Winter Thoughts and a Winter Walk

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I love my kitchen in the early mornings when the sun shines in.  That can be rare in the winter but it was sure shining today.

After everyone's breakfast I decided to skip the gym and just stay home with my dogs.  I went out to fill the bird feeders and took my camera with me.
It is only 12 degrees outside but the sun is shining and there's no wind.
Honestly, I think I'm getting used to these temperatures.
It doesn't feel bad at all.

The hens are careful not to step in the snow and just go on the area I sweep if they come out of their coop at all!

Pepsi follows me where ever I go outside.  She loves when I reach down (or up) and pet her.
She's a great tree climber.
Mama cat is off hunting somewhere.

A-haaaaaa
I caught Dexter eating the bird-seed!!
He just discovered that lately!

I also put seeds and nuts on the picnic table for the squirrels so they don't ravage my bird feeder as much.

As you can see, the snow is up to the seat on the picnic table.

My compost pile is getting a lot of moisture.  I won't have to water it as much this summer.
Just a lot of turning.

There's a lot of little animal prints outside.
I also saw deer prints across the back the other morning.  I very rarely see the deer though.
I'm pretty sure these are cat prints.

But I think these tiny ones are from a mouse and they were headed toward my big brush pile.

They probably have a house in there.

Oh-oh, now Dexter is at the front feeder.

Spirit prefers to watch it all from inside.

If spring ever comes and the snow goes away, Spirit will be trained to the Invisible Fence and then she can run with Dexter and have a blast.

Well, there's slightly warmer temps forecast for next week however a snow storm is due here this Sunday.  8-10 more inches!
Wonderful!!!

Shirley

Warm Winter Lemon Cake

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This is a Kraft recipe that I got online.

I had such a taste for lemon cake so I made this today.

Yummmmmm

This is a wonderfully moist delicious cake but I have to say it didn't satisfy my craving for lemon.

The yellow cake taste over-rides the lemon pudding.

I would definitely do the "special extra" it suggests and add the juice of a lemon and the lemon zest to the pudding mixture.

Don't get me wrong, I'll have no trouble eating this up to the last crumb, but just saying . . . 

Shirley
See all the neat things going on at "Adorned From Above" this week:
http://www.adornedfromabove.com/2015/02/wednesdays-adorned-from-above-link.html

A Moment's Peace

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Shhhhhh

Before Pinterest

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Why didn't I think of Pinterest!!!

I spent hours cutting out pictures and putting them in this notebook.

It is jam-packed full of favorite things.

Here are just a few of the pages.

I had cut out a lot of kitchen pictures before I had mine redone.  It's surprising the number of things that I did duplicate in mine.  This kitchen has the soapstone counters like mine.

The drawer handles, backboard beading, white cabinets and farm sink the same.

Here's a picture of my new kitchen shortly after it was done.

(Believe me it has not been this clutter free since then!!)

I do have a picnic basket and got some red and white fabric to line it with.  I think I've had one picnic in the yard with my grandkids.

These old floors are like mine.

And I do have a croquet set if I could only find it!!!

When I do, my sister is going to play croquet with me this summer!!  And that's that!!

Many pictures to inspire my gardens.

I love painted furniture.

When I redo my bathrooms, I want an old claw tub!!  Nice and deep.

One of my big loves . . . Windsor chairs of all types!!

I did find some and painted them black and they are in my dining room.

This is my dining room and the chairs I found.

Pretty close!

My Pinterest page is now filled with many things on many boards.
Makes things easy.
But there's something nice about having the tactile, real paper pictures of things.
I supposed it's like having a real book instead of the ones on a Kindle.
Did you used to do this or do you still?

Shirley
https://www.pinterest.com/shirley_corwin/

It's Zero Degrees Outside, So It's Meatball Soup.

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Still zero degrees outside for the past few days.

So here's another good and super easy soup.

Just put these few things in your crockpot and it's good to go by supper time.

This was from a Pillsbury site.

It's also on my Pinterest site under soups.

A scrumptious soup with plenty of broth.

Sprinkle fresh grated parmesan cheese on top!

Yummmmmm. 

Sodium Warning!!
Because of the three canned things in this soup the sodium count is 1540!!! (Per Serving!!)
Sodium is not only used for taste but is used as a preservative in canned foods.
Get Low Sodium canned broth, beans and tomatoes.
It will bring the sodium down considerably.
You can then just add a little salt to your bowl if needed.

Some Favorite Wall Pictures

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I have some favorite wall pictures that I'll show here.  I have more but only a certain amount of wall space and I don't like walls covered with pictures so now and again I trade off.

This picture has two things I love.  The old chipped white door and the little wren.

This picture I got at a house sale right across the street.  We have a ton of these little red squirrels around here so here's to them!!

This picture I always liked because I think this is how I have pictured myself when I was young if I had lived in the country then!

This was a gift I gave to my husband when we had our first black lab.

And , of course this famous picture of the arabs called "The Pharaho's Horses"

An old picture like this in a round black frame hung over my grandmother's guest bed where we used to sleep when visiting her.

I recently found this old print of three hunting dogs in one of my closets.  

I had forgotten I had it!  

It, of course, includes an English Pointer!

This is a large picture.

It has been setting behind the couch in my little bedroom upstairs because I never found a place for it in this house!  I purchased it in Myrtle Beach over 16 years ago!  I loved "Gone With The Wind" so this was a painter's rendition of Tara!  I just had to get it.  It wasn't cheap plus I had to have it shipped home!

It's a shame I can't find a good wall for it.

I'd sell it on eBay but it would be too expensive to ship!

And I don't do Craig's List!

So what do you think?

Shirley