Monday, April 13, 2015

Cooking and Stuff

 While I was at Jeff and Christie's adoring little James, I picked some grape hyacinths and put them in my pocket.  I didn't remember until the next day so they are droopy.  Don't you love grape hyacinths?
 I've been on a bit of a food prep binge.  I made split pea soup yesterday (one package of split peas, eight cups of water, chopped up Easter ham, onion powder, salt, and pepper!) and cinnamon rolls.  I took them to Kelli's and we ate outside on the deck while the girls played.  Spring is so hospitable.
This morning, still in a cook-y mood, I made apple crisp (five apples, one cup water, 1/2 cup butter, one cup sugar, one cup flour, 2 tsp. cinnamon) and it is delish!

 I'm still loving the tea maker Jenny gave me.  After pouring boiling water in, seeping the leaves for a brief moment, I put it on top of my mug and it fills my cup!  Easy!




 Here's the finished crisp!  So good!
 Since I had the bread maker out for cinnamon rolls yesterday, I made some honey wheat bread this morning.  It's big.  It's beautiful.  It's delicious.
 I had this fairy house tucked in between books in the guest room.  Time to house the fairies!  

 Bill's been in Romania, so I've had some extra time to sort through stuff.  I found this brass candle stick and the little cardboard message, too.
 Still gobbling up oranges!  I bought lemons today, too.  A friend from the Ukraine taught me to make a lemon treat for tea.  You slice the lemons and then place them one by one in a jar. You put one scoop of sugar on each lemon slice and stack them up until you reach the top of the jar.  Put the lid on. They live in the refrigerator. After about a week, you pour a bit in your tea!  It juices more and more as time passes and makes for scrumptious tea, so I am going to do a little slicing and sugaring today.
My dinner is on the counter.
 While the grands were playing the other day, I sorted through my knitting books.  I have a few cookbooks, craft books and such on these shelves, too.  
 Hmmmmmm.  I have more knitting books than finished knitting projects.  Look at the basket perched on the sofa, waiting for my knitting mood to strike!

 I really don't get a lot of measurable "things" done, to be honest.  Every now and then I accomplish a little something like hanging this little shelf above the sink.
Or knitting for a few moments on this dishcloth.
 Well, I can read for hours and hours.  I like this old book.
 And my sweet mama sent me this book that has been on my wish list for a while!  Hooray!
 It's pansy time!  I'm trying to decide if I want this flat of pansies in the back or the front garden.

 Sunshine, my bicycle, is still suspended on the hooks.  I want her.

 Outside, everything is cheering right up!  
Below:  the curtains in the front window (garage)
 My springy bag!
 And fun news:  we are going to do a few things to our little kitchen.  Did you know that there are one billion things that distinguish one cupboard door from another?  Yikes!  I finally decided on a nice maple wood, sage green.  I love green and I feel sure I shall be happy with green cupboards.  We'll have butcher block counters because they are woodsy and cabin-y and Pom Pom-y.
 So, THAT will happen in a couple of months when the cupboards arrive and the demo and install can occur.
I mentioned that Bill has been in Romania.
 Don't you love these storybook stairs?
 How about this round-walled nook?
 Our girls (the two on the left!) and Jenny's sister-in-law (and friend) ran a relay race yesterday morning.  I'm so proud of them.  
I think I'll go out in the sunshine and pull a weed or two.  There are a lot of aggressive weeds out in the back garden.
I can hear the neighbor's wind chimes singing.  The windows are open, filling the house with fresh air, but before I go out to find my gardening gloves I had better have a few more bites of apple crisp.
Happy spring, kind visitors!  

26 comments:

TexWisGirl said...

love the blooms. apple crisp was one of my family's mainstays. yum!!

Farm Girl said...

It sounds wonderful and looks even prettier. I am so glad you are having a lovely spring day.
I like knowing you have been happily puttering along.
It has been a wind chime singing kind of day here too.

GretchenJoanna said...

Oh, is it time to take Sunshine down from her hibernation? I want to see a picture of you riding!

Anonymous said...

I love my green kitchen cabinets! My mom used to make lemon varenya to add to tea which sounds a lot like the Ukrainian lemon result you get. She also canned cherry varenya that was delicious in tea, too. This was a fun full post that made me smile and made me hungry!

Julia said...

Dear PomPom, you fill your day with the most ordinary little this and that like the pretty droopy Hyacinths, (I think they held up pretty well without water for so long ), tasty tea made from a nice tea maker, oranges and lemons , salmon and potatoes , oh yummy apple crisp... and so many happy little colorful things like your Spring fabric bag.

I'm always so busy that I hardly take time to enjoy the little things even though I'm thankful for all I have.

Thanks for sharing what makes you happy.
Hugs,
JB

happyone said...

I LOVE apple crisp. A lovely, cheerful and happy post. Always a pleasure to stop by and see your many photos.

ann said...

Oh PomPom, you are so much fun, so much color, so much joy. I thought you'd like my boots. I called them muck boots, but they are actually Bogs. I bet your house smells so gooooood with all of the baking. Pea soup? My fav.

Granny Marigold said...

I think your new kitchen will look wonderful! You'll feel even MORE like cooking delicious meals and baking more cinnamon buns than ever. I like honey in my tea and I'm thinking I could layer lemon slices and honey in a jar instead of sugar. About that BP book... it's on my wish list as well. Happy days.

SaraJ said...

I love gardening in Springtime as the garden wakes up. Shame the weeds are so enthusiastic though! Enjoy cooking in your new kitchen. x

Amy at love made my home said...

So many wonderful things happening at your house! Don't you just love cooking up a big load of something, it makes me feel as though I am really organised, love that! Your new kitchen sounds very exciting!!!! xx

Nancy McCarroll said...

You have been very busy. I have a bag of lemons, so I am going to try out your lemon slices and sugar icebox treat today. Wonder how long it will stay in the refrigerator? But I will probably use it up in no time, so it will never be a question.

magsmcc said...

Do you know that if you come here first we could be in her garden at Hilltop by late afternoon the next day? Bring the apple crisp...

Between Me and You said...

Hey, that's not fair! This post didn't show up in my blog feed! I only found out about it over at Nancy's whereupon I rushed right over here! I think you're missing your beau - that's why you're like a butterfly, flitting hither and thither. Hope he's back soon. I'm like you with the knitting books - I bought another two last week in the charity/thrift shop, got them home and asked myself 'why'? Everything looks scrummy that you make. Keep going! xxx

NanaDiana said...

Now my mouth is watering for apple crisp and not an apple in sight here. lol

Proud of your girls for the race-good for them!

I see you have a collection of Mary Hadley plates on the wall? My friend had a full set of her dishes that she bought over time in St.Charles, IL. I always loved them.

Hope you have a wonderful night- xo Diana

Gill - That British Woman said...

I have that tea maker also got it in the States and now I see we can buy them here. It's really a neat thing.

sandy said...

Lots of fun going on at your house! Happy Spring!

sandy said...

So many fun things going on at your house! Happy Spring!

Lisa Richards said...

Love the description of your new cabinets and counters. It sounds like you!
Still loving your denim sofa. :)
Such a fun-filled post. Makes me smile to see you're having a delight-filled day and you really know how to appreciate your many blessings!

The Provincial Homemaker said...

Your kitchen will be so lovely and fresh - I am sure you will enjoy it when it comes to fruition.

Glad to see you are making the best of your alone time - tea and books sound like a pretty good combination to me.

Attic Clutter said...

HI POM
oh yummmm.(:)
love hyacinth too..they are such a beautiful color..I have some popping up in my flower beds too..
love them coming back each year to bring us SPRINGTIME joy (:)
hugs,Patty

Elderberry-Rob said...

Oh that's interesting about Bill going to Romania, the baptist church here sends a lorry out with goods for the locals and has some missionaries out there living in Dorohoi our housegroup supported a family for a while which was interesting as we learned about their living costs and were able to help them pay their heating bill monthly for a year. I liked seeing your grape hyacinth today (I nearly always sneek one in to my paintings as I love them) - kitchen will be calming - green is a good colour. Betty

Marcie said...

Everything sounds delicious and delightful in PomPom's Bower. Love the taste and sunny color of lemons!

Tessa~ Here there be musing said...

A lot going on in this post!!!

That tea maker looks like a great gadget!!! Even I might learn to like tea, with one of those. :-)

Maggie said...

Great to catch up with you again this week, spring is flying by so quickly. Enjoy!

Thistle Cove Farm said...

sage green...a favorite color and will be lovely in your kitchen. knitting...like you, more books than FP's...oh my green envy just popped up---Beatrix Potter's Gardening life...ooohhhaaahhh---want!...adore pansey's, have some yellow stuck here and there...my youthful goal in life was to have a job where all I did was read but that never happened...adore your tea maker and want to try the lemon sugar slices, looks delicious...that sofa is just waiting for someone to nap!...homemade bread, rolls, soup---now I'm OH so hungry...
great post, Pom...great!

M.K. said...

Your food looks so yummy, Pom! Esp. that apple crisp - :) Wish I had a few bites! We've also had our windows open for about a week now, no AC, no heat. So very nice. Nothing feels quite like fresh air, does it? You have so much going on right now! A kitchen redo -- how exciting! I like your paint description; I think you'll like it. I've heard that's a calming color. Did you anticipate that "retirement" would be so active? haha :)

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