
He then got to work putting up a tower scaffold.......

Let the work commence...what's the betting it will be a bigger job than originally anticipated!!

So is it a fun monday............it is for me I'm not out in the cold Piers might think differently!!!

Day 24 Just because.....

When you are trying to post daily and you don't have anything interesting to say or share what do you do!!!!!

Look for a photo you intended to share back in the summer. It's beginning to get cold here so I say roll on next summer. In the meantime I can look back on the last one!

Day 23 Prize Pies

Yesterday, Embee came home from a function he had attended having won a prize in the raffle! It wasn't really anything exciting and he didn't actually tell me how much he had spent on tickets! However, as it was for charity I'm glad he did his bit.
I would never opt for shop bought mince pies but these were not too bad especially with a small spoonful of cornish clotted cream!

Maybe it was the whisky that improved the taste; one thing I do know is that they are not half as good as the ones that Beccy will be making  over Christmas. I can't wait!

Beccy if you see this post here is the storage jar I was telling you about.

Difficult to measure but around 10ins to top of lid.

Day 22 What a relief!!

Went for my regular eye test yesterday.......was it really 2years since the last check!!  I was really expecting the optician to find enough deterioration to recommend a new prescription but no she was very good said my eyes had hardly changed. She did ask if I was happy with the frames and are you surprised I said 'yes thank you'. The frames are the most expensive part of getting new specs and as there is nothing wrong with my current ones why would I spend money when you there's no need!!!!
So I will continue with these.....

The optician decided that as I might have the beginning of a cataract she would see me in one year rather than two... I can live with that!

Day 21 Happy Birthday

Today is a very special day as  someone will be celebrating a birthday. I won't mention any ages or I will be in trouble! I will also be in trouble because I'm not supposed to put up photos without first getting approval!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BECCY

Hope you have a lovely day xxxxxx

Day 20 Temptation!!!!

When I did my grocery shop this morning I always look to see if there are any bargains to temp me!!

So did I find anything to tempt me!!

Yes, you've guessed it....I saw these and whilst I would not have considered buying them at full price, at half price they are a delightful bargain!!!

They are very small ice cream bars, just enough for after dinner and so not too many calories... well that's what I'm telling myself.  Will I be able to resist the temptation and keep them until my daughter, arrives from the states in a month.. or maybe I should sample one to make sure they taste as good as they look!!!

Wonders if they will still be on offer next week LOL !!!!!

Sam if you happen to read this... can you guess what little treat I might have got you and if you need things to take home let me know!!!!!!!!!

Day 19 Moon Tonight

I can't let my record slip and nothing exciting to talk about. Tried taking a shot of the moon but no success well it was taken through a window

The temperature has dropped and the sky is very clear. Might have a frost tonight according to the forecast!!!!

Day 18 Fun Monday = In the kitchen

I don't know if there was anyone suggesting a topic as it is Monday so just decided to do my own thing!
When Pamela commented (in a previous post) on space for storing gadgets, it actually made me take stock of my really messy kitchen. Once upon a time (sounds like I'm about to start a fairy tale!! LOL) it was neat and tidy and gradually I have let it go. When my mother was alive she needed things to be visible and in easy reach, now I don't really have that reason excuse!

So what better day than a Monday to begin a clean sweep...maybe that's going a bit too far but at least I made a start.  I have banished the bread maker, that was supposed to be Embee's toy! Years ago he regularly made bread in it and he said that he was going to do so again when he retired. However, as you've probably guessed it never happened so who would like a bread maker!!

I have managed to rearrange some of my cupboards and found space to store some items but I still haven't got room for all the dried food storage jars. Buying in bulk from the food co-operative is an excellent way to reduce costs but it does create other problems. Jars and tins etc no problem down to the cellar but I can't go up and down the cellar stairs every time I need to use oats, dried fruit, flour or any of the other things in storage containers that I don't want to get damp. Embee would not be happy if he couldn't get easy access to his nuts (cashew) or his dried figs!!

One of my cupboards now looks like this:-

Oh and one more thing what to do with tins of salmon that are outdated!!! Why you make fish cakes of course!!! If you don't hear from me again you will know we've been poisoned!!!!

The potatoes, we grew and the breadcrumbs I made (used up one full container so bit more space available). Here ends my Monday activities!!!! Wonder what everyone is doing today? Could be fun to find out!!!

Day 17 Fynn

My daughter's cat is always ready for his meals and he has a lovely little gadget to serve them!

Day 16 Collection

I was looking through an old ottoman that is full of material that I've never used and at the bottom I found some coin collections, saved for my daughters when they were young children. I also found some historic car tokens that were given with petrol. I think most of these were collected by my mother's second husband Gordon, who at that time drove a tanker lorry. My grandsons are interested in cars so I think I will see if they are interested in having them!!

 Sadly not a good picture and I didn't have time to take more!

Day 15 Halfway!

The bog title has nothing to do with the post, it's just that I've managed to do a post for each of the past fifteen days and that's halfway through the month.

So what do you grow in the winter! Well a friend gave us some onion sets so we're giving it a go!!

 No sooner had Embee put them in the garden, when we found something had tried to dig them up. We're not sure if it was the birds, a squirrel, or even a fox  so for now they are protected and they have begun to shoot. So far so good and I'll try and remember to tell you how well they did come Spring!!

Day 14 The ones that got away!

Embee was digging over the little raised bed where we plant a few vegetables every year and found these from earlier in the year.

There won't be enough for a meal but they will not go to waste!!

Day 13 Today ......

 The only problem with doing a grocery shop is that when you get home you have to empty the bags and put it all away!!!!!

Please note I take my own bags so I'm doing my bit for the environment.

Day 12 Another new gadget!!!

Currently I'm having dental treatment and in the new year I'm going to have an implant. As it's going to cost me mega bucks I don't want to do anything which might render it unsuccessful. So when the dentist indicated eating hard nuts was not a particularly good idea I decided to grind the nuts I put into my muesli. I have a little grinder which attaches to another gadget but when I came to use it for some reason it would not work.
So when I went to my favourite kitchen shop (Lakeland), yesterday, I found a small grinder and decided to treat myself. I also wanted to use the token for some free chocs... so it does work get you in the shop and you will find something that you must have need!!!

I tried it out today and had a tub of ground nuts in seconds; I call that a success!!

Day 11 Fun Monday = Favourite food

Well this is going to be difficult because I just enjoy food which is probably why I am overweight!

So I'll just use pictures taken in the last few days for future blogs.

Embee is rather partial to my soda bread:-

Embee is also a diabetic and he can't have much  cake, don't feel sorry for him he does ok. I recently tried making him a carrot cake with a substitute for sugar (Splenda):-

It worked quite well!
I'm rather partial to a good moussaka:-

Now you know what we've been eating

Day 11 Remembrance

I don't really think any words are necessary except to say thank you to all the brave people who fought and gave their lives so that we could enjoy freedom.
My wish for the world is that all conflicts could be forgiven if not forgotten and that all nations live in peace and harmony. 

Day 10 Winter Quarters!

Yesterday was a dull wet day and the weather forecast suggested there might be a frost overnight so I thought it was time to put these little ones to bed.

I use shredded paper to make a comfy nest and they each have their own container.

Once they are covered over with the paper  the lids go on and hopefully they will go to sleep.

They sit on top of shelving. The vet says that in this country we should not really hibernate them for more than a few weeks. However this only works if you have all the heat lamps to keep them really warm and then they will go on eating. Unfortunately mine have to take pot luck. They stopped eating several weeks ago and they haven't come out of their house for several days. As for the frost ...it got much colder last night but no frost and the sun is out today!!!  Oh well Happy Hibernation Topsy, Tog and Tom see you all in the Spring.

Day 9 Winter Warmer

Every year a friend of mine gives me a pumpkin and I have to turn it into soup which we share.  Not quite sure who gets the best deal!!! She gave me the pumpkin last week and I just left it in the bag until I was ready to use it. So, yesterday, I thought I'd better make the soup as I was going swimming with my friend and she could easily take her half home. Imagine my surprise when I took the pumpkin out of the bag it wasn't her usual home grown variety but shop bought from Morrisons. When I tackled her about it she promised to do better next year and go back to growing!!

I combined two recipe's (made up my own really LOL) and the soup turned out fine, my friend went home, happy, with her jug full. I've just had a bowl for lunch and although I shouldn't say it, it tasted good and it was warming on a chilly day. My friend wouldn't dare to contradict this in case I decided not to make it next year!!!!

Just in case you are wondering why we started this tradition. When we went on a trip to New England, we had pumpkin soup when we were in Boston and we enjoyed it so much we decided to make it when we got home.

I have previously posted both recipes 2006
2007

Day 8 Did you know!!!!

Wonder how many people know that tortoises have their own unique fingerprints... actually I should say shell print!
I only learned this last year and whilst I knew their markings were different I didn't realise the significance!

These are not the best shots, but it does illustrate what I mean.

They do not really like being on their backs and I didn't want to cause them too much stress. So for now these are their passport photos!

Day 7= Eye Spy

The sometimes gardener decided to spend a few minutes in the garden this morning and I spied him from the window! I think he actually spends more time chatting to passers-by than he does actually gardening. However, he did pot up a couple of plants that will be left on the wall for someone to collect later. So that's a good job done!

Day 6 Should I laugh!!!!

Each week before I do my grocery shop I usually ask Embee what he would like for his lunch time snacks. Sometimes he will just tell me and sometimes he writes me a list; when I asked him just now this is what I got :-

So he sees me as a housekeeper and himself as a sometimes gardener (he'd be right about the sometimes!!!). I'm not sure whether to be amused or mad. It's certainly correct because he does absolutely nothing in the way of housekeeping!!

Wonder do housekeepers get paid more than servants!!

Day 5 Guy Fawkes or Bonfire Night

Yes I do remember the rhyme that went something like this :-

'Remember,remember, the fifth of November,Gunpowder, Treason and Plot, I see no reason why gunpowder treason should ever be forgot'

I do love a good firework display and will no doubt be seeing some in the skies after dark tonight. So sorry no pictures to show you!

My topic for today is a little project that I have been following right across the road from our house. The chap who lives in the house on the corner sold off his garden (and it wasn't really that big). It took several years and lots of planning applications, before he finally got consent for a house to be built. 
I was really worried that trees which shield the houses would be felled, but thankfully the council would not allow that (I wrote in with my objections to getting rid of the trees), as they did not want an exit onto the main road. They did however allow a walking exit and last week I noticed this being constructed between some of the trees which have been severely pruned. 
I can now see the house taking shape so it will be interesting to see it when it it completed. The guy who bought the plot is living in a caravan and doing a lot of the work himself.
This is what it looks like at the moment... 'view from my front porch'... now that rings a bell!!