The Winter of Our Discontent 3/31

Gloomy 3/31

Sunny New Mexico

      

 It's not quite 40 degrees outside today.  In Milton, PA, that is.  Here's what it looks like.  






In Moriarty, NM, it's -- 70.  Yeah, 70.  With sunshine.  

Here's what it looks like today in Moriarty, NM:

All right.   




Enough.  

I stepped outside and looked at some plants today.  I guess I just needed some convincing.  Yes!  The trees and shrubs are budding!  And I actually do like the rain.  I've often said I'd rather have a flood than a drought.  Of course, I don't live in the flood plain. 

forsythia buds

Hydrangea buds

Yesterday, when I was walking to the Ben Franklin, I took a snapshot of a lovely, picturesque farm:

lovely, picturesque farm

Now, let's pull back a little on the same farm.  It makes me sad to see farm land eroded in so many ways.  Not just this one, with a highway, but so many farms where I grew up are now housing developments.  I'll show you some pictures sometime soon of one old farm in particular that I wish had never gone to development.  But that's for another day.


I've never had too much luck with orchids.  I want to be like Nero Wolfe and have a rooftop garden filled with orchids.  I bought two when I moved here.  One died.  Fortunately, the other did not:

orchid

Kathy  3/31

P.S.  Yankees 6
         Detroit 3

Cake Balls 3/30

    I'm going to a get together tomorrow evening, and I'm making a sweet snack to bring along.  They're cake balls.  Kinda like truffles.  So easy.  Here's how:

Yellow cake from a mix.

Crumbled up cake.

Bake a cake from a mix.  Use yellow, or butter.  The original recipe where I saw this said you can use butter pecan.  That sounds good, but the store I was in didn't have any butter pecan, so I just used yellow.  


Once the cake has cooled break it up into a large bowl.


   The recipe said to use a can of frosting, but I made my own.  I just melted about 3/4 of a stick of butter, added some powdered sugar til I got the right consistency, and just a tiny splash of milk.  Add the frosting mixture to the cake and combine well. 

      Meanwhile, melt some chocolate in a double boiler.  I used dark chocolate wafers from the Ben Franklin I told you about in my last post.     

Melted chocolate

Form cake mixture into balls.

     Pinch off small pieces of the cake/frosting mixture and form into balls.  Then dip the balls into the melted chocolate to cover them.  Place the chocolate covered cake balls onto a parchment paper lined cookie sheet.  Then put the cookie sheet into the freezer for a little while until the chocolate is set.  

Finished cake balls.

Voila!   


I don't know what these taste like because I gave up sugar for Lent, and that means no cake, frosting, chocolate, cookies, pies, candies, or anything else that tastes good and sweet.  Except peanut butter.  No jelly.  


I'm also working on my food picture taking skills.  But several people complimented me on these cake balls, so I'm assuming they're pretty good.  I mean, really.  Cake, butter, sugar, and chocolate.  How bad can it be?!


Kathy  3/30

Being crafty on 3/30

Yarn Section

     I am not a crafty person.  I wish I had the patience and skill to whip up cute craft projects at any old whim, but no.  Not me.  I do, though, like to go to the Ben Franklin craft store and browse around.  The Ben Franklin is at the intersection of State Routes 642 and 147 in Milton, PA.

Fabric Section

I did buy some melting chocolate for a dessert I am making for a get together tomorrow night.  I'll show you this dessert in my next post.  

Yankee Candle Section

     I like to wander around the fabric section even though I don't know a bobbin from a button!  (OK, I do.)  I have an idea for recovering my couch pillows.  It will just stay an idea for now.  

     They have lots of Yankee Candles here.  I can't afford them right now, but it's fun to see the different colors and scents, and they look so good in the general store-type cabinets that house them.   If you are ever driving up I-91 through Massachusetts, stop into the Yankee Candle factory outlet.  It's really amazing! 

Country style furniture

     The Ben Franklin also has a selection of country furniture -- tables, chests, cupboards.  If you are a decent carpenter, you can get lots of good ideas here.  That piece shown is about six feet tall, and would go great in an entrance hall.  The bench opens for storage.  The back has hooks on it, and the window-y fixture at the top is actually a mirror.  I think it was like $450+.  

    Something else the Ben Franklin has lots of is sports-related merchandise.  Guess what team is big here in central Pennsylvania:  Penn State!  

 

Penn State stained glass lamp.

The Ben Franklin has Penn State baby clothes, playing cards, smokers, blankets, mugs, hats, pennants, the list literally goes on and on.    I'm not sure what that thing is below, maybe a yard ornament.  Anyway, it's Penn State Proud! 

Penn State something or other

The Ben Franklin also stocks other sports team stuff.  My favorite team is the Yankees.  I also like the Steelers. 

Car mats

This picture is so wrong.

              






If you like crafts, or just like to browse around a fun store, stop into the Ben Franklin some time.  

Kathy 3/30 



 



I

HUP (Hands Up People) and other thoughts 3/29

     I went for a walk today and thought about this blog.  I knew that I would be twitching and tweaking things about it as I went along.  The initial name, "universally remote," just came to me as I was thinking about names.  I used it so that I could just get on with it, if you know what I mean.  I originally wanted to call it "borscht," but that domain was taken.  

railroad underpass 3/29/11

    So, as I walked along, camera in tow, I decided to switch the name to "My Life in Milton."  I believe this name more accurately depicts my goal for this blog, and gives me a little direction and focus.

     I moved to Milton 15 months ago from Moriarty, NM.  I was born in the next town over, Lewisburg, PA.  

HUP clothing section

My walk today included a stop at one of my favorite stores, HUP.  HUP stands for Hands Up People, and is a combination thrift store and recycling center.  I can almost always find a little something here to add to my home.  Today, I found a picture frame that I know a friend will like, a measuring cup that has a scale on

HUP household section

it, a couple of cute baskets for Easter, two paperbacks, a small painting, a black evening bag, and two jars of Parmesan cheese -- all for about ten bucks.  

evening purse

HUP is located at the intersection of Mahoning Street (SR 642) and Willow Street in Milton (just across the Mahoning Street railroad tracks).  


     It's funny what you see when you walk.  I was on Arch Street when I saw this odd sight:  

Dead Crow

 At first, I thought it was a duck decoy.  Then I looked a little closer.  I'm pretty sure this is a dead crow that was hit by a vehicle and thrown into the branches of this tree.  Weird, right?  

Rock that I covet. 

  I did see some nicer sights on my walk, too.  This a rock that decorates one of my neighbor's yards.  I pass it all the time.  I love this rock.  If my neighbor ever wakes up one morning and the rock is missing, they should check my yard first thing!  

Rock, again.

These pictures don't do this rock justice at all.  It must be a limestone and it is studded with sparkly quartz crystals all over it.  I've been in love with rocks ever since I was little.  I had a bunch of rocks from New Mexico that I was bringing here to PA when I moved.   My U-Haul trailer was stolen in Midwest City, OK and I wonder what the thieves thought when they opened up a couple of boxes of rocks.  I miss those rocks.  I had a couple of really nice ones that I found in Riley, NM, which is this cool ghost town in the middle of nowhere.  

forsythia

crocus with tulip leaves

   Anyway.  I'll conclude this post with a few pictures of the coming spring.  It's been mighty cold for March here in central PA.  The weather is the topic on everyone's mind.  Thankfully, we have a few sweet reminders that winter will not last forever!




Kathy 3/29

Lunch at Yung Ting 3/28

Yung Tin

Sesame Bean Curd

  My mother and I had lunch at Yung Ting Chinese Restaurant today.  Yung Ting is the best Chinese restaurant anywhere outside of New York City.  (I'm not sure about California.  California probably has a few good Chinese restaurants, too.  But I haven't been to one.)   If you are ever driving along Route 15 through Lewisburg, PA, stop into Yung Ting, in the Plaza 15 Shopping Center.  Yum, yum.  

I had my current "usual" -- Sesame Bean Curd.  My other favorites here are Broccoli in Garlic Sauce and Cold Sesame Noodles.  Remember, I'm a mostly vegetarian.  I have tried to replicate the bean curd they make here, unsuccessfully.  The consistency of the tofu is chewy and yet light.  Mmmm.  

Mu Shu Pork

My mom had Moo Shu Pork.  We both had tons left to take home for later.  

My mother and I go out to eat once a week or so.  We like to try different places, but Yung Ting is one place we don't mind repeating.  

Kathy 3/28/11

Impossible Pie for Dinner 3/27

    Tonight for dinner, I'm having a spinach and leftover impossible pie.  I placed some fresh spinach (about half a bag) in a baking dish, added leftover corn and that leftover cheese mixture (faux pimento cheese) from last night.  Then I stirred together some Bisquick, milk and an egg.  I poured the Bisquick mixture over the spinach, and placed the dish into the oven at 350 F.

Take it out of the oven after about 40 minutes and let it rest for a few.  Cheesy and tasty.  Plus it's spinach, healthy, right?  

Kathy 3/27

Saturday Night Dinner 3/26

     I have been wanting to try to make homemade pimento cheese.  I love pimento cheese.  So, I got a package of reduced fat grated cheddar cheese and a jar of roasted red peppers.  I added some garlic and onion powder, salt and paprika, along with a dollop of no fat mayonnaise.  I also added some sun dried tomatoes for fun and then melted it in the oven for a few minutes.

     Truthfully, this did not taste anything at all like pimento cheese.  But, thankfully, it did taste pretty good. 
--Kathy 3/26 

My First Entry 3/26

   Wow, I've created a blog.  Now comes the hard part.  Creating content for the blog.  I began this blog as a way to compel myself to write more.  So, what can we expect from these coming pages?  I have no idea.  Well, I sort of have some ideas.  I like to take pictures, so I'll have some snapshots.  You'll see my dog, plants and flowers, food I've cooked and enjoyed.  I'm looking at this blog as an adventure.  

     This is my dog, Sage.  She is a mixed breed with Chow, Husky, German Shepherd, and Lab in her ancestry.  Chow is her dominant breed.  She's a sweetheart with me, not so much with other people.  She's about 6 years old, and I've had her since she was a pup.  If I had known about Chow Chow dogs before I got her, I would have socialized her a lot more.  If you are thinking about getting a Chow, be sure you do your research.  They are excellent one person dogs.  But they do tend to be aggressive toward other people and other animals.  

      This is a picture of baked tofu.  I know, you are saying, "yuck, tofu."  Well, I am mostly a vegetarian, except for some fish from time to time.  This recipe was made by slicing a block of extra firm tofu thinly, marinating in soy sauce, garlic and onion powder, a little hot sauce, and a little olive oil, then baking for a long time at about 325 F.  The texture becomes nice and chewy, not tofu-like at all.

      
     Here's a picture of a baby rabbit hanging out underneath a small hemlock tree.  I took this shot looking out a window on March 23, 2011.  You can see a little snow from the storm earlier this week.  The bunny stayed there all afternoon.


   So there you have it.  A sampling of the mundane and random musings and pictures you can expect from this simple exercise in joining the blogging community.  


Kathy, 3/26/11