In Like a Lion.....

March has come in with the beginning blooms of forsythias and 5 to 6 inches of wet snow covering the ground.



Many dreams have come true even without the lure of Disneyworld for these southern girls. All the rain turned into a lovely snowfall late yesterday, and Rose actually set her alarm in order to get up early....to play in the 25 degree snowy weather.


Charlotte and her friend, Eli, ventured inside wet and shaking from the cold requesting popsicles. They then settled down at the kitchen table and a 100 piece puzzle was undertaken. In the past I would have a desirable jigsaw puzzle on the sidelines ready and waiting for the first snow to fall. I do so love to do puzzles! I can still recall the days when I had toddlers and the challenge of keeping them from reaching up and grabbing the pieces. Now I am enjoying any assistance I can give to two five year old puzzle lovers.

Oh, the dilemma of finding another pair of mittens or gloves multiplied by all the constant visits of going out and coming in with wet mittens to search high and low for another dry pair...they do not have to match, however....that's my solitary way of thinking anyway.

I thought I would knit Charlotte a new pair....teal with red stripes. This pattern is very easy and can be worked up rather quickly to keep little hands toasty. Little can beat the merits of 100% natural wool.


Snow and Bake. If I had my own cooking show, maybe that could be the theme....I get so fired up to be in the kitchen on snowy days. My kitchen should be warm, inviting and have the wafting smells of spicy cinnamon rolls baking, fresh bread rising, strong coffee brewing, and beef stew simmering. And at least for today..... it did.



This recipe for cinnamon rolls is one I have been making since 1991. It was taken from a small publication originally and I have adjusted it for my own use through the years.

Cinnamon Rolls

2 cups milk
1/2 cup butter
1/3 cup sugar(you may use honey)
2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons dry yeast
3 eggs
5-7 cups flour( I use 2 cups of whole wheat and 4 cups of white, unbleached)

In large bowl combine 2 cups of whole wheat flour and yeast. Heat the milk, butter, sugar and salt until butter is melted.Cool (115-120 degrees). Add eggs.
After mixture is cooled, pour into the flour mixture and stir in 3-4 cups of white flour with a wooden spoon( you may prefer to use all wheat).

Knead until smooth and elastic. Place in large oiled bowl, turn once, cover and let rise in a warm place.( about 60-90 minutes).
Punch the dough down, divide in two, and allow to rest about ten minutes.
Melt 3 tablespoons of butter.
In separate bowl mix 1/2 cup brown sugar and 2 teaspoons of cinnamon.
Roll dough into 12-18 inch rectangle, brush with melted butter. Coat the dough with the cinnamon and sugar mixture.
Now the true fun begins, starting at the long edge begin rolling, lightly pulling the dough as you go and sealing the seam.Slice the rolls with dental floss about 1/2-1 inch. Spray pans with cooking spray. I have used round cake pans, which makes a lovely gift, or brownie and sheet cake pans. Cover and let rise until double.
Bake 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

Icing
Mix 1-2 cups powdered sugar
1 1/2 - 2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
Pour over cooled rolls. You may do this while the rolls are warm, but I like the icing to stick firmly...we like the icing!

Movies and Music for Rainy Days

Rainy days have a tendency to make droopy eyelids. And two days in a row might even cause lugubrious tendencies. Therefore, other forms of inside entertainment are sought.


Smocking bullions on Charlotte's Easter dress kept my fingers busy while the girls and I were able to use inside time to watch Hallmark's showings of the movie renditions of Janette Oke's books, Love Comes Softly, all the way to Part Six, Love's Unfolding Dream. Rose enjoyed them but inquired as to why they must be so sad at times.

A time to play the piano. Mood music of Beethoven's Pathetique Sonata and Fur Elise fit the bill rather nicely. My imagination was free to run aloft as the legatos and crescendos caressed the ivory and ebony keys. Jane Austen took center stage naturally.

The comfort of house slippers

The preference of what to put on my feet while in the house is not a matter of great concern. I do not wear shoes while inside my home in either summer or winter. When it is warm outside you can expect my feet to be bare, but I will always be wearing socks and/or slippers while in the house during the cold weather months. From the time I get up until my bedtime my footsies are adequately covered.

It is not fashion I am after.....just taking care of the old cold feet syndrome. I love woolen socks and slippers with durable soles, this enables me to makes light trips outside if needed to get the mail or hunt for something in the garage. Just as long as they are absolutely super duper comfortable and warm I am satisfied. I wear a pair out, toss them and replace them with another pair....no sentiment attached either....all service.

I have come to realize it is one of the things that gives me a dose of pleasant feelings, stepping out of my shoes and sliding into my house slippers upon entering my home. It's a homey thing.

Shadow Play

Do you see the shadows? The girls were in the dining room busily setting the table one evening and I was fascinated by their shadows playing on my fuchsia and white walls. The movements were tipping here and there as their girlish voices filled the room.

The days are getting longer right before my eyes, I love seeing this reality creeping further up into the lighter evenings each and every day. The setting sun raises its head for its last bit of glory before it will set at the front of my house where I can catch a glimpse if I take the time.


I am bedazzled when I do!

Thoughts of Snow and a Blue Baby Sweater

After a glorious foretaste of Spring a blast of wind chilling cold returned and stoked Charlotte's creative bent towards thoughts of snow. She was occupied this morning with making snowflakes with cupcake papers, coffee filters and a pair of scissors. After scotch taping them to her bedroom windowpanes and the door she visited the magic of simple play snow.



The baby sweater.....completed and the cute buttons, that Rose chose this go round, sewn on snugly.The shawl collar was different, but it is what charmed me to this pattern in the first place. It would definitely only be practical on an older baby, but since he will be at least seven months old upon wearing it I believe it will do grandly.

Waiting ......now I can put my attention on the Baby Shower Tea I will be hosting for his mother on the first Saturday in March. If he only knew all the wonderful thoughts the "outsiders" are having about him.

Crackers and Crumbs

There is an old Shirley Temple movie appropriately called "Curly Top" in which she plays a gusty orphan and one of my favorites parts is her singing "Animal Crackers in my Soup". I can not eat crackers in my soup without this song reverberating through my mind. How delightful!


"Animal crackers in my soup
Monkeys and rabbits loop the loop
Gosh, O Gee But I have fun
Swallowing animals one by one."

For lunch on this blustery day that has turncoat and given us winter once again, I made chicken noodle soup. Of course without a doubt, I put crackers in my soup ( plain saltines are my preferred choice).

What about you....do you put crackers in your soup?


Now as for an afterthought crumb on this Friday, I must make a statement about laundry. It is frankly daily and I am truly thankful for my constant appliances that make this duty so much easier. After all I have read those Little House on the Prairie books regarding their laundry days. I once heard a woman of three teenage sons declare she would not have any problems if she did not have dirty laundry. As a young mother of one little one, all I could do was chuckle. I do not chuckle on the same level these days. And to make it even more interesting and complicated, I have older children that come back with their dirty laundry....loads and loads of dirty laundry.... and have Laundromat Day at my house. But their distinct idea of doing laundry is as far as the east is from the west from my grounded idea. Consequently, for the past two days I have lived with dirty clothes all over my laundry room floor. It is time to make a judgment here.....I will be For Hire to do laundry, if and only if the laundry is dropped off on designated days and it must by no means be more than a week's worth of laundry.....Good. Now that I have that all straight.......

Why must one have such a large supply of Shout? I counted four bottles! Dirty, dirty laundry needs, I presume.

A Sweet Bonnet of Pink

Another baby gift, and this one all pink and white. I feel as if the LORD granted me the privilege of praying for this precious one beginning two summers ago and now the arrival date is only four weeks away. The parents and five year old big sister are jubilant. They have been praying and hoping for so very long.



So I made a very special gift. Her own smocked pink and white "Easter" bonnet, dainty, delicate and oh so feminine.

With the simplest details such as these ribbon clasps to keep the silk ribbons that will caress her tiny, fresh, newborn chin.

"Mrs. Weston, with her baby on her knee, indulging in such reflections as these, was one of the happiest women in the world. If any thing could increase her delight, it was perceiving that the baby would soon have outgrown its first set of caps."

Jane Austen
Emma

A Daughter's Heart

What a thoroughly satisfying day. The girls in Polished Cornerstone planned and executed an evening of serving their fathers a special meal. The purpose stems from a deep desire we have to foster in our daughters the idea of holding their fathers in the role of a "knight in shining armor" until the day comes that he, in fact, will give them away to their future husbands. This is so imperative, to give our daughters the love and attention they crave, and need for that matter, while they are yet still at home under our care and protection.

The girls also wrote a letter to their fathers to be included in a pail of goodies, and at the end of the meal each father reached out plucking a rose from the center vase and presented it to their daughter, one long-stemmed rose.


Confetti of pink and red hearts spiraled from fingers across the white tablecloth. I had such a difficult time catching this on film, which only reminds me of how quickly these years of my daughter's girlhood are spiraling away from me. Each day is a priceless gift.

All Day Granola

Most mornings I eat a breakfast of vanilla yogurt (Stoneyfield Farms is my absolute favorite) with flax seed grain and fresh fruit: raspberries, blueberries or strawberries. If the market fruit is not satisfactory then I will use frozen blueberries. This along with a cold glass of orange juice will get me through my busy morning of homeschooling until lunchtime.


For several months, truly it has been that long, I have had hankerings for some homemade granola. I just simply have not taken the time to make a batch. Oh..... am I ever glad I took the time this morning right before I started on Charlotte's reading lesson. She pulled up her trusty stool and we proceeded to make my dreams come true right then and there. I am calling this
All Day Granola because you will eat it all day.....it is delicious! You might want to make two batches.....


All Day Granola

2 cups of oatmeal, whole grain milled
3/4 cups of broken pecans halves
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup wheat germ
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/3 cup brown sugar

Mix all ingredients and add:
!/2 stick melted butter
2 tablespoons honey

Preheat oven to 300 degrees and bake for 15 minutes, stirring every five.
Add 1/2 cup of dried cherries and 1/2 cup of dried blueberries ( you may just add one if preferred).
Bake another15-20 minutes stirring every 5 minutes. Cool.

Black Patent Leather Shoes

As a child I can remember wearing saddle oxfords to school. But come Sunday morning no other shoes would do but my shiny black patent leather shoes. All little girls should have a pair to wear when dressed up in their best.

Drawing Hedgehogs

"She was running, running, running up the hill - and where was her white frilled cap? and her shawl? and her gown-and her petticoat?

"And how small she had grown- and how brown - and covered with prickles!
Why! Mrs. Tiggy-winkle was nothing but a HEDGEHOG!

We adore this story by Beatrix Potter, so in her honor we drew hedgehogs. I love the prickles on Charlotte's little critter.

There are days I too feel all prickly, just as I can I imagine a hedgehog would be, but today was not such a day. Sigh.