And what do you have drying on your clothes horse/dryer?

Well newly stained baseboard/skirting board, don't you???

When we stripped out the attic last summer we saved any woodwork that may be of use in the rest of the house.  There was a lot of baseboard in the attic, but not all the way around the attic, so we knew we couldn't use the original baseboard up there are again.  Meanwhile we needed some more baseboard for the closet we are building and so we pulled some from our stockpile.  A lot of the baseboard was damaged, so we can only use bits of it.  As you can see on the bottom of the photo, that piece has quite a bit of damage on it, so I only stripped what we can use.  You can see some of the original stain/varnish on the right hand side.  I have stained it English Chestnut to match the rest of the wood.

It is too cold in the new basement for it to dry in a few hours, so I popped it on my clothes horse, close-ish to the fire where I knew it would dry a bit faster.  I am going to pick up the door trim this week from this store  This is the only place I have been able to find trim to sort of match our house.

It's family day here in Ontario.  Bit of a strange holiday if you ask me, because half the people don't get the day off.  Dh is working, as the factory where he is contracted out too don't get it as they already get "X" amount of paid days off that's allowed???  Future son-in-law works for the Federal Government and as this is a Provincial Government holiday they don't get it.  Ds, he's working, no idea why as he's a chartered accountant for a private firm.  I'm guessing that they're super busy and that's why.  I actually know they're super busy, but don't know the reason for them not getting the day off.  Dd is off and is going shopping.....she is her mother's daughter.  And me........well as one day seems to be like another I guess I won't be celebrating family day either.  Although dd did ask me to go shopping with her, but as I have no money I hate going shopping when I have no money, plus I have a lot to do this week!!

My contribution for Valentine's Day.....I made a sherry trifle and put heart shaped sprinkles on the top of it!

It was my classic sherry trifle recipe.  Cake, broken up in the bottom of the dish.  Drizzle sherry over the cake and let it soak in.  Make a jello/jelly and pour over the top of the cake.  Make a custard, let it cool and put that on top of the jello layer when it has set.  Whip up some cream and put that on top of the custard, put sprinkles on the top, and then dig in!!!!!

Did you remember to put your money in your daily savings pot today?

Today's Money Saving Tip:

One of the easiest ways to save for a particular goal is to include visual reminders of that goal around your house.

Want to retire to a remote island at the age of 55? Place some pictures of exotic beaches on your refrigerator or bathroom mirror. The picture will stick out like a sore thumb and constantly remind you of what you are saving for. This tactic can work for almost any of your financial goals including cars, homes, college education, bags full of cash, etc.

Belated Happy Birthday, a recipe and other stuff....

It's come to my attention, namely through my other brother Nick, that I didn't wish him a happy birthday on his birthday.  So to stop him accusing me of favouritism, could you all pop over to his blog and wish him a belated Happy Birthday, it was on January 4th and he was 42.......oops wasn't sure if I was supposed to mention his age ;0)

I had planned on doing aanother post today but have other things to talk about.  It's also come to my attention that my laptop battery is not lasting any length of time any more.  When I am using my webcam I only get about an hours usage on it.  Not sure if that's a normal thing or not?

I made a couple of Sour Cream Lemon Cakes on Tuesday, below is a photo of them.

The recipe is from here

Ingredients:


2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup butter, room temperature

2 cups granulated sugar

3 eggs

grated zest of 1 large lemon

1 cup sour cream

.

Lemon Glaze:

1/4 cup melted butter

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 325°. Generously butter and flour a 10-inch bundt pan.

Into a bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.



In a mixing bowl with hand-held electric mixer, cream 1 cup butter and granulated sugar; beat at high speed until mixture is very light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down side of bowl frequently. Blend in lemon zest. Add flour mixture to the creamed mixture alternately with sour cream, adding each in 3 additions. Scrape sides of bowl frequently. Pour batter into prepared cake pan; bake in the preheated oven for 55 to 65 minutes, or until a cake tester or wooden pick inserted near the center of cake comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes. Meanwhile, combine lemon glaze ingredients in a bowl, blending until smooth. Carefully turn cake out onto a platter; drizzle evenly with glaze.

Serves 12 or more, depending on size of servings.

****Now this makes a heavy cake, almost like a pound cake.  Personally I would only make a half quantity of the icing, using all the lemon juice though.  It makes an awful lot of icing if you use the suggested recipe.  It also took the full 65 minutes to cook, and you need a large bundt pan****

This recipe though is a keeper!!

Did you remember to put your money in your daily savings pot today?

Today's Money Saving Tip:

Keep your hands clean. This one’s simple – just wash your hands thoroughly each time you use the bathroom or handle raw foods. You’ll keep yourself from acquiring all kinds of viruses and bacteria, saving you on medical bills and medicine costs and lost productivity. That’s not to say you shouldn’t explore the world and get your hands dirty sometimes – that’s good for you, too – but basic sanitation does help keep the medical bills away.

Don't you think that's a good tip, makes sense when you think about it.....

January Menu

Don't you just love January? I do. It offers a clean start, a fresh look at my life. I love the holidays, but I really love clearing away all the decorations, which by January 1st just look like clutter, and brushing away the cobwebs of neglected habits and duties in my life. I love the feeling that this can be the year that I accomplish something I have always wanted to do.

My goals each new year generally include weight loss. As someone who loves making and eating good food, I also struggle to maintain a healthy weight. This year, my outlook is a little different. Although I hope to lose weight, my goal this year is to focus more on being healthy and to develop a healthier relationship with food, especially sweets. I want to help my family eat more vegetables and whole grains and less sugar and meat. I want us all to move our bodies more, to make them stronger, leaner, and more powerful. I want to take better care of this gift that God has given me, rather than resent my imperfect body.

With that in mind, I planned a menu yesterday for the first week or two of the year. Creating menus before I do my grocery shopping is one of those habits that I used to have before the holidays--one that needed to be dusted off before it was completely shelved.:) When I mentioned on facebook that I was headed out for the ingredients for my new, healthy menu, I had several requests that I share.

So, in planning my family's meals, I tried to keep in mind our family's goals of increasing whole grain and vegetables while reducing sugar and meat. I'll also count my cal0ries and avoid overeating (most days) on thedailyplate.com. Your family's goals for eating may be different; if your goal is high protein or gluten-free or as low fat as possible, this may not be the menu for you. But if you just need a menu to help you kick start cooking meals for your family again, check out mine.

Instead of assigning these meals to a specific day, I planned seven complete meals, which I plan to serve over the next 10 days before we head out of town for my brother's wedding. Some days we'll just eat leftovers or throw together a salad. Each morning, I'll choose the meal that meets my needs in terms of time commitment for that day.

• Meal #1: Potato Leek Soup with grilled cheese sandwiches and fresh fruit (Recipe comes from one of my Weight Watcher's cookbooks, but I found a blogger who had posted it here.)
• Meal #2: Southwest Brown Rice & Black Bean Burgers (from Prudence Pennywise), served with fresh pineapple, guacamole, sweet potato baked fries, and cibatta rolls
• Meal #3: Garlic Chive Fettucine w/ Sauteed Chickpeas & Parmesan (also Prudence Pennywise). I'll use whole wheat pasta and serve this with crusty, whole grain bread and a small salad. I've made this recipe before and it is DIVINE.
• Meal #4: Bean & Barley Soup (Cooking Light) with crusty, whole grain bread.
• Meal #5: Citrus Glazed Chicken Thighs (Cooking Light), served with brown rice, mandarin oranges, and roasted green beans.
• Meal #6: Butternut Squash Lasagne (Prudence Pennywise, what would I do without you?), green salad, sauteed zucchini, and crusty bread. (Do you see how much we love crusty bread? I will either make my own or pick up a whole grain loaf at Costco or Trader Joe's that day.)
• Meal #7: Midwestern Corn Chowder (see my recipe below) with fresh whole wheat bread.

Midwestern Corn Chowder

• 3 cups diced potatoes
• 1 cup carrots, peeled and diced
• 1/2 cup celery, diced
• 1 cup onion, diced
• 6 cups chicken broth
• 2 T. to 4 T. butter
• 1/4 c. flour
• 2 cups whole milk, fat free half-and-half, or half and half
• 2-3 pieces of cooked bacon, crumbled
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (the sharper the better)
• 1 can creamed corn
• salt and fresh ground pepper
• fresh cilantro for serving
  

Place the broth in a large saucepan or stock pot. Simmer the vegetables in the chicken broth, with the pan covered, until tender, about 30 minutes. Mix the roux over medium heat in separate medium saucepan, combining butter and flour, then whisking in milk until smooth. Cook, whisking constantly, until bubbly and thickening, then add to the broth and vegetables. Add the creamed corn, then salt and pepper to taste.

Garnish each bowl with 1/4 cup shredded cheese, 1 T bacon, and 1-2 T fresh cilantro.

What are your favorite meals in January? Share!!!

Brownie Love

I adore brownies. Cakey, fudgy, chewy, crackly-topped, the edges, the middle, with icing, powdered sugar, or plain . . . what's not to love about a good brownie?

My favorite recipe for brownies changes every six months or so. Probably because I like all kinds. My newest favorite recipe is from Alton Brown, star of Good Eats. If you've never watched his Food Network show, you really should. We love how he uses scientific principles to explain cooking and baking, and he has many unconventional (yet brilliant) ways of doing things.

I discovered this recipe late one night when I remembered that I needed treats for Ian's soccer team the next day. My go-to brownie recipe for the past year has been Prudence Pennywise's (and it remains fabulous) but I didn't have enough baking chocolate on hand to make the ginormous pan needed--so I went to the internet in search of a good cocoa brownie recipe. These whipped up quickly, consisted of ingredients that I had on hand without planning ahead, and turned out to be so yummy I wondered if they were too good for five year old soccer players!:) Needless to say, even though I discovered this recipe just over a week ago, I've already made it twice.

You need these brownies, too. They don't take much longer to whip up than a box and are soooo much yummier--I promise.

This makes an 8x8 pan, about 16 small or 9 large brownies. Double it for a 9x13 pan or triple if you're using a jelly roll pan. These are rich and chocolatey enough to stand alone without icing.

If my camera wasn't on the fritz, I'd have an enticing picture here. Sigh.

Cocoa Brownies from Alton Brown's Good Eats

• 4 large eggs
• 1 cup granulated sugar, sifted
• 1 cup brown sugar, sifted
• 1 cup butter, melted
• 1 1/2 cups cocoa, sifted
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1/2 cup flour, sifted
• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt

Butter and flour your pan and preheat the oven to 300 degrees (F).Use an electric mixer or stand mixer with whisk attachment to beat the eggs until they are fluffy and light yellow. Add both sugars and mix. Add remaining ingredients and mix to combine.

Pour into your prepared pan and bake for about 45 minutes (you may need to adjust this depending on pan size-- but check it after 45 minutes.) When they are finished, a toothpick will come out clean.

Eat them as soon as they don't burn your tongue, or hold off till they cool. I sent some to my brother and he said they were delicious five days later--but they don't last that long at my house.

Grandma's Comfort Food

My paternal grandma, Edna Call Johnson, was a wonderful woman. The last of 10 children, she was born and raised on an Idaho farm. She told me once about how she helped her mom prepare food for the farm hands--how the table would be laden with food when they'd come in for their mid-day meal. She grew to be a great cook under her mother's tutelage, and I loved every meal she made for me.

As time has passed, my taste for foods and recipes has become a bit more modern-- less butter, more olive oil, less meat, more vegetables, fresh herbs instead of dried; but I still find Grandma's recipes irresistible. They are my ultimate comfort foods. Many of them became some of my mother's favorites as well, and we ate them often, even though we only traveled to visit Grandma once a year. Some are required fare at Johnson Thanksgiving dinner-- I don't think that any one of my siblings could consider it a true Thanksgiving without Grandma's recipe for citrus cranberry relish and sage stuffing on the table.

When we would arrive in Idaho Falls for a visit, she would always have a batch of chocolate chip cookies, a boiled raisin cake, and a pot of rice pudding ready for us. After I was married and living in Salt Lake City, Jared and I would travel up to see her every three months or so. I didn't matter that she was nearly 90 at that point-- she still had something freshly made when we arrived, and whatever she hadn't had the energy to do I would help her make after we got there. One visit we laughed ourselves silly because she had accidentally used wheat berries instead of rice in the rice pudding. Just for the record, I don't recommend the substitution.

Besides some wonderful comfort food recipes, Grandma taught me many valuable lessons. The one that stands out to me after telling that last story is that Grandma knew how to laugh and have fun, even when she was laughing at her own mistakes.

I was blessed to have her in my life until she passed away three and a half years ago at the age of 97. She had waited nearly 30 years to be reunited with her sweetheart and I couldn't mourn her passing much because I knew that she was happier there with him and with my dad. But every time I pull out one of Grandma's recipes I blink back a tear because my impulse is to grab the phone, call her, and laugh and talk while I cook.

I've decided to post my favorites of Grandma's recipes in the coming months. I hope that you will enjoy them as much as I have and make your own family memories with them. Food can be so powerful that way.

Today I made Grandma's rice pudding. And it is so good. But I didn't say it was healthy. Comfort food rarely is.

Edna's Rice Pudding

• 1 cup white rice (I use sushi rice)
• 2 cups water
• 2 quarts milk (it's best if you use something other than skim, but use what you have)
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 4 well-beaten eggs
• 1 T. vanilla
  

Place the rice and water in a large stockpot and simmer for 7 minutes. Add the milk and butter and stir to get the rice off the bottom of the pan. Bring to a simmer again and let simmer for one hour with the lid askew. WARNING: I have NEVER made this without it boiling over. Watch the pot carefully to attempt to avoid this, and once it is simmering, turn it way down so that your rice doesn't burn.

After one hour, remove from heat. Stir in the sugar and vanilla. Make sure that the eggs are beaten until they are frothy and light yellow-- I use a whisk but you could use beaters for this. Stir it in slowly so as not to scramble the eggs. (Optional: temper the eggs by slowing stirring in one cup of the pudding mixture to the eggs first, then adding them all back into the large pot.)

Serve warm or chilled with a dash of nutmeg. Makes about 8 servings.

St. Patrick's Day Cupcakes

SERVINGS: 12
CATEGORY: Dessert
METHOD: Baked
TIME: Prep: 15 min. Bake: 20 min. + cooling
Ingredients:
1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup sugar
1 package (3.4 ounces) instant pistachio pudding mix
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1-1/4 cups milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Green food coloring, optional
Cream cheese frosting
Directions: In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients. In another bowl, beat eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; add to dry ingredients and mix until blended. Fill paper-lined muffin cups three-fourths full. Bake at 375° for 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. Add food coloring to frosting if desired. Frost cupcakes. Yield: 1 dozen.

Recipe and photo from Taste of Home