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West Virginia
When I started my retirement travels in 2009, I wanted a way to share it with family and friends as it was happening. Hence, "My Travel Journal". However I realized I wouldn't always be on a trip and wondered what to do with the blog in between times. My daughter pointed out, wisely, that travels can also include trips to the kitchen to try a new recipe, trips to visit family, trips to my neighborhood Starbucks, or a fun day trip with a friend. You're welcome to join me on any of these journeys! I've set up individual pages for each of my major trips (see tabs above).

Also, I have an Etsy shop where my current needlework resides. The last pieces I posted here were in 2013! So if you'd like to see what I have accomplished recently, go to (and I apologize for having to copy and paste):

www.etsy.com/shop/thedollhouseneedle

I recently added an "Italian Word a Day" thingie which shows up at the bottom of every page. You see the word and can click to hear it pronounced. I've been enjoying it and I think my accent is improving as time goes by.

December 16, 2010

Two New Recipes and a Weather Update

Boy, we are really having unusual weather for Huntington at this time of year.  I think that's because a week or two ago, there was an article in the paper about how we could expect a milder and wetter winter than normal.  I found that intriguing since, normally, Huntington is quite mild and pretty darned wet at least for November and December and I was reading the article on one of our many frigid days we've been having.  And this morning I woke up to our third snowfall so far, and the heaviest so far too - I'd guess around three inches or so and, although it's not snowing right this minute, the skies are still very leaden and there is more to come.  The weather report on line says either more snow or snow mixed with sleet.  So aren't I glad I'm retired?  Yes, I am!

And here are just a couple pictures of another white morning:



So, that's the weather.  Now on to cooking which I have been doing a lot of this week and which can probably best be summarized as "the good, the bad, and the okay".  The bad was my cheesecake and rum cake which I have made for probably the last 30 years or so every Christmas.  I managed to ruin both of them so they went in the garbage can (truly!)  I did make another rum cake and it is just as good as always. The good was a chocolate-walnut tart that I think is scrumptious and all of my guests seemed to think so too (at least a number of them want the recipe) and also a recipe I tried called herbed cherry tomatoes.  Again, guests said they liked them but one never knows how much is politeness!  However, I really liked them.  The "okay" was everything else.  I've added the tomatoes and the tart recipes to My Recipe Collection (link to that above) and I'll put the links to them here also so you don't have to dig through the whole list to find them.  The cherry tomatoes are here:  http://marylynnestraveljournal.blogspot.com/2008/12/herbed-cherry-tomatoes.html and the chocolate walnut tart is here:  http://marylynnestraveljournal.blogspot.com/2008/12/chocolate-walnut-shortbread-tart.html  As usual, I added a fair number of notes at the bottom of each.

The reason for all this mad cooking was I, who hardly ever have company, ended up with a little party on Monday evening and another little party on Wednesday evening!   It was lots of fun each night - I love getting together with friends!  But my poor kitchen by last night must have wondered what on earth was going on.  And I will definitely be "eating simple" for the next few days! :)

Now, I need to get busy and finish wrapping my presents because next Thursday January and Maggie will be here.  And I definitely made up my mind that I'm going to ride back with them in their car and then take the train back home.  And my dear son, Chris, used some of his many Amtrak points to get my ticket and he got me my own small room with its own small "facility"!!  So, ain't I somethin'?  And once I get over there, I'll have my Christmas with Heather, Alex, and the kiddies which is always quite riotous fun.  Once I'm back home in January, life is going to seem very dull for a while.  But at my age, dull is also good now and then. :)

Now, I'm going to venture out I think (with my boots on!) and see if I can find some Christmas-y paper plates to take some of the rum cake and chocolate tart to a few neighbors or I will end up eating it all myself...

3 comments:

Christopher said...

Ah, I still chuckle over our conversations about the fatally-botched cheesecake preparation... so sorry it didn't work out... As consolation, I made a cheesecake for the office this week, and it was as usual, being your recipe, superb. See you in a week or so!

Mary Lynne said...

I know, I know - the cheesecake disaster was apparently just meant to be! I may have to do another post just to relate all that - it's kind of epic!

Mom

jamie said...

Ah - another succesful party! Love, love, love your parties! They are so fun and such delicious food! Not to mention the sparkling conversation. :) I always feel like I need a belly sling when I leave one of your parties cause my belly is so full and content! Thanks so much for all the work you put into making your guests feel so at home. Love ya!

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