leder legends

Since three of the recipes for next week's diner are new, I decided to try them this weekend. I made the curried butternut squash soup yesterday...oh so good especially with the toppings. (toasted coconut, toasted pepitas, cilantro and strangely enough ...orange zest) The salad was just okay. I looked for another recipe that used some of the same ingredients and I will try that tomorrow along with the pork tenderloin with caramelized pears. The salad had a bacon, bleu cheese dressing with red wine vinegar.  The hubby thought it was too bitter.  I added a tablespoon of honey and that perked it up but it was just okay. I found a recipe that has apple, pecans, dried cherries and bleu  cheese but no bacon and a bit of maple syrup... sounds a bit brighter.  Stay tuned. I also just realized there is a church potluck tomorrow.  We are supposed to bring a potato dish and a dessert.  There was not a single potato in the house so I made...

  I worked at the house for a few hours on Wednesday. I still need to go clean out 4 kitchen drawers. I decided that could wait. It's looking good. The floors are waxed...I love Mop n Glo for these older linoleum floors. The bathroom upstairs also got a good scrub...much easier than the downstairs one.  The older wooden vanity got a good coat of wax.  I ordered Joe a pair of boots on-line. He has very particular tastes and no credit card! On Thursday I did a lot of planning for the dinner on February first. Since the soup and salad recipes are ones that I have never done, I am going to try them out this weekend.  I went out and bought some ingredients in the afternoon.  New2You from 4 - 7. Slow night. Dinner menu:  Appetizers: bacon wrapped dates, olives, stuffed mushrooms (champagne) (hand held) Soup: Curried Butternut Squash Soup (Chardonnay) (white bowls)  Salad: Frisee Salad with Blue Cheese, bacon and hazelnuts (Rose) (red plates) Sor...

Yesterday I spent the day working at a house we own.  It was a rental but we are planning on selling it.  At first, all I was going to do was clean it, put it on the market and sell it as quick as possible, but our realtor gave me a low-ball price at which to list it and I think I was seriously insulted!  So I told we would list it for $15,000.00 more! Although I figured he would say that was dumb, he said okay. I went through the house and looked at it with a critical eye. I thought of what I would do if I were going to move into this house. I knew I was going to clean carpets, floors, bathrooms, kitchen cabinets and perhaps wash some walls, but after I looked at things more closely a longer list emerged.  In addition to the list, we painted the entire upstairs, painted the front and back entry ways, painted the entire front room, touched up and/or repainted trim.  Late yesterday I "revived" the hardwood floors.   Painting the front entryway ...

She did it!! I can't wait to hear all about it!!! My oldest daughter and two friends climbed Mt Kilimanjaro!!  So thankful that they are safely back down and in a hotel...recuperating!

Kristin Hannah wrote The Nightingale and Still Alice. Before I read those, I read the Winter Garden. I didn't know she was so prolific and that I would find more of her books captivating.  I just read The Great Alone and The Magic Hour!  Good stuff!