§ Brownies!!

Well, I finally did it! For weeks, maybe months, I've been in search of Carob Powder in natural and organic stores here in town. The stores carry the Carob chips, but not the baking powder! So, after this long time, I broke down and got on Amazon and ordered a 12 oz [expensive compared to cocoa powder] bag of it to make myself brownies...which I've been craving. Knowing that eating anything with caffeine will find me in the ER again with heart racing at 250+ beats a minute. I'm 99% sure that chocolate and all the caffeine I once consumed was the trigger to my SVT episodes and eventually my heart attack. The old saying rides well here in Hootin's abode..."where there is a will, there is a way". Carob is caffeine free. And tastes like chocolate!! Sunday afternoon, bored, I got to the kitchen and started preparing for a pan full of walnut brownies! Now, I must admit, we both really like them [Bud can do without caffeine too] except for one thing. At least for me...the recipe I used was easy enough, very little work involved...but they were too dry [cakey] for my taste and a bit over the top with sugar. I will tweak the recipe a bit next time -less sugar and add oil & milk! The cook's article found on the blog stated the best brownies ever. Good, excellent in fact, but NOT the best. lol In the meantime, my chocolate cravings have been statiated!

§ Here, There, This and That...

Some years ago, I attempted to paint some rocks [called kindness rocks] to hide along some of the pathways [hide in plain sight] for others to find. There is usually a picture depiction on the top side with a kind word or passage on the back side. Well, the one time I did, I did three stones and that was the end of that. I also painted another rock to make it look like an alligator [or some thought a dinosaur] head. I shared it here a couple years ago, but looking through my post labels I can't seem to find it. [addendum: Found it! Photo of rock HERE, and the others in post HERE] Well, a few weeks back when it was still too hot to be outdoors, I started another stone to paint. I finished it finally...

I have a couple other ones in mind, but I have to find the "just right" stone.

I mentioned ordering a metal sign that is "me" through and through. It arrived on Friday as promised. It was hung on the kitchen wall for permanent display before the day was out...

For Sunday dessert I finally used up all the apples that we bought at a roadside stand. We had a peck of tart cooking apples. I made apple crisp the other day [I froze some of it]. And then while watching football games we dined on warm apple pie a la mode! Thing is the pie played a nasty trick on me. I would guess what apples were left totaled about 3 pounds. I used them all! Yep, you guessed it. The filling over-flowed in the oven while baking. Now I have an oven to clean. Oh, goodie. [self cleaning it is, but when it's done the cycle, I still have to scrap out the ash. I'm retired. That shouldn't have to be. Ohh-h-h-h Bud? Hmmmm, he seems to have disappeared!! Guess it's up to me to clean the ash...even if I did find him, I wouldn't be able to convince him the pie was baked for HIM.

With my heart health issues, I don't wanna be unprotected if I happen to have to make a trip to the ER. So, this weekend I also got a booster shot for Covid. What harm can it do? I know there are breakthrough cases reported, and the mandates are unconstitutional; but for me personally, it's playing it safe. Bud, the aged one has yet to make an appointment. He says he will, but that remains to be seen. Anywho....we went out to dinner afterward just 'cause I thought I deserved it being punched in the arm and all. The pain in the arm? Guaranteed I'll milk it all it's worth to get out of cooking! We went Mexican. A yummy LARGE margarita and Chili Rellenos!

It was delicious. And yes, my margarita has no salt on the rim....ordered that way by me. Again, with heart disease, I don't need MORE salt.

One more thing, then I'll let you go [if you're still here with me]...we finished the jigsaw puzzle Monday. And tore that one up to take to the senior center and started another one. This time instead of 750 pieces, it's 1000.

§ Easter ...

This is kinda a bit here and there, eclectic in photos, but all pertaining to Easter > > > Hoppy Bunny Day to y'all. I mentioned a few days ago, I made a cheesecake. Well, the two of us just finished it off. I used the pre-made graham cracker crust since it's so much less mess to clean up and actually cheaper than buying the box of crackers and throwing them away eventually, since they're never used up around here,  and using your own sugar and butter to make one from scratch. Tastes just as good, and once the cheese batter [that is from scratch] is mixed to a smooth, and creamy texture it 'fits' the pre-made pie shell so much better; instead of my large 10" pie plates...fills up to the brim with purchased already made!!! It's delicious, but oh such a heavy dessert! Tiny, thin slices is plenty for each of us. I topped mine with my tart cherry pie filling...

...then my two Easter themed works of art. Long ago these were part of my drawings and painting. And yes, I realize that the walk to Golgotha [outside Jerusalem] was desert, this depiction is from the Sunrise Service here, on the beach...in Cole Park each Easter Morning. I painted the cross for Irene. The crown of thorns is stored in my art portfolio:

...lastly, a new platter for decoration in the house! I could not resist buying this at our local grocery store. It was on sale for a couple of bucks, and the bunny was too cute to leave on the shelf!

§ Hibernation...

Over the weekend and into next week, I will be HIBERNATING!!! Saturday and Sunday past, it rained heavily here. All day. Then the winds picked up and as I type this post, the wind is still blowing strongly. I am NOT a winter person.  Bud and I had to bring in all our potted patio plants since we will be under a freeze warning until Thursday.  It was 36° when I got up ...dunno if there was a freeze tho. In fact, just north of Houston, and in the San Antonio area of the hill country...it snowed! I'm not liking this weather. I get bored in home all the time. And I can't afford to get sick these days with hospitals/covid situation. I'm playing it safe, health-wise. Heart and lungs are weaker at my age. Reading and working puzzles are okay. But not all day. I even got so bored with no activity outdoors, I watched NFL games. Now that is a true sign of 'nothing to do'. I made a big crock pot of chili. And then, I thought, what else can I bake? To keep busy, I made bread dough, then with that dough, I made a huge amount of crazy bread...enough for four loaves; one for dinner and three for the freezer. I got this recipe a long, long time ago [in the 70s] just 'cause it was so good. The recipe came from a pizza restaurant, Old Chicago. Anyway, you don't have to form it into loaves, just add the whipped raw eggs into a crater made in the dough, add grated cheese, chopped onion, and jalapeno peppers. Knead it all together, chopped the dough with a plastic 'chopper' implement, and pick up the chunks of dough, plop it on a baking sheet [I use a cookie sheet], let it rise and bake. It's delicious. Heavy, but oh so good. Especially with a piping hot bowl of vegetarian chili. [no meat was added to my chili 'cause of all the cheese and egg in the bread]

I'll probably be writing up a lot of mix and match thoughts this week since I'm gonna be a home-body for some time. Did I mention how I detest cold?

§ More Holiday Theme...

Since I was rummaging through all the storage boxes unpacking the snowflakes and angels, ornaments and ribbon for the tree last week, I got into a couple more boxes and pulled out my gingerbread dolls. When I bought them YEARS ago, they had the heavy fragrance of ginger spice. And they filled the house with a "down-home", country kitchen warmth of a baking hearth filled with anticipation of a traditional bread for the holiday season. Thru the decades, the dolls still have the scent, but nearly not as strong as once was. So, I fixed that! I made a gingerbread to fill the void while doing laundry. I couldn't go anywhere, birding, so why not bake something? Something we haven't had in a LONG time. We both were pleased I brought them out to be perched on the side tables; adding a string of lights draped over their figures...we had a special sweet treat to boot!

§ Along the Channel - Beach

...those that arrived before me:

As I posted in my previous post, He is Strong, the day began early for a lot of us. By the time I arrived at the beach, shortly before sunrise, the surfers and sports fishermen were already there. A lot of them! As I drove into the parking lot to begin at the paved walkway along the channel, the sun was peeking over the sand dunes. I enjoy the rising of the sun more than setting. It's a new day, a new beginning...

I'm a sucker for LOVE. This couple walking hand in hand on the warm beach oblivious to that that surrounded them...

...the dune vines/flowers were just beginning to open. With the rainfall aplenty the last couple of weeks, the white morning glory vines were quite abundant - all OVER the dunes! The pink railroad vine was lacking as was the yellow blossoms, but I did find a few. At the entrance to the beach access road, the warning flags were blowing in the wind...red/dangerous rip currents and orange/caution for surfers I believe. I am not really sure.

Once back home, I made a blackberry pie, using my Texas shaped cookie cutter for the top crust [all made from scratch -including the crust]. I only show you this, 'cause the oven is clean...

I may or may not, depending on the health and virus situation in the upcoming months....that is, October to be exact. I pray the worst is over by then, but, one never knows what lies ahead. This weekend, I received an email reminding me that it's time to fill out the info once again. The American Heart Association's Coastal Bend Heart Walk is being planned, and will go on. So, I went out and registered for this year's event; pledging my monetary donation no matter what the virus outcome will be. I just have to wait and see what the COVID-19 situation is in just a few short months from now. It took me having a heart attack to stop taking things for granted and realize the importance to stay healthy and heart strong. This will be my fourth year participating. I feel good about it in so many ways, I can't begin to say. Raising money for such a worthy cause as cardiology research and new ways of helping others [lifesaving science] in years to come is a priority for me these days.  You could say "I have my heart set to walk the 5K in the Fall"!

Here in Corpus, we got a lot of heavy rain this morning, so...I made some heart healthy muffins for us this weekend.  There were three bananas getting overly-ripe for us to peel and eat, so I took 'em out of the 'fridge and set out everything else...bowls, mixer, muffin tins, and recipe ingredients to mix up a batch for us to have while watching a movie in the evening.  Yes, we both like a 'midnight' snack before bed.  Not the best idea, but we do have them at least a couple hours BEFORE bedtime.  I don't use recipes  per sé.  Actually, I just tend to throw things together...a little bit of this, a lot of that, some spices, butter, vanilla.  Mash bananas, mix ingredients, add pecans and bake until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.  Bud has said many many times, "if you measure stuff, it never comes out as good."  Thing is I've enjoyed cooking and baking for decades [even before marriage], and I can pretty well tell 1 cup of flour or 1 cup liquid without dirtying utensils.  My sister says I have a gift [often times she'll call me on the phone to ask for cooking help...for instance, one time she was making a pie crust from scratch, and the recipe said add enough shortening to make the dough pea-sized before rolling out...she didn't know the size of a pea]?!!! but like I said...years and years, it all comes together for me without much ado.  And, they're good. 



Care to have one? - - - - -

And, it's Saturday afternoon as I type this up getting it ready to pre-schedule publishing on Sunday. I'm thinking of Sandra from Mad Snapper [and all Floridians] with the newly developed [and early for the season even tho May is becoming a 'new' target for the beginning] Tropical Storm brewing - and hitting the Florida Coast. Be safe, and hope you're not in any danger.  Now, off to read and then crochet a bit...or vice - versa.

§ I Wasn't Doing Much SINGING in the Rain this time!!!

...the storm

The morning started out with overcast skies. I left to walk a bit. The humidity was high, the surf was up. I knew a storm was brewin' out in the west. Before I returned to the car to get on my way back home, I received a text weather alert from *806319 [emergency alerts]. It told me that a goodly chance of severe weather was about to happen in my county, thunderstorms, high winds at 60MPH plus, and heavy rainfall. Yet, I lingered outdoors. I sat by the car along Packery Channel and watched the herons watching a fishermen pull in his catch. Once in the car, heading out from the channel's parking lot, I turned toward the causeway and put the pedal to the metal to get over the bridge before the rain....the clouds were ominous, and blackened. I figured I was in for a bumpy ride!!! By the time I got off the causeway bridge and dropping down into the suburb of Flour Bluff, I was driving in flooding rains. I pulled off and stopped in Walmart to sit this storm out. I bought something I've been thinking of doing for months. Some project that I haven't done in probably 55-60 years. [more on this in a bit] I had plenty of time to browse all the aisles. lol I texted Bud and told him I was waiting out the storm [I hydroplaned once already I didn't want to do it again and lose control of the car before arriving home, safely]. Once the storm subsided enough for me to drive slowly, I got home...opened the garage door with the remote, got out of the car, walked out the opening, and took photos of my Easter Lilies in the front yard, closed the garage door and BAM....the power went off. No electricity for two hours Hot and miserable inside.

So...during all the heavy, street flooding rains for a couple of days, we kept busy indoors. Besides reading and movies on our TV we did some of this and that...



Rain drenched Lilies...


...we finished a jigsaw puzzle

Since I had plenty of time in Walmart, I walked over to the craft/sewing aisles. Picked out some stuff, and went through the iron-on transfers. OWLS. The other stuff was a yard each of light brown, off white, and olive green material. And some EMBROIDERY THREAD. I am going to attempt to embroidery the owls on 12"x12" squares [without the days of the weeks...that will be cut off before transferring them to the cloth] - if all goes well, I will make a quilt. I even may buy some alphabet transfers and write Hootin' Anni at the bottom strip. That remains to be seen tho. Oh....btw, I have to find my embroidery hoops [I have metal myself, but I know I still have my mother's also. Her's is antique..wooden.]

By mid afternoon, the storm passed us and was on its way to Houston and Louisiana. The sun came out, the power was restored. I finished my afternoon by making Butter Pecan cupcakes with pecan-coconut icing. Painted the birdbath and admired another blooming amaryllis.

before - - - after

§ Mixed Photos....

A little over a week ago, I was coming out of Target [munching on my popcorn], and as I turned a bit to walk along the store fronts of the strip mall, I heard a gentleman talking behind me. He was trying to get my attention. Finally, I turned around, looked at him while he was saying something barely audible by then. He had a single red rose in a clear glass vase with baby's breath and a long stem of green leaves bouquet. As he came closer, he said to me "I hope you will accept this gift from me to you. I do this once a month to put a smile on someone's face and make them happy for a short time!" It was a beautiful gesture. I thanked him, and told him he made my day. He smiled, walked away, and after a few feet, he turned and said to me "Have a Blessed Day"! I said "Thanks again, and same to you!" I got it home without spilling much water from the vase, told Bud it was from a complete stranger who does it for an act of Kindness each month. I am now thinking of Paying it Forward, and doing the same!!! To make someone happy and put a smile on their face would make me feel good inside.


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An updated photo of Isaiah taken October 15, 2018....




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Over the past weekend, I had some fun playing with my white cake batter! I decided to marblize it with different colors of Halloween. I used red, yellow, blue and green food coloring to mix up purple, orange and green batter. Then, filled cupcake paper cups that were placed in muffin tins. After cooling them when done baking, I frosted them with sugar free vanilla icing and topped each one with a single candy corn....





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When you live in the state of Texas, you soon come to realize that the residents are a mighty proud group of people!! They love their home. It's evident everywhere. From their sports teams to their flag...all around, car emblems, lawn furniture, there is Texas Pride - Lone Star = gratifying and heart-felt!! Some time ago, while I was at the grocery store to buy some Jimmy Dean Sausage and sourdough English muffins for our Sunday Football Brunch, I spotted "NEW" at the aisle I walked down to get to the meat coolers....I stopped. It was store brand, and I saw "Texas" on the bag. Bud and I both like nachos for lunch, and we haven't had them in years! The store brand bag was a bag of lite corn chips. I picked up a bag, and once in my hand, I inspected the sodium content and sugar content....But, this is what astounded me some. This was carrying the Texas Pride one step beyond my comprehension. But heck, it was a fun meal. Tasted the same as all Dorritos Corn Chips, but in the shape of the ------


LONE STAR STATE!!!



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I think our summer-like temps are finally over for the year!!! And as I type this post for pre-scheduling, there are NO tropical storms nor hurricanes out in the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico.  I'm so happy. In fact, after months of scorching 100 degree days and 85 degree nights, on October 14th a cold front moved down into the panhandle of Texas and brought snow with it!! A couple days later that same cold front moved farther south to the coast and dropped our temperature by several degrees 90 on Sunday here and....55 degrees high for the next several days!!! Did I say how happy I was?



While waiting for the green arrow left turn light to change for me, I looked to the left as the sun was beginning to rise from the horizon and saw the "fire storm" colors!!