Might Be a Bargain

The sign said For Sale, but I'm pretty sure they weren't focusing on the house per say.....just the land that the horses are crazing on.  Do you ever wonder why a house is abandoned way out in the beautiful countryside?  When I drive by and see houses like this, farmhouses that have been forgotten and neglected, I just can't understand it......what happened?

Today was just a nice quiet and relaxed day with the family.  No big Black Friday shopping, no way.  Oh wait, I did do a little online shopping @ REI when I woke up this morning while drinking my first cup of coffee.  I was still in my pajamas too.  That's my kind of shopping. 

Thanksgiving Weekend

I never learned the skill of crocheting....believe me, I tried and then I tried again.  My stitches would always come out tight.  I finally just gave up, and now I just enjoy watching my daughter as she magically moves her fingers, gently swirling the yarn around her crotchet needle.  It's so rhythmic and so graceful.....very calming for the soul.   

 

Becca has been busy making crocheted headbands for all her friends and co-workers.  Today, her grandma graciously offered that she could look through all her old buttons that she has collected over the many, many years.  Adding a button to the headband just makes it an extra special touch.

I'd like to wish all my blog friends a Happy Thanksgiving, and I hope you all could spend time with your families.  We are here in Southwest Wisconsin visiting my parents for a couple days.  Family and food = love!

Cooking Begins

Let the homemade food begin!   Made my favorite Maple Pecan pie for Thanksgiving.  Like I've mentioned before, you'll find the pie recipe under Turtle Recipes in my blog menu.

 

Bike man made his yummy cornbread stuffing with lots of cranberries, onions, celery, fresh sage and fried bacon.  Seriously, it's the best thing ever.  Bike man will continue to make a few more Thanksgiving favorites tomorrow, and then we'll be already for Thursday. 

I'll check back in on Thanksgiving Day.

Winds Are Whipping

Saint Francis

 

Another batch of cold air is moving in tonight and I can hear the wind whipping against the house.  Cold nights mean the lake ice is here to stay.

 

Won't be long and Saint Francis will be covered in snow.....thought you'd like this photo Mom moo! 

Dusting

A dusting of snow is perfect, well, the deer hunters think so!  Today was the opening of deer hunting, which will continue for the next six eight days.  I'm less excited about deer hunting because it means my running attire needs to change slightly.  At this time of the year, I usually wear a bright orange vest, hat and gloves, so any stray hunter can see me running along the roadside.  Just wanna be safe, ya know?

With a pretty good breeze blowing over the last two days and nights, the lake ice has not been able to completely freeze solid.  I'm sure that will change as tonight's low is expected to be around 8 degrees.  Burrrrrr......

The ice that has formed near our dock seems to be pretty solid, maybe like 2-3 inches?  Don't worry, I'm not venturing out.  For now, I'll just wait and watch the beautiful ice form over the next 6 weeks.

Got out the down comforter for our bed.  Guess it's time to bow down to Old Man Winter.

Silence

I'm still here, but just silent.  Been a busy week.  I promise to be back soon.

My Red Ledger

 

I found my grandma Fannie's cookbook ledger in my closet yesterday and realized I haven't looked through it for many years.  The date on the ledger says 1972....I was twelve years old when she bought this ledger.  So, I brought it out and set it next to where I normally sit when I'm watching TV or checking my blogs and Facebook.  I told myself I really need to look through the entire book since my grandma worked so hard to collect the recipes.  Grandma Fannie collected enough recipes so she would fill three ledgers.....one for each of her granddaughters.

 

And look what grandma did.  She even included cut out photos that she clued to the pages.  I don't think she actually made all the recipes, but the one's she did try, she had written a message or maybe changed the measurements.  When I look through this recipe book, it brings back memories of foods, desserts and baked goods my family enjoyed when I was growing up. 

 

After turning to the last page of the ledger, I found this article cut out from the Milwaukee Journal dated July 29, 1981.  I remember my grandma enjoyed following the Royal family and when Princess Diana and Prince Charles got married, she followed every news article and magazine picture. I smiled when I saw this newspaper clipping.  I remember my grandma well.

I think it would be fun and very nostalgic to periodically try some of these recipes from grandma Fannie's ledger, especially the German desserts.  I'm glad my grandma was thinking of the future and wanted her granddaughters to have a little remembrance of her.

PS.  I started my own recipe ledger in 1978 and my mother has her own recipe ledger she started in???  Our love of food and recipes is a family trait!