They DIM the Lights

So many new experiences now that I am out in the world on week days. Today I went to a Supercenter to pick up a few last minute things for our trip. I'm trying to be ever mindful about spending these days...have I mentioned that we retired last Friday? I thought maybe I did...

Anyway, I was shopping and all of a sudden my world darkened. It was a bit freaky because I could hardly see to continue reading the magazine article I was immersed in...just kidding, I wouldn't read magazines there just to save money...no, really. Moments later the area brightened again. As I resumed my shopping and walked from department to department, it continued...the lights would dim, then brighten. Now listen, I am in a Supercenter nearly every weekend and had never experienced this before. Obviously it's a weekday phenomenon.

I did figure it out...they DIM and brighten the lights on a rotating basis throughout the store to conserve energy. Have any of you noticed that in other stores? By the by, it interrupts my reading time...do you think they know that?

A Tasty Healthy Breakfast

A top 'o the mornin' to y'all! Yeah, I'm a bit over the moon this morning. It's an absolutely beautiful spring morning on this the first real day of our retirement (the weekend just seemed like any other busy weekend)!

I started this day by making a double batch of these great 'pancakes' that Rich's sister had given me the recipe for a while back. They are great frozen and reheated, so will travel well. Mar has them with a bit of syrup like regular pancakes while I prefer them plain alongside either bacon or sausage. I think Rich will like a bit of salsa on them. They are very versatile, tasty, and healthy too!

Speaking of bacon, and I'm sure I was, Saturday morning I baked 2 pounds of bacon. I got this tip from my brother, Tom. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil; lay the strips of bacon on the foil; bake at 375° or 400° for 15 to 20 minutes until the crispness you prefer. Drain on paper towels.

Are you thinking we ate all that bacon? Ha! It freezes really well too and both are in my freezer awaiting their transfer to the RV last thing on Wednesday morning. We'll have some great breakfasts on the road.

Easy Cottage Cheese Pancakes

6 eggs
1 1/2 C. cottage cheese
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 C. flour

In bowl beat eggs then add other ingredients. If using blender or kitchen aid add ingredients in order.
Don't over mix. Heat greased skillet ( I used cooking spray on a large griddle) and turn when each side browns. Don't worry too much about over or under cooking the pancake, you can tell when they're done just like an average pancake.  ~  Makes about twelve 4 1/2” to 5” pancakes.

And after making the pancakes and starting laundry, I had a nice long chat with my next-door BFF Sandee; now that's the way to start a day!

Happy Trails...Another Awesome April 30th!!!

I should start having contests and awarding prizes like the big girl bloggers because who among you can name this person?

Not you, Bev, you can't enter this contest
...silly girl.

It only occurred to me a couple of evenings ago that, twice now, April 30th has been an auspicious day in my life. Yes, that is me in the photo below which was taken on April 30, 1986.

In this photo I am holding gifts and a cake that I received at my going away party that day. After 13 years at Capitol Records-EMI Music, April 30th was my last day before leaving to join Rich in LA. We had married in January and then I returned home to settle all the details of moving the kids and I. That included giving several months notice upon my return from our wedding and working until April 30th.

That was 1986 and the beginning of the most awesome 24 years imaginable.

Not that, for all their fabulousness, the years haven't take a toll. Here I am now. Again, with no thought whatsoever about any pattern or coincidence, I gave notice in mid-January and then on April 30th I left the college after spending 13 years there too. Do you see a pattern here? A bit of déjà vu?

This time my going away party was to celebrate my retirement; Rich and I both retired yesterday! I can only hope and dream that MOAO and I will have another 24 years to enjoy our life together. To launch the next 24 years with the same sense of adventure and desire to explore that has led to so much fun and provided so many opportunities throughout the years, we are leaving soon for the Florida Keys. This will be the first of hopefully many trips in our RV with the girls and our grandkids.

A Magical Evening!

Last evening Mar treated us to a performance of RAGTIME at Drury Lane Theatre in celebration of our retirement....five more work days...yahootey! We had not seen this musical before and thoroughly enjoyed the story, the cast, the music, and the venue. Previously, R & I had only attended one production at Drury Lane; we are fortunate to be able to enjoy such fine theatre without driving into the city.

After the theatre, we shared a late dinner at Labriola. Oh my...we tried a slice of cheese pizza, a slice of fennel sausage pizza, a meatball sandwich, and a prosciutto wrapped chicken sandwich. And the fries...oh the fries! On the way out we got a cup of chocolate chip gelato to share on the drive...delicious, like everything else we had there. A return visit is definitely on our to-do list.

Thanks Mar for such a magical evening ~ an awesome retirement celebration treat!

Oh yeah, even though it should go without saying, I'm going to say it anyway. There is no paid advertising on this lil ole blog o'mine. Who would pay me? My readership is about twelve family and friends...all of whom I am so grateful for because I love doing this. Anything I feature here, we simply enjoy as consumers.

Our First Towing Trip!

We headed south to my hometown this weekend, primarily to test the towing of our Saturn before heading to Florida in a couple of weeks. Here R is hooking up the towing system for the first time.

After a series of very minor mishaps (balky refrigerator, crashed light bulb, & awning unfurling while driving down the interstate...fortunately, all incidents were benign), we arrived at our lovely campground where we were greeted by our most congenial hosts...my Bro and SIL!

The girls, Dora and Bella are enjoying the view of our lush campsite and wishing they could go outside and play with the resident campdog!

Here's a tip for ya...whenever possible it is highly recommended that you unfurl the awning while parked...☺  Do you see Dora and Bella peeking out the door?

Oh yeah...the towing part was flawless.

Our Cardinal's Song

These were taken just a few minutes ago from our deck. We were enjoying listening to his song and decided to try for a photo. Our 15 million candle power flashlight was aimed at the tree while taking these photos. Miraculously, he simply posed...

It’s Easter Weekend!

RV Season is Here!

Just look what drove into our driveway yesterday! Oh yeah, Rich took the winter cover off Saturday and then brought it home yesterday after work.
During the winter, in addition to all the work he has done with gauges, he made new cabinet doors to replace the roll doors on the cabinet that used to contain the TV. Here are the old roll-type doors. And here he is installing the doors that he custom made to fit this cabinet.













I think MOAO (My One And Only…and this is the last time I’m going to explain to y’all what MOAO represents ☺) is an amazingly talented guy!

Critters on the Golf Course

It's spring all right...there's a new breed of critter on the golf course behind our house and they are here to stay until late fall. Okay, now I miss the coyotes...never satisfied you think?

In case you couldn't identify the critter in the photo above, here is a closeup. Yeah, the golfers are out in force, even on a cold blustery day.

Happy St Patrick's Day!

One of my favorite recipes is the one I use to bake Irish Soda Bread. It has the traditional buttermilk and caraway seeds but I use Golden Raisins instead of regular ones.

Oh my...we really love this bread and every year I wonder aloud why I don't bake it more often, but then I put the recipe away and don't get it out again until the next year...sigh... 

Here is the recipe; feel free to bake a loaf and invite me over for a slice!

Mary Doyle's Irish Soda Bread

Ingredients:
o 2-3/4 cups plus 1/4 cup all-purpose flour, divided
o 1/3 cup sugar
o 1 tsp baking powder
o 1/2 tsp baking soda
o 3/4 tsp salt
o 2/3 cup raisins (I use Golden Raisins)
o 1 Tbsp caraway seeds
o 1 cup buttermilk
o 2 large eggs

Instructions:
1. Adjust oven rack to center of oven. Heat oven to 325 degrees (F). Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
2. Whisk together 2-3/4 cups of the flour, the sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Stir in raisins and caraway seeds. Whisk together buttermilk and eggs in another bowl. Stir buttermilk-egg mixture into dry ingredients with a wooden spoon just until blended (dough will be very sticky, but that’s okay).
3. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup flour onto a work surface. With lightly floured hands, turn and gently knead dough to incorporate most of the flour. Shape dough into a 6-inch round; transfer to center of prepared cookie sheet (dough will be soft and slightly sticky). Place in center of prepared cookie sheet. With a sharp paring knife, make a 1/2-inch deep "X" across the top of the loaf.
4. Bake about 1 hour, until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. With a large spatula, transfer loaf to wire rack; cool completely. To serve, slice with a serrated knife.