Playing Catch Up

Hi everyone,

Again, I apologize for not posting regularly.  It's not that I don't have anything to write about but just pure laziness on my part.  I've got several projects in the works inside and out and time just seems to get away from me.

Because the weather has gotten so gorgeous here, (cooler temperatures and very little humidity) I've been spending time outside getting things ready for next spring before it really turns cold.  I've started a cutting garden and have planted tulips, daffodils, and hyacinth bulbs as well as preparing the soil to plant some iris bulbs.  We have (husband and I) have re-planted asparagus ferns so that they will create hedge of sorts along a fence line, sowed grass seed and still have more seed to sow before the next rain.  Around here, I have found that you have to use a good layer of top soil after turning over the sandy soil because nothing seems to grow in sand and while it is good to have a sandy soil for drainage, it isn't very good for planting grass seed or plants directly in it.  Live and learn.  HAH

I also have started a knitting project (a lap throw).  I was reading a blog post recently on how to knit a lap throw on 60" knitting needles with three skeins of yarn to create a really chunky throw.  Well, I decided to use two skeins instead of three and so far I like how it looks.  I won't lie, it is hard to knit on such HUGE needles and I have to take breaks because my thumbs get really sore (I think I may have a bit of arthritis in them) but I'm not in any hurry to finish it.

Look at the size of those needles!!!

Just think how it would look if I were using (3) skeins of yarn at one time!

This is also the time of year that pinecones are plentiful around here...they are everywhere.  In my Country Living magazine this month they told how to bleach pinecones to change the color of them by soaking them in one part water and two parts bleach for 24 hours.  You have to make sure to keep the cones submerged beneath the water.  I did mine in a bucket and used a plate to keep them submerged.  After 24 hours, I removed them rinsed them thoroughly (they will be closed up) you can either let them dry out on their own ( when they have re-opened fully from their closed position) which might take up to (2) weeks (depending on how cold the weather is where you are) or you can place them on a cookie sheet and into a 200 degree oven until they open back up.  They turn a really pretty bleached color.  I took 1 yard of 3/8" velvet ribbon per pinecone and cut it into a 3/4 yard piece and a 1/4 yard piece.  I adhered the longer ribbon to the pinecone base with hot glue and tied the shorter ribbon into a bow and adhered it to the base of the pinecone again with hot glue.  (I attached both pieces of the ribbon to base of the pinecones I was doing to create a loop instead of using just the one end because I wanted to slide the ribbon onto my rods and hang from my windows.)  You can also use them to hang on a chandelier, wreath, or from a door hanger on the inside of your front door.  Here is a photo of how they turned out.

These look darker then they really are because of the lighting.

These look more like the color of the pinecones than the first photo.  I like the bright colors against the bleached pinecones.

I also have  recipe that I would like to share with all of you.  Libby at An Eye for Detail, who's blog I follow, posted a recipe for Orange Lavender Polenta Cake which sounded delicious.  I mentioned in my comment to her that I had a recipe I picked up from a restaurant in Lexington, Kentucky for de Sha's  homemade Cornbread.  I told her that I would post the recipe as it is one I use quite often.  In this recipe, the cornbread tastes and looks more like cake than cornbread and is sweet and served with homemade honey butter.  I guarantee you that you won't find a better recipe if you like your cornbread sweet.

de Sha's Homemade Cornbread
(serves 12)

3 Cups of self-rising cornmeal

1/3 cup Sugar

6 eggs

1 1/2 cups of vegetable oil

3 cups of sour cream

2 2/3 cups of cream style corn

For cornbread:  Combine first 6 ingredients in order listed.  Mix well and pour into a greased 9" x 13" pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 1 hour or until center of cornbread springs back when touched.  Let cool and enjoy.

For the Honey Butter:

Mix 1 1/3 cups of butter softened

1/2 cup of Honey

Mix softened  butter and honey together  and serve with warm cornbread.

If you are looking for cornbread that isn't full of calories this recipe isn't for you.  LOL  It is wonderful though and taste great with homemade Italian soup made with Italian sausage, chickpeas, zucchini, squash, tomatoes and spices.

Well, that about does it for me.  I hope I  haven't bored you with the length of this post but I wanted to post all of it before I forgot it.  LOL  My memory isn't what it used to be.