Snow Day!

They got this one right on the money...SNOW! The weather wonks predicted that we'd get 3-5 inches of the fluffy stuff after midnight last night, and that's just exactly what happened...wonder of all wonders. We went to bed after 11:00, nothing on the ground, nothing falling from the sky. We woke up this morning before 7:00...accumulation all over the place! The dogs are having a ball, playing in the backyard, but as you can see in the photo to the left, Missy M isn't having so much fun.

Even though her company was on a two-hour delay (officially), she got up early to try and dig her car out...no such luck. When she emailed her manager of her plight, she received a reply that the roads were actually worse than they appeared. Looks like she's working from home today.

There seems to be a layer of ice underneath the snow. The City of Louisville doesn't salt or clear the streets in neighborhoods (unlike the service we enjoy in O'Fallon), just the main arteries, so the curve in front of her house appears to be a slippery slope for the few passing vehicles that we've observed...from the warm interior of her house. Hot chocolate, anyone?

I'm putting Snow Day rules into effect. When Missy M was a little girl, we always made a big pot of either soup, stew, or chili on a Snow Day. Then, while we watched videos (back in the Dark Ages, before DVDs), we baked bread and cookies. The house was warm and smelled wonderful...and lovely memories were made.

Fast forward to the present. I've put some chicken breasts on to boil, in preparation of making Brunswick Stew. I baked Blueberry Muffins to enjoy with hot tea for our breakfast. I've got some Oatmeal Cookies (Missy M made these last weekend and froze some of the dough before we ate them all in one sitting...:) in the oven right now, and when they are done, I'll get started on the dough for a couple of loaves of bread. Yep, it's all about staying warm and being comfortable...and what better way than keeping the stove in service? And, with the threat of more cold weather with ice on the way...and the potential of losing electric power...I've learned that it's best to have your gas stove in action before the lights go out!

I'm using Missy M's humongous Crock Pot to cook the Brunswick Stew. Although it means preparing all the veggies before they go in (raw carrots and potatoes just don't do as well crocked in all that tomato base), I think the taste of the finished product is ever so much livelier. And, by par-boiling the potatoes, I end up with potato-water to make my bread dough...see, it all is connected! Plus, cooking the stew s-l-o-w-l-y is exactly what the Stewart Clan did on the farm in Tennessee, all those many years ago. So what if their Pot wasn't a Crock but a big, black kettle on an open fire? Just making Brunswick Stew draws me nearer to those who came before me.

Here's my recipe for Crock Pot Brunswick Stew for a Snow Day:

Ingredients:


2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (use large ones...or 3 smaller ones)
1/4 pound (more or less) cooked pork loin
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt (for water to boil meat)
Water to cover
2 large, peeled, diced potatoes
Water to cover (no added salt for the potatoes, if using the water for bread dough recipe, below)
1 small onion, diced
3 stalks of celery, diced
8-10 baby carrots, diced
2 Tablespoons butter to saute veggies
2 cups of reserved (meat) broth
1 can diced tomatoes (14 oz) with liquid
2 small cans tomato sauce (8 oz each)
1 can lima beans
1 1/2 to 2 cups corn kernels (I use the frozen kind)
1 Tablespoon brown sugar
2 Tablespoons vinegar
1 teaspoon Paula Deen's House Seasoning (I make it according to her recipe with salt, pepper, & garlic powder)
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
1-2 hot pepper pods (remove before serving, if possible)
1 Tablespoon butter
1/4 cup catsup (optional)

Preparation:

Place chicken breasts and 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt in a large stew pot; add water to cover the chicken. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer for about 2 hours, until chicken is done and falling apart. Drain chicken on a plate to cool; reserve broth. When cool enough to handle, shred chicken with a fork. Place shredded chicken in a large Crock Pot.

Skim fat from reserved broth. Add cooked pork loin to stew pot. Return broth to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer pork, uncovered, until pork is done and falling apart. Drain pork on a plate to cool; reserve broth. When cool enough to handle, shred pork with a fork. Place shredded pork in Crock Pot. [NOTE: tastes better when you have a mixture of chicken and pork...or, you can be traditional and use squirrel. I've warned those varmints that are presently nibbling on the birdseed in the feeders to be afraid, be very afraid...but they seem to know that I'm only kidding. Squirrel? Ewwwwwweu.]

Fill a saucepan with water (NO salt). Add potato, and simmer 10 minutes. When done, add diced pototoes to the Crock Pot. [NOTE: if not using the potato-water to make bread dough, you can use some of the reserved broth to cook the potatoes and add both to the Stew in the Crock Pot when the potatoes are fork-tender done.]

Melt 2 T. butter in a saute pan. Add diced carrots, onion, and celery to melted butter and saute for 8-10 minutes until tender-wilted. Add to Crock Pot. [NOTE: Nana/Momma/Edith adds diced green pepper, but I'm not particularly fond of the taste. Cook's choice.]

Add tomato sauce, tomatoes, lima beans, and corn to the Crock Pot. Stir in reserved chicken broth and seasonings, and simmer cook on HIGH for a couple of hours. [NOTE: here's where you can add the traditional okra, if you'd like. I don't particularly like. Also, N/M/E uses canned, creamed corn...I prefer the frozen niblets, as they hold up to the Crock Pot better.]

Add 1 T. butter and catsup to Stew and reduce setting to LOW for 4-6 more hours. Adjust seasonings and remove pepper pods before serving. Great with hot cornbread muffins or freshly baked bread. Yum!

Serves 6 to 8. Leftovers (if any) freeze well.


Basic Bread Dough for 2 Loaves

Ingredients:

1/2 cup of water, warmed to 105-115 degrees
1 teaspoon sugar
2 packages yeast
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter
2 cups potato-water (water reserved from boiling potatoes with NO salt added)
7-7 1/2 cups flour, divided
1 Tablespoon salt
melted butter

Preparation:

In a 2-cup measuring cup, put the lukewarm water, the yeast, and 1 tsp. of sugar. Set aside to bubble and double in bulk.

In a 4-cup measuring cup, put the potato water (warm enough to melt the room-temperature butter, but not boiling hot), the 1/4 cup butter, and the 1/4 sugar. Stir to mix.

In the mixer bowl, put 3 cups of flour. Add the yeast mixture and the potato water mixture and stir to mix well. Allow this batter to rest for about an hour, until doubled.

Add the 1 T. salt to 1 cup of flour. Add this to the yeast batter and stir down. Using the dough hook on the mixer, begin incorporating more flour, one cup at a time, until a soft dough begins to form. Resist the urge to add too much flour. Knead the dough, either with the dough hook on the mixer (I do) or by hand for about 5 minutes. Let rest while you prepare the pans.

Grease well two 9x5 loaf pans. Divide the dough in half, form each half into a loaf, and place in a prepared pan. Cover and let rise in a warm part of the kitchen until the loaf has topped the edge of the pan.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. (I like a soft crust, so I place a pan of water in the oven while preheating, to create a moist environment.) When ready, put the pans in the oven and immediately reduce the temperature to 375 degrees. Bake for 40-50 minutes, or until the top of the loaf rings hollow when tapped. I like to brush melted butter on the top crust at this time.

Remove loaves from the pans. Let cool on a rack. Slice with a serated bread knife and enjoy!

OK...enough blogging. Better check on the stew. And pop in a Midsomer Murders DVD. Some things change...some things never should!

New Moon Wishes and Burying St. Joseph

As the owner of a house that's for sale in "the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression" (to quote the Wall Street Journal), I've been focused on the things we could do to make our property more marketable (read that: BUY THIS HOUSE, BUY THIS HOUSE, BUY THIS HOUSE). You know...things like fresh mulch on all the flowerbeds (check), fresh paint in neutral color (check), fix all known issues like leaks and broken tiles (check check), and update light fixtures in bathrooms and dining room (double-check). We even added new porcelain tile to the hall bath, using the extra tile from the kitchen project. Woo-hoo! Our Realtor assures us that the feedback has been positive for the most part...that our house "shows well" and is "priced right."

OK...add fresh flowers and freshly baked cookies and you'd think we'd be done with our "enhancements." You'd be wrong. There are still things to be done, like making my New Moon wish to sell the house...oh, and burying a statue of St. Joseph in the yard.

I noticed on the calendar that today (January 26th) is the New Moon. That got me to thinking about making a New Moon Wish as another step in selling our house. What's a New Moon Wish, you ask? More on that in a sec, but first some background.

I once worked with a young lady who had more than a passing acquaintance with astrology. I mean, she used the language of astrology...and it didn't necessarily sound bogus when she said things like "the new moon is in Aquarius." Me? I know that I'm a Cancer, that the Moon rules Cancer, and that the sign Cancer "rules intuition, feelings, emotions, moods, Moon, mothering, roots, home and family," according to the New Moon Journal blog. I can relate, but I remain a skeptic...and therefore a bit amused when I read or hear stuff like that.

Still, this co-worker introduced me to the idea of New Moon Wishing, which she took to great lengths. I've forgotten all the specifics that she told me about the process, but through the wonder of the Internet I was able to click through to the basics, which I found on the Red Lotus Letter ezine (I see that astrology and Feng Sui have mind-melded here):

"Astrologers have long known that endeavors begun on a new moon have a greater chance of success than at other cycles of the moon. They have also known that it is a good time for making your wishes known as the growing energy of the new moon will help bring your wishes to fruition. But for the greatest success, you should follow the technique below.

How to Make Your Wishes for the New Moon

1. Write your wishes down. You must write them down on paper. Use red ink, or write on red paper, or put your wishes in a red envelope.

2. Write no more than 10 wishes. No more than 10 wishes and be specific. Instead of writing “I want more money,” write “I wish for a $10,000 raise this year.” See the difference?

3. Make wishes correspond with the moon’s energy. Each new moon is in a different astrological sign, such as Leo, Scorpio, etc. To make the most of the energy of each one, be sure to make wishes that have something to do with that sign, such as money or business when the moon is in Capricorn, real estate or social relationships when the moon is in Taurus, or the health concerns, such as back problems if the moon is in Capricorn.

4. Put wishes in your bed pillow for 30 days or place them outside where the new moon can cast its energy on your wishes. Sleeping with your wishes will keep you mindful and goal-oriented of what it is you want achieve. After the 30 days, put your
wishes into a “wish box” next to your bed. Don't like to sleep on them? Then put them next to where you sleep or in a special silver "wish box." *

5. Write your wishes at the right time. Timing is everything. So make sure you time your wish list correctly! If the new moon is at 3:00 a.m. or while you are sleeping, simply make your wishes before you go to bed. Try to make your new moon wishes as close to the new moon as possible and don't wait longer than 2-3 AFTER the new moon.

[NOTE: the article didn't say "2-3" what...hours? days? weeks? Bummer. --p.a.]

6. Is your birthday on the date of the new moon? New moon birthdays are extra potent! So, if your birthday falls on this day, consider yourself doubly lucky – and by all means, make extra certain to make a wish this day!
7. Sign and date your wishes. Always sign your name and put a date on your "wish list."

*(As I recall, my co-worker advised that your list be burned rather than slept upon, but I suppose there are different schools of thought on the issue.)

Anyway, lest there be any doubt...I wish for a full-price, no add-ons contract on our house in MO within the next 10 days. I also wish for a closing date of February 28 or earlier. I further wish that we get the house we want in NC without any problems.

(Hey, if I'm wishing about real estate, I thought I'd better be aggressive and throw in both houses...:)

Now, that only leaves St. Joseph. If I remember correctly, I first heard about this one when we lived in Ohio. A neighbor advised me to bury a statue of St. Joseph in the backyard (she specified "head down") in order to facilitate a sale on our house there. Hunh? Was she kidding me? Apparently not. If you Google "burying St. Joseph to sell your house," you'll get over 25 million hits. Amazing.

Here's a link to an article that does a good job of explaining this one (note that it is from a business-oriented site, Bank Rate.com):

http://www.bankrate.com/brm/news/real-estate/20040831a1.asp



I guess I'd better get out the shovel! Actually, since we are supposed to get 7 or more inches of snow tonight in MO...and since I'm still in KY awaiting better traveling weather conditions...I'll have to hold off on my spade work.

I'm Ready for Phase 2, Please

It's Week Three of the Big Spruce-Up on Autumn Grove...and I'm so over it. I am sick...both OF the dust and BECAUSE of the dust. Still, I can now report some progress of note.

The painters got most of the painting done last week, so the main level looks all "brand new." The electrician came today to install the new chandelier in the dining room, along with new light fixtures in the main level bathrooms (see the photo on left of the Master Bath). He also did the math and got the mirrors installed (what's that old adage...measure 47 times, hang mirror in right place once?). The Stanley Steemer guys came this morning and did their thing with the carpet...which looks great, by the way...but the house is now so damp that the dehumidifier in the basement is registering 80% (the highest it will read, I think). The tile guy came to install the kitchen tile (replacement for the damage done recently by the leaking ice maker line)...more on that in a sec. And, last but certainly not least, our Realtor dropped by to put the sign in the yard and the lockbox on the porch. It must be official...our house is FOR SALE!

Still to go...the Realtor Tour is in the AM, as is the MLS listing photographer. Meanwhile, the repairs on the wall and the ceiling in the basement (some water damage) continue. Then, the Molly Maids arrive on Wednesday for a real good clean...hopefully to get rid of all this dust. Got to get everything all finished for the Open House scheduled for this weekend.

About the kitchen tile...wouldn't you know that the WRONG tile arrived after a two-week "special order?" Right size (18"), wrong color (taupe-ish instead of brick). I figured I had a choice at that moment...LOSE IT, royally, which is what I really felt like doing. Or, get the tile guy to help me figure something out. He was fantastic! He worked out a design, incorporating one of 3 extra "old" brick-colored tiles we had along with several of the copper accent tiles (like in the breakfast area, which is what we were trying to make match) to help "bridge" the transition. Custom tile, indeed. And, it looks great. I would never, ever have thought to mix and match the tiles like this, but so what? He'll get the grout done tomorrow, and we can call that a wrap!

Oh yes, I think you could say I'm ready to move on...literally and figuratively. Until then, you can check out some photos I posted to the Flickr Slideshow (left column) of the mess...er, progress with the Big Spruce Up activities.