Gentle Showers in Hitchins

I was sitting at the computer and found myself drawn to the window. A gentle shower is falling with only a whisper of it's presence. It's days like these that make me feel relaxed and at peace.

It won't be long until spring arrives. The seed catalogs are already here. I wish I had the space and the ability to plant everything I like in them.

Oh well, it's time to plan tonight's dinner. I've tweaked a few different recipes and created a dish that both of us can't get enough of. It's easy, fast and it is soooooo good.

Creamy Chicken and Pasta Dish

Ingredients:

Angel hair pasta (Amount will depend upon how many servings you're planning).

2 boneless chicken breasts cut into bite sized pieces

Cheese Sauce:
8 ounces of cream cheese (cut into chunks)
3/4 cup of grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup of margarine plus 2 tablespoons
1 cup of Half and Half

Start your pasta water. Add a pinch of salt and a tablespoon of olive oil. Bring the water to a boil before adding the angel hair pasta. It should be done in about 5 minutes. Drain, and keep it covered.

Sautee the chopped chicken breast in 2 tablespoons of margarine until done. Remove from heat and keep it covered.

In a medium sauce pan, combine the cream cheese, grated parmesan, butter and Half and Half, stirring constantly until smooth. Add the sauteed chicken to the sauce and mix.

Place each serving of pasta on a plate. Add the chicken and cheese sauce and top with more greated parmesan cheese.

The sauce will feed four people. If you want to make it for two, just half the sauce recipe.

I love the texture of the angel hair pasta and the sauce is rich, creamy and delicious.

Do I Like Getting Old?

I recieved this in an email last year and thought I'd share it with you too. There's alot of wisdom in it that I've learned to apply to my own life.

Do I Like Getting Old?

I would never trade my amazing friends, my wonderful life,
nor my loving family for less gray hair or a flatter belly.
As I've aged, I've become kinder to myself, and less critical of myself.
I've become my own friend.

I don't chide myself for eating that extra cookie,
for not making my bed,
nor for buying that silly cement gecko that I didn't need,
but looks so avante garde on my patio.
I am entitled to a treat, to be messy, to be extravagant.

I have seen too many dear friends leave this world too soon;
before they understood the great freedom that comes with aging.
Whose business is it if I choose to read or play on the computer
until 4 AM and sleep until noon?

I will dance with myself to those wonderful tunes of the 60 & 70's,
and if I, at the same time, wish to weep over a lost love .... I will.
I will walk the beach in a swim suit that is stretched over a bulging body,
and I will dive into the waves with abandon if I choose to,
despite the pitying glances from the jet set.
They, too, will get old.

I know I am sometimes forgetful.
But there again, some of life is just as well forgotten.
And I eventually remember the important things.

Sure, over the years my heart has been broken.
How can your heart not break when you lose a loved one,
or when a child suffers?
Broken hearts are what give us strength, understanding and compassion.
A heart never broken is pristine and sterile.
It will never know the joy of being imperfect.

I am so blessed to have lived long enough to see my hair turning gray,
and to have my youthful laughs be forever etched into deep grooves on my face.
So many have never laughed, and so many have died before their hair could turn silver.

As you get older, it is easier to be positive.
You care less about what other people think.
I don't question myself anymore.
I've even earned the right to be wrong.

So, to answer your question, I like being old.
It has set me free.
I like the person I have become.
I am not going to live forever.
But while I am still here, I will not waste time lamenting what could have been,
or worrying about what will be.
And I will eat dessert every single day if I feel like it.




So be you, be happy and be free.

Friday Musings

It's close to noon on this mid January friday in Hitchins. Our big blizzard turned into only a few inches of snow this time. On our side of the road it's all melted away. On the opposite side it still lays on the hillside and on the neighbor's lawns. Living on the "sunny side" does have it's advantages.

Our computer is in one of the upstairs bedrooms. From it's window I can see the beautiful Sweetgum tree in the church yard next door. This morning I saw something unusual sitting on one of the branches. I ran for the camera and caught a pic of it. It looked like a large owl without my glasses.




Once I enlarged the pic, it was then clear what it was. It was "Mister"!


That cat loves to climb. He used to scale up and onto the house roof. It's a bit harder getting down from there and so I've had to coax him to the safest jumping point to the ground. This happened twice. After that, he learned his lesson.

This time he saw me in the window. I told him I couldn't help him. He was a good 15 feet up the tree. He scaled down that tree trunk like a lumberjack, hind feet first and finally onto solid ground. That was a relief.

The Blizzard Has Arrived

Yes, the big snow event has come to Hitchens. I've been watching it off and on since it began around 1:00pm. It's after 3:00pm now. The snow has started covering the road and Ray has another hour at work before his trek home. Thankfully we moved to within a 30 minute drive. I always say a little prayer for his safe return home. He's my best friend and soul mate as well as my husband. He has a way of bringing out the best in me. It just doesn't get any better than that.

I've spent the day getting the house cleaned, the clutter back into it's rightful places and the laundry is all caught up. I baked a Strawberry Cake with a Vanilla Glaze this time. Looking forward to that later on.



I made a pot of chili last night.
We had a bowl with shredded cheddar cheese on top.
Here's the recipe in case you want to try it.

Robin's Chili

1 pound of ground round
1 envelope of Chili-O seasoning
1 can of mild chili beans
1 can of diced tomatoes
1/2 of a large can of tomato juice
2 tablespoons of sugar

Brown your ground round in a large pot.
Drain off the extra water and grease.
Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer for an hour.
It's easy, good and it freezes well. I saved some back to have chili cheese coney dogs for dinner tonight.

Our Pets

These are our "babies". Each one came to our door and refused to leave. It is true when you hear the old saying, "You don't choose cats, they choose you".

Mister is the only male. He was a neighbors cat who decided that our home was where he belonged. He's a playful and loving cat but sometimes forgets he has claws when he playfully swats at your ankle. He loves the outdoors but hates the cold. He doesn't like being alone.

Sarah was another neighbor's cat who moved in last winter. She had a litter of kittens in April. Our neighbor then claimed her and took her and the kittens home but she wanted to live with us. So, a few days later, she brought her entire litter of kittens onto our deck. We found homes for them once they were old enough. Our neighbor gave her away to an old farmer a week before my birthday in August. The day before my birthday, Sarah appeared on our deck. She was the best birthday present I've ever recieved. She's a mother to all the others and is very gentle and loving.

Abby was only six months old when she came to our door on Halloween Eve in 2006. We lived in another town then. I remember the night well. It was dark and snow had just began to fall when I heard the cry of a kitten outside. I opened the door and saw this tiny kitten looking up at me from the driveway. I called to her and she came right inside. She was quite a character and she moved into not only our home, but into our hearts as well.

Gracie was another stray that came to our door last year. She not only moved in, but brought four beautiful kittens with her as well. One by one she brought them from under our house, onto the deck. I found a box and an extra blanket for them and they all stayed inside until they were old enough to be given away.

So now all have been spayed and neutered except for Sarah. She will see the vet sometime soon this year.

Shaking and Baking

Brrrrrrr! Looks like the winter of 2010 is going to be a white and cold one. So, to beat the chill, I fired up the oven and made a delicious Lemon Pound Cake. The flavor reminds me of a glass of lemonade on those warm summer days.



Lemon Pound Cake:

1 box Duncan Hines Moist Deluxe Lemon Supreme Cake mix
1 (3.4oz) lemon instant pudding mix
4 large eggs
1 cup water
1/3 cup vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 350F.

Spray Pam cooking spray all around the inside of your bundt pan and then coat with powdered sugar. (It’s the same as greasing and flouring. The powdered sugar does the same thing without leaving white patches all over your cake and it just tastes better.)

In a large mixing bowl, mix together 4 eggs with the 1/3 cup of vegetable oil, and the 1 cup of water. Sift the cake mix and the pudding mix together into the egg mixture and beat with a mixer for at least 2 minutes.

Pour the mix into your bundt pan and bake for 55 minutes.
Let cool for 30 minutes before adding vanilla glaze.

Vanilla Glaze:

1/3 c. butter
2 c. powdered sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
2 to 4 tsp. hot water

Heat butter, until melted.
Stir in powdered sugar, vanilla and water.
Stir all ingredients until smooth and spoon on cake.