Happy Halloween

Fog lifting off the lake.

I did not get my sampler finished but there is always next year. 

I did get my rug hooked and bound. 

Husband had his back surgery on Tuesday. I am managing pain and getting him moving a bit. And now we wait up to 3 months to see if it has worked. He is spending some of his time doing a puzzle and resting. 

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HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Recipies

These recipes are from a very old, falling apart church cookbook from Downeast Maine. These cookies taste like my childhood, and I cannot stay out of them! Bake 9 to 10 minutes better under than over.

This bread is delicious and makes 2 loaves. 

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       Cheeseburger Chowder

I do not have a picture of this sorry and I make this by the seat of my pants lol. But here goes....

I lb of hamburger and 1 small onion chopped cook until no more pink.  

 Add beef broth to cover hamburger and onion by an inch or two.

add one pk of onion soup mix and a couple of dashes of Worchester sauce. 

I then add a bit of instant potato to thicken. (Try a tablespoon at a time) If you have left over mashed potato that works also.  

 Now I add whatever cheese I have grated or chopped fine. At least 1to11/2 cups.  I also add about 2 oz of cream cheese in to melt. Now I add about a 1/2 to 1 cup of cream or milk and if needs to be thickened I add a heaping tsp of cornstarch to the cream before adding it. 

My husband likes it thick so if you prefer thinner then you do not need to add the cornstarch. 

I wait until the end to add any salt or pepper after tasting. 

Truly you cannot fail at this, and it is a great way to use up cheese and maybe left over potatoes. 

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                    Let me know if you make any of these and how it went. Have a wonderful week.

                                                                                                                                                    

The Golden Hours

The leaves have all turned mostly golden. They will fall soon and then the long wait for spring. 

I woke up early to the sound of rain again. Beautiful beautiful rain.

  Last night I took some time to go through my mother's recipes. I found a bread recipe and a cookie recipe that sounded very much like my grandmother's. I got to work this morning making molasses cookies.

And bread, oatmeal bread...

I used my pullman pan and it came out pretty good. Next time I will cook it an extra 5 to 6 minutes but it's a keeper. 

There is nothing better on a rainy day to have a full cookie jar. The memories these cookies brought back were warm and wonderful. I miss my grand still after all these years. 

I have made a deal with myself for this winter. If I do one hour of housework, I am free to hang out in my little studio with no guilt. (I am the only one who puts pressure on myself). That housewife guilt.

I vacuumed and changed out the curtains for the winter yesterday and besides cooking today I wiped down my cupboards and my yellowware on top of my cupboards. (Boy did they need cleaning).

Every window you look out of you see these beautiful trees. I will miss the beautiful color.

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    I tried bone builders again it was a bit better, and they agreed to let me use bigger weights. 

A quiet weekend ahead husband is being operated on, on Tuesday. 

                   Enjoy the last of this beautiful fall. 

 

Fall Chores

Finally rain is coming in tomorrow! There is wind coming with it so I am guessing we will loose a lot of leaves.

We worked and got our firewood in. We burn about a cord just cold evenings usually. 

A little store near us bundles over ripe bananas and sells them for .59 cents. This bunch had 8 in it. What I don't use right up I will freeze for bread later.

I made a chocolate banana cake with peanutbutter frosting. I will not use that recipe again it needed more bananas in it.

My grocery store had this wonderful butter on sale. Made in Maine and 2.00 off a lb a deal! I stocked up. Christmas baking is coming. 

While with Sweet B I took full advantage of their Netflix. The great British baking show. We don't have Netflix, so it was a treat to get caught up on my favorite baking show. 

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I started bone builders last week I am trying to reserve judgement. It was pretty slow paced. 

      Have a wonderful week everyone!

From Another Time

I went to stay with my granddaughter for a few days. Her other grandparents had dropped her off at home a bit before I got there. I walk in and the record player is going. Take a few seconds to listen to what a 14 year was listening to while studying. 

 I offered tea I brought with me she pulls out her teapot and lovely cups, and we catch up. I could not ask for a nicer afternoon with my sweet granddaughter. 

I did early morning dog walking to give her some extra free time before being dropped at school. A bonus sunrise.

Their neighborhood is so pretty. They are in a private development, so it is quiet. 

Taking my grand to school, we have to go over a covered bridge that creaks and that tourist line up to take pictures of the beauty.  

She had a sweet carved pumpkin on the porch. 

And a creepy sight at their mailboxes lol.

I also treated myself to a new book. The bookstore recommended it basted on the last book I read. 

But all great things must come to an end her parents came home, and I headed back to my house. 

I wanted to use up the one apple I had and the puff pastry cups I bought by accident. I topped with whipped ricotta and drizzled some maple syrup. 

Very yummy if I do say so myself. 

It is our first fireplace of the season. We are tucked in and catching up on a couple of shows.

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Have a wonderful weekend!

What A Difference!

Less than a week ago we had bees visiting flowers and 80 degrees. 

We have had 2 hard frosts and the days do not get above 60 degrees now. I cut back my hydrangea, well what I could reach. Makes a great fall decoration. I purchased no mums or pumpkins so voila!

And speaking of cold the snow guns are going for the ski areas. This is Bretton Woods a bit north of us they plan to open for Thanksgiving or sooner.

Besides yard work and housework, I have been stitching in the evenings. I still have a bit more to do on my rug, but Halloween is looming not sure I will get it done for this year or not. 

Husband tested this morning and he is negative!

They pushed his back surgery back a week because of the covid. So, from here on in we will both be very careful to try and not get anything else before his surgery. 

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We will not get much of the storm coming up the coast this time we are too far north they said. Which is sad as we could really use that rain.

It is sunny and blustery today, so it makes it feel colder than the 58 it is. We will tuck in and watch the football game. 

Have a wonderful week. 

Worrywart:

A person who worries habitually and often needlessly, sometimes even over insignificant details.

   That describes me to a "T". I have a sweet friend who is like me, and she tells her family to give all their worries to her as she is so good at worrying. 

 We finally got rain yesterday we went from 80 degrees to now 50 and blustery. I have dug out the leggings and the sweatshirts. But I do worry that we will not get enough rain before winter when everything freezes here. We are on a well and it is always on my mind when it is so dry.

Grand dog duty for a few days before I meet up with my grand to stay with her a few days while mom and dad are away. She is such a good dog and easy to keep. 

Husband got covid at some point over our anniversary weekend. So, to stay away from him I have tucked myself away in my rug room to hook. I got the sky done!

Because it was raining and cold yesterday I made two kinds of soup. Butternut squash and cheeseburger chowder then I made a banana bread. Comfort food all around. 

Last year we left our leaves until late spring. We had more fireflies than ever this summer. So, we will do the same this year. 

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Husband's covid seems mild. Day 5 and he is out in his shop. We have to watch him as he is prone to pneumonia but thankfully this does not seem the case this time. 

               Have a wonderful weekend! 

Anniversary

Friday was our 50th anniversary. 

(beautiful flowers from our daughter and family)

The colors are at peak. We have been so dry and hot they are just not the same this year. 

Friday husband and I took a ride...

It is so pretty here any time of year but in the fall glorious. 

We went to a local coffee shop and out to a fancy dinner. 

Sat daughter and family came we went to lunch and dinner.

We had time to together which is what we wanted. The weather was perfect. It was a lovely anniversary. I do wonder though how 50 years can slip by so quickly?

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Have a wonderful week

131 Years

We are so dry, so very dry. 

The leaves have turned but they have dried up on the trees.

So what falls is already dried. There is an outdoor fire ban on everything. They are saying it is the driest in 131 years. (not sure how they really know)

But we had a very wet spring, I hope that off sets it. But we are praying for lots of rain before the ground freezes for the winter. 

My fairy roses are still blooming the weather has been so beautiful, warm, and summer like. 

We are under a frost warning tonight. So, the few pots I have still going I have covered to keep them. The weather will go back to 70s and 80s, so I am trying to stretch them for a few more days. 

Ok sky #4 and I think voila I have found it! It does not show up here but the hooking on the right is the old sky, the hooking on the left is the new sky. It has pinks and blues but muted. I finally feel good about it. 

Wise words

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Friday is our 50th anniversary. We have asked our daughter and family for their time. No parties or gifts just their time. To us this 

is the perfect anniversary. 

Have a wonderful week.