And on to today {still sick but thankful}

Thank you all for your kind comments,

each was really encouraging!!! 

BTW, I realized after posting and looking at my post again later,

that blogger is having a difficulty sending comments right now.

I noticed that gmail is offering a new look again and by the sounds of it

that is the cause of the problem (see here)

so I will be more deliberate in looking at my comments on my 

internal dashboard to try to see them all.

***

So at present it feels like I have a cold in my throat;

as in I have drainage like a cold that is bothering my throat but my

nose is oddly not yet impacted; I've had it before that a cold 

sneaks in round about and starts somewhere other than in my nose

so that's what may be happening (we will see) and if so,

I may be in for another week or so of this.

Boo :( ... so my throat is swollen I think because of the drainage at present

and I am fatigued as if I have a doozy of a cold. 

But your comments were honestly quite encouraging.

Thanks.  I know that when one is feeling under the weather

everything seems a bit harder to bear than normal

and things have been hard and so, I am glad I have friends who care!

***

I've been re-reading DE Stevenson which has been just right

and I realized I needed to add lemon and honey to my herbal tea

and have black tea as well as it cheers me up.

***

Well, other than this Deb P on IG (of Smitten Kitchen fame)

posted on Stories a fun vintage cookbook and I ordered it!

I did not know of this cookbook but they are part of the 1980s-now 

fame of NYC/East Coast/American cooking world (James Beard, Julia Child) I found out

with a small bit of research. So that's fun also as I love

reading about these cooks/chefs and the like.

***

I love reading cookbooks and have been loving this one all over again:

Marion Cunningham worked with James Beard

and this book (and The Supper Book) have so many

mouth watering recipes that I want to make! 

I used the above (The Breakfast Book) 

for the epic brunch I had for my goddaughter and her Mother

that I see I still have not blogged about but will try to do so

this week.... 

***

Anyway, please if you may pray that I am able to go to liturgy tomorrow

as our local priest is going to be honoured for 55 years of service + marriage and 

I missed vespers with the Bishop (who will return tomorrow DV) so that I will

have more strength to go tomorrow... 

***

I am more resolved again to patience, 

as I wrote on social media earlier today:

This [sickness] is another lesson in the many 

layers of learning to be more patient. 

Our Good Lord knows that I need the lessons

 even when I have to make myself be thankful, 

for I do know that patience brings inward peace,

 ultimately as all of the fruits of the Holy Spirit, 

the parts of love (1 Corinthians ch 13) do.

A quiet Monday

I had a very quiet day today.

A dear friend reminded me of encouragement I had gotten

when I blogged about feeling that I would not be 

understood in terms of my life and that I too, am busy.

I see that I have written about it again, here.

I am learning that I can slow down,

that I can take days I need to rest so that I am better

able to handle my week.

***

I am seeing how much gentleness and space each person needs;

I know that I am not perfect, that I don't always do the best 

for others or even myself.

***

But I hope I am learning.

***

Today I baked a chicken, 

am baking potatoes,

I am thinking always of my writing,

of my long list of things to do.

But I am trying not to let the long list produce a 

need to do things when the best thing to do is rest.

***

I got a new cookbook today, from a dear friend;

I hope to make the flour-less cake sometime soon, if God so grants. 

***

But I knew, today, that it was OK to rest, be quiet...

Friday in late September 2013 ~ Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross

Mr. Husband and I were at liturgy for the
Feast of the Exaltation of the Life-Giving Cross
this morning. 

I made bread yesterday!
Details next week, DV.

We had this for dinner ~ Martha
kindly let me know that it is called
caprese salad.
The Heirloom tomatoes were so good with it.

I also fried up some mushrooms and onions,
to be eaten with some sour cream.

It was a simple meal,
but filling.
We hope to eat left-overs tomorrow...

 

Cleo as you can see wanted this dinner too!
*
We went to a great book sale today!
I got a whole stack of cookbooks.
The only problem?
Where to put them...
I will be doing some weeding
of my collection of books soon...
*
One of the cookbooks I got is
the new basics cookbook
which I think is the one that caused Mr. Husband to ask
how many general cookbooks I need...
Clearly we have differing points of view :)
And I saw some bread recipes in it that I want to
look at further...
*
Most of my cookbooks were either gifts or
found used for a few dollars at most.
I got the facsimile of the original Fanny Farmer Cookbook
and one cookbook that
is for cooking for big groups,
published in 1962;
some others also... they are all wrapped up
for now in storage to be sure no creepy crawlies are in them.
Oh NJ and their bug problems; le sigh.
*
But boy am I excited to read these and
try some new recipes!
I was looking through an Italian cookbook
the other night was getting some ideas as well...
*
I finished up 1 and a half wash/dish clothes in our
2 hour plus trip to church
and I must try stockinette soon,
for my upcoming knitting class.
*
So that's it for me,
what are you doing today?

Baking Bread before the Blizzard and Chesterton

I woke early this morning;
troubled dream.
*
Realized that I was afraid
of something like the
super-storm drama
of this past fall.
*
Mostly,
I am afraid of losing power
as it will get cold in
Mr. Husband and I's cozy abode.
*
But after I relit my lampada,
icon candles and prayed
I began to get calm again.
*
So this morning
when I woke again
it was lightly snowing,
wet sleet snow;
now it is more a light rain with occasional hail.
It sounds nice on the windows...
*
Mr. Husband and I both have
the 'intelligent' cell phones now
and we have everything we could possibly need.
Batteries, juice, water, food of various sorts,
batteries, candles, flash lights, warm blankets.
*
If we lose power we know what to do;
lots of candles; it helps keep the living room warm;
use the gas stove (thank God for that!);
we will read more
Chesterton out loud to each other;
I can't tell you how WONDERFUL
I am finding this book; so consolatory,
so deeply vast and Christian.
*
Meanwhile,
I am baking two loaves of sour dough bread.
It is rising for first of two times right now.
*
I continue to love the stirring,
the pouring of flour;
Cleo was by my feet, hunting for fallen
flour;
she is such a funny cat;
she always wants to eat bread!

This tea towel is one that I got for my
spiritual mother's years later memorial service...
I had a few for these services and
I used them only and lovingly now
for baking bread as well...
*
Links to my past and present life;
I am grocery shopping often these days;
twice yesterday to stock up
and again this morning as I really wanted a few
more supplies for Cleo,
as some of her basic things were running low.
Have to care for her too!
While I am at the store, I listen on
headphone to my Ottawa spiritual father's sermons
on sound cloud, again and again and again....

So now I am home,
bread rising;
looking through a Lenten cookbook meanwhile
and glad that Mr. Husband is home with me
and that
God is with us,
cares for us,
does not abandon us.

I love baking bread;
Really appreciated this post by
Gretchen Joanna about sour dough
and a new blog friend
(hi! and thanks!!)
sent me really neat links about bread
here, here and here.
The last one is very beautiful...
*
I am really looking forward to trying some of
Jane's recipes,
including this one...

I love this cutting board that I have...
works so well for making bread...
Did some reading on bread cookbooks
after reading Elizabeth at the Garden Window's post
on a Bread cookbook that she loves... fun!
I've been thinking about bread since reading Kate's post
on bread and the book she uses...
*
Meanwhile,
I will do my sour dough and
keep lighting candles and hoping that
the blizzard,
which thus far is said to start about 6 pm this evening
here in my area of NJ,
does not mean a loss of power;
snow I love, it is only the power that I hope to keep on!
Especially for those with young children,
or the very old, or the poor, the homeless...
Prayers requested for all of these! 

Sunshine again on a Wednesday - with banana bread and chocolate

Before I begin my post
on banana bread
that I made yesterday
while the bread was rising,
may I mention that our table that
I hoped would be here for the house-blessing has arrived!
I just brought it up from downstairs
(we do not live on ground level)
and wow,
that was heavy; but I did it!
*
So I did not know if the bread
I made yesterday would work out
so I made a simple
banana bread in the meantime.
It was easy.
I have the red canisters with sugar and flour and the
red mixer near by...
I used this cookbook
Eet Smakelijk: A Collection of Recipes
that I got years ago at a garage sale.
*
Here's the recipe:

Instead of nuts I added
chocolate chip cookies!

You can see that I followed the directions
for beating the eggs before
putting it all together... 

I love batter.
It's beautiful. 

As you can see,
my cookbook was very loved
by the previous owner!
When I found it
I knew I had found a treasure! 

I grew up knowing these words

Eet Smakelijk

to be said before the meal;

I was told it means

eat heartily

but my sister-friend

who knows Dutch

told me what the cookbook also says

eat with taste. 

Very cool hey?

I love the recipe books cobbled together
by many women and published...
*
I have at least 6-7 church cookbooks like this...

It turned out well!
*
After conferring with a wonderful
bread baker about
pizza stones
(thanks if you are reading this!)
and now keep the one Mr. Husband and I
have in the oven
to keep the temperature even in the oven.
So this is now one of the things
I am doing for baking and cooking... 

A simple bread
and a great way to use up bananas that are
going a bit soft and ripe!
*
PS: just realized about the bread recipe
that cranberry bread 
that I forgot to mention that I opened the oven to spray water
in for moisture a few times...
*
Oh, and look at this cake recipe that I was given -
I know!!
It looks very enticing!!
I am going to make this God willing for this
Friday, house blessing day...
*
Meanwhile,
I am going to see about a recipe for small oranges
and maybe pears...
while doing laundry...