Old enough

I just cashed my first Social Security check!  I can't believe I'm this old. Or should I say "old enough for this."

Averted disaster

Next week is Easter so that means this week I start baking and freezing.  There aren't going to be that many of us, just 9 adults and 6 little ones, so I don't have to make enough to feed the French army.  Usually I think I have to do that and by the size of the ham I ordered, you'd think I AM feeding an army. 
   I decided to go to my "go to" dessert.  Cream cheese pound cake from The Convent Cookbook.  It's a very obscure little cookbook I bought over 20 years ago and I "go to" it for this recipe.  It's the reason I bought the book.  Now, I know there are dozens of cream cheese pound cake recipes out there but I've only ever made this one.  It freezes like a dream so I can make it way ahead of any upcoming event.
     I was on a roll.  Got it in the oven, started to smell it cooking and then got that horrible feeling in the pit of my stomach.   Suddenly I knew I forgot HALF of the butter!  This recipe calls for 1/2 cup margarine and a whole cup of butter....two sticks.  Dread.  I knew I blew it.  So I peeked.

 Pleasantly surprised.  It was rising nicely.  Had good color.  Hope floats.

 I took it out, it didn't collapse  like usual, when it was cool I dared to cut a thin slice to see if it was ok.

 And you know what?  I think I like it better!  It's not as heavy and dense, has a good crumb, tastes exactly the same. Winner!  Now I wonder if it would work with two sticks of butter and no margarine. 



Then, on a real dare, I decided to make biscuits.  Just finished reading Martha's newest issue and saw Scott Peacock had a recipe for buttermilk biscuits.  I ripped out the pages and set them aside.  With a whole week to get it right what could go wrong?

 Nothing.  Not a thing.  I have NEVER had biscuits stand at attention like these do. 

 Hot from the oven Patient Husband and his friend started circling the stove so I let them test.

They're delicious, high risers, beautiful and just about idiot proof.   I packed them in the freezer and next week will just have to warm them a few minutes before dinner.

The freezer is smiling right now. 

Discovery

Alert!  Alert!  I just found out this is my 301 blog posting!!!  I can't believe it!!!


I've learned something.    Awhile ago I discovered quilting with perle cotton and really liked the look.  I used it mostly for quilts for the grandkids but have since moved on to my other quilts, too.  I really like the look.  But even though friend Liz at Broderie advised me about the size needle to use, I still had some trouble getting the thread through the fabric.  It was much better when using the proper needle size,  but my thumb cracks at the nail in the winter and it's just an issue.

 A couple of weeks ago, just before the winter quilt weekend, I went to the store to buy some perle cotton to quilt this adult quilt (....finally!) and the shop owner suggested I use perle cotton #12 instead of #8. 

 It's just that much thinner and would go through the fabric better.  So I thought anything was worth the try, right? 

Voila!  It's SO very much easier, still looks like perle cotton quilting, acts like perle cotton quilting but is so very much easier to get it through the fabric, even at a fold or seam. 

The shop owner said they all use perle cotton on the spool for their embroidery projects.  They like it so much better than embroidery floss in a skein.  She said it lays flatter, doesn't fray and you're not separating threads.   But you all probably knew that already, right?

Winter fun?

Ice fishing. 
Something I've never really understood.  I'm not passing judgement.  I've just never understood the appeal. 

 You go out onto a frozen lake.  You drill a hole into the ice.  You sit there with a special pole dipped into the water and you wait.

 It's cold.  The lake is, after all, frozen.  I don't know if you need to be quiet like you do when the lake isn't frozen and you're in the boat with a friend and you aren't dressed in many, many layers. I just don't see where these guys are having much fun.....

staring into a hole in the ice.

Baby day

Baby Michael is a month old!