leder legends

  Koulourakias We are having a Greek feast! I love having different themes when we invite a few folks over for dinner ... something we have not done for a long time (Can I blame it on the covid pandemic?) I asked an enthusiastic friend, who is married into a Greek family, for some ideas. Menu Avgolemono soup - try saying that a few times. It has lots of chicken, rice, eggs and lemon juice. It sounds filling so there will be small portions.   Horiatiki salad Traditionally, salad in Greece has no lettuce. This has all the ingredients we non-Greeks put in a Greek salad without the lettuce. The dressing is very European- oil and vinegar.   Greek-marinated Pork tenderloin with Tzatziki It will be marinated and grilled outdoors because the forecast says it will be 50-60 degrees on Friday. I hope it won’t rain! Tzatziki is a cucumber and yogurt sauce.     Potatoes - plain-old oven roasted with oregano instead of rosemary. Fasoulakia - my friend says these are “to die ...

The “dress”!! The youngest granddaughter wanted a unicorn dress for her fourth birthday! I decided to sew her one and perhaps that wasn’t the wisest decision.  It will need a sash since this granddaughter is a skinny little thing! It was too long and 2" were cut off.  The circumference if this dress is  12' The slip has a 2.5" trim of tulle. I have never worked with tulle before. I discovered a few things along the way! It is an expensive undertaking! We used to sew because it was a more economical option! Now, patterns are as much as $16 each. My fabric was only $8 per yard- 3 yards...(unicorn fabrics are not particularly cute or attractive!) There were many fabrics that cost WAY MORE!  Lining fabric $7 per yard - 2 yds. Thread is $3-$4.00. And then there is TIME. Lots of time was spent agonizing over the zipper. It's in but I'm not thrilled.  I also discovered that I needed to refresh my skill set. It was a slow process! Much time and many frustrations later “...

We love to sleep with the windows open.  We have done it as long as I can remember. It is a great way to sleep.  The only thing that ever seems a bit too cold is my nose! Lol!  Yet as much as we are dedicated to sleeping cold, this morning it was too cold even for us!  49° F.   Let me just say it was hard to get out of bed! 

    There’s a potluck after church tomorrow! They asked for desserts!  So I made a recipe called The Best Banana Cake Ever and it is- especially with a layer of cream cheese frosting.  The recipe is too big for the Bundt pan so the rest stays here. My sister makes The Best Chocolate Cake Ever and I thought I would try it in cupcakes with some chocolate cream cheese frosting piped on top. 2 dozen for church and one dozen for here.  The banana cake calls for buttermilk and the chocolate cake needs milk...I had leftover buttermilk lol! I discovered that it makes it less sweet but very good! It was a busy morning but the results are yummy! The cleanup is not for the faint of heart!

 Bulbs The bigger the bulb, the bigger the plant??  I’m not sure but amaryllis bulbs are big and this one seems to have stored a lot of energy for quick growth. It’s fascinating to see the development of just a few  days!

I went out for lunch with two friends today! We went to the same place that we went to the day before everything shut down due to the pandemic in 2020!  The company was better than the food! Shrimp plate. Legendary Rueben,! Southwest wrap!   We were actually going to go out on Friday but there was snowy weather in the forecast.   Two weeks ago, the forecasted storm missed us completely so I was very skeptical about this one.  In retrospect, it was a good decision!

  When you look up at the perfect moment!

This morning when I woke up, I complained that my nose was cold and I ducked under the down comforter. Just my nose was cold lol!!   When was the last time you were truly cold? We have lots of clothes to keep us warm indoors and outdoors! Boots, shoes and slippers for our feet as well. We have a gas fired furnace to warm our homes.   We have gas fireplaces to ward off the chill so we don't  have turn up the central heat and electric space heaters as well!  We have heaters in our cars and some have heated seats and even heated steering wheels to keep us warm in our cars.  We have electric blankets and heating pads. We also have hand and feet warmers that fit in our gloves and boots to stave off the cold when we are outside. So many things to keep us warm and comfortable. No one REALLY likes to be cold...but I don't think I have EVER been truly cold! This past week the gas fireplace in the family room has been acting up and it perhaps it needs repl...

We spent a weekend in Brampton, Ontario and it was good!  A life well-lived 12/15/26 --1/27/23!  Catharina Vandenberg ( but better known as Tante Tini!)   The family is joyful that she was now safe in the arms of Jesus, her Savior! She was always happy to be taken to church! She loved flowers!   Tante Tini passed away in her sleep on Feb 12, 2023, a mere 96 years after her birth in 1926! It was a life well-lived until 6 1/2 years ago when she fell!  Then things got difficult!  Tante Tini was never married and NEVER wanted to be a burden to anyone! 24 years earlier she had arranged and paid for all things necessary for her passing. Amazing! Her remaining sister and brother-in-law, 4 of their children and 7 other nieces and nephews gathering in Brampton to lay her to rest.  We had a short service at the graveside and then a service and celebration at Holland Christian Homes where she had lived for a very long time - first in her her own two bedroom ...

 I’m getting to an age where different things are making me pause and take note. For instance, I’m finding myself reading the obituaries in the Sunday paper. The people who are listed are strangers (usually) so why do I have this relatively new inclination to read the obituaries??  I think it might be due to the fact, that while I’m in good health, death is getting closer!! I don’t want to die ... yet!  Last Sunday one of the listed departed souls had lived to be 103 years old.  I hope he was in good shape especially mentally! It did get me to thinking about my own mortality and the possibility of living to be 103!  That’s 30... really 30... more years! That’s a lot of years. When I turned 30 I had lived in 5 countries, graduated from college, got married, had 3 children, spoke 3 languages, worked in a profession I loved, sang in choirs, swam in rivers, lakes and oceans, and much more!!! It was life well lived!  I’m now 73 years old and it’s 43 years later....

 The pantry challenge continues but modified extensively. When I was getting down to odds and ends that could not be combined into a meal, I decided to find recipes that would use these elements and I shopped for items that could be used with them for something new.  It’s been fun trying new recipes and using up some things that have been in the pantry too long. Today I made Pantry Challenge Soup. Beef broth from the freezer with lots of spices (turmeric, cumin, Italian season, pepper) and beef better than bouillon that’s been in the fridge and had been forgotten for awhile (not too long). Sausages from the freezer and vegetables (sweet potato, reg potato, half an onion, celery, leftover mushrooms, 1 small can of tomatoes, parsley, and a few noodles. Lots of great flavor and colors. It’s a great Saturday night supper on a cold day! It’s good but I’m not a fan of the addition of the sweet potato...too soft! ( mushy) I think more spinach would be good too!