Fab Feb Fun Highlights

Recent Thrifty Finds:

It was a pretty good week for thrifting.  I saw this beauty on the the shelves and just about ran to it and hugged it.  Isn't it the Cutest cookie jar?  I have a very small collection of cookie jars because I'm very discerning about the ones I choose.  It has too be over the top cute and I have to Love it.  This one would go perfect with my cupcake cookie jar, the one that has a tiny matching strawberry on top.  

Then I recalled it was my daughter, Sarah's, birthday coming up and she has red accessories in her kitchen and thought, wouldn't it make a super gift? 

A small sacrifice that would hopefully bring a small joy. 

My Gift Giving Rule Is - If I LOVE it and want it then it would make a great gift.    

Besides, I had found so many darling things lately.

Look at all that good stuff!  So many good used books, even one I snatched off the shelf purely because it had a pink cover.

It is rare to find any vintage Nancy Drew books at thrift store anymore so I was surprised and pleased when I spotted this one and even more thrilled when I discovered it was a volume I didn't own, yet.  Great cover, too!   I arranged my fun thrifty finds on my kitchen Cosco cart and thought looked cute with that vintage toy truck.  One a recent trip up to Mt. Airy, NC I discovered that adorable pink vintage ice cream box.  The graphics are pretty terrific AND it's pink ~ what a score!

What I've been baking:    

I decided to do some baking for another yummy little surprise bday prezzie.  These are baked chocolate mini donuts dipped in chocolate ganache frosting and coconut or sprinkles.  They were super easy and tasted pretty good.  I Love the way they look.  I thought they'd be a fun surprise, so I left them on the kitchen counter in my daughter's house for her to find when she got in from work.  That's not weird at all, right?  I have a key to use when I need to feed her kitties and I rarely ever use it for anything else.

Here's what the donuts look like after baking in the mini donut pan.  This is just before I make the ganache which couldn't be easier.  Just 1 c. of chocolate chips microwaved for 1 min. then use a 1/4 c. cream, warmed in the microwave for 20 seconds and poured over the chips, whisking until it becomes smooth.  There's a divine chocolatey aroma to enjoy while whisking.

Let me know if you want the recipe and I will email it to you.

Currently Listening To:

                                                          Can't get enough of this song.  
Obsessed With:

I recently discovered this show on PBS that has been airing for awhile called, Finding Your Roots.  Have you seen it?  It's fascinating!  Well, I mean, practically all the shows on PBS I find fascinating, but this one showcases well-known, interesting people and researches their family tree.  
Sounds kinda boring & dusty?  
But it's super thrilling and very well done.  The people are always deeply moved when they discover things about the people that gave them life.  My favorite part is the surprise at the end of the show when the host, Henry Lois Gates, Jr., tells them what their DNA test results disclosed about their genetic makeup and shows on a pie chart graph where in the world their blood reveals their ancestors are from,  Riveting stuff!

What I've been watching:  

Network TV has been good these past few weeks.  There's something interesting to watch almost every evening.  I made this collage of all my preferred shows that I look forward to watching.  I'll be so sad when there's no more Downton Abbey.  

What I've been eating:

 Almost every morning, lately, I make a cup of oatmeal for breakfast. After I enjoy my cup of coffee and subsequent cup of hot milk tea, I use that same mug again to make the oatmeal in.  

It's been really cold here in NC.  Too cold for my usual Greek yogurt.  So on a whim I decided to give oatmeal a try.

I measure a 1/4 c. of Old Fashioned Oats {not quick oats} + 1/2 c. of milk into my big mug and nuke it for minute, stir, then for 1 minute more.  But keep a close watch on it!  Towards the end it tends to bubble up and if you are not watching it will bubble right over.  

Next I plop in some fresh blueberries and generous sprinkling of cinnamon.  

Doesn't a generous sprinkling of cinnamon make just about everything better?  I have a little ritual when I take the cap off that Lovely stuff.  I take a deep sniff of the cinnamon, really breathe in the aroma of that spicy goodness.  

Then I add a splash more milk to cool it a bit and 1 tsp of Chia seeds.  One day I forgot to add any sweetener and found that I really didn't miss it.

I haven't been a fan of oatmeal for breakfast.  It's usually a gloopy, gluey mess.  

But this isn't.  It's just enough to fill me up with something warm.

Tea I've Been Drinking:

One chilly afternoon, when Em was in class, I popped into Starbucks and ordered 

a London Fog. 

It's an Earl Grey tea latte with vanilla syrup.  It was Sensational!  The vanilla is a perfect accompaniment to the fragrant Bergamot flavor reminiscent of the summer and the Bee Balm flowers I grow in my garden.  I want another right now!  

Even better was the fact that I had gotten an email promotion from Starbucks encouraging me to order a tea the next time I was in, so I could earn 3 extra Bonus Stars.  I like getting those incentives to earn extra stars.  As a Goldcard member, that would put me a quarter of the way to earning another free drink reward...until April when the new program, announced this week, goes into effect.

Later on, as I sipped my scrumptious beverage, while browsing my favorite thrift shops, I had the good fortune to find that cute mystery for .50 cents.  I enjoy the BBC/PBS series, Grantchester, so I scooped it right up.  It was a good day.

I hear Grantchester will air new episodes on Masterpiece, after the Downton Abbey series finale.  So that will be something to look forward to after that sad fact.

It's been frightfully cold.  Despite the chill and the fact that we are both Single Ladies, Emily and I decided we still deserved a bit of Valentine fun doing stuff we Love.  Thifting!

Flowers and candy are nice but pretty books are useful and last forever!

I found all of these classic gems at the Goodwill near the fairground.  Emily found a bunch of nice fashion pieces, a skirt, blouse, trousers, belt and a jacket.  What a productive trip!

This has got to be one of the weirdest things I've ever seen for sale at the goodwill, a CPR dummy.  And there wasn't just the one there were like 5-6 suitcases heaped in a pile, so of course I had to take a peek.  Definitely made me giggle!

The Perfect Date always includes something delicious. 

Isn't that a sweetheart of a cheeseburger?
Hamburger Heaven 

 PS ...I'm in Love with this photo!

Later, we found all these beautiful teas at Fresh Market.  I adore Jasmine tea!  Almost as much as I adore Paris Tea or Earl Grey or ginger.

I LOVE Tea!

What I See When I Walk:

There's this interesting building I walk by in my neighborhood that sits at the end of a street of houses.  I surmise it used to be a fire house.  I'm pretty sure it's apartments now.  Isn't it cool looking?  

I wonder what used to be above the garage door?

Window shopping at Godiva.  I need one of each!

Really, How cute is that?

Highlights of my Week

There has been a lot of cold, gray rainy days.  
Then we had the time change. 
All of a sudden it is Spring Time!

The first sign of spring to me is 

when I see the bright, pretty colors of the crocus blooming in my garden.

This stripey one is extra pretty!  

This past week you can find me in the garden cleaning up the winter blanket of leaves and uncovering the green shoots.

A couple of warm sunny days and the daffodils pop open.  

I like how they dance in the spring breeze.

Here's what I'm Loving:

This is my favorite daffodil.  

Although it is much smaller than some varieties it has a wonderful honeysuckle type scent.  I like to think of it as an old fashioned kind because it came with our house that is over 100 years old.  I especially love this colour combination of yellows with the blue of the hyacinth.  

Enjoying and Listening to:

One rainy evening we traveled Downtown with friends for dinner at Mellow Mushroom.  I took this photo of my view looking out of the restaurant while waiting for the yummy pizza.

After dinner we walked across the street to the Stevens Center to see 

the opera, The Magic Flute by Mozart 

on 'Student Night' which is the final dress rehearsal of the Piedmont Opera and the Winston-Salem Symphony.  So my daughter got to see it for free and my ticket was only $15 for an evening of entertainment and culture.  What a bargain!  

I Loved the music, the costumes and Papageno!  

My favorite part was the Queen of the Night's aria.   So sublime!

I like old buildings so I took a few photos of the restored neoclassical theater while waiting for the the show to begin.  Lots of beautiful details in the architecture I wanted to remember.

This chandelier must be 8-9 ft across and it sure does sparkle.

These impressive structures are on either side of the stage that look to have something to do with sound perhaps when it was a silent movie theater.

I don't know how many times I've been to this theater, over a dozen for sure but I don't think I ever noticed this cool massive light that is above the seats.  The quality of this picture is terrible but at least I'll remember just how beautiful it is.

What I've been watching:

I've caught this series on and off airing on PBS over the years and always Love watching it.  

I just started binge watching it on Netflix this month and I'm thrilled there are so many episodes I haven't seen.  

Hercule Poirot is my favorite Agatha Christi character maybe it is because of the actor's fantastic portrayal as the somewhat fussy, particular, dandy persona with super intellect which

he refers to as his little gray cells.  Set in the mid 1930's with wonderful art deco design details, sets and costumes, the show revolves around mystery, murder and intrigue which Monsieur Poirot always figures out with charm and panache.  

What I've been cooking:

Buddha's Delight soup or just Buddha soup

I came across the original recipe in a book about soups I got from a second hand book store and I've put my own spin and adaptations on it over the years.

It is hardy, delicious and good for you with all those tasty wonderful vegetables.  

Fav veg: 

pea pods 

tiny broccoli florets 

thinly sliced carrots

bell peppers

green onion 

mushrooms 

celery 

baby bok choy 

 

In a large pot, put in the whole leftover rotisserie chicken, bones and all and heat the broth to boiling.  We want to get the flavor from the bones into the broth even though the meat is already cooked and doesn't need additional cooking. Reduce heat to low and simmer for up to an hour or so.  While the broth is simmering I do the cutting up and preparing of all the different veg.  

I go to Trader Joe's to get the most gorgeous organic vegetables that are the best prices.  I get out my mandolin slicer and use it to make perfect sized carrot coins.

The rest of the veg I chop by hand refining my knife skills, practice, practice!  I love how the stem end of the baby bok choy looks like a pretty rose when sliced.  It's my fav part to eat!

Do you see my friendly kitty, Ms. Zoe Pudding Pop watching over my work?  

It makes me giggle when my pets do cute silly things.

She just sat there watching, probably wondering why she smelled chicken but did not see ANY.

Assembling the soup

Remove the carcass from the pot and let it cool.  Sometimes I pop it in the fridge or freezer until it cools enough to touch so I can remove all the bits of meat, chopping into bite sized pieces.  

When all the veg and meat is chopped and ready it's time to assemble the soup, cooking each part in stages.

Optional: frozen Costco dumplings and/ or cellophane noodles.  These yummies add calories and I leave them out when I want to cut back and eat super healthy.  I used them as enticements to lure fussy eaters into consuming my good for you veg.  Cellophane noodles are clear noodles found in any grocery store's Asian food section.

First drop in dumplings minding the time they need to cook thoroughly, 

drop in cellophane noodles that need 2-4 mins to cook.

Next drop in pea pods, tiny broccoli florets and sliced carrot that need 3 mins to cook. 

Lastly drop in green onion, mushrooms, celery, baby bok choy & cooked cut up chicken that needs only 1 min to cook. 

~enjoy

Buddha soup

Ingredients:

leftover Costco rotisserie chicken with cooked, cut up chicken & carcass to flavor the broth. 

2-4 cups of broth, 1 carton + water and 1 knorrs boullion cube 

Your Fav veg - this is my list of favs: 

pea pods 

tiny broccoli florets 

thinly sliced carrots

bell peppers

green onion 

mushrooms 

celery 

baby bok choy 

optional: frozen Costco dumplings & cellophane noodles.  These yummies add calories and I leave them out when I want to cut back and eat super healthy.  I used them as enticements to lure fussy eaters into consuming my good for you veg.

In a large pot, put in the whole leftover chicken, bones and all and heat the broth to boiling.  We want to get the flavor from the bones into the broth even though the meat is already cooked and doesn't need additional cooking. Reduce heat to low and simmer for up to an hour or so.  While the broth is simmering I do the cutting up and preparing of all the different veg.

Remove the carcass from the pot and let it cool.  Sometimes I pop it in the fridge or freezer until it cools enough to touch so I can remove all the bits of meat, chopping into bite sized pieces.  

When all the veg and meat is chopped and ready it's time to assemble the soup, cooking each part in stages.

First drop in dumplings minding the time they need to cook thoroughly, 

drop in cellophane noodles that need 2-4 mins to cook.

Next drop in pea pods, tiny broccoli florets and sliced carrot that need 3 mins to cook. 

Lastly drop in green onion, mushrooms, celery, baby bok choy & cooked cut up chicken that needs only 1 min to cook 

~enjoy

My Thrifty Finds:

One morning I found this lovely orange juice carafe at my Favorite Goodwill for $2. 

The next day I spied a matching juice glass priced $1 at another Goodwill in the next town over.  

Both perfectly match the one I already had.

The bright colors remind me of warmer weather so I decided to display them on my kitchen window shelves with some of my other glassware.

I'm always on the lookout for old and beautiful books.

There are certain favorite authors that I will always want to buy, classic writers like Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, Shakespeare, etc that I will snatch up, as well as contemporary popular writers like Agatha Christie, Stephen King, David Sedaris & Dean Koontz to name a few.

What a find these gems were!  

Isn't the Jane Austen a beautiful book?  All were less than $2 found at Goodwill.

I should've snapped a photo of the H.G.Wells book with the tattered cover off.  It was published in the 1950's. I've displayed all of them prominently on my hall bookshelves.  Seeing them when I pass by makes me smile, especially the Jane Austen and H. G. Wells which are particularly noticeable.

What we've been drinking:

Did you get a Shamrock shake from McDonald's, yet?  We like to have one in the spring time with a couple of those grilled onion cheeseburgers from the Dollar Menu.  Ideally, it makes for a fun picnic to nibble and sip among the daffodils celebrating spring.  We like to get the traditional vanilla mint shake that tastes like  mint chocolate chip ice cream with out the chocolate chips.  You can ask for chocolate sauce or drizzle when you order your shamrock shake but I like the tradition plain.

Another yummy treat we had was Starbuck's new Tiramisu flavored drinks. I had earned another free reward. {I'm a gold card member!}  So we ordered a massive venti sized Tiramisu frappuccino for FREE and a chocolate caramel muffin to go with it, then had a nice chat about the upcoming Anime conventions and costumes Emily is dreaming about creating.

Want to learn more about Starbuck's Free Rewards?

Hope you had a fun week, too!
Happy Spring!

Highlights of my Week

Here's what I've been up to.

I dug out all our valentine relics and did some decorating.  I haven't done that in a few years but this year I was excited to see all these old gifts, some vintage and some newer.  

Pictured above is a tattered vintage candy heart that made a nifty gift from my sweetheart so many years, as well as the year it was made, filled with chocolates and given to another lady.  

I just love it!   Isn't it  unusual? 

I'll be posting more about the decorating details on my other blog,

makeitspecialpartyplanning.blogspot.com/

What I've been watching:

I may be a little obsessed with this melancholy tv show set in Sweden. I saw a few episodes on PBS a few years ago and thought it was riveting.  I've loved detective mysteries ever since Scooby Doo and Agatha Christi's Hercule Poirot and I've been a fan of Kenneth Branagh for years now starting back when I saw him portray Roman in the 1990's mystery thriller, Dead Again with Emma Thompson.  And everybody has seen him in Harry Potter as Gilderoy Lockhart.  Anyway, the first 3 seasons of Wallander have been on Netflix so I've been binge watching them.  I hope the 4th seasons airs on PBS or Netflix soon or I may need to figure out how to watch it on my laptop.

Here's what I'm Loving:

Currently Listening to:

I first heard this song on TV at the very beginning of the first episode of
my new fav show,  Agent Carter 

and instantly LOVED it! 

I googled it and discovered LOADS of fantastic videos by Caro Emerald. I think I'm obsessed with their sound, very big band swing with a dash of tango sultry.  There's so many songs on you tube and every song is dynamite!

My Thrifty Finds:

One of my Favorite finds lately {who am I kidding?  They're all my favorites!!} has been this adorable gem of a book about mushrooms.  The drawings are so cool. I dream about the day when I can take long walks in the woods, maybe bring this book along so I can identify any mushrooms or toadstools I see.

Another great find was this pocket astronomy book that was only like .60 cents at Goodwill because it's a paperback. I probably would've picked it up for that reason alone but then I opened it up and flipped through the pages and came across this wonderful diagram. I Love looking up at the stars at night, especially in the winter when there are so many clear nights and the constellation Orion is easily visible. To me, Orion's belt has always been the easiest part of a constellation to spot with those 3 beautiful bright stars so close together in a line.  When I take the dog out to do her business at night I look up in the sky facing south and this diagram is what I see!  I never knew that the north star, Sirius, is located diagonally off Orion's belt.  Or if I did I forgot!  The North star is another easy to spot, bright star that I've been wondering what it was.

My eyes just about bugged out of my head when I saw these 3 Nancy Drew books on the shelf at Goodwill.  They're children's books so they only cost .60 cents too!  I've been collecting them for about 5 years now, ever since my hubby surprised me with a few of them as a gift.  I read them all as a kid.

What I've been thinking:

I'll leave you with something funny: