Speculoos

I feel bad about doing this.

I do not wish to add poundage to anyone,

but so many of you asked...

and I could not reply via email

(will be repaired soon WoOt)

so Tada!

Cookie Butter

"A deliciously unusual spread reminiscent

of gingerbread and made with crushed biscuits"

a la Trader Joes

it's grainy and sweet but not too sweet

celery, apples, ice cream, pretzels

spoons

now here is the disclaimer..

several pals have tried with 

mixed opinions...

for me?

Hand me the engraved vintage spoon...

THANK YOU

in bold and italics

for all the loving comments and emails last week.

Since I was unable to reply to most of you

please accept this group hug

from me to all of you.

I tried nearly all of your suggested remedies

and something worked, 

or I simply survived the required 7 days.

Nighttime cold syrup chugged

straight from the bottle.

Now THERE is a remedy. wink

Sleeping Babies

I have been either watching tv or stalking blogs

 and tumbler for six phlegm filled days now.

Many blogs have gorgeous images of babies sleeping.

Posie gets Cozy is a favorite.

Then I remembered that over Christmas I 

had captured my babies sleeping.

Is there anything more warming to

a Mama's heart?

My 324 and 264 month old babies.

Home, safe and asleep.

****

Switching from teas

to coffee...

The worst is over,

fingers crossed...

Five Day Disclosure

Five Days

Right Here

2 boxes for Kleenex (new and used)

Remotes at arm length

Bag of cough drops, throat lozenge etc

Jar of cookie butter for comfort

See spoon tucked into tallow berries for cookie butter?

Space Heater

1 quilt

1 down throw

Robe thrown on chair

Empty water bottle discarded for Howie

My "man" slippers

Howie chewing water bottle

After the bottle tussle

A miracle I don't trip

Sick Schmick

Five days 

1 shower half way between

3 frozen dinners ( not worth the 1.88 ea YUCK!)

2 cans of Progresso light chicken noodle

1 box of Mrs Grass's chicken noodle

1/2 jar of spoon fed cookie butter

1/2 container ea - lemon sorbet- dark red cherry sorbet

2.5 boxes of kleenex

10 cups ea of tea/hot lemon water w/ honey

2 bottles of cold medicine 1 day 1 night

Small jar of vicks

12 naps

A zillion movies on tv

last night... Perfect Sense...

this one escaped me in 2011

hmmm? perhaps the subject matter wasn't ideal

for my current condition

(great naked Ewan McGregor though)

I'm done, I surrender...

The cold/flu/bronchial incident of 2013 is the victor

and I thought pneumonia in 2012 kicked my butt...

time for more movies..

happy weekend y'all

and thank you dear hearts for all the well wishes

they warm my heart like the

space heater does my tootsies

z

added injury:

my ability to answer emails has failed

thank you cox cable -

some magic fingers in Atlanta

need to repair it they tell me

and since it's the weekend already there

they may get to it by next Tuesday.

&%$?

I can however use incoming email and internet,

thank goodness or this 

wild haired, hacking, mismatched 

missing buttons, pajama wearing, old broad 

would be headed downtown 

to go screaming mimi banshee on someone!

I love the guy I spoke with for 20 minutes.

Totally clueless, and he told me

he had fixed three others today

but couldn't remember how to fix mine,

since I use a Mac

ARGH!!!!

Please continue to talk to me.

it's lonely out here...

A Trip To The Market

so i dragged myself out to store for dog food, since i could not feed the pooches another day of torn up bagel, egg and dog treats as their dinner... with hair that looked like i had stuck my tongue in a socket..and i am not imagining it, people actually stared at me and turned to take another glance as i passed..wild hair with perhaps a few dry leaves matted in, flannel shirt, heavy jacket, thrice wrapped scarf around neck in 65 degrees, no makeup, deep black crescent moons beneath my eyes, a cart piled to overflowing with cough syrups, kleenex and vicks vapo rub, and frozen dinners....buy 10 for reduced price of 1.88ea ... hacking and sneezing with wadded kleenex stuffed up my sleeves and in my hand.... changing the direction they were walking and making a wide arc as i passed..

the clerk actually stepped back from the counter and used a pencil to type in the items and laid the receipt on the counter rather than get within 12 " of my kleenex holding hand 

i think i may be ill

hmmmmmm and &#?

2 pitchers /small shaker

cookie cutters

cookie cutters

vintage blue quilt

corner shelf

3 boxes tree ornaments / gumdrop set

2 bleacher seats

area rug

west elm duvet and 4 shams 

2 duvets PB and west elm

2 repro quilts 

2 European style new PB linen shams SOLD

White beaded and rhinestone tree skirt

Floral sofa  SOLD

So I started a post about the latest group of purge items this morning and then I received another well, snarky email. I had two others this week.

Something so simple, and yet amazing how odd people can be.

I don't wish to focus on negatives here so I won't tell tales, let's just say take your weirdest garage sale experiences that make you tilt your head and say hmmmm? or in my case &#%? and put them in written form...jeez louise. I had several on-line sales that were easy peasy and lovely, and local gals are always dear, so thank you ladies, but the snarky is just not worth it..

So you'll just have to take my word that I will eventually purge 100 items. Already filled two bags of clothing  (40 pieces) this afternoon, headed to charity tomorrow.

I pick my battles. Close friends will tell you that I am a militant warrior when it comes to injustice, but taking crap from unknown people in cyberville is a waste of my time.

So back to regular programming. I hope those of you purging continue to do so with joy, and a sense of accomplishment. I applaud you...and to those very few who find it so difficult to be polite and kind, and are the equivalent of a hoofed mammal of the horse family with longer ears and a braying call.....&#?

Here We Go - PU

1-11

Red Tin w/ glass front - doggie biscuits/laundry detergent? 5.00
3 finials - 2 grey 1 white SOLD
Wooden pumpkin plaque 5.00
Swinging Iron wall candle holder from my family home SOLD
Antique Butter Mold 20.00
Polka Dot clothespin holder 5.00
Type tray 18.00 pick up only
Autumn Greetings Wood Plaque 20.00 pick up only
Large Wood and Iron Display Piece - ornaments not included 30.00 pickup only
Small Burlap wreaths SOLD

12- 19

April Cornell Bird Embossed plates and small pedestal plate 

(snack/dessert size)  15.00 pick up only

PB squirrel salt/pepper cellars  10.00

4 Placemats purchased in Italy 6.00

Set of mouse pad note pads and magnet note pads - new in plastic

Variety Set of Book Plates  SOLD

12 silver finished place card holders and many blank cards-never used 15.00

Book Lender tablets  SOLD

Address Book with beautiful images 4.00

20-21

Halloween Stake with Rod 12.00 pick up only

2 glass jar candle warmers- no flame

22-25

Shawnee USA cream bowl- 10.00

3 Sandra Lee Cookbooks never used 6.00

Tapas Book with Dining CD -never  used 2.00

Stuffed Wool Pumpkins 10.00

Here are the first 25

75 more to go

The next 25 on Sunday the 20th.

This was just a quick swing through 

a few drawers and stuff already set aside in garage.

Email me if interested in anything.

How is your purge going?

Z's Accidental Kitchen

Lunch yesterday with accidental choices.

Decided to change my "stand by" chili recipe.

Started by adding green pepper, I never did before.

Halfway through I remembered another stand by in freezer.

Menage A Trois from Trader Joe's.

So picked out red and yellow peppers and used those also.

Kept spices the same.

I only use Gebhardts.

This will not taste the same with something else.

Whoops no tomato paste!

A quick google and a can of diced tomatoes.

Pull out my favorite Todd English gizmo and puree.

Then begin to boil down.

In my favorite Todd English green pan.

Till it gets like...well, a paste.

After browning some

 ground round this time 2 1/2 #, recipe calls for 3,

 remove from Mom's chili pot, and drain well.

Yep, this was her chili pot,

now easily over 50 years old.

Add some EVVO and add garlic, peppers

 and onions and saute till soft.

Then add the seasonings till all veggies are covered.

Add in the paste, canned or home made.

Add in 4 cups beef broth (says recipe)

 or my choice three cans.

Bring to boil and and then simmer 

partially covered for 1 1/2 hours.
Add beans 30 minutes before serving.

This time I added 1 can of black beans, 1 can of kidney.

Topped it off with some grated sharp white cheddar 

and a wee bit of leftover Tres Pinos.

Very wee bit, but it was lunchtime after all.

The recipe:

Here is the Original from my longtime friend Bernie.
We shared this every Halloween 

at her house for over a decade.

I still make it then,

and when I need comfort from the cold like yesterday, 

and today as well. Makes a nice big pot.

3 # hamburger

6 TB veg oil (I use far less EVVO)

2 C chopped onion

2 TBS chopped Garlic

1 TB Chili Powder

1 tsp grnd oregano

1 tsp grnd cumin

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

1 can tomato paste

4 C Beef Stock/Broth

1 tsp salt

Black Pepper

1 1/2 C kidney Beans ( drained)

So I changed it up and I like my new version better. 

For me it's a keeper, with maybe even 

more red/yellow peppers next time,

and maybe only black beans.

Accidental success.

Been getting good feedback to PU

yesterday's post,

so please join us and show us.

You just may help someone else 

get started.

I hope to have my first group up tomorrow.

See you then.

Z

PU

Those of you who stop by frequently will 

notice a change at the home of oldgreymare.

A "lightening" of sorts.

You need only remember some 

magazine shoots or prior posts to see that 

large pieces of furniture were hauled

hither and thither, and up and down stairs.

(I use a large tarp and stupidly accomplish 

on my own with DD scolding)

Still debating the window covering change to come.

These linen drapes were a quick cheap choice years ago,

and then...well I got lazy and never changed them out.

They'll go soon. I'm thinking of burlap strung or simply pinned.

That skinny mustard cupboard to the right 

was dragged down the stairs from Hannah's room.

During the holidays the kids tried to convince me to move

my studio down to the first floor and though 

I seriously considered it, drawing floor plans etc.,

ultimately I opted for a first phase approach.

One of the benefits of a neutral palette is of course, that

everything can be moved everywhere. It all goes.

When I can no longer navigate the stairs, maybe the 

studio will come down here after all.

( I had a major fall this winter, and banged 

up my already bad knee pretty severely, 

so that day may be closer than I like. :D )

While moving furniture I was watching 

Jimmy Stewart and Sandra Dee in 

"Take Her She's Mine". That's the Cleopatra's barge scene.

One of the main reasons for the change is that I still had the home

set up for lots of people visiting, taking classes, 

friends of kids, and 4 of us living here.

That is no longer the case. I no longer need 3 couches

and I needed to set up the entertaining spaces to 

suit me and my current needs.

So one big easy chair and ottoman now 

comforts me in the den. ( first picture).

The large floral sofa from the family room

 is in the garage awaiting pick up from a friend.

The sofa from the den came in here. 

It is my favorite. Well over 30 years old, a Drexel,

 and recovered by me twice and now slip covered,

admittedly with a cover that really doesn't fit

 but works for now.

Large gatherings will still occur

but less seating will not matter,

we all hang in the small kitchen anyway...

The family room now seems so much larger and early yesterday a.m. the beautiful light was so soothing as I was curled in a fetal position for the second day suffering from

 some kind of intestinal attack. It's over thank heavens.

I am researching diverticulitis.

( the symptoms fit - no more seeds for me)

The type trays relocated from the den to family room and

now show to much better advantage right next to a window.

The light was beautiful on the porch also

but it was much too cold to enjoy.

We're in a cold snap, windy and 32 degrees.

So..where have I been, what have I been up to?

I've been finishing up my holiday job, which I will

dearly miss going to each day. I love the women I work with, 

I love the physical labor aspect, so good for me. 

Hopefully there will be more work to come soon.

I have been tending to Justice

who has more good days than bad.

I solved the issue of the passage way she was

 terrified to cross by placing a runner half way in each room 

and she calmly walks through.

( I called a friend to say I'm a genius! lol)

I am purging. AGAIN

I was already on the path but

after reading my pal Chania's post,

I have upgraded to a goal of 100 items which 

I will begin to show here this week.

I preach the same message to clients she details in her post, 

but I've never before set an actual number as a goal.

I have hope this will speed things up, 

declaring it will keep me honest and on track.

Thanks again my dear friend.

Local clients and friends will get a typical email

 from me and they call and buy from that.

However, if you see anything shippable 

that you want, email me.

It's always first come.

So if you made it this far...

so happy to see you,

and please stay tuned for the 100 piece purge.

Perhaps you wish to join us?

Declare it and show it.

Purgers United.

uh oh..that is PU

Z