Fill 'er Up Pump and Coffee

I woke to the chirping of a bird tweeting in the lonely mass of grey clouds and the chilly tree branches. It was a grey and cold morning that held a solemnness that seemed to hold quite an air of sadness.

Followed shortly thereafter by triumph and relief. I had received a text from my friend telling me that he had accomplished the very long and arduous ruck he had been training for. What a relief that was to me to hear that he had made it back safely.

I had a delightful mug off French-press coffee this morning and a Wolfermann's English Muffin, quite a topical breakfast!

This morning I met with another of my dear friend over coffee. We had a jolly time conversing on what's going on in our lives and the triumphs and struggles we're dealing with. She is very empathetic and a wonderful person, good friends are like diamonds in the rough.

We went to a little coffee shop, Jitters, and had house coffee, haha writers fair ;).

I have been writing and freelancing quite a bit today. 

So, after all, it wasn't such a lonely day, but a quite happy one!

Chocolate Cookies and Thymes of Onions

I sit surrounded by onions and chocolate and resumes...
I know quite an odd combination.



Let me explain, so this morning began with sun... just kidding, actually, I blacked out my windows, so no sun. I did this intentionally to dupe my long-night of term papers and homework. With the recent time change, the sun soaks through the shutters with a persistent glare. Despite my efforts in sleeping longer, the farm has given me an internalized alarm clock.

A random wine glass full of rose petals, playing some Clair de Lune.

So, I began my morning with a challenge to cook a beef roast. I am not too familiar with cooking meats, so this is a rather new venture for me.




I am chopping onions, potatoes, thyme, 3 cloves of garlic and butternut squash, which I will be putting in a cast-iron pot. Oh and I forgot the pot roast, oh well I suppose that outta go in if we are indeed making pot roast ;).



Meanwhile, I'm prepping three dozen double-chocolate cookies, that admittedly are pretty darn good! I found the recipe in my Sweet Treats, William-Sonoma, cookbook that has a lot of really tasty recipes in it. My intention for creating these, of course, is to try for my bakery that will be opening come December, one month!


Recently, I was gifted a LODGE CAST IRON 12-inch cast iron skillet! I am very excited as this will be a skillet I can use for the rest of my life.  This skillet is going to be cooked in throughout my life.  When you get a gift like that, it really puts life in perspective, I think. Can you imagine this skillet is probably going to last longer than me?




Well, that's all, for now, folks, hope your day is a real winner!

A Boo-tiful Morning

This morning was a boo!-tiful morning!

Happy Halloween to all my viewers.

It was a great morning to make skinny pumpkin spice lattes for my family, which I found on Pinterest from Inspired Table. They have a lot of great recipes including roasted pumpkin seeds and lemon blueberry layer cake. PASS ME A PIECE!!

Actually not now--fitness plans… urgh-- As my mom says, “Short-term sacrifice long-term gain.”

I woke this morning to the creaking of a door, I guess that happens in old houses; shifting houses… Darn creaks!

But I am so happy that the door creaked because it awoke me and I was ready to continue my new fitness journey. Same as always squat, squat, crunch, crunch... .no we’re not talking about cereal :).

This morning it was 27°. Another great day for training and making skinny pumpkin pie lattes... Haha, DIY-ing fun. My family greatly enjoyed the lattes too! Admittedly, I was a bit frightened when I heard something moving in the brush near our porch. I think it was just a cat, probably black…

The morning was so still and the wind hadn’t flinched one twig. A black masquerade opened my morning. As nature’s dance began, an owl hooted from a nearby branch. The darkness is chilly and somewhat spooky, great for a Halloween day.

Speaking of Halloween. Tonight I will be volunteering at the Halloween hayrack ride and soup dinner in the Great Land of OZ… Haha, my hometown is pretty amazing, and I have been called Dorothy one too many times.

It’s the small things that bring people together with laughter, costumes, and lots of hot chocolate that make Halloween such a great time!  

Fitness day #3, Thank goodness for that creaking door!

Little Feet Walking on Moonlight

To be unknown
Washed up on some distant shore.
Little feet
Tiptoeing
To your side.

A piano stuck in cadenza.
A flute without sharps.

Little feet
Beckon you.
Leap, won't you follow me?

To be unknown
In some Ozark forest
To get glossed over
By the newspapers
Follow some unknown lead.

To be unknown
Searching for your destiny
Is it far?
The wanderer asks.

Shall we travel farther
Across the states
To rest in some
Foreign place.

To be unknown
Like a wooden cross
Half-made
Is it?

Little feet
Stumble to your
visit.
On the wavering moonlight.

To be unknown
Perhaps,
I'll go out on a limb.
Little feet travel on wards.

Maybe,
That's where all the apples are.

Delphiniums and Roses

Have you ever arranged a bouquet?

Its easy

All you need is a mason jar, scissors, flowers and water.

These flowers above are delphiniums and roses.

If you'd like to grow your own flowers you will need to find the sun exposure of the flowers you'd like to plant including the pH of the soil needed. The pH stands for potential of Hydrogen.  pH is calculated on a basic to acidic scale. The scale is from 0 acidic to 14 basic , 7 is neutral. Hydrochloric acid has a pH of 0. This may seem rather foreign but in fact you are around pH levels all day. For instance, according to chemtotor.com, coffee can have anywhere from the pH of 4 to 4.6 and beer has a pH of 3. Whole milk is also somewhat acidic at 6.9.
The pH also applies to vegetables and fruits you consume.

When arranging a bouquet the colors can be varied, however, sticking to to 2-4 color schemes is what is most commonly done.

The mason jars can be found at local thrift or antique stores. You're relatives might have a couple too.

I hope this post has been informative to your Springtime planting.

Cheers!

Condensing your Ingredients

I ran into some trouble this morning upon finding my coffee black. Which usually would just enjoy with no additives, however, I have developed a little sweet tooth... This morning upon careful discernment from various online sources, I came across some attractive recipes featuring some of my favorite flavors. Unfortunately enough, I discovered that I did not have sweetened condensed milk. It is quite a shame to realize that you haven't the right ingredients for such an appealing recipe. But I have nevertheless been one to despair with lack of proper ingredients. Their is always an alternative... Unless you're replacing yeast-- not something I would recommend trying to find a substitution for. Anyway, cut to the chase already,
These creamer flavors are Mocha, Cinnamon, Spiced Coconut and Maple-Almond. Quite attractive flavors to my palate at least...

Assemble 4 8 oz. jars

Heat 1 cup of evaporated milk in a small saucepan add 1 1/4 cup sugar. Heat this until sugar is dissolved and milk has turned a muted golden color-brownish.
Fill jars halfway full of this mixture leaving the other half for milk, I used Vitamin D, however creativity is the spark of life!

Add your flavorings:

Maple-Almond
1 Tbsp. real maple syrup
1 tsp. Almond extract

Mocha
2 Tbsp. Cocoa

Vanilla Spice
1 tsp. Vanilla
1 tsp. Nutmeg

Coconut Spice
1tsp. Coconut extract
1 tsp. Nutmeg

I hope you enjoy your Joe with these tasty additions. Remember creativity is the spice of life!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cupcakes with Cinnamon Icing

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cupcakes

with Cinnamon Icing

 

 

 

Makes 16 cupcakes

 

1 cup canned pumpkin

1/3 cup oil (I used vegetable but be creative!)

1 cup white sugar

1/4 cup milk (moo, bah)

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 1/4 c. all purpose flour

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 c. chocolate chips

 

Directions:

 

1.      Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin pan with cupcake liners.

 

2.      In a medium bowl, stir together pumpkin, oil, sugar, milk, and vanilla. Sift in flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Stir together with a spoon, gently careful to not over stir. Layer the chocolate chips in and stir batter until combined.

 

3.       Spoon batter into cupcake liners 2/3 way full. Bake for 22 to 24 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let fully cool before icing.

 

Cinnamon Icing

 

1/2 c. powdered sugar

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

2 T. margarine

1 T. milk

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

 

Directions

 

Place sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Add the margarine, soy milk, and vanilla and stir with a fork until smooth. The mixture should look honey colored.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

    

Season's Peaches

Hope you're having a peachy day!

A Message Written in Spice

One message

Fourteen hands

vibrate

strong like mint.

Cinnamon spice
hot in your mouth

if you get to much...

Vanilla cake is good
in small portions.

Let Them Eat Cake

Smoothing Out Misunderstandings

               Coffee is a unifying drink. Often, people meet their friends and aquaintances at coffee shops. Coffee shops are the places for dates, business meetings, family gatherings and other social events. Unifying friends and families with rich layers of froth and smooth whipped cream. Smoothing out past misunderstandings.